And January Ends....

Tom was so organized this morning, Sunday he had the little guys up, bathed, fed and dressed for church at 6:30 am...unfortunately, we don't leave for church until after 12...The kids finally decided to take a nap ( by the front door?!?!) in order to make church come faster

Tian working on her moves

Kristi Yamaguchi want - to -be ( in pink on the ice) got right back up for more....

Sam, Amelia's little sis, is in the green and I think she and Tian were having an endurance contest

Trev is an awesome big brother

See how much fun skating is with preschoolers....Poor Tom spent most of the time on the bench with Trace....

Trace holding on for dear life...at first he refused to stand up on the skates, so here we were making HUGE progress

Ty getting a pep talk from his annoying mom

You have to read Ty's body language in this one ( red Huskers sweatshirt and I am holding onto him). Looks like he's enjoying himself huh? It did get better. Tian ( pink coat to Trev's left)- ever independent

ME rushing to get Tian, who decided out of the blue, to skate in the opposite direction of the crowd

Trace and I trying to get him to have some fun. I don't know what is with the hair in the middle of my face...Maybe the poem about the girl with a curl in the middle of her forehead should come to mind.....

Trev getting warmed up - he is in the white

Friday we had the opportunity to go ice skating to celebrate Amelia's 16th birthday with her family. I don't have any pics (yet) but Amelia sprayed every one's hair pink and blue. Trace was sporting a smiley face and Trev looks good in pink :o) Amelia's mom kept us hopped up on sugar - Here is the run down:

Trev - had a great time

Ty - hated it then loved it

Tian - loved it - we had to drag her off the ice at 10:00

Trace - hated the skates, the ice, being cold and he was tired....

IT was a fun night unfortunately, the ice rink didn't open for public skating until 8pm so we had two TIRED pre-schoolers, but they actually did pretty well and we lasted for 2 hours without tears. Trace was a little whiny - he doesn't like winter sports. Remember last year he had the "run in" with the post while sledding...

No picures of Tom this time. He was manning the camera, however I must report he managed to stay vertical the entire time. And , yes, TJ, he did skate :o)

Tian -isms/Trace-isms of the week: At dinner Tian suddenly asked, "When TJ comes home will he live here or in his own house?" I reminded her that TJ's bedroom and all of his "stuff" was in the bedroom downstairs, but his room used to be hers and perhaps he would like it back, and she would have to move to his "new" room in the basement with Bernard ( TJ's stuffed deer). She smiled and instead offered," He could sleep in my room with me. He likes pink." So TJ, I guess it is your call. Private room, your own bathroom or share with Tian....

Trace at dinner (I have noticed most of our bizarre stuff happens at the dinner table - maybe that is why smart families don't eat together anymore....) looks Tom right in the eye and states," Dad this is you:" In a deep voice he continued," Trace just shut up!" Hmmm.....

Trace in the car after skating,"Mom, I am very, very, very tired and I hate ice sledding." He was a pretty good sport considering we didn't start skating until an hour after his bedtime....

Highlight of the week: I found a fancy set of pot and pans on Craiglist...wahoo!!!! Now I have even bigger pots for more experimental cooking:o)

January Thaw

Snow beginning to thaw

Dismal foggy view of our woods

Where over 2' of snow was less than a week ago - we now have a melted river and exposed grass!

This morning out of the blue, Tian looked up at me and asked if during our Daddy/Daughter date to her ballet class if we could get a treat ( not the unusual occurance ), but "how warm was it - like 73 degrees? We are quite warm considering the weather we have had this month, however we are at a balmy 39 a far cry from the 70's Tian was asking about! It's hard to believe but with the recent ice storms and rain we are getting that most of the December/January blizzard snow ( that we all thought would be here until Spring ) is now all but gone. Back to a muddy dirty car, garage, yard.... Man - I love Iowa.... As I alluded to earlier this week temps were warmer upper twentys/low thirties and we had a pretty substantial ice storm @ 1/2" of ice over everything. We were lucky and did not lose power, water, or even have any tree damage to speak of! Several neighboring towns will be without power for over a week.

We have not seen the sun really all week either, becaus of the mild tmps and moist air we have had Seattle/San Francisco type fog.

Other than weather.... no real excitement this week. Tara has had the flu or something like it for the past few days. She has not really even gotten out of bed that much. The kids have been surviving on left-overs, frozen pizza, and my burnt-offerings. We have been surviving ok - trying to stay away from Tara so we don't get whatever she has.

The Church project is nearly complete. Trev and I put up the shelving yesterday and assisted the Stake FM in moving in some furnishings. Feb 3rd is the substantial completion walk-thru. By Friday, the project will be completed!!!! The remaining three homes in Van Meter should be completed this week as well!

Sorry nothing of excitement to report on.

Tom

"Blind Side"

Tian & Trev's snowman army!

Not a terribly exciting week at the Turner's. Mom and I did however see a really good movie. I took Mom out on a date - no kids. We saw the movie, "Blindside" - it is based upon a true story about family and love. The movie is about a boy that is taken in with a wealthy family and becomes an excellent football player and student. This was truely a remarkable touching story and all the better that is is true!!

We went to the Mi Publito resaurant with the Hensley family. This was pretty fun. Will, Mr. Hensley, is investigaing the Church. He has had a couple discussions with the missionaries. It was good to spend time getting to know him better. He is really into hunting and taxidermy. Tj - he was interested in seeing your handiwork and is willing to offer assistance!!! Tey like to go fising and catch bullhead catfish. Sounds like sometime we are going to have a fishfry with them!!!

