Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year! 2015 is going to be great!

I was very thankful that my work gave us a week and a half off for Christmas and New Year's. I got to spend almost all of that time with the kids. It was great! The boys played with old cardboard boxes, cutting them out and drawing on them. Here is Ephraim deep into thought. I thought it was cute.

We went for a hike with Grandma and Grandpa and their dog Basker. 

 

We found a rock maze on our hike too. The highlight for the kids was seeing cows up close. The cows were all over our trails. We literally had to walk around them because they blocked the path.

First week back at school and Gabriel's attitude was amazing! He took pride in being grown up and did his homework without complaint or tantrums. As a reward, he earned video game time. Here he is singing along to the game and being super happy.

Ephraim uses a sticky hand to give himself a goatee. (He has a few uncles to imitate there.)

Gabriel created an encouragement poster for himself, all on his own. It says: Be the master builder (from The Lego Movie)! Be the best boy at school! Be creative! Be good! Be like Emmett! (character from the movie)

Giving Ephraim a haircut, he wanted a mohawk first. I took a picture so it will last longer.

Both kids got attacked by a cold last week. Gabriel drew a picture of himself fighting it. I love the 3D box of tissue on his side.

The kids still like dressing up in costumes. I made this faux-overall outfit (it's just a thing that goes over their head and can tuck into their pants) to go with the Mario hat that Grandma Cook made for them a while ago. 

We played outside on Saturday when it was a little warmer. Ephraim is fascinated by the colors on this leaf.  

BIG NEWS!!
At dinner last night (Sunday 1/18), Ephraim discovered his first loose tooth! He has been playing with it and asking me when it will fall out.

He is so incredibly happy about his loose tooth!! (Nevermind that I'm practically in tears... my little baby is growing up! He will be 5 in March and that is just too old.)