Monday, December 23, 2013

Christmas in New York

Nearly every Christmas finds us in New York spending time with Joe's family.
It is very relaxing to visit, watch TV, enjoy the tree, and just sit.
We also make it a point to visit all of Joe's Aunts.  Here the boys are admiring Aunt Marie's decorations.

We always pick a few Christmas Carols and practice them so we can sing to the Aunts.  They love it.  The boys not so much.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Christmas Card

This year I had the grand idea of making our cards.  I had each of the boys draw Christmas pictures that I matted and put on the front.

Joe wrote a wonderful poem for the inside of the card.

Sometimes the space between stars
on that one sky black night,
reminds us of better times
when we didn't have to try so hard
to achieve the most right
thing for each other, thing for another
Family, friend, neighbor, stanger

Maybe we can pause on that night
and choose the space between the stars.
Instead of noise,
listen to silence,
instead of being hurt,
practice kindness.
Instead of caring for our wounds,
doing what's right.

And here is the picture.  Our boys are getting so big.



The cards turned out really cute, but they were a lot of work.  Someone remind me of that, next time I decide to make our cards.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Interview with a Six Year Old

1. What is your favorite color?
Green
2. What is your favorite toy?
Legos
3. What is your favorite fruit?
Oranges
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Ultimate Spider Man
5.  What is your favorite movie?
The Lord Of The Rings
6.  What is your least favorite chore?
Making My Bed
7. What is your favorite animal?
Whale
8. What is your favorite song?
I Am A Child Of God
9.  What is your favorite book?
Jungle Book
10.  Who is your best friend?
My cousins, Patrick and Max
11.  What is your favorite dinner?
Pizza
12.  What is your favorite breakfast?
Cereal
13.  What is your favorite game?
Minecraft
14.  What is your favorite thing to play outside?
Snowball Fights
15.  What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween
16.  What is your favorite subject in school?
Recess
17. What is your goal for this year?
Being smart about animals
18. Do you think you reached your goal for last year?
Yes. I don't hit as much
19.  What do you spend your time thinking about?
Video Games
20.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
Cowboy

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Introducing...

Caprice Aria Woolstenhulme

Matthew is very happy to have a new cousin who is also a birthday twin. 
Welcome to the world.

Interview with a 7 year old

1. What is your favorite color?
Green
2. What is your favorite toy?
My Scooter
3. What is your favorite fruit?
Apple
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Phineas and Ferb
5.  What is your favorite movie?
Percy Jackson
6.  What is your least favorite chore?
Dishes
7. What is your favorite animal?
Dog
8. What is your favorite song?
I Stand All Amazed
9.  What is your favorite book?
The Fly Guy Books
10.  Who is your best friend?
Caleb Yeager
11.  What is your favorite dinner?
Navajo Tacos
12.  What is your favorite breakfast?
French Toast Sticks
13.  What is your favorite game?
Minecraft
14.  What is your favorite thing to play outside?
Candle Tag
15.  What is your favorite holiday?
My birthday
16.  What is your favorite subject in school?
Science
17. What is your goal for this year?
To do my work better
18. Do you think you reached your goal for last year?
No
19.  What do you spend your time thinking about?
My birthday
20.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Dad

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Primary

Here is where Holden, Matthew, and Anders go on Sunday.  
Doesn't Anders looked pleased to be here?
Notice all the little girls in Matthew's class?  That's right, there aren't any.   Boys, boys everywhere.
And then there is Holden.  At least he enjoys primary.




Wednesday, November 6, 2013

History Class

One of the classes I teach at the home school co-op is an Ancient History class.  The kids read a chapter at home.  Then, in class we discuss the chapter, do map work related to the area, and complete a craft project related to the chapter.  Here are the cute kids.
This week we talked about the Egyptian Pharaoh who was actually a woman.  She would dress like a man and even wore fake beards.  We made fake beards.  The only problem was that I left my appropriate colored tissue paper at home.  A mom who lived close ran home to get some for me.  Of course she only had green and red, so we made Christmasy beards.  The kids didn't seem to mind.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Video Games

This is how our boys would like to spend all day everyday.
At first this touching photo appears to be three brothers cuddled up to read. But upon closer examination, you will note that Nicholas has a DS and Matthew is holding up a book to block it, while he and Holden watch.

