Christmas Day

Christmas Day was a bit strange this year... we arrive at the airport at 11:54 pm Christmas Eve and finally made it to bed about 2:30 am.  Cam and Dad were pretty sure they saw Santa from the plane as we traveled across the country, but somehow we made it home before he got here.


The kids were great -- the cruise was their Christmas gift from us -- and they just enjoyed a more low key morning with a few gifts from relatives and friends.  As always Cameron loved everything he opened and wandered off playing with each thing. 


BTW -- loved Cameron's homemade gift... hope you can read what it says.  I've already enjoyed the foot rub.


Thanks to the Becksteads we had yummy Christmas breakfast and a good ride home from the airport. 


After a wonderful Sacrament Meeting, we enjoyed some naps and a great dinner with Walls watching the hours and hours of Rob's cruise videos... favorite part was Lauren's hair video. 


I wasn't sure how I'd feel about being gone the week before Christmas, but it was actually fabulous.  If anything wasn't done before we left, it was too late.   I'm sure partially due to my head swimming and my body rocking -- it was nice just not to worry about what was done or not done and just enjoy the day!

Shyguy in Dominica... here you go!

Shyguy -- our dear friend from Dominica -- island's best taxi/tour driver -- most popular person on the streets of Dominica -- if you google your name now you will now find a post written just about you.

Thanks for making our day in Domonica so wonderful!

It's Beginning to Sound a lot like Christmas

Nothing says "Christmas is coming" like taking Kenzi to 3 choir performances in 24 hours... with 4 this week.

Actually -- I love it!  For the past 5 years the Christmas season begins as we start following around the choir.  We enjoyed the FM100 Christmas concert (usually my favorite of the year), the Lights-On Downtown, and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building concert.

Masa is amazing and each and every arrangement is beautiful -- and there is nothing that immediately helps me feel the true spirit of Christmas than listening to sweet little kids singing about the Savior's birth.

17 Miracles of the December 2011 Wind Storm

#1 -- No one got hurt.
#2 -- A 60 foot tree fell into a 30 ft. space and somehow didn't land on the roof.
#3 -- No one (including the dog) got zapped by the live power lines down in the backyard for 3 days.  (Unless of course you count the lineman messing around shocking themselves.)
#4 -- The nice Provo City Power people were willing to come over and reconnect our house even though we weren't on their list.
#5 -- Bishop Pitt driving around at 6:30 am checking the see how everyone was doing in the storm.
#6 -- Cameron Wright and Wind River Excavation and their hard work and charity.
#7 -- Amazing neighbors and friends.
#8 -- Giving neighbors and friends.
#9 -- Neighbors and friends who offered houses, beds and food while we are out of power.
-70 ft. trees falling in the night are scary.
*  Watching power explosions in the night throughout the city is a lot like watching lightening.
*  How a 60 foot tree fell into a 30ft. space and didn't hit our house is really a miracle.
*  People are amazing!  Our bishop in his car driving around the neighborhood at 7:00 am to see how things were and his constant checking over the past 3 days is amazing!  All of the men in our ward who have just dropped everything and started cleaning are amazing!  Wind River Excavation is amazing!  The organization of the church in pulling people together in an emergency is amazing!  The fact Dave and I could find batteries and candles and our crank radio is amazing!  The huge, huge, huge trees gone are amazing!  The massive numbers of holes are amazing!

Happy Birthday Lolo!

It doesn't seem possible that it was 14 years ago Lauren was born, we brought her home in the middle of the night and Pugsley jumped up on the counter and ate the cake Grandpa brought to celebrate.

Lauren is energetic, spunky, extremely organized, a very very hard worker, super smart, athletic, great muscles (she'll get mad if I don't add that), very giving, responsible, creative ... and the list could go on and on.

Not Quite Fondant Repunzel... but Lauren loved her cake!

After my (and Becca's) Rapunzel masterpiece, I felt a little pressure for Lauren's b-day cake.  But there were a ton of things going on and Lauren doesn't even like cake.

.... but she loves cake donuts!!!!

Leaves, leaves, leaves... never knew raking could be so much fun!

Parts of Cam

Cam pretending to get smashed by the swing and Aniston.  I remember doing the same thing on that very swimg.

Yes there is a body or two under there.

Adam and Cameron with Kenzi about to jump in.

Yeah for leaves and yeah for Grandpa!

Raking leaves is one of those activities that can be tedious and boring when done alone... but there is something great about fall and leaves when you are doing it with others.

Adam (always the thoughtful one) suggested we get together on Thanksgiving morning to help Grandpa get his many, many leaves bagged up before the snow.  Great idea Adam, much funner than hitting the gym.

Happy Thanksgiving ... Dinner with the Indians, a Pilgrim, a live turkey and some kind of rock star!!

Over the river and through the... oh wait, down a few block in the Durango to Scott & Mati's we go...Dad knows the way...

Re-enactment of the Indian capturing the turkey.  (Although we did find out it was Venison at the 1st Thanksgiving)

Indian Princess "Noshow" and her sweet niece.

Kenzi definitely one the best table artwork contest!

Cam had a little too much fun trying to kill the turkey.

Kenzi and the Jello Jigglers say it all!!

Love Thanksgiving!  This year for dinner we went to Scott & Mati's for a traditional "dress-up" Thanksgiving dinner.

Most of us were Indians, Kenzi came as a Pilgrim, Grandpa was a ... well not sure what... and Brooke was the turkey.  Dinner included trivia games and turkey coloring contests... along with a re-enactment of an Indian (aka Kerri) getting the turkey (aka Brooke) ready for dinner.

We miss Lauren who is headed to San Diego for a soccer tournament.  But there was great food, good fun and lots of good memories!

Dave and His Beautiful Sister and Nieces... Love this Picture!

I don't even remember when this was taken... obviously a few years ago from the size of Cam in the background ... but I love this picture and love all of the people in it!

Let it Snow!!!

I have no great pictures to go with this... but I just have to laugh at my kids.  They love playing in the snow... especially my biggest and oldest kid... she'll always be a kid when it comes to snow.




Lauren has always loved shoveling driveways.  Starting at about 3 whenever it would snow she would grab a shovel and head to the driveway, the neighbor's driveway and play. 

The 2nd it starts to snow each year the kids have the sleds out and are in the snow.  I remember when Cam was probably 3 there was an early snow in October (just an inch or 2) and he begged to go outside and play.  By the time we were done the snow had pretty much melted, but he had a great time.



Friday night about 10pm the 3 of them headed outside with Zoe and had their first snow adventure of the season.  They are teaching Zoe to pull the sled up.  Again on Saturday they all 3 were out playing again. 


I don't love the sleds laying all over, and I really don't love how they have a hard time finding all of the hooks I set up in the laundry room for wet clothes, but I do love that they love the seasons!!!

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