A new year

   January and February have been good to us. I received a new calling. Oh how I dreaded hearing the "N" word, nursery, or the "P" word for that matter, primary. They are wonderful places to be, right now just would not be a good time for me to be there. And that is why I wasn't called there. I am now the music chairperson for the ward in charge of arranging for all the special musical numbers in Sacrament meeting at church. And that's a lot in our ward, the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays. The 3rd Sunday is for the choir. I am liking it so far. It's one thing to be in charge of doing the music, it's another to be in charge of getting OTHERS to do music. There are enough people who usually do the music, but I'd like to get all the others who are willing to get in on the fun. So I am hopeful and optimistic that this will help our meetings. I am a firm believer in the power of music. And the power of beautifully presented hymn is unmatched.
   With all of our 70 degree weather, the kids have been outside a bunch. All three girls now ride without training wheels. Julia just decided to learn two weeks ago, she can't start unassisted but she's good to go once she gets the tiny push. Sean is just a matter of time. I tried putting on our training wheels on the little 12" bike but the back wheel didn't touch the ground once they were on. With training wheels on that little bike he'd be off to the races. You should see him on the little scooter he has, oh man, the boy has balance to spare. He coasts done the incline of the street on one leg and can turn the scooter all at the same time. It's really quite a sight to behold. Today he even started to ride his bike down the 5 steps of our front porch. That quickly was stopped. He's not ready for that yet though he thinks there's nothing wrong with it. Daredevil.
  Oh so it was supposed to be 79 degrees at Santa Cruz beach on Valentines Day so we thought, hey, lets go. Well so did tens of thousands of other car owners. The trip is 70 miles or 60, well, we got almost half way there and hit a wall... of cars. Oh my the radio said traffic was moving between 10 and 40. We hit 10 MPH once, it was more like 0-5. And it stayed like that for HOURS. Long after we got of the road and headed to the lake we saw off the highway in Los Gatos. We had been on the road an hour and a half and sick of the kids asking "how much longer". What were we thinking?? Who wouldn't want to spend valentines day on the beach with 79 degree weather?  Next time we will go during the week.
  I think my personal favorite happening has been that Zachary is no longer getting up in the middle of the night. And it only took two nights, with only one wake up those two nights. Another benefit of the bottle feeding for us. A tender mercy. No more having to wake up in the night to a crying baby. Uninterrupted sleep, there isn't much better than that. 
 

Oh, this little guy. He has lungs, and knows how to use them. Boy can he go from content to pissed in no time.

Getting through her reading lessons. Some days are more of  struggle than others, but isn't that true for everyone??

Love this little guy. Can't imagine life without him. He has so much spunk and life in him. Oh that smile, and giggle. Ask him to say "hamburger", and he says "Han-ga-bur" super cute.

As much as I struggled to be able to nurse him, bottles and formula have their benefits for us. It's so true, formula is not the devil's poison. I have enjoyed sitting in the rocking chair holding him super close while giving him a bottle. He used to look up at me while eating when he was younger. Now he's so into everything else.

Check it out, five car seats in an Odyssey. That's how we roll. no room for anyone outside the immediate family.

Factors X and Y. These two are dynamic. So much personality and they can talk the ears off anyone. For anyone who thinks a boy doesn't talk or that a fourth child doesn't talk much because the other siblings do it for them, meet Sean. He is a chatterbox.

She's a cutie. But man, she is growing up quickly all of a sudden.

Doesn't it look like she's sleeping?? She decided to take a snooze while the others were looking at the bunnies.