This week was much warmr than the last few and no snow to report. We have been baking in the mid twenties to lower thirties. The scary part is that this seems warm - I truely is all relative.

Trevor and Tian created a snowman "stonehenge" in our yard. ( see pic's ) I guess Trev and Tian called them the snow "terra cotta warriors". We also spent time cleaning off the pond to see if we can create an area to ice skate. Now the ice is too rough. We are hoping with a little melting during the day and a re-freeze at night that it will become smooth and will be a nice rink area.

The church project is about a week and a half away from completion. Other projects are going pretty well and looks like the couple that has been interested in lot 9 may actually move forward with both the lot and building services - we are crossing our fingers.

Tom

Highlight of the week

Here's Dad's black eye after a wrestling fight with the big boys, (Ty and Trevor) with magazines and a thumb got in the way. Somehow someone got hurt. It's all fun in games till daddy gets hurt. And I'm taking all the credit. Ty Turner

Pictures, Pictures, pictures

Sorry for the picture deluge, but since it was my turn to update the blog I had to get you caught up pictorially :o)

Sumo wrestling

too cute- too bad they are faking

them too....

Tian and Trace after enjoying listening to Grampy read to them...again. Yes, they are faking. Do you really think they go to bed this easily?

Ty being cute

Being silly

Tian and Trace received a talking book from their Grandma and Grampy. Grampy reads them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas ( Let's put it this way, I am REALLY sick of my father-in-law's voice - sorry dad :o) They LOVE it and I think it will be out most of the year.

No the picture didn't take just one shot....

Trace LOVED New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve treats

Ty headed down the ramp. He seems to be a natural on the snow board

Tian got right back up there after her wipe out

Tina contemplating the ride down ( before the wipe out)

Tom enjoying the ramp

Trace taking a spin down the driveway

Ty snowboarding down the front yard -

The boys built a small ramp and have been having too much fun

Tian loving on her new dolly

Trace making good use of the new race track

Since it is my (Tara's) turn to update the Blog, I thought I should get some pictures in.

Santa left candy canes on the tree.

Trace decided he should take advantage of the windfall - all at once

Tian got a new dolly and stroller - maybe she won't break this one by riding in it herself

Trev displaying his Eagle ornament

( Yes, TJ we made you an ornament this year too...a match - you know why :o)

Tian- a ballet slipper

Ty - a tent ( he had his first scout camp outs this year_

Trace - a timeout chair with staples in it

Ty checking out his loot Christmas morning.

An Airhog remote control car and a new scout shirt

Traces haul - boxing robots and a car track

Remember the singing penguins Tian loved so much?

The love affair continues

Tian and Trace-isms of the week:

Tian turned on the TV to an old Elvis movie and instantly fell in love while Elvis was singing. I guess even post-humously he holds power over girls - even 4 year olds. She was watching open mouthed when Tom asked," Tian, are you all right?"

She replied, in a dreamy, breathy voice, "He is so, SO, SO handsome."

Trace when asked why he did something replied matter-a-factly," I like to be naughty." That explains a lot. I was beginning to think he held a fondness for the time out chair....

Trace was frustrated with Ty this week and looked him right in the eye and said," I am getting a new Ty. A nice Ty. A CHINESE Ty!" Hmm, from my experience the Chinese ones are not much different :o)

A Ty -ism for the week. We went mall walking last weekend and made a stop at Target to get a few things. I desperately needed a new pair of nylons and threw a pair in the cart. Ty seems them and notices the woman's leg on the front and looks at me horrified,"Mom, you are buying nakedness!" Obviously, we have a lot a lot of work to do in Biology this year....

Happy New Year - 2010

Typical to the last few New Years events at the Turner's - we definately kept up with the tradition. Not of partying all night ringing in the new year but dozing off somewhere between 8:30 and 11:55 and barely being awake or coherent to see the new year in. I think I started the sleeping fest. About 8:30 while watching a movie in our room with Ty, Trevor, and mom following several small cat naps - I completely passed out and fell over on the bed while snoring so loudly I woke te neighbors not to mention myself. I could not in any way shape or form gracefully escape that display!

Ty and Trevor managed to for te most part stay awake until midnight. Tara lasted until about 11:55ish and died. We managed to get her up to watch the New Years "ball drop" re-play on tv.

Yesterday, New Year's Day we finally got out to see my father and brother in Omaha. We had fun, learned a new domino game called "chicken foot". Not a tremendous amount of skill involved but Tara and I had to be the most unlucky pair to ever play the game. Being the competitive guy I am I put on quite the display of sportsmanship..... How embarassing!!!

We have not had much more snow. This has been te snowiest December on record for the Des Moines area. However, in lieu of snow, we are now experiencing bitter cold. It was -12 last night without the wind chill reading. We have all been afraid to go outside today as it is i'm sure hovering at 0 at best. ( We really don't feel too bad about Tj being hot in New Caledonia - poor TJ ).

We are trying to fugure out what we are going to do - Church starting tomorrow is at 1:00pm... What a barfy time - right in the middle of Tian and Trace's nap-time. Boy will classes be a treat for their teachers - Trace won't have Brown Bear tomorrow either - boy will that be a double tragedy for him. I can hardly wait!!!!

Other than that nothing new yet at the Turner's.

-Tom