Life according to my iPhone - March

March had a lot going on

 Barrett contracted the dreaded Chicken Pox.  Luckily he had been vaccinated shortly before and only got 6 chicken pox spots.  He sure was grumpy.



We had beautiful day filled with picturesque hoarfrost,

 



 

And breath taking sunsets.

 

I was lucky and got 4 days in Calgary with some of my best friends.  Samantha came up from Utah, Anne came over from Vancouver and Vicki's family had deserted her for the week-end.  We moved in and had the funniest girls week-end.

 

Spencer and I meet in Calgary, exchanged cars; he flew headed off to Seattle and I went home to these adventurous boys.  It was still lovely when I got home so the boys and I went and explored Popson Park.  They all came home with soaking wet feet and smiles.

 

I heard the front door open and shut and when I went to investigate this is what I found in my path.  I guess in a 2 years old mind this is a perfect barricade.   Gotta give him props for trying.

 

 

THE TRADITIONS OF EASTER.

 

The faces in this picture tell you exactly how everyone feels about the Easter egg hunt.  Jarom was willing and excited for the candy, Nik wasn't to sure, Barrett was all over the egg hunting and couldn't wait for the go ahead and Nolan, he wanted the candy and was willing to tolerate the hunt in order to get it.

 

Jarom discovered his complete love of Motorbiking.  Grandpa picked this up and Jarom has enjoyed it ever since.  He putts around the yard, sometimes getting a little more adventurous then his mama would like.

Love, love, love this picture.  To me it's how a boys life should be.  Sitting on a hill, enjoying the sun, shooting gophers.

These two couldn't get enough of Nolan bouncing them on the trampoline.

 



 

This has always been my happy place.  Swinging on the swing.  Feeling the hot sun on my face while my kids play around me.



It's the Easter activity that every mother dreads, but every child loves.  And he could have colored eggs all night long.

 

 



 

Barrett didn't quite get the egg rolling and opted for the egg tossing, throwing and chucking.

 

Mom and Dad celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Life according to my iPhone - February

Nolan's school basketball team attended a tournament in Medicine Hat and got 3rd place.

 

Barrett and his cohort in crime were together again.

 We drank Love potion for Valentines Day



Nolan's basketball team took first in Cities.  It's was a happy day.

Life According to my iPhone - January

 

We rang in 2013 as a family.  I realized this was probably the last year that Nolan would still want to hang out with us on such an occasion, with him turning 14 this year I knew that he would ring in 2014 with his friends at the Stake Dance. 

There were noise makers and games and food.  We did our traditional picture of the year in Sparklers. 

Life according to my iPhone Decomber 2013

Yep, this is the fastest way I can think of the do a bit of catch up on the last 6 months of our lives. Spencer's iPhone pics are the ones I really should be tapping into, he keeps way before digital records of our happens, but it's better then whats been happening which is a whole lot of nothing.

Jarom Loves to Skate - every Tuesday after school he went to the rink and played hockey with a bunch of his buddies.

Nolan had an art show at school - He was extremely proud of his art work!

 

 

Barrett was such a big help with the Christmas Baking.

 

Jarom built wonderfully strategic armies to attach our Christmas tree.

 

Our friends came over to bake sugar cookies with us - one of my very favorite things!

 

 

I totally rocked the Christmas puzzles things year.  So love the puzzling.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve with the Courts - all the grandkids modeling their PJ's from Grandma Court.

 

 

Grandma is going to love this one - but really, how sweet.

 



 

Nolan got a bow for Christmas.  We took him to a class so that he could probably learn how to use it. Since then he has been pretty good at hitting the yellow area of the target and he killed himself a gopher this spring.



 

It was the Christmas of Just Dance - Nolan had some sweet dance moves and earned himself 5 stars on lots of the songs.

Halloween Part 2: Trick or Treating

 

Cause that's what it's really all about - the bags full of candy. 

 

Our house was a flurry of activity leading up to the designated hour.  Nolan had city playoff for volleyball which they won (the next night they played in the semifinal and lost - so sad) and mom and I were trying to get the chocolate fondant made for our big chocolate dipping day on Saturday. It was a tad crazy as we stuffed kids into customs and tried to pin them down for a picture or two.

 

 

 

Jarom was a Ghost buster - he kept the neighbour safe from getting slimmed.

 

Their friends came over and I quickly got a group shot before they were off and running.

(Spencer Northcott, Matthew Nesom, Nolan, Barrett, Greg Northcott and Jarom)

 

They stuck with Barrett for a couple of house and then they were off - not to be seen again until their pillow cases were full of enough chips, chocolate bars, suckers, gum, gummy candy and Tootsie rolls to provide weeks of sugar crazed tummy aches and sleepless nights.

 

It took Barrett one house to figure out the game plan.  He knocked on the door, yelled trick or treat - or his two year old version of it, said "thank-you", then "you're welcome" and ran to the next house. 

Halloween Part 1: The Carving

 

Pumpkin carving is beloved by everyone in our family.  There is plotting and planning and imaginations coming up with all sorts of spooky expressions.  This year they chose to forgo the store bought template and use their own designs.

 

Spencer's was a work of art - taking twice as long and still carving awhile the rest of us enjoyed our FHE treat.

 

Nolan was precise in his cutting.

 

Barrett though the bucket of "guts" was amazing and spend the night digging and flipping seeds all over the house.  He was a tad upset when Nolan got home from volleyball and he had to give up cleaning out his pumpkin to Nolan.

 

Four scary little pumpkins.

Teenager!

Thanks-Giving Day this boy turned into a teenager.

 

 

Sleepy eyed and eager to open his presents. 

I wonder when they out grow the prebirthday sleepless nights and early morning parent invasion for their gifts. Hopefully not anytime soon, I love the excitement and anticipation they have of what is hidden beneath the pretty colored paper.

 

A sports years for Nolan - basketball shorts, socks and bag.  A shiny new volleyball and AE sweater.

 

Nolan celebrated by getting his dad all to himself - they went rock climbing and exchanged his gifts for the right colors.

 

After a Thanks-Giving meal with his Grandparents he blow out his candles and celebrated a no girls candle victory.  Lets hope it stays that way.