National Infantry Museum

Since everyone was home for Martin Luther King Jr. Day we decided to head to Columbus, Georgia and visit the National Infantry Museum.  It turned out to be a fun activity, the only problem was they aren't usually open on Monday's so some of the things were closed.  They open up for Monday if it is a holiday but they aren't fully staffed.  It was a great museum, I really enjoyed it.  They had different halls with bits of all the wars in them.  I learned a lot.    

 

 

Em has been studying about WWII in school.  So it was great for her to see it.  She was so excited to tell her teacher that is how we spent the morning.

A bunker from one of the latter wars (can't remember which one).

New Years Eve

This year New Years Eve ended up being on the same night as our Young Women and Young Men meet for mutual.  I am not sure that the bishopric realized that they were the same day when they planned on meeting that night.  All in all it turned out to be a lot of fun (I hope they were having fun) or I thought.  We decided to plan a mini New Years Eve party.  There were party hats, noise makers, games, food, a dancing video game and lots of fun.

At first I was surprised they decided to have young men's and young women's since it was a holiday and our kids were already talking about our New Years eve traditions.  When we realized they were the same night we had to adjust what we normally do and it still worked out.  With Carrson as the Bishop and I am in the young women's program we ended up having to take the two youngest with us.  Emma is getting excited to move up to the young women's program (partially since most of her friends are there anyways) but she has a few months left.  Turning twelve for her just can't come fast enough. 

 

 

 

 Even Andrew had a blast!

Now to our festivities... For the past six or seven years we have had fondue on New Years Eve, so of course now the kids talk about it and they get excited for it.  when we found out that we were having mutual that evening Emma was not too happy, out of all the kids she was probably the most excited to do fondue.  Granted they all like it but she is the one that talks about it the most.  We had to come up with a plan so we could still eat dinner, go to church and have some fondue.  I decided that we would do the chocolate/dessert fondue and have nachos for snack/dessert and do the main dinner the next day.  It worked out great since we usually run out of time to enjoy the chocolate the same night, it seems we are usually doing that one the next day. 

 Yum! 

 Strawberries, apples, gummy bears, cinnamon bears, angel food cake, bananas and rice krispy treats all to be dipped in the yummy chocolate.

 

 I think Andrew had way too much fun, he loved it.

The picture isn't the greatest but it is all I have, check out that chocolaty grin.  Total excitement!

After we ate and watched a movie it was time to go outside and celebrate by shooting off some fireworks.  Just as we got outside a police officer was patrolling the streets and warned us not to light the fireworks (especially since we had just received a lot of rain).  Come to find out it is illegal here in the city to light fireworks.  Next time we will have to plan on going out of the city to light them. Wouldn't that have been nice to know before we bought them.  Talk about some very sad little ones (Emma an Andrew),  all Andrew wanted to do was to see some fireworks. 

No I didn't get any pictures of or fondue dinner but it was yummy and Andrew has even asked if we can have dinner in the three pans again.  Yes, I have three fondue pots, and yes we use every one of them when we cook.  Andrew had so much fun cooking the hot dogs dipped in pancake batter.  He didn't eat much but he had a blast cooking it.  We had steak, chicken, hot dogs to dip in pancake batter (yes it makes a great little corn dog), little cheese balls and french bread to dip in a cheese sauce.  It was delicious!! 

We hope you all had a great New Years Eve and hope your new year is awesome!!

Disclaimer

I don't know what is going on with some of my posts.  I don't know if it is blogger or where I get my background templates from but there are now advertisements tied with my posts.  I don't want them there but I don't know how to get rid of them. So please bear with me and no you do not have to visit them.  If I post a link you should be able to tell the difference. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Andrew's first snow?

Yes, it is the end of January and like in the past we were told we had a snow storm coming.  This storm was  supposed to drop 3-5 inches of snow in our area, we were also supposed to have freezing rain with it.

  Monday afternoon we got the phone call that school was dismissing Tuesday at 11 and it was cancelled for Wednesday.  Later that night we received another phone call that school was going to be out Tuesday and Wednesday and they would let us know about Thursday.  Here, it hit earlier then was planned and it ended up being worse then expected.  It was a good thing the kids were already home since the buses probably wouldn't have made it.  The freezing rain had already started and the roads were horrible even before school was to let out.  Carrson also ended up calling to let us know that they had closed the plant and that he was on his way home.  It took him 2 1/2 hours to go about twenty miles.  There were so many accidents that had closed the roads and bridges.  After sitting on the road forever (it seemed) he finally got out of Montgomery and was able to be on his way.  He spent most of his time waiting to get over the interstate junction after turning around off another road that had had an accident with a fatality.

