Dear Family and Friends,

I can't decide whether to be happy or sad that we will no longer have the terrible 2s in our family. Of course whether we are facing the terrific 3s or the terrible 3s is yet to be seen. Last Monday everyone was out of school and we had an awesome birthday party for Robyn. Luke's dad put his foot down and said his son couldn't attend a princess party but Robyn was so entranced by everything else she didn't have a chance to miss him. Allison and her friends Alena came early to set up and decorate for the party - acting very self-important about their tasks and having a ball. Then two more big girl friends ended up showing up so every little girl had a big person to take care of them and all were happy. They made fruit loop necklaces, played with playdough, played duck, duck, goose and ring around the rosey, ate pizza and red velvet cake, oohed and awed at presents and danced around with their wands. Tons of pictures to follow.

I who have sometimes feel family deprived had a fantastic family filled week. I fill like the squirrel storing away family time for the famine that is coming up! Daniel, Mimi and Claire were here for the whole week with Nicole, Mimi's sister staying periodically. Mimi just makes me feel like I am queen of the world, uber talented and supplies delicious treats and ideas for activities and meals out. Most of all though I loved just hanging out and visiting with Daniel and Mimi. Daniel ended up working more than he wanted to but still managed to fall asleep with a book in front of our fireplace a few times. Claire was just a kissable chubby cheek bundle of fun who Robyn loved to mother.

Monday with Robyn crashed from the party and Spencer and Allison at friends for the afternoon Mimi, Nicole and I (thanks to Daniel's gracious babysitting offer) went out to a movie. I literally could not remember seeing a movie with friends in the afternoon since college at least! We watched Bride Wars and laughed a bunch.

Tuesday we all went up to tour the Logan temple and then went out to dinner at the Pizza Factory. They made Robyn a pizza in the shape of a 3 and the kids all loved their tall breadsticks cooked on these long dowels. So glad Spencer refrained from sword fighting with them. The temple was beautiful and had colors everywhere reminiscent of a woodland meadow. The kids thought it was so cool to see the inside of a temple and see where we go all the time.

Thursday Mimi and I and the two little girls had a girls day out that I was so sad to cut short for carpool. We went up to SLC to the Children's museum and then out to this hamburger place called the Counter. It had incredible hamburgers and sweet potato fries. I ate a ton and rolled my way to the car.

Friday my parents came down to stay till they check into the MTC tomorrow. They leave for Australia next Monday. We all had pizza and movie night together and enjoyed hanging out. Mimi picked up a cheesecake from Kneaders and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. Robyn was excited that she knew exactly what to do and leaned over to blow my candle out.

Saturday we hung out and were sad knowing that Daniel's family was leaving! The girls went to get pedicures so now I have Hawaiin pink toes ( I am counting down the days!). Daniel and Mimi and Claire left that afternoon and I sat around feeling sad for myself for a little bit. Then we all went to clean the office and my parents and Jeremy and I went out to Market Street Grill for an excellent dinner and came home to left over cheesecake. Its a good thing we are having Fast Sunday today, I need to get my stomach back into shape!

Kids lives went on and around all the family activities. Spencer decided to cut his hair short so he could spike it. It looks really cute and much more clean cut. Friday he had his big snowshoeing day up at Midway. They went to an underground crater with a hot spring in it, went to an Indian museum and then learned how to snow shoe and made their way to an Indian yurt to talk about Native American traditions. It was a packed day for him and he came home flying high, bouncing off the walls with happiness and excitement.

Allison has been staying up late and getting up early to read a new series of American Girl books I found at the library. She liked having Claire around but she LOVED having Mimi and Nicole around to be girly with. Her social calendar seems like it gets packed between friends, piano, gymnastics and right now swimming. At the moment she is busy making doll clothes as my mom showed her how to make patterns for little coats and shirts. She is very proud to be sewing with a grown-up needle.

Robyn has just been in princess heaven all week when she isn't trying out her pouting princess tantrums. She got a bunch of new dress-ups for her birthday including a suitcase from my parents to put it all in and an antique hat of my grandma's. Every day she starts out cute for 30 minutes or so and then she goes through different outfits and accessories depending on the moment. I really don't know if she is ready for underwear but she sure thinks she is. So she tries and I mutter under my breath as I put the washing machine on the sanitary cycle for the numerous "oops" moments.

Jeremy had a couple of photography events this week. He did 2 photo shoots - one is of a little girl in the snow and looks amazing, check out his flicker site. And he went to 2 photo meetings. He is really trying to step it up a notch on his photographic abilities and is producing some amazing photos and enjoying the process. He is busy setting up a photo camp in March. I forgot to mention that last week he sold his quad to one friend and bought a used trail quad from another. Thing he is most excited about is that it has a snow plow so right now he is out being a good neighbor and scraping all the sidewalks (and having a ball).

I have just been in heaven all week, loving having Daniel's family here. We had warm weather this week with highs in the 40s so most of our snow melted and you can drive to our house without biting your tongue off with all the four wheeling. Only bad part is that it caused an inversion so the sky was really yucky. Today we got a bunch of wet slushy snow. So Claire missed out on building a snow man. So they will just have to come again next year! I am counting down to Hawaii and bought our luau tickets this week. Almost have finished lining up babysitters for the daytime.

Love to you all and my apologies for the long list of photos! Heather



This little girls had a great time playing ring around the rosey.



All the girls were awed that Mimi knew the words.







Robyn loved to dress up Claire. I don't know if Claire like the dress but she really like Robyn's purse.





It started out as a large circle and then with every present, it got closer and closer till we were all on top of each other as all the girls wanted to see the presents.









Spencer ended up having 2 friends over during the party. They all headed to the kitchen at food time. Mimi told them that they got cake last unless they were wearing a dress. So Matthew ran to get a dress on so he could have cake first. We all busted up.

Robyn's cinderella cake. She had definite ideas of what a cinderella cake meant. I must have figured it out because she loved her cake.



Jeremy came home for a long lunch, providing pizzas and picture taking.





Playdough mania



Claire loved being surrounded by all these little girls.



Pictures from sledding last Saturday.






Spencer dared Daniel to go over the jump and Daniel hammed it up.














Jeremy's new toy