Christmas Party "A Night in Bethlehem"

This was our Christmas party at our church this year.  They had the whole gym set up to look like Bethlehem.  The food was all middle eastern foods (pita bread, rice, meatballs, chicken, grapes, nuts, cheese) and they had live animals (donkey, sheep, camel) for around the manger for later in the program.  Have a look:

The kid played some dreidel games:

Songs and a program:

Then we all went out to the nativity/manger and the wise man arrived with the camel!

 Danelle was impressed with the real camel.



Salt Lake/Park City

My parents came up to spend a week in Park City- which has started to become a yearly thing, so the rest of us decided to all meet up as well!

Danelle and Ava spent ALL day at the Princess Festival and had a great time!

Much time was spent playing in the sprinklers.

Chuck E Cheese is a must.

We also did the Alpine Slide, and the kids had a blast!

The weather is perfect in the summer- always a few degrees cooler than for the rest of us!

I have so many memories of doing this in the summer, so it's fun to take my own kids to enjoy it as well.

This dang pictures just refuses to rotate right, but I love remembering all the fun hours in the pool! These two would have spent all day in the pools if we let them.  Danelle actually had green hair by the end of the week :)



Island Park Camping Trip

The 3rd weekend in June we went on a camping trip with our friends to Island Park (West of Yellowstone and Jackson Hole, Wy),

 Danelle and Lane went floating down the river.

 Gunnison slept like a rock the 2nd night we were there (to make up for waking up so early the morning before).

 The kids had so much fun playing together and riding scooters around the campground.

Gunnar threw rocks all day.

 We did a mini "hike" to Mesa Falls.

 We fed fish.  Yes fish, not ducks.  And believe me when I say these fish were HUGE.

 The Teton mountains (and Jackson Hole) in the background.

And other than a few sick kids and Gunnar swelling up from a mosquito bite on his face, we had a great time!



June Highlights

I really need to get back into the routine of blogging.  I'm trying to ease my way back into it!

Here are some recent happenings:

Lane and I (and my friend Emily from High School) completed a triathalon up at Bear Lake- and I actually liked it!

 Father's Day jeep ride to the "I" on the mountain.

 Picnic Pizza Party at the Park

 Spent a week in Park City with some family. 

Danelle's hair is now green from all the swimming at the pool.

 Gunnar is now 20 months old and just as cute as ever.

 THIS is why you haven't heard from us much.  The basement that we are doing all on our own (meaning Lane really).  I'm doing the painting right now and we are SOOOO close! This is the family room looking into a someday "theater room".

 Miss Danelle is still the wonderful big sister that she is and is very much enjoying her summer.

More pictures to come of cousins-from both sides of the family, camping trip, the rest of Park City, and whatever else I find on my camera and phone :)



Schools Out!!!

Danelle completed her first year of "school".  She loved pre-school and had so much fun going and seeing her friends and teachers.  It was perfect for all of us, twice a week for 2 hours.  They also did some gymnastics as well so it was a win all around!

 After preforming some songs for the parents they did some fun crafts that Gunnar got to join in on.

 If you don't know, this is Gunnar's signature look- blanket corner stuffed in the mouth.