President Hinckley's Funeral

For anyone who may not have yet heard, President Gordon B. Hinckley's funeral will be at 11am MST (or, for those of us on the East coast, 1pm EST) on Saturday, February 2, 2008. I believe that most chapels will be showing the funeral via satellite broadcast (I know ours will be). It appears that the satellite live broadcast will actually start an hour earlier (at 10am MST or 12 noon EST).

But for anyone who can't get to a chapel or the actual funeral, BYU TV will be showing it live and several rebroadcasts. If you don't have satellite, you can still enjoy BYU TV online. You can even watch a show which has already aired up to at least a month (select date and time).

For scheduled times for the broadcast and rebroadcasts please click here.

His legacy will surely live on. And the work he did for the Lord will continue to move forward.

Only If They Are Married....

We were talking about improved behavior and being nice to each other. Jeremy made some comment about hugs and kisses. And Beth's thoughts:

"But not on the mouth. It's not okay to kiss on the mouth...only if they are married."

:) No need to worry about her!

A Two-Year Old Scriptural Thought

The scriptures according to Jeremy:

"And it came to pass....that Nephi.....and the wicked kings....Nephi and Alma hurt the wicked kings"

The discussion:

"Nephi and Alma won. Nephi hurt the kings. The kings were bad and wicked. Nephi and Alma were righteous....right, Mom?"

Finally: The Party

I gave Beth the choice to either have her very own party or to do it with Peter. Unlike most kids, especially her age, she was adamant that they have their parties together. She thought only of Peter as she told me she thought they should have a 'Baby Einstein' party. But knowing that she was interested in fairies, and that Peter wasn't going to care at this age, I talked her into Fairies. The more we thought, the more I realized they could still be "themed" together! Thus, Welcome to Neverland!

Since Bob had the day off for Martin Luther King Jr Day, we choose that day for the party. We invited friends and their families to join us in Neverland (here at our house) to visit Pixie Hollow and Pirates Cove. We made little fairy skirts for all the girls, pirate hats and patches for the boys. Peter got a Peter Pan hat! They went on a treasure hunt to find a shiny box filled with things to make either a jewelry box or a pirates flag.

There were little treats (in the Pixie Tree Parlor - ie our kitchen) along with cake and ice cream. The kids played around more like a play date (its the age), although enjoyed the couple of activities. At one point, Peter points up to the train table (a murphy style table) and says "train" for the first time! Needless to say, Thomas was brought out for the kids to see and enjoy watching as it raced around the track!

We had a wonderful time and are grateful to the friends who came to help us celebrate!

They Say What They Hear

We're having some quiet game time while Peter is having his nap today. Jeremy finished with one game and went to put it away. In the process, the pieces fell out all over the floor. Here's his comment:

"I'm soooo not impressed with this"

I wonder who gave him that one :)

Update on the Ear

Today we had the stitches removed! :)

It would have been yesterday if they had an openning, but this morning was fine. Jeremy was great. Not real excited about letting the doctor get near his ear, though (and where our doctor was on vacation it was a strange face too). But he held still, didn't cry and we were done in no time!

Now, I have to tell you that he's decided there is a "new family rule". He came up with this all by himself...a real credit to his age!

New Family Rule: "No putting heads in fans!"

All in favor.......?

Peter is 1

Peter is one! We've made it through the first year, and yes, on the heals of his sister's birthday, he has his own. Fortuntately Beth is so willing and wanting to share the spotlight! She's wonderful with Peter and the two have a great relationship!


His Year's Accomplishments:
*Forming real words
*Opening cabinet doors
*Climbing (and getting into trouble)
*Turning pages in a book
*Rolling over
*Crawling
*Walking
*Grabbing, holding & manipulating things
*Feeding self

His Year's Firsts: (okay, first year, so there's a lot)
*Smile
*Laugh
*Word (Dada)
*Step
*Bath
*Car ride
*Blessing
*Hike
*Vacation
*Hug
*Kiss
*Holidays (Valentines, Easter, July 4, Halloween, Christmas, New Years)
*Etc.....

