Ice Skating

On Saturday we went to an MBA ice skating activity. They had the whole rink reserved and we got in for super cheap. It was a great deal. Plus, there weren't a ton on people there, so the ice wasn't too crowded. It was Brent and Elliott's first time ice skating. I hadn't been since YW cabin outings - man that's longer ago than I'd like to admit. I was excited to do it again. We all had a good time. Derek was even pretty patient just being held on the sidelines while Brent and I traded places on the ice.

Of course, after packing everything I could possibly think of to keep us warm at the rink, I forgot my own coat. It was in the same pile as all the rest of the stuff, but I still managed to leave home without it. That's why I have the ridiculous looking hat on my head - something to keep me warm. Shortly before we left, some nice lady let me borrow her spare coat. It was nice to be warm for a few minutes. Elliott was a little nervous about being on the ice at first. Then he got hold of a "walker" and had a blast by himself.

Brent's first adventure on the ice.

It didn't take long to get more comfortable.

Hanging out on the sidelines.

Look at Elliott go! He was a little speed demon by the end.

A fun time was had by all. No one even biffed it. Elliott fell a couple times, but since he had the walker, they weren't very hard falls.

The Return of Winter

This is what we awoke to this morning...

That's a lot of snow! It snowed a bit yesterday morning and early afternoon, but was completely melted by the time church was over (5pm). I figured that was the end of the storm. I guess I was wrong. I'm happy to have the snow, especially since I know it'll be gone quickly. So many people keep saying they are tired of the snow, they just want all the snow to be gone. It's not like we had a bad winter. We really didn't get that much snow this year, if you ask me. Sure we had a few good storms, but it was a lot less than I expected. I admit there is one thing I don't like about the snow - it's cold and you can't sit outside and enjoy. Time will come soon enough I guess.

Joy

Nothing is better than your 5 year old asking if he can help do the dishes. He did half of them for me and while he was working he said, "I'm having fun doing the dishes." When he was finished, he said he wants to do some of the dishes every time I do them. It brought pure joy to my heart, something I haven't felt much lately. I'm usually getting after him for something, so to be able to be so thankful to him was so wonderful. What a good kid! Come to think of it, he has been willing to help a lot lately. He cleaned up the whole house (picked up toys, made beds, etc) the other day when I was gone and then again last night before bed. Last week he offered to help vacuum (quite an offer coming from someone who used to be deathly afraid of the vacuum.) That one will have to wait until he's a little taller, but he did try for a minute. I'm so grateful to have a wonderful boy who's growing up so fast. I need to show him how much I love him a lot more often.

Waving

Derek has recently learned how to wave. He usually waves when he sees someone else wave. Sometimes he'll do it when you just say "hi". At church on Sunday, he was waving during a song because he was watching the chorister. That was pretty funny.

Goofy face - he was actually waving when I took this one.

Spring has Sprung...or so we thought

Last week we had such beautiful weather, with temperatures nearing 70. We went to different parks and loved being outside. Elliott spent 3-4 hours a day outside. It was the perfect way to welcome Spring. This week, Winter decided to return. It snowed yesterday and today. It's freezing once again - how does the temperature drop 30 degrees in a few days??? I guess it's fairly good timing, since we're all sick anyways, so we shouldn't be romping around outside, but it sure feels like we're just cooped up inside. I'm tired of being sick!!!

These are pictures from Nielson's Grove Park last week. Elliott had a lot of fun. They have a duck pond and a good play structure. Elliott even tried swinging for the first time. He has always preferred the safety of swinging on his tummy. He was very brave and actually enjoyed it (as long as he only had a very soft push). He even figured out how to get up on the swing by himself. It's really tricky helping a 5 year old onto a swing while holding a baby.

Derek was super grumpy most of the time because he was pretty sick. We were having our carpets cleaned, so we had to get out of the house. I did manage to put him in the swing a give him a few soft pushes before he had enough.

Swimming in Legos

Derek has a blast with the Duplos. He loves digging through the bucket. Now that he can pull up on things, he gets what he wants. This time he kept going and pulled himself all the way up on top of the bucket. He had fun just hanging out on top and kicking his legs. It was really funny.

