New Equipment

We have finally bit the bullet: we pulled the trigger on a swing, and justified it as a b-day present for Kiwi. But, I didn't want some little tiny thing that only the under-fives could use. No, I finally found the perfect one at the perfect price. And wow, having it delivered, it was astounding how heavy it was. And after a full day of working on it, which of course implied a few missteps, we got it up.

Now, after of month, the kids are loving it. G-man even has had issues doing his homework, as he would rather play on the swing. And, he finally has figured out how to swing. Kiwi has long since figured that out, but she has always loved swinging. Mr S and JW are also great at swinging, and JW does a wonderful job of holding tight to not fall off.

The Funeral

We braved the 12 hour trip to my Grandma's funeral.  It's a long, grueling drive, especially with four kids.  But do you know what makes a 12 hours trip even worse?  Sick kids!  We had pukers starting about 6 hours in and it continued all weekend.  After 12 hours of driving, only Kiwi and I were able to attend the funeral.  So that really sucked.  But I want to remember two things that made the trip totally awesome. 

My family:  Almost my entire family was able to stay in my cousin's home.  My BIL had to stay home to work.  We missed having him. The house was huge, so every family had their own room.  My family was so gracious and kind about the stomach flu we brought with us.  I was ready to head back home.  No one wants the stomach flu right? I am so glad they wanted us to stay.  We had fun talking, playing games, and letting the cousins play.  It was wonderful!

The Snow: It snowed the day after the funeral.  That's something my kids don't see often. Maybe once a year, if we get our act together to drive up the mountain. We hadn't done that this year. There was a little hill in back we slid down. Then me, my sister, and brothers had a snowball fight!  Boys against girls, just the siblings.  My favorite memory of the trip.  I discovered I'm not a team player.  I tended to run away as Ruth got pummeled with snow.  Sorry Ruth.  I guess I deserve a few snowballs in the face.  So much fun.

Because we were sick, we didn't get to see much of my cousins or aunt/uncles. But I am so grateful for the time with my family to be reminded how much fun we can have together. 

Pictures of the Snow:

Sledding with uncles, aunts, and cousins

Grandma and Grandpa's grave

The temple in the snow

Kiwi turns 7

Way back in February...call me a slacker. I'm taking a year off because next year is BIG.  I'm already dreading the thought of it.  This year was simple, with family and a DISGUSTING cake.  I hate to admit it since I made it myself.  I went for a Pinterest idea that looked easy.  Kiwi picked out a rainbow cake mix.  That combined with the Kit Kats and M&M's was not a winning combination.  But it looked cute :)

Kiwi's still cute as ever, growing into quite the beautiful little girl.  The latest things going on in her life are:
A new school and friends that she has finally learned to love.
Gymnastics and a newfound love of headstands.  She's getting pretty good and is now asking for a mat so she can practice without getting a headache.
She has now lost two teeth.  The second involved a lot of whining, crying, cajoling and finally bribery. 
She's grudgingly learning to play the piano.  She would love it if it didn't involve practicing.  

She loves music on the radio.  She sings songs with her friends and they make up dances to them.

She's fiercely independent, demanding to do things on her own terms and at her own pace. 
She's a nurturer at heart, always helping those smaller than her. 

So Happy Birthday cutie girl.  I love you to pieces!

Great Grandma Cox

My grandma passed away last week. She was just a few days past 94.  She's my mothers mother, and I've always been closer to my mom's side of the family.  It probably has something to do with the fact that my dad's mom passed when I was only 15.  It's hard to keep an extended family strong when the mom is gone.  It also probably has to do with the fact that I see so much of my self in my mother and in her mother.  I probably would see much of myself in my mother's mother's mother.

   We Cox ladies are a fairly particular set.  We like things to be how we like them to be and we get pretty upset when it doesn't go the way we hope.  We work hard and we play hard.  Beware of playing cards with us.  You might end up with the deck in your lap  Although I think that trait may have skipped my mom. 

My grandma was the wife of a farmer.  Life was hard.  She canned, she baked bread, she gardened, and she sewed.  She also was a teacher, working at the local elementary school for many years. She served a mission for our church with my grandpa. She also traveled, seeing much of the world, with or without my grandpa.  If the farm wouldn't let him go, she planned trips without him.

I love my grandma.  She did so many things that are just dreams to me right now. I was named after her oldest child who died at birth.  My daughter was named for her mother.  I hope to live up to the legacy she left me and pass it on to my daughter too.  

G-man Flag Football

G-man has found that his favorite sport is flag football. We enrolled him in the YMCA Flag Football, and he has been having a great time. The coach is great at getting all the boys in the game, as they get in and play a set of plays, and then rotate. It works out really well, as they are running constantly and the other teams seem to get worn out fast.

G-Man's Pinewood Derby, Year 2 of 3

I failed to post this last month. But, G-man finished his second Pinewood Derby race. He did much better, as I figured out how to get the wheels to work a bit better and purchased a few more supplies to make it all work better. Still, only tied for second in his den, with only three of them. Better than last, I say.

I took horrible pictures this year too, so this is the best shot of him I have.

Here's hoping that next year is the best yet.

Garbagemen

Mr S and JW are total fanatics when it comes to garbage. They love taking out the trash and recycling (and yes, they know the difference!), taking out the blue and green garbage cans (Mr S won't take out the stinky one), and taking them in again. The ultimate experience is of course watching the garbage truck pick up the cans. Of course, that might be topped by the required reenactment of the morning's coolness. So, here is a picture of Mr S and JW helping Mom with the garbage can: