Sledding at the Martins

Today we had the biggest snowstorm we've seen since moving here. Between about 7 am and noon, we accumulated oh, at least 6-8 inches of that fluffy white stuff. After church we were invited to a sledding party at the Martins. This was a new kind of sledding for us; we usually are the down-hill types. This was being pulled on an innertube behind a 4-wheeler (with chains). The Copelands and our ward missionaries were there too. Hehehe, what a great Sunday activity! Kent, Ella and Ethan prepare for take-off. Ella wasn't too sure about the cold snow. Probably also how she couldn't really move with all those warm layers.

Elder Lancaster wipes out.

Emma and Elder Persson on the innertube.

Whee! Away they go!

Hmm, what do you think? Is it cold out? (You must check out Ryan's eyebrows and eyelashes!)

Mommy and Emma, post-trip down the driveway behind the 4-wheeler. I used Emma as a shield for my face, so I didn't get as covered as some people. And Emma stared at me the whole time to protect her face as well. The back of her head was pretty snowy.

"Mush!"

Ethan, Elizabeth and Ryan ALL on the 4-wheeler, pulling Elder Persson.

After the sledding, we all went inside where there was hot chocolate and elephant ears, courtesy of the Martins. It was so sweet of them. We had a great time!

Winter Time

One morning while waiting for the bus with Emma, I was impressed how beautiful the day was. It was a glorious sight, the snowy landscape against the clear blue sky. When Emma got on the bus, I went inside and grabbed the camera to record the sight to remind me that winter, while often cold and dreary, is beautiful too.

Emma's Wardrobe

You know, sometimes I think I shouldn't leave the house without a disclaimer attached to Emma. It would go something like this:
"My daughter picks out her own clothes."
I would hope that I at least look put together enough that no one would think I dressed my nearly 5-year-old. Please?

Really, this is quite the outfit. It started out as just a jumper, but we insisted that she needed to wear a shirt with it. Would she go for the top made to go with the jumper? Oh no. It needed to be pink striped to go with the black and red with plaid. And then we decided we needed to make a quick trip to the store, so she needed to wear something on her legs. Tights? Oh please, how boring would that be? The purple knit pants with silver snowflakes was just the thing. And then bright pink snow boots completed the ensemble.

But when all is said and done, she is still a cute kid. And let's face it, how long can you get away with dressing yourself like this? Take advantage of it while you can.

Potty Training

Dare we ask how Elizabeth got the idea to read on the potty? And is that her Daddy's book I see?

Today we went to the store to buy Elizabeth some Big Girl Underwear. We have been trying to get Elizabeth excited about being a Big Girl and using the toilet. We also invested in about $2.50 worth of TicTacs. Amazingly enough, we still have some Pull-Ups left over from potty training Emma. So, we should be all set....