The end of school

The last days of kindergarten were fun for Grant. Each day of the last week had a fun activity. One of these days was crazy hair day. I tried to find colored hair spray or hair gel but given it was May and not October I didn't have any luck. I therefore went with Crayola kid paints to do a rainbow. Of course, because Grant had it Cole needed it too. I wasn't sure if it would come out but sweat had it out before the end of the school day.

You can't have the end of kindergarten without kindergarten graduation. It was quite the event. The classes marched in to Pomp and Circumstance wearing their cute little graduation caps. They sang a few songs. The principal gave a little speech and then they were each called one by one across the stage to hug their teachers and principal. Afterwards, we went to Grant's classroom to collect his diploma and say goodbye to his teacher, Mrs. Connors.

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Let It Snow

On December 14 and 15, 2012, we had our first big snow of the season. Between the two days we had almost two feet of snow. Grant had a snow day on Friday the 14th. Chad managed to make it into work but Saturday we were all stuck at home most of the day because it snowed non-stop. We had fun shoveling up the snow for a tube run and tubing down our neighbor's driveway. We had hot chocolate, a warm fire and fun family time at home. I did make it out Saturday afternoon to make a Walmart and McDonald's run. It was touch and go though getting out of the driveway and onto the main road. If we can get that far then we're usually home free but it's rough getting out.

Let Christmas begin

We bought our tree on Thanksgiving weekend like we always do. We found our most beautiful tree yet at Flagstaff Farmer's Market for only $25. We were very excited. We decorated it on Sunday night. I somehow failed to take any pictures of the event or of our tree at all this season. Chad kept telling me that I needed to but I never got up from the couch to do it. Oh well. Just know that it was beautiful. We also hung Christmas lights on our back deck instead of on the front of our house because more people see our backyard than front yard.

The boys love crafts of any kind and for any reason. I found some cheap wooden ornaments at Michael's that the boys painted one Saturday evening. It was all I could do to keep Tyler from eating the paint. I kept catching him with the paint laden brush in his mouth.

We hosted our 4th annual Graham Cracker House Decorating party this year. Amy Studley helped me make the houses a few days before the party. I had each mom bring some candy and I supplied a bunch of candy. The original plan was to have one giant party for both boys and their friends. However, the stomach flu thwarted that well laid plan. Cole started puking the day before the party so I spent the morning bleaching my house for Grant's friends and postponed Cole's party to the next week.

Grant invited his friends Nathan and Samuel. There is a marked difference between a party of four and even five year olds and a party of six year olds. Little candy ended up on the boys' houses. Most ended up on the foiled cardboard around the houses, having been thrown there with great laughter and declarations of bomb attacks over and over and over and over and over and over. You get the point. I have never heard so much laughing and joking. I'm just glad there were only three of them.

Cole's party was a success as well. This one was much more mild and had moms present. Cole invited his friends Carter Peterson, Boston and Charlie Schultz, Tyler Buxton and Zachary Studley. The boys made beautiful homes, ate way too much candy and then had too much fun playing dress up and guns while we moms talked too long and too loud about everything under the sun.

This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. The boys love it and I enjoy hosting it. I hope to keep this going for many years to come.

Cute random pictures

Cole wanted me to take this picture of him when I was taking the picture of Grant eating brownie batter. Isn't he a cutie?

There are some things you never grow out of no matter how old you get. P.S. can you tell which baby picture is Grant and which is Tyler?

This was a rare peaceful moment in our house where all three boys were playing quietly together building block towers. Tyler wasn't even knowing over his brothers' towers, which is his usual MO when it comes to blocks.

Fire building has become a team project in our home, one that I don't participate in because I'm an utter failure. The boys love to hand Chad kindling and paper. Even Tyler has to be right in there watching and helping.

I caught Tyler one afternoon with a pile of toys throwing them out the dog door. Luckily, Grant was outside in the snow throwing them back in. It explains the strange collection of toys I've found out on the deck and on the ground below the deck. Naughty boy!!

Cole's helicopter field trip

On November 29, 2012, Cole's preschool class went to the Guardian helicopter hanger for a field trip. They were able to learn about and explore the hospital helicopter, an ambulance and the airport fire truck. Each child was able to sit in the helicopter and the ambulance. 