This is what his truck looked like by the time he got home. Icicles all over the front and ice on the hood.  Even living in Cache Valley (back in Utah) I don't recall our vehicles looking like this after being driven.

Like I said this was Andrew's first real snow storm and we were hoping for a lot more snow.  He wanted so badly to build a snowman.  After the freezing rain had finished we thought hopefully the snow will start to fall.  I made Andrew take a nap with the promise he could go out in it when he got up.  Out of all the hype and the 3-5 inches of snow we were supposed to have, all we received was a skiff, and there was no way you could build a snowman.  But the little guy was still excited to go outside and play in it.

Mischievous little man. 

Trying to catch snowflakes on his tongue.

I went to bed last night and had a dream about snow and when I woke there was snow outside.  I still thought I was dreaming.  Just kidding.  It was so cold that the snow didn't melt like it has in the past.  I don't think we have even made it to thirty degrees Tuesday or Wednesday.  So when we woke this morning, there was still almost as much snow out there as there was when the kids were out playing yesterday.  So they were excited to go back out, even though it was only nineteen degrees outside. 

The back patio was mostly ice this morning and Andrew kept falling till he realized to go around on the grass.  He even thought it would be fun to ride a scooter over the ice.  It didn't work out as well as he thought so he abandoned that idea.

I was excited that I was able to get a picture of all four kids outside playing.  Andrew begged all of them to come outside he even got his dad to come out yesterday.  He was so excited to have them outside and play with him.

Trying to be sneaky with a snowball.

More December fun..

 This year with Ryan being in the marching band meant marching in the Christmas Parade.  We with some crazy weather the city had to postpone the parade twice.  Which actually worked out great for us because both nights they postponed it we had something going on with church activities.  I was teasing saying Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways (even though it could be true).  Finally the day of the parade came and while we waited we (since we had to be there early to drop Ryan off) we ran into a friend and we went and took some fun pictures.  She loved having other faces for some test shots.  Andrew was a great for her, he was loving getting his picture taken.  My camera has been acting up lately so I was grateful to have met up with her.  You will probably recognize her from some of my soccer posts.  Her son and both Clark and Ryan have been playing together for the last five years (or so).

 

 

 

 

 

 I didn't get a picture of Ryan in the parade that turned out but here is the beginning of the band with the drum majors.

 Enjoying the parade.

Decorating Christmas cookies.  Emma and Andrew were having a blast decorating the cookies.  Emma and I would frost them and Andrew would put the sprinkles on them.  Yes, he usually just pour it in the center of the cookie but he was having a blast.  He would get mad when Emma would say she got to do a certain cookie.  Clark came in for a few minutes and helped, he didn't stay too long.  I think I have a few bakers in the future.  

 

 On Christmas Eve, we were able to drive up towards Birmingham and take Elder Zundel and his companion Elder Price to lunch.  It was a great outing and the kids were so excited to see their cousin after about eighteen months. 

 The boys.  Yes, Clark is taller then Elder Zundel and that made his day.  I think he thinks it is great to be as tall as he is.  But for me, I am having a hard time trying to buy clothing that is long enough to fit his length in pants and shirts.

We had a wonderful Christmas Morning.  The kids were up around five am, trying to get us to get up out of bed so they could go into the front room and see what Santa had brought them. 

Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year, it makes us reflect on what we have and who we got it from. I am one of those people who love to leave the Christmas tree as long as I can.  I think I finally took it down Jan. 2.  Even though I love it up I was ready for my room to be back to normal.

 The best part of the morning was the excitement from Andrew.  He had asked Santa for a Spiderman bike and helmet. When he saw that he jumped for joy.  Just to see that was worth it. 

 Three of the kiddos enjoying Emma's karaoke machine.

Ryan playing on his new phone.

Basketball

 It is the season for basketball, and with two days left of sign ups Clark decided he wanted to play.  We got him signed up and with soccer conditioning too he is one tired kid a couple days a week.  I think he is enjoying it.  I know he loves both basketball and soccer and I am glad he is able to play both for the season.  Here are just a few shots from a couple of his games, as I type they are undefeated (I am also going to knock on some wood so I don't jinx them).

 

 The spectators

 

 Carrson is coaching Clark's team again and here he is giving them some great advice.