Disneyland - WE LOVE YOU!!!

Of course, we can NEVER get a good "entrance" picture - the sun in the eyes is just too much to handle:)

We were THRILLED to go back to Disneyland this year - you know, I think it should be a yearly thing and while Spence loves it too, he's just not sure about once a year - but we went anyway!!  Last year's experience, while amazing and fun, was FREEZING, so I was hoping like crazy that it would be warm and it was - yay!!  We had the most amazing weather.  The kids and Spence were in shorts all week with only a jacket at night.  In fact, the day we got to L.A., it was like 83 degrees - so great!  We even went swimming in the pool and didn't freeze - well, we means Spence and the kids, but I watched:)

We got to spend 4 days at the park this year and we really lived it up every day.  We saw SO many characters because it wasn't too busy and we got quite a few pictures with them.  The girls still liked meeting them, but it definitely was not a priority to meet them like it has been in the past - they are just TOO grownup!!  The favorite ride this year for the girls was California Screamin'.  Not sure how many times exactly they went, but it was at least 3 or 4 a day - they couldn't get enough.  Adri was tall enough for every ride this year and she loved it.  Grady, on the other hand, was just barely below the line - we're talking BARELY - but of course every worker had a different opinion of whether or not he could go on the ride.  Sometimes he made it in, only to wait for 10 minutes and get told he was too short.  Other times he made it all the way - and he was SO thrilled when this happened.  He would walk around yelling, "I'm taller now" to anyone who would listen, it was pretty cute.  Spence finally got the brilliant idea on the 3rd day to make Grady taller - oh, you didn't know you could do this??  Well, all you need is 4 Disneyland maps and a kid who doesn't complain about the "tight" shoes and you're solid:)

 It really worked!!  He got to go on all of the rides and absolutely LOVED it!  He even went on Tower of Terror and loved it - the girls were much too wimpy for that this year - Kendalyn only did it once and Adri wasn't even going to go there.

We had a GREAT time - the only bad part was the drive - oh, did I mention we drove?  No? YUCK!!  I don't ever want to do it again, but I'll probably forget by next year and we'll pile in again to make our way to my favorite place on earth...

Oh, there are a TON of pics - sorry!!

Fun, new picture spot in California Adventures

I know, we couldn't stop laughing at what a goofball he is!!

She got the WHEEL seat on Indiana Jones

All tuckered out after a long day..

Ice cream break - um..that shine on my forehead is definitely cute...

The end of a great last day!!

Bongos Birthday!!!

So, for some reason, it may have something to do with Uncle Brent, but we have always called Adri Bongos!!  It may seem weird, but this little missy was mighty crazy when she was younger - really, she still is a bit of a ham most of the time - hence the name.  We love this little cutie of a girl and are so happy to have her in our family.  She has such a funny personality and LOVES to laugh!  It was quite the Barbie Mania at our house on her birthday - she's quite into the Barbie thing for the moment.  She decided (at the VERY last minute) to have a party with her friends, but it was kind of thrown together, with Christmas having just got over and just having moved in as well, but she loved it!  They made those little Perle Beads (those melting beads that you iron) and played a few games.  She chose donuts for her "cake" - smart little whip:)  She also decided to do Sushi for her B-day dinner with Spence and I.  Also a smart little whip:)  Swimming was next on the list and they had fun swimming with dad (I said someone had to be dry to take a picture:).  We had a great time - Happy Birthday SWEETIE!!!

Sentimental Adri

I had to write this down, because it was just too cute to forget about.  Last night, we were watching Ramona and Beezus (very cute show if you haven't yet seen it) and at one point, Ramona is running away and all of the sudden Adri says "oh no, here they come, here come the tears".  So I look over at her and sure enough, her eyes were completely welled up with tears.  I asked her if she was sad about the show and she said that she felt bad for Ramona because she was mad at her mom - SO DARLING!!  At the end she did the same thing - she said it was just a sad show but that she liked it.  I guess she takes after her dad more than her mom after all:)

Christmas Catch Up!!

I know, SUPER late, but here is our Christmas at last!  We had so much fun this year - we were able to spend Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day in Idaho, and then we headed down to Utah to spend a few days at the cabin with the Summerhays clan.  It was actually pretty warm for St. Anthony on Christmas Eve and the kiddos all had a blast making snowmen with Cindy and Scott (better than their parents who were sitting INSIDE watching:), after a rousing tradition of Thurgood bowling.  We all had pretty amazing scores - I think it was my ball for sure!  Then we had an amazing Christmas Eve dinner at Troy and Heidi's house, which is always super yum and super fun!  The kids were super excited on Christmas morning to see their gifts had indeed made it to Grandma and Grandpa's house - we thought they would sleep in, but no such luck this year - they were up just before 7 ready to go..

                                                                  Cindy and Grady boy

                                                                  Uncle Brent aka "Batman"

                                                        Cindy getting a little love from Scott

                                                                Our "amazing" scores

                                                                  The Snowman

                                                             Heidi's Table - scape

                                                               One tuckered kiddo

When we made it to the cabin that night, we found out we were doing a family talent show, so Em, being the great entertainer that she is, organized the whole thing and it was fun to see the kids all doing something they liked and even the adults got in on it.  Also, Danny is a master sledding expert and has made an enormous sled run from the top of the driveway at the cabin, down the long hill and we had timed sled runs which were super fun.  We went bowling again, this time with the Summerhays fam and Spence did amazing, (no pic to prove, just trust me) and we had a Karaoke night - the kids LOVED that!  We also were able to take our family skiing up at Wolf Mountain and it was an....adventure to say the least.  First of all, I am not good at skiing - yet, I plan to, but I didn't do it much growing up and have only done it a handful of times since being married to mister skier, but I do like it and I want the kids to like it as well.  Anyway, we took all of them, even Grady and he loved it, but he needed constant help, so Spence was skiing backwards down the hill all day and I was helping - if you can call it that, Adri along.  Kendalyn has it down and Adri got pretty good only after a couple of runs.  So, it was fun, but maybe next time, no Grady:)

                                                                Boyd and Barbara Jean

                                                                 James and Liz

Becca with her kids

                                                                    Em and Danny

                                                                   Our little UTE boy

Doin the Karaoke thing

We came home to our "only lived in it two weeks before that" house and were happy to be there!  We had a great time and thanks to all who made it that way- we love you.... 

Really, I am going to blog again....

I am.  I just need to go sit in the other room to do it, and I don't want to.  I haven't converted my pictures over to my new computer yet, so I am just being pure lazy - but there are lots of fun posts to come - really!!!