The rest of the Dec.23rd activities

When the kids were little, one year when they begged to sleep under the Christmas tree on the Christmas eve, I said: "No. But you can tonight" (which was the 23rd). And a tradition was begun. Every year since then, when they were home, they have slept under the tree. As the older children grew up and married and started families of their own, Gil and I offered to keep the tradition going with our grand-children and let the adults have this night for a date or to use in any way they want. We had 10 kids for the first part of the evening.
We had pizza for dinner - and the little ones ate and ran. I took this photo to show that our children are training their children well. We fed 10 kids and some adults and this was all that was left on the table. Most of the kids took their dishes off the table as they left. Clean up was a snap and I really am impressed because I didn't ask one child to take their dishes- they did it on their own!
Gil had a wonderful idea - we went to the church gym to play broom hockey and run run run. The Girls had a great time performing on the stage and we all enjoyed the adventure.
Next we opened pajama presents. I made the bottoms this year- and enjoyed the challenge.

Hannah, McKayla, Emma and Hallie
Tucker and Carter- two great guys with a bunch of girls!
Bree was the first to fall asleep. She was out even before all the kids selected their sleeping spots.

Stella and Aspen were the last to fall asleep. They just couldn't settle down and finally I had to separate them. But it was 11:30 and tomorrow is Christmas Eve! -No morning photo's - it was poffertjes, sausage, eggs and juice for breakfast and lots of playing to do before we gathered together again for Christmas eve and cousin gift exchange. I love this - some day I won't worry about the little ones getting to sleep- but for now we do so that they aren't too grumpy and tired by Christmas.

More of the week before Christmas

We have enjoyed having our littlest ones around a lot. Gil found this ride on toy - push the button on the steering handle and it goes. Jake can almost steer around the obstacles. It was a thrift shop bargain and the e-bay rechargable charger brought it up to 25.00 total.
The two year olds are race-car drivers as they navigate all around the house-
We finally put this little nativity down where Ellie could reach it. We will probably find pieces all over the house after Christmas, but it is so cute to see her sit on the shelf and play with the figures.

I had just finished cutting up the cantaloupe- and left it on the cutting board to get the lid for the container. I turned around to find Ellie had reached up and helped her self to the cantaloupe. She is so proud of herself- I couldn't help taking a photo.

Tuesday morning in the wee hours, I happened to glance out the window and this is what I saw.
The kids and Gil took advantage of the next sun-shiny afternoon and played in the snow.
So you could say we'll have a semi-white Christmas this year.

Week Before Christmas

In the weeks before Christmas there are lots of Christmas Programs to go to. I love to watch the families as much as the kids. I went to Tucker's choir concert and as a bonus got to listen to him in the Percussion class. Gil and I watched Bree and Ellie while Kim Deven and Carter went to McKayla's program. We got a solo performance afterwards.
Aspen and Tyler in their preschool program. Santa came to this program and the kids got to tell him what they wanted. Aspen wanted a jingle bell.
Kurt's family went to IF for Christmas, so the night before they left, Tyler- Christy- and Jake spent the night. We tried balloon creations. IT was much more fun to wear the balloons.


New Jammies for grands.And getting to sleep in the living room

That is if you can give up and go to sleep. Carter crashed- Tyler is thinking about it. Jake is in the crib "while visions of sugar plums danced in his head"

Gingerbread graham-cracker houses

We did our annual decorating in shifts this year, pre-schoolers and schoolers. It went much smoother.- But it could be that making the houses ahead of time (with a hot-glue gun) facilitated the ease. Notice Hannah's house. The crackers from W..... brand were all warped. Covered by frosting and candy - no one would ever know. Hallie, McKayla & Hannah.
Tyler Christy and Jake showing Oma Great their fabulous constructions.
Aspen's beautiful house
Gung-ho Carter -we even had a couple of guests. This little girl licked every single piece of candy she put on her house. The other "smart" thing we did this year was give each of the little ones their own bowl of candy- no mixing licked candy with the unlicked!
Tucker built a car on a "rocky road" Emma is gettting ready to start.

baby it's COLD outside

On Monday (Dec 7th) this is what we woke up to. And even though it was just a skiff, it's still all here because it's so cold out side!
This morning it was 1 degree. Beautiful, but too cold to give us any more snow :(

Actual Thanksgiving

It has been so much fun having Thelma here. She relaxes in her chair and watches the action in the kitchen and the living-room. Sometimes with a lot of littleones here, there is a lot of action! When they are gone, it is really really quiet.