See, I told you.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Career Day


They don't allow the kids to wear their Halloween costumes to school.  They do, however, let them dress up as what they want to be when they grow up.  Of course this changes often, but right now Anders says he wants to be a cowboy.  So here he is all dressed up for Career Day.   Round 'em up Cowboy!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Church Halloween Party

I didn't take a camera to the ward Halloween Party.  Luckily, a sister in our ward, Sarah Christensen, was there to take pictures for us.  



I really hate shopping for Halloween Costumes.  I mean really really hate it.  This year we went to every place I could think of to buy costumes.  Anders's cousin, Patrick, gave him a Darth Vader costume and he was super happy with that.  Holden found a Robin Hood hat at one store and a pretend bow and arrow at another.  But Nicholas and Matthew just could not decide what they wanted to be.  When we were at a Halloween store, for the second time, they decided to use stuff from home.  Why could they not have decided that from the beginning? 

Holden in Robin Hood.
Anders is Darth Vader.

Matthew is a Mormon Missionary.

Nicholas is a hippie.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Flowers

Joe sent me flowers today.  Well, he sent me a text with a picture he had taken of flowers. Good enough.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Frozen Yogurt

We are pretty good at our family prayers, but struggle a bit with our personal prayers.  So we made a chart and every time we remembered we put a sticker on the chart.  When we reached 50 stickers the reward was to go out for Frozen Yogurt.  WE DID IT!  Good for us.  Now onto a new chart and the goal of 75.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Apple Picking

Every year we go apple picking on Columbus Day.  This year we went with our friends the Hollands.  Lisa has a friend who lives on an apple orchard.  She let us come and pick as many apples as we wanted for free.  It was a beautiful fall day and we enjoyed every minute of it.
Me and my boys
 I make the boys take an individual picture while picking.  Here they are:
Holden

Nicholas

Matthew

Anders
Bronson is the only Holland kid who wanted an individual shot.
A group shot of all the kids.

Happy Fall Everyone!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Autumn Leaves

Fall in New England means playing in the leaves, right? 
Anders is quite the poser
Can you see Holden's cute little face?
Matthew says thumbs up to playing in leaves.


Now, how do I get them to rack the leaves?

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Music Class

Here are some fun pictures of Matthew's music class at the Homeschool Coop.  


Miss Kristen is great and makes every class and adventure.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Matthew's Field Trip to the Connecticut Science Center

After Anders's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch, Matthew decided he needed a field trip as well.  
We invited another home school family to join us and off we went to the CT Science Center.

The Hurricane Machine

It's pretty loud.
 The Space Exhibit


Comfy chairs to watch a video on astroids.
And more fun stuff.




We definitely got our money out of that Membership.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Symphony Date with the Ackerman Girls

Gail invited Holden to go to the symphony with them tonight.  She got free tickets from the school were Aalyia attends.  It was Holden and a bunch of girls (Roci, Aalyia, and Kaleigh.)  Such a lady's man.   When I asked later what his favorite part of the outing was, he told me it was going to Cold Stone after.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Zachary

How cute is the littlest Yeager?

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Matthew's Primary Talk

I'm pretty sure you aren't suppose to take pictures while a talk is given in Primary, but that didn't stop Joe.  Can you blame him?  Look how cute he looks up there.  And now we have captured it forever.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Red Rose

There is a family run pizza place downtown Springfield called Red Rose.  We love it and go whenever my parents or Joe's parents visit.  Their pizza is great and their salad is yummy yummy yummy.  Joe's parents came to watch Holden play soccer and then we went over to eat pizza.