Oh what do you do in the winter time when all the ground is snow?

So, this week I was reminded of why I liked winter in Idaho. I was having a hard time figuring it out. I really don't enjoy just bundling up and going to play in the snow for 20 minutes, only to come in wet and outside smelling and have to put all your layers back away. I think I am getting to old to really enjoy snowboarding (i know that sounds lame but two babies will do that to that to you)! The sun only shines for a few minutes 1 or 2 days a week. It is cold, cold, cold!

My attitude changed this week in two key events. The first was spending whole afternoon outside at my Aunt and Uncles 'park'. Yes, my uncle, who is a farmer, built himself a park on the edge of one of his potato farms. It has a pond, firepit, grassy area, waterfalls, sprinkler system, stone tables....It is the coolest place ever. On Monday Kent and Sue were kind enough to take their snow machines to the park and haul out the ices skates and firewood and give us all a taste of winter fun goodness. We spent all afternoon ice skating, tubing behind snowmachines, riding machines, sledding and sipping hot cocoa by the fire. It was the funnest time ever. Kayt loved tubing and picked up ice skating really quick and Ella loved riding the snow machine. It was so great to see/help my kids do what I loved to do growing up. We went snowmachining all the time. I am so glad I will get to pass those memories on to my kids.

Kayt and Ella got their daddy's love for the outdoors. There were a few times Kayt said, "this the best day ever!" The second we got there they were off exploring and enjoying the freedom being outside brings. They are getting much better at navigating though deep snow. Ella, even said to me "I don't need you mom, go back by the fire."

Kayt is so adventurous when she gets outside. She losses all fear and just goes. I was shocked at how she just jumped on the snow machine behind me and wanted to ride the by herself, all the while screaming 'faster, faster'! It was such a great day.

I think a highlight of the day was the Flamm girls trying to start a fire in the snow without paper in wind. We were so close....thank you Kent for coming to the rescue!

Personalize a photo album

My second reminder of why I love Idaho winters is running in them. I know that sounds crazy but I love the early, dark mornings when the snow is so cold it is squeeky and sticky and nobody is around. There is such a peace to it all. I have started running with some ladies that have to get up as early as I do to run in the morning. It has been so great.

Here are a few examples of Kayt and Ella making the most of below zero degrees.

Note the blueberry milkshake lines all over their faces.  They really enjoyed them!!

My Girls (Happy Valentine's Day)

Every holiday I think, "What was I doing last year on _______ "(today it's Valentine's Day). Last year I was alone in DC while the girls visited family here in Idaho, and I posted a very lonely entry about how empty life was without my girls. Thankfully, that's not the case this year.

I just spent a wonderful weekend with Kristen, Kayt, and Ella. One of those weekends that I'll have a mental snapshot of for a while (particularly the date with Kristen and playing in the snow with the girls). I want to keep that memory, so I'm going to write down how I see my girls right now.

Kristen
Kristen is more beautiful than ever. We're living in her parents' house for a few weeks while we wait for our house to close. Pictures of her as a teenager, in high school, college, when we got married, etc. are everywhere. And she looks better now than in any of those pictures. More fit, more radiant, more graceful, same gorgeous eyes and megawatt smile.

She still has her confident strut. It's changed since the first time she walked up to me and a group of my friends demanding to know what we would give her for covering for us. There's more poise in it, more returning adventurer than anxious overachiever. It was nice to see that dressed-up strut as we went to the movies on Friday.

Kristen still loves to laugh and tease. Many times she's the only one that can keep straight in a group practical joke and comes up with natural ways to lure victims into the trap. She set me up beautifully last week. Too bad the rest of the family couldn't hold it.

She's made some spiritual goals this year, and you can always find her with the scriptures or the Ensign in the early morning hours and before bed. That creates a softness, a peaceful spirit, that is evident in her parenting and her patience with a moody husband.

The range of topics she can discuss is fantastic. She's soaked up all of my dull business chatter. She can expound upon the future effects of the revolution in Egypt or the Tea Party's effect on Washington. Culinary or fitness topics are favorites. And like her Dad, she can get away with some borderline humor.

She's perfect. There isn't another person I'd rather be with, anytime. I love Kristen.

Kayt
Kayt has the biggest, deepest, most expressive brown eyes I've ever seen. Those eyes would have been the star of a silent film in another era. Like her mom, Kayt is naturally beautiful. I'm not sure she'll ever need a drop of makeup.

