While they have been off-track....

I know it's been a while since I posted. It's amazing what having 5 kids home with you all day can do. We also live in Utah so it's too cold to really go outside to play without spending at least 30 minutes collecting and dressing the kids in all their snow gear. So they do go outside to play some. The kids go back to school on March 2nd! Happy day! But then I do have to get up to make sure they do get ready for school on time. So it's a toss up. Earlier start to the day but I have a fewer number of kids home during the day.

But while they have been off track we still have play practices, activity days, Katelyn's preschool, doctor's appointments, and other fun stuff. And yet the kids always complain they do nothing fun while they are off track! I am not a activities director. My job is not to entertain them. Anyways, we have had some things happen while they have been off track...

We had Valentine's Day. They kids were off track the Friday before Valentine's Day and not too happy about it. So the day before I invited their cousins that live in the area over to decorate cupcakes. It was all very festive.

We had dinner at my sister, Karen's house. We celebrated the 2 February birthdays we have up here in Utah. Uncle Jody is...older and Ryan is 4. So it was a "Cars" party theme. Nikki made the best pulled pork for tacos. Yum-o!

We went to the Draper Temple open house. It was beautiful! Megan and Karly really enjoyed it. Karly wants to know why she couldn't be baptised in that font and had to be baptised at the Stake Center. Megan just wanted to know why there were so many Ordinance rooms. I told her she would find out in about 10 years. Here's a hint...kids under 6 don't find it all that interesting. Katelyn and Mikayla saw no point in it all and expressed it. Note to self: Next time there is a temple open house...find a babysitter for the kids under 6.

Mikayla is growing quite well. She is 50th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference. She is an amazingly cute but "average" 18 month old. Her doctor did say he had never met another 18 month-old that could unscrew caps and open zip-loc bags though. Her sisters have named her "Trouble" because she moves a stool around the kitchen to reach things she can't otherwise.

Mike's mom and 2 sisters came to stay with us this last weekend. Kitty, Katie, and Brooklyn (Katie's youngest) flew in Friday night. Kim arrived on Saturday. Kitty's aunt was having a surprise 80th birthday party so they all came for the occasion. I missed the party because Karly had an asthma flare-up and we had to visit the urgent care. Karly is fine and the party was fun. Then Sunday night, with Grandma Kitty here, Mike and I were able to get away for the night! Very nice and relaxing time! At least for Mike and I. :) Kitty, Katie and Kim left on Monday.

Monday evening Mike and I got a another babysitter. Mike's co-worker passed away on Friday and his viewing was Monday night and the funeral was Tuesday. It was very sad. Cody was only 25. He had melanoma at 21 and had it removed. In March he was given a clean bill of health. Only to find in December that the cancer had returned and spread. It was now in his liver, stomach, spine, bones, and blood. He was a great guy and my kids really liked him. There were over 500 people at his viewing and funeral. He was the Roy High School girls soccer coach, a club soccer coach, and kids soccer coach. For someone who was only 25 he had touched a great number of lives. He is in a better place but we will miss him here.

Our friend, Linda, had her colon removed on Monday. She is doing fine and recovering nicely. She did not have colon cancer...yet. She says the at least she gets cancer in parts that can be removed.

Now that I list it all, it was a rather busy time off-track. Life with a large family is never boring! Wait... now the TV is not working right. Great!