Happy Birthday Christian

...with your super-hero themed birthday party, we thought you could use some super-hero snack bags.

Another movie??

Yeah, we just can't stop.
Emma wants to learn how to use imovie. Good goal.

She needed some good material to work with so Ben came up with a catchy premise, all the kids contributed ideas and punchlines, and I acted as camera man. Emma took control of the editing, cutting, soundtracking, perhaps enjoying most the transitions and title screens.

I remember in middle school making dozens of movies with my friends and thinking they were pure gold. I wish I still had those.

Presenting Emma's debut film, Cruze Critical Confessions.

P.S. Let me know if you need any clarification on the dialogue...sometimes hard to hear. I don't want you to miss out on how hilarious it is.

jelly, butter, honey, turkey, cheese

Sometimes when I don't know what to make for lunch I just tell the kids to get whatever they want.
Sometimes they choose a bowl full of cantaloupe slices (Lydia).
Sometimes they invent a new sandwich (Josh).

The end of an era

What's that next to the trash can, you ask?

Oh nothing. Just an eleven-year-old crib mattress.

The one that's held Emma, Ben, Josh, Lydia and Afton.

And now it's done.

Eleven years of bearing tiny newborns who barely take up a corner, rowdy toddlers who jump and climb, and every disgrace imaginable involving bodily fluids.

The mattress has been sporting rips and shreds for some time now, and moves on to a new life at the dump.

The crib however, was given a more respectful retirement. It has managed to stand up quite well to all the abuse five kids had to offer it.  It is presently disassembled and in the attic, ready for a long hibernation until grandbaby Cruzes have need of it.

. . . . .

Hey look, someone put my baby in a big-girl bed.

Did I mention the snow?

We got this much.

I'm sure you've seen everyone else's posts about it anyway. I did not take any good photos of it. I took zero of the kids playing in it. Which is a real shame, because I could have gotten some great ones when we walked over to the horse farm next to our neighborhood. They have some fantastic big hills for sledding there. And the huge snowman the kids whipped up would've been nice for posterity. This was the first time I bundled up Afton and let her join in with the frosty fun. She loved it. She loved walking through it, eating it, making snow angels. She loved every minute until she very suddenly decided she hated it and wouldn't stop taking her gloves off and then couldn't stop crying and wailing, "My hands!" because they were freezing. Unfortunately this moment came all the way over at the horse farm...it was a long walk home. Here is how she looked when she was finally home and warming up with some hot chocolate:

Still wearing about half of her layers of clothes from the snow.

And while the big kids stayed a bit longer at the horse farm, they decided to pet some of the horses. Which was all going just fine until one of them made a quick turn and some piece of its equipment slapped Emma right over the eyeball.

Ouch.

Happy Birthday, from your favorite animal.

Newsmaker

She knows how to purl now... fancy!

Edit: Little Miss Knitting-Pants is 11 today (Monday).
ELEVEN.

I can never say enough good about this girl.
She continues to exceed our expectations.
Bonus: school got snowed out for her birthday!
Love you, Emma.

Sometimes when you hear a good song you just have to make a movie for it

Last night I redeemed an itunes gift card 

(which I won at Christmas Bingo Night...we didn't snag any grand prizes this year, but still made out pretty well).

It was fun to browse and collect a few songs I've been wanting lately.

This one, I loved.

And so...

the kids in 2010
Hourglass

What should I call this post?

"Best Christmas gift ever"?

"I know it's just a thing, but it makes me so happy"?

"I love this so much I want to cry"?

"Scott never ceases to amaze me"?

On an agreed upon No Gifts year, my husband went and got me exactly the family tree art that I've had bookmarked under "Someday" for about two years now. Six generations, seven if you count our kids there at the roots. Leaves showing where everyone is from. From Tennessee to Wales. Iowa to England. Utah to Scotland. Beauty. Heritage. Photos do no justice. Thanks, Love.

Edit: he got it here.