Kayt is a chatterbox who usually prefaces her statements, "I would like to say something." She then goes on to describe the entire world according to Kayt, delving in and out of her imaginary world and photographic memory. She has a hard time finishing meals because she just has so many important things to make known to the everyone.

Kayt is very bright and extremely curious. I know all parents think their kids are smart, and kids are smart. But, Kayt can spend a little time with any subject and remember it forever. She wants to know everything about everything, and gets frustrated that she doesn't yet. At night she'll have me explain things she's heard mentioned throughout the day. For example, one recurring theme was black holes. I'm excited to see how she does in a little more formal setting when she starts kindergarten this year.

Kayt is very, very sweet, but she makes no concessions for what's wrong. In DC we had to be careful in public places where people might be smoking or drinking coffee because she would always pronounce loudly that "We shouldn't do that!" She routinely busts her parents and little sister doing things that could be a little grey. There are only black and white. As a parent, I'm very grateful that she's the oldest. Her poor younger siblings.

It's been fun to see and hear about Kayt's adventures in gymnastics. Socially, Kayt could never be accused of being a shrinking violet. However, physically she can be very cautious. It's been great to see her roll and flip and jump confidently on the mats. She's also brought that back home, turning every couch, bed, and pillow into a landing strip.

Kayt is always so grateful, so snuggly, so sweet. I love Kayt.

Ella
Ella makes me laugh harder than anyone. Some of it is intentional. Most of it is just Ella being Ella.

Ella is a gorgeous little girl with bright blue eyes, a contagious smile, and thick hair. That hair is always messy because Ella never stops moving. It just bounces along with her wherever she's running, and she runs everywhere. She rarely wears shoes, or even socks. Her little bare feet just are a constant blur as she runs from one room to the next.

Dolls have started to slow that blur down a little. She'll sit with three or four of them for a while on the couch and wrap them in blankets, but then it's back to swinging on the treadmill handle or jumping off the exercise equipment onto the bed. The other night we were at a friend's house, and Ella figured out very soon that she could climb the book case and jump onto a bean bag chair.

As fearless as Ella is physically, socially she is initially very shy. She likes to watch other little kids for a long time before interacting. When she does approach them, it's usually silently with her sharing a toy. She'll talk about her friends, but those friends are usually kids she's watched from a distance or never said a word to. As an introvert myself, I think it's adorable.

Ella has amazing comedic timing. She cracks jokes, laughs at herself, teases, and generally operates with a smug little grin. She gets that from her mom.

Ella makes me smile every time I see her. I love Ella.

Girls, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentines Day

A free digital greeting by Smilebox

Winterfest

If you have to have three feet of snow on the ground for 6 months you might as well make the most of it right?  How does a big sledding hill, horse drawn sleigh rides, snow painting, snow bowling, digging for burried treasure and a polar bear dip sound? 

Saturday Kayt, Ella my dad and I decided to head  to Rexburg's annual Winter Fest.  It was really fun.  I very simple small town festival.  It was a great place to bump into those you know and enjoy the best that winter has to offer. 

Thank goodness for the hot chocolate!!

Making the most of winter days 2

Last weekend Em and her super cute kids came to visit.  I love when my sister comes to town.  She always has something fun in the works and kind enough to include me in the action.  For example, she made a skirt for me this weekend and put together and valentine party for our kids.  My sisters it amazing, she is always doing something and knows how to do everything really well.

It was so great to get reaquated with Julia and Baron.  It has been awhile since I had seen them too.  I had only seen Julia in her carseat in September since she was born.  It is crazy how much you miss when you're not away.  Em's kids are so sweet and fun to be around.  Kayt and Ella especially enjoyed having a boy around to chase them.  Unfortunately they can't turn Baron off like they can a toy.  It was a hard lesson to learn.

The Valentine's party was so great though.  The kids had such a fun time.  We played bean bag toss, stack the hearts, find the heart and decorating cookies.  It's crazy how easy it is to things fun for little kids.  The simplest things are the so fun to them.  I think that favorite game however was the bean bag toss.  They didn't want to stop playing that one.

All in all, it was a great visit.  I am so glad to be close again.  I look forward to many more weekends with Em!!!

Making the most of winter days

Since coming home we have had great visits from my fam.  My little brother Jared and his family came up to visit just after we arrived.  It had been more than a year since I had spent any time with them.  We saw them for a few hours last summer but that has been it since August of 2009.  It was so great to just hang out with them again.  His wife Cassie is so fantastic and fun and his little boy Emmett is so sweet and hilarious. 

