Walked and Walked and Walked and Walked (and sang a little too)

Monday everyone had to get up a little earlier than normal so they could put on all their layers to walk to school.  It was 16 degrees out when they left.  I was glad that Alan walked them down and I could wave bye from inside.  I help some people jump their car and the little kids that usually come on mondays came and played.  We walked down to get Lauren and it was still freezing...but warmer than 16.  We got a flat stroller tire on the way there.  Luckily it was on Connor's side and he is still little, but it was hard to push through the piles of snow that we had to go through in spots.  We just tried to get some cleaning done.  Then walked back down to get Jared.  We walked around quad 2 a little after getting mail.  They had a pretty cool Captain Moroni snow statute in their quad and a horse (laying down).  When I went back on Tuesday to take a picture Moroni had melted enough to fall over, but the horse still looked good.  In the evening we had a fun time having family home evening.

Tuesday Alan walked them to school again and I walked to pick them up.  Depending on how fast they walk home it can take us a little while.  I taught Brad's preschool in the morning too.  I worked on apples any chance I got and Alan helped me can 7 more quarts of apple sauce that evening.

Brad is an amazing apple peeler.  He peeled all the ones you can see on the counter.

He couldn't be slowed down a second time for a better picture with the window closed.

The horse from quad 2 (we went back on Tuesday for a picture)

I had made a little rice box that we used a little at preschool.  These guys had fun playing in it that night and the next...see all those milk lids filled up with rice...they are cupcakes.  They said something like the mom gets to have the most.  I hope I'm still the mom in this game, but I think I overheard that Lauren was the mom...and no the rice didn't stay on the sheet and yes Connor did eat some.

 Wednesday was more walking, but it was a little warmer in the morning...almost twice as warm as monday.  We cleaned up more.  Everyone was getting pretty tired from having to walk so much...especially Lauren.  She had to make more trips than Jared and the other 2 rode most of the time.  Wednesday night Grandma and Grandpa Atherton stopped by for just couple of minutes and dropped off some nice warm winter coats for us.

Thursday we went and helped in Lauren's class.  On our way home we poked our heads into the gym to see Jared and the rest of the first graders having their Thanksgiving feast.  I wish I had the camera. They were all dressed up as pilgrims and indians...teachers too.  They had laid butcher paper down on the floor for the tables and they sat and ate.  It looked like a lot of fun.  Jared was super excited about it.  It was also the first time he got to have school lunch...it was their turkey gravy day.  He said it was pretty good.  It was fun to hear all about it on our walk home.  Thursday night I went to a Relief Society visiting teaching conference.  Midday Alan took the car down and got the windshield replaced.    They got it all done and he started to drive away some snow slid forward and water started running down the inside of the window, so Alan too it back and they fixed it...reglued it.  It is nice to be able to drive again.  Alan also worked on some games for a BlackBerry promotion.   At one point on Thursday we were using the toilet paper to wipe off our white boards and it was in the front room when I went into the bathroom.  Asked Lauren if she could get me a new toilet paper because I knew it was almost gone.  She quickly ran and got me the roll then said "I'll get you a new one if that won't be enough".  I laughed so hard!   All that was left on the roll was the less than one square that is stuck to the tube with glue.  Yep not quite enough. She laughed too :)

Friday Jared and Lauren wanted to walk down to school again.  I went and helped in Jared's class and Bradley and Connor went to a friend's.  We walked down to pick up Jared after school...and almost got poured on.   We worked on some fun little Thanksgiving crafts. Vacuumed out the car (there was still some glass inside), went swimming, and watched Garfield's Thanksgiving.

Jared got to have a powwow on Friday and then bring home his costumes.

The Indian name he picked for himself.  He wanted to be Tasmanian devil...but we don't have them here in America, so he went with the next best one?

Saturday Jared and Bradley got hair cuts first thing in the morning.  Jeff and Elizabeth Stopped by while their laundry was going and we talked about food for Thanksgiving.  We made a list and set off for Winco with a couple of other stops too. Outdoors unlimited was doing a grand reopening party since they moved locations.  We drove by on our way to Winco but it was crazy so we stopped back by on our way home.  When we got home we went to a Paw-ty for a girl in our quad.  They had a bunch of fun animal games to play. Everyone had a good time.  Then we had to hurry home and make dinner for a family that recently had a baby...I kind of forgot, but remembered in time.  We just relaxed after dinner. We watched the exciting and stressful second half of the girl's soccer game.  They won it in a shoot out in the 8th or 9th round.  We also watched the football game.  (I'm sure we saw Ashley and Will at some point when they scanned the BYU fans :)

A nice rainbow Alan got to see while he was unloading groceries and the rest of us were at the party.

Today was our primary program in sacrament meeting.  Everyone did great...and I'm pretty sure you could hear them at the back of the chapel (maybe even in Springville).  I played the piano and Alan had to sit on the stand with his class.  Jeff and Elizabeth were nice enough to come sit with Bradley and Connor.  For singing time we did magic water.  I had clear little cups some with water and some with vinegar.  Then there were spoons with a drop of food coloring on it covered up by baking soda.  Someone would come and pick a spoon and cup and see if they would get a reaction.  If there was a reaction they would get to pick the song and if not then I would pick the song.  The colors were just fun,but maybe if I do it in the future they could determine the song too.  It was a good day at church. Alan said his class had some challenges but they played some fun games today that helped.

"I see you didn't get all the groceries put away.  I can help with that" (I did put the most critical ones away...one turkey in the freezer and one in the fridge)

We are looking forward to our company this week and stuffing our bellies so full of food we'll have to roll home (We are planning on eating at the multipurpose building).  We were kind of slow getting our thankful chart up, but now that it has been up for a week or so it is getting full.  It is fun to see the things  Jared and Lauren choose to write since they are able to write their own things on the chart.  They are pretty into it.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!