Weekend at the Cabin

The weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (or Equal Rights Day as it is known in Utah), the kids had a 4 day weekend. So, some friends of ours invited us and another family to go to their cabin for the weekend. They had fun things planned for the cold weather, like snowmobiling, but because there was no snow, we had to improvise.
My kids had just as much fun on the 4-wheelers and they didn't freeze nearly as much as they might have otherwise!
They had horses to feed and pet.
We like to refer to Josh as the "Horse Whisperer". When he was around, the horses came running.
It took a few tries for the kids to get used to the horses eating out of their hands, but I think they all eventually got the hang of it!
Ok, maybe Addy never did get the hang of it!Family picture time!The horse wanted to be in this family picture!
The kids, of course, were entertained by pretty much anything. Including playing King (or Queen) of the Rock!
Or watching the big boys play on their various electronic devices. How did we used to be entertained!
Even though there wasn't any snow, the ice was still frozen enough for us to go ice fishing. I was very, very skeptical at first, but in the end we all had a blast. It was probably the most fun thing we did all weekend long. They even caught 2 fish. Not enough to keep us from starving, but enough to make the kids happy!
Chad's first attempt at ice fishing.
Thankfully we had Connor to show all of us what to do!
The kids learned the trade from their buddy (almost cousin) Brock.
They also learned to never trust Kim with a fishing pole. She and Emily managed to tangle the line, much to the dismay of the boys!
Still trying to untangle it. "Women! Can't do anything right!!"
Eventually they caught a fish.
And they all stood around and watched it flop on the ice.
I thought the girls would be squeamish and stay away, but Addy wanted to be as close to it as she could!
All of the kids posing with their catch.
The girls wanted to be in a picture with just them and the master fisherman. While everyone else fished, Kaitlyn bundled up and enjoyed the scenery.
Eventually the sitting and waiting for the fish to bite bored the kids, so they moved on to just playing on the ice.
Who knew a sled on the ice could be so entertaining!





Eventually being out on the ice took it's toll and it got really cold. At that point, the kids became mounds of blankets!
Baby Kaitlyn
You can identify Addy by her pink boots.
I think Cole is the pile of blanket in the back!
Overall, we had a great time and a relaxing weekend. Thanks to great friends!

From Scrawny to Chubby!

Kaitlyn has finally made her way onto the growth charts after being a runt for most of her life! This video shows why. If I don't spoon the food in fast enough she starts kicking. This was far enough along in the feeding that she didn't scream every time I paused like she often does. Hopefully this passion for food does not lead her into childhood obesity too quickly!



If I quit before she's done, Kaitlyn takes matters into her own hands. More than one bowl of baby food has been knocked across the table or onto the floor when I leave it too close to her! You'd think I'd learn by the 4th child.

Hopefully her love of carrots, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, and squash continues. I can only imagine how excited she will be when we bring out the good stuff like apples, pears, and peaches!

Our Christmas Best!

It's a really funny thing that I hated wearing dresses when I was little, but I love to find matching dresses for my girls to wear on holidays. Oh what have I become!! Oh well, they are cute and that's all that matters!!
My handsome son who is growing up far too fast for my liking, as evidenced by his pants that don't fit.
Although we need to work on his picture face!
My Emily who looks cute in whatever she wears, but looks especially beautiful here.
The full length shot that shows her favorite black shoes. (I think they are her favorite because they are fancy. Have I mentioned that I can't believe we share the same genes!)
Addy-cakes, who can make you want to laugh and yell, usually all at the same time!
She was also quite proud of her shoes. Hers were red sparkly hand-me-downs from cousin Kira.
My sweet baby Kaitlyn,
Who was not an easy subject to photograph. She always seemed to get a hand or foot in the way, but she was still cute even then.
Apparently I tried to get too many pictures because this was what I got when I tried to take one of them together.
Or perhaps this one is a better one!
Since I really wanted one of them all together, I tried again later at a new location. Thankfully the results were much better!
Not perfect, but then neither are my children! But, I still love them so much I can't even express it.
I was sad that Chad had to leave before we could all get a picture taken. He even had a red tie on to match us. Oh well, at least they will have one picture with their mom in it!
After we got all of the ones that I wanted, the rest of these pictures were bonus ones.
The girls, my sweet angels
I hope one day Kaitlyn appreciates how much Addy loves her, but definitely not yet!Ditto for Emily's love. She might appreciate that a little sooner than Addy's though!
As we were taking pictures, the other kids around didn't want to be left out. This is my cousin's daughter with the girls. (Her green is the perfect compliment!)
Cousin Blake and Weston sat still just long enough for this picture.
And possibly my favorite picture of the whole day. It brings to mind the song lyrics, "You would cry too if it happened to you." If you know Blake and Addy, you have no doubt why Kaitlyn is screaming bloody murder. (And if you only know one of them, they are kindred spirits of stubbornness and destruction and love all rolled into one!)
I love you Cole, Emily, Addy, and Kaitlyn!

The Lights at Temple Square

We have tried to make it a family tradition to go see the lights on Temple Square every year. I think this is the third year we have made it, so maybe we are on our way to tradition status!
We always seem to pick a cold night to go, so we have to bundle up. You know it's cold when even Chad has a hat and coat on!
I'm going to show them this picture every time they fight and remind them that they do love each other! (Or maybe they were just pretending to like each other because they were standing in front of the temple!)
This year cousin Cayson, Aunt Alise, Grandma Lorna, and Grandpa Bud went with us. It's a good thing one wore pink and one wore blue. They were so bundled up you might not know which is which!
Cousins!
I think the kids had just as much fun walking around on the ledges as they did actually looking at the lights. Oh well, at least they had fun?!
Here's to Christmas traditions, beautiful lights, and the Spirit on Temple Square!