Catching up....already.

It's almost the end of January of the New Year, and I have yet to post anything. I guess "updating the blog on a regular basis" was NOT one of my New Year's Resolutions. :)

We visited the Washington DC Temple Visitor's Center a few times during the holiday season to enjoy some beautiful music and be uplifted. The temple grounds are lit up with thousands of Christmas lights. If only it wasn't so cold, it would be nice to sit outside and enjoy them a bit longer. I let the kids have a slumber party for New Year's Eve. We had pizza for dinner, played games, and when it was time for bed, they laid down on mattresses in front of the computer to watch movies. I said they could watch movies until they fell asleep. I thought that this brilliant idea would last until 9pm. I checked on them at 10, and everyone was still awake. At midnight, the child who was most excited about staying up all night was sound asleep. And snoring like an old man...Abi! Everett, Zachary, and even Eliza were still wide awake. I told them it was midnight, Happy New Year, now it was time to go to sleep. They slept in until 8am, which was longer than I expected. Surprisingly they weren't grumpy. To welcome the New Year, I went for a 10 mile run to begin my marathon training. Beau froze his tail off working on a set of bunk beds for the boys.

Sariah loves to sit in her Bumbo seat!

One day I walked into the room to find this scene. Abi had put Sariah in the bumbo seat, put blankets around her, and declared that she was the Queen. Abi, Everett, and Zachary were her loyal subjects paying her tribute. Ah, I love their imaginations!

Queen Sariah seems to think her subjects are pretty funny. Perhaps they should be referred to as the court jesters.

Beau has continued working on getting better at the trumpet. I can honestly say, that I don't mind him playing. I tease him about the noise, but when the rest of the house isn't going crazy, it's quite pleasant to listen to. It's a good thing he only needs one hand to play, that way Sariah can still be held.

Beau's Mom sent these cozy outfits for the kids. They are a huge hit! Everyone loves to wear them, and they sure do help to keep them warm when we put on layers to go play in the snow.

Abi is getting so tall! She is showing off her attitude.

Everett is ready to fight off the bad guys.

Zachary is probably going to kick a bad guy in the face.

Eliza #1.....

Eliza #2.......This girl goes from one extreme to the other in a blink of an eye. Either she's bipolar, or she's just an emotional girl. Oh, what will the teenage years bring?

I love this little smile. I think she looks like an Ewok from Star Wars. They're so cute!

Getting some much needed tummy time.

I had one of these exersaucers for Abi when she was a baby. We got rid of it for some reason. I had wanted one for the other kids, but never found one at a decent price. They're expensive! Or, maybe I'm just cheap. Well, one day I was driving to the Dr. when I saw this on the curb in our neighborhood. I was running late, so I didn't have time to stop. I told myself that if it was still there on my way home, then it was meant to be. Lo and behold, 3 hours later, it was still on the curb just waiting for me! I brought it home and cleaned it up a bit. It looks brand new! Sariah LOVES it!!

I like that she is somewhat safe from the other kids, and is able to play by herself. Also, it's in the kitchen so she can see me while I'm making food.

We have told Eliza (and the rest of the kids for that matter!) NOT to touch the top of her head.

Everett was busy one day making starfighters. I thought it was pretty cute.