Weekend Update Dec. 29th - Jan.5th, 2014

We finally came home on New Year's Eve day from spending time with Grandma and Grandpa B for Christmas! We were there for 8 days and when the kids woke up on Tuesday and I told them we were going home, Mark said YAY!! and Elizabeth cried NOOOOOO!!!! And Annie was impartial:) It was our first time at our actual house on New Year's Eve since....ever?? We are usually still gone on vacation but I was excited to start a new year at home and the excitement for this year has continued all week! I don't know what it is about 2014 but I'm happy that it's here. I have even lost 3 pounds so far this year:)

Mark was even able to take 1 day (yes one day!) to complete this tiling project:

 Oh and since it's been so long since I blogged...he actually installed those hardwood floors too several months ago!!!! I absolutely LOVE them both!!!! So excited to have another project done and more beautiful floors to look at!

We also did a lot of unpacking, laundry, cleaning the house (some parts more than others), playing outside, cleaning the garage, working out, watching Planes, enjoying new Christmas toys, taking dinner to the Bishop's family on the day they buried their oldest son (so sobering and humbling), taking down Christmas lights, reading new books, goal setting, and putting up a punching bag in the garage...a very useful thing, surprising how much frustration you can really take out on those things plus get a great workout in!!

I finally got my camera out more this week, every time I pick it up I feel happy and inspired to take more pictures!! I did snap a few of our sleeping Annie. She crashed last night at 5 pm on the couch.....

 Then it was time to wake her up and Mark couldn't wait to tickle her with the snake!

 And Elizabeth wanted in on it...with a flashlight to the face of course! The picture is blurry but Elizabeth is also wearing sunglasses on her back and one rain boot! She's really into trying to figure out what's funny and what's silly. She'll do something or wear something and say is this funny or silly?! 

Annie was NOT happy to be woken up of course, but was happy to eat and take a bath!

Story time with Grandpa T

These precious pictures are from November when Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Meagan and Kafusi came to visit. Grandpa is great at reading stories and indulged the kids many times, especially with this book ("Stand Back" said the Elephant "I'm going to sneeze")!! 

Rewind 30 years and this was totally me with my Dad! (He insists we should've called her Emily:)

 Fusi and Mark quickly joined in on story time

 And were quickly distracted by toes and fingers? Hahaha!!

  Thank you once again Dad for patiently reading to our little ones! We miss you and wish you were here right now doing the same thing!!

2 new Sunbeams and one lonely Nursery child!!

Today was Mark and Elizabeth's first day out of Nursery and into Primary with the big kids as Sunbeams!! They were very excited and I was a bit nervous. Luckily, I was called as one of their teachers, which makes me VERY happy!! I love being a witness to their *firsts* and this is a big group of kids that I know really well! They all did pretty good for their first time. Mark kept getting up and wanting to talk in the microphone and Elizabeth kept pulling her dress up every time she went to sit down! They did great in class time. We made little crowns that said I Am A Child of God. I am looking forward to being a part of their first Primary experience!

 This was Mark right after his nap (he fell asleep on the drive home):

Annie on the other hand was a little sad in Nursery by herself for the first time, and VERY, VERY tired!!! Hopefully she can adjust to going to church at 11:30.