winter chickens

Laverne & Shirley

They just keep on producing eggs!

Even in all this snow- they are two sweet ladies.

We LOVE them.

Every evening at dusk

they wander back into the chicken coop & settle in for the night.

We get 1-2 eggs a day.

We should get more as the days get longer.

I feel bad for them out there in the cold. They seem happy though.

They are such good friends.

***

I have some excellent news.

Besides the fact that Chloe is doing very well...

Megan & her sweet family will be here on Monday!!

MONDAY

Chloe should be home on or around Tuesday and then ~

all my chicks will be home for a time.

Brett & I could not be happier about it.

In the mean time I have myself some baby bedding to make!

TWO sets for our TWO identical, twin grandsons-- who will be here in less that a month!

Oh the joy

Every Little Thing

 Is Going To Be All Right

brittany had a birthday!

 Last Sunday night we celebrated Brittany's birthday!

Woot Woot!!

(We are so lucky to have her so close)

I tried to recreate a similar cake Brett & I tried the day before...

*vanilla bean cake-- with white chocolate whipped cream frosting*

I added coconut because I tried & tired but couldn't get some tiny lumps out of my whipped cream--

 darned white chocolate. It was so good though!

I want to apologize right off the bat here for this picture above-

I realize Jack is the only one being flattered here- love you Jack.

There- that's better.

Chloe, Brian & Hailey-

Laura was home sick with a terrible cold--- 

which is just now- after a week or two -kinda, sorta, getting better.

Poor thing! She's 33 weeks & 2 days pregnant with twins & has had this terrible flu/cold.

It's just not right

(I sent her home a piece of cake)

It was so fun to have Johnny here- 

I'm always so busy I rarely get time to just hang out with Johnny.

He is such a cutie- maybe one of these days we will get to know each other better?

He is a BIG fan of his Aunt Brittany. 

We made -- truly had to MAKE Marcus-- blow out a candle too.

His birthday was last week.

It's been an emotional week here

Monday our sweet Chloe was admitted to the hospital.

She is switching medications right now to try to help the tics. 

I had mentioned before that the ticking had gotten severe.

It's been so hard for her - but she is a trooper!

I would have had to go into the hospital after a couple of hours -- literally!

She had been struggling for 5 weeks now. 

We had tried meds & other treatments conservatively but-

Enough was enough & she is being helped.

We are fasting for her this Sunday & welcome any who would like to join us.

We are missing her.

Really missing her.

But-- she is getting the help she needs & she likes it there for now. She is strong & she is doing really well. She cannot have general visitors, but we visit her everyday.
It's amazing how things happen in life.

How truly precious family is.

How people think other people have these perfect lives... everybody has something.

I love you Chloe- You are an angel & you will get better & all of Your dreams will come true.

I know it- I really do

Christmas break

We had a really fun Christmas break this year-

I'm super behind posting-- so I'm working on a little catching up.

For Christmas Brett & I made our two Grandson's a tee pee.

It got there just in time - on Christmas Eve.

Megan sent me this picture a couple days after Christmas & it is such a joy to see.

(biscuits & gravy for breakfast- we had way too much rich food this break)

During the break we were lucky enough to have Brett's parents with us. They were here two weeks. Their flight was interrupted in Denver on the way here & canceled (they had to stay an extra day) on the way back! Winter traveling can be such a pain. 

Trent played with Brett's childhood train set- a lot!

Grandpa was impressed it still worked so well. 

New Year's Eve food & cute girls-

Jack & Cory- 

Cory got home from his mission to Columbia in October.

Oh so happy to have him around. What a great guy. 

Jack's New Year's Eve plate- which explain s few of his stomach problems. 

Maybe it's not leftover illness from Brazil? Maybe he's a TERRIBLE EATER????

Gee I wonder? 

We also sent the boys the movie The Incredibles & "Super Fast, like Dad" t-shirts with built in capes, with built in capes- of course!

I think they like them?

One of the many high lights of having Grandma & Grandpa here 

was getting together with Brett's High School buddy Mike.

Mike hung around Brett's home in his teenage years. 

In this picture he is telling Grandma what an amazing influence she was in his life.

How she was the only person who wrote him when he was in the Army & on his mission to Germany. 

She is such a sweet heart. It was a tender moment.

Mike has a Beautiful family -

5 boys & 1 girl- amazing.

(1 boy was home sick)

We had so much fun having them over to the house for dinner.

***

It's been a rough winter.

Besides all the snow - which is good & bad for different reasons, mostly good- Chloe has had a drastic increase in tics. She is home from school now. Her tics are too disruptive & violent in nature at times. She is such an amazing girl, full of optimism & hope.

 Now and then it really gets to her- but boy I tell ya- she is tough!

We are going to the specialist & working at NOT having to take the meds that will most likely stop the ticking. They have a lot of really bad side affects- so for now- trying some other medicine combinations, meditating & enjoying some time together.

We are so lucky to be close to the University of Utah where there are specialist that really help us & her. We are humbled & blessed by so many of you praying for our family & continually putting our names in the temple. Thank you.

Instead of looking at this as a hard time- we are trying to think of it as a learning time- and time to do the things that are fun to do for Chloe, when she can. It's nearly impossible anyway for her to do homework-  so we are watching movies & cooking etc.

*GREAT NEWS*

Megan, Tony & the boys arrive a week from today for a visit & Soon (hopefully not too soon) after that

 WE HAVE SOME TWINNERS COMING!!!!

YES

Laura is doing amazing & is 33 weeks tomorrow. 

Twins are on their way!

It won't be long now. Anywhere between now & 3-5 weeks & they will be here.

snow day 2013

Last Friday will go down in history in this family.

It was the first ever

"snow day."

We have lived in Utah for nearly 17 years & we've seen a lot of snow.

But never once have we seen a snow day.

Thursday night as Trent was getting ready for bed he kept asking me- do you think they will cancel school? Absolutely not-- was my reply. Just go to bed & forget about it.

 It Won't Happen.

Low & behold-

I was wrong!

 (this picture is before the next 4-6" fell)

Friday morning I woke up to an early text from the day's carpool driver-

 No School. Sleep In.

-nice-

I think our town officially got 22" in the storm- but our yard, which faces north still had old snow. On Friday morning we had 32" in the front yard. This is not in a pile either.

I could just imagine- every kid in the County shouting for joy!

Even my older kids called- Is it really a snow day?

Yep - a miracle occurred & a true snow day was called.

Brett still had to go into a work meeting- but I spent the day catching up on some cleaning (I was supposed to have week 2 of my cooking classes.) Trent- played outside off & on nearly all day.

It kept coming & coming.

Saturday morning as I was headed into work, Brett insisted on driving me. I thought he was nuts. They always have the freeway & main roads clear.

He was right & I was wrong!

It was a mess & I was so glad he drove me. 

I can drive in snow, but this was really bad.

Happy day- the inversion is gone, the snow has stopped, but continues to be beautiful.

The temperatures record cold. The low last night was 0.

But it was fun while it lasted- our first ever true snow day!