Merry Christmas!

I know it is a little blurry, but at least with this one you can see everyone's gorgeous smiles! Christmas this year was amazing and wonderful...and quiet. This is the first year we've had as just our family since John and I's first Christmas after we were married. It was different, that is for sure. Different in a good way, that is. We invited everyone over for our traditional Christmas Eve feast (Christmas Eve pig out might be a better way to phrase it...), which was so wonderful. Thanks to everyone who came, it meant a lot (especially to Rachel, who is still hyper emotional after the baby and all the lovely hormones that come with...). After that, we mostly just got dinner cleaned up, dishes done, Christmas cartoons watched, Christmas stories read, Santa's milk and cookies (and of course carrots for the reindeer) put out, and kids put to bed. The next morning there was no mad dash to prep anything, so we just took it easy. At our house, Santa doesn't wrap any gift he just puts your stash in a pile with your stocking in front to identify who's whos and covers it all up with blankets. The next morning, the rule is that the kids can't wake us up before 7 am...little did I know that I was going to wake up at 6 and not be able to get back to sleep! Everyone finally woke up about 7:30, and after shuffling around to make sure their rooms were all clean we got to uncover everything. Oh, what joyous rapture, can you believe it? Santa came! He ate all the cookies, fed his reindeer, drank his milk, and even left stuff for everyone...everywhere! After managing to sort out who's stuff was who's, Rachel spent the morning helping to unpackage toys while John made breakfast (you know how the Who's down in Who'sville would "feast, feast, feast, feast"?). After that, the kids had so much fun playing we couldn't get them to get things completely cleaned up until about 4 pm. Then we finally got to the business of unwrapping all the gifts under the tree and we were off again! At least we didn't have to worry about cooking anything...

Anyway, since then we've had ever so much fun playing and watching and playing some more. Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful gifts and thrills, not to mention all the goodies and treats. And that doesn't start to mention how much we've loved all the phone calls and e-mails and Christmas cards!!! We love you all, and give our thanks to God every day for all the wonderful people we have in our lives. We send our love out while wishing every good thing for you this next year, and since I'm feeling terribly original I'll just end by quoting Charles Dickens: "God bless us, everyone!"

Our trip to Price

Like I said I've been busy. Just a week after the holiday, we went down to Sunnyside, Utah (a teeny, tiny little town just south and east of Price) to visit with Johnny's parents. It was an awful, long drive south (our car's thermostat went out, though we didn't know it until we'd already embarked on a trip that went from a 3 1/2 or 4 hour trip into an 8+ hour trip) during the heat of the day in a car with no air conditioning...well, let me just say that we are going to get a newer model van asap; hopefully before I search out the sledge hammer in the garage!! The rest of the trip was a lot of fun, though short. We basically just went down and horsed around the house, spent the night, horsed around some more while John and Dad fixed the car (plus a trip to the park), and then we headed into to Price. (Thanks a million for the visit Mom and Dad! I know it couldn't have been easy what with the shoulder and the kids and all!) The theory was that we'd see if replacing the thermostat fixed the car based on whether or not the car had issues before we got to Price, and decide from there what we would do (the original plans had included attending the Nelson Reunion which was at a church campsite between Orangeville and Huntington, again just outside of Price). When we got to Price, we pulled up to a gas station to fill up. As we were sitting there discussing our travel plans, the truck sitting in front of us (huge truck by the way) got ready to leave and instead of pulling out popped right into us! Now, this didn't really do any damage (to quote my eloquent husband, "it probably just made the bumper look better!") but John wasn't feeling terribly secure about the car anyway, so he decided to take a hint and get the heck out of Dodge before we found ourselves stranded in the middle of the desert with no cell reception. So we stopped to briefly visit with a friend of ours from high school (gads, I wish I looked as good as she does...and she's even 6 months pregnant! Congrats again, Audrey!!!), and then started kicking up dust. We finally made it home about 1:30 am (due to a 30 minute wait from road construction and another 30 minute wait from a car accident we came across), safe and sound, and incredibly grateful to sink into our own beds!

Here are a few pictures from the park fun I know you all LOVE to watch out for! No applause necessary...and try to keep the groans to a minimum!

Meet our spider monkey:


There's nothing like following in the steps of a big brother!


"Look Mom! I found the same thing that was on that one movie!" (Ice Age)


Yes, John does this on a regular basis (though I think he's just trying to induce a heart attack in his wife!)


Grandpa Tony teaching Caelen how to play: (wait, is that by voice or example?)


"Let me catch you Grandpa!"


Grandpa and Tia


Tia and Kieran...yes, Kieran can walk now!


It is a little hard to see, but Kieran was giggling hysterically when he was swinging!


Tia's favorite thing to do in the park is still to find all the flowers and make things with them!


Daleine talking while John whittles...


As we were leaving Sunnyside, the sun started to peak through and leave some absolutely gorgeous sunbeam shots! Gosh, I miss the smell of a rainstorm in the desert!!!!!!!

