O what a week and Post # 200!

I'll start with the fun news first--this is my 200th post! Can you believe it? It sounds like so many--this blog has been a wonderful part of my life, a way to journal, vent, connect, ponder . . .and you all have been an important part of that. I would still write this blog just for myself (and the boys) but it has made it much more interesting to have readers and especially comments. How I love comments! So, in honor of you and to thank you for reading my exhaustively written blog, I am having a contest for this 200th post. I will be giving away a $20 gift card to the location of your choice (that I can buy in person or online--some off the wall place in some random town won't work, sorry!). Just leave a comment and what you would choose--the winner will be chosen randomly, don't feel like you have to be creative just something you would enjoy. So, get to entering! You have one week! Now onto my week, wasn't it nice of me to post that first and not at the end?

O week was a little disjointed due to the holidays. We found plenty of Os but it was a little weird. Like we ate O foods, oranges, Oreos, and onion rings. We also explored the shape an O makes, while tubing. And we did go to some O related places like the Olympic Oval (which wasn't even really the Olympic Oval, I didn't want to go to Salt Lake in the snow so we went to the Peaks which I worked at during the Olympics, so that counts!)

And it turns out we hate ice skating. Seriously, once around the rink and they were done! And it reminded me that I stink at ice skating. I was holding the side to stay up, how in the world did I think I could help the boys learn? I was hoping to use the little walker things they had but alas they were out. A big thanks to Robbie for being a trooper to come and help and especially to The Peaks who surprisingly refunded all my money when I told them they hated it and we'd only been there 20 minutes. Great huh? If your kids don't hate ice skating, go there!

Here's an O shape we found at the dino museum we went to on a play date with my boss's wife.

Who doesn't love a giant magnifying glass? My Jr. scientists.

We also welcomed 2-O-10 with a party at our house with Lowell's family. Hooray for ending the year with lots of great food (so we could start our diet the next day feeling fulfilled).

Carter

Davis

We love "firebooms" and I have to say it is great to do fireworks in the snow, the fire worry sure drops dramatically. The horses behind our house weren't too happy with us though. I had planned to let the boys stay up until midnight (since they stay up nearly that late a lot of nights anyway--after being put to bed at 9) but they were pretty cranky so we counted down to 10 pm cheered and shouted then put the little ones to bed. We had intended to go to bed with them but visiting with family filled the last 2 hours and we were still up chatting and eating to see the ball drop on 2010. Welcome new year, I hope you hold some wonderous things for our little family.

New Year's Day it has become our tradition to sled with my family. I really do adore sledding and thanks to my sisters' connections we get the best sled hill around (At the gardens) all to ourselves.

Reva, her sister and her boys were kind enough to join us. Here's Reva dragging Andrew and Davis I believe.

Big Man Carter--last year they only did so so, this year they LOVED it!

Davis, I love this shot.

Daddy, Cyndel and the boys, these little tubes worked great and were really fast and of course, great Os.

My cutie (single) sisters Cyndel and Hillary

Robbie joined us too

Davis in motion

Cyndel and Carter

Our family

My sibs, BJ was home with his 3 month old

All 4 little boys piled onto one tube, they had so much fun!

My family of 4 piled onto 1 tube, this really scared me, but it worked out fine

My fambly (minus BJ, Angela, and Jonny)--Carter was mad because we were leaving. 2 hours of sledding and the kid still bawled when we left. We'll have to go back. Amazing to me, my feet weren't even cold.

So I had thought to go see Oma in Ogden or go to the Oquirrh temple but we ended up at the Hill Airforce aerospace museum. Nope, no connection though it is close to Ogden and we saw the word Ogden several times. We were up there after watching Diners-Drive In's-and Dives on Food Network where they highlighted a restaurant in Roy. So we ate there, it was good.

Carter in a pilot's seat

Both boys in the cock pit of a plane

Davis being cutie aviator boy

And on the moon

Look how teeny my boys look compared to the plane, they are by the wheel. It was actually a really fun museum which I'd like to go back to again when I have more time (read, when I can actually read all the exhibits without little boys wanting to run on ahead).

Then Sunday, get this--we actually went to sacrament meeting and it went okay. Wow, first time in . . .really can't remember. And my teeny little boys are now CTRs, not Sunbeams. I can't even believe it, their teachers got them rings and everything. So special (except when I asked Davis was CTR stood for and he said it said that I needed to give him some candy).

In other news, this weekend we finally ditched the nap. 4+ years I have held onto nap because I never envisioned the way to more sleep was actually to lose it. But so far it has been great, we're skipping nap and then putting them down at 7:30 instead of 8:30. 3 days in a row now my Carter bug who will stay up past 11 has been asleep by 8:30. And they are sleeping until after 8, my biggest worry since I don't get much sleep due to my work schedule. They have been a bit more pleasant also, except during when they used to nap. So, we'll see how this goes (fingers crossed). Carter particularly just has to get more sleep, sleep-deprived preschoolers will mimic the symptoms of ADHD--so if they have it or not, more sleep would certainly help.

In more big news, the boys start preschool again tomorrow! Crazy, huh? What a weird week. I was driving home from the gym and felt prompted that I needed to put the boys in preschool. So I thought, planning on it in the fall. And the feeling was like no, now. And I thought no way am I going to find a good school to take them now. So I posted about it on facebook and one of my twin friends recommended the preschool at the high school by me. I emailed the teacher back and forth, submitted applications and deposits, and volia, they start tomorrow. And get this, my raise covers exactly their tuition. Does the Lord love me or what? Getting my work schedule changed so that I have more weekends off and can go to church more has been blessing us in mysterious ways. I am still very nervous about this, so wish us luck. I am hopeful that in a room full of helpers (the class is supervised by 1-3 teachers but run by high school students) 1-2 disruptive children won't be such a problem. Plus my little lady's men can charm teenagers so well--I think older women are a little immune to their skills, but these high schoolers will be wrapped around their fingers in no time. I sure hope it all works out, and that I can find something to do with myself tomorrow, I am going to miss my playmates!

See why I posted the contest at the top? Who is even still reading this?!? Well, I love you all either way.