We Had Snow . . .

  It was so exciting to get the little skiff of snow we had. I found myself waking up multiple times that night checking to see if it was snowing yet. I felt like a little kid. And then finally getting woke up to the alerts that school was cancelled was AWESOME!! The kids had fun playing with their cousins and pulling each other around in the sled. There wasn't much to even play in but it didn't matter to them.
  Last month we were invited to go to Eagle Crest with my brother and his girlfriend. It was so much fun. The house was amazing that we stayed in and it had a hot tub and bunk beds for the kids. So fun to go and do nothing.
  We also got to go for a quick day trip to the coast last month. We lucked out on the weather and had the best time ever. The kids enjoy playing at the beach so much and are so good at riding quads. We took Andi for her first trip to the sand and she actually acted like a puppy for the first time ever. She ran around and jumped and rolled around. It was so fun to watch.
  Austyn has been such a little trooper with her braces. She's been in two more times where they continue to slowly add more contraptions in her mouth. She never complains and she brushes them exactly like they say. She's always been so easy to adapt to new things. She just finished being in a play. This year it was The Little Mermaid. She got the part of a sea pony. It is such a cute play they put on every year and she loves it. She also will be starting to practice a little group dance for her schools talent show coming up in April. And baseball is right around the corner.
  Quade continues to love school and he is very very excited to be the Bat Boy for Austyn's team again this year. We all had a wonderful time celebrating his Birthday at the Great Wolf Lodge this year. I can't believe he is 5 years old. It went by so fast.
  Jordan is about two weeks away from his stair climb in Seattle. As usual he has been so dedicated to training and dieting for this event. It also helps that he is doing the Fitness Challenge at the same time. He was able to get in on a pretty big fire the other day. His picture was on the front page of the newspaper, above and below the fold. He was very excited. And he has been working like crazy on finishing our update to the stairs in the garage. It looks so nice. The cool part is, is that we had all the materials we needed to do 90% of the project.
  I have continued to do really well in the Fitness Challenge. I actually am surprising myself with my results this time. I'm super excited for baseball. I will probably be coaching again. Also I'm ready for spring!!!!!!!!
  Hope everyone is well and Thank You for continuing to keep up with our little family.

 Our snow adventure

 Bike ride at Eagle Crest

 Coast Trip!!!

 My little Sea Pony

 Birthday Fun at the Great Wolf Lodge

 We got to visit our friends and they were lambing.

So we got to play with the lambs.

Quade helping Papa with their bathroom remodel.

Quade is 5 ....

  It was a very long and painful year waiting for this 5th Birthday to roll around. Quade is so looking forward to Kindergarten and loosing teeth and he knows those things happen when you're 5. This year Quade still wanted a Birthday trip instead of a party. We had been wanting to go back to the Great Wolf Lodge with Jordan this time so we decided to make that into his Birthday trip. It was so much fun. And as an added bonus they over booked our room and upgraded us to a themed suite and it was amazing. It was such a great surprise for the kids. They had the door and hotel room all decorated for Quade's Birthday and a cake was delivered before we got there. It was so much fun to just relax and wonder in and out and each time eating some cake right out of the box. As always I wanted one more day up there (I'm wondering if there will ever be a vacation that I don't want one more day at). Quade had an amazing time. He was tall enough this time to ride the big slides. But his favorite part was the wave pool. My parents were suppose to go with us, but some unexpected things came up and they weren't able to make it. So when we got home they had a family Birthday party for him and it was so perfect. Quade is one LOVED (spoiled in my book) little boy.

  Quade has become a master builder at LEGOS and most everything else. He will sit and put together an entire box all by himself. It is so impressive to watch. He still loves to work with Jordan, or whoever will have enough patients to let him "help". He is a huge collector of rocks and most anything else. He loves his treasures! My parents gave him a small safe for his Birthday to keep all this prized possessions in and it was by far the best gift he had ever gotten. He is still one of the funniest little boys I've ever known. His sense of humor is so beyond his years. As I looked through the pictures from the last year I realized how lucky of a boy he is to have all the fun toys and trips he gets to have. Reminds me of my childhood. My parents just bought the kids a small side by side and he is already a pro at driving it. I love his determination and his attention span. He is so bright and always interested in learning new things. Reminds me so much of Jordan. My hopes and dreams for Quade is to be just like his Daddy. Quade and I have our battles, but there is nothing like the bond between a mother and her son. He holds a special place in my heart and I hope one day he will appreciate the happiness he has given me. We love you little buddy. Keep being you!!

Although he can ride his motorcycle like a mad man. He

prefers the safety that four wheels provide.

His happy place. This little dude could spend all day

on the sand playing.

Professional Mutton Buster right there!!!! It 

was a quick season. He decided to retire from the

rodeo scene while still keeping all his teeth.

Camping

Also camping. He's holding something slimy

I just can't remember what it is.

How adorable and precious is this. First Day

of Preschool.

He loves his "Man Dates". Jordan and ChaCha

are so good about taking him out hunting. And

sharing man secretes. 

First blood. 

My little Danish Dancer

Arg Matey

Speed skater

When we were getting my parents Christmas

tree he found a stump and cut through the 

entire thing with a hand saw. 

FYI- This is what it looks like when he isn't

tired. He claims he wasn't sleeping. Just 

closing his eyes. Jordan was working in the

garage and I came home to find him like this. 

Birthday at the Great Wolf Lodge

Amazing Shark cake my Mom made Quade

Quade was very specific about what he wanted for his Birthday and who was going to get which present for him. He assigned Jordan and I to the bathroom bag. He wanted a camouflage bathroom bag with a razor, shaving cream, lotion, electric toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant. So one exactly like Jordans that he takes to work and camping. He was blown away when he opened it. He has been shaving almost every day. 

  That's it folks. We made it another year. I hope this year is amazing for this little man.