Wintering

What have we been doing this winter? It seems like all of our time has been sucked away by projects around the house, preparing to put it on the market in March. The bathroom remodel alone has been going since March of last year (yes really, I had to look it up)! But thanks to my incredibly handy and hard-working husband, I am pleased to say it is almost done! I'm hoping to show a reveal in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

Other things we've been doing this winter:

Baking. Ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls. Yeah, probably the best thing to do in the winter! I've made them a few times this month, and will probably make them a few more times before winter is over. Not good for the New Year's resolutions. Logan helped me make this batch for Andrew's birthday treat for his class.
I wish I had a picture of their baked and cream cheese frosting-drenched goodness, but here they are on the pan, freshly rolled and cut, before rising. If you want the recipe for the best cinnamon rolls EVER, you can find it here. The secret is vanilla pudding mix! I try to do a craft or art project with the kids once a week, usually on Wednesdays when I have my babysitting kiddos. I stumbled upon this cute "snow painting" idea somewhere on the Internet. You make "snow paint" by combining equal parts Elmer's glue and shaving cream. It stays foamy as you paint and then dries nice and puffy.

I drew a basic snowman shape on a piece of construction paper, and then let the kids fill it in.

I happened to have some white glitter, so the kids added a little of that to make their "snow" sparkle!

Finally, when it dried, we added a hat, eyes, and carrot nose cut from construction paper. This project was so easy and such a hit with the kids! Cute R said to me, "Summer, today we are having so much FUN, FUN, FUN!" R and Logan begged to do a second snowman! When three-year-old G finished his (pictured upper left), he turned to me and said, "My snowman melted." So cute!

My Winter mantel. I took down my Christmas decorations pretty quickly after Christmas; I was just ready to move on this year. It was nice to bring back the photos of the kiddos, and the pretty clock was a thoughtful gift from Bryan's uncle and aunt when Russ passed away in December. It contains a sweet saying which reminds us that, "In time, Christ will heal all wounds. In time, we will be together again." Thank you, Kelly and Becky.

I kept the pinecones and tree branches from Christmas, but added some glass icicles for a little sparkle.

I like my decor to be a little more sparse in January. It feels refreshing after all the heavy Christmas decorations.

I know it's still pretty early, but truth be told, I am just itching for Spring! I nabbed these Amaryllis kits in The Home Depot after-Christmas clearance aisle. (I think I need to find some cuter pots to transplant them into.) I love seeing them start to sprout, and they are satisfying my craving for something green and growing. For now...

VICTORY!!!

I walked into the kitchen today and saw Andrew place a paper towel over his bowl of saucy ravioli before microwaving it! Wow, maybe they DO listen to what I say sometimes. ;)

It's coming...

All this talk of Andrew being baptized soon, is really getting to Logan.

Logan: "Mom, you've been baptized, right?"

Me: "Yes."

Logan: "And Daddy's been baptized, right?"

Me: "Yes."

Logan: (thinking hard for a moment) "I don't think I want to be baptized."

Me: "Oh? Why not?"

Logan: (sounding a little scared) "Well, I really don't want to see the Holy Ghost!"

Disney On Ice

On Saturday, we went to see Disney On Ice at the Q. We got a babysitter for Hannah (thanks Hadley!) and Bryan was on call, so it was just me and my boys! Aren't we cute?Throughout the show, the Disney gang celebrated different holidays. My favorite was Halloween, when all the villains came out!Spooky!

The princesses danced with their princes for Valentine's Day. I took this picture just a split second too late - you can only see the smoke where the fireworks were.We had awesome seats, right on the floor, but I still didn't get many good pictures. For some reason, the characters wouldn't hold still for me! ;)
The Toy Story gang showed up for Christmas. That was Andrew's favorite part.

The finale was really fun with lights, pyro, and even snow!

We all had lots of fun. It's nice to get to go out and spend some time with just my boys. Andrew took advantage of the situation and convinced me to buy them popcorn and soda because, "this is a special occasion," and "we don't get to do things like this with you very often." He's getting too smart.

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His future bride will be relieved to know...

Logan: "Mom! Will you come wipe my bum?"

Me: "Logan, when are you going to wipe your own bum?"

Logan: "When I grow up."

Me: "When will that be?"

Logan: "When I get married. Yeah, when I get married I will wipe my own bum."

Happy 8th Birthday, Andrew!

Name: Andrew Bryan Anderson
Age: 8
School Teachers: Mrs. Cohen
Best Friends: Noah W.
Favorite Food: Italian Chicken
Favorite Book: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Favorite Activity: Soccer
Favorite Movie: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Favorite Song: Fireflies by Owl City
Favorite TV show: The Suite Life on Deck
Favorite Website: Disney's Toontown Online
Favorite Colors: red and bright yellow
Favorite School Subject: Science
When I grow up I want to be: a mechanical engineer and an inventor.
What I like best about myself: I can run fast.

Do I really have an 8-year-old?! I can't believe it! It's crazy to have a child old enough to show us new things on the computer, formulate logical arguments that are hard to dispute, and even have his own music preferences! Ü We are so lucky to have you in our family, Andrew! Thank you for being a good example for Logan and letting him play with you and for being so kind to Hannah. I really appreciate your help around the house when you do your chores. You are so smart and we are very proud of how well you are doing in school. You are a very capable person and even though it's hard for me sometimes, it's fun to watch your independence and confidence grow. This year will be a big one for you as you will be baptized, finish the second grade, say good-bye to some dear friends, and move to a brand new place. It will be an adventure, but I have no doubt that you will fly through it and make great new friends. We love you so much, Andrew! Happy Birthday!