This is the Year

So this is the year that James officially raced his car as a cub scout in the Pinewood Derby. In years past, Doug made James a car and he raced it, but James was not eight-years-old, so technically it didn't count.

This is also the year that we were really busy and Doug barely had time to get James' car finished.

His car is the Gryffindor Car from Harry Potter.

This is also the year that James won!!!! We seriously didn't even know if it would make it down the track without getting stuck. As the night went on, and James kept winning and winning each race, we knew this Gryffindor car was hot.

We made all the cupcakes for race night.

A great night and great family entertainment.

It's All About the Cake

I really don't think I need to post a picture of me on my birthday, so I'll just post the most popular guest at my birthday dinner. The chocolate cake from Costco is all you really need in life, right? I did have a great birthday filled with packages in the mail, lunches and dinners out, a visit from my dad, a night out bowling with the girls, a trip to the temple, and my sweet friend Shellie who gave me the gift of her surprise maid service for two hours.

Hope liked the cake too.

Blue Monday

Did you know that more people are depressed today than any other day of the year? The kids had the day off school, and we spent our "Blue Monday" at the Air and Space Museum near our house. Spencer is sporting his Ninja knife fingers. He has a whole bag full of Ninja stuff he's made out of paper. You ought to see his nunchucks.

The boys are checking out the most popular exhibit in the museum for little boys, and it has nothing to do with aircraft.

The most popular item for my boys was the "Dog Doo" Transmitter used in Vietnam.

We saw the IMAX movie on Fighter Pilots.

I was most excited about seeing this B29, the Enola Gay. I've seen this plane a few times before, but I just finished reading Unbroken, and it means a lot more now seeing it in person.

Hope your Monday wasn't too blue.

With Lipstick and Justice for All

She's gone. That little baby we could count on to just sit and observe and be happy is gone. In her place is this wild little 15-month-old who loves to scream, run around with Faith, and laugh at all naughtiness in general. She demands equality in every last cookie crumb and lip gloss. She came up to me with a bottle of finger nail polish and wanted me to paint her nails. She can swish her skirt and roll around with the boys and the best of them. Funny, we were kind of hoping Hope would have a little less spunk. I guess that's why we love her, though.

The Wise Man Built his House Upon a Rock

They started building our home on January 11th, and this is what we have so far. The foundation. It was a great opportunity to bring the kids to see the foundation and read from the Book of Mormon, "remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation." Will they remember this--the night we drove them to look at our foundation? It's our greatest hope they will build on the one and only foundation.

Husky Dad

(Just to clarify, Husky is referring to the school mascot and not Doug's size.)

Today Doug went to school with the boys as the Husky dad. I think Spencer was totally embarrassed, but James was the one who asked Doug to do it, so I'm pretty sure James loved it. Doug wore that lovely khaki vest and hung out at school all day helping in classrooms. I'm pretty sure it was a great day.

She's a Sunbeam!

Faith had her first Sunday in primary as a Sunbeam today. She was soooo excited. It seems like yesterday I was taking Spencer to Sunbeams.

Tender Mercies

I really expected to use this.

The day before and the day of our flight back home, my entire family came down with a terrible stomach flu that wiped everyone out. The night before our flight, I told the boys we were just going to pray that we didn't get it. Spencer said, "Now?" and I said sure. I said several prayers that I wouldn't have to take my four kids across the country alone on two different flights with puke and diarrhea involved. This flu wiped out everyone who was with us, and yet in my little family of five, not one of us got sick that day we had to fly home. I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in tender mercies and miracles on airplanes.

ICE!

We took the kids to Gaylord National Resort at National Harbor for their ICE! sculpture experience tonight.

We had to suit up to enter the ice room. Yes, it is freezing cold!

Baby Ralphie.

These ice slides are awesome!

We had to defrost Hope at the end of the night, but otherwise a great time. Poor James stayed home with a sitter because he was too sick to come. He finally got that nasty stomach flu.

Katie

We love being able to visit Katie's grave while we're in Utah.