Picture a Day Video 2018

Here is the picture-a-day video for 2018.  It was a busy year for us.  Enjoy and Happy New Year!!

New Year's Eve

We had a fun New Year's Eve party with two of Scott's sisters and their families.   It was a lot of fun and the kids were so excited to see cousins.

Here is John after one of the games we played.  They all had so much fun.

Welcome 2019!!

Getting some ice cream!

It was fun to see everyone and be able to get together.

Our kids love being able to see their cousins.

Happy New Year everyone!!

Christmas

and some days leading up to it

Christmas break for the kids this year was only 8 days.  8 DAYS!!  I guess I've become accustomed to a standard two weeks - with three full weekends.  So I felt unhappy about the shorter break.  I like Christmas break as much as the kids.  It's fun to have them home and not have to get up for school each day.  I did find out that next year the school district has a standard two weeks planned for Christmas break so I'm happy about that.   

We did some before Christmas treat making.  Anna helped me stir this slow cooker candy.  It was the first time we tried this and I don't think we'll do it again.  It tasted only ok and made a TON!!

More and more treats we made

And spinach artichoke dip made with help of John.  He likes to help with cooking.  

We had a snacky Christmas Eve meal.

We read the nativity story interspersed with songs.  Here is John as Gabriel talking to Mary

Anna and Matthew as Joseph and Mary

Angels visiting the shepherds

Matthew is a frightened shepherd

Mary and Jospeh again

Me narrating

Three wise persons bearing gifts

Opening Christmas pajama pants from Ma2 and Pa2

Yea pants!

And now we are ready for Christmas

Anna and Grant tried to stay up late to see Santa but they said they fell asleep and didn't see him.  

Hmm, maybe next year.

The next morning the kids didn't even come in to wake us up until after 7.  So Scott and I finally got up and I cooked breakfast.  We had breakfast then opened presents.

Ready to open presents - everyone was excited

Here is Matthew with his plasma globe - a gift he had fun with

We spent the rest of the day in pajamas just being lazy.  Well, Scott and I made ham and potatoes, baked beans and rolls for dinner, which felt like a lot of work.  But it was a nice day.

Merry Christmas!!

Sledding

We went sledding a few weeks ago with Scott's sister and her family.  Everyone had so much fun!  We went to Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon for the sledding.  It wasn't too crowded, which made me happy.  Here is Emma ready to sled.  I took Emma down the hill - which is the lake shore down onto the frozen lake - right when we got there and it was a wild ride.   Shoes came flying off, we turned backwards and I almost lost Emma altogether.  She was crying by the time we got to the bottom and I was afraid I ruined it for her, but I convinced her to try again - on her own - from part way down the slope and she liked that better.  She didn't want me to ride with her again.  I think she thought it was my fault things had gone badly.  So I'm glad she gave it another try...and then many more after that.

John also had a great time.  I wasn't too sure how he would feel about the wild rides down the hill (it was icy, packed down and kind of steep for little guys) but he had a great time and only got sad a little at the end when he was getting tired.  Here he is with Scott.

Here's John having a wild ride of his own

All smiles at the bottom

Here's Anna giving Lulu a ride on a sled.

Sisters...sisters!  Emma, Anna, Norah and Olivia!

Show 'em how its done ladies.  Anna and Lulu were pretty fearless and went together a lot.

We walked across the reservoir to a bowl shape against the mountain where some people were sledding.  It was shady and colder over there and STEEP!!

Here's Anna trying to scale the side of the bowl.  People were sledding down it and often breaking their sleds at the bottom.  A little too rough for me.

Matthew had fun at the bowl

Walking back across the reservoir.

Everyone had a good time.  Grant went down the hill with his cousin Owen a lot but I didn't get any good pictures.  They were always moving so fast!  They had fun I think.  Here are three handsome guys!  Cody and Alycia let the kids borrow some goggles.  You can see Cody, Lulu and Anna in the background if you look close.

Emma looking cool in the goggles.  Behind her you can see the opening to the little bowl area we walked to across the reservoir.  We had a great time and went to Cody and Alycia's house after for a delicious dinner of tacos.  They spoil us when we go down to visit them.  I think the kids are slowly falling in love with real winter.  It may be hard to convince them now that four seasons are overrated.  More winter adventures to come!

December

 

Here are a few picture from December this year.  It seemed to go by really fast!  We didn't get a tree right away because we were just so busy!  Here is Emma with Scott and I at Home Depot (she's Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch).  We found a nice tree there and got it home.  But we still weren't able to decorate for a few days 'cause we've been so busy.

A few weeks ago Scott and I spoke in church.  I'm glad its over now.  After speaking I got to see Anna as Mary in a little primary program.  I was relieved from being done with speaking and happy to see the primary program.

Anna was cute.

Anna's school class put on the play A Christmas Carol.  It was very cute - they sang the songs from A Muppet Christmas Carol.  Anna was on stage crew.  They built and moved/managed the scenery and props.  Anna also got to step into a few roles including Mrs. Fezziwig and one of the Cratchit children (seen in this picture).  Her class did a great job and the show as very cute.

John got to be star of the week in his kindergarten class a couple weeks ago.  One day Emma and I got to go visit his class, read one of John's favorite stories to the class and help him tell about himself with a poster we made earlier in the year.  He was very excited and is really enjoying kindergarten.

Grant has been working on a monster story.  He drew this picture of his monster and has been working on writing a story about it.  He had a 8th grade buddy who made a sculpture of his monster based on his picture.

This is the sculpture made from his picture.  It looks terrific and JUST LIKE his drawing.  Amazing!

The boys have all been in an Aikido and took their yellow belt test a couple weeks ago.  Here they are just before class.  Emma wanted to get in on the punching too.

Here is John just after passing his yellow belt test.  Way to go John!!

Here is Matthew getting his yellow belt

And Grant and Matthew after passing their yellow belt tests

I've been running around trying to get Christmas things together.  

Here I am heading to the post office with some massive boxes.

My sister, Ruth, came to visit us with her new cute baby (and also Dana who we love to see as well).  The kids were sad that her other kids couldn't come but were very excited to meet baby Axel!

Here's Matthew looking handsome - he had his priesthood interview today!  

He'll be turning 12 this next year.

John being silly at the store.  The grinch heads were so funny.

Here is John with his Christmas gift for his teacher.  He was excited for Christmas break!

We finally got around to decorating our tree.

Anna got to put the star on this year (last year it was Matthew - next year Grant).

I like our tree

Still working out our lights situation here but everything looks nice now.

Ready for Christmas!!