Snow 2010

I went skiing. by. myself. Ok, my snowboard instructor brother was able to catch two runs with me. Thank you even if you tried to take me down the black diamond mogul route under the ski lift. It was really fun, but next time I will take the rest of the family.

We took the kids sledding. And if you remember from last year, the kids did much better. I was much more prepared clothing-wise.

Ethan was a rock star. He kept going up and down. Larissa went twice, and she actually enjoyed riding. (This is based upon the fact that she wasn't crying when she got off the sled.) Raea went a few times, but she got cold and preferred to hold Daria. Herston kept falling in his large outfit. Grant enjoyed reliving his childhood. I went once, and found a "bad route" that led me flying in the air to record heights. The bruise on my backside prevented me from going again. No picture of that.

12 Month Old Comparisons

My kids in birth order.

For fun to compare with above: me and Grant's father, Jerry, at 12 months.

Dear Family and Extended Family,
I have one childhood photo of Grant, he is 18 months. If you have any, can you scan them to me?
Thanks,
Ruth, the new resolved picture organizer

All Dressed In White-Part 1

Raea


Ethan


Larissa


Herston

My Three White Dresses
My mom bought me a white dress,
Not red or pink or blue.
She said it was a special dress
Like very other few,
There has been just one before,
A dress now put away,
That I wore some time ago
Upon my blessing day.
As a little baby clothed
In my first white dress,
My dad held me is his arms,
There to name and bless.
So pure and clean was I just then,
With time to grow and learn
About the Father's plan for me.
My glory I must earn.
Now I've reached the age to judge
The wrong road from the right,
And I am here to be baptized
In this dress of white.
So once again I'm free from sin.
The path is clear to me.
I'll grasp the rod and hold on tight,
I vow with certainty.
Just as mud would stain my dress,
Sin would stain my soul.
The key is to repent or bleach,
For whiteness is my goal.
And if I try my very best,
Then richly bless I'll be,
Wearing inside God's holy house
White dress number three.
So today I make this pledge:
I'll strive to choose the right,
Through this sacred baptism ordinance
In my second dress of white.
-Linda Gay Perry Nelson

Daddy's Little Girls

I have been doing a lot of picture projects lately, and I came across this gem, Easter 2008.

Science at Home

Five is such a hard age because they are too young for kindergarten, but they are still at home and get really bored. After I found a wet slip and slide downstairs, I decided Ethan needed to be entertained (err, challenged).

Ask him what happens when you mix acids and bases.

Super

Larissa's favorite word is super. It just exemplifies her intensity. For example, our house is filled with "I am super hungry" or "I super want to color."

Last night, Raea and I went to her baptism fireside to prep us for the exciting events this year. We began talking about when she was born.

You wanted to be on time, and you were born at 8am. Ethan started at the same time, but he took his sweet time and was born at 11am.

Larissa super wanted to come out!

Happy Birthday to Ethan

It must be nice to be a kid and have a parade every year on your birthday. We didn't camp out, so we didn't get the best seats.

Luckily a police officer came and lifted Ethan in front of his motorcycle to see the parade better.

Afterwards, he got his own happy meal, jumped in a bounce house, picked out his own movie, ate cake, and told me it was the best birthday ever!

Happy Birthday!

Happy New Years!

Me. Celebrating. In my blues. Again.

End of the Year Updates

Raea is amazing. I watched her patience as she was helping her cousin to read. I am so blessed to have such an independent, responsible, nice girl to start off my family. I never want her to change.

Ethan is funny. He loves his stories. The other day I told him not to make up stories with real people. I told him that when he learns how to write, I want him to write me a story every night. He then asked me if he could make movies, and I cried because I knew he would be so good at that.

Larissa is awesome. She doesn't need anyone to create her own happiness. (Probably because she never gets the remote) she is not entertained by the TV and will spend hours in her room with her dolls and her purses. She has renamed her grandmas "Grandma Far Far Away" and "Grandma Close" and constantly talks about them.

Herston is surviving. He had a procedure on 12/22, which showed 2 large cysts obstructing his trachea, another lung infection, and probable celiac disease from the biopsy. He will have to have another surgery to remove the cysts and more blood work for the diagnosis of celiac disease. We feel optimistic that we are working towards a solution. He has also graduated to the nursery!

Grant is wonderful and even more domesticated. He has really had to step up to the plate lately due to my other demands, and he is shining. I wouldn't have been able to do work and school without him. We just need to work on the man dinners a little. :)

Coming in 2010:
My clinicals
Yellowstone
Ethan in Kindergarten (Only 2 kids at home, that hasn't happened since he was born!)
Raea's baptism
Enjoying a cup of water with Herston?
Disneyland?

Merry Christmas