Last Days of the Family Visit and the Cabin.

The beautiful Chalea and Cayanne

On New Years Day most of my family and my Mom's joined us at my in-laws cabin for a day of snowmobiling. It was great! I didn't take any pictures though, sorry. Jon and I stayed up there the rest of the weekend and really enjoyed just relaxing and playing with the girls. It was like heaven! I really think I would be happy living in a place like that forever; small kitchen and all. And as a special treat we got to have Jesse and Wendy stay with us the first night before they headed out for Chicago. And I stayed up way to late talking and working on my puzzle with them, considering that I also worked at 3:00am that day.

As you can see they love our puppy cousins very much!!

The girls discovered all the fun you can have with the small yellow saucer sled that is kept up there. They got to ride down the hill next the the cabin and be pulled behind the snowmobile on it. They went fast, laughed a lot, and ate a good helping of snow in the process. They always wanted to go again though so crashing must not be so bad after all.

Tressa

Josie

Josie after the bump

And of course Jon proving that Dad's never have to grow up.

Aspen on the sled and of course....

a hot cup of cocoa to warm them up!

New Years and Family Visiters

After our very quite Christmas things got very busy. My Mom and Bob came down from the mountain and my brother and sister came in town from Chicago by way of Arizona. We also had the pleasure of having my uncle Dennis and his amazing wife Zina come to visit as well, which was very cool because I hadn't seen my uncle in many many years and had never met his wife (mainly because they were living in Italy for the past 5+ years). So here we go.....

Monday the 29th we did sort of a modge-podge of everything. We ate bagels at my Mom's in the morning, hung out through the day and shopped in the afternoon, and eventually had our family party that night. My brother (in-law) gave me an entire scrapbooking kit, all individually picked out-not pre-packaged. So everything fits things that we have done and now I get to start scrapbooking now that I have everything I need for a while. Thanks again Jed. We had almost everyone together for once. My step-sister Lisa was the only one in absence since we had Dan and Dana on video messenger during the party. Don't you love computers.

The next day we lunched at Hires after meeting at my house, which is were the first of my Mom's family joined us; my Grandma, Uncle Dennis and Zina (don't you love her name). Then back at my house came the rest; Aunt Brenda, Aunt Cathy, Uncle Steve and Marylynn, not to mention we already had my Mom, Jesse, Wendy, Crystal, Jed, Persause, and Colton already there (and of course the usual 5 of us). With no warning I suddenly had a full blown party at my house (during nap time) which luckily was clean but we had no food for such an event. At least we had cold water. It was really quite fun. We played a board game and talked. I really wish people did more of this sort of thing. And to cap off the day we went back to my Mom's and played a card game while eating a bunch of random but delicious food from the local deli section.

The next day was New Years Eve and we headed out to Liberty Park and Tracy Aviary with Jesse, Wendy, my Mom, and Dennis and Zina. It was very cold but I loved it anyways because I have never been to the aviary before.



After the park we went to a cute little cafe across the street and then headed for the dog park because my brothers kids, Chelea and Cayenne are two beautiful and well tempered Australian Shepherds. The girls had more fun here then any were else that day. They played fetch, got toys back from the other dogs at the park that liked to steal, and were amazed by all the cool tricks that the dogs could do. Aspen was in her element, she never cared how big a dog was or what they were doing she would just run through them all telling them what to do. This was only a problem with one dog who took a licking to her and kept licking her face and even knocked her down once. He was very big.

It was interesting and annoying to watch how people take care of their dogs. Most of the owners were just letting their dogs run around without even really watching them; so we ended up with all these dogs trying to take our toys, get pets from the girls, and basically just getting in the way or our dogs play time. I understand why the dogs wanted to be by us. We had 7 people playing games and throwing balls but it still was hard to watch since their interference made Cayenne very timid. It was exactly like taking my kids to the park. Kids steal toys, beg(or demand depending on the child) to be pushed while I am pushing Aspen, and are constantly following me and my girls around while their parents sit on the side and do nothing. Interesting but annoying.

The kids were pretty beat by the end.

That night we had my Grandpa Roberts over for dinner and then I went to bed at 9:00 PM-yes on New Years Eve; I had to work at 4 AM the next day!

Our White Christmas...

This year we got a lot of snow right on Christmas. It is great. On Dec. 27th we took the kids for a drive up the canyon for lunch and I just have to show off why Utah is so great.

This was not the highest spot for the snow wall on the side of the road, but it was the safest to take the picture.

I love the view from our front window!!!!!!

Christmas at last!

Ok so I am finally getting Christmas up on the blog.

First off is the tree I guess. Which we were very late putting up and late taking down as well. It is eclectic and changing through the years just how I like it.

Below are pictures from the annual sing-a-round at Monticello Academy where our girls go to school. Always very cute, especially since by the time the date of the show comes I already know all of the songs from listening to them sing them in the car. I love that they enjoy singing. And that Aspen learns everything that they sing around her.

Tressa loves this song!!

Don't you love the echoy gym used for an auditorium in schools, and don't forget the extra-echoy intercom announcement during the performance. hehe-I love school, so much to smile about.

Josie is the little one in the middle (no hat). Sorry that she is hard to see.

I had to put this video up to show that girls will still be girls. And I just love Shayden to death. Check out his bows.

And of course, their adoring fans!!!

Then came all of that glorious white stuff which is much funner when you are under 10.


Tressa making good use of both our shovel and the steep snow covered driveway, even if it wasn't in the way Daddy intended.

Aspen throwing her first snow clump

Me-reading (what else would I be doing while the kids are entertained elsewhere?)

The girls favorite thing to do while I am reading....distract me

Jon's playing with the kids. Not quite fare but lots of fun.

Next up was the Hunt Family Christmas Party which is held every year on the 23rd. We had a big dinner at Aunt Toby's ward house, visited with all of Jon's cousins, and watched the children put on a little nativity play.

Tressa and Aspen are far left as Angles, and Josie is on the right as a sheep.


Josie in her beloved sheep costume.

I also figured out the best way to really capture and event is to give the camera to a 7 year old. Tressa got some really cool pictures of everyone without anyone really caring that she was taking them.