Favorite Foods:
*Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
*Macaroni and cheese
*Peaches
*Apples
*Peas
*Potatoes
*Fish sticks

Favorite Activities:
*Snuggling
*Laughing
*Being read to
*Pulling the cat
*Pulling hair
*Giving kisses
*Knocking down Daddy

Favorite Colors:
*I've been told it's blue
*I've seen him take after brother's green things

Favorite Sayings:
*Dada, Dada, Dada
*Yeah
*Choo choo train (more like "oo oo train")
*Baba (meaning bottle)

His Year in Pictures (Just a Peek):

We Will Miss Him

After retiring for the night, our phone rang. Bob's dad called to let us know our Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley had passed away. Although he was well aged and had been having health issues off and on as most older people do, it still came as a shock. We have treasured his guidance, his council, his love for all. We will miss him so much, but are grateful to know that he's been reunited with his wife. What a great example he's been through out his life to all of us!

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who provides a prophet for us in these latter days. I am grateful to know that there is life after death. That our families are forever. I am also grateful to know that the Lord has organized his church in a way that we need not fear or be confused when a dear prophet passes on. Although the next prophet has not been announced, the sacred keys of the priesthood have not been taken away. Each member of the twelve apostles has all these keys. They are able to receive the revelations we need. With this wonderful knowledge, there is no worry, concern, or fear while awaiting the announcement of our next dear prophet.

I want to echo a few words of a favorite hymn which tell how I feel with respect to our late prophet and all the prophets whom the Lord chooses to guide us:

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet
To guide us in these latter days.
We thank thee for sending the gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays...
...Thus on to eternal perfection
The honest and faithful will go "
~~We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet, Hymns pg 19

We know he is at peace as he is reunited with family and continues to do the Lord's work on the other side of the veil.

"Our Spirits Shrink...."

Around the dinner table tonight Gabi decides to share with us what she's been learning in Primary. After telling us that we chose to come to earth and receive a body, she starts telling us what she thinks about our spirits.

G: Mom, were our spirits grown up before we came here?
M: I don't know. Maybe.
G: Yeah, I think they were.
M: I'd like to think so too.
G: Our spirits were big and then they had to shrink and shrink until they could be babies.
Dad: (After explaining that our spirits are separate from our bodies, but that they go into our bodies) It's pretty neat that something so big can fit into something so small, isn't it?
G: Yeah.

Almost, But Not Quite Lost

Today was a good day. We got everyone up, dressed and out the door so we could arrive to church a little early. The kids did well, we enjoyed church....

Primary got out late. Just as I came out the door, Bob asks "Do you have Jeremy?" I told him that I didn't, that he's probably near-by. That he'd probably slipped past the nursery leaders without them knowing because I normally take him with me from the nursery music time to Primary closing exercises (but not today). But then, Bob tells me he already has the others (sitting and reading in the chapel).

As we walk down the hallway, we ask a few people along the way. I race off to the door thinking some kid let him out. Can't find him! He's not around and no one knows where he is.

Bob, carrying Peter, runs around the church, while I race out one door and do the lap. Panic starting to really settle in! No where... He's no where!

As I get to the last door to head back inside, Bob catches me! Jeremy's been found!!!!

It turns out he was brought to the chair just outside Primary and told to sit there until Mommy came out. We didn't see him because of everyone shuffling in and out and people grabbing coats (where his chair was).

Can you believe he sat still that whole time, never said a word, didn't cry, and was just waiting!?! It was nothing short of a miracle! Jeremy does not sit still after church. I am just grateful that he did, and that he was alright! (Why he was left in the chair by himself, we don't know... it doesn't matter any more... he's with us! And from here out, he'll come to Primary when I leave the nursery)

Beth is 4!

Well, it's official... she's four! Though we had her party (with her brother) this past Monday (story and pictures another time as I finish making space for them in iPhoto), this day is hers! So, a little look into Beth over this last year!

Her Year's Accomplishments:
*Reading fluency
*No longer scared of Swimming!
*Can FULLY rinse the shampoo out of her own hair
*Adds single digits
*Brushes own hair
*Puts clips and headbands in without help
*Makes her own toast and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
*No longer wears pull-ups!
*Draws people with all facial features (ears included), clothes, necks, arms, legs, hands, feet
*Draws fully identifiable objects and animals

Her Year's Firsts:
*Dance Class
*Haircut
*Read chapter book by herself
*Hiked a complete trail without being carried
*Sunbeam Class

Favorite Sayings:
* Noooo, Mommm
* Whyyyyy?
* Because, Because
* That's distracting me (or) You're distracting me
* It's not working
* Where? I can't find it.
* It's my turn!



