Kylee turns 8!!

Kylee turned 8 years old on her birthday!!  We had multiple parties for her.  Her birthday was on a Tuesday this year which is the day I work.  I usually take balloons into her classroom, but this year I had balloons sent to her.  She was so excited to get them at school.  She just thought she wouldn't get balloons this year because I was at work. 

On Tuesday night we had the usual birthday/Valentine dinner.  Heart shaped Papa Murphy's pizzas and then cupcakes and ice cream for dessert.  We had grandma and grandpa Johnson over for dinner and birthday celebration.  Grandma Johnson made this awesome pet shop for Kylee for her birthday.  The girls loved it and have played with it pretty much everyday since getting it.  

Kylee also got some cute shirts and pants from grandma and lots of new pet shop accessories to go with her new pet shop.  Grandma spoiled her like usual.  We love grandma : )




We have friend parties every other year and this year was a friend party for Kylee.  On friend party years the deal is mom and dad don't go crazy on spending money on gifts but instead the friend party is the big gift from us.  Kylee really wanted a purple watch from Santa for Christmas.  Unfortunately, Santa didn't get her one, so I promised that she would get a purple watch for her birthday from me since Santa didn't get her one.  Here she is checking the time with her awesome new purple watch.  She loves telling me what the time is with her new watch.  She even gets the exact minutes right. 

Kylee had 3 batches of cupcakes made especially for her birthday celebrations.  On her actual birthday we had chocolate cupcakes with whipped chocolate frosting with pink marshmallow hearts on top.  Yum Yum!!  I seriously can't believe I have an 8 year old.  She is so amazing and is always surprising me with all she is learning.   



Here is a picture of Kylee on the Sunday before her birthday when we celebrated with the Bischoff side of the family.  We had valentine colored cupcakes with purple whipped frosting and pink marshmallow hearts on top.  She didn't want to wear her crown at this celebration because it wasn't her actual birthday. 

On the Monday before her birthday I took krispie creme doughnuts into to her classroom to celebrate her birthday with her class.  I brought her birthday crown in once again to get a cute picture of her, and she didn't want to wear it because it wasn't her actual birthday.  She was actually just being stubborn for her mom because a couple hours later her teacher sent me a picture of her happily wearing her birthday crown.   

Happy Birthday to our most amazing 8 year old Kylee girl.  We love you soooo much!!!

Day of skiing

The first Friday in February Jeremy and I headed up to Silver Mountain for ski free Toyota day.  We love to ski and would do it every weekend if we could, but ever since we have become parents we are lucky to get up once a year.  The day is magical even if the skiing conditions aren't good because it's just the 2 of us and we are doing something we both love.  This ski adventure happened to be amazing because of the weather as well.  The sun was out the whole day.  The snow was good, and we couldn't get enough runs in before the mountain closed.  

Every year we go up we talk about getting our kids up on the mountain and start teaching them to ski, so we could all go as a family.  We haven't done it yet though.  I would like to have a family picture up on the ski hills soon.  I want my kids to love skiing just as much as us.  

Seriously the day was amazing. I will think of this day as my best day of skiing until I have another perfect ski day.  It may have been that the sun hadn't made many appearances the few weeks leading up to this day.  I am also so use to skiing in the fog that it was so amazing to have the sun out the whole day of skiing.  It was perfect.  I haven't said that yet have I?  

The dreaded last ride up the chair lift to head home because the mountain was closing.  The sun was still shining, and we could see the moon as well.  Pretty cool.  We skied all day.  Except for a 20 minute lunch break.  We wanted to get as much skiing in on this most perfect day.  Jeremy and I always reflect back on our dating days when we are out skiing.  It's so nice to get away without the kids and remember why we fell in love. 

The evening after skiing the kids sat down to watch a movie with Jeremy and the girls both fell asleep snuggled with their dad.  It's was to cute not to take a picture of them.  

The first big snow of 2012

The forecast was for 6" to 9" of snow for Thursday Janurary 19th, and we were all excited to see if it actually snowed and it did.  We had been waiting all winter for a good snow storm to come through, so we could have some good playing time in the snow.  Of course, we played outside in the snow as much and we could.  Thursday night Jeremy got home from work and started snow blowing all the snow from the driveway and yard into one big pile.  He had plans of making a big snow fort.  

