Robin and Rue and Tigger too!

On the way home from the dollar store.

We are still alive in Iowa. It's been awhile since I have had a chance to post. But before I tell ya'll about the Dr's birthday I did want you to know we are still alive-- we have survived the Polar Vortexes. (I think I should get some kind of medal for living through this Iowa winter.)

I didn't know what a polar vortex was until a few weeks ago. It's when it gets so cold that it hurts to breath because your chest burns and "you lose the will to live" -as the Dr says. In our neck of the woods, it got down to negative 46 degrees with the wind chill factor. Yep, it was delightful to say the least. They even cancelled school--not that that really matters to us. But unfortunately they didn't close down the hospital. The Dr said his commute reminded him of living in Siberia -where he served his mission for our church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for 2 years. But negative 46 was nothing to him. He was used to negative 60.

Anyways, enough with the weather update. I know you are all wanting to know about the birthday celebration. The Dr turned 35 on Wednesday, January 29th. He is officially getting old.

The kids made big plans. Christopher Robin insisted on being the decorator. He took the job so seriously. It was funny. His face looks like I am forcing him to hang the streamers.

Do you see the white paint in his hair and powdered sugar on his lips? It is proof that he ate about 5 powered sugar donuts for breakfast, and he has been helping me paint the entry hall--for the second time, but that's another story....

I told Ryan I was going to take the kids to the dollar store and let them each pick out a gift and a balloon for him-- purely for my entertainment.

It was fun watching them go through the store getting so excited about their birthday finds. Gracie found these window decals to hang. She KNEW daddy would love them. They lasted the whole birthday, and now a week later the window is bare. I have no idea where they are.

Here is our balloon babysitter. This girl loves balloons.

We have a really high vaulted living room. All was well until one of the balloons got away. Luckily I could reach it down. (Can you tell I am painting the entry way?)

After our morning shopping spree, the kids made cards.

That afternoon when it was all said and done, this is what we had -- pretty random!

They decorated the cake.

It turned out so awesome--and "random" as the Dr put it! That night around 6:00 when the kids heard the garage door open they ran to our red couch and hid in the pillows. When the Dr entered the living room, they jumped out and yelled "surprise" as they handed him their homemade cards!!!

As you can see Ryan loved them.

They had worked really hard on them

and Gracie went through a whole package of glitter stickers getting hers just right!

A cake demonstration came next. This cake wasn't just any old cake. It had a motorized dancing monkey on it. Thank you dollar store!

Watching the monkey dance!

After the Dr enjoyed his favorite meal of chicken enchiladas--that I slaved away on most the afternoon-(they were mostly not made when he got home) he warmed up his hands to open these large ticket gifts!

The first was a Lego creation that Jace made--it was for the game we later played.

He also got Ryan a lock for our back gate. I thought this gift was actually a little brilliant. As you know from a post this summer, we have a paddle lock on our backyard gate and Christopher Robin has difficulty climbing that fence without damaging his manhood, and this lock will solve that problem!!

These sunglasses were from me. I am just a little excited to get out of polar bear country and into rattle snake territory.

I posted this picture because I LOVE how it shows Christopher Robin snuggling into Ryan's neck. Precious!!( I mostly hate that word-but I wanted to use it!)

Gift number two from Christopher Robin is this BLUE clip-on reading light. The Dr and I also agreed that this was a pretty good gift! Good job Jace!

Gracie's gifts to Ryan were classics. She got him this hot-pink rose and feather pen for his desk at work and the bright orange squeeze ball thing you see below.

Ryan thought the pen was awesome--

but as you can see Gracie reclaimed it. The Dr said he would totally take it to work and write notes with it--mostly to be funny.

Gracie looks fantastic in those glasses!

Last but not least--the Dr received a new white shirt and tie. He was way overdue for both. They are for church of course- but also graduation on June 13th at 6:00PM- who's excited about that?? Not me!!

It hadn't even occurred to me that we should have a game for our birthday party. But Christopher Robin was totally on that one. The game he invented and made was "Lego bowling." It was totally fun. We rolled a metal "steelie" marble until we had broken his Lego building to bits!

We ended the evening with good song and cake.

And what did our little Tigger think about all this?

She thought the balloons were....

Awesome!

This was our last Christmas in Iowa. I have mixed feelings about it. I will miss our friends here, and the traditions we have started, but next year it will also be great living 3.5 hours from St. George, my hometown.

On Christmas Eve, Ryan took the kids bowling. Jace loves it. We went a few weeks earlier for Family Home Evening and they have been excited to go back. Our tradition is to go to the Wasserbaun Water Park in the Amana Colonies, but it was closed this year for remodeling.

While they were gone, I put on my Christmas apron and went to work cooking a lovely meal. I also set the table with my beautiful red Christmas place settings. But I forgot to take a picture. After dinner was over and cleared away, we had our family devotional.

We had a new baby Jesus this year!!

We dressed Kjersti in blue and you would never guess that Jesus was a girl this year!

After the devotional we went downstairs to our family room and opened our family gifts. Ryan and I bought Jace a model car he had wanted from Costco, and Gracie received a bird house making kit. They were both so excited. We then sent them to bed so Santa could come.

And Santa did come!! Santa (a.k.a. Ryan) stayed up until 3:47 AM putting together a pink kitchen and army plane!! I was up with Kjersti so it was a party! Jace woke up at 6:30AM so excited to go see what he got. Luckily it was still pitch dark outside, so we told him that we didn't think Santa had even come yet, so he went back to bed!!

We all got up by 8:30 AM. Gracie got a kitchen, cash register, doll and pajamas. It was everything she had wished for!! She looks so cute in those orange PJ's!

Jace had asked for a large nerf gun to shoot his Dad with, a True Hero army plane and a Lego set. He also got the game Battleship.

Here we are playing store.

Jace is checking out his cool army Shark Cargo plane. It makes lots of nice noise as well.

Santa brought Kjersti and Gracie's doll matching outfits.

Here I am with my girls!!! Gracie's' doll cries when you put her on her stomach and only stops crying when you give it a binky!! It is so fun having another crying baby in the house!!

It was a wonderful Christmas again this year! I am always so sad to see the day come to an end. It really is the best day of the year. I love it.

Finally, here are some of my favorite pictures I took of the kids throughout the day.