Museum of Art

Last Friday we went to BYU's Museum of Art for an MBASA field trip. They had an exhibit by Walter Wick the artist of the I Spy books. He has amazing talent. It was a really fun exhibit. Elliott had a good time.

There was a second exhibit we walked around. I don't know who the artist is. It was quite strange. He creates art from things like black garbage bags, unblown or popped balloons, packing peanuts, etc. I really don't know what this structure is supposed to be, but the kids really seemed captivated. I'm not sure what the sink had to do with anything. The tap was on and the water was just circulating. ????

We walked to the MOA and it was a bit cold outside. I had Derek pretty well bundled, but I didn't take his gloves. On the way there I noticed his hands were really cold. I felt bad, so on the way home I put my gloves on him. He kept them on the whole way. Then I realized just how cold he must have been on the way there - mine were cold without my gloves. Next time, remember the gloves.

Draper Temple

Last week I was able to take the boys to the Draper Temple Open House. Elliott woke up Thursday morning with his stomach hurting. I was really bummed that we might not be able to go to the temple as planned. He eventually threw up and then felt better. That happens so often with him. He throws up once and then is perfectly fine. Fortunately that was the case this time so we were able to go as planned. The temple was beautiful, of course. It was nice to be able to show Elliott what a temple is like. I asked him what he liked best and he said "the chandeliers." (Before going inside, someone had mentioned that many people like the chandeliers.) The chandelier in the celestial room is HUGE and beautiful with many smaller wall chandeliers that look like it. I am so thankful for the temple and its eternal significance and I am thankful that I could share that with Elliott and Derek. Derek was perfect at the temple. I was just holding him the whole time and he was so still and quiet. It was amazing. It was actually quite the outing. There were so many people there. We had to wait for more than an hour before starting the tour. We started by watching a video and then took a bus from a nearby chapel to the temple. After the actual tour, we had to wait for the bus to take us back to the church and then we drove up to the temple to take pictures. Derek was SO tired by then. I wasn't even going to get him back out of the car to take pictures. At least Elliott was a good sport. He was so good the entire time, even though it was a lot longer than I expected.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It was a lovely Spring day (even though it's not officially Spring). Elliott spent 4 hours outside today. Derek and I joined him for part of it. We went to a park with some MBA families. We were even saying it was "hot" while we were there. It's funny how 60 degrees is hot when you're used to the cold, but come summer, 60 degrees will be freezing.

Derek loves looking out the window. We had the windows open for most of the day and since it's so dry outside, after spending a while climbing all over the couch to see outside, Derek's hair was full of static!

So Proud

Yesterday was Derek's big day! In the afternoon he crawled for the first time - it was only for a second, but I saw it (and Marisa witnessed it over the phone :)) Any day now, he'll be doing it regularly. Last night Derek pulled himself all the way up to standing. Now he thinks he's pretty cool. He even tried grabbing the couch and pulling up on top of the train box. He couldn't get a good enough hold on the couch, so that didn't happen thankfully. I love the way he smiles everytime he does something new. He knows it's a big deal!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

On Saturday I took the boys to the BYU Baseball game. It was free - you can't get better than that. I have wanted to take Elliott to a sporting event, so it was the perfect opportunity. I was thankful for the nice weather that made me want to go. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The breeze kept it a little cool, but not freezing, so it was just right. Derek had fun clapping during the game, sometimes at just the right times. It was cute. Elliott, on the other hand, pretty much refused to cheer. I think he gets a little embarrassed clapping or cheering. Derek fell asleep after a while, and of course Elliott wanted to leave shortly after that. I made him wait a little while and then I said he had to cheer before we could leave. Finally he had the perfect opportunity. He clapped and said, "Go Cougars!" Maybe next time he will get into it a little more. The game was okay, but not super exciting. At least we were winning 4-1 when we left after 4 1/2 innings. We ended up winning 10-3. I guess we missed the real excitement. Oh well. It was a fun experience.