Redemtion...Holiday style

Happy New Year From the Edge's
Look...a Family photo!!! We are off to a good start!
(OK, so this was Christmas eve, but since we didn't send out Christmas cards, this will have to do.)

We were lucky enough to get a nice little blizzard this week that has helped to keep our kids occupied.
This girl loves the snow but refuses to wear gloves...burr.
The boy showing off his skills on his new pogo stick. He was pretty disappointed on Christmas morning when his mom could pogo better than him. He is now working on showing me up.
Also not pictured, the boy decided to try out his new super awesome sleeping bag by sleeping in our freezing cold sun-room on a night when the temps dipped into the single digits...thanks grandma. He said he stayed warm!
Poppy wearing her new Rapunzel hair and dress...oh, the indulgent grandma, what would she do without you??? You certainly have the knack for knowing exactly what she would love. I do however win points for getting her a bead/creative box that has been getting pretty good play time too. Pretty sure that Rapunzel didn't have that in her tower!
Hazel didn't even have to ask to know that the barn and animals were hers. From the minuet she walked int o the room she had them in her hands.
The girls were pretty content with their pre-opened gifts prior to breakfast. We generally don't let them open gifts until after breakfast. This way they get to play with whatever is out on the floor and the other gifts come after.
Poppy was happy being Mary for our Christmas Eve nativity.Our good friends Helen and Justin came over for Christmas eve. We made our annual gingerbread trains. I was delighted by the fact that Oscar and Poppy are now old enough to handle the frosting themselves. They are really getting independent!
Christmas Eve I told Rick that I wanted him to take the kids out while I cleaned up the house and got it ready for Christmas. He then told me they were going hiking and I decided to forgo my plan...no way are they going without me! The bonus was that I got a awesome Family photo out of it. BTW I consider any photo that has my entire family in it-with them all facing forward a success. This may just go on our mantle.

(Oscar wore his cycling hat as a winter hat. Funny thing is, it doesn't cover your ears. I lent him mine half way through.)

Oscar did the extra two mile section with me. I always love it when I can hang with the o-man. He always has such great ideas and thoughts that come about when we are one-on-one.

Well, there you go, my first post of 2011. I am hoping to redeem my blogging self with the new year. I would love to catch up on the ups and downs for 2010, but then I get overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. So, lets just say I'll re-commit to do better this year than last. It shouldn't be too hard to do. Happy New year Blog world!

Summer Break!

The past two weeks of summer have been jam packed with all the fun we can stuff into a day.

Picnics at the parks...

Playing by the Poppies...

Biking all over town (notice the new member to the bike family! By new blue commute about town bike!)...

Hiking at Klemgard Park

Hiking at Kamiak Butte,

Playing with baby goats at our friends farm,

Daddy's been kissin' the lamas...

Klemgard park hiking

Poppy Playing at the park

This is all unorganized and mush mashed together...and it doesn't even include pictures from the frog pond, the library, the movies, the farmer's market, the walks for ice cream, etc. That is because it is too much work to re-format it all and to get it all on here. Suffice it to say that we have been so busy lately that I haven't had the energy to post much. I'll try to do better.
Oh, and I have been taking an adult "Hip Hop" class this week and have been refining my dance groove! :0)

Ricky's 32

(Ride to Troy...here is Rick, and me the little spot in the background)

Up until right now I have upheld my birthday present to Rick...An entire day of Rick oriented activities. This list includes: No driving, a nice long bike ride (42 miles), lots of yard work/play, no company or friends, no cake, lots of chocolate, and a whole lot of family time.
This my friends is the perfect day for my sweet spouse. It even included me NOT blogging about him.
That was yesterday...and so today, I will blog.
Our bike ride to Troy was great fun. It was Oscar's first 42 miler on the trailer bike. This is a pic of him holding up mine and his bike at the turn around point. He was disappointed not being able to ride behind dad.
At one point in the ride, almost to the turn-around, up a hill, and against the wind (which means I'm not moving faster than 10mph). He says to me, "Mom, when I get bigger and can ride a big bike by myself, I'm going to go much faster and farther than you."
To this I reply..."Oscar, then you will know what it means when I say we have a HEAD wind and a hill. It is a bunch of work, not to mention pulling you too."
On the way back he was happy that we had a tail wind, and our speed was significantly increased. I also don't chase down other riders quite like the Daddy. (While we are on the subject, where so those dog like reflexes come from anyway???)

For the sake of honoring the perfect birthday, I will refrain from getting all mushy and telling the whole internet world all of the amazing things about my great husband. I will suffice to say that I married one really great guy and everyday I'm grateful that he decided to marry me. I think we make a great team!
Happy 32 Ricker.

Super Daddy

Super Dad Saves the Day!

Yesterday while a group of mommies were out doing their annual Mom day ride, Ricky the super dad took on four extra kiddies for the duration of the day(8am-5:30pm).
Not only did he play, feed, nap, and care for them. He made sure that each were tuckered out, tired and down right ready for bed at the end of the day.
Ivy who recently does not like to be out of her mommies presence, was even swooned by his charm and was a good little girl throughout the day.
Poppy was happily covered in dress up clothing, thanks to the helpful Eden. Kellen, Oakley and Oscar all seemed to love going to the swamp and playing outside all day long!
Rick really does have the knack for kids. He knows just what they like, and how to really connect with them. I am do grateful for his loving care and attention that he so freely gave yesterday, so that the other two moms could come along on the ride.
Boy I love this man!!! He's Amazing!

Girls...

Rick-Do girls always talk this much?

As a preface to his inquiry, I should note that last fall Rick, Betina, and I took a road trip to Logan Utah to run the top of Utah marathon. During the drive (aprox. 11 hours) Rick was annoyed by Betina's and my constant banter. He couldn't believe that we could actually find something to talk about the ENTIRE trip.
We on the other hand, were not the least bit surprised. There are all sorts of things to chat about. None of which, seem to be forced conversation. To rick however, he cannot fathom having/enjoying, talking about so many things.
Last night we went to our Stake conference adult session with another couple (being green and car pooling). This other woman and I found all sorts of things to chat about on the 8 mile journey. Gardening, where we grew up, pregnancy, who our OBGYn's are. Where she will be delivering her baby this summer...etc.
The husbands were pretty much quite the entire ride. (no big surprise)
Now, I do not expect, nor could I imagine Rick discussing/sharing so much self divulging information, he is after all an engineer/lawyer. But I find it amusing that he cannot stand to be present while the rest of us do.
While some people sqwirm with silence, my dear husband delights in it. And I delight in him.
Although, I do not expect him to understand anytime soon, why it is that some people actually like talking to each other, rather than it being a chore.