February 6-12, 2017

There wasn’t school on Monday so Emma and I went on our annual book date. 

I won our 9th annual friendly book reading competition for the 2nd year in a row!! 

I read 82 books in 2016 to Emma’s 63.  (Although we may have almost tied with the number of pages read.  Emma didn’t enter the number of pages for 3 of the books she read and she was only 1000 pages behind me…)

We went to Powell’s and just browsed.  She bought a few books for herself and a book for me since I was the winner.  I chose a Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  I’ve always wanted to read it and Emma had to read it for school that trimester, so I thought it would be a good choice.

Oh how I love this girl of mine.  I so enjoy the time we get to spend together. I hope we can keep this tradition up for a long time to come! 

Especially if it involves yummy Salt & Straw ice cream too!

It was a good day.

That night we decorated our Valentine’s mailboxes during our Family Home Evening lesson.  This is definitely a favorite tradition.  Isaac and Grace were driving me crazy with questions asking when we were going to decorate the mailboxes.  They were pretty excited when the day finally came.  I have to include this whole series of pictures because the facial features are too funny.  Lee is always doing things to make the kids laugh.

The mailboxes turned out cute, and the nice notes and Valentines started showing up in them the next day and throughout the week.  I love it!

Grace lost a tooth on Tuesday! 

School class Valentines production got under way that week. 

Emma was at districts on Friday and Saturday.  I got to watch her swim on Friday.  She did well and advanced to finals the next day in the breaststroke and for her relay events.

She made a friend from the Tigard team.  They swam the same events and had similar times.

Saturday is always her favorite day at districts. 

Less of a crowd and fun to be with her friends.

It’s fun to watch them cheer each other on. 

Even when things don’t go so well.

Lee had an extremely busy day that was full of meetings for Stake Conference, but he really wanted to watch Emma swim.  He was able to be there for her events, the timing was perfect.  They were both happy about that!

Good job Emma!  The end of the swimming season is always so bittersweet.

We had a visiting authority for Stake Conference, Elder Murray from the Quorum of the Seventy.  Lee and I got to go to a meeting with him on Friday night which was fabulous.  We also got to eat dinner with him on Saturday night between meetings.  Elder Murray made an impression on us.  He made an impression on the whole family with his Hokey Pokey talk on Sunday.  We want our whole selves to be in the gospel!  What an inspiring, and busy, weekend it was!  We capped off the week with dinner at the Reed’s house on Sunday night with some other families.  The kids had a blast while the adults played a fun game that I need to remember the name of so we can get it. 

I will end with a picture of Isaac playing toilet paper bowling on Saturday when he was supposed to be putting the toilet paper away!

January 30-February 5, 2017

I didn’t take many pictures this week, but the calendar was completely full!  January went out with a beautiful moon.  Emma took some good pictures of it.

February meant it was time for cinnamon lips dipped in chocolate.  Shannon Gibb bought me a lot at Fred Meyer so I could dip some for her and Dave.  They were disgusting and we had to throw them out.  I went to WinCo and got the good ones and sent her a picture to get her excited.

Emma had two meets again this week, but I only have pictures from the one on Thursday against West Linn.

It was also senior night and Emma got to escort Zack Scroggy.  Emma is going to miss some of those seniors!

I love how Isaac and Grace like to be together, even when they are doing different things.

On Saturday night we went to a wedding reception and then out to dinner with the Parker’s at a Moroccan restaurant.  It was different, but yummy.  

January 23-29, 2017

Monday must have seemed really warm and dry because the kids played outside after school and ate Otter Pops.  Isaac was even without his coat.  Temperatures were finally warming up!

Jen Reed and I had a conversation about how we always have the same treats for FHE.  She made a fancy cake that day and brought us some for our FHE treats.  It was so yummy and fun to have something different than our usual cookies or ice cream. 

Lee worked his first day from home on Tuesday.  He will be working from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays now.  It has its pros and cons of course, and took a little adjusting to for me at first.  I love it now (in June!).  Here he is using his highly technical desk set-up in the craft room. 

Emma had two swim meets this week.  The first on Tuesday was against Tigard.  With Lee working at home the twins didn’t have to go to this one.  They weren’t too upset about that and I enjoyed watching Emma!

I helped MyLiege start the move into their new house on Wednesday.  Then on Thursday I got to go one of Marge Thatcher’s card classes.  I love going and making cute cards while visiting with good friends. 

Isaac and Grace got in some good reading before school.

Emma got tapped for National Honor Society at school on Thursday.  That means she has the grades for it and passed the application process.  Unfortunately she wasn’t able to go to the induction ceremony, so this is the only proof I have of this honor!

Her meet on Thursday was against Tualatin.

Isaac received some awards at Cub Scout Pack Meeting that night.  He is loving this scout stuff.  He was thrilled. 

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On Friday I went on a field trip with the twins to see Fly Guy performed by the Oregon Children’s Theater at the Newmark Theater. 

The play was pretty good and we had fun together.

After the field trip Mrs. Johnson posted a picture on Instagram of something Grace had made for her.  Both Isaac and Grace love Mrs. J so much!

That night Lee and I went to stake temple night.  We went out afterward with the Pederson’s.  It was fun to be with them!

On Saturday morning we all helped the Hawkins move, well except for Emma who had to work.  We are so sad that they aren’t in our ward anymore, but their new house isn’t far and will be so fun for them.  That night we had dinner with the Parker’s in their new digs.  They sold their house and bought a huge 5th wheel and live on some property farther out in Molalla.  It was beautiful and we had so much fun riding around on the 4-wheelers.  Even though I am kind of a wimp on those things and am always telling Lee to slow down…

Isaac and Grace love the Parker’s and they always spoil them. Jill gave them each a big cup of Jelly Belly’s and they got to watch a movie while we talked.

It was a beautiful and fun night.

And at the end of it Grace was completely worn out.