It's been a really busy December. In addition to Christmas we have 3 birthdays to celebrate. Taggart's is the 14th, my mom's is the 15th and Mandy's is the 21st. We celebrated them all in one day, ending with a visitor stopping by to surprise the kids. They were excited to tell him what they wanted and loved the treat! (They kind of wondered if he sounded like Papi)




Donny and I feel pretty spoiled with Mandy and Cam moving back here because of the opportunity it gives us to see the kids in their recitals and programs etc. We got to see what Tag does in Tumbling Tigers and see Maddie dance. They both did such a good job! We loved every minute of it and with it brought back lots of memories of our own kids!!


This is a big moment of our lives. We have lived here 27 years and we finally bought a snow blower!! We were actually pretty excited to get snow so we could try it out. Our family is saying it's about time!! Kim had to mention that maybe it's time for a sprinkling system this spring. That would really lighten the load!! We'll have to see about that one.



We were so excited to have McKelle come home for Christmas!! The girls picked her up from the airport and we met them at Kneaders for some dinner. Then we were up for some last minute shopping. It was so much fun for the family to be together and just hang out and visit, read stories and play some games. It's fun to watch the babies growing and especially fun to get them all smiling and laughing. We gave Sophie her first bath in the Big bathtub and she loved it, as you can tell. We had a little program where Maddie and Tag sang the 12 days of Christmas with all the actions and my mom treated us with a Christmas song on the piano. We missed having Jason,Claudia,Ada and Boston here though!















HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
We went to the Fun Park in Logan and went bowling. We were excited to see the black lights which made it extra fun. It was McKelle's idea to take a picture of our shoes! I asked someone to take our picture and as we hurried to pose, the only bowling ball I could find was Cam's. Can you tell I can hardly hold it? Maddie and I look like we are struggling!We had so much fun. Then we went back to Mandy's and played a marshmallow/straw game. The look on Tags face when Mandy blew a marshmallow at him at the end of the game. That turned into a marshmallow fight with all of us and then quick to the game to see how many you can pick up. Easy clean up!!
At home Donny, McKelle and I got on a Nertz frenzie. We just couldn't get enough. We stayed up late and we started again the next morning. McKelle and Donny were the winners. I just keep trying!! Good luck to everyone with their New Years resolutions!!

THANKFUL THANKSGIVING. . .

Really?.... We went from mowing the lawn one day to full on snow storm and freezing weather the next. Pretty sure it's here to stay and we won't see the grass for a very long winter. I took this picture after we got 5 inches of snow! Bye bye roses!

Cute little Sophie all swaddled in her blanket. Check out her little barrett in her hair.

Jocelyn crocheted a stocking hat for Emma. So, so cute and I'm pretty sure she likes it.


Jason and the kids were so excited to play in the snow. We had to go to town to Kings the day of the blizzard to get them snow gear. Boston was so funny! It started to snow and got him in the face and he was like "doin that, doin that and he was so mad. Then after the wind stopped blowing so hard we went out to shovel the driveway and they really helped out. We piled up some snow and built a little slide and then they went down on the sled too. The next day they went to Logan to Mandy's and played in the snow again. They loved it!!!



We watched the Macy's Day Parade on TV and thought of McKelle the whole time since she was actually there! (Kelle we missed you, and look forward to Christmas)
Brody,Jason and Donny ready for some basketball to work off the turkey dinner!!!

Cam and Mandy got us tickets for the Nutcracker in Logan. We had great seats and had a good time. The kids were really good and we are thinking it would be a fun tradition to usher in the christmas season. ( McKelle got to go to the Rockette's Christmas Show at The Radio City Music Hall)





Brandon, Jocelyn, and Emma

Jason and Claudia

Blair, Kim and Sophie

Ada had learned to tell a scary story and the way she tells it is so dang cute. She starts out In the dark, dark, night, in the dark, dark, wood, in the dark, dark, house, in the dark, dark, room, in the dark, dark, chest, in the dark, dark, box, there was a GHOST! and then everyone screams and waves there hands. We did it over and over again. Everyone had to take a turn.

