Farm Day

Last Monday when we had school off, we woke up really needing out of the house. So we went to the same pumpkin patch we went to in the fall.  They're open year round, minus the pumpkins. They also have strawberry and other berry picking, starting in December! Craziness! So we need to get out there soon. We stayed for 2 1/2 hours, which for me is a miracle, having a one year old.  The weather was absolutely perfect, and we had the best time. They have so much fun stuff to do, we did it all a dozen times because there was hardly anyone there. You know it's a good trip when you only have a few pictures to show for it.

 

Tanner could spend all day outside and be happy. He had a 20 minute nap all day and was still super chill.

I actually managed to get in a photo and blinked. 

I think we spent at least an hour and a half on the slides.



100 Lessons

Sidney finished the reading book!  Yay!  For each 25th lesson, she got a reward, just like Jayden did. It took us longer to get through it, because I thought it would be a good idea to start right before having Tanner.  Didn't think that one through.  So a newborn delayed us, then a move and house hunting, and Josh traveling like crazy, and maybe even pure laziness, etc., etc. So that's why some of these pictures are from our old house. She worked so hard, doing 3 lessons on the last day because she wanted her reward so bad.

 

25 lessons was a sleepover downstairs complete with the air mattress.

Lesson 50 was a party with cupcakes that she wanted to pick out. 

Lesson 75 I made her a dress, which I must not have taken pictures of.  I'll get on that.

 

Lesson 100 was a new toy.

Soooo excited to be DONE! 



Sidneyisms

Sidney: Mom, will you play with me? I'll do aaaaaanything for you. Aaaaaanything! ....... Except rob a bank. I won't rob a bank for you (with a smirk, like obviously, so you better not even consider it).

Simplify

My New Year's Goal: Simplify

The word has been in my head for a while. I love a simple life. I love a clean home, and doing simple things with my family. Our lazy Christmas break has left me wanting nothing more than to spend Saturdays at home, just being together, and not feeling the need to always be doing something. For years, I feel like at the end of each week, Josh and I fall onto the couch and say, That was a busy week! Work is crazy for Josh, running the house and the kids around wears me out, our callings are keeping us really busy right now, and just living in a city that has crazy traffic and where stores are always packed just wears me out. I want simple! I want to live in the country. Two years ago I had a goal to fulfill our dreams, and we sure did. So here's to a Simple Year.

I feel like there is so much clutter in my life in so many areas. Not just junk that's junking up my house, but other things as well.  Today, though, I've been getting rid of clutter in my house. I periodically go through and throw stuff away, but things fall through the cracks, especially stuff in the kid's rooms.  Somehow, even though I think I find it all, papers and things from years ago are still lurking around.  Today I found a book from 2 summers ago that Jayden had written.  It's really cute.

Title: The First Cheese Was the Smelly Cheese
By: Jayden Croke

The first cheese made was smelly cheese.
The second cheese made was cheddar cheese.
The third cheese made was Swiss cheese.
The fourth cheese made was string cheese.
The fifth cheese made was bleu cheese.
The sixth cheese made was mozzarella cheese.
The seventh cheese made was Monterey jack cheese.
The eighth cheese made was light cheese with a light switch.
The ninth cheese made was fire cheese that burned your mouth when you ate it.
The tenth cheese made was lightning cheese that goes lightning fast in your mouth.
The eleventh cheese made was sir cheese. If you let go it floats away.
The twelfth cheese made was mystery flavored cheese. You  never know what it tastes like.
The thirteenth cheese was electricity cheese. If you hold it too long it will electrocute your hand.
The fourteenth cheese was heavy cheese. The more you move the heavier it gets.

I love it. And then I found his workout schedule he used to have taped to his wall.

Sunday=Lift whates (weights)
Monday=Run
Tuesday=Run on treadmill
Wednesday=Run around house
Thursday=Lift whates
Friday=Run
Saturday=Lift whates

San Antonio

For our 5th anniversary, we spent the weekend in San Antonio.  We had a kind of repeat the weekend before Christmas.  It was a lot of fun.
 

 Downtown there is a touristy riverwalk, which is a lot of fun.  Tons of restaurants, boat rides, shops, and stone bridges. For Christmas the whole place was dripping with lights.  It was gorgeous. Kind of crowded, but a fun and magical atmosphere.

Here's a better photo.  Credit here.

 

Then we went to Enchanted Springs Ranch.  It's a cute western town, a really fun little place. For one weekend they were having Cowboy Christmas.

It's a cowboy town, but they also have a fun wagon ride and you see African animals.  Kind of random.

Pony stick race.

Awkward family photo.  You're welcome.

They had a live nativity play, and we were able to check out some of the animals. 

 

They had the best Santa ever.  Seriously.  He called himself Texas Santa. We also met Poncho Santa, and we didn't get a photo, darn it! 

 

Around town. 

We've been taking selfies since before selfies were cool. 

 

When we came here before, Jayden was a year and a half old.  We have a picture of him sitting on a horse in this same spot.  The same cowboy was helping the kids.  The people that work here are seriously the nicest people. 

Same cowboy.

 

 



Christmas Time

December was a good month. Christmas break has been wonderful so far.  Josh had 5 straight days home. We had plans to get out of the house, but then Tanner got sick, followed by everyone else but Jayden, so we cancelled everything, and we stayed home.  It was perfect.  Even though this sickness isn't fun, and we're not totally over it yet, it's nothing serious, and the time together has been priceless.  It's so rare for us to not have anywhere to be, that leaving the house twice in 5 days was awesome, once to get groceries, and once for dinner.  It was a sad day when Josh went back to work.

Here's a little peek at our Christmas season. 

Sidney was allowed to wear holiday clothes for parent observation at dance.  We had fun with her get-up. She is looking so grown up!

We made a chocolate house for preschool.

I bought these ornaments this year for each state we have lived in.  I also got Oregon, since we were married there.  All 4 time zones. Sometimes I get the itch to try another new state, but then I would love to be back in Idaho to be more central to family, but then I just want to go back to Charlotte, because I was comfortable there, but then the thought of moving again makes me want to cry. Looking at each of these places brings up a lot of good memories though.

Holiday baking. 

Photo booth.

This makes me laugh. 

Our Christmas tragedy. Our tree fell over in the middle of the night a couple of nights after we put it up.  About 10 of our priceless ornaments broke, plus some bulbs and the star.  I say priceless because we've been collecting them since our honeymoon.  We buy them on vacations, so decorating the tree every year is fun because it brings back a lot of great memories. I was so sad.  And yeah, they're still sitting in the bowl waiting to be super glued. So sad, I never found poor Minnie and Mickey's noses.

Instead of cookies, Sidney and Jayden wanted to leave cupcakes for Santa. 

That's about it for photos.  I didn't really take any on Christmas day.  Not even one in front of our tree (that we bought at a lot because Tanner was sick so we couldn't go chop it down at the farm.  It didn't live long, fresh is definitely better).