From this year's Christmas card

Hello, from Boise! We hope this letter finds you well and happy. Here are some random 2014 tidbits from the Richey Family:

Sports, sports, and more sports!! Marcus (9) played soccer for the second year and is currently giving basketball a try. Owen and Eli took a shot at wrestling. Everyone is still at the tender age where watching them is hilarious to Katie and hugely frustrating for poor Tim. Look out, T-ball is coming this spring!

Owen and Eli started Kindergarten and LOVE it! They are in the same class, and Ms. Sinclair or “Miss Clare” as they call her says they are doing great. Marcus is in fourth grade, getting so tall, still plays the piano, and loves school. Katie is the PTO vice president again so that she can spy on all of them and enjoy free popcorn during the monthly popcorn sales.

Zach is almost three! He is a chatter box, the king of the household, and still OBSESSED with Thomas the Train. He loves nursery, too. He is Katie’s faithful (though sometimes unwilling) sidekick on all her church and school adventures.

Katie tucked away year one of being the Relief Society president, but because things weren’t exciting enough, Tim got called to serve on the High Council. Seriously though, we feel hugely blessed to serve with some pretty amazing people.

Tim is still Controller for Peterson Auto Group, and the car biz has its perks because he got a new car in the spring. Goodbye, Kia; Hello, Lexus. Katie continues to drive the workhorse Dodge Caravan we purchased before the twins were born. Please don’t judge her by the cracked windshield, crumb filled interior, and sticky door handles. But definitely go ahead and judge Tim by his car. :)

We (finally) got new windows and doors throughout the house. We also updated the guest bath and officially said goodbye to the last of the 1970’s décor by painting our puke green tub a lovely white. Katie is thrilled.

Tim and Katie fell in love with Crossfit. Yes, we are those people.

Owen lost two teeth in about as many days. Eli regularly checks for wiggly teeth but none, yet. They turned six a few weeks ago. Their b-day gifts from G&G Richey describe them almost perfectly: Owen got a punching bag and Eli got a Wii game.

Merry Christmas!!

Our thankful list for November 2014

Every year on the first Monday night (FHE) in November, we sit down as a family and make a list of all the things we are grateful for. Then we give that list to our little turkey, Gobble Gobble, and each night he hides with one of those things from our list, so we can find him in the morning, and that helps us to remember each day leading up to Thanksgiving what we are thankful for. We hang the little slips of blessings on the wall and we review them often. It has been a fun and good tradition for our family. Here is what we are thankful for this year:

The Gospel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
The boys get to play sports
Dad's good job
Toys
Having brothers
Thomas the Train
Cozy beds
Yummy food that Mom makes
Technology (video games, podcasts, netflix, hulu)
Friends
School
Jesus
Rainy day fund, peace of mind
A warm house
Mom and Dad
reliable cars
silly boys who love each other
we're all healthy
Nursery
a living prophet
grandmas and grandpas
opportunities to grow (gym, piano, wrestling, basketball)
Church callings and the things we learn from them
Zachy's songs

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deep thoughts at toddler story time

With the boys in kindergarten, Zachy and I have begun our own adventures. One of those is a weekly trip to the library for story time. When I first moved to Boise nine years ago, I found the sweetest little babies and moms story time at the library for us to attend. Then, Marcus graduated to toddler story time and that was when we met the queen of story time: Miss Tammy. She is amazing. I will travel past other libraries to reach her. :) Marcus and I went every week and fell in love with that woman and her stories and songs and complete willingness to be silly in front of grownups for the sake of the children. She is special. Well, along came the twins and I'll be honest when I say that story time was sort of hit and miss from then on out (mostly miss). It was just too much to take one toddler and two babies and then later when Zach came along, two toddlers and one baby. But now I just have one little adorable boy. Miss Tammy moved to a new library but we found her. Sadly, it isn't any closer, but we will still drive to her because to me, she is just that great.

at Roaring Springs this summer

This morning, I sat there with Zachy on my lap, smiling and counting and I thought of Marcus. And I thought of me. I thought of all the experiences and people that have filled the time between when he was the baby I held on my lap and now. Good things, bad things, happy things, hard things, some just things. I thought of the mom I was with one and the mom I am now with four. I thought of the person I was then and the person I am now. Honestly, sometimes it feels a little bitter sweet to be doing things I remember so clearly doing with my oldest with who I know will be my youngest.

