Pretty Pretty

Rylee has two aunts that are more like big sisters. They show up and have slumber parties and eat candy and play games. They are good friends, and know Rylee really well. For the past two Christmases they each bought her beautiful big spinney princess dresses. She loves them and has a hard time choosing which to wear every day. Since they are dry clean, the three hours of church are the only times she actually gets to wear them. Seth got me a new fancy camera, and I've been reading up and practicing, and who makes a better guinea pig than a kid?

I think the camera did great, but maybe I should have ironed the backdrop.


Princesses get silly sometimes too.

Love my pretty girl, and my new camera! Next up, my littlest cowboy.

Our Holiday

This Christmas was not the one I expected. My dad called me last Thursday and told me his mom was not doing well and if I wanted to tell her goodbye I had better come home. So I drove to Rigby and spent the night with Grandma Ricks. My sister Camille and cousin Melina stayed with us and we talked and sang to her until 5:30 in the morning. She was in a coma the whole time, but she heard us and I felt very good that Melina was with her the next night when she passed away.

We travelled to Rigby on the 23rd for her viewing, and the funeral was Christmas eve. What a frosty, cold, perfect day it was. All of my family made it home, so we did get to spend some time together. I have a lot of memories of my grandma, she lived only 7 miles away and my sisters and I spent the night and played there and went shopping with her all the time. We knew her really well, and while I'm sad that we won't be making any new memories I'm so happy for our eternal families. I'm happy she's with her husband and happy to know the end of her earthly life is not the end.

Only 2 of her grandsons were missing, and the other 6 were her pallbearers.

My beautiful sisters.

Minus 3 or 4 (car troubles, bad ones), these are all my cousins that were able to come to the funeral. It really made this holiday special to spend it with a lot of family and really reflect on our Savior. Not only His birth, but His atonement. which in the end was the entire reason he was put on this earth. To give us comfort and peace and continuation.

Of course, Christmas still happened. We got home at tucked our little ones in bed and Santa came. Rylee slept in and didn't wake until nearly 8 o'clock, which was fine with me, I was worn out. She showed some definite improvement in gratitude with shouts of "Oh thank you, Santa!" and "I love you mom and dad, thank you!" It was fun. Dax walked right over to his pony and that was the end of it for him, nothing else mattered. What a good, good day.

A Wonderful Christmastime

We've had it planned for days and days, but since the temperature has had a hard time going over the 0 mark, our Christmas tree has stayed on the mountain. Finally it hit a balmy 10 degrees and bundled up to go find the perfect tree. Well, 10 degrees is not all that warm, either, especially to one year olds. So we ended up with whatever tree was closest to the truck.
There are a few holes, but it sure looks pretty with all of the lights and decorations.

We had our ward Christmas party and good ol' Santa showed up. In the ward I grew up in Santa would drive around to each house with a bag of goodies. Our boundaries in this ward are a little larger, and the houses are very spread out, so Santa comes to the party. Rylee was NOT feeling this Kris Kringle, and she told me his beard was so fake. Considering the guy who played him is younger than me, I guess it's not too hard to figure out he's not the big guy. But she did still ask him for UnoMoo and "some Princess and the Frog stuff".

We dashed over to the school after our party so Rylee could do her dance recital. Last year when we started dance it was a disaster and only lasted a month. This year she was the example for all the other girls and learned her dance and did all the steps. Sometimes all it takes is a little time. I'm so proud of her and how well she did. It has been a pretty special holiday season, with our focus on our family and other families that haven't had as much. If there is anything I could teach my children it would be to Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That saying always reminds me of Christ's- As I have loved you love one another. Hopefully someday I can learn that perfectly, too.

One {whole} Year

How is it that only a year ago he looked like this?My sweet little guy is just so big now. This year has passed as if it were a dream, it was that quick. Time flies when you're having fun, and we have been.

Dax has added so much happiness to our family. He couldn't ask for a better big sister in Rylee, and we couldn't ask for better children. Dax is starting to walk, has two little teeth, and loves going any where with dad, even if it's only taking out the trash :) The joys of a one year old!

We love you Dax, Happy Birthday!

Long Time Gone

We're back! It's my favorite time of year again, too. It wasn't too fall-ish for us, though. Most of our tree leaves just froze black and fell off. Not so beautiful. Here's another of fall times not-so-beautiful pictures. Seth, while somewhat disgruntled looking, is very handsome, but the result of some fall work splattered on his shirt is not. Happily, Spray 'N Wash did its job.

Rylee and Dax make some pretty cute country kids. When we run cows in to work them over Rylee climbs all around the loading chute and posed for some interesting pictures. If only Dax could figure out that whole walking thing. The wagon is not his favorite place to be.

Things are the same as ever around here. But better, because life is just better everyday.

Busted

Our computer breathed it's last breath quite some time ago, so we've been out of touch. We just learned it died for good, so a new one is on the way. Then I can finally update and catch up on everyone else. Hope you don't miss us too bad:)

If you're going to San Francisco

Seth's beautiful sister Gina moved to San Francisco about a year and a half ago, and no one has ever been to visit! Poor thing was feeling unloved, and I was feeling trapped in Mackaytown, so we made a major road trip. Gina had some fun things planned out for us: first off, the zoo. It was so neat and huge and had every animal imaginable. Even a brand new baby gorilla. Unfortunately, all I got were two pics of giraffes, then my battery died.

We headed to the beach, which wasn't exactly the warm and sunny kind of Southern Cali we swam in last year. The fog was so thick the sun had a heck of a time getting through. It wasn't too cold, and Dax was loving all the sand to crawl in after THIRTEEN hours in the car the day before. He and Rylee loved the water and she collected quite a few sand dollars.

Gina's apartment is so cute and in a nice part of town. Dax's favorite place were the stairs, which he just learned to climb!
Seth and I made it to a preseason 49er's/Raiders game. I think I stared more at the fans than the players. There were some wild people there representing both teams. We were in Candlestick Park, and there was so much security breaking up so many fights. I thought that 49er's fans were clean cut respectable people. I expected the Raider's fans to be a little...wild. Both teams had some flamboyant and crazy and super foul mouthed fans. It was good time, though, and my hardcore Raider husband got to see his team in action. They lost by one point:)My little monkeys in downtown.We took the scenic route home through Yosemite National Park. It was good for our babies to get out and stretch their legs.
I think Rylee and Dax's favorite part of the whole trip was stopping in a grocery store in Oakdale. They were driving that cart like Indy racers. The best part of this whole trip for me was just getting away from home, relaxing and spending time with my family. We were disconnected from anything resembling work. Vacays are wonderful, but after 5 days, we're happy to be home again.