Catching up!

Our kids in their Christmas best!! Dallin is at that age where he loves to make faces! You should see some of the previous pictures and the faces he makes! We want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and also add that we have a date to head to Australia! Dan needs to be to work on January 19th so we will leave on the 16th. We feel like we have some good options for renting our house we will just hope and pray that it all works out. We have lots of work to do before then!

Christmas Sunday!

A favorite tradition of Dan's family is to make Gingerbread houses, but they can't just be any kind, they have to be really big and cool. Dan made the big one but had help decorating it, when he wanted to move on to another task. Some of the older grand kids added their houses too to make a village! Then after the holidays they destroy it by throwing metal berings at it!

Halloween a little late

Of course the halloween costumes!



This is the sign we made for our trunk for the ward party!

Australia!

So I decided to cover all my basesI have sent out an email, posted on facebook and now I am adding to my blog! Hopefully it will somehow reach everyone. We can finally say that we ARE going to Australia. Dan signed the offer tonight. We will start the Visa process and hopefully get there the beginning of January. We are excited and a little nervous about such a big change. We will definitely try to keep everyone posted on here.

High School Musical 3!!

So we are on fall break and HSM3 came out today. We had bought our movie tickets on line so that we could make sure we made it to the 10:10 a.m. showing. When we got to the 20 mile theatre (40 minutes early) there were already people lined up to go in. It is kinda funny to see your kids having an interest in something and remembering the good ol days when I loved a certain actor, or singer and the excitement of something new. It is also crazy because a few months ago when we thought we would be going to Australia the end of October, Carlee and Sara informed us that HSM3 was coming out in theatres on Oct. 24th and that they wanted to move AFTER that date. Well we were able to see the movie and we still don't have a moving date so I guess they were all worried for nothing. It was a crowded theatre and my girls thought the movie was better than either 1 or 2. I have liked them all, and not afraid to admit it. We went with our friends the Findlays and Grandma Welch. A good end for my daughters to fall break!

We love the YMCA!!!

So last friday (October 17th) We went with my family to Estes Park to stay at the YMCA. Earlier this year in March we went with Dan's extended family for his Grandma's 90th birthday and we had the best time. So, When my brother Jared and his wife brought up the idea that they wanted to go, we were all over going again. The best part about it is that all the activities are free. Roller skating, swimming, mini golf, open gym, game room etc. We LOVE the craft and design center ( but it isn't free.) We missed my sister and her family, but we definitely want to do it again when everyone can come. We stayed in two 3 bedroom cabins and took turns being in charge of meals and it turned out great. We only stayed 1 night but managed to squeeze everything in.

This the beginning of our hike!

Dallin finds a stump cut like a chair.

Dallin kept ending up in our bed. I cracked up to see him sleeping with his leg on top of his dad.This is on saturday. We went to Lafayette to spend time with my aunt and all her family that was visiting. Then we were going to go to the pumpkin patch. We had made these shirts for everyone to wear there, but the pumpkin patch was soooo busy that we didn't even go. We still wanted a picture with everyone in their shirts though.

Who thinks I am partial?

So I realize that there isn't much on this blog about our little boy. He is 2 and 1/2, and he is full of energy. Everyone told me it would be different having a boy, but I didn't know how different. He definitely is all boy. We got the wii fit this week and this is a picture of him doing the soccer ball game. You have to lean to whichever side so that you hit the soccer ball with your head. He is sure that he is just as big as his 3 older sisters and wants to play just like them.

In these next 2 pictures Dallin is suppose to be getting ready for bed, but what sounds like more fun to you? "Building" and playing trains or putting on your pj's? He was so proud of himself. His cousins Charlie and Daemon were over tonight and helped build the track initially but then he fixed a few places and loved running his train around the tracks. He is seeming to be older lately. He talks more (even if mom is sometimes the only one to understand), he LOVES to be a helper, and is always on the go-jumping, climbing, or running everywhere he goes. Dallin and I spend a lot of time together. We are home all day and he is at nursery with me at church. Recently he loves to give "tisses" (kisses) to everyone (including some girls in his nursery class.) And he really loves babies and is pretty good about being soft to them. Sooo needless to say he is not thought of any less than the girls, we just don't do as many fun and interesting things as the girls.

Field Trip

So yesterday I was lucky enough to get to go on a field trip with Carlee and Sara. They are in the 4th grade and I thought that if they were still wanting their mom on field trips I had better take advantage of it. We went to the Colorado History Museum and the State Capital. We had a great time and luckily Aunt Amelia watched Dallin. Looking our from inside the dome over a part of Denver. City and county building in front.

Dome inside Capital

Our Group Arianna, Lauren, Sara, Claire, Carlee, and Alyssa in front of the State Capital.

Carlee at the Colorado History Museum

Sara at the Colorado History Museum

3rd times a charm or is it 4?

So I got a phone call from Whitney's teacher today telling me that at recess today she was pushed down. Shw had been to the nurse's office but went back to class. When Whitney tride to push herself up from sitting she started crying. Soooo with Whitney's history I thought I had better be prepared for the worst. I met her off the bus and tried to just push on it a little bit and she screamed out. So we made an appt. with our pediatrician and TA-DAH!!!! As I had expected. A broken (buckle fracture) of her left wrist. If anyone is counting besides me this is her FOURTH broken bone. Leg 2 times and now arms 2 times!!!

Labor Day Weekend

So for Labor Day weekend we did a round about way to Mt. Rushmore. First night we went to Gerring NE and stayed the night. Then up and at it to visit 3 different National Parks or monuments. My kids love to get stamps at these various locations, and they got plenty this weekend. We went to Scotts Bluff Monument (above) about the pioneers going through this area, then to Agate Fossil Beds national monument, and the Wind caves. We were with Dan's Aunt Maryanne, his mom, Sister Amelia and her family and Brother John and his family and met up with Anne and Micah West in South Dakota. We really enjoyed our trip and got to see alot of things we haven't seen before.

200 ft below ground at Wind Caves national park. I have never been to a cave before so we enjoyed this also. We took the handicap tour with the rest of Dan's family which was great with so many small children. A little out of order-sorry! Mt. Rushmore lit up at night!

We enjoyed most of the day at Mt. Rushmore. Watching a movie, walking the presidential walk, visiting the artist studio, shopping at the gift shop and taking pictures. We also went by that night to see it lit up.

We went to Bear country and saw alot of animals-elk, wolves and tons of Bears.

Ft. Larmie having a Root beer. After this picture we were running to the car in the pouring rain and we were all soaked when we got to the car, and because of the jostling around the root beer was foaming all over also! UGH! Sticky and wet-but we enjoyed our time there.

On a ROLL!

This is pretty fun! Why not try it again! Carlee and Sara want to be on here so we will talk about the first day of school! This year we went to a new school called Mammoth Height Elementary. It is closer to our home and a brand new school. Carlee is in 4th grade-Mrs. Campos, Sara in 4th grade- Mr. Craven and Whitney 1st-Mrs. Blevins. School Started on Wednesday August 6, They are loving their teachers and the school. Another interesting thing is that they have Spanish as a special, so we get to practice that as well!

Lost her first tooth

Yesterday Whitney lost her first tooth. She is so excited about it! We thought we should start using this blog so here goes our first post and picture. The tooth had been hanging on for quite some time and she was very careful about what she ate for the past few days. Finally last night she decided to ask Grandma Welch to help her pull it out. Without much effort-out it came! The tooth fairy left a dollar for her first lost tooth!

Getting started

Just testing this out!