January is DONE!

     I can't believe January is already over. For being about the saddest month of the year we've done pretty well staying busy and having a pretty good time. It helps to have Brock's birthday in the middle of it to give us something to celebrate. As for this last week it's been relatively routine. The highlight for me this week was: #1 Skyping with my sister Jackie in Australia and #2 filing my tax returns and finding out the child tax credit is still $1000 per kid, Woot, Woot!! New siding, a new deck and a trip to the Oregon coast are my three top priorities with our tax refund :-)

      Here's a photo or two from the week. I didn't take many because it really was a pretty slow week.

Our primary 1st counselor couldn't resist holding Charlie in primary Sunday.

McClane was lying on the kitchen counter watching TV but moved when he saw me coming with the camera.

And this isn't the best photo but Isaac or Carter insisted her photo needed to be taken.

      I can't wait for spring and as far as I'm concerned it will be here in no time now that we've conquered the worst month of winter!

Photos & More photos

   Cabbage Patch doll, basketball, cute Charlie, and a sleeping McClane just about sums up our week.

Seriously, I just couldn't resist this cabbage patch beanie hat.  So hilarious and adorable!!

Carter is definitely my 'natural athlete' child.  This kid begs to get in the game and is A-GRESS-IVE!

Isaac is a great little basketball player too!  He's doing awesome this season and is having a great time.

Little Sister!!

I love when she puts her hands together.

I think this is her Michael Jackson impression;-)

Brock loves his baby sister!

Isaac is holding Charlie and I think McClane is taking the photo.

She loves being in this little play center.

She has her tongue out a lot just like Carter use to do.

And this little monster is a bit sickly and sleepy so Greg put him on the kitchen counter (random).

     The plan is to watch more basketball games this weekend and hopefully not much else.  I'm still loving all the home and garden shows and movies I've got access to on Amazon Prime so I'm sure I'll find some time for that this weekend too.  Life is good;-)

Copy Cat!

   Because I like to do everything Jackie does!!

Brock's had a birthday shout Hooray!

     Brock is six years old and about the happiest boy I know. He had a great birthday at home and at school. We kept things quite low key for Brock's birthday celebration but I don't think he minded too much. Now that basketball season is here we're just a little bit busy. Brock still got the traditional birthday balloons, cake and ice cream so it definitely was a birthday party minus all the extra fluff.

Balloons first thing in the morning always starts a birthday off right.

Now to the one and only birthday gift.

A box full of new toys, now that's the ticket!

It didn't take long before the brothers were helping Brock explore his 'prize' box.

Too many things to see and he just can't get to them all fast enough.

A Batman birthday cake was his one request.

Yum!

And only a day late, his birthday card and birthday money from his Grandma and Grandpa Baker.

      Also this week Charlie hit the five month mark and of course I have photo documentation of that and a few other cute photos from throughout the week for your viewing pleasure.

She's such a sweet baby!

Isaac and Charlie having some fun time together in the hallway.

Yep, that's chocolate on her mouth.  We believe in the four basic food groups at our house, chocolate, sugar, milk and butter!

I don't know what she's thinking but Brock was being sweet trying to share this little teddy bear with Charlie.

    And I did take a photo or two of Mark at his basketball game this week only because we found his doppelgänger is actually on the same team as him. I honestly kept mistaking the other boy for Mark throughout the game. Mark doesn't actually know the kids name because he just started the season but I did take several photos to prove my point that they look like twins.  You may have to zoom in on these photos but I promise, they could be brothers.

Mark's #3 and his twin is #5.

In this photo their actually both touching their faces at the same time, weird!

Minus a little different hair line they are so similar even from behind.

I know Mark was embarrassed that I was taking photos but I had to get proof because I only had Carter with me to back up my theory.

    So there's our weekly highlights.  I'm looking forward to a nice three day weekend even if it does include singing in the stake choir for two sessions on Sunday. At least I only have to worry about getting myself ready for church this Sunday instead of the whole family getting ready.  (Yes, that's right, I don't usually take my whole family to stake conference.  Call me crazy but I don't think any of us would get much from it if we were all there together.)

Quiet

    This week has been especially quiet and low-key. A little time was spent working on a science project for Isaac, a little scouting assignment for Carter but mostly just day to day routine. The big event for me this week would have to be my free trial with Amazon prime. I had no idea it offered TV streaming like Netflix. I've spent way too much time watching Home and Garden TV and DIY TV this week. I LOVE before and after makeover TV shows and Netflix does not offer that type of show but Amazon prime does. Life is good! My free trial may become a full-time membership after the month is done;-)

This photo was actually taken for Marie who sent this darling sweater for Charlie.  You can't really see how cute the sweater is because Charlie's trying to eat it but you'll be seeing it in the not too far future when it will be a perfect fit for Charlie.

Isaac is conducting a science experiment with soda this week.  We bought six different sodas and are testing the fizz levels after they've been opened.  So far all the dark sodas seem to have the most fizz and longest lasting fizz.

This is probably my sis-in-law, Megan's worst nightmare but it's been a fun science project that all the kids are into.

Carter had to share a collection of some kind for scouts this week and I definitely think the toy vehicles we have count as a collection not only for Carter but all the boys in this house.

And this is just a random photo out of 100+ that McClane took with my phone the other day.  I love the camera on the new iPhones but not when McClane has access to it.  He can take way too many photos in a very short period of time if I don't catch him quick enough.  Many days I'll spend five or ten minutes just deleting photos of walls, ceilings, blurry people, etc.  I don't mind coming across a gem like this one though.  She's a DOLL!

     Well that's our week.  I'm so excited about the access to so many home and garden TV shows, I've actually been excited to get on the treadmill every day this week verses, 2 or 3 times a week.  There's nothing like a home makeover show to inspire me to clean and organize my house better too!  Yay for Amazon Prime!!

Charlie's 1st Kmetzsch party

    The Kmetzsch's had a fun get together on Sunday and Charlie got to meet a lot more of her Kmetzsch relatives. I managed to snap a few photos throughout the night but not nearly as many as I should have.  Here are the few I did take.

Cousin Cameron with Charlie, he and his cute family were home for a visit from Arizona where he's finishing up Dental school.

Aunt Kitty getting a little Charlie love.

Cousin Tori with cute baby James.  They drove home to visit all the way from Illinois where Tori's husband currently works. 

And cute cousin Nicole home for a visit all the way from New Hampshire where she'll be working her first official nursing job.

     As for our New Year, it was a pretty quiet event and I didn't take any photos. I did snap a few photos throughout this week and here they are.

Here is the debut of this darling outfit courtesy of Aunt Cassity.

And some how McClane has managed to stay healthy despite his repeated adventures outside without shoes, socks or a coat. (Hey, at least he's wearing a clothes hamper.)

    Our Christmas break is drawing to a close and I'm not sure how these kids are going to readjust to their regular bedtime and early morning routines but I can't wait to welcome back the sanity kids at school brings, but I'm not looking forward to the insanity of homework.