Happy Valentine's Day!

 Hailey had her Valentine's Day party at school on Friday and gave all her friends the Valentine above- thanks Tania for the cute idea...the kids love it and Addison and Laynie want one just like it with their face to give to their friends!

And while we're on the subject of Hailey, here is a picture of her on Monday...curls relaxed a little...and wearing the new outfit that Nana gave her. Could there be a cuter girl?

Weekend Highlights:  Kelly spent Friday  snowboarding with Logan at Mt. Spokane, and Friday-night SNOWBOARDING with the scouts at Mt. Spokane...I didn't feel that sorry for him when he told me on Saturday how sore he was.

I spent Friday volunteering in each of the kids' classrooms! and feeding my latest addiction of Downton Abbey (a PBS Masterpiece Classic...it's delightful!!)

Saturday Kelly took me on a date to PF Changs with Blayre and Ryan...then back to our house for Rootbeer Floats and movie night! Life is good.

Curly vs. Straight

 Last night the girls (Minus Maren) slept on rollers.  I have fond memories of doing this as a child and remember loving the results...as one who NEVER had any sort of curl to my hair whatsoever, this was a dream come true for a day!  Well, as I pulled the rollers out of Laynie's hair this morning, her reaction was less than ecstatic- in fact, I would have projected her reaction as something to occur if I were to ever SHAVE her head...tears, screaming, threats, pleas, etc.  It wasn't pretty. At last I convinced her to put a few ribbons in and call it good as we needed to leave for church.

 We managed to take a picture right after church before Laynie DUMPED a bucket of water on her head...yes she did.

 Cute and cold....

 You would never guess that just hours before she was a screaming, tearful, disaster.

In the middle of her tantrum, Kelly played counselor and had Laynie do art therapy...the picture above is her rendering of her morning experience..

"This is my example for me" (with the curly hair girl crying and scribbled out)

 In other news, I tried this recipe for soft pretzels...HEAVEN!  It brought me right back to the streets of Germany! The kids loved them...so they will have to become a regular at the table at our house.

Weekend Highlights: Everyone took turns feeling nauseous...Hailey was the only throw-upper though, so that's a plus.

Logan(Kelly's brother) was kind enough to stay late after work on Friday to make Kelly and I teeth-whitening trays, so come the cruise (in exactly 4 weeks!!!) we will have tan bodies and white teeth...here's hopin :)

Kelly built me shelves in the Laundry room for some major food storage baby!!

And we had an extra-good fast Sunday testimony meeting today...

How was your weekend?

Tired Much?

 Did you know that Hailey, more than any of our other children, has been able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere?  Mostly it's at the dinner table...there was a streak about a year ago when she would fall asleep eating at least every other night!

This time though, it was the stairs...oh to be 3 again...

Weekend highlights: Snowboarding (for Kelly)

Friday night temple session

Moneyball (Kelly loved it, I thought it was good)

Saturday morning Organize-the-Laundry-Room-extravaganza

Met the new neighbors...

Movie Night with Blayre and Ryan- Real Steel (I don't really care what the movie is about if Hugh Jackman is in it!)

Sunday morning church...Sunday afternoon nap!

How was your weekend?

Hello January!

I know that it has been January for over 3 weeks already, obviously I'm not quite on the ball with reflecting that change in my blog...here's to a new year and doing a better job keeping up on my blog!

Last week it snowed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!  The kids L.O.V.E.D. it!!  and you can only imagine the joy when I told them on Friday school was cancelled- Addison and Laynie cheered...and Hailey cried.  She only goes to school 2 days a week, so when it's NOT her day to go she is so sad...that sadness was multiplied of course on a day she was supposed to go, but couldn't! Poor Hailey.

 Here is a picture from the morning of the snow day, all the kids snuggled under a blanket and Addison was reading to them...holy cow, it was so cute.  Mothering has some great moments...

 For some reason I love this picture...it's so sad but so cute at the same time!  Maren has had a little bit of a rough go.  She now has 4 teeth!! and her first only poked through about 6 weeks ago, so 4 teeth in 6 weeks is no fun (I'm assuming).  But, she has learned how to scoot all around and pick up any little gross thing off the floor and eat it! so life isn't all bad for her!

This is how I spent my time on the snow day!  Thanks for all the great ideas Pinterest!!! I just love copying other people's cute ideas and getting compliments on them :)

Other highlights from January include Addison and Laynie starting piano lessons, hearing Elder Holland speak at our stake conference, and making homemade bread 3 weeks in a row! (with freshly ground wheat, might I add...thank you Blendtec!!)

Kelly is out of town this week and I miss him!  I have been especially grateful for our marriage lately, and not only because he's taking me on a 7-day cruise in 6 weeks...but also because he's seriously amazing.

What? did I say amazing? yeah, I'd say this beach  falls under that category...6.more.weeks.

Christmas Eve Traditions

  We love Santa Pancakes!!

 And here's our Christmas eve dinner!

Okay, we didn't JUST eat treats...well the kids might have..

 There was so much deliciousness!

 Even Italian Sodas!!

 And of course the nativity play...Aunt Julia playing the "pregnant Mary" (cause she didn't have to play the 'pregnant' part...

 And here's "Mary"  "Joseph" and "Baby Jesus"...bet you didn't know that baby Jesus had a binki!

 The traditional 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' pyramid!

 ...and of course the new jammies!

Even new jammies for Mom and Dad (picture courtesy of Laynie!)

Gingerbread extravaganza!

 Perhaps trying to continue to Pickett tradition, we hosted a Ditto Family Gingerbread Party...and Party we did!  How can you not with that much candy overflowing in every direction?!

 It may sound like fun, but it's a very serious matter...as you can see by the facial expressions.

 Okay, not everyone had serious facial expressions...

 ...especially not Logan!

 The gingerbread village!

 Laynie was super proud of her house- (it was pretty awesome...even better than some of the adults!)

The whole group! 

Thanks for a super fun night Dittos!

I love it.

in case it's too hard too read, it says: From Alayna To Santa

Ding Santa, I Wo a play wmputur fur Kismos how do the elus make the tals

(translation) From Alanya, To Santa-

dear Santa, I want a play computer for Christmas. How do the elves make the toys?