Presidents Day

I know it hasn't quite been a week since our last post but I had a few minutes alone (amazing!) so I thought I would write.  We had a great Valentines Day at our house.  We had a heart filled day. Red velvet heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, heart sandwiches for lunch and heart shaped pizza for dinner.  However the pizza was one big heart and once we cut it the girls could no longer tell it was a heart and had to use the heart cookie cutters to cut their pieces into hearts.  But alas with all the cooking I was too busy to take pictures of all our heart shaped offerings.  The girls did all wear their valentine shirts (thanks Aunt Cathy!) and I got a few pictures of them wearing them.  They also happened to be riding their bikes on the deck at the time so they aren't great but we got some.  The girls all loved their surprises from mom and dad.  Emma got a new Ivy and Bean chapter book, Leah got the new Olivia princess book(which is hilarious) and Becca got sparkly tom looks alikes.  She loves shoes and walks around the house alot of the day with shoes for everyone. She says "here, shoes, here!" She puckers her mouth really funny when she says shoes, it is so cute!
 Our weekend has been low key.  We did go to our friends the Olers house for their daughters 6th birthday.  It was nice to spend time celebrating with them.  This morning we went to the far away costco and bough a chest freezer!  We have been longing for this appliance for quite some time and when the tax return came Grant suggested we get one.  I was all for that!  Now I need to get busy filling it up!

Emma's homework journal page on Valentines Day.

Valentine Cookies!

This last week was pretty good.  We watched Hotel Transylvania for our annual friday movie night this week.  I didn't get to see much since Becca needed to go to bed but the girls liked it alot.  Saturday we went to Costco and the grocery store to get food. Then Grant and I put together 7 freezer meals for the crock pot in an hour or so.  I have been wanting to try this for awhile and we finally did it.  Hopefully it will make the after school-dinner rush hours a little less rushed.

 This morning I took Becca to get her 18 month pictures taken.  She was not happy about it and we only got 1 picture with her happy or smiley, but at least we got 1! The funny part about it was the photographer was very talkative and told me about his idea to include a picture coffee mug with the traditional portrait package because who doesn't drink coffee, right? I just smiled and nodded and decided not to mention the fact that I do in fact not drink coffee.  We are definitely not in Utah anymore!

Last night we made Valentine sugar cookies as per downs/townsend family tradition.  It is always a little bittersweet-fun to do but makes us all homesick.  Leah especially enjoyed it and worked on her cookies for 45 minutes!  Emma like that the hearts were graduated in size and stacked really well. She made both me and Grant our own cookie stack-oh boy! Becca had fun licking frosting off her knife.  We tried a new frosting recipe and it was delicious. It is called whipped cream cheese frosting and was super light and airy.

The last exciting thing this week was Emma getting a black eye.  Actually it is just a bruised eye brow not a black eye she says.  She was doing a flip over the ottoman and came face to face with the piano leg!  She had a huge bump and now has a nasty bruise.  We included pictures for everyone to see, per Emmas request. 

Spring is coming..According to the ground hog

So I don't know about you I am super excited Phil didn't see his shadow.  I would love spring to come early.  I am already trying to get a spot ready for peas.  Not too much exciting things going on at the Myers house.  The last 2 weekends we did a babysit swap with our friends the Olers-we knew them at the village.  Grant and I went and saw Les Miserables while they watched our kids and they went to a movie the next week while we watched their kids.  It was the first movie we have been to alone since we moved.  Seeing it has inspired Grant to read the book again.  It works out well, he reads the book and tells me about it and I get the info without reading that huge thick book! 
Grant and I both have received new callings.  I am now playing the piano in primary and doing cub scouts and Grant is now the assistant ward clerk.  They took their time but they sure have us busy now!  Becca is doing well in nursery.  We just walk her in, get some toys and leave.  Some of the other moms have asked how I get her to go and I just shrug and say I have no idea!  Emma is loving her art class and looks forward to Tuesday all week.  She and Leah also love the nexus tablet, it is a great motivator for getting chores done.  Leah is working on learning her letters.  Everyday we focus on a different letter and practice drawing it and do a little craft or activity to go along.  She also likes going to playgroup to see her friend Lizzy.  That is what is going on with us.  Here are a few pics in parting.  Becca must have been extra cute they are all of her! Speaking of pictures and Becca she loves to say cheese and smile and squint her eyes, it is so funny!

Becca wearing a headlamp around her neck.

Becca likes to collect random objects carry them all over the house.

Wearing Emma's snow gear and saying "cheese".

