Beeping Easter Eggs

Every year around Easter, the Utah Council for the Blind sponsors an easter egg hunt.  They have special eggs that beep so that kids who are visually impaired can find them.  They also let parents and siblings get eggs, but they have to wear blindfolds so they can experience what their visually impaired family members are going through.  It's a really neat experience and we're grateful for the volunteers who help put it on.

Sophi standing next to any kind of character is a bit of a miracle.  She is finally OK with them.  Yay, Soph!

Mouths to Feed

We can always count on our kids to remind us if we're running short on food.  Parker lets us know if we're running low on 1% milk.  Graci always lets us know when we need more fruit.  Taylor alerts us if the peanut butter is almost gone.  Cali can't survive without almond milk.  And of course several of our kids are frequently pining for more Chinese food.

Today I walked into an ambush.  As I entered the living room, Graci and Xander started chanting "We declare more food!!!"  This particular time they were basing their revolutionary tactics on the lack of Asian food in the house.  They 'declared' it a couple of times, then Xander added, "and we have pitchforks and torches!!!"  Fortunately I was spared their wrath by the fact that they both burst into giggles after this comment.

Graci is SO amazing with her siblings.  She is always playing with them and taking time to share her imaginative play acting with them.  Graci, you are AWESOME!

Here is Xander demonstrating his "pitchfork and torches" look:

I told him that when he wears this "muscle shirt," I have to call it a "bone shirt" instead;)

-Dad

Sweet Conner

Conner is so sweet with his siblings.  He is particularly mindful of Elli and Sophi.  He will often give them hugs and talk to them.  In spite of Elli's special needs, he often reaches out to her and tries to let her know she is loved.   We're so grateful to have him in our family!  Thanks for being such a great big brother!

Cousin Ben

Over Valentine's Day weekend, my nephew Ben came to hang out with us.  He LOVES Xander and always looks forward to seeing him:)  And Xander loves it when Ben comes to visit.  Thanks, Ty and Laura for letting him stay with us.  Here are Ben and X-man all dressed for church:

Fashion Models!

Happy Birthday Lex!

Lexi is often at Grandma's house for her birthday it falls right after Christmas.  But even if she's in Ferron, she still gets breakfast in bed, gifts and birthday cake (Or, this year, cupcakes:)

We didn't get around to her actual party for a couple of months.  Lexi has always wanted an outdoor Teen Beach Movie party, but with a birthday in the dead of winter, that hasn't usually been feasible.  But with the unseasonably warm weather we had this year, we had a beach party in February!  She had pictures at the "beach," outdoor games, and even a campfire with hotdogs and S'mores.  Happy birthday Lex.  You are SUCH a special and important part of our family:)

Not Sure Where She's Headed, But She Sure is Cute!

Field Trip Fun

Last month, Xander invited me to attend his school field trip with him.  I was so excited!  We went to the natural history museum of Utah.  It is a fantastic museum which we would both recommend.  We saw many exhibits, ranging from dinosaurs (Utah had TONS of them) to Native American cultures to predators to how the various land formations came about.  It was a fun activity.  Thanks for the invitation, X-man!

Watch Your Weight!

Christi and I and several of the kids were in the kitchen preparing dinner.  

Me:  "Christi, we could have some Sophi stew tonight."

Sophi:  "NO!  We could have some Daddy stew tonight!"

Parker:  "No thanks, we've already had enough fatty food today."

Hey, now...

Places You Might Find Elli If You Turn Your Head For Two Minutes...

...time to put down the camera and rescue our little adventurer!

Conner and Lexi Love to Ski!

Almost every month during the school year, the Utah School for the Blind takes visually impaired kids on an overnight field trip.  They do many different types of activities including life skills (going to the store, riding the bus and train), sporting activities (Miller Motor Sports Park Racetrack, Curling) and outdoor events (fishing, snowshoeing).  In January they were going to go skiing.  Both Lexi and Conner were about the trip, so I said I would go with them for the skiing portion.  It ended up being a great experience.  Conner loved being on the mountain and keeps asking if we can go again.  We're so grateful for so many great programs that are a blessing to our kids with special needs.  And so grateful to the many wonderful people who work for or volunteer for these programs:)

Newest Addition To The Family...

We have probably posted a picture or two of Molly on the blog, but I'd don't think we've formally introduced our newest "child."  So here she is.  Molly was born in October of last year and we got her in December.  The kids all love her (although they are not always enamored with the work she adds to our lives).  She is a beautiful golden doodle.  She is still very much a puppy and we have been dealing with many of the challenges that entails, but with the help of a WONDERFUL trainer, she is improving rapidly.  But she is still very inquisitive and has lots of energy.  Sophi can't stand to be away from her and tends to be a little to shadow for Molly.  Elli loves it when Molly comes up and gives her unrestrained kisses.  All in all, a good addition to the family:)

A quick trip to Walmart for the Greens:)