Puppy face

I don't normally post pictures of myself, but I love having a good picture with my furry friend.  I sure love my little Pilot.  He always finds me in the evenings for a good rubdown.  

Pinewood Derby

Pinewood Derby came swiftly this year.  David's car was all silver with silver weights on the back.  He calls it the silver bullet.  Since his car did so well last year, his expectations were a bit high, so when he did not qualify for the final race, he was a very disappointed.  Despite that, the silver bullet did finish first among the Bears.  Good job, David and Dad!  This first photo shows the intensity of the race as David and his friend, Ethan, look on...

While we were away...

Joseph was intend on having me include these pictures of what he and the kids did while I was away.  This is a giant balloon in the middle of Orange County, hence the resemblance of an orange.

If David had the choice, I think he'd live in a tree.

Must keep up with older brother...

Joseph got the kids unlimited passes only to find out that anyone under 5 had to have an adult with them.  Lucky for him, he got to ride the Carousel atleast a dozen times.  :)

Colorado Springs

Last weekend, I had the pleasure to visit my dear sister, Holly.  When I gave Joseph the choice of which child to take, he immediately requested that the baby go (understandable).  What a treat to be able to dote on her for 4 days with the help of an adoring aunt and niece.  Holly has such a relaxing and inviting home, definitely a reflection of her personality.  I enjoyed waking up to her wonderful mountain view and watching the the birds at her birdfeeder during breakfast.  I also got to spend an hour practicing the piano in her whimsical music room.  Of course, Holly likes to go places, so we were up every morning and out of the house!

This was my favirite outing: Glen Eyrie, home of the founder of Colorado Springs.  Our tour concluded in the music room for afternoon tea.  We both braved the Calamari... but definitely enjoyed the cookies with whipped butter on top.

This is Garden of the Gods, one of my most favorite places on earth.  The sun turns the rock almost red, so it looks like fire blazing across the valley.

Emmy enjoyed getting to know Eliza.  If this is what 12 year old girls are like, I can't wait!  Eliza is happy, helpful, and so fun to chat with. 

Thankyou, Tripp family, for treating us to such a wondeful weekend!

Look who's got a window in his mouth!

Okay, the blog is really heavy on James these days.  James lost his first two teeth tonight!  They've been dangling for days, so I finally yanked them out while he wasn't paying attention.  He was shocked and almost cried, but finally decided that it was pretty cool!

Beautiful Boy

Photo Shoot at In N Out Hamburger.  Pretty good, huh?

2014 Wrap up

I am actually happy to say goodbye to 2014.  I am not sure why, but it has been a challenging year, not because of any big major event, but because of the small day to day demands.  The rain, green hillsides, and mild temperatures have brightened my spirit the past few weeks.  The Lord is good to us.

where would we be without cookies for Santa? (which we forgot to put out)

busybody Emmy... She'll be jabbering about things and then suddenly get nose to nose with me and say "please Mommy?"  

beautiful Katie.  What a hightlight to have a sister in California with me!

Go Buckeyes!  

Cowboy fairy princess, dancing to her favorite song, "Let it go".  She can sing the words, too.

Oh, we love our cousins.  

Ruth and Eleanor take a break from girl time for some New Year's Eve appetizers

Heather and Crystal, my best friends from BYU, pay me a visit!