A Year in Review--Fourth Quarter

December

brought the annual breaking of ice in the sandbox!

Decorating cookies--always fun. Of course we celebrated Christmas. We started a tradition of 4 family home evenings before Christmas. One: we put up and decorate the tree. This always results in Mike getting frustrated because the lights don't work and too many ornaments on one branch for my tastes.

Two: read and discuss the prophesies of Christ's birth in the Book of Mormon.

Three: Make gingerbread play do and create different symbols of christ.

Four: Christmas Eve: reading of Luke 2, 3 Nephi 1, and singing a few songs.

November

brought our Spencergiving! It also marked the one year anniversary of Veggieman being an Vegetarian. We had a vegetarian lasagna.

Bugaboo loved it!

Big H tried it, said it was good. He really loved the rolls, and fruit salad.

Vegieman, not sure what to think.

October

brought Halloween: Bugaboo was Pinkalicious! She loves seeing the process. She also had a ton of seizures as we went through the process of changing her medications.

Big H was a ninja. Thankfully, Mike got the costumes done way in advance. I don't think I could have done it later on in the month.

Veggieman lost his two front teeth. He turned out to be a very cute Ninja. His favorite part of Halloween was climbing in his cousin's tree and scaring everyone!

Cute Ninjas!

A Year in Review--Third Quarter

September

In September, we went apple picking. We love picking apples, drinking cider, and of course eating cider donuts.

August

August brought the first day of school for everyone! Including me! I started working as a teaching assistant at Parker Center. It has been nice to be able to work with kids, teach, but still not bring any work home with me!

July

New York City was a major highlight! Veggieman especially loved Liberty Island. He wants to go there again and again!

We also had a great time in upstate New York. We spent one day in Cooperstown, and a couple of days at my parent's property on Good Year Lake. Almost all the grandchildren were there to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary!

Bug a Boo turned 4! She had so much fun on her birthday. She got to open presents play in the water outside. It was a great day!

A Year in Review--Second Quarter

June

In June, we went to my brother's house in Pittsburgh for my niece's baby blessing.

I love that it took place in his home!

He has a great house complete with a Harry Potter room.

Bug-a-Boo was on her first medication after hospitalization from a seizure. Her behavior was a bit out of control.

May

We planted a garden! It was so fun to plant. Our biggest problem was we had too much in the garden, and planted some bad seeds. I did however enjoy the basil!

Took our family on a walk on the prairie. My favorite thing to do as a family on Mother's Day! Thanks to everyone for indulging me.

Bug-a-boo played in her first concert. She played HoneyBee! She surprised us all by being able to play the entire piece. We didn't even know she knew the entire piece.

April

We had a "friends" party Harry Potter style. The most popular part was the potions master!

The trick is dish washing liquid!

I was able to go with Veggieman to Dinosaur Museum! We had a lot of fun together!

Bug-a-boo surprised us by reading Go Dog Go. Here she is finding all the words to Bill Martin's, Brown Bear Brown Bear. Who know she could read.

A Year in Review

First Quarter

March

Our oldest was baptized! It was a really neat day. We had lots of family, and both his grandfathers spoke at his baptism! I love this boy so much, and am amazed at how well he is growing up!

This is true of my little boy--he had to be very courageous this year getting braces!

February

We went to Milwaukee for a layover! We actually went quite often to visit Mike. It's like a mini-vacation!

Our Harry Potter fan also got braces and a expander! He has been very brave this entire year!

January

We started the year with a great party with our cousins (not pictured) but had fun with many other activities!

Every once in awhile the kids play together! I love when they do!

Our amazing athlete took skating lessons and got really good at dips. We stopped as soon as it got warm outside. Who wants to get out winter clothes in the summer!

Our little Bug became a Sunbeam! She is very cute--most of the time. She does however keep singing even after singing time is over!

Christmas Morning!

We decided to only open the stockings and a special Sunday gift before church. Then after chruch, they opened all the rest of the presents! I've never seen Secret Agent H so ready to go home from chruch before. The boys woke up at 6, and we also got our little girl up, but she looked at the gifts and decided she was too tired. She went back to bed. I am not looking forward to school starting--she has been sleeping to 9 almost every morning!

A little bit of snow and a whole day of fun!

Before school got out, we had a tiny bit of snow. Enough for sleds! Sadly, it was a tremendously busy day for me. I helped set up for the Ward Christams Party, went to a double baby shower, and of course cooked for the ward party. The kids had a lot of fun, but I didn't even go down on a sled once. Hopefully, we will get a snow day this year--then we can all stay home and play!

Chocolate Houses!

This year we made chocolate houses. It made the house smell so yummy! We borrowed the molds from our friends and away we went! We still have a ton of candy--maybe we will made some gingerbread houses as well. I am so glad the kids had so much fun!

The Best Chocolate Cookie Ever!

I found a recipe for chocolate sugar cookies! They are wonderful, especially plain. I must admit, I haven't tried them with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

For Chocolate Sugar Cookies: beat butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs , one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add dry ingredients and chill for one hour. (The first time I made them I chilled overnight; it was much harder to work with than the one hour chill.)Roll out and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Can't wait until Valentine's Day, when we can make and eat them again!