Jared and Cassie and movers and shakers and thus the weekend was packed.  We played in the snow where Jard and Scott and my dad made us a personal sledding hil and tried it out multiple times.  We had a big snowball fight, made snowmen, and snow forts, it was just fun.  Emmett wasn't sure how he felt about the snow.  But he looked super cute in his blue snowsuit!

We also played the game Ticket to Ride multiple times!  This is a good game for our family.  It allows for controlled competition.  Something our family needs.  There are a few games that have been banned from family functions, such as Settlers of Catan : (  it doesn't really help family bonding.  It does however provide good stories later. 

We went to the movie Megamind too.  If you haven't seen it, I reccomend it!  We all got ready to go and nobody could find my dad.  Thinking he must have gone somewhere without telling anyone and felling abit annoyed about it, we left him.  About 20 minutes into the movie my dad shows up.  We later found out he had fallen asleep in the crawl space under their closet (they had a bed down there as fort for Kayt and Ella.  It is very quiet).  When he woke up he though it was too quiet.  As he climbed out, the ladder broke and he hit his arm really hard as he fell back into the hole.  The poor guy yelled for help in vain.  He managed to get himself out of the space and  to the movie though.  That night his arm was litterally black and blue from shoulder to elbow.  We all felt bad but couldn't stop laughing at the whole situation.

Cassie, Sarah, Gabby and I had the dance off of the century.  I think we played just dance for 3 hours Sunday night.  It was super fun.  I think we all came away with a few new moves.  Even the guys and my mom got in the action a bit.

Thanks Jared and Cass for making the trip up.  We look forward to many more.

Rexburg or bust

So we made it to Rexburg.  It is hard believe we are really here and not leaving to back to Virginia.  We have been here almost a month.  AHHH!  We are currently living with my parents while we look for a house.  Once we have our own place I think it will feel much more permanent. 

It has been so great to be around family.  It has definately filled up our time.  It is a good thing though because there isn't much else to do here. 

At least not when it is 0 degrees outside.  The other night we needed to get a picture printed for Scott.  We went at 10 pm and everything was closed.  Rexburg is more small town than I remember it being.  But I love it.  I love the familiarity of it all.

I decided I would make a top ten (or more)  list for Rexburg and also a top ten (or more) of Virginia. 

So here we go:
Rexburg
- It takes two minutes for Scott to get to work
- Our family is here
- The mountains I can see down mainstreet
- Seeing the same person at the docter and the grocery store
- Having the store clerk be in your church ward
- The simple process of everything because people trust each other
- Gas Prices
- Running in complete silence on crunchy snow
- Running alone in the dark
- Clean, refreshing air and water
- Fast stop lights
- No traffic
- Quick trips are really quick trips
- small community events
- Silence
- Frosted trees on cold mornings
- Clean rivers
- Starry nights
- Affordable home prices

Virginia
- Wegman's and Trader Joes
- The frog pond
- Mediterranean food
- Having to fill up our own time
- Trips into the city
- Fantastic friends you have time to be with
- Diversity
- Shopping options
- Washington D.C.
- Eastern Market
- The big city
- Craigslist
- Unique

- Running trail right outside my house

- 10 billion day trip options

- Trees

- Awsome architecture, everywhere!

- The swimming pool

 All in all we are settling in here but I find myself missing Virginia more than I thought I would.  Like I said, it is hard to think we won't be living there anymore.  Virginia was an experience we will never forget.  It has really helped make me who I am.  I have lived there twice and both times I came back to Rexburg changed; more grounded, more aware of what I wanted to be and who I was.  Both experiences were very challenging but brought great blessings.  I realize already I am going to have to fight to be the person I was in Virginia, it is so much easier to live here and thus easier to become lazy about things that matter most.  I loved the annonymity of the big city it made it so easy to just be you and do what you felt was right and best.  It is much more difficult here.  You just couldn't make comparisons in Virginia because you didn't know anybody well enough and you would never see them again and it just didn't matter.  Everybody was just who they are and that was it.  I loved that and I already have to work hard to not fall into that trap here. 

Anyway, there was rambling.  But... we are back and I love it.  I love the smallness and familiarity.  I love how kind and personal people are.  I love that it is a bubble of happiness.  I love that people look out for each other.  I love that I can keep my car running when I have to grab something from the house.  I love that my girls can go play in the yard without me right there.  I love that you can get involved in the community.  Really, I just love that we are home~