Scott Hamilton- is that you?

Asher and Eli went ice skating at the Peaks Arena and LOVED it!  Having the walker-type devices made all the difference.  A man who was there ice skating asked me if Asher had skated before and when I told him that it was his first time, he said, "That boy is a natural!"  I don't know that he's so much of a natural as completely fearless.  On the way home Asher asked me if we could go skating every day...

Eli had his hair colored red for Crazy Hair Day at school.

Grocery Store Excitment...

Who knew the grocery store could be so exciting?!?! I accompanied Asher's preschool class to the local store and gained a new whole appreciation.

 I'm not sure what happened with the color on this one.... I'll blame it on the kids.

 Ice cream all around.

 The bakery lady was amazing making the cookies look like basketballs.

The highlight of the trip was being back in the cooler and spying on the shoppers from behind the yogurt.

Eli Sans Tonsils...

Papa bear has left the house!  Eli, our resident snorer, is now tonsil-free and sleeping so quietly I have to watch his chest to make sure he's actually breathing when I check on him at night.  I knew that Eli was a snorer, but didn't realize just how bad it was until we had to share a hotel room with him while on our Disneyland trip.  That boy was rattling the windows!  When I took him to see Dr. Denys, the same doctor who removed Oakley's tonsils, he told me they rate the size of the tonsils from 1 to 4.  He took a peek in Eli's throat and said, "Those are definitely 4's!"

The day before his surgery, the hospital has a program that allows the kids to come in and learn about what is going to happen when they are there for their procedure.  It was wonderful!  She showed Eli the different rooms he would be in and what would be happening each step of the way.  Scott and I both learned a lot, too, and I think it helped Eli feel a lot better knowing what would be happening.

Some wonderful volunteers make each child who comes in for surgery a blanket and pillowcase that they get to take home.  They also make them a "buddy" doll that is dressed in a hospital gown and gets to go with them into surgery.  Bless you, you outstanding volunteers for all you do to help make a scary day and bit easier for these kids.

We're glad all went well with Eli's tonsillectomy and he had a reasonable recovery.  As the nurses were wheeling him away into surgery and I was feeling so emotional, I had a great admiration for those parents of chronically ill children who must endure surgery after surgery.  It was a time for me to offer thanks for the health our family possess and a gratitude that I was not the mother of child in need of continual medical treatment.

We won't miss you, tonsils.  So long!

I Scream, You Scream...

While enjoying an ice cream creation at Maggie Moos the other day, clear as if she were in the very room, I heard Grandma Gleason say, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream."  I remember her repeating that saying often,but not really eating ice cream on a regular basis.  I'm not sure why she was saying it, but she was and it's a very vivid auditory memory for me.

I wonder what Grandma Gleason would think of Asher's choice of cotton candy ice cream with gummy bears mixed in?  I'm sure she wouldn't think a human could consume such a concoction and live to tell about it...

The First Popsicle on the Porch Swing...

A sure sign winter is heading out and spring is finally on it's way...

Harley Turns Two...

Eli loves a celebration in any way, shape, or form.  He has been insisting we have a birthday party for Harley and celebrate his second birthday.  We know he was born in March, but didn't know the exact day.  We decided the 6th sounded like a good day, so we got the party started!  Now if it weren't for Eli, there would be no celebrating of a dogs birthday in this household.  But Eli just knew the importance of Harley having a birthday party.

Oakley mixing up the ingredients for the dog cake.

The finished product, complete with dog-bone shaped sprinkles.

Each of the boys gave Harley a new toy- Harley does LOVE his toys.

Resident Chef...

Eli has been taking a cooking class and is always excited to share his creations with his family.  He was thrilled when I told him he was in charge of dinner and could make it all himself.  Hopefully the love of cooking will continue because I would love the help!

Herbavore...

Asher asked, while looking at my dinner, "Mom, why are you eating leaves?"



The Champion of Family...

Eli is the champion of this family.  He loves our family so much it is actually shocking to me.  He is continually thanking Heavenly Father for his family during his prayers and saying how much he loves each of us.  He is the one willing to give in on something that he wants in order to keep the peace.  He wants everyone happy and gets the most upset when there is conflict.  Eli lets us know how much he loves us in many ways, but I especially love all of the cute notes and pictures he puts up in random places.  Although I would love to keep them all in a special box to look at all of my life, instead I am going to take a picture of some so that I can always remember just how thoughtful Eli was during this stage of his life.

A note we found taped to the garage door after Scott and I had been out on a date.

Another note we came home to taped on the garage door letting us know there was a surprise for us in our bedroom.  Eli had made our bed and put all of the throw pillows on.  When I was in our room admiring his work, he asked, "Did I do the pillows right?"  He was beaming when I told him he had.

A note we found taped above our light switch in our bedroom.

A letter Eli had written at school.

A picture Eli had taped to the door.

Boy Pain...

Asher, after being asked if he was okay after a fall, answered, "I like getting hurt 'cause then you get bruises."