January/February 2011

I'm going to try to keep a better record of our lives. I have been going back trying to do my family history for 2009 and 2010 and the months that I have kept the blog updated have surely helped with that. Otherwise, I really have no clue. I'm already having a hard time remembering what happened in January and February of 2011!

Zane
Zane started going to Primary. The first few weeks were a little difficult as he wasn't quite sure what was expected or what to expect and he just wanted to cling to Mom. He is really enjoying it now and is staring to be willing to participate more. He is continuing in "school," which is something that a couple of friends and I have been doing with our boys. We each take a week and teach two days that week. Zane loves it and really has been learning a lot. He is beginning to read some words and always wants to know how to spell things. Often our dinner conversations are "What does _____ start with?" He can spell everyone's name in the family. He has really started to enjoy playing on the computer. He likes pbskids.org and starfall.com. He is so excited about watching Anna learn new things and he is (usually) a really good friend to Nora. He is really just a happy boy who loves to laugh. He has outgrown his tricycle (a long time ago) and Kevin found a "big boy bike"at Salvation Army. Zane spent about four days earning stars on a "Obey Right Away" chart so he could earn his bike. He was happy to earn it and help dad tune it up and put training wheels on. He is getting a little harder to entertain, though because he always wants to be doing something. Some days he'll say "Mom, I want to do something fun!" Well, it would be fun if we could go to the zoo, or the museum, or swimming every day, but we can't. He still entertains himself pretty well.

Nora
Nora has become the most fun little girl. She likes to be really helpful. She is into the stage where she wants to do everything herself. If Zane can do it, she can do it. Sometimes I almost can't stand how cute and sweet she is and sometimes I can't stand how stubborn and determined she is! She has also enjoyed going to the Children's Museum. She likes to help Anna do things and is always watching out for her sister. Within the last few months she has really started to like "Dora" even though she had never seen a Dora program. That is good marketing. So now she has a Dora movie, Dora toothbrush and toothpaste, Dora books, Dora underwear (which she doesn't yet use), and a Dora tent. She loves them! She is quite a talker and makes her needs known.

Anna
Anna of course has changed the most. In January she celebrated her first birthday. I'm sure you can guess who was most excited--Zane and Nora of course! She has four teeth on top and is working on her fourth one on the bottom. She started walking at about 13 months. She is so happy with her new independence. If I am in the kitchen, she loves to be in there too. She opens all the cupboards and pulls everything out, so cooking without stepping on things is quite a challenge. She is really beginning to develop a personality. She used to be so content just to watch and enjoy others having fun, but now she wants to be in the middle of it and she tries to make people laugh. She gives lots of hugs and kisses. Yesterday she started saying "woof" for dog. She's so proud of herself (and Zane and Nora are too).

Kevin and Holly
Really, not much new for us. The most exciting thing for us is that we have put our house on the market and are really hoping to sell! We would like to move more "suburbish" and perhaps a little closer to Kevin's work. We're tired of the city. Holly is enjoying being Primary president. She feels that she has seen some success there and loves the kids and her amazing counselors.

Oh, yeah, we are expecting--again! Baby number four will be here in August. We'll find out in a couple of weeks if it's a boy or a girl. So, most of January and February Holly spent on the couch and Kevin spent picking up slack.

Kevin is adjusting to his new job. It's not exactly the kind of engineering he wants to do, but he has some good projects. We're just trying to figure out what he is supposed to learn or contribute by being there and for how long. Kevin has now been Elder's quorum president for two years. It's gone by really fast.

We all enjoyed a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Tolman in February, but of course, no pictures because my hands were full!

Here are a few pictures of the last couple of months.

Boyd, Clark and Zane--at "school"

Zane trying out his new bike.

One day I heard Zane calling for help from the bathroom. I opened the bathroom door and found him stuck like this:

This is how Nora likes to watch TV.

Anna opening birthday presents, with a little help.

Her hair is finally getting long enough and thick enough for a little ponytail--if I try really hard!

She insists on feeding herself and on having a utensil (or two).

Helping Grandma P. celebrate her birthday in January.

Playing together on the computer (with faces painted from the Children's Museum).

My birthday. . .

. . and a few other things to remember about 2010.

I had a great birthday. Kevin and I went shooting (which was my choice, yes), and we both got some practice on his new gun. I like it much better than his old one. We went back to Grandma and Grandpa's and all the kids had made me a picture. We had pizza lunch and then I opened presents. I was very spoiled. I got a new church bag from Ray and Lynnette, and I love it! Kristi got me a Burgerville shake which I was not supposed to share, but c'mon, I've got three little kids. Sean fixed my van so it doesn't squeak any more and now it seems like a new van. Jennifer and Jessica got me a cute new hat. The kids got me some workout clothes and socks. Kevin got me a color laser printer--woohoo! After presents we all went swimming and had a blast and that made for a pretty full day.

A couple of other items of note for the end of the year. . . On Christmas night we were burglarized. We came home the morning of the 26th to go to church and there was a card from a police officer in the door. We had driven separately, so Kevin was ahead of the kids and me. He called me, which I'm glad he did because I was pretty shaken and was able to pull it together before I got home. The thieves threw a rock through a window and got in. They took Kevin's bikes, a safe from our closet that was bolted down. Usually the safe has Kevin's gun, but he had it. Unfortunately he had just put a bit of cash in there so that was gone. They also got away with my jewelry box which had my wedding ring in it. I was most sad about that. Fortunately it was insured. They made a mess and did some damage. It has been upsetting dealing with the mess and the damage and feeling insecure. We have learned, though, that all of those things are just things, and we can live without them.

On a much happier note, Kevin has experienced some good successes at work. He received the "New Innovator Award" for an individual through his company. This is a pretty prestigious award and he definitely deserved it. In October he went to a conference in San Jose and did a presentation on the project he has been working on. He had a good time, but we really missed him. He was sought out by another local company who he interviewed with "just for practice." They ended up making him a very good offer and his company could not compare. After a lot of prayer and discussion he decided to take the offer. We are so blessed that he has a good job.