Who Needs Toys?

It's not like Gramma Linda and Grampa Jeff don't have the coolest toys ever at their house. It's not like Gramma Linda can go to Walmart or Babies 'R' Us without finding some new fun thing for the babies to play with. It's not like the toy bins are not constantly filled with the latest and greatest of play things. No, it's not that. It's just...who needs them when there's an empty box around to play with???


Tyler, kicking back...


Little cousins can fit in together...


...till one of them gets a better idea!


Every time Maddie said, "Tyler, look at me and smile," this is what she got...


Even a "big girl" can have fun in an empty box. Ally-looking comfy...

Sydney and her Papa

Jeff was marking jobs to bid in Construction Notebook. Sydney decided she needed to help.


She thinks he should go for THIS one!

Guilty Confessions

Shhhh...Don't tell anyone...but...I'M LISTENING TO A CHRISTMAS CD THIS MORNING! I do like this new "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Song..."


I'm going to listen to Josh Groban's new "Noel" next...I hope I can finish them before anyone comes over and catches me...

I absolutely love this time of year. I LOVE Halloween-not the creepy, scary, gross part of it, of course, but the fun part - little kids in princess and puppy dog costumes, parties at school, Trunk-or-Treat at the church, making stew in a pumpkin for dinner, handing out candy, all the excitement.


Tyler in his first Halloween costume, 2005. You can't get any cuter or any more fun than this!

And, even more than Halloween, I LOVE Thanksgiving! Family, food, fun, and relaxation with none of the stress of the other two holidays this season. I love cooking the food (one of the few times a year I can actually say that.) I love having whoever can be here with us(I think that's supposed to be "whomever," but WHOM speaks like that???) I love playing games after dinner and usually trying to take the family picture for Christmas cards. I especially love it if we have extended family here. That makes it really fun.


The Duncans were here for Thanksgiving last year and we enjoyed visiting with them all together for the last time before Elisabeth got married and Stephen left on his mission.

And, best of all. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas, my favorite holiday of the year. I can't think of a thing I DON'T love about Christmas. Most of all I love celebrating the birth of my Savior and feeling the emphasis on His love in this season. I love reading the story of His birth, thinking about His life, contemplating His atonement, and pondering how I can better follow His example. I should do these things more all year, but I especially take the time at Christmas...

And, guilty confession #2, (shhh...don't tell anyone...) I don't even mind having Christmas items in the stores already! I love that part of Christmas too. I love having the house all decorated - putting out the Holiday Barbies, setting up the Christmas village, putting lights up outside, getting out the Christmas dishes, setting up the Nativity sets, buying and wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, making cookies, fashioning gingerbread houses, making and delivering treats for the neighbors, being Secret Santas and doing the "Twelve Days of Christmas," - all the fun stuff that also comes with the season. Can you tell? I just absolutely LOVE Christmas...


Last year, Christmas morning, early...

Guilty confession #3 - I have already started Christmas shopping...for the "little" girls and the babies...Still hoping to make a couple of presents for this year too...

So, although I am "confessing," I make no apologies. I LOVE this time of year. I'm glad to have a chance to sit back, count my blessings, and once again give thanks for how really, truly blessed I am.

I Hope Julie is Happy

I just wanted to point out to my sweet granddaughter that I DID in fact make a post every day for a week, starting last Tuesday. I even made TWO posts on Monday. Unfortunately I missed yesterday, which was the day she congratulated those who had posted on that day. :( I do know how you feel, Julie. I LOVE seeing new posts when I check people's blogs.



I need to take more pictures of my BIG granddaughters by themselves! (Allyson and I have decided we can't in truth call them "the little girls" anymore. They are growing up too fast for this old grandma.) This is the latest I have of Julie "alone." This is her first grade teacher who came to see Julie as the Wicked Witch in her fifth grade play.

A New Look

Hmmm. Those who know how much I ADORE (ABHOR?) change will be shocked to see my new template. It may not last, but I decided to go for a more fallish look, a la Loretta. (I even created a new word like she did. Do you like the adjective "fallish?")


To complete the fallish look, a lovely couple last Halloween.


And some cool pumpkins at last year's "Trunk or Treat."

Sydney and the Giant Peach

Allyson walked by the counter Friday and Sydney helped herself to a peach.


We fished out all the pieces of peel as she ate and finally made her stop when she'd eaten half the peach all the way down to the seed.


She may be only ten months old, but she knows what she likes.

Ward Halloween Party

Last night was our annual Ward Chili Cook-Off, Halloween Carnival, and Dessert Auction to benefit the Cub Scouts. Dad bid on and won several desserts and also won Gloria M's ward-famous flan cake in the paper airplane flying contest. The activity was a big success and a lot of fun as usual.

Gypsy Grandma D., Superman Nathaniel, Goth Julie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ally, Medieval Lady Maddie, and Sydnnie Mouse at the party.

Sydnnie Mouse was much too busy to pose for a photo...

Nathaniel came over from Kingman to go to the party...

A couple of people actually guessed that Ally was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Must have been that cool stake Uncle Brian carved for her...

I'm not sure where Julie was when we were doing individual pix, but this one shows the cool Goth she was...as opposed to the Raven she started out to be...

Maddie borrowed our friend Mandy's beautiful costume to become a beautiful Lady...

The cool volcano cake Ally made and Dad won at the auction...

I had to put this one on for Amy. Doesn't our friend Willie make a great Jack Sparrow?