This is where we all scream!!!

Boston's version of the scary story. He talks in a real quiet voice with his hands by his mouth and then yells "GHOST" and screams while waving his hands. It's hilarious!!

Mandy, Tag and Maddie after story time! Shoot, I needed Cam in this picture.

Claudia did a cute activity with the kids. They made a turkey saying what they were thankful for.

Donny and I went shopping and couldn't resist these pj's for the older grandkids. We decided since all of them would be here for thanksgiving it would be a great picture. Then the hunt was on for pj's for the babies. Thanks Mandy for helping us find these cute ones. With different sleeping and eating schedules we couldn't get a picture with all 7 of them so we had to do two.(Sophie decided to join the big kids)

Our 3 little babies! Emma, Parker, and Sophie

My how our new grandbabies are growing! Emma, Parker, and Sophie!


After we got home from visiting Cam and Mandy and their kids and Brody, Joce and Emma there was a knock at our door. We were dying because I had no candy in the house to give if it was trick or treaters. I ran down the stairs and opened the door to see a baby in a car seat on the porch. It took me a minute - and then I realized it was Sophie as Blair and Kim appeared. It was our little bumblebee Sophie! Our kids just love to surprise us and they do a great job of it. Now I can see why Brody was so anxious for us to leave his house and get home. I thought it was because it was getting late.


Tag as a Ninja, Maddie as a way cute witch, who poses beautifully!! Reminds me of her Auntie Kelle. And sweetie Emma as the cutest cow I've ever seen.


Oh yeah! Loved dressing up for work! Although 12 hours with green hair, not so fun!

NEW YORK- BOSTON 2010

We planned a trip to see McKelle in New York and see the fall leaves with a trip to Boston too. We took the red-eye flight on Oct. 15, I must say at our age that was quite the experience. Sleep on the plane? and then 2 days in the city. We did great but were exhausted by the end of the day. We stayed with Kelle's family, Jeanie and Mitch,during the week. It was so good to see them again. And then the next friday we headed for Boston and came home sunday. We did lots of sight seeing and shopping, which means there is lots of walking involved! And we loved every minute of it!!!! Came home Oct. 25th.

This is what McKelle sees everyday. It really is so beautiful there!


Gotta luv the Subway. This happened to be the only time we were by ourselves.

These next several pictures are of the New York Botanical Garden. Halloween Hoorah in the Children's Adventure Garden.

This was kinda creepy looking!

This is probably my favorite picture!! It reminds me of a puzzle that I would love to put together.


We saw Mario Batali do a cooking demo and give us some good tips.

This is Martha Stewarts herb garden

Just a pretty waterfall.....

In the City!!


We saw Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam Theatre. We LOVED it sooooo much!!!!

In Times Square...

Beautiful day on Ellis Island

McKelle - Our New York City girl...

McKelle and I made our way through a crowd to get a picture with the Bull! And then we walked across the street and ate at Subway!

We walked part of the Brooklyn Bridge. It was so much warmer today. It was perfect weather for the city.

Here we are at Rockefeller Center. They had the ice skating rink up so we watched ice skaters for a while.

It was getting late but we wanted to at least walk into Central Park!

Donny and I went into the city to go to the Manhattan Temple. Our session was packed with full time missionaries. So cool! Check the ensign this month to see a picture of the ordinance room and it happens to be on the same page as the ordinance room in the Newport Beach Temple.

USS Constitution which was on the Freedom walk

Boston!

Which by the way we were freezing!!!!!!

This is a garden through the park by Boston Common. After this Kelle and I made a mad dash to Lulu lemon. What an adventure!

This is a beach in Glaucester, Mass which happens to be right near where they filmed "The Proposal" It was so beautiful, I loved it there.

We came home to this! A big windstorm passed through a couple days before we got home!