The Snow Family

We finally got a real snow storm! Roger was out shoveling most of the day yesterday. He decided that since he was shoveling anyway, he might as well build something. And build something...he did! He made a "mountain" for the kids to play on. It has steps on the side to climb to the top and a nice, smooth slide on the way down. They were out there for hours playing. Both kids refused to come in until they were both wet, freezing, and crying from the cold. But they can't wait to get out there again!

We had a great Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with Grandma Snow and our good friends, Aaron, Alice, Ethan, and Landon Stout. We crammed a lot into one evening. We started by having dinner, then playing games, making cinnamon rolls, building gingerbread houses, reading about the birth of our Savior, and watching "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Then, we all rushed to bed so Santa could come to our house. We left Santa some healthy snacks...carrots and an orange. Ryder was so excited that he started eating the carrots himself, and this boy rarely eats vegetables! Santa was very happy about that. Santa was good to us this year and brought the kids the jump ropes they asked for, plus lots more. We can't wait for next Christmas!

Ryder and Keira spent a lot of time on their very first snow man of the season. Dad helped them get started, and then they did the rest themselves. I didn't get a picture of the final product, but he ended up getting two carrot noses and some rock eyes and buttons. He melted the very next day.

The kids had a great Halloween this year. It started off a bit rainy, but then cleared up enough to have a good night. Keira was a very proud witch and, even though it is now the end of December, she still takes great delight in telling everyone that she was a scary witch with a green face. Ryder was Elmo and stayed and was quite pleased with himself, as well!

The kids and I are housesitting in Midway, Utah for Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim for a few days. We get to take care of 4 dogs, which the kids are absolutely thrilled about. Dad got some dog treats for the kids to give to them and they couldn't wait to give them to their puppy friends. We got here on Friday morning, just in time to see a procession of fire trucks, which completely excited the kids. Then we got to the house and immediately gave the dogs their treats and went for a walk. This has definitely been a weekend of many firsts for me, as I am not used to taking care of "inside" dogs. However, it's been a lot of fun, too. Roger came up for a little while and we got to go to several yard sales in the valley. This is always fun, but this was an especially fun weekend because Ryder got a "new" bike and the kids got "new" fishing poles. The bike and both poles are all pink. However, Keira has indoctrinated Ryder into thinking that Pink is...

The day has finally arrived for Keira to go to preschool. She is so excited! She is going to the Ogden High School, "Tiny Tiger" preschool program. So, not only does she get to go to "school" with new friends, but she get's to go to Daddy's work, which is extra special. The only person who was upset about this day was Ryder. He wanted to go to preschool so badly. He started crying when Keira put her backpack on because he didn't have one. Luckily, I scrounged an old one up for him and he was a happy boy again (until I dropped Keira off and he had to come with me back to the car). He was so proud of his backpack that he looks even more excited for his "1st day of preschool" picture than Keira does.

How sad is it that Summer has to be officially over before I post anything? We did have a lot of fun over the summer. We got to go to Missouri and spent time with family and friends here in Utah, as well. I guess our biggest news is that I am pregnant with child #3. Yeah! It was a long 18 weeks before I got over the sickness that often comes with being pregnant, but I'm feeling great now and things are looking up. Here are some pictures of some time we spent with the Snow family at Deer Creek. Roger didn't get to go, as he was doing a training in Texas at the time. The kids and I went and had a great time with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and both Grandma's. Keira was more brave in the water than she has ever been and even "swam" by herself with a life jacket on...big step! Ryder wouldn't have much to do with the water, but he had a good time throwing rocks and digging in the sand.

We spent the Fourth of July this year with our good friends, Aaron and Alice Stout. Keira and Ryder loved playing with their boys, Ethan and Landon. We got to see lots of fireworks, played with glow sticks, and played a serious game of water balloon launching. Thanks for the great time!

We've decided that we're going to have to go to Grandma and Grandpa Goodman's house every summer, as there are so many things to do. The highlights of our trip this year included riding in Grandpa's tractor; riding on Grandpa's mule; going to the zoo in Springfield; fishing in the pond; swimming in the river; going to Silver Dollar City; and, of course, playing with cousins! We can't wait to come again next year!

February 12th was free UTA day, which meant we could take any form of public transportation for free. We have a train system that commutes from Ogden to SLC. The kids absolutely love trains and get so excited every time they see or hear one. We decided take the train as a family to Salt Lake and see if the kids loved riding as train as much as they liked watching them. Keira was so excited that she ran in front of us and jumped on the train all by herself as we were trying to take a picture of it. Luckily, we were there several minutes before the train was scheduled to leave. So when the doors shut behind her, it was a simple matter of asking the nice lady at the doors to open them again so we could get her. She could hardly stay still long enough to pose for a picture. Ryder, on the other hand, was a little more cautious. He loved the ride, but stayed very close to Mom and Dad for the first chunk of the ride. We took the train to SLC, and then took the TRAX system to the downt...

Keira is 3 years old now and is developing some unique interests. First, she is absolutely obsessed with horses. She has quite a collection of horses that she has gathered throughout the past few weeks and she carries them with her everywhere. This is what a typical lunch looks like for her, as she must make sure that her horses eat with her: It doesn't matter what it is - toy, puzzle, chess piece, etc - if it looks like a horse, it must go into the collection. She has also developed an interest in "roping." She saw a rope in Grandpa's truck when we went to Missouri for Christmas and has been obsessed with it ever since. She spends hours every day tying up her rocking horses, shoes, toys, dolls, and anything else she can tie a rope or string around. Keira has also developed a strong interest in fixing her own hair. One day I was working in my office when the kids were supposed to be napping. I was on the phone when I heard a blood curdling scream coming from upstairs....

We got to spend Christmas at my Mom and Dad's new place in Everton, MO. We had a great trip. As we drove back into Ogden, Keira asked if we could turn around and go back to Grandma and Grandpa's in Missouri. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins, checking cows and going to the Handi Hut with Grandpa, and eating popcorn with Grandma in her theater room. Taking a cold walk through the fields looking for baby cows. We didn't find them. One of the favorite things to do was to go through Grandma's dress up box and dance to a Barbie Movie. Ryder was extremely proud of his beautiful outfit.