Ok, to start the week, here's the picture I took while you were Hanging Out with us last week:
In other pet news, during FHE that night, Sterling jumped out of character, landed on Carlie's lap like a normal cat! Weirdest.
After our lesson, we played Loaded Questions... I have to say that when the question was, "With the skills you have now, what job would you be most suited for?" I got to use the infamous!!!!! I'll give you 3 guesses. Not Dynamite, not Teen Titans...
On Tuesday it rained all day again. After school, the kids ran out to (turns out) play in the mud. Connor couldn't find his coat, so I had to show you that he used his bath robe... Haha!! Then when Nathan asked him to play, I made him get something else on.
That night, we all got cleaned up and went to Halle & Kierste's piano recital. They have been working so hard on individual Christmas songs, and on a duet of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." It sounds so cool!
Grandma & Grandpa were able to make it. =)
We drove through Culver's on our way home, of course. Every semester-long labor & performance deserves some kind of ending reward. =)
Wednesday was Crazy Hair/Clothes/Shoes/Socks day for Magic Week. We as a PTA combined all the Ribbon weeks: red (drug prevention), white (internet safety), blue (bullying, abuse) & green (physical safety: bike, pedestrian, vehicle) into one week, mostly because we didn't have that many individual parents who were willing to lead a whole week for each ribbon. So here are the kids' crazy everything. Please don't miss the mohawk of ponytails on Connor, and the brilliance of the twins' clothes over clothes:
That day, Carlie asked Andrew Conley to Preference. His mom (they are the other Jeff & Melanie in the ward) sent me these because we forgot to take pics before she took it over. They have some kind of inside joke from their Chemistry group:
I love how happy he looks. =)
On Thursday, Dad picked up his ski pass for the most pathetic year of skiing ever. But still. Look how handsome he is:
Connor has been asking me to let him sell his Pokemon cards, like a lemonade stand. Finally, I told him that if a brother helped him & stayed with him, he could. Derek outlined a poster for him, and Morgan helped him finish it and set up. Then Morgan bought his cards from him. =) My mommy heart overflows when I see this kind of literal brotherly kindness. I love it so much I can hardly stand it.
Dad wanted me to include the sunset picture, so here's one of him & Derek coming home during Pokemon sales. Derek had to go get "A Wrinkle in Time" to read, and then it comes out in theaters in March.
Halle & Kierste had their sewing class that day (still Thursday). They each made a flower wristband and some pillows. While we were taking a picture of their handiwork, the dogs started kissing, so we decided to include them:
That night, Morgan had a game:
The Spartans worked so hard and won. And Daddy coached with Cory. I love seeing this lineup.
When we got home, Carlie's answer was on the doorstep. Preference in 2 weeks:
That day (still thursday!!!) had been Hat Day for school, and Connor had worn Derek's fedora all day, but mostly wore it like this. Here's scripture study that night:
Ok, I have to interject this. Earlier in the week, it was the Academy Awards, and Oprah won one of them. She gave this great, empowering speech, full of history & the struggling Black girl, and she is the first black woman to receive this award. Now the Democrats have found their new Presidential candidate. I can think of worse, but wow. They care so much that a billionaire generally has no qualifications to be president, but somehow this one does. It's all kind of comical; kind of something to keep our eye on.
And the women at the Academy Awards coordinated that night and all wore black gowns, in solidarity against sexual harassment/abuse. Jana commented on an article about it, saying that it's ironic that a lot of the gowns that night were so revealing, when they were trying to stop sexual harassment. She got a lot of blowback from women saying that that is exactly why the women should reveal... to prove that they should be able to do that without harassment. And while part of that is true, I had to back up Jana's cry for modesty. So here's my comment for posterity's sake:
Friday, Carlie was designated to distract Deja for her surprise party guests to arrive for her 16th bday. She took her to Sodalicious, and I had to call and give an excuse to have to come home... bad guy til I die. =)
Saturday, we took ScoJo out (KelsiJo's bday is today, Sunday) to mostly tell them all things Kauai because they are going in a few weeks! We're so excited for them and jealous!!! And Ruby River is sooooooooo good.
We got this on GroupMe. I can't believe they're in San Diego seeing Hamiltion:
So in ward conference today, we got a new bishopric! Brother Brown was called as bishop, and Bro. Fuller & Bro. Whitworth are his counselors. We are so happy for the outgoing bishopric - Galloway, Lamb, Ashcraft. They were so fantastic; and now their families can have them back. =)
Not to be outshone, I got another calling, too! I now have, hands down, the TWO best callings in the ward: PART-TIME library, and Activity Days. 
I love that H&K will be in my group for the next year & 2 months... this is going to be awesome!!!
So, speaking of the library, while I was in there today, searching my LDS Tools for people who have left their scriptures in the library to text them, I pulled up your page under "missionaries." Did you already know that your mission is shaped like a kangaroo????
For visual reference:
Hahahaha!!!! 
Lastly, tonight we had G&G Levie & Grant over... how did we forget to take a picture?????? Afterwards, during Mormon Rummy, Morgan discovered that Grandpa Madsen's method of layers of grouping is GENIUS and adopted it. It's funny that we went from making fun of it to Morgan bowing down to the brilliance. =)
Ok, I don't know how many memes it's going to let me attach. This one already looks so full! But here goes:
It's so warm here, and it keeps kind of raining, but no snow; a little in the mountains.
A couple January diet ones, because I think the whole nation is simultaneously fighting through their NY resolutions; most still holding on:
And a few from the file:
Hey, we are trying to be really good people; trying every single day. Thank you for being there as an example. We're heading into the allegory of the olive tree in Jacob 5, by way of scripture update. I love explaining & discussing the scriptures with the kids; it's one of the most important things that happens in our house. I love that each of the kids is proficient enough at saying family & meal prayers that they can pray with guests there, and they cover everything we need, including you every time. I love every chance we have to feel the spirit together: it's the best part of being a family. I'm trying to think of anything else you would want to know about how we're doing, but I think that covers it, right? I'm so proud of all my kids. So proud. I can see in each of their eyes that they want to be good people, and they're trying hard, and that is all Dad & I want. That is our entire purpose in parenting.
Love you so much!! Can't wait to Hangout with you tomorrow!!! ~us
