Happy New Years in Idaho

Driving down. We were able to meet up with Tony & Nicole in Wyoming and stay the night at a motel.  It made it fun to swap kids the next day for the rest of the ride.  We stopped in Pinedale and used their community center pool, basketball, and rock climbing wall.

The great "Things" with all the family, it is tough with that many, but so fun!

Our cute 16 year old wanted some poses in the snow. It snowed and snowed while we were there.

Fun and Games and Grandma & Grandpa Pirtles house.  Aunt Norma came and played "Cover your assets" and won!

The sleepover of siblings on Grandmas floor (and couch)

Brent and Gaylene had us for christmas and they made a super fun and challenging scavenger hunt for us, with riddles and little disks that we could scan to find the next clue.  They took us all around Idaho Falls to a japanese garden, the library, an art musuem, and at last a yummy little cookie shop.  What a great gift and lasting memory!

Grandma & Grandpa passed out presents to everyone, it was so fun to be together to open them.  They gave the older kids a personal Book of Mormon with tabs that had questions they could turn to in the scriptures for answers, along with a personal handwritten note from both Grandma & Grandpa and $10 (wow - that was a really great gift).  They younger girls all got these matching heart fleece hoodies that are so soft, they loved being matchy.  My parents also gave us all a fun puzzle/quilt block that we had contest putting together, we have played it alone at home and it is a fun brain game.

Ephraim had a little accident on the stairs and got a shiner.  This picture makes me laugh, but it was really sad to see his eye.  It puffed up so much he couldn't even open it for a full day.  But he didn't mind at all, it did not stop him one bit.

Ahhh Baby Samuel was a big hit at the POBAL

Brea really got into the plays during the talent show - she was a hoot.  It was so fun to see what they came up with and how they all worked together to put on a great show

The Ice Palace was beautiful and we got to see Elsa and Olaf!  Sledding was fun, the whole experience was really magical.

Christmas 2019

 Making mice cookies.  We didn't make as many cookies/sweets this year because we gave Jeffs pottery away to friends/neighors.  But we couldn't leave out the mice!

Peter loved this christmas book that has 5 different christmas stories.  He asked us to read it to him all the time and would sit still through multiple stories

These two are such fun brothers.  I love that they are so close in age, they are so cute!

Snow fun!  We have had a lot of snow already this year.  In fact Dallins school added 10 minutes to the end of the day in order to get enough learning in because of all the snow days they have had already.

Peter and Brea had each other for christmas and gave their presents early.  Brea gave Peter this fire truck puzzle and they had to put it together right then, no time to take off the snowpants!

Alyssa found these cute snowman cupcakes so we got all the stuff for them and made them one day while the other kids were at school.  They were yummy!

We saw the christmas lights and gingerbread train at the Broadmoore.

 

Alyssa is becoming quite the little baker/chef! She made this delicious chocolate cake with chocolate icing all my herself.  Honestly, it was so good!

 We took some of the family to the electric safari at the zoo.  We have never done this before. It was neat to see all the lights and walk around/get some exercise in the winter.  The animals were not doing much, and it was really crowded, but I am glad we did it.  We ran into the Pierces there and it was fun to visit with them.

I took the kids up to Denver and we were able to donate into the Giving Machine!

On Christmas Eve Jeff and I took Peter, Ephraim, and Alyssa to Santas Workshop - they had a great time!

 Christmas Eve with Sister Kaye, Ephraims face expresses well the love we all have for this sweet lady that has served our family so much over the years.

Sister Kaye was the cow - of her own free choice!

 Christmas Day - Star Wars chess!

The missionaries made sugar cookies with us!