Favorite Foods:
* Macaroni and Cheese
* Pancakes
* Hashbrowns (Daddy style)
* Chocolate Milk
* Chicken Nuggets and French Fries (guess from where :))


Favorite Activities:
* Reading
* Playing with the doll house
* Puppet Shows (putting them on and watching)
* "homeschooling" (her own school while Gabi's in school)
* Dressing Up (Fairies and Butterflies mostly)
* Singing
* Dancing
* Making Faces


Favorite Colors:
* Yellow
*Purple
*Pink
*"all the colors"

Her Year In Pictures (Just a Peek):

Cozy, Cozy

Over the last couple of months I rediscovered Bob's sweats! I had forgotten just how warm and cozy they were. Well, that has lead to the phrase "warm and cozy" in the kids' vocabulary. Beth, especially loves to use this phrase.

Today, Jeremy needed to go potty and get changed into clothes for the day. Being a bit chillier in the bathroom (farther away from our wood heat), he pulled his arms in to his body, reached out to me and said "Cozy, cozy. You're cozy."

When I brought his clothes to him, this was our conversation:

J: "I don't need clothes."
Me: "Don't you want to be nice and warm?"
J: (hugging me) "You're cozy. Nice and Cozy. You be cozy. You be cozy for me."

The moments that make me smile! :)

Can You Spell?

I'm trying to clean up our iPhoto file so we can have more space on the computer again. Yes, I put this off until I almost crash the computer every time... though never actually crashed this computer!

Anyway, this leaves Beth and Jeremy to play quietly by themselves. They've played Handy Manny, something with Noah's Ark and something with the cash register. In deciding who got to be in charge in this last game, Beth decides it must be her and this is how she figured it:

"Because you're 2. And I mean the 'T-W-O' 2"

Hope he can spell! :)

What's An Ear Anyway?

We had quite the eventful night! Yesterday Daddy finished painting the house in Temple so the new tenants could move in. As he arrived home, I ran out the door to attend a baby shower! Kids were a little disgruntled with the meal, but other than that, things seemed calm and settled.

About a half hour into the shower, the phone rings and it's Bob! "Weird. Something must be wrong." goes through my head. Sure enough, something had happened.

On the way to bed, Jeremy stepped on a toy (obviously left out from the day's play) and hurt his toe. He wanted Daddy to kiss it before he went to bed. So, Bob, being the silly and playful Dad that he is, lifted Jeremy up to turn him over and kiss his toe. Well, the toe stopped hurting, but not because Daddy kissed it! Jeremy hit the fan and sliced his ear!!!!

Okay, so I want to know if he needs to go to the hospital, is Bob getting a neighbor or bringing the kids into town (where I already am, 30 minutes away), am I going home, am I meeting him some place, etc, etc. He wants to know how to keep pressure on the ear while driving him to the hospital. I tell him: throw some gauze on it and tape it tight to his head.

Well, by the time we meet up at the hospital (with all the kids in tow), Jeremy has an ace bandage wrapped around his head with a slightly wet paper towel against the ear. Okay, that works. That all promptly falls off when I remove his hat, but we notice the bleeding has stopped. The top of his ear (to about the ridge point) is only connected on the backside. Yup, needs stitches.

Well, we got him registered, and I gave him a little bucket of chocolates from the shower, which he shared with his sisters. He was content to just sit and eat, and not have anyone touch his ear or head. But, of course, we had to go into the room and be examined.

He did great! Was cooperative and fussed a little when they looked at it. Was mad when they taped the numbing stuff to it ("I don't want tape" he kept saying). And he was scared about the stitches, so we said a little prayer. They wrapped him in a sheet to keep him from moving, and a nurse and I held him down. He cried through that part because he was scared. But, he got two stitches, the ear is back together, and he'll be as good as new Monday when they take the stitches out!

Really, he was incredible for a 2 year old little boy! And we were all able to stay calm! While waiting in the room, he kept saying "I be all done with this." and "I go now" We sang Grami Cretia's train song, "I've been working on the railroad", and "where is thumbkin" (which he made me sing 5 times all the way through).

All and all, everyone did great. And all are safe and sound! And except for Gabi and Bob (off to school) and myself, everyone else is soundly sleeping! Maybe I'll go back to bed... it was a late night!