Elden Spring Trail

On Sunday, November 25, 2012, we decided to take advantage of some last bits of nice weather to get in one more hike we'd been wanting to try. Elden Spring Trail is right in town but once on the trail you don't even realize it. It is a short but moderate level hike that follows along part of the base of Mt. Elden. You take a little side trail briefly to find this natural spring. We brought Sooner with us and tested her off leash. She did alright. Luckily, there weren't any other people around. She was often out of sight although we could hear her tearing through the brush. She almost jumped to her death from some high cliffs above the spring when we told her it was time to get moving.

From the spring we got back on the main trail to the homestead sight of a family that settled in the area for several years until their six year old boy was killed by a stray bullet from a ticked off cowboy. The grave of the little boy is still there a little ways off from the homestead. People have fenced in the grave and put up an iron cross. I thought I had taken some pictures of this part of the hike but apparently I didn't. Too bad.

The hike was a great family outing. Both boys were great hikers as usual and Tyler loves his perch in the backpack sucking on suckers right along with his brothers.

Thanksgiving 2012

We hosted Thanksgiving again this year. I enjoy hosting and cooking for this holiday. I spent the entire week leading up to Thanksgiving preparing food and the house for the feast, doing lots of grocery shopping, making about eight pies, brining the turkey an cleaning the house. Shelli and David, Melissa and Andrew arrived late Wednesday night. Thursday we spent most of the day cooking, relaxing, taking walks, preparing our plethora of side dishes and of course, basting the turkey every 30 minutes with maple syrup. 

The dinner was delicious. The turkey was perfect, the side dishes plentiful and the pies better than could have been imagined. Oma and Glenn arrived in the late afternoon on Thanksgiving after Oma finished working. We managed to save them some scraps to gnaw on and they helped us clean up the mess of a kitchen. We were so busy cooking and relaxing all day that no one took any pictures.

The day after Thanksgiving, I organized a hike on Anderson Mesa Trail to get all of our city folk relatives out into some clean, cool, crisp nature. It was a short and very easy hike that led to a beautiful overlooking view of Upper and Lower Lake Mary. We brought the dogs and all hiked our own paces. When we got home, Oma, Glenn, David and Grant headed to the driving range, while the rest of us rested and relaxed.

As always, Thanksgiving was a success of a celebration with lots of food, family and fun.

Halloween 2012

Halloween was great fun this year. We started decorating our house right after Labor Day. Thanks to Pinterest we added several new decorations to our collection, including an unknown number of egg carton bats that the boys helped me paint. My greatest creation was the eyeball wreath for our door. Of course, we made Halloween sugar cookies. The boys lost interest in the cookie cutting rather quickly though when they discovered the fun in stacking the cutters and batting them all over the dining room with the rolling pin.

We attended the ward Halloween party the Saturday before Halloween. Tyler was a very unhappy chicken. Grant was a vampire and Cole was Spider Man. I didn't have to buy anything for any costume except some black pants and a black shirt for Grant. It was great.

It was very important to Cole that I paint his face with a web and that his eyes be white just like his mask. Grant also loved having his face painted like a vampire. It was our first year doing face paint and I have to say I did a decent job. The party was a funny event. The Elders Quorum was in charge so not much was done ahead of time as far as sign ups. They just said bring chili if you want. Well, there wasn't near enough chili so several trips to Sams Club were made during the party for hot dogs to turn dinner into chili cheese dogs rather than a chili cook off. 

Cole had a Halloween party at preschool that I helped with. They did a pumpkin hunt and other arts and crafts. They all wore their costumes. Poor Cole had thrown up on the way to school and I wasn't sure if he should be going. Thankfully, he kept his mouth shut about throwing up and didn't throw up at school so all worked out for the best.

Halloween was a blast because Vance and his kids were in town to visit. We all went trick or treating together. Grant and Cole love their cousins.

This picture below is amazing because everyone's pose was simultaneously spontaneous. I got ahead of them  and just said to look at me for a picture. All at once they all struck scary poses. It was great.

The little guys needed breaks from the candy grabbing. Cole took some turns in here as well.

This is a traditional picture for the Mellen family. All three boys have worn this costume and each one has covered the white fur in chocolatey slobbery mess by the end of trick or treating. Thank goodness it washes up so well.

It was as fun for the kids to examine their haul after trick or treating as it was to collect it. There was way too much candy in this house.