Nimuae's 9th Birthday

happy birthday...
Nimuae!!!

snowy snow birthday wishes
love, gifts, and phone calls from family all over the country
pizza party with friends
homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream cake
dancing (complete with the hokey pokey)
slumber party
snowy morning sledding
tea and a movie

9 year old heaven !!!

January eggs

We bought a bunch of new chickens (45 to be exact) last spring to occupy our new henhouse in the backyard and increase our then dwindling egg supply. The venture seemed quite crazy at first and we all second (and third, fourth, fifth, etc) guessed ourselves ~ especially when the flock acquired the dreaded red mite. Anyway, the chicks have grown into little laying machines and thanks to the addition of a hen house light to extend the daylight hours, we are now collecting 1 1/2 - 2 dozen eggs a day ! We have enough for both families to have all the eggs we desire and dozens to sell to neighbors each week to offset the cost of feed.

And having farm fresh eggs in the middle of winter is priceless!

for the love of animals

Nimmy had her dear friend sleep over a few nights ago. I listened into their conversation in the car at the point in which the topic transitioned from littlest pet shop to the impact of their real pets on their lives. Some of the magical tidbits that came from the little young ladies were:

"My live like totally changed when I got my cat."
"I feel like a whole different person when I am around my animals."
"Sometimes I feel like my cat is the only one in the world who really understands me."
"I can really trust my animals."
"Yeah, because they will never tell your secrets."

Granola

I accomplished most of the week's errands yesterday so I had a very rare Monday at home. After a ton of laundry
(the water lines are finally thawed and the sun is finally out so I was able to tackle the mountain of dirty clothes), vacuuming, and dusting,
I made a batch of the yummiest home made granola.
I got the recipe from a friend and have been making a batch every week ever since.

And when all the work was done, I was able to sit and enjoy, really enjoy, a bowl full of yummy and a few minutes with my book. mmmmmmm

Baby hunger?

It is amazing how many new little babies have entered our little world recently...and many more will be coming soon (this little fleece cutie is my current favorite hand made baby gift. I can whip one out in no time at all and it is adorable!). I do love to hold the little ones, make food for the mamas, and watch these families grow, although I feel a tiny stab of baby hunger everytime. I mostly feel very settled with our current plan to be done having babies but it does seem that so many people our age are just starting their families now. I guess having Noah at 19 gave me quite the head start on family making. So as many of my friends are entering that super sweet sleep deprived new baby phase, we are gearing up for teenagers (heaven help us!). Having 3 elementary age kids = no diapers or middle of the night feedings, relatively easy traveling, help with chores, and finally planning a trip to disneyworld ! So I will do my best to be grateful for loving on those little babies when I can and then be thankful to hand them back to their mamas.

Progress on the new bathroom...hurray!

David braved the freezing temperatures to move forward on the bathroom addition today. Just another few hours of work and we will be all dried in and insulated! This door with the prayer flags on it has been our back door. But in just a few more weeks, that door and the framing around it will be gone and what will be left is a doorway into the new entrance (see the new sliding glass door behind the ladder?) and bathroom...yeah!

Aunts and Uncles and Cousins

One of the best parts of spending time in Utah is hanging out with our family members who we miss so much throughout the year. I love how the kids groove with their cousins even when they only get to see each other once or twice a year. We try to pack in tons of outings, shared meals, and hang out time with the fam when we are together. Saying goodbye is always tough, but it sure keeps us looking forward to the next get together!

Nimuae and Auntie Sarah enjoy some snuggle time

Gita and Nate riding their trusty stead, Uncle Andrew

Baby Lulu and Gita getting cozy with sorta-auntie Kit (my dad's girlfriend's daughter)

Noah and Austin

the ever-difficult Christmas Eve cousin group photo
(minus Asher and Eva who spent Christmas in Iowa....miss you!)

Some Utah vacation pictures

We are so happy to be home after a wonderful two week vacation to Salt Lake City. It was so wonderful to spend time with family and friends and we had such a great time playing in the snow, ice skating, snowboarding, going to museums, watching movies, and eating large amounts of food. Here are some pictures of the kids...more of family and friends to come....