I don't know about everyone else but winter is starting to get a little bit depressing. Claire and I decided we needed a change of scenery so yesterday we picked up Rilynn and headed into this place called Bouncin'Off the Walls. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it!! Wednesdays from 10-1 is Mommy-n-Me bounce time. And they only allow kids under 5 during this time (I guess the older kids should all be in school anyway) so the little two years olds aren't getting run down by 10 year olds. Yay!!! They had a huge slide, a bouncing basketball court, an obstacle course, and the typical bouce house thing. Claire has an endless supply of energy and she and Ri had a blast. She was so excited to come home and tell her daddy all about it.

The slide went all the way to the ceiling of the warehouse and it intimidated the girls a little bit at first so me and my mom had to go down it with them the first time.

My Little Cutie Pie

Another good one...

I am really not a quote person at all. But back when I was working on Temple Square we had this quote on one of our doors in the workroom. I recently came across is again and want to have it recorded here before I forget it.


Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Wearing out your welcome...

Dear Winter,
We so enjoy watching the snow fall, making snowmen, and sitting inside drinking hot cocoa next to the warm fire. But we have decided that your stay is entirely way too long this year. Just today Claire was begging me to let her ride her new scooter outside and decorate our front porch with sidewalk chalk. Sadly I had to tell her no. Instead we settled on doing puzzles and painting pictures. So as much as we love you, please feel free to move on out as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Luke, Tina and Claire

I asked her to get a little bit closer so I could get a picture of her. And this is what I got.....I so love her faces :)


And I think she might be getting a second bath today so we can wash the paint out of her hair.

Poor Claire!!

Our sweet Claire doesn't get sick often but when she does, it happens all at once... pink eye in both eyes and a sinus infection. Poor Girl!! I had an appointment in Salt Lake I couldn't miss so Claire got spoiled by her dad. He took her to the doctor, the pharmacy, got her favorite food at Wendy's and played games with her at home. What a Dad!!!

Me: Claire, I think you have pink eye.

Claire: No Mama, my eyes are hazel.

Just a good quote...

Each year for the first Family Home Evening of the year we sit down and make our personal goals for the year as well as our family goals. Last sunday I found a quote from Sister Hinckley that pretty much sums up one of my goals for the year....to try to be a better person, one who my Heavenly Father is proud of. I hope you all enjoy this quote as much as I do.



We are God's children, and if we ever got that through our heads thoroughly and understood that completely, we would never do a small thing, we would never say a cross word. We would not use bad language. We would not criticize anybody. We would love everyone the way the Savior loves us. "As I have loved you, love one another."

Think of how much better the world would be if we would all get that through our heads thoroughly and completely.

And more traditions...

Another tradition that I love is going bowling on New Years Eve and then heading over to my Dad and Holly's for dinner (usually pizza) and then games.

Erich, Alexa, and Holly. Alexa and Grandma Holly chose to sit out the game. Alexa is 8 months pregnant and Holly was helping with the kiddos.


The first thing out of her mouth in the morning was, "Mama, lets go bowling." And it was repeated every 15-30 minutes for the rest of the day until we got to the bowling alley. And I absolutley love how she has started calling me "Mama". My other favorite is when she was calling me "honey" last year.



Claire had a blast bowling until she discovered the arcade. Then she kept running between the two since she couldn't decide what she wanted to do more.


My sister and her fam.


Claire's strategy at skeeball was to pick up as many balls as she could at at one time and then throw them overhand as hard as possible. Luke's strategy was to play the game as fast as he could, taking balls out of Claire's hands if possible to limit the chance of someone getting hit in the head.


Claire, Ben, Rilynn, and Caitlyn


Erich and Ri


Aren't these seriously so cute!!! She kept these on her feet the entire 2 hours we were there. Claire has always hated shoes and socks. She takes them off faster than I can put them on. Oh, and she hates coates too....another reason I will be glad that winter is over.


Claire showing off her new dress that she got for Christmas


Claire and Grandpa


Grandma and the girls


Luke and I actually stayed up til midnight this year.


Ping pong tournaments are always played during the holiday season. Sam trying to beat my dad. Sam won the first game of bowling and then had us touch his "magic hands". Apparently we rubbed the magic right off since he didn't even come close to winning the second game. Here is is trying to get the magic back.


We had a great 2010 and we are excited to see all that can happen in 2011.

Traditions, Tradtions, Traditions

I LOVE traditions. Some of my favorite are the ones we have during the holiday season.

We got together for our annual ice-skaking outing on January 30th. I think I had more fun this year than in years past. Claire loved it especially when she got to use this ice-skating bar type thing. Okay, so it looks like a walker but for the ice. But our little Miss Independent loved that she could ice-skate without holding mom and dad hands. And it saved our backs too :)

Sorry about the million pics. If anyone would like to share with me how to make a collage of photos, we might all appreciate it. Until then I am just going to be uploading tons of pics. But seriously, I can get enough of how cute my little sweetheart is.

This year we had some friends join us as well as my aunt and uncle and their kids. The more, the merrier!!


The whole group of us. We missed those that didn't make it this year.


Tina, Claire, Taria, and Ellie


Claire informed us before we even left the house that she wanted to go really fast.


Claire and Grandma


Our little family


She was feeling pretty proud of herself. She was honestly more excited about ice-skating and going bowling the next day than she was about Christmas. I think the whole "Santa coming in my house late at night" thing kinda ruined it for her.


One of my favorite things is seeing how fast we can get going.


Claire and her friend Payton

Christmas

Top 10 Favorite things about Christmas 2010.

1. Seeing Claire get totally excited about opening her presents even though she accidently saw them several days before.

2. Seeing the kids in their Christmas jammies.

3. Christmas Eve morning Claire grabbed Lukes phone and insisted he call Santa and tell him not to come. Apparently she was getting quite nervous about him coming. Okay, actually still terrified!!! And I was more than happy to let her have her way since she had been waking up in the middle of the night crying, hiding in the other room when someone knocked at the door, etc.

4. Santa did not come to our house this year. And yes, I have been getting dirty looks from people when Claire tells them that Santa did not come. And she has been excitedly telling everyone that she got a candy cane for Christmas.

5. Spending Christmas Eve with our family in Tooele and Erda and Christmas day in Salt Lake. Plus the food was really yummy.

6. Buying something for our ward's Angle Tree.

7. We spent more time talking to Claire about the birth of Jesus instead of focusing on Santa....and she got it.

8. Traditions, traditions, and more traditions. Some old, some new.

9. Endless hours of ping pong at my Dad and Holly's.

10. Spending this special day with my two favorite people.