A Month in Pictures

I feel like all my posts the last 6 months or so are all "re-cap" posts that are weeks (or months) behind.  At this point blogging is very low on my priority list. But, I do get to it when I can. So for those friends/family that are still with me, here's what we were up to in January...yes I realize it's March...such is my life right now.   

January 1st starts out the same way every year, with our annual New Years picture.  Each year I get a shot of the kids holding their New Years Day sign as a way to document how much they've grown in a year. This is our 8th annual picture...it all started back in the day with Riley on her 1st New Years...

Fast forward 8 years and 3 kids later...

Pretty impossible to get all 4 looking and smiling at the camera.  Settled for 3 out of 4. 

 

All. Day. Long. 

This is what he does.  All day.  Empties drawers, makes messes, all the while looking adorable.  He's got me trained.  And he knows it. 

We took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit my brother Todd's family. The kids had some extra days off around Martin Luther King Day and Lori was throwing him a big 40th Birthday Bash so we felt like all the stars were aligned.  We were so happy we got to be a part of his birthday.   

Todd, Lori, and 2 adorable nephews Aiden and Garrett...

Wade was traveling (shocking, I know!) So the kids and I loaded up and I drove up by my lonesome.  He met up with us there.  I'm so glad we went, we had such a great time and the kids all really got along and loved hanging out together. 

That's Cade holding up his tooth, which he lost while we were there!Jack-o-lantern smile

Looks like Garrett's wondering why big brother is loving on someone besides him!

Most Unusual (this is for any Wilson's reading this).  There are now 2 of these huge crosses on the trip...
Brooke caught a glimpse and yelled, "OH MY GOSH.  JESUS HAS GOT TO BE THERE".  It was so cute. 

 We drove to Indianapolis on Sunday night so that we wouldn't be driving all day on Monday.   Such a good call.  We got back just after noon and had the rest of the day to "chill-ax" (as the young-ones say now). 

JP thought the sleep number adjuster was a phone.

My view from the driver's seat... I love this view.  My heart feels this way sometimes.  Full and crowded and happy and just about max-ed out...about to overflow.  Really, REALLY love my family.  

Snow days were abundant in January (and February for that matter).  

We've had so many stinking snow days it's unreal, kinda feel like the kids might be going to school all summer.  However, we had a lot of fun.   It usually snows once a year in Tulsa...and when it snows it might be 70 the next day and melt it all, so you got to get out in it while it's there. 

We're still under the mindset and we took FULL advantage.  

JP's Very 1st Sled Ride

Pretty sure we were on our sleds everyday we could.  Plus snow forts, snow angels, snowman building...you know all the favorites.  And we went through a few gallons of hot chocolate and a little of Wade's favorite...hot vanilla.  

 

I love Riley in this picture, she's testing out her snowboarding skills.  Riley's name means brave and valiant...does she ever live up to that.  I caught her one day "body sledding" down the back stairs of our deck.  She was trying to get Cade to go down, but he wasn't about to go there.  She did manage to talk Brooke into it though. 

This is my all-time favorite snow picture.  Not that it's a great photograph but my heart hurt for JP that he was stuck inside when his siblings were out building snowmen.  We spent some time outside earlier in the morning and he just got so cold I had to bring him in.  Some day J.P.  Some day it will be your turn to stay out until your feet turn purple.  Until then watch and learn, these kids play hard!  

2 of our little neighbor girls came over for some hot chocolate after playing outside.  The girls were so giddy, I just wish I could bottle up the joy sometimes.   

It's not always sunshine and roses.  With the fun, comes the clean up. Blah.   Every single door in my house looks like this.  Kids come in they peel off shoes, coats, bibs, and anything that is cold or wet.  Somehow a sippy cup got tossed in there too. 

In closing, a couple other random photos: 

Brooke's favorite condiment on hot dogs?  Peanut Butter.  Don't ask us how that started, we don't have a clue...but she LOVES it. 

Sometimes I wonder if Wade has a little "hair envy".  He likes to do this to the kids hair after they get out of the bath. This picture is noteworthy because it may be the last picture of me in my specs.  I'm not usually photographed in my glasses...don't really wear them much, but it's required for the 2 weeks prior to Lasik, which I had in February.  Went from 20/100 to 20/25 in one day.  Sweet!