This year we had Kurt's family and Oma Great (Gil's mom) here for Thanksgiving day- so it was pretty low key-Christy and Tyler were great help with the relish dish.
Gil bought some new to us games and the kids had a ball learning and playing them. This slider Tic Tac Toe evens the odds for the little ones because when you slide the bar, it changes the placement of the discs.And this picture is for the smile value.
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving too.

Happy Thanksgiving

My thankful list is really long- and family tops the list. It has been a sweet year to have first Kurt's family living with us, and now Kim's family. Gil and I enjoy getting to interact with the kids on a daily basis and it fills our lives with laughter. Too bad we don't have a "Clark Street" like Ezra T had in Farmington. I would love to have all my children as my neighbors. We started the month with the thankful twigs and every day added a quote, and thanksgiving symbol. This is Bree at the beginning of the month.Ellie keeps us laughing. She loves to drink out of a straw and we are thankful for her hugs and personality plus!
We are thankful that the leaves have finally fallen off the big trees in back. Carter was a terriffic help to Opa by helping to rake up those leaves.
We are blessed to have Oma Great here for a month. We enjoy her. The little ones love her and we get to have her here for Thanksgiving!. Aspen and Kristen with Thelma.

So this Thanksgiving day, may our hearts be full of gratitude for the adventures and blessings we enjoy. May we cherish the ones who enrich our lives just by being part of us and may we give thanks to our Creator and Lord from whom all mercy and blessings come.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Salt Lake Adventure

I had the opportunity to visit my Jessi and family in SLC/Ogden area. Thanks to Craig & Ariana we had a wedding too. There are lots of photo's here, but I missed lots and lots of photo opportunities because I got so busy visiting I forgot I had my camera.
Doesn't Jessi look wonderful? She picked me up on Thursday night then Friday we started our adventure. WE went shopping of course. Just as we came out of a store- look who was coming in. My brother David and David & Kim & baby Logan. They were killing time before heading to the airport. How often do you meet your brother from California when you are visiting in UT?
Friday evening we went to the Bountiful Temple and then up to Ogden for the family dinner.
I love my family, and you will just have to imagine how wonderful and precious they are- in other words- fun time, no photos. Saturday morning we drove to Ogden (twice) to go to the sealing of Craig and Ariana. She is beautiful. He is handsome. My photos do not do the occasion justice.

Notice the pepper plants and kale in the landscaping. These are some candid snapshots. Mom, Barbara and Trevor- See the cute GP grand kids playing in the back-ground.

It was so fun to have Landon here. He got permission to end his mission in SLC so he could participate in the festivities. Dave, Teresa, Lexie, Landon, David & Kim Price
I met Brett's wife Tammy and Chad's wife Kelly for the first time. This is Brett and Tammy. Please don't be offended if I didn't get your photo - I intended to.
Jessi, Glen, Cody, Keri, David & Kim. Babies are Scott's Maddox and Logan
By the way, Cody is engaged. He left after this to go take engagement photo's. His sweetheart says it's ok to be fuzzy for the photo's. We'll see if he really keeps the beard.

My little sis Lynnette and Chelsey. :) above, below JB, Erin Jessi & James

This is one of my favorite moments. Scott and Dad holding Mom's hand as they left the temple heading for the parking lot.
In the afternoon we went to the "stump" artesian well for Jessi and James to fill up their drinking water jugs. It tastes so much better than city water. No reception photo's either. See Erin's blog for some great photo's. We had a wonderful Sunday. Went to church and helped in the nursery with Jessi. Then drove to Doug & Barbara's for dinner. So yummy. Sorry, no photo. Monday Jessi & I puttered around SLC. We went to the Joseph Smith movie, the museum, shopping, lunch and wound up at the SL Library. James found us there. This is from the roof ramp looking up to the University of Utah.

And then, we had dinner, went to the craft stores and to the airport - where serindippity I sat next to a family in our ward who were returning to Eagle from N.Carolina and another couple from our ward - I must not be a good blogger, I didn't take photo's again.
And Gil met me at the airport so another good trip was completed. Thanks Jessi & James & family = I love you.