We Love Winter Carnival!!

January would not be January if we did not go to Winter Carnival. Per tradition we went with our best friends the Ricks and the Hulls. What a great weekend of memory making and more snow than anyone could ever need. The drive up was very uneventful, but the drive home left a bit to be desired. I think McCall wanted to keep us there. That would have been fine by me.

The kids were older this year which meant we could have a bit more fun. J and C had no fear when it came to sledding with Daddy down some pretty steep slopes. (My mother is having a heart attack right now...)

This was also the first time we saw fireworks at Winter Carnival. Because it was so dark so early, they were shot off at 6:30 at night. Which means the kids got to go to bed on time! Yeah for Mommy and Daddy. The fireworks were shot off on the lake and we were able to get really close. Imagine everything stark white with new glistening snow and extraordinary fireworks right above you. Everything was lit up, including our kids faces! What a special memory.

The best part was fun together with no interuptions. No work, no appointments or meetings. And of course it wouldn't be Winter Carnival without a Sequence tournament!

We already can't wait until next year. Thank you, dear friends, for making it a wonderful vacation!!

We believe in Eternity...

Since this blog is a journal of our family, I would be neglectful if I did not note the passing of our dear prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. When I heard of his death I felt nothing but relief and joy for him to be reunited with his eternal companion. What would we do without the gift of eternal families. What a terrifying thought to belief that our families end after death. No parting for us; we are in it for the long haul.

President Hinckley was the first prophet that I wanted to have in my home. I would have loved for him to sit on my couch, eat my cookies and tell me about...everything! I never felt like he could "judge" anyone, but loved all of the members unconditionally and pleaded to the Lord in their behalf. What a blessed man and how blessed we all are to have been a part of his legacy in the gospel. I am sure that he and his wife are having quite the reunion in the Celestial Kingdom. Maybe they will visit Grandma....

We Miss You!

O.K. I know it has been a while since I blogged. However, I believe I included a disclaimer when I started that I might not be very good at this. Anyway, today is my day to redeem myself.

Last week we had to say good-bye to one of our favorite families, the Hunts. Anecia has been my dear friend for quite a while and her absence is definitely noticed around here. I bet if you asked him, D would even say that he misses the spanks....or not. :)

We all hope that you are loving Texas and we all wish you the very best in your new family adventure. God speed and don't forget to blog!!

Handsome Boys

Could they BE any cuter! We took this picture the Sunday before Christmas. Thanks Aunt A for the beautiful outfits...I mean handsome outfits! They sure love being brothers. The older they get the more fun they have together. Just yesterday they were pretending to be doctors with their Mini MD kit, also from Aunt A. All of their "guys" received a full work up. We are pleased to say that they are all in good health. We'll try to remember this picture when they are screaming about going to bed!!

He's a big kid now!

Today J had a really great time at gymnastics. He started a brand new class with the big kids and he did awesome! He even swung on the Tarzan rope across a giant river of squishy blocks. J also walked across a long, very high balance beam with no help at all! C and I were very excited to watch him.

J also likes to draw, color and play on the computer. His favorite game is Dance Dance Revolution which he got from Santa for Christmas.

J is in his last year of preschool. Next comes Kindergarten! He's excited to go to his Buddie's school where she is the librarian. Keep checking our blogs to learn more about J adventures!!

Love you, Grandma...

I know I already posted today, but I was kinda missing Grandma today so I thought I might share her with you. I only hope that when it is my time to return to my heavenly home that there are a fraction of as many people that love and admire me as did her. This picture was taken the night my mom won an award from Boise State for "Women Making History." We were all really proud of her... Still are of course. I'm sitting here trying to think of how to describe Grandma briefly enough for this blog. I don't think I can do it. Aunt J sums her up nicely when she says "More." She always wanted to give you more to eat, more time, more support, certainly more candy, and always more love. If you still have your Grandma, give her hug. They could always use "more."

Wintery Fun

Well, I have to admit, this is pretty fun. We did a lot of fun things over the holidays. One of them was the Winter Garden Glow at the Idaho Botanical Gardens. Every inch of the gardens were covered with thousands of lights. It was beautiful. We shared it with some really good friends which made it even better. How can you not have fun with cute kids like these?

I did it all by myself!!

Hey Everyone! I've rocketed our family into the 21st century and started a blog...all by myself! Yahoo! Now all of you seasoned bloggers can get off my case! Well, I hope you all enjoy it. I can't guarantee any consistency, but I will do my best. The new year is off to a great start. We are all over our illnesses, knock on wood, and D is loving his new job. We look forward to a year of new adventures and experiences. God bless you all and good luck in all you do!