Peace and Service

What a joy it was to be in Farmington for Church. Daddy was still on assignment (up to Newport), but since that meant a bunch of extra meetings, we decided it was best to stay in Farmington! The kids were better than Saturday night, but having not touched base with Bob yet, they were still a little pushy with each other.

Although Jeremy and Peter had tremendous trouble sitting still (in any form), we manged to get through Sacrament meeting, and I even heard and remembered two and a half talks! (For a mother of four by herself, that's really good!)

I had been having a rather hard time with the way the weekend had gone and feeling a little sorry for myself that I was sitting with the kids who would have rather been some place they could run around, when I noticed another mother, who is also a foster mother. Her husband was not there either and she had 7 little ones around her (not counting her two own children). This is not normal for her, but in seeing it, I realized I had no reason to feel sorry for myself. Four was nothing next to seven, and two were behaving rather well. The other two were not-quite-one and two and half.

Primary music went well, and it was nice to be with the kids again! They had learned the 4th verse to I am a "Child of God" very well, so it was a nice treat to just listen!

A friend wasn't in church, so I gave her a call later in the afternoon. We had a little fun realizing how similar our weekends had been in regards to our children. She was in need of some Priesthood service, so when Bob called, I sent him on to her house. It was wonderful. She told me that I needed him just as much as she did right then, but I reminded her that when he got home, he'd be staying and he didn't have work the next day.

That saddening feeling that's not quite depression, started to lift shortly after that. And I realized it was blessings from the Lord. Immediate blessings for the sacrifice our family was making to help someone else in a greater need than ours. I reflected upon that and realized how grateful I was for the words of Brother Danala on service that morning. Our family is often service oriented, but I think I needed to be reminded of what truly makes us happiest in this life: doing the Lord's work on the Lord's schedule.

I must note that not only was my spirit lifted, but the children calmed down and started getting along. They did not know what Daddy was doing, but I know the Lord blessed our family by sending his Spirit in greater abundance. The more we feel His Spirit, the more our family is happy and at peace with each other. By the time Bob came home, we were all smiles with hugs and kisses for everyone, not full of frustration and complaint.

I am grateful for service and the peace it brings us.

Too Cold For Pants!

Yesterday morning started off rather cold... as in below freezing temps again! I, being rather silly, had thought we were past that...single, upside of zero digits, sure, but below freezing? I hadn't read that any where... of course, there is no real reporting area for New Portland, therefore, the reports are really for nearby areas... not taking into account the extra cold that settles in here or the increased wind.

In any case, since we're only heating with wood and I didn't come down to restock the fire, it was rather chilly in the house...say in the 40's. Well, when Jeremy came down, I'd had the stove going for over an hour so it was in the 50's. Still, for my tastes, that's just too cold. Not for Jeremy! Evidentially he takes after Dad (preferring 55 degrees and shorts in the winter). Jeremy, however, was wearing a long sleeve shirt, underpants, and one sock (the other one being lost in his bed over night). He noted this to me, but did not want to take my suggestion to put on some clothes, or at least some pants.

When Dad came down stairs, this is the conversation that transpired:

D: Jeremy! You're missing your pants and a sock!
J (Looking down his legs and at his bare foot): I AM?!?

Saturday Night at the Nielsens

Saturdays are long and hard. First, we've not seen Dad all Friday, then the girls and I get right up and out the door to dance. When we arrive home, the boys are starved for Mom; and Dad is out the door to work again!

Today was no exception. I try to keep things calm, but as the night goes on, it seems the kids only find more and more energy. The noise level increases and so does the chaos. Typically scriptures are a nightmare on Saturday nights, and bedtime almost non-existent. Tonight was little more calm to start with, but by the getting-into-and-staying-in-bed part, well back to the same old mess.

Tonight things fell apart, as they do some times with this, and in the end I had Jeremy in his bed (sad but quiet) Beth in my bed (screaming because I wouldn't tuck her in again) and Gabi at the top of the stairs screaming (because "no one wants her") Since I know I can't handle the chaos any more, and since Peter is falling back to sleep in my arms from when they woke him up, I tell them to find a solution to their problems without Mom and get to bed.

Eventually, realizing I was serious, Gabi finally goes into my room where she asks Beth if she will listen to her prayers. Beth agrees, and Gabi says "I think I better calm down and get a tissue first". As she goes off to find a tissue, Jeremy comes out with a tissue for her. They all kneel down and say prayers again and end up snuggled together in my bed.

