February can be Fun

February can get a little dull, so I'm always on the look out for fun things to keep us from going crazy while waiting for spring. This year we had some great adventures!

The first was a reenactment of the pioneers leaving Nauvoo. We drove down to Nauvoo on a Saturday morning to "march" down to the river in memory of the pioneers who left the city by crossing the frozen river. It was such an incredible experience. The girls got to march in the flag corps with flags representing all the native countries of those who fled. It was cold (but not nearly as cold as it could have been) and hard with the little boys, but it sure made their sacrifices real and our current trials seem minor. 

Standing on the frozen Mississippi River

There was even an article in the church news about it here. 

After the walk, the boys enjoyed some of the sites for the first time while the girls and I swapped attending the temple. 

The next great event was the Murder Mystery Dinner we hosted for the class of youth I co-teach in our homeschool co-op. This was a HOOT! I'm not sure if my favorite part was Patrick the traveling preacher with LOVE and HATE "tattoos" on his fingers, my co-teacher Chelseas huge stomach so her husband's purple suit would fit, or the epic acting skills as people died. Seriously, it was so much fun. 10/10 recommend! 

Eliza got her permit!!! Here in Iowa you can get a permit at 14 and a school only license as early as 14 1/2. Since Hazel had just gotten her license when we moved, I told Eliza I wasn't ready to teach another teen to drive. So she's been (mostly) patiently waiting. She finally wore me down and now she's officially on the path to learning to drive. 

There was a multi-stake formal dance that Hazel and Eliza attended. I ended up chaperoning, so I got to witness the fun. Stake dances here in Iowa are a BIG deal! There were at least 250 kids there from as far away as 2+ hours. When we moved, my girl lamented leaving the social dance opportunities in Utah. But they're finding Stake Dances more than make up for them here!

 Our homeschool co-op had a cute Valentine's celebration which the younger kids especially enjoyed.

Then one rare day it hit about 55 degrees and the sun came out, so of course we had to eat lunch outside without coats (or even shoes). Cold really becomes relative here. 

On a much less warm day, the younger kids enjoyed a visit to the Children's museum. I took exactly one picture, but isn't this the best!  Walter loved the flight area, so it's so fitting he was the perfect model for this. 

And finally, in a completely unrelated note, Orson has lost SO many teeth this month. All the sudden he kept loosing tooth after tooth. He now has this huge gappy grin. 

And with that, we thrived through February and can look forward to warmer weather and more time outside.

Lionel is ONE!

This year has flown by and somehow Lionel is already ONE! There's so much we love about this little boy. He has every single one of us wrapped around his little finger, and that's a lot of love for a tiny guy. 

When I asked each member of the family their favorite thing about Lionel, they answered: 

Hazel - "His goofy faces!" 

Eliza - "I think I like Lionel's smiles best." 

Lenora - "I love how much he loves big kid things. And how much my friends all love him." He is always being passed around by teenager when they're around. 

Orson -  "I like when he snuggles with me." It's so true. Lionel gives the best snuggles and sometimes he will pat you on the back as he hugs you. So sweet! 

Snuggling a friend at church

Conrad - "I like playing with him." Conrad is Lionel's favorite, especially first thing in the morning. It helps that Conrad brings him downstairs each morning, and together they find a snack. 

Walter - "Um... playing with him." Walter also LOVES when they get to wear matching pajamas. 

Mommy: "I love Lionel's sense of adventure. He loves trying new things and exploring new places. There's no way he's getting left behind in this family." 

Signing "Mama"

Daddy: "His curiosity for life and especially his curiosity about what I'm cooking." Lionel LOVES to eat, so no surprise he's curious about his next meal. 

Honorable mention - His eyelashes! 

Now for some of Lionel's favorites... 

He loves his white blankies and won't sleep without at least one. He'll often wander into his room (aka our closet) and grab as many as he can find from the box where we store them. Orson also went through a white blankey phase, and I love that he and Lionel share this. 

Lionel loves water in every form - baths, the dog water bowl, the dishwasher, the toilet... 

His favorite toys that aren't toys include fly swatters, anything belonging to his big sisters that he can reach in their bedroom, the dishwasher, the wooden loaves and fishes that sit on my bedside table, and the remote. 

Favorite foods include: bananas, drinks of water, oatmeal, cheese, and fruit. Though there's very little he won't eat. 

We celebrated his birthday with a simple family celebration. Gifts, a handmade birthday crown, and a cake made by Lenora. Seventh babies may not get the fancy parties first babies do, BUT they have SO much loved poured on them by all their big siblings. It was a huge day of celebration around here!

Lenora made him the most adorable llama cake. He loved it! Some of my babies have been hesitant, but he dug right in and ate every bit of his slice. 

On his birthday Lionel was just starting to take steps, but already he's walking everywhere. He's learning new signs and words each day. Today's discovery was his bellybutton. He kept pulling up his shirt, pointing at his tummy, and saying "buh!" We love you Lionel! You bring so much joy to our home.