2017 Holidays - New Years

Some of the fun things we do during the holidays are ice skating and hiking.  Unfortunately for these two Bethanie and family had already left :(

Getting ready to head out to skate... Tom is doing a hoe down.

talking, waving

Are we going?

Nope.. need a couple pictures of the girls!

And Gage :)

Didn't take any pictures of the actual skating because I didn't want to take my phone out on the ice... Dad held our phones.  It was very fun as always.

We also took a hike down the red dot.  I had been wanting to go.  It was fun to teach Gage how to touch all the red dots to deactivate the booby traps along the trail.

Here we are at the bottom, down by the river.

It was so cold!  Cooper was shivering so much but he still wanted us to through the stick in the water. Cooper loves to jump in the water.  Daisy just loves to be with us.

This is heading back up.  So warm against the rocks... a big difference from the river.

I really like this picture of Emily looking up into the distance.  It could probably be one of those Mormonads... Reach Higher?  Or remember those who've gone before?

I love time with my family, even when things don't go exactly as planned.  Emily and I had already gone down the red dot trail a different day but then we went again with the family.  I do love that hike in the winter.  Not too hot like in the summer.

And to end, I'll share this video of Amy drying her hair.  Jared thought it was very funny.

2017 Christmas Holidays - Emily's birthday

For Emily's birthday we always go to Rancho de Chimiyo for Lunch.  This year we had to do it on a day earlier since the Parkinson clan had planned a family get together on her birthday...

Here I am trying to take a selfie of those who started off walking to Chimiyo, since I no longer take my bike.

I thought all the pictures were funny :)

There we all are!

Did I take enough?

Bethanie joined us after the cutthough.

Its always a fun walk with the a few of the nieces and nephews :)

Eating food and taking pictures!

Wait, who is taking pictures?

Everybody say cheese!

Emily wanted to go ti some hot springs for her birthday so we all packed up and headed to the Jemez in 4 different cars... I made Jared get lost by telling him we had passed Hummingbird (we hadn't :().

Angela couldn't get up the steep hill in her wheelchair so Jared carried her.

It was very beautiful!

But more people than expected...

And Emily was the only one who brought swimming gear.

Bethanie took pictures and then went down to hang with Mom... it was too steep a hike for her.  She was still recovering from all the illness :(

I was wrangling dogs so it was hard to take pictures.  This was my attempt at taking a picture of Jared packing Angela back down the mountain..

Then we celebrated Emily's birthday with trifle.

Directing the Happy Birthday song that night with candles in her trifles...

Hold it! Hold it!

Jared and... others (can't remember who else) were so excited that they had gotten fireworks for her birthday.  Emily loves fireworks and was sufficiently excited for them.

Lovely pictures, eh?

Yeah, just believe me that it was fun.

2017 Christmas - with dogs

Apparently I will never post stuff unless I cut down on the "journaling".  Isn't that what text is called in scrapbooking?  So... mostly pictures.

Always have music during the holidays.

I think its awesome...

Angela got the instruments so everyone who wanted to could participate.


Should have brought my flute :)

Mom wanted pictures after church.

I thought it was funny to take a couple pictures from my perspective.

Love my cute Mother!

We made Tom put on an apron over his Sunday clothes.. So we put the biggest one Mom had on him.  Still didn't fit! He's helping with the traditional Christmas Eve clam chowder.

Jared out lighting luminarios.

Emily tried to take a picture of me...

I usually take some of the kids but I think I got out too late.  At least this year it wasn't so windy!

Getting ready to carol to the... Parkinsons?  Or Parkers?

And here we are (Jenny is wearing the scarf I knitted her! because she loves me)..

Funny story... we decided last minute to go to the Parkinsons and didn't sound so good there..


No pictures of the new pajamas...

Christmas morning... Even Jenny had to line up properly on the stairs!

Same view every year :)

Cooper wasn't too sure of this whole holiday thing.  He spent alot of time in Emily and I's bedroom.  Diasy went from person to person asking for loves :)

And of course, the doting caregivers had to film our dogs getting their presents..  We are those people.

After Christmas lethargy...

It was a good Christmas.

Some of us enjoyed our presents more than others :)

Guess I didn't get a picture of the opening of sibling gifts... or parents gifts. I got Angela a couple things and  Emily gave me loads of things!  There will probably be some pictures of me using them through the year :)

December 2017 - not including the holidays

Decided to break December up into 2 posts even through Christmas will be a bit long.

Ward party, Sister Petru asked us to sing a Mary's Lullaby with her while her sister played on the harp.  Sister Petru was out of town the week before so Emily and I made Aaron sing the melody while we practiced, (he did a great job, but it was a little ironic having him sing "All mine in your loveliness baby all mine" :)) and then we practiced on our own with youtube videos.

When the time came, I couldn't find my notes and was too shaky to sing anyways.  Sigh.  Good thing the cultural hall was too loud for anyone to hear us!  Emily asked Aaron NOT to film so instead he took pictures.

The ward did the twelve days of Christmas to a needy family just up the street from us so I gave all the kids new socks (The ward counted backwards so the 9th day of Christmas = what we would consider the 4th).

Aaron was kind enough to deliver for me while Gage stood on the corner and watched.  Funny story, I accidentally drove post the house at first.  Rookie move!  Aaron thought it would be OK but then when he started to get out of the car he saw someone come out of the house and look at us. We panicked and we drove off.  Waited about 15-20 minutes at home before making another attempt.  Aaron wanted to just walk over but since Gage was coming I made him let me drive them the half a block up to the first corner.  The porch light turned on just as Aaron set the package on the doorstop so he careened off of the parked cars trying to get away fast.  I wish I had been there to film :).

Sarah came to stay with us before heading down to NM and was kind enough to entertain Joseph.  Look at those cute kids!

Alec was busy accompanying "singing by the choir" during our choir party.  He was kind enough to do it even though I asked him last minute.  I was going to ask Jared but JAG was skyping a Jenk's family FHE up in our guest suite.

People came and went... my posole still isn't quite up to snuff but... maybe 3rd year is the charm!

This year the Briganti's serenaded us with a fun song! It was so good, we might ask people to perform next year... if they are so inclined :)

I knitted some more wristlets for my coworker who brought me yarn from her grandmothers stash.  They were a little small but with the first ones I made her being too big, it evens out.  I'm pretty proud of my increasing fair isle design abilities.

Aaron and Sarah left for NM the Tues before Christmas and Emily and I left Saturday.  I thought it would be less stressful to wait until Saturday rather than trying to leave Friday afternoon.  It certainly was less stressful for us!  The poor family who got to NM  Friday night had to work all day Saturday preparing for Christmas while we were out gallivanting.

Next post - showing off all their hard work!

Note to self: that Mcdonald breakfast burrito may look good, but there is a reason Emily bought it for the dogs... and why its only 1$.  Stick with the sausage mcmuffin and greasy hashbrowns!