Grandmas Bridge, Jedi Braids, and Game Nights

Grandma trying to do a bridge with Rhett :)

It was so cute and funny!  Rhett was so proud of himself that he could do something that Grandma, a grown-up, couldn't.  

Kade and Luke reading their books after Christmas! One of my favorite sites ever is to see them cuddled up with blankets in their beds or on the couches or anywhere--soooo focused on reading--begging for more time before bed and just loving reading.  (This year they were actually both reading the same book--Sky Raiders--5 Kingdoms series.)

Rhett after school...just watching how the water was dripping off the roof.  I love watching the curiosity and enjoyment in my kids faces.  Cause when is the last time I did that?  Sad we loose some of that in the rush of 'getting stuff done'  Also--and more so in my case--in the rush of 'not being freaken cold outside'.  I'm a woos that way.

Kade playing basketball with Rhett and making him laugh.

Monopoly Empire with Scott and Zoe --Zoe ALWAYS wins--:)

Traveling Spoons with the fam!  Zoe had just been attacked by Scott so she wouldn't get the last spoon :)

Playing indoor jump rope with grandma.

This butterfly exhibit is made up completely of butterflies.  It's amazing.  And the boys were surprised to find out that Zoe's dad made the exhibit!  So rad.

After the Bean Museum trip, seeing a Liger and the Butterfly exhibit and all the amazing animals, we got some ice cream (we were going to go the creamery--but turns out EVERYONE in the world thought the same thing, and the line was almost out the door--31 flavors it is!)

Brain Freeze!

Luke untied my boots--ARG!  HA! So I tackled him to the ground and sat on him.  Only Kade thought it was important to document my 'parental abuse'.  I like to view it more as a, "don't untie my boots" visual lesson :)

Jess ALWAYS seems to find "Tickles in his pockets" when he gets home from work. :)

Okay--this was a big deal for me.  Kade and Luke wanted to grow a Jedi Braid (I always knew them as rat tails..but apparently this is COMPLETELY different because it's on the side and is what all the cool Jedi Padawan's have them.)  There's an amazing family in our ward and one of the boys who is so fantastic has one.  ANYWAY, I said no--cause I think they look gross, but Jess convinced me that they may not have their hair for long...ha...and maybe they could do some fun stuff with it while they had it :).  So I consented and learned a lot.  The main lesson--it's okay to not be in control of everything that my children are doing, thinking, wanting, at all times?  I learned that even when I know others are staring at them and thinking--gross--I can't believe their mom lets them grow that.  HA-- that I don't care.  It was against the social norm and I'm glad they did it (and that they are DONE doing it as well :), but I felt like it was a mini course for loving them and caring about them and their wants ahead of how I care what others think of them and me. :)  HA---baby steps. (also I forget why Kade is making that face :/  And his "Jedi Braid" is farther on the right...)

All the boys love Magic the card game. Jess, Scott, and Nate play it all the time, therefore the big boys wanted to as well. So now they have their decks and play as well. I just thought this was cute cause Max just wanted to be big too so Jess played with him. Adorable.

Chinese Lanterns New Years Eve

New Years Eve this year was so relaxing.  Kade and Luke were having a "late night" at the Shaws house until 9:30 ish which meant that Rhett and Max got to pick the movie we watched before they headed to bed. We cuddled on the couch and watched a movie, then played and put them down. When the big boys got home we watched Harry Potter..and I started to drift to sleep thinking...'oh, so relaxing this year.  We could just finish this and head to bed. Happy New Year!"

But at about 11:40 Scott and Zoe walked in the door with Chinese Lanterns--fun :)  So up we got, and we went outside to the freezing cold outdoors, and hoped and hoped and hoped we wouldn't light anyone's house on fire by a drifting chinese lantern. 

Brrrrrrrr....

 It was awesome--and no fires--so bonus :)  Then a few fireworks and off to bed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR OF 2015!