Pioneer Day pics

Ok, so I know that this is more than a little late; but in my defense I have been a little busy. I promised I would put up some pictures of the picnic and fireworks fun, though heaven only knows I'm not the best with my camera yet (if you've ever watched me try to figure out how to read directions at the same time as follow them...yeah, I have a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time sometimes too), so go with me as best you can and then through a pound of salt over your shoulder.

For July 24th, I always harass people into going to Willow Park for the fireworks, and usually a picnic before. This year our semi-willing victims were Garth, Laura, and Ashley. Johnny made this amazing pulled pork BBQ, and we managed to limp by with the rest. After dinner we had fun kicking a soccer ball around, tossing a frisby back and forth, and trying to keep up with the kids. After it started getting dark we pulled the glow sticks out and had fun playing around 'til the fireworks started. Ready for the photo album now? ;)


Aren't they cute? They're all sending their love...



Here's the soccer/frisby fun...what you get, anyway



Just a few pictures of people having fun!



And this one...can you say "Busted!!!"



I had to save some of the best for last: the great Before and After shots of funny Garth!

Happy Events around the Kitchen

Wow, so much has been happening! I hope you have patience for a novel!

First off, our anniversary was Tuesday, July 1. Congrats to us, we made it 10 years! (And big raspberries to those who were soo convinced we wouldn't make it a year ;P ) Actually, it was wayyy more laid back than we'd originally planned. But all thanks to Steve and Sarah Richins (you guys are becoming our regular champions!), we were able to go out sans kids after all. We ended up going over to the Logan Aquatic Center (where we were informed that we couldn't kiss because there were kids present...don't ask me why, this is the only time we've ever been told that after spending the last few years of summers there with our kids and still acting the exact same way every time), and then up Logan Canyon for a quick weiner roast. We found this really great spot called Wood Campsite that has several sites but is much more private than a lot of more popular or commonly found campsites. Plus it is literally right on the river, so the sounds and smells (not to mention the plant life) are gorgeous and soo incredibly peaceful. If we are lucky enough to ever find someone willing to take our kids for a night or two, I know just where we'll be heading!



This is the picture I could take from my chair at the fire.


Just for proof, if you look above John's head you can see the bank.


This is a quiet little spring that we found that was right across the river from our site. It is much easier to enjoy this picture if you click on it to enlarge it a bit.

The other major thing that happened has been (of course) the 4th of July. Thanks to the fact that we live in Logan, of course the big fireworks show is the day before, which just happens to be Ashley and Dad's birthday. So whole holiday activities sort of get stretched out. But it really was a ton of fun! First, Ashley came down from Rexburg and came with the kids and I (John had to work, of course) to a BBQ up in good ol' Aggie village with the Prows' and Richins'.


This is Steve entertaining the kids while Sarah (and Carmel, though she made me promise not to put up the pictures) got to work cooking the meat.


This is (of course) the new adult Ashley with Tia the hugger, Caelen the watcher, and Kieran the busy britches.

Then we jumped down to the stadium to join up with Garth and Jaron's families for the concert and fireworks. By the way, a HUGE thanks to Cindy for getting everyone the tickets! It was a lot of fun, and my kids loved it!


Here's a picture of the whole gang (plus if you look carefully you'll even find Jaron's stash...yum, more sugar to keep the kids going!), and there is a picture of Caelen's fascination while Tia is just cute...

Then we went back up to the Prows' for homemade ice cream while we waited for the traffic to die down. Out to drop Ashley off at Garth's where she was staying for this trip, and then to revive my car which decided to slip the battery cable just enough...fortunately Jaron was still up and he came to my rescue and saved my car from the severe beating that was about to commence. Let's just say that the kids were more than sound asleep in the back seat and didn't know a thing!

The next day it was time for the parade in Hyrum so we grabbed Ashley and headed out. My goodness but the kids had fun chasing all that candy!


Just look for yourselves!

Then we hopped over to my aunt Jean's for her annual BBQ and visit with the family. Thanks a million Jean! I can't begin to say just how fun it was to see most everyone of the cousins I spent the most of my childhood vacations with! Kind of fun seeing what we are all like now that we're all the grown ups in the family and the kids now outnumber us! Then later that night I took the kids back up to Jaron and Garth's apt complex for sparklers. (If you really want to see more pictures, let me know. I have them, I just wasn't sure you all wanted even more from the same entry!)

The next day I made Ashley's cheesecake (I would still love a detailed critique on that by the way Ashley!), and Johnny taught her about the fluids in her newly 'inherited' car. Unfortunately, by the time Ashley left we only had about 30 minutes we could have spent interrupting everything at church before we had to leave again to get Johnny to work, so I basically just set the kids to playing in their rooms and died for the rest of the day. What a week!

Now it is just a matter of clearing out the rest of the boxes and such...anyone needing some fuel for a ward camp out or something? I've got a terrific idea for you! ;)