ETHAN IS 7

OK, so I'm a few days behind on this post. Ethan turned 7 on Saturday the 21st. We had friends come over to play and have cake on Saturday and then we had two family BBQ's to round out the weekend. Ethan has been my child that is very full of energy, loud, and outgoing (yikes!) But he is also soooo much fun to have around. He is (for the most part) really amazing with his sister. He gets down on her level and plays with her and pals around with her. He even plays the things she wants sometimes like "kitchen". He LOVES to play with friends and he really looks up to his brother Gabe. Sometimes it's hard to remember that there is 2 years between them. I just love Ethan to pieces, he makes me so happy!! And did I mention he is devilishly handsome? :)

Gabe is 9 today!

Nine years ago Gabriel was born, and what a special day it was! And it has never been the same since. Gabe has been an incredibly sweet boy to have around. He is such a huge help to me and he is really great with his brother and sister. It has been fun to watch him grow and change over the years. to see his personality develope and see what makes him unique. We are so happy to have Gabe in our lives and part of our family. Happy birthday Gabe!

LAST SNOWBALL FIGHT

Wow! We got about 5 inches of fresh new snow Monday night. The kids wanted to go out and play in the snow one last time since we knew it wouldn't stick around very long. Aaron helped the boys roll a HUGE snowball and Avery just ran around licking everything saying it was "ice-cream". Then of coarse they all wanted to warm up with hot chocolate. They were extra cold since this took place at night! I am so done with winter. I am ready for the kids to go outside and play in the warm sunshine. I know spring is just around the corner though!!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

It's official, I'm a Nikon gal! I had the opportunity to upgrade my camera and came to a cross road. I was using a Canon and was ready to upgrade to the Canon 50D which is an awesome camera. But after doing a lot of research and reading tons of reviews and forums, I decided to go with the Nikon D300 which is an excellent camera. I decided that Nikon would be a better investment overall for me. Plus this is the camera that most of my favorite photographers use. I'm just so excited I'm squealing inside, I had to share the news! Now....to keep saving for more fast lenses (yikes$$$$$)!

Jewelry open house!

My sister-in-law makes the most amazing jewelry! Seriously, it's so pretty and made from the finest materials. She is having an open house (at her gorgeous home) or you can order items from the comfort of your home by looking at her jewelry blog, making a selection, and simply sending her an e-mail. Plus she is having an awesome sale! Just thought I would pass this along to anyone who may be interested. Check out all her jewelry at www.mariecarmel.blogspot.com

SNOW BOARDING

Ethan tried something new this year!



(click to enlarge)

TECHNOLOGY

My friend Melissa blogged about the "small" things in life that she enjoys. Things that we probably don't really think about, but that are so wonderful. Like hot running water or the garbage that gets taken away at the curb each week. We have it good in so many ways. She asked us to tell about small things that we appreciated. I have a big one...Technology!

I was thinking about the pioneers and ancestors who lived in places like England or Europe and made the decision to come out west and join the Saints. Once you said your goodbye's that was pretty much it. For the most part you were not going to be communicating with or seeing your loved one's again. Maybe you could send a letter by boat but at that time that was pretty much it and it surely took a long time. Yes, in the future there were railways, telegraphs, and then the telephone. Boy that would have taken some serious faith to leave everything behind to come out west.

I am so grateful for the ease in which I can see and communicate with my family. My dad and mom gave all of my siblings and I a web cam for Christmas. Since they live in Florida we don't get to see them very often. Usually only once a year when they come out in the summer, and then it's back to e-mails and phone calls (which have been amazing up until now). But this little web cam device is so dang awesome! Now I can see my parents and talk with them any time I want. And through Google g-mail it's free!!! It is so fun now to visit with my sister's or parents who live in Florida. It's soooo much different than a phone call or even an e-mail. The kids can talk with their grandparents or their cousins. We have been having a blast with it!!! So I am grateful for the technology that allows me to see my parents who live thousands of miles away with just the click of a button!