Valentine's Day 2014

Just a few pictures from our Valentines Day...

These are the cards we mailed:

Wally's cute Froggie Box!

Nelson's monster, Carrie's I pod, and Sarah's book.

While the siblings are at school Wally and Roy really have a lot of fun together!

Breakfast! Heart pancakes with cherry topping and a chocolate heart garnish!

I also went to dinner that night (with 11 kids and Deric). Then we went to the mall and I got jewelry (Carrie got her ears pierced!), and shoes (Jess needed new church shoes!). It was a really fun, tiring day!

Sammie is 12!!

My Sammie Ann turned 12 a few days ago. She was very excited about this! In our church 12 means moving out of primary (children's church) and into Young Women's. It is a big year, and since her sister Carrie turned 8 and was baptized it was a heart pulling year for me. My girls are getting so big!

Sam got a bike for her birthday.

She is thrilled with it!

Sorry I don't have better pictures but her birthday was very low key this year. She decided she wanted cake pops instead of cake this year. Jessica thought it would be funny to make them look like chicken nuggets (this is Sam's favorite word... why? I have no idea!) I think they look close to the real thing!

She did blow out the candles but this is the only shot I got with her "chicken nuggets".

Her Young Women leaders surprised her by decorating our door with beehives. (Beehives is the first level in Young Women's, the 12-13 year old girls.)

Also, instead of a party Sammie wanted to have  a day out with me and a friend of her's from CA that moved to Provo, UT a year after we moved. It was really fun. We went out to frozen yogurt, to the mall, to party stores, and out to dinner! It was a great "party." Happy Birthday to my spunky, cute, friendly, clean, second daughter!

It's Great to be EIGHT!

We are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. In our religion you can be baptized at the age of eight. Our sweet baby girl Carrie turned eight on Jan 31 and was able to be baptized by her dad the very next day!!

One of her best friends was also baptized!

Our family

Thanks Dad! I love you!

These are some pictures we took just a few days before.

Everyone who was able to come (thanks again for making her day special).

Sweet Carrie's Birthday!

Jump for joy, Carrie is Eight!

Just before her birthday Carrie had a party with Nelson and a friend of theirs! It was lots of fun with LOTS of kids!! These are their cupcakes.

On her birthday it was the school mascots birthday (readasarus) and the kids wore pj's and pirate attire to school.

Opening gifts was so much fun!

Almost as fun as blowing out the candles on on her twinkie! (Love Sammie's face!)

Over all... birthday success! Happy Birthday to my "baby" girl! (Who is a funny girl too!)

Six in Sunny Sothern California!

From Christmas to New Years, my two holiday birthdays! Nelson turned six January first and we happened to be in California for our Thanksmas celebration with Deric's family. We had cake and Ice cream the Sunday before, went to an awesome trampoline "land" on his birthday with cousins and then he had a birthday party with friends when we got home. Over all I believe he was thoroughly celebrated!

He was so excited about his new bike and helmet. He was also nice and let Roy try it out!

 This picture is at Sky High in Valencia CA. Nelson is getting ready to play dodge ball with his cousins! (This was on his actually birthday.)

 He got a sleeping bag from Meme just like Roy did!

 There was even a pinata on his birthday. It happened because we had a family Mexican Fiesta and the pinata fit right in with the festivities! Thanks Grammie!

 Nelson doing flips at Airborne Gym in Ephraim. This was at his party that he shared with Carrie and their friend Austin. We ended up with 30 kids, it was fun. (I will post more about this later.)

 Birthday cupcakes!

Birthday Season!

For our family Christmas starts the begining of birthday season. Starting Christmas day and ending around Valentines we have so many birthdays. Both mine and Derics, fours of our children, two sister in laws, a brother in law, many nieces and nephews, other extended family and quite a few friends. It is amazing how crazy it gets. While most people think Thanksgiving to Christmas is hectic, I think the month plus AFTER Christmas is hectic. But amazing! I love to celebrate my family and most especially my children. So my next few posts will be to get you caught up with all of our birthdays, and then I hope to be blogging about once a week because honestly I always have something exciteing to share!!

Merry Birthday Roy!!

Our little "baby" Roy turned TWO on Christmas Day. To make life a little less hectic we decided to celebrate on Christmas Eve.

 He got lots of fun gifts. Sorry some of the pictures aren't great!

 

The entire family had to try out his new bike!! (Even Dad!)

 

 

 Happy Birthday to my sweet, snuggly, animal loving little boy. I am so glad you are a part of our family!!

Leaves are falling all around...

Welcome to Maple Canyon. 

 It is a beautiful spot to take kids on their day off from school.

 To walk on the colors of fall.

 And explore the wonder of nature with friends...

 ... and family

 Up hills, over stream beds, through quiet glens...

 until you reach your magnificent destination; a natural stone archway.

 What fun it is.

 Others find the place magical as well and use the natural footholds to touch the sky!

 What a great place to go exploring.

We sure had a great day!

(Nelson some how escaped having a closeup done!)