Back to school

They boys have been in school for a few weeks, now. Marcus is in fourth grade and Owen and Eli are loving kindergarten (AM/same class). The night before school, we did our traditional special dinner. This year I made lasagna because it is a favorite of all my boys and we did a yummy cake, too. After dinner, Tim gave the boys and me (I'm serving on the PTO board as VP, again) a blessing. The boys were all so excited and happy for school to start and this made me feel happy and good, too. I want school to be a positive place for them--one they look forward to attending. So far, so good. That first morning, Owen and Eli didn't even look back as they lined up and headed into class. I didn't cry either, though I don't make any promises for first grade--that seems to be the year that hits me hard because it is the time when they are in another adult's care for more hours of the day than they are in mine. Hard. But kindergarten is just short and sweet and fun. We all love it.

The first few days when the boys came home, I couldn't wait to see what was in their backpacks--what papers and forms they needed me to fill out--what the syllabus said. I'm a nerd that way. I love school and that energy that comes with the month of September when all the students return. I love being on college campuses. I just get a rush from that learning space. In July, the three older boys took swimming lessons every day for three weeks down at BSU and though it was a bit of a drive, it was great. The swimming was fun, it was WAY affordable, and I got to be on a college campus for an hour every day.

We have a new principal this year and roughly 150 fewer kids at our school because the district redid the school boundaries. Last year was stressful and a hard year at our school for lots of reasons, but overcrowding was definitely one of the big problems. Our PTO spent a lot of time meeting with district representatives, writing letters, and holding meetings and all that hard work PAID OFF. This year already feels calmer and happier. It feels good to help make a difference, though it feels better looking back on that difference than it does when you are actually right smack in the crappy middle of it! I truly feel like parent involvement is so important, plus I have made some wonderful friends through PTO and volunteering at the school, so that's been a nice plus, too.

And what do Zachy and I do while the boys are in school? Gosh, what don't we do? That is the time we run errands, go to weekly story time at the library, play with Thomas, clean the house, watch Netflix, and visit the women in my ward (so much easier to bring along one little person than it is to bring three or four). The myth of kindergarten is that suddenly you'll have all this free time but really, kindergarten lasts like 5 minutes between when you're dropping them off and when you're back picking them up again. I will say it is a pure joy when Zachy is reunited with his brothers. He is a baby who was born into chaos and loud noises and when three of the four tornadoes are gone, he misses them. It is a happy thing when we "Go get the brothers."

Go Sharks!

Soccer season has started for Marcus. We are doing it through the YMCA, again, and it looks like it will be another fun season. He's just had one practice and game so far and the weather was lovely for both. Fall used to be my favorite season but now I think I am loving spring more. All the sunshine after such a long and gray winter. I just can't get enough of being outside. Coach Maggie is very nice and the kids on his team all seem really great. Marcus played the goalie and a defender in his first game. We had family in town for the weekend (Pinegar crew) so Marcus had quite the cheering section. The kids all voted that their team be called the Great White Sharks but we'll just shout, "Go sharks!" for short. He is thrilled about his jersey color, too, because his favorite color is blue. I can't believe this boy is finishing up third grade and will be nine in June. He is wonderful and I love him so much.

First prayer

Zachy said his first prayer last night with my assistance. He looked adorable with his little arms folded (hands clasped together in front of his chest) and his eyes squinted tightly shut. He echoed my words in his sweet little voice that got stronger throughout the prayer. It made us all so happy, and I can't think of a better conclusion to a lovely General Conference weekend.

I love my little family so much.

Spring Break 2014

We spent Spring Break last week in Utah with family. It was really fun and we played hard and didn't get enough sleep. Sounds like a good vacation to me. Here are some highlights:

Zachy was in heaven playing with all of cousin Tyler's Thomas trains. He spent a lot of time in the play room and it was pretty adorable to see how happy he was and how his little imagination worked.

 

I got to go to a baby shower for my cousin Eliza (holy cow, my little cousins are having babies!) and then I spent the afternoon at IKEA with my mom, Emma, and Nicole. It was wonderful! I'm kind of obsessed with this chair right now and am trying to figure out how it can be mine.

 

Kimberlie's twins were blessed, so we got a lovely twin shot. Eli was not really feeling pictures this trip. Annoying.

We went to the zoo with Grandpa and Grandma and Emma and Kevin and Nicole. It was fun even though Zachy was sort of a beast child and anti-stroller.

Dinosaur museum with the cousins. That place is really cool. We loved the star room.

Watched them make candy at the Peppermint Place for two minutes and then spent the next 20 choosing (and whining about) what candy to buy. Owen's current favorite is gumballs. "Mom, I'm hungry for gumballs." Mental note: next time just buy the candy, first.

 

Saw the new aquarium. I don't have a good group shot from that but Owen took this lovely pic of some fish swimming around.It was a neat place and will be even more incredible in a few months when it is truly complete.

He NEVER does this. Tired little fellow. I think this was during the 50th time we watched Frozen. Oh. My. Word.

I love Temple Square. 

We hiked the Y. We burned some calories and then promptly replaced them with lunch and ice cream at the Creamery. Yay for us!