The rest of January

This has been such a cold winter. Ugh.

We enjoyed watching Tyler play basketball. We were initially really sad that he wasn't on his friend Hudson's team, but he ended up loving his team!

Kallie always having fun late nights at Scarlette's.

Always sleeping pictures of Jackson.

Ava went on a fun outing to a program at the library with her friend Claire.

I can't even remember what this picture was. I think it was a day off of school. We had booked our Hurricane home for the Martin Luther King long weekend but the weather down there didn't look great so Brandon didn't want to go. So we stayed home and had a super boring weekend at home with even worse weather here.

The kids were all into bath bombs for awhile. I'm glad we're done with them because I kept having to clean the tub with the colored water.

Ava was playing with our old car seat with her dolls and we decided to put all the kids back in their original car seat. We used this for every single one of our kids.

Jackson is learning so much in joy school!

He got to go to McDonald's for joy school one day and all he ate was ketchup.

Joy school is seriously so fun. We have been making creative things out of each of the letters at our house. I'll have to do an entire post on it when we're all done.

The kids got excited about making Valentine boxes back in January so we made them early. This is one of my very favorite things to do with the kids and I was so sad that there were only 2 to make this year. It's weird that Mckinley is all done with that forever. Ava didn't get to make one for Kindergarten, they all just decorate a lunch sack (which was barely big enough for all their stuff). She is so excited to make one next year!

Volunteering in Ava's class and Mrs. Brown had examples from past kids and it happened to have Tyler and Kallie's name on it from 4 years ago! So fun to see that!

Ava and Harper made this snowman all on their own!

We were lucky enough to go with Agents United to a yummy dinner and then to the ice castles for free. I love their yearly events that we get to go to! The ice castles were beautiful and a lot of fun to see. Probably not worth what they charge though so I was very glad we got to to go for free!

Tyler's whole team after a game one day.

 

New Years Eve and Brandon's 39th Birthday

We got together with the Salmon's at Ross and Karen's church and ate Mo Bettah's for dinner and then had our annual glow in the dark dance party. We actually ran out of time for confetti because Ross had bought tickets for everyone to go to a BYU basketball game that evening at 7. I'm not sad about it. I don't know if it's worth the mess ha ha.

We watched the game from the nose bleeds but had a good time being together!

Our family left early and went home and hung out. Jackson asleep in my arms. I love it!

New Years Day was Sunday and it was Jackson's first time in primary! His teachers are amazing and they draw pictures on the board every week. This week it was what they got for Christmas. Jackson got a paw patrol castle so this was the picture he got. He was super hesitant to go to primary and told me he just wanted to go to nursery. I had to stay with him in singing time and then in class he was teary but Kellie pulled him from me and he calmed down.

Went over to my mom's to see Ken one last time before he left town. I drove over just with Jackson, no one else wanted to go. Of course he fell asleep in the car, lol. It was a super scary snow storm that we drove in to get there. I was honestly nervous to drive home and told myself if it was too bad I could just sleep over there.

A bunch of us siblings with Mom and Dad. I was the one who suggested we take a picture of course. :)

The drive home was still slow and I took Geneva instead of the freeway this time but it was honestly better than the drive there. And I was soooooo excited about all the snow we were getting knowing that Monday was the observed holiday and Brandon would be home to go sledding with us! I had been dying all Christmas break for some good snow to play in. These trees on the way home were so freaking gorgeous.

Of course Monday we went out to the golf course to enjoy all the snow!

Our cute neighbor was taking pictures of our trek out there, unbeknownst to us. Ha ha.

The sledding wasn't quite as magical as it was when Brandon was gone to Albuquerque (so sad he missed out) but it was still fun! It was windy and snowing and overcast and the snow was so wet and heavy that we didn't sled as far down the hills but we still had a great time!

Our neighbor chased us down on our way back and asked to take a picture of us.

Then over to Ross and Karen's for pizza and a football game.

This is the puzzle I got for Christmas. It was so much fun! Brandon and I did most of it all in one day after we had spent hours on another fun one at his parents' house.

Wouldn't be a complete post without a picture of Jackson sleeping, would it? 

So we survived the torturous early first morning back to school. Then Brandon's birthday was on Wednesday. We didn't do breakfast in bed since he doesn't eat breakfast. But we did presents in the morning before the kids went to school. We went to Chili's for dinner. It was so yummy and lots of fun!

Home for donuts even though we were already stuffed!

Ended the night watching a show and eating treats. I think Brandon had a good birthday!

Thursday night, the day after his birthday, we had an appointment to serve at the Bishop's Storehouse stocking shelves. Brandon, Kallie, and Tyler were all hesitant about it but everyone ended up loving it and begged to go back! 

It was a great time and such a treat to see my old ward member, Diane Wangemann. 

We all had a blast!!!