Evanston Christmas-2014

Christmas in Evanston :)

We drove up on Christmas Eve and started the festivities :)

We had our annual Christmas Eve Treasure Hunt. Jess, Andrea and Aubrey started on all the grandkids individual tasks/puzzles to solve before the hunt started.  They were intense this year.  Then all the kids found their pajama's.  Only this year Julie bought everyone MATCHING PJ'S! WOO WOO!  

The boys all got BYU stuff.

And the girls all got THESE AMAZING NIGHTGOWNS!

Words can't express.... :).  Best. Christmas Present. Ever.

That night Afton was sick and Emily and Julie and George took her to the hospitalThat night we had an unexpected horrible surprise.  When we started unloading the presents, we realized that we didn't have them all.  There was a box of them left in the shed with 7 of Luke's presents!  AHH!  11:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 2 hours away from home.....

We are soooooo blessed to have amazing people around us though.  Scott, Aubrey and Andrea all vollunteered to drive and meet up in Park City to bring the gifts to Evanston.  Ahhh, so so so nice!  We love them soooooooo much and are so grateful!  THANKS SO MUCH GUYS!!!

They really all are amazing individuals with amazing hearts.  We love them.

The next morning--we don't have any pics cause I just like to enjoy all the insanity of it all.  The big boys got electric scooters (tested them for a bit in the frigid Evanston air, but have loved them at home.  Rhett's favorite this year was his Hawk Eye Costume that we made him. He looked SOOO cute in it and wore it almost every day for the first month.

And Max's favorite was his Ninja Turtle Roller Skates.  He was trying to wear and skate in Lukes for the past 2 months. Always falling down and running into others bare feet (not the most pleasant) but always sooo cute to watch him try. So now he has his own.  

Christmas morning was magical like always.

Julie made this amazingly delicious chex mixture...mmm.....with the little ones.

Everyone built their lego's (Jess even got some this year--woo woo. I gave him the Millennium Falcon (1264 pieces--it was suppose to be a surprise cause I NEVER surprise that guy...but turns out when I bought it on Amazon that it sent HIM AN EMAIL about it.  Lame.  Also--funny little story.  We have these good friends the Woodwards. Whenever we get together, Jason, smells so so good. HA!  for reals though.  So for Christmas I asked Kelly what his cologne was.  Burberry Touch for Men.  Turns out Jess asked Jason and we both gave each other the cologne as a gift. HA!  And now Jess smells the same kind of amazing. 

Saturday morning George took the big boys to the recycling center to do a shift there.  I love how he gets them to work.  Love it.  

Coloring before church :)

Playing Just Dance.

On Monday me and Andrea took the kids sledding.  No one else was there--on account of IT WAS FREEZING and the wind was so cold!  brrrrrr!  But we had fun.

Rhett helping Afton pull the sled up.

Here are the boys getting snow to build their "jump"

We were there about an hour when Max had a little breakdown!  He was inconsolable and soooo extremely sad.  Wouldn't stop crying. I've never seen him like that. He must have just been overwhelmed by the week, and maybe cold, so we all went home, and he fell RIGHT asleep.  When he woke up he was so much better and himself again. I was so so glad!  (Jess was gone at this point because he had to get back for work and school.)

Max LOVES Sophie so much.  And I couldn't believe that she was letting him just sit there and pet her.  So so sweet!

Now here is one of the most amazing things EVER!  The kids put on

CLAWFEST 2014!

They made about 15 of these programs/invitations for everyone.  It was slightly shorter but they kept really well to their agenda.  There were speeches and contests and game....wow. It was so so super serious and A-MAZE-ING!

Pretty intense game. :)

More Just Dance. We all had a great holiday!

Now....the next pictures need a little background. 

It's called:

I left my camera at the Winns. And when I got it back, it was filled with these beauties and more.

Yup.  That's the family I'm married to.  It's a lot to take in....