Thursday, January 16, 2014

Spending Money

London and I went to the dollar store yesterday and I encouraged London to bring some money so she could buy herself something. She has been so good with her allowance and has put money aside in savings, some into her piggy bank for spending, and 10% toward tithing. She gets $2.50 every other week and it divides into $0.25 for tithing, $1.00 for savings, and then she keeps the $1.25. We are hoping that she will learn how to save, budget, and pay tithing earlier in life instead of later when you desperately need the skills. Well up to this point, she hasn't spent any of her spending money. So she brought $2.25 to the dollar store and I told her she had enough to get 2 things. I thought she would grab the first two things she saw and then beg for me to buy her some more, Oh no, she went throughout the whole store before carefully choosing two items. She gave them great thought and had a reason to purchase both. The monkey can Velcro around things and Abby has one that London has been forbidden to play with. So she has wanted one of her own. The wand was to replace a wand that Monty destroyed about six months ago. She has been asking for a wand ever since. I was so proud of her! She handed the cashier her money so adorably and was so excited that she got change back. I wish I could have filmed it all on camera. When we got out to the car I asked her if she thinks she should buy things every time she goes to the store. She replied, "no, cuz then I won't have any money." That's my girl!
Another great thing London did this week was she spelled out her first word on her own! She is really into sounding out and writing words, way more than just reading them out of books. Well usually she asks me to help her sound out the word. On Monday while Matt was packing for Grand Junction, she drew a picture of him and wrote SED on it. Then she showed us her masterpiece. She meant to spell out SAD because she was sad he was going on a work trip, but I was so incredibly proud of her for giving it her best shot on her own!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Winter Time

I now own a motorcycle! It is a beauty. It is a 2005 with only 10 hours of riding on it... so it is practically like new! Pepper also bought its sister. I can't wait to take it out this Spring. You can't leave me behind anymore Matt! Ha!

Snowball fight! We got like 8 inches of snow this day. I totally killed my back shoveling, which took me 1 1/2 hours total, even with some neighborly help.


Building our snowman

Bubbles the snowman -name given by London =)

Shawn and Matt grew out their facial hair during December. Shawn shaved his off a few hours before the New Year and I begged Matt to keep his. I love it! Doesn't he look so handsome?


Time to enjoy the snow with our little buddy, Alivia.

 
We had a great Christmas and New Year. Santa brought London 'Just Dance Kids' the wii game. She also received a bunch of candy, clothes, board games, a pretend cash register, a 3 year journal, 2 movies, Lincoln logs, and a guitar from Grandma and Grandad. Spoiled! Hopefully next year we can be better at toning things down a little and not go all out.
For the New Year we had Alivia sleep over and played at the Burninghams. It was a lot of fun! We played games and pigged out. I can't believe that it is 2014. It should be a great year, lots of camping trips already planned. Our first one will be in a couple of weeks up in Bear River. It will be our very first time snowmobiling!