The first picture is of the kids sitting on the pile of snow.  Jeremy put all the snow in a big pile and then packed it down really hard and let it sit overnight and freeze up and then when he got home Friday night from work he started digging out the snow to make a cave.  Emilee is at the enterance of the snow cave.  All the kids piled into it once Jeremy gave them the OK. 

While Jeremy was digging on the snow to make the cave the kids were playing in the yard making their own creations.  Cameron made this awesome little snowman with the help of his big sister Kylee.  He was so cute when he came to ask me for a carrot for the snowman's nose.  I think he was worried I wasn't going to give him one if he wasn't going to eat it.  When he asked he said "mom can I have a carrot and I will eat it after my snowman is done having a nose?" I told him he could have a carrot, and he didn't need to eat it if he didn't want too.  I am the crazy veggie mom.  I make my kids eat their veggies not play with them.

Saturday morning we all woke up and were outisde playing in the snow early and played outside pretty much all day.  Jeremy continued making the snow cave bigger and this time Cameron was helping dad dig the snow out. 

 The girls along with their neighborhood friends made this awesome snow girl.  It's so colorful because the neighbor kids had a kit for decorating snow with.  It's like snow cone juice but without the sugar.  You can't really tell but this snow girl is accesorized with a purse, earrings, a necklace, and fancy belt.  Love these girls creativity. 

 Jeremy made the snowcave big enough that Cameron was able to stand up in it.  It was a big hit for everyone in the neighborhood.  All the kids came over to play in the cave and all the boys wanted to help Jeremy dig it out. 

 Of course, we couldn't miss out on some good sledding with all the snow we got.  He spent a lot of our time over on the horizon hills sledding.  The kids loved to put all the sleds together and hold onto the ropes and go down the hill as a train of sleds.  I was amazed no one ever banged heads together or got completely smeared with snow.  Everyone, took turns being in the front and being in the back. 

After spending 3 days out in the snow building a big snow cave and playing with the kids Jeremy was one tired guy.  I had gone upstairs to read and when I came back downstairs to load the kids up to go to grandma's for dinner,  Jeremy was fast asleep and Cameron was sitting on top of him watching a movie.  I love these 2 guys so much. 

We had to get a picture of the whole family in the snow cave because it wasn't going to last much longer.  The snow cave was big enough that we all could have comfortablely slept in it.  The weather started warming up the next day and the roof started sinking in.  We love the snow so much.  It's really been a bummer of a winter because this has been our only really big snow storm so far.  We are well into the middle of Febuary and still no more big snow storms.  I would love winter so much more if we had snow a long with the cold temperatures.  Cold without snow is just plain cold.  

Me and my guy dance

Kylee and Emilee are both in girl scout's this year and each year the girl scout organization puts on a me and my guy dance.  Of course, the girls choice their dad to be their date.  Jeremy was on-call the evening of the dance so we all went together just in case he got called in, I would be there to take the girls home and everyone still got to go to the dance.  Emilee had the most fun dancing.  She isn't embarassed at all the bust a move.  

 Cameron got to be Kylee guy for the evening.  He had so much fun dancing and running around with Kylee. 

Doing the limbo was the highlight of the evening.  The DJ played the limbo song over and over because all the girls were having so much fun trying to get as low as they can.  "How low can you go."  Is what all the kids were chanting on the way home.  Fun times with dad and brother.  I am glad that everyone got to go and enjoy the evening together. 

random happenings in January

January was a pretty low key month after all the holidays and busy times.  Of course it was cold so we were spending a lot of time inside.  Jeremy did get out with Scout and went bird hunting one Saturday.  He ended up getting 4 birds, so the kids were thrilled to see them when he got home.  What isn't fun about helping dad pluck the feathers and clean the ducks out?  Especially after spending a boring Saturday inside with mom.  

Cameron is my little charmer.  He is always doing something silly and asking me "do you think I look cute like this?"   He was eating breakfast one morning and put a pen behind his ear and said        "mom take a picture of me like this because I look cute like this."  Of course, he looks cute no matter what.  

