January on my phone

Can you believe that we are still running outside in January?! The weather has been so great this year and we are loving it! We only had a few snowfalls and they were really light. Running in the cold isn't so bad if you bundle up and have a running buddy. Absolutely worth it for the beautiful sunrises and good company. 

Since we haven't had a lot of snow, Gracie made one herself.

With the big kids going back to school 4 days a week, Ruby has become my little buddy. Her buddy Palmer that we babysat isn't coming anymore so she has become totally bored of me. She's so good with the twins and finding something to keep them entertained all day. She's also become a very motivated little reader and is determined to pass Benny up on reading lessons so we have started to do one every afternoon. I have confidence that she will be reading before kindergarten even starts.

Lots of vent sitting going on around here! This is the vent they are always scrambling over right next to the sliding door.

 

Ruby prefers the vent in front of the kitchen sink.

For family home evening we made "The Lord's worker" hats to go along with D&C 4. We talked about the qualifications of the Lord's worker and glued the stars onto the hat. Haken was a good sport and made one too. We encouraged all of the kids to memorize D&C 4 with the incentive of a treat. Haken memorized it by the end of the week and got a box of candy. Gracie got 2 verses down and is working on the rest.

Tenny has loved accessorizing. One day he wouldn't take Gracie's glasses off all morning. It made me wonder if he could actually see better with them on. He also had a cold for a few days (as you can tell in the picture with the red shoes) compliments of Gracie. Luckily it never really hit anyone else very bad, just a few sniffles and stuffy noses.

Lots of book reading and blankets going on!

Our friends are still hanging on our garage door as I just don't want to take them down. I've loved having my friends in my house again even if it is just a picture. I can't wait for them to come back to our house for real.

 On the last day of January, we finally got a good enough snowfall for the kids to play in. The twins went outside for the first time in the snow. They had mixed reviews. Tenny loved it and wouldn't stop eating the snow. Chap was apprehensive and curious. 

February in pictures

This month was cold but that didn't stop us from having fun. We finally feel like we are on a good schedule and got out a bit.

We went to the free carousel night at the mall. I think I rode that carousel about 15 times with miss Ruby.

Shad is super dad and handles twins like a champ.

Mommy does ok too and is soaking up the snuggles. The house cleaning can wait.

We are anxious for spring, but settled on an inside picnic with friends.

Someone went to the repentance bench and was so stubborn he finally fell asleep.

Haken and Jack have really stepped it up in taking care of the babies. Jack is holding a baby any chance he gets and loves to change diapers and clothes. They are the reason I can make it to church on time.

Gracie on the other hand is still asking which baby is which. She can't tell them apart. 

However, she has become a master big sister for Benny and Ruby. Any game she creates they want to be a part of it and she loves that they follow her every command.

She couldn't wait to show off Benny and Ruby at her Valentine's party at school. She insisted I bring them with me.

 Luckily the blowouts have been minimal this month. 

Haken has become a busy Jr. High student being involved in student council, the school newspaper, Science Olympiad, and Scholastic bowl. Sometimes I wonder if the extracurricular activities are just a ploy to get out of riding the bus home. He really loves the time he gets to spend with his friends though. He was one of the captains of the scholastic bowl team. 

2 months

Lots of growing going on around here. We are starting to figure out their personalities this month.

They both still fit into newborn clothes and feel like they weigh pretty much the same. 

They rarely cry at the same time, but when they do it is like "baby surround sound."

They are really good at the blank stares. 

The first smiles popped out this month. Monica caught Chap while babysitting at her house (Lincoln wanted to get a little sniff)

When Tenny smiles it shows how chubby he really is.

They are awesome car riders and can't resist falling asleep.

They are great sleepers and have slept through the night a handful of times. They usually wake up around 3:00am but I think they are ready to start stretching it a little bit longer.

Tenny loves tummy time and Chap doesn't last very long as he is not a fan.