Christmas traditions

why do we love our family traditions? We feel loved and the love of our Savior as we honor his birth. Here we are with Dereks and Karinas kids.

Izaak still loves to work the trains.

 making ginger
ginger bread houses

Derek wins, even My Mom would love this!

Derek commented that he remembers the costumes for the Nativity, YES, I have many of my original costumes from when we acted out the Christmas story from Luke 2 in the New Testament

ng

 Family tradtions also include serving and caring for the homeless, honoring those around us, and sacrificing our time for others. We love being with family most of all. Merry Christmas to all,

Status quo, guid pro quo, Ho Ho Ho

OUR YEAR...

Status Quo. quid pro quo, Ho Ho Ho

 Cruise trip, Hawaii, Day Trips Yosemite

Soccer games, Swimming, Dancing

Hiking, Biking, Spinning

Joys and Memories are winning

Live, laugh, and Love

LONG

MERRY CHRISTMAS

right choices

Celebrating so many things on our visit to Michigan this trip, but most important for Erik, is his decision to get baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. When we choose to follow the Saviors example and serve others and try to be more loving, we become closer. On our trip to see the Mercados we celebrated Karissa and Eriks birthday, we feasted on great food for Thanksgiving and we honored Christs birth as so many do at Christmas time.

Here is the family just at the baptism. And Erik with his joyful smile.

I taught Austin how to knit and he picked it up right away.

Jim ALWAYS  brings tools.And I ALWAYS like to play.

Karissa gets a great cut from Victoria

Plenty of great times sharing recipes of love

I got to help Valerie at preschool.

Victoria dancing

Just like the Rockets at New York City

We took a trolley ride to Phymoths tree lighting an festivities.

We spent time together. Remembering this time of year as not one of getting gifts but of giving time. 

Remembering our Love of Family. Remembering our Savior.

being included

We are so happy that Jaron and Jan and the family have moved to Lehi. I have be lucky to be included in celebrating Emily and Megans birthdays. Theirs are easy for me to remember Oct.20, Nov 20! Sharing love with the family is vital to our time.Of course I am sensitive to the emotions of in laws  and out laws and I am still trying to figure it all out.

Jim is so great about helping the kids learn about tools and work.

Calvin is putting the lights up our very very tall evergreen.

Nik and Peter getting garden ready for winter.This year we started decorating very early, Why not! It is a lot of work!

Pick up sticks and stretching go together. Who ever took this photo left out the kid working very hard to beat me!

One of our last bike rides before it is too cold. We went on the Jordan River trail. Jim uses his ebike and I still love the workout but most important the  beauty of autumn. As we transition unto fall and then winter I am striving to make the most of the time where nature sleeps and restores it self for new growth in the spring.

better ending to the autumn ride on the Jordan river trail. Glad to have memories with grandkids  to keep us young and vital.

Games

s

My dad taught duplicate bridge every Tuesday evening, Mom fixed us kids soft boiled eggs and bananas and milk every Tuesday. I still love soft boiled eggs but because mom made us eat the dark spots I dont like soft bananas or blue milk (remember skim milk!,,ugh).

We played a lot of cards growing up...fish, rummy, and spoons, One of my more skillful games was jacks, I could go from onies up and back with out missing. This week we had a sleep over with Nik and Izaak, We had fun doing puzzles, play doe, dominoes and even qwerkel .

 Our new kitten loves to be in on all the action, but he still hasnt learned how not to bite.

Nik and Calvin have been working on their skills and the latest is skate boarding.

KoKi is keeping many of us busy. This week I could not get the leash on and he played " keep away from grandma" for a long time, while I ran around  and around in circles. After she peed and broke a toy I finally caught her AND got the leash on,

I really needed Andrew because he knows just how to work his skills with animals. He is so calm and has great touch.

it is getting colder here but we are skill riding to the red barn.

my favorite time is with family. one of the best activities is enjoying a great meal, and then sharing our love. While we adults cleaned the kids continued on the family traditions of games . I am not sure what they were playing but the sound of running laughter is the best

blessings of rest and recovery

so many Halloweeners

dressed in the 80's and I was asked to go that way for my spinning class so here is the original leotard ( high cut of course ) but the 20 or so leg warmers I had are long gone so I just used the sleeves of an old sweater, The hardest part was standing on one leg as I still dont have all the strength in my sprained ankle.

Here are just a few photos of grandkids sharing their costumes.

October has many birthdays and I got to share some of them. here is Jake and below Layla. I missed seeing Victoria in Michigan.

Mariah and my brother Mark share their birthday and their love of working out.

Kallie is playing in her last soccer game.

Here is Izaak in his first mile run in St George.

We enjoy ALL of our ENergy.

Emily and her  family moved to Lehi a few months ago. I just love being able to share my love and time with more family. They are less than 1/2 hour away but with my older self and all the Utah road repairs I do less driving   than I should. Making memories with those we love is more important and one of my goals. Since I found out from my last Dr, visit that I have 30 more years I am finding it necessary to strive to do more, serve more, study more and love more.