This, at least, makes me smile, but it's too good to be true and the noise and fighting start up again! Welcome to Saturday night at the Nielsens!

Snowy Delight

Snow days are a big hit around here... that means Daddy gets to stay home! Gabi especially loves it because she's our snowbird. She'd just about live out there if you'd let her. Well, she waited all morning for the snow to finish flying eager to get out and shovel! This is something she loves, because she not only gets to shovel with Dad (usually just the two of them) but she gets to play in the really big snow piles they make out front.

Growing up in a house with six kids plus a daycare, I use to love shoveling too; but I did it for the peace and quiet... I think she's better of: quality time with Dad!

Note: This picture was not taken today, but rather back in November before we had enough snow to fully cover the weeds... but you get the idea.


Earlier this month, Bob had a snow day because of sleet. Well, Bob, being Bob, goes out side to shovel a path to the woodpile! (With all the melt off and the rain, the snow had been much lower). Once he did that, he decided he ought to split wood (which he wasn't going to do again until February break...we still had wood in the garage.)

So I look out the back window, and, sure enough, there he is with the sleet pouring down, splitting wood. Then he brings it into the shoe room to stack it up. He split and stacked two rows of wood... one normal, one small. And his comment "just thought I ought to see how hard it's gonna be to split it"

As it turned out, it's a lot easier to split the frozen mill-ends, so he just kept going till the section for wood in the shoe room was full. For Bob, this is fun!

Math For Lunch?

We work with the kids each day on skills that they need to improve upon or to help them learn the next educational step in a subject. Just before lunch, Jeremy decided to practice using scissors to cut paper. Beth and I were going to work on simple addition. She seemed very willing, so I set us up at the table near Jeremy so I could keep an eye on him at the same time.

As this wasn't the first time, or the second either, that we were working addition, I decided it was time to show the written math sentence while still using the little rocks to complete the problem. Prior to this, we had only used the rocks. We did two problems and as we started into the third, Beth tells me she doesn't want to do math, she wants to cut.

Knowing only where one pair of scissors were, and Jeremy had them, I told her she'd need to wait and that we needed to finish the problems we had. She immediately started to whine, held her stomach and said "I'm full of this."

Math for lunch, anyone?

A Lesson From Trains

About a year or so ago Jeremy was given a Thomas the Tank Engine Movie called "Thomas and the Magic Railroad". In it, Thomas helps find a lost engine who is the key to all the magic on Sodor Island. During all of this, Diesel, a diesel train (all other trains in the movie were steam engines), is trying to hurt the other engines.

Well, I was helping Jeremy put on a set of his Thomas pajamas when he looked at me and said "Diesel is part of the devil". I asked why. He told me "because he's mean". Then he went on to tell me that Thomas and Percie and James were all part of the Spirit because they were nice.

Though the language is definately 2 year old style, he understood the concept that doing mean things is being on the devil's side and doing nice things means we are listening to the Spirit. The good news: Something we've been teaching him got through, even if it did come with trains! :)

That Freaks Me Out

Since Gabi started school, we've noticed a rapid increase in phrases being learned. Of course, its almost always introduced in the wrong location of the conversation, but she finds a need to use them whenever it suits her. One such phrase is "That freaks me out" or "that's freaky". Even though Bob has tried to break her of this, she insists that it's necessary to have these sayings in her vocabulary, so they've stuck.

Well, today Jeremy needed to go potty. He's picked up a "silliness" from Beth where he tries to giggle without giggling as he's getting onto the potty. Today, in the middle of this wonderful routine, he suddenly pipes up with "That freaks me out!" followed by one of his big grins and "Ha!" So I ask him "What freaks you out?" "You freak me out" was the reply.

Silly me for thinking it had something to do with the lights being out!

He's Walking!

He's Walking! Okay, so he's been walking.. but we thought you'd like to see him in action!

Remember the Reindeer?

Remember my reindeer story? Well, here's a clip of Jeremy doing the reindeer dance again. He's changed it a little -- much calmer when this was taken and much quieter. So, just imagine it sped up and louder and I think you'll get the picture.

Right at the end, he decided that he needed to also be a "little reindeer" although there isn't much of that because of the other two getting in the way.

A Few Forgotten Sunday Notes

By now you've read the Moosehead entry. Yes, even Bob is involved. Like the rest of us, he likes to share stories of the kids. But, he left out a few things that I thought people might enjoy. Let me list them.