This last week was kinda uneventful.  Just a regular week.  Emma missed 3 days of school and now Becca and Grant are sick.  I am getting a little tired of all the sickness.  It makes it really hard to get anything done around the house.  I have included some pics of the girls helping me make rolls. We took some to our next door neighbor.  She works at a dentist office and brings the girls fun little toys all the time so we took her something to say thank you.  I got a picture of Leah at her dance class.  Grant takes Emma to her art class while I am at scouts so I will half to get him to take one of Emma. The last few are Becca playing peek-a-boo on the stairs.  She likes it when we jump out and scare her.  For the holiday yesterday we took the girls bowling.  Emma got 3 or 4 strikes and ended up with 115 points!  Gotta love the bumpers! Unfortunately we left the camera home maybe next time.

Antietam National Battlefield

 The highlight of this week was visiting Antietam National Battlefield.  It was really neat and really great to be out of the house for the whole day!  There was a visitors center and a driving tour that took you through the events of the battle from the beginning to the end. At each stop there were signs describing the position of the union and confederate at that point in the battle and maybe some lists of who had died there.  Interesting and sobering for sure.  All the pictures come from our adventure.  It was only an hours drive away and it was a really nice day. The sun came out and the fog had cleared by the time we got there.  Other than that not much to report.  Emma has been sick all weekend so no fun for her.  I did go to my first bear den meeting and round table last week for scouts.  It is a whole new world but I am slowly figuring out how it works. 

Robots and Boots

So I have decided to do a once a week post to keep everyone updated on the exciting life of the Myers!  This last week wasn't too busy but I do have a few things to share.  Becca got some new rain boots- which I found for only $2.99!  It was such a steal I had to brag!  She loves them.  She wears them dawn til dusk only letting us take them off for naps and bedtime.  She walks kinda funny but she is happy so we are too.  Becca is also talking more and more everyday.  She will look at herself in the mirror and say "hi there." She also say more, ma and bye.  She tries to say a lot more that isn't usually understandable.  However the other night we asked her if she wanted ice cream and she tried to say it back and it was recognizable to us!  She also has taken up screaming when she doesn't get her way- a true 18 month old.  Her poor sisters just sigh and give her back what they took so she will stop screaming. 
Emma had an exciting week.  We took her to the eye doctor because the pediatrician said her screening came back irregular.  I have been stressed and worried she would be like me and need glasses so young.  However, the doctor says her eyes are perfect and she is actually a little farsighted which usually means if she ever does become near sighted it won't be for quite awhile!  This week Emma also made a robot costume from boxes and paper bags.  The best part about it is that it turns her into a helping robot.  You just push the correct buttons and Emma asks in a robot voice "what do you want me to do?" and she does it!
Leah had a quiet week.  Lots of movies and computer since mom is still getting over her monster cold from Christmas.  She watched a new show on PBS called Daniel Tiger something or other.  Anyway it is base on Mr. Rogers and has some of the similar songs and teaches some good character and social lessons.  Now she is always telling me "thanks for taking care of me, it means you love me" and asking to make things for everyone in the family to show them she loves them. 
Grant is working away at well work and I am trying to figure out how cub scouts works since I am the new bear den leader assistant. I guess I had more to say than I thought:) that doesn't often happen to me!  Anyway here are some pics of Becca in her boots, Emma's robot costume and sisters hanging out watching tv.

New Years Resolution

So, I have decided to try and blog again.  We will see how it goes.  I figure maybe now we are far away we might have a little more to share.  So last night we celebrated New Year's Eve.  The girls stayed up until about 10ish.  We played games, did puzzles, watched Enchanted and of course had dessert!  I also came up with a top 5 List for 2012
1. Moved to Maryland
2. Grant graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry
3. Emma started Kindergarten
4. Leah became a Sunbeam and started primary
5. Becca turned 1 and started walking
 Just a few of the exciting things that happened in our family last year.  Also here are some recent pictures from the holiday season.  Always have a hard time taking pics on Christmas morning though, so much going on!

Reading Bedtime stories with Mom

Grant and Emma making toffee

Leah with Santa

Becca scared of Santa, Emma was too scare and just hid behind us!

Chef Becca

Grant opening his presents

Emma wearing grants new shirt

Google Nexus!

Christmas Morning!

Becca helping Grant take video. She liked that way more than the presents!

Leah and Becca(below) helping mom make the rolls for Christmas Dinner!

Happy New Year!

Just a few of the exciting things that happened in our family last year.  Also here are some recent pictures from the holiday season.  Always have a hard time taking pics on Christmas morning though, so much going on!