{Winter}

Moving on....sorry I am lousy at blogging.  My mind just doesn't seem to function well lately.  We are alive and well.  We have a few bumps and bruises after enduring January, so we are VERY happy to see the month of February come.  I think this last January was the worst month on record, of any month, ever!!  To go along with losing my Brother in Law, we also lost my cousin who had been battling colon cancer for the last year.  He passed away on the 26th of January.  As my Dad put it, we don't want to see the inside of a funeral service for a long while.

We have been keeping busy here in these parts.  School has been keeping the kids busy, busy.  They are all doing well in school and we are really proud of them for it.  Wyatt is in "Prepare for Kindergarten" mode.  He is not so patiently anticipating turning FIVE and getting to start big kid school.  I love this time of them growing up.  Wyatt is only mildly concerned that he will be leaving me alone during the day by myself.  He tries to reassure me that I will be ok, and that he will only be gone for a little while.  I think I'll manage just fine little buddy!!

We have gotten slightly more snow this winter than last.  We have been getting only a dusting of an inch or so at a time, but the kids are making the most of it darn it.  It has been an improvement on the two inches of frozen snow that we had to play in last year.  The weather man says we will be getting 5-9 more inches of snow this season.  I'll believe it when I see the flakes piling up.  While we haven't had much snow, the temps have been plenty cold enough!!  Holy Peanut Butter it has been cold some mornings.  Ayden has complained of his poor legs freezing off as he walks the few blocks to school and poor kid, I believe him.

We are looking forward to Spring time.  We have planned our Spring Break to the coast and a fun camping trip to Gettysburg for Memorial Day weekend.  The kids are wanting to play some sports this Spring as well.  We will see how fast my calendar can fill up with practices and games.  Tis the season of my life I suppose!!

Ayden has been working his tail off accomplishing a ton in Scouts.  He just earned the rank of Second Class and six merit badges at the last Court of Honor.  He is on track to earn his First Class rank by April and another 6 merit badges.  He is having fun and learning a lot.

Our family Economy has been working out really well so far.  The kids have really figured it out and our house has a much better flow now that everyone knows their jobs and does them.  They are also learning the valuable lesson of needs and wants.  Meysa had turned in a library book and from the time that she dropped it off and it got checked in the cover got torn somehow.  She could either pay 9.95 for it or she could work in the library for a recess.  She thought about what she was saving her money for and thought it would be easier to work in the library for a recess.  So that is what she did.  Lauryn too is learning about saving vs. spending.  She really wants the Girl of the Year American Girl Doll.  She is saving in the hopes of being able to get her by the years end.  She also would like a new Jessie doll (from Toy Story) as her Jessie doll had a traumatic head injury (she was decapitated).  But after thinking about it she decided that she will continue to save her money for the American Girl as she is only here for the year and Jessie will be here next year.  Valuable lessons that I am glad they are learning now.

So I think I am caught up on the happenings of the last month now and hopefully I can stay that way.