After waking Daddy up Sunday morning, Jeremy and I had this conversation:
J: I tell Daddy the moon didn't come up.
Me: You did? You mean the sun?
J: Yah! I told him that.

When eating breakfast, I reminded Jeremy to eat quickly so we could get dressed. Another conversation:
J: You're impressed.
Me: Because you're eating? Yes, I'm impressed.
(With a Big Grin) J: I like presseds.

After eating only two spoonfuls of cereal.
Me: You need to make sure your tummy's good and full.
J: Instead I'm full already. Ha! (Then goes back to finish his cereal)

Gabi is learning her 13th article of faith. Yes, she knows the other 12 (she likes to memorize things). She's having more trouble because it's longer, uses bigger words then most, and words she doesn't know the definition of. So, she learns a new part of it, by reading her scriptures through Mom and Dad's talks, and excitedly tries to tell us up to the point she knows. This is what she said:
"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, en-vious....uhhhh"
She immediately went to her scriptures and had it fixed by evening. But it was pretty funny for me!

(Just for those who don't know, envy is not one of the qualities be believe we should develop)

Also, Peter's sounds are more and more often turning into words. During Bob's talk, he noticed Gabi's scriptures lying open on her seat. He immediately went to them saying "scripture". I've heard him say this before but figured it was just the way the noise came out. Now I know he really knows that word!

Moosehead . . .

This morning, we were out the door by 7:30. Thats not too bad, considering we had planned on getting out the door by 7:30. Of course, the second Sunday of each month We go to a different unit in the Stake to speak, and today was no different. The Meetings began at 9:30, and I figured an hour and a half was the driving time, with an extra 15 minutes of Bob-gets-us-lost-AGAIN time, would get us there some 15 minutes early.

We made it early, including the pass-the-building-turn-around-random-driveway-and-go-back time that we had planned for. This small branch, the Moosehead Branch, meets in an elementary school, in the multipurpose room. We wondered if we were at the right place, and two LDS missionaries carrying a sign down to the road to inform the entire two hundred residents of Monson, ME that the LDS church was in session, confirmed our location.

As we were the second car in the parking lot, and had some time to kill, I took little legs for a walk through the parking lot. The January thaw and the last bit of freezing rain had left a half inch of snow that had turned to a half inch of ice. Beth and Jeremy would have spent the whole day crunching through the ice, and Peter just liked being outside. Although each took their turns finding out how black ice and backsides are related, there was nary a cry or complaint.

When we finally made it inside the building, we discovered the namesake of the branch. While Moosehead Lake is just down the road a piece, the majestic mounted Moosehead that presided over every Branch meeting must be proud of it's legacy. I must say, I would never have imagined speaking in Sacrament Meeting to 25 people about taking time to really understand the scriptures directly under a Mounted Moose. I suppose that only in Maine, where Moose, Lobster, and Lighthouses are staples of the tourist attractions, would this scene ever take place. I imagine that the two missionaries from away have probably written similar letters to perplexed families back home in Utah. . .

In any case, this was a highpoint in the trip for the kids, and they look forward to their return to Moosehead. On the way home, we got into a stirring round of knock-knock jokes. Gabi memorizes and repeats, Beth memorizes and manipulates, and Jeremy mixes up the endings and shrieks his amusement at his wit. Which one reminds you of Bob?

Examples of Punchlines:
Gabi-Orange you glad I didn't say banana again?
Beth- Orange you glad I didn't say Moosehead again?
Jeremy-Boo Who? Lettuce in! Orange and Apple!

"I'm a Reindeer"

Well it's been one of those nights.. days... who knows. It would seem that Peter's favorite pass time is to try to convince us that 2Am is "get up and go time". He's even started the "let's be really quiet till they think I'm asleep and then I'll just jabber away like I know the sun's come up" routine. Why do kids do that?

I must admit that it's not all Peter. The last two nights I've been up with him, Beth and Jeremy. And to add to that, Gabi was up with a nightmare of "dinosaurs" that first one. It's beyond me how a kid can be so terrified of something in the middle of the night and love it to death in the daylight. Oh well.

