ringing in 2013

Happy New Year!  I was ready for a new year. You?

Burke and Rob spent about 6 hours putting together a new ping pong table that the kids got for Christmas.  Over 200 screws!  

 The first couple of mornings after it was set up the kids would wake up and go straight to the garage to start playing...allowing Rob and me to sleep in.  I must confess that I have slept in until 10AM more than once this break!  Unheard of.  The kids are clearly growing up.

A friend of mine passed down a bunch of princess-type dress ups to Liv.  She loves being 'fancy' of course, and still changes clothes several times a day.  The other day she said, " Don't call me Liv anymore.  Call me Princess."

 Sure sounds like it's been cold everywhere this week.  Rob and I are becoming temperature wimps for sure.  We layer up like crazy, yet the cooler weather doesn't seem to phase the kids.  I had on four thick layers last Sunday evening and Tosh was running around without a shirt (typical).  What a nut!

We spent most of  last Sunday evening and Monday morning working on an old school candy wrapper puzzle together as a family.  I love that the kids are all at an age where we can do puzzles and play games (+ the sleeping in = living the dream!).

I could go for a frozen Charleston Chew right now!  

 We started the new year with haircuts for the boys (yippee).  We had never taken Tosh anywhere to get his hair cut before (We usually just buzz it in the spring, or I attempt to trim it--yikes).  Burke was the first to go and Tosh and Liv were very interested in watching.  This was taken just as the stylist was shaving up the back and so Burke's hair looks like a "Mom" cut here:

After the trims, we went to Target to let the kids spend their Christmas money from Grandpa Dunning and Grandma Helen.  Liv was SO excited to get this new outfit for her dance class that starts this week!  She was so cute at the check out using her own money :)

On New Year's Day we decided to grill, which we haven't done in a very long time, it seems.  I love me a loaded BBQ burger with lots of veggies including grilled pineapple.  YUMMM-ME!

Burke and I had fun messing around with the camera and a flashlight the other night.  We tried all different angles to make it look like he was holding an 'orb' of some sort.  I love it when Burke gets creative AND lets me take photos of him (bonus).

It was really great to have Rob home for several days during Christmas and New Year's.  The kids have really gotten into having Rob read to them from our "Berenstein Bear" collection lately.  He uses a different voice/accent for each character and the kids laugh and laugh while he reads.  I love this 2nd shot of Liv yawning...

Our friends Melanie and Dan were kind enough to invite us to go to a Suns/Jazz game with them on Friday night.  Dan's law firm has a box at the US Airways Center.  It was pretty sweet to park like 15 feet from the door and get to watch the game while visiting and eating lots of great (and free!) food.  Such a fun night!

Saturday morning was cold (32 degrees), yet I got out of bed early and went for a 6 mile run.  Then I waited until about 4:45pm and then did 4 more miles. The later run was much warmer, but my knees and feet were feeling it a bit.   I'm feeling pretty excited about this upcoming race.  I still don't consider myself  a "runner," yet I am finally starting to think, "I love this" while I am doing it instead of just after I am finished.  Progress.  I'll take it.

So when I got home from my morning run, I discovered Rob and the boys rearranging bedrooms.  New year, new changes.  Burke is now in his room by himself with all of the Legos.  Burke is our neatest kid and I am hoping that this might help our Legos to stay off of the floor!  This project (moving beds and furniture) took most of Saturday.  I had the idea to put one of our card tables in Burke's room so we have a proper place for Lego building.  We are also finally able to have the Harry Potter sets out on display:

We moved Hewitt into Tosh's room and bunked their beds (Liv has LOVED climbing up to snuggle with Hewitt).  I took all of these photos at night and right before bed so the lighting is terrible, but you get the idea.

The sweetest thing was that Hewitt made this new sign for their door.  I seriously got teary-eyed when I saw it.  I must have said something like, "Awww," and Hewitt smiled all embarrassed, but cute like and said, "I knew I shouldn't have drawn us holding hands (wrinkle-nosed smile)..."   Darling!

The new year also means that we have a new Sunbeam in the family!  All of our kids are in primary this year (the only year all four will be in the primary program this fall).  Liv didn't have her best week in sharing time, but she certainly wasn't the worst kid either (it doesn't help that I'm in there).  I took these awesome shots of her tonight.  That is some serious hair!

I am planning to get the kids into the dentist for cleanings early tomorrow morning, and then it's back to school for everyone on Tuesday, even Liv!  We're starting a new chapter for sure!