Yum!

Grandpa & Grandma Martinsen just got 2 additions to the family.
Maybe that's a bit insensitive, since they will be dinner one day...
Meet T-bone & Moo Moo

Word to the Wise...

If your husband is in charge of activites for the 8 year old scouts,

tell him it's best to do the

POPCORN RACE outdoors.

DoGpiLe!!!

Discipline

Caleb & Eli have been taking karate classes for the last few months.

They are loving all the different blocks, strikes & kicks.

I'm loving the weekly challenges! Each week their sensei gives them a different challenge.
If they are successful, they earn a ribbon.
Examples: keep room clean, help parents with laundry, don't say "can't", do things the 1st time you're asked... Awesome!!!
The best was when they couldn't eat junk food for a whole week, "cause it turns your body to junk!"
We did get special permission for them to each have one piece of cake and one scoop of ice cream on Eli's birthday. They didn't even ask for seconds!
We also went to a Superbowl party at a friend's house that week. There was plenty of junk food to resist, but none so tempting as THE CAKE! Caleb sat and starred at it for quite a while. Then, he would go play, and come back to stare again throughout the evening. Finally, he broke down crying because he wanted it so bad. But, he also wanted his reward ribbon! It was quite the dilemma. We told him  he could make his own choice. He decided to go ahead and have a piece. But, Ryan asked him if he would like to try eating some pretzels first, just to see if that would curb his appetite. It worked!
On the way home, Caleb called from the back seat, "I'm so glad I did that!" It was a great lesson in discipline.
*do hot dogs count as junk food? because he ate 2 that night in an effort to avoid eating the cake!*

Snowbowl '10

It's become somewhat of a tradition. We go to see the Warren Miller Show at Gammage (thanks to my in-laws!)in Dec. It's there that we get our coupons for a free lift ticket to Snowbowl on a weekday in January.
Thanks to Aunt Sarah who watched the kids allll daaaay looong so that we could go together!

The Big 2!

Poor little Cus didn't have much of a celebration this year. But, what does he care? He got a new toy and the remains of the Valentine cake that Ryan got for me! That's right, he's blowing candles out on a half eaten cake, several days past his really birthday...
I just wasn't feeling well, due to the pregnancy. That's right, for those of you who don't know, I'm due in September!

Year of the Tiger

The Chinese New Year is a HUGE celebration here in AZ!
No, really Ryan and I were at an international grocery store that we like to get a few supplies at every now and then, when we saw signs for a Chinese New Year Celebration! So, a few days later we brought the boys back so that we could see the Dragon Dancers.




The Dragon went up and down each isle of the grocery store while all the spectators squished up next to the shelves!

The dragon would jump up to eat vegetables that were hanging from each isle's sign.


This was definitely more fun that celebrating Valentine's Day.
Although, Ryan did get me some flowers!