21 January 2024

Bobo continued his streak of receiving ordinances in private homes rather than at the chapel, and was ordained to the priesthood at our house on Thursday evening.  My wonderful boys all looked so good that I insisted on pictures.  

Here's the initial one, with no direction:

Trying to loosen them up - so I said, Make a frowny face!  Except that Bobo can't make a frowny face even when he wants to!

Next up then - make a goofy face.  I'm not sure Bobo realized what was going on behind him!

Now everyone's relaxed!  SMILE!  and they all bared their teeth in different ways. 

The ensuing laughter meant that I finally got the more natural smiles that I was hoping for:

 What handsome men!  I love them all so much!

19 January 2024

 

It has been a week of extraordinary snow. The kids were out of school on Monday because of MLK Day.  It snowed all afternoon on Monday, so the schools were closed on Tuesday.  Then the temperature dropped  and school was cancelled on Wednesday due to ice.  Kids went to school on Thursday, and then it started snowing again, and school was cancelled for Friday!  It's like an extra week of winter vacation!

When the snow started on Monday aftenroon, Rose Pink took her break at work outside, just standing in the snow as it flew around her, because she loves snow so much.  She was so happy to have frozen precipitations!  Monday night, she took Rosebud for a walk around the block.  When they got home, she told me how fun it was to watch Rosebud have what was essentially her first experience with snow!  So cute to see her start experimenting with snow play!

Kids went to bed on Monday night, knowing that school had a delayed start of two hours the next day.  The district called early Tuesday morning to say that school was cancelled for the day, so as the kids got out of bed, I told them.  Bobo was the first up (as usual) and I made him wait to go out until the others were awake and ready.  Rosebud staggered out just after seven, obviously still sleepy.  I told her the news, and she jumped up and down with excitement.  She told me that she had set her watch alarm to seven a.m. to make sure she had time to play in the snow before school started.  <3  Nut Brown came out at the same time, heard the news, saw the snow, and immediately suggested a prayer of gratitude.  The three of them sat in a circle on the living room prayer and held hands and offered a sweet prayer where they took turns being the voice to thank God for the gift of snow and a day off to enjoy it and each other to enjoy it with.

The family got together with friends to go sledding on both Tuesday and Wednesday, which they all loved.  They wanted to go this morning, but it is still actively snowing right now, so we are hanging out inside, watching it pile up.  They're predicting six inches total.  We've had at least three so far.  Hooray for real winter weather!

15 January 2024

 Today the kids had the day off school for MLK Day!  My boss and another coworker and I got together and took our kids bowling.  Bobo was the oldest by two years, but everybody else was between seven and nine, so it was a good group.  Fun to hang out for awhile.  The kids played two games, and Bobo enjoyed the improvement that came from practice.  He wants to play again and get better!

14 January 2024

January birthday season at the Browns!  We are actually having a bunch of important birthdays/landmarks this year: Rose Pink has decided to serve a mission and will be putting in her paperwork, Nut Brown is going to learn to drive, Bobo will be ordained to the priesthood, and Rosebud is getting baptized.  This family and these kids are amazing.

First up, Rosebud's birthday!  I was overwhelmed, and ended up asking my ministering sisters to help me.  I had already promised her the party and sent the invitations, but it was two days before and I had done literally nothing for it.  After a one a.m. message from me, they put together the whole party, and made it a really nice time for Rosebud.  I'm so grateful.  

This is the cookie cake that Rose Pink gave her.  She had bought it for something else but repurposed it and personalized with some pink icing for Rosebud.  This was at the family birthday dinner.  Rosebud requested dal.

Party time! Her friends Elise, Freya and Lisa came over.  There was a treasure hunt, cookie decorating, and Twister.  Then cake and candles and gifts.  The girls all had a good time.

The next day was posole day, since by Rose Pink and Rosebud love posole, so we always have it for dinner on the day between.

Then it was Rose Pink's birthday:

She and I went shopping in the afternoon and had a good time together!  She is helping me learn how to use makeup.  We went to a couple consignment shops, Office Depot, and a party shop, and I bought her avocado earrings.  Mr. Brown made pickle soup with potato croquettes for her, and german chocolate cake.  She asked that we all stay home that evening and we played Abducktion together and sang karaoke!

Rose Pink put us all in the shade like usual, but it was really fun to sing together.  Nut Brown had wanted to go to a friend's house, but he stayed home because of her request, and sang "If I Had A Million Dollars" in a duet with her.

Rose Pink has been praying diligently for snow on her birthday every night at family prayer for the past two weeks.  It's not supposed to snow until Tuesday, but there was just a little snow this afternoon!  God loves her.  

Lots of cake this weekend.  It was great to celebrate our awesome girls!

 

6 January 2024

 Our kids all brought home school recognitions in December.  Both Bobo and Nut Brown made the honor roll, and Bobo was nominated for Student of the Month.  Rosebud was not left out with her artwork on display downtown.  Our kids are amazing!

5 January 2024

Happy New Year!  We were too sick and tired to stay up on New Year's Eve, but we did manage to have our annual sandwich party on New Year's Day.  We didn't get to do poppers on Christmas Day because the missionaries were at dinner and we didn't have enough to share, so we did them for the sandwich party and wore the crowns during dinner.  Very fun!

 School started again on 2 January, but only Rosebud went because Bobo and Nut Brown were both too sick.  Bobo went back yesterday and Nut Brown went back today.  In other happy news, Rosebud asked me to braid her hair because apparently braids, not ponytails, are cool for second graders.  Finally I get to play with her hair and braid it for her!

She is continuing to grow up very quickly.  We gave her Barbie things for Christmas, which totally fell flat. She thanked us but said that she doesn't play with her dolls very much any more, and she chose to spend her Christmas money on adult make-up.  I think Rose Pink is helping her learn how to use it.