Weird Home Improvement projects

We've been in a home-improvement frenzy here since last year. Remodeling the basement/garage, kitchen, adding a bathroom, an in-ground pool... yikes! It feels like there is always something going on.
I'm not exactly sure what home improvement project William is working on.... but these are sure great blackmail pictures for when he grows up :)

Toast

I think of my grandpa, William Rockot every time I butter my toast. I remember so many breakfasts at my grandparents house with REAL butter and my grandpa had a real talent for buttering my Italian bread toast just right. It's funny the things that remind us of the people we love and miss

Blessings

Delaney bore her testimony at church today and I am so very proud of her. What an amazing young woman she is becoming...

Pizza party

I came home yesterday to a chicken pizza party

We found some pizza in the basement fridge too old for us to eat. Jonathan threw it outside for garbage. The chickens heard "Come and Get It!"

Road Runner, our Rooster had to check out the pizza before the hens could partake. I'm guessing they voted him the royal taste tester in case things were poisoned 

Once he ate and didn't die, it was a pizza feeding frenzy 

it's the perfect type of snow...

If we count our blessings, we can be thankful for the wet heavy now that, even though it pulled down our power line, is the perfect snow-fort-making snow!
So after Duquesne Light was here to fix the power most of the kids headed out to try out the new brick-makers that Daddy bought for them a few weeks ago

Daddy told them the best place to build--over near the camper

Getting ready for battle by building their forts - 20 paces apart

Ninja!

too beautiful to be a Ninja... but just as deadly!

Lots of holes to peek through and see his target...

I love that smile of hers!

Oh boy!

Putting the finishing touches on for big brother

This is what little brothers do... at least she accepts it...

Biggest snowball and biggest smile! That's one happy boy!

3 pieces of my heart...the other piece is inside making me some artwork

I can never resist this face...

Winter Wonderland

I took my phone to bed with me last night. Something I almost never do. But something told me that the kids would have school delays today and I wanted to know early and not have to leave the warm, comfort of my bed to check. At 6:15 I was rewarded with a 2 hour delay. Back to sleep. By 7:24 (by when I was, in fact, up at at 'em) we were rewarded with school cancelled. My husband pulled a fast one on Addison and told her that if she helped him clean her room today he would let her stay home all day. Tricky!

We were also rewarded with the power line ripped out of our house from the ice storm. Thank God we have a whole-house generator or I may not have had the feeling of peace to go outside and capture on of the real blessings of the day... the winter wonderland that was right outside our door.

The blessings keep coming... a nice breakfast together and fresh bread baking in the oven. (And it actually rose this time! hallelujah!) I foresee some snuggly movie time in my future...

Now THIS is how you eat Waffles....

"No fork for me, Mumma... I don't need one. Just more whipped cream..."

sometimes I don't know how this kid stays alive because he eats so little...

then there are other days like today where he demolished a whole waffle with strawberries and extra, extra, extra whipped cream and then ate TWO PJ&Js for lunch and is now currently getting ice cream with Daddy at Mim's

tomorrow I'm betting he eats a ring pop sucker. and that's it.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Life at the Bernard farm is like watching an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

There are outrageous parties in the hot tub...

Every night is a gourmet meal with a menu for you dining pleasure... 

 (Daddy waiting to be served)

(The beautiful, friendly waitstaff)

You get to even pretend to be someone you are not...

Okay... so here is the REAL story. 

1. Yes. We have a hot tub. Yes. We are blessed and use it a lot.
   
2. We did such a good sell job on the kids that we were having a leftover night that they actually made up menus and took orders for drinks and dinner. It was so fun! They were even fighting over who was going to be the sommelier (or wine/drink expert), the waitress and the cook who dishes up the food. 
3. We had a very fun game of "Guess Who I Am?" last night. It was made even more interesting by the fact that the category cards were missing so it was a crap shoot as to what we were guessing. It made for some fun questions like "Do I wear pants?" and "What they heck am I if I don't have fur or feathers but I am an animal???" We told Daddy to stop being "Crabby"

All in all. I wouldn't trade a second of this not-so-rich-and-famous life. It's amazing just the way it is.

This picture says it all... Daddy and Jonathan having a blast. William is bored :( money well spent 🙈

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Man! It's loud in here!!!

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He's ready!

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Ready for Monster Jam!!!

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Boys night! We took Jonathan (9) and Will (4) to their first Monster Jam Truck show. (It's Mom and Dads first time too). So excited!

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Family scripture time

We have accepted our Stake Presidents challenge this year to read the Book of Mormon as a family. It's not always a pleasant occasion. A lot of times there is a lot of yelling and it doesn't always look like the pictures we show at church with the family gathered around the scriptures and everyone is listening and feeling the Spirit. Tonight it was close though.

I just got back from Utah on Sunday night and so we haven't had family scriptures in a week. Sometimes it's hard to get back into a routine. But tonight we had many willingly open hearts. We even had every head bowed for prayer. 

As Addison's special gift I brought her her own personalized scriptures and carrying case. She was so excited to get to use them tonight

William also received a scripture book entitled "Who's your hero" where different characters of the Scriptures are highlighted. 

I just love my family so much and am grateful for the knowledge that we are a family forever because of Christ's atonement. I loved kneeling in a circle tonight holding hands as a family and feeling the spirit. 

Now. Just because scripture time went well doesn't mean bedtime went smoothly. Jonathan just HAD to try on Lucy the dogs "cone" one time before bed 

Lunch with friends. Best 2 1/2 hours! But missing Renee and Jake :(

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