 Kylee got a camouflage fleece from her grandma for Christmas.  She usually is wearing it all the time, but the days she doesn't wear it Cameron has it on.  He loves it.  I asked him one day when he had it on if he wanted his own fleece and he replied "no I can wear Kylee's."

Emilee has afternoon kindergarten so most mornings Cameron and Emilee play together.  Lately, they have been playing "going camping."  They usually pack a backpack with whatever they can find and then drag them to a location in the house and set up their "camp area".  Usually they lay our their blankets and pretend to be sleeping in out in the woods.  In the above picture there was a cougar approaching them so they were screaming and making their scary faces to get the cougar to go away.  I love to see them play together so well and using their imaginations.  

Emilee got a hold of my camera and decided to take this lovely picture of herself.  Very adorable Emilee up close and personal. 

Ice skating with dad

A few weeks ago Jeremy took Cameron and Emilee with him to go ice skating with the scouts for an evening activity.  Kylee and I were at her very first activity day's activity which was a Valentine themed dessert night.  Of course, I didn't take any pictures of us, but Jeremy was on the ball and got pictures of his night out.  

Jeremy said Emilee and Cameron were so excited to put on their skates and get going.  They are looking so cute in their skates all ready to go.   The first thing Emilee said when she walked in the door after ice skating was " we have to go again soon mom so I can teach you how to skate.  I am a really good ice skater now."  

Jeremy spent the majority of the night holding Cameron up and luckily their was a kind young women's leader who helped hold Emilee up when she needed it.  Emilee needed a few times around the rink holding on to someone and then she did it the rest of the evening all by herself.  She was so proud of herself.  It was fun for everyone at the ice rink.

Cameron turns 3

 I can't believe that Cameron is 3 years old!!  We had a fun family party to celebrate his 3rd birthday.  We had pepperoni pizza ( he calls it macaroni pizza), carrot sticks, and juice boxes.  His favorite dinner.  For dessert he picked rainbow cupcakes with green frosting.  He got his very own big boy bike.  He had been riding around on a pink barbie bike and Jeremy decided it was time he had a really boy bike instead of a hand me down bike.  Cameron loves his new bike, and he still likes to ride the pink barbie bike too.   

 He didn't want to smile for his birthday picture.  I think he was feeling a little embarrassed because everyone was watching him and singing happy birthday to him.  He loved blowing out the candles so much that after he did it the first time he wanted them lighted again, so he could blow the candles out again. 

 Riding around inside on his new bike after dad got it all put together.  Kylee and Emilee were pretty jealous.  They wanted to bring their bikes inside too and ride around.  We reminded them that when they got their bikes for the first time they were able to ride around the house on the bikes too.  Fun times.  Cameron asked if we could ride around the block that night, but it was already past 8PM and way below freezing outside.  He wouldn't have cared, but dad didn't want to go out in the cold : )

 He still loves to climb into the cupboards and play peek-a-boo.  I have pictures of him doing this at 8 months old once he started to crawl and many times since then.  If we are trying to find Cameron and aren't having any luck more times then not we just need to look in the cupboard and there he is. 

Emilee and him are good morning buds.  Once Kylee heads off to school it's only the 2 of them until it's time for Emilee to go to afternoon school.  Emilee and Cameron love to take the lid off the storage ottoman and load up the pillows and blankets and read in the ottoman.  It's so awesome to see them together. 

He may be 3 years old, but he's still my sweet baby.  I haven't actually had a 3 year old without having a new baby around.  He is growing up way to fast.  2 weeks before his birthday we started telling him that when he turned 3 that it would be time for him to start wearing big boy underwear and going in the toilet.  The Friday after his birthday we didn't have anywhere to be so we put big boy underwear on, and had him sitting on the toilet every 20 minutes.  The first time he actually went potty in the toilet he was so amazed with himself.  " mom I did it.  I went potty in the toilet."  It was pretty amazing to me too.  Of course, we still have accidents, but it's getting better each day.  We have been so blessed to have Cameron come into our life.  He is such a sweet boy.  He loves to grab onto my leg and give me kisses.  Lately when I ask him to do something and I forget to ask politely.  He politely reminds me. "mom you need to say please first."   Love this boy!!