Photo and Video Dump :)

This post is a totally random photo dump from the last two weeks...

Enjoying free, family fun at Apple Valley Mid-Winter Fest

with Klondike

putting practice with Daddy

Summer trying all by herself

Both kids were particularly fond of this guy and kept returning to him to give him high fives...

Colton's first try at hockey

There was a goal on the other side.

Summer's turn

Go Summer!

 Videos:

Kiddos at the reptile exhibit petting snake:



Colton's first Bounce House:

Cold Day Fun - "Making Ourselves" - Summer's idea

 Story Time at the Library

While we go to the library often, this was the kids first time getting to use the computers for any length of time...Colton was pretty pumped!

Random Photos

Family date to Mall of America--Summer "helping" daddy pick out work clothes--and encouraging him to wear all pink and purple ;)

Kids had fun creating a "carwash" out of a large box

Shaking up some Puppy Chow with Daddy before the Super Bowl

Summer reading to Colton

We have a lot of snow...Daddy and Summer's snowman is "drowing", with 4-7 inches more predicted for tomorrow!

Last day of gymnastics--Colton and his teacher

Last day of gymnastics--Summer and her teacher

Random Videos

Unfortunately, due to cold, my runs have all been treadmill runs for the past several months, which means Tucker doesn't get out at all.  This is the result...(note no one is chasing him!)

Verse of the Week:  Matthew 16:15-16 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Verse of the Week: Matthew 17:5  ^"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

In complete seriousness, the most excited person in our family for the Super Bowl this year was Summer.  She has been talking about it all year (since last year) and asking when we get to pick out special snacks, eat on the couch (which we NEVER do!), and watch football!  She and Daddy sort of have a tradition now, where they go pick out snacks for the family together.  They came home with QUITE the assortment of treats :).  We had a few friends over and had a great time.  Here is Summer, giddy with excitement, ready to go out with Daddy for their annual snack-getting grocery trip ;).

Our sweet friend, Ms. Lisa, found some cute things on sale and picked up a new water bottle for Summer and a new hat for Colton, just for fun!  The kids made thank you videos for her, and enjoyed hamming it up on camera...after asking to do "another video" they created some sort of thank you rap ?  Not sure what it was, but I thought it was too funny not to share.

Here is a video of Summer reading Colton's favorite book to him (well, she has it somewhat memorized -so she is not actually reading it!)  It is a long video, but I want to remember the book anyway because it is Colton's favorite, and I also think they are so sweet together in it!

A Few Random Thoughts

• Colton has been consistently identifying the color blue correctly, however he identifies it as "Colton's favorite color" each time.  Literally, anything that is blue he will point at and say, "that's Colton's favorite color" (as taught to him by Summer!).   Yet if you ask him what color it is, he will state the name of any random color (i.e. he does not associate the color blue with the word "blue" but definitely identifies it correctly each time!)
• Colton is picking up his sister's good manners and now says, "No thank you, Mommy" when he doesn't want to do something his Mommy asks him to do!  Hard to get too mad, yet correction is still necessary!
• Summer is quite the socialite everywhere, but especially amusing at church.  She buzzes around the sanctuary after church saying hi to all number of people and all variety of ages.  I think it is pretty funny because I was so shy at age 3!
• Summer is getting so much better at stringing sounds together and identifying words.  She loves to practice while we are eating lunch or breakfast, and asks for the flashcards so she can sound out the words. 
• Colton, too, loves doing flashcards at breakfast and lunch.  He will ask for them at meal time by saying "do Colton's letters" or "do Colton's numbers".  We are working on counting and numbers with him right now--he can identify 0 and 1 somewhat consistently, but that is about it!

I think I'm caught up for now!  Have a good week!