At least I can still laugh when I'm tired! The girls recently invented a new game. Take a die, roll it, and then perform that number of dances before the next person's turn. The object: roll a 6, of course. Now I mention this in with my laughs, not because of the girls (they're just too cute when they dance) but rather because of Jeremy. Okay, let me back up a minute. Jeremy has had too much exposure to the girls' dance classes. He went to almost every one last year, and he's only really missed a handful this year. Needless to say, he likes the Tap Dancing.

Now, back to the game. He decided he needed to play too. So he rolls a 5. Pretty good for the little guy. Now he gets to perform, and the girls get to watch! What does he do? Well, he first tries to duplicate the Penguin Dance from last year, notices I'm watching, gets embarrassed, and moves on to the next dance. Now he places both hands, palms turned in, on the top of his head, fingers pointing straight up to the sky. Now imagine, as he does that, something between a run and a deliberate march going round in a circle, all the while saying in a wonderfully loud chant "I'm a reindeer. I'm a reindeer. I'm a reindeer." Not laughing yet? Too bad, it was really funny!

Yes, he can count, so he finished up the other dances too. But I have to admit that the reindeer one was the funniest and my favorite. He, of course, added a train in there too. It just wouldn't be Jeremy without a train.

Surviving the Thaw

A lot of places receive snow during the winter months. And, for that matter, many receive more than we do. But this winter has brought more snow since November than we saw all last year (at least here at our house). December was below freezing most of the month, and so the few snow adventures were well enjoyed. As the snow increased, it became rather difficult to break trail to the hill for sledding. We have had snow up as high as the back-rest of the deck already. Yes, snow three feet and more. That's just piling up with our only real relief coming in the form of rain.

January came in mild. Normally temps are below freezing now, not in December. The snow has started to melt off and with a day like Monday with the temps in the 60's that melt is rather fast and scary (flooding being a possibility). But, the real danger for us is ice. Yes, with all this melt off, our snow is covered in a layer of ice and so is our driveway.

This, of course, came as a great pleasure to Gabi yesterday when I sent her outside to play. She discovered that the area out back near the snowman was also iced over. Since she's been wanting to learn to ice skate she decided she'd teach herself. Not knowing the wonderful adventure Gabi had discovered, I sent Beth out with her. I did not have Jeremy bundled up yet when I heard a howl at the door that Beth was ready to come back in. She hadn't been out for even five minutes. I had no idea that when I'd open the door I'd see a dripping wet, freezing little girl.

No, we don't have a pond (although lake Nielsen, the puddle at the end of the driveway, is developing nicely). The "ice rink" that Gabi had discovered opened into a sunnier section of the lawn. A section perfectly covered in snow water. And, since ice skating without skill means sliding until you loose all control and fall down to a slippery end, the puddle was only all too willing to accept the poor unknowing girls.

Of course, those of you who know Gabi well know this didn't stop her. No, she all but swam out of the puddle only to do it all again. Anyone who knows what snow pants, coats and winter boots are like when they are drenched will understand why Gabi had to wear her sneakers to school this morning.

Aside from that, the snowman has already passed on, dying by way of a melted off head. He's awfully skinny, though the next couple of storms coming our way just might fatten him up! So winter isn't really gone, but the thaw was nice while it lasted.

An Intro to Our Butterflies and Bug-A-Boos

"Are you a princess or a fairy?" she was asked one day. "I'm (pause) a Butterfly. (pause) But I don't know how to fly yet."

And thus arrived the butterflies through Beth's own imagination. Gabi and Beth love butterflies in every way imaginable. They pretend them, they look for them, they name them. And thanks to Aunt Julie and Uncle Jeff, they stick them to the windows and then rearrange them into wonderful shapes. Butterflies have become a sweet spot for us.

And when a little baby bundle goes from Baba, to Little Bud, to Bud, to Bug-A-Boo what you get is a Bug who loves his name too!

Jeremy is our little Bug; yes, we really call him that. And his brother, so like him in many ways, has found himself called Bug more than once. So there you go, two bugs in our crew. And a bundle, they make, so they're called Bug-A-Boos.

So welcome to our little craze of family fun in many ways. The Butterflies and Bug-A-Boos are here to stay!

Enjoy our fun and craziness!

New Way to Keep in Touch

Hey there family and friends! We know that updates have slipped to near nothing, so we thought we'd try something a little different! Hope you all enjoy being able to share in our life a little more and certainly to enjoy the pictures. As we're just getting started, be patient as we get everything up and going!