Valentines

For Valentines this year I tried to make sure I spent some good quality time with my little kids still at home.  So we started out our Valentines day fun by making these cute "love bug" valentines hats.  Then Lincoln and Lily helped me make some red velvet cup cakes for our family Valentines dinner.  When making the cup cakes the kids apparently discovered that plain sugar is good.  Lincoln kept saying to me "mom did you know this stuff was good?"  Well, yes but I was hoping that you wouldn't figure it out. Lincoln was so taken with the sugar that I may need to move the sugar to a higher shelf in the pantry.  We waited for Carson to get home before we decorated the cup cakes.  Lincoln and Lily's cup cakes were covered in candy and sprinkles they were about half a pound heavier after they were done decorating them.  When Nate came home we had a nice family dinner.  We had a very nice low key Valentines day. 

"Ne Ne"

For whatever reason Lily has started calling Lincoln "Ne Ne."  I asked her what that meant and she said, "it means I love my brother." I thought that was very sweet. She really does love Lincoln. Almost everyday on the drive to school she asks if Lincoln is staying home from school, and if the answer is "yes" she gives a little cheer. Lincoln sometimes uses his title as "Ne Ne" to his advantage.  If he wants to manipulate Lily he will declare that he is not her "Ne Ne" to get her to do what he wants.  Despite the back and forth between these two, they really do love each other and can be very sweet together.  The day I took this picture they kept asking me to take a picture of them being "snuggley" together (they had piled about 10 blankets on themselves). I just love to see these two having fun together.

# 4

We are expecting baby #4 this May.  And we are having another boy!  My boys were pretty excited about this development, and they danced around yelling that it was "4 boys to 2 girls."  I think Lily and I are going to need to stick together, we are pretty out numbered.  If everything goes as I have planned,which almost never happens, this baby should be born around memorial day.  We couldn't be more excited to be adding another darling boy to our family.

A little change

Somethings different about the Lincster.  Can you guess what it is?  He lost his first tooth! The beginning of this month my visiting teachers were over, and Lincoln comes into the room and says "mom I can't feel my tooth."  Sure enough, his tooth was long gone.  I think it probably disappeared with his lunch.  Despite not having his tooth, the tooth fairy still visited him.  He just barely turned five!   I can't believe he is already losing teeth!  He really is getting to be a big kid (sniff, sniff).

Brrrrrrr!

We have had a frigid January.  I'll be honest, I really kind of hate cold weather.  I feel like growing up in Rexburg, I have paid my dues, and endured enough cold temperatures for a life time.  That being said, I did actually admire some of the frozen beauty of the last month.  A couple of day last month we had a freezing fog, which coated everything in ice and made everything look gorgeous!  I admit, I admired the beauty of it despite the cold.  Before, the temperatures tanked the kids were able to go outside and enjoy the snow for a  day or two.  But mostly, January was so cold that although there was snow on the ground the whole month the kids really couldn't go outside and enjoy it.  That means that it was way too cold if you ask me.  Hopefully, we are done with frigid weather for the rest of the year.

memorable quotes

So recently the kids have said some things to me that have caught me of guard, and have given me a little chuckle. After the Boise temple open house Carson said to Nate and I: "When I grow up if I can't be an underwater scientist of extinct animals I think I want to be prophet (pause as he thinks a little bit more) or maybe just an apostle."  It is a good thing he was sitting in the very back of the car when he made this statement, because Nate and I were completely cracking up.  We kindly let him know that being prophet isn't exactly a career choice.  The other day Lincoln was in the car with me and he says: "Mom I can't wait for the second coming."  Intrigued by this statement I asked him "why?"  Then he says to me, "Because all the animals will be nice to people and I want to have a pet tiger."  Not exactly the answer that I thought he would give, but it made me laugh.  The other day we were talking about the temple and we asked the kids what they thought the Angel Moroni on the top of the temple was holding in his hand, and Lily confidently declared "a gun!"  I have no idea where she got his idea, but her brothers thought it was hilarious. For a couple weeks after would ask her the same question and she would give the same response and of course the boys would laugh. I wish I wrote these things down more often, my kids crack me up all the time with their funny comments

Lily quirks and milestones

Miss Lily has been busy growing up on us this last year.  There are a few little quirks she has that I want to remember.  First through the summer and most of the fall she insisted on wearing this cherry dress to church. The only way I could get her to wear another dress without a big fight was to tell her that the dress was in the wash, and then hide the dress.  I know, I know, it is a little pathetic to lie to your two year old. But she had so many other cute dresses, I just couldn't bear to see them sit in the closet for weeks. Also Lily has become quite the chatter.  When my boys were this age and I would ask them how nursery class was, about the most I could get out of them was "good".  You ask Miss Lily a question like that she gives you all sorts of unasked for information like: what snack was, what songs they sang, what color peoples clothes were, who cried for their mom.  The list could go on but you get my point.  I guess, I just find it so funny because it is such a stark contrast to how my boys were at this age, and mostly still are.  Lily is very rigid with her bedtime routine.  She likes to be sung "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" every night before bed.  Also she insists on having baby, rainbow, white, and butterfly blankets with her in her crib before she goes to sleep.  And on top of all that we have to exchange "good nights" and "I love yous" at least four times, and she always asks if  "Will it be breakfast time in the morning?"  It can be a bit tedious, but it is still cute.  Also Lily loves morning cartoons her favorites are: Ninjago, Doc McStuffins, and Sophia The First.  Lily's main accomplishment this fall was getting potty trained.  Yeah!  She was the easiest kid to potty train!  So now we get to see her cute little tush walking around in her Dora or Smurf undies.  Lily definitely keeps us on our toes, but we love her to pieces and are so glad she is part of our family.