Catching Up!

Well, I think the easiest way to update this is to post photos as I go and explain what we've been doing. As always, there's never a dull moment in the Shimer household! The last we left off was in Oct. In November, we signed Addi up for swim lessons. She really loved it and is ready to continue after we've had to have a break with holiday and other activities going on.
Morgan has been keeping herself busy with "Tiger Talents". It's a group run after school with one of the teachers. They learn songs and dances and have been able to do several performances. It's been fun to go watch. She also participated in a Rec volleyball instructional league and then a clinic in Dec. She hopes to make it on a team this spring and try out for a competition team in the fall.
For Thanksgiving we went to Boise to visit my sister. Her husband works the night shift as a police officer, so he sleeps during the day, and they were also trying to sell their house so we decided to go to Golden Coral for Thanksgiving dinner. The kids had fun playing for a few days and we went to the Boise Christmas parade. It was freezing and loooonnng (we've decided I'm not really the parade type) but we enjoyed Cinnamon Rolls and hot cocoa afterwards at the mall!

The first Sat. in Dec. our ward had the annual Christmas breakfast and the primary kids were asked to participate in the program. Most of the kids were wisemen or sheppards. Elly dressed up in a costume we'd had for Halloween and was even a sheep. Morgan was Mary.

This is a picture of Rylan in front of his Science Fair Project. He wasn't planning on doing it until I found out it was 1/2 of his grade and I said if he got a C in that class from not doing the project he wasn't allowed to try out for the Jr. High baseball team this spring. He did it the day before it was due and ended up winning 3rd place overall, won several prizes, including $20 cash and invited to Districts. So much for my lesson on procrastination!!

Richard was able to come home on leave. He got here on the 22nd. He was able to stay for a few weeks before heading back. We had a fun Christmas. Here are the kids all ready to start in on their presents and stocking stuffers!

A few days after Christmas we headed down to Richard's parents house. The live up in the mountains in Idaho. My sister came and visited one day to share in the sledding fun.

We found the best sledding hill at the golf course and Richard drove the 4 wheeler up there. We'd sled down the hill and then we'd grab onto the rope and he'd bring us back up to the top. We got so spoiled not having to hike at all! The next day it snowed about 6 inches. We were glad my sister came up when she did! Because of the new snow we weren't able to use the 4 wheeler on the hill anymore and had to hike back up after we finished sliding down the hill. Addi said, "This must be how the pioneers did it in the olden days!" Ha! This is how I've always done it!! Olden days my foot!

This is my sister on the rope train getting pulled back up. It could actually be quite risky if the person in front of you had their boots in their face and they weren't strong enough to resist the tension pull up the steep parts. If they let go you were sure to get kicked in the face hard!

Morgan proved to be the best at finding strategies to hold on. By the end of our stay we figured out how to get whipped around the top so that it dropped you off at the top of the hill and you'd just continue to slide down. There was never any getting up at all! We got pretty spoiled! Some days we couldn't take the 4 wheeler up so we had to make trails in Richard's parents yard. That was a lot of fun also! By the end of the days it naturally made jumps and whipped around corners.
Richard went back to Korea on the 15th and has approximately 60 days left. He is due to return on the 18th of March, just in time for Rylan's first baseball tournament in Mequite, Nevada.

The final thing on our list of things is our big birthday party yesterday! Our little Elayna Ann turned 3 yesterday! It so hard to believe that she's that old. It really seems like just a few months ago we brought her home from the hospital. She is so much fun and a very considerate, sweet little girl.

She loves Dora and had a Dora cake and decorations. We got her a Dora backpack set, a little toy laptop computer with educational games, and a Cindrella outfit set. She asked for Cookie Crisp for breakfast and wanted Chicken Nuggets and French Fries from McDonald's. It's bittersweet that she's this old! It's hard to believe that this chapter of my life is closing (being a stay-at-home mom to little babies!) She is such a joy and blessing to have. Well! That's about it for now... we are busy doing baseball with Rylan and Bradly is doing basketball. I think I'm going to go back to school soon and that makes me excited. Still in the works of which direction I plan on taking. For now all is safe and sound in the household! Love to all!
Kim