Makayla

This afternoon we were working on Valentines and Tag told me that he was probably going to marry Makayla.  I asked him why he would want to marry her.  He replied "She is cute and she is in Mrs. Davis's family."  I am not sure which one carries more weight, her cuteness or the fact that she is related to Mrs. Davis.  Tag sure loves Mrs. Davis.  Tag is a little chatterbox and I just can"t wait to hear the next thing that will come out of his mouth.

Shoe Tying Master

Gray has been asking for months for help in learning to tie his shoes.  He learned a few months ago but needed a refresher course.   I promised him this morning that we would work on it after church.  Joey came to the rescue and worked with him.  This time it stuck!  I was so proud of him and he was so proud of himself.  This picture was from before school this morning!  He tied his shoes perfectly without any help!  So proud of him!  He can do hard things!

Little Darlings

This morning before church Tag said he wanted to go upstairs and check on his "little darlings".  I followed him upstairs and he had tucked five of his stuffed animals under the covers on his bed.  So cute!  When we were sitting in sacrament he whispered to me "I miss my little darlings"  Where does he come up with these things?  He is so funny!  Love this sweet boy of mine.

Tag's Date

Today Tag was supposed to go to his friend Cole's birthday party but it was rescheduled because Cole was sick.  Tag was bummed so Joey and I decided it would be the perfect day to cash in on his Christmas date.  This year we decided to go youngest to oldest.  Tag was scheduled for February and he wanted to go to Boondocks again.  We got $25 in arcade credit and he also got a pass to play in the climbing area.  He was so excited!  We started in the climbing area and then went to spend the arcade money.  He earned quite a few tickets before wanting Joey to win him a giant ball in the claw game.  It was $2.50 each try.  Tag was so nervous that he hid in the corner.  On the third try Joey did it!  What a hero!  Tag was thrilled.  Then we went to spend his tickets and he got an emoji pillow and some candy.  After Boondocks we went to USwirl to get some frozen yogurt.  Tag had a lot of fun picking out tons of gummy toppings.  When we were sitting and eating our yogurt Tag said "You took me to Boondocks and to get ice cream- thank you!" What a sweetheart!  Tag is genuinely kind and gracious.  I love spending time with him.  I am so grateful for the special date time that we get to spend with the kids one on one.  What a blessing! 

A boy and his dog

Harlee took this picture of Tag today and I love it!  Tag is the reason that Joey and I agreed to get a dog.  Ike has been such a blessing to have in our family.  I love to watch each of the kids interact with him.  He has brought out a new level of love in the kids and given them a bit more responsibility.  Tag loves Ike and I think his smile speaks volumes! 

Eardrum burst

Poor Nash!  He was the latest victim of the sickness that has been going around.  On Tuesday he stayed home from school and finally felt up to going again on Friday.  When he was at school he noticed that there was a bunch of junk in his ear.  He showed me when he got home and we decided that he had better go to the doctor.  Good thing we did because his eardrum burst!  Poor guy!  He was put on an antibiotic and told that he cannot swim until it heals.  So grateful for insurance and medication that can get him feeling better quickly!

He did it again!

Tag responded really well to the sticker chart before Christmas so we decided to do it again.  This time he was working for a Luigi Pixel Pal.  He was so excited today when he earned his final sticker.  I am so proud of him.  I know that it is difficult for him to sit still all day so this is truly an amazing accomplishment for Tag.  Great job Tag!  Time to pick out a prize for the next completed sticker chart.

Super Bowl LIII

It is that time again!  Superbowl!  This year it is the Patriots vs. the Rams and the half-time show is Maroon 5.  I am writing this post and it is the 3rd quarter with the score 3 to 0 with the Patriots winning.  Kind of a lame game so far! But let's be honest, the reason I love the superbowl is for the commercials and the food! We had Papa Murphy's, chips and guac, and lot's of treats.  I love spending this time with my family. On a sidenote, after Luke took that picture of Joey and I he said that Joey looks like a criminal!  I always did love the bad boy!

Teacher's Quorum President

Don't let the picture fool you, this kid is going to be a great example to the Teacher's Quorum.  Luke was called to be the president of his Teacher's Quorum.  His first counselor is Cory Partridge and Micah Cajilig is the second counselor.  Owen Bullogh is the secretary.  I am so excited for Luke to have this opportunity to serve.  He is such a great kid and I know that he will be an amazing leader and friend to those in his quorum.

MLK Day Off

Today was Martin Luther King day so the kids had the day off from school.  This was such a blessing because the weather was a little crazy.  We had a big snowstorm that actually caused a power outage.  We were without power for about 4 hours.  It was getting pretty cold and the electronics were dying off one by one.  Just when I was getting nervous the electricity came back on.  We spent the day relaxing and enjoying the heater and television with a new level of appreciation.  We decided to brave the elements and went to dinner at Pizza Studio.  I love these days that I get to spend relaxing surrounded by my favorite people.

The friendship continues...

Even though Kai moved away a few years ago, we still try to get the boys together on a regular basis.  Today Kai came over and spent the whole day with Nash and Gray.  They have such a cute friendship and they always pick up right where they left off.  I love their friendship and I know that they cannot wait until the next time they all get together.