Yellowstone

So, the last time we went to Yellowstone Park, Jonathon was not quite a year old. It's been a while. This time we went with Mom, Kimmie, Chris, Eve and Sev. Sadly, Mark was in Boise for AT and wasn't able to come. We drove up Sunday afternoon, stopped by Mesa Falls (I forgot my camera...) and then continued on up to the Park. We drove up the west side of the upper loop and out of the Park to Gardner MT where we spent the night. It was snowing so hard when we left the park! It made for some beautiful trees along the side of the mountains. The next morning we checked out Mammoth Spring and then drove the rest of the upper loop, down to the falls, and then went home. For years, we went almost every summer, and it was so fun to finally go again.

Sev having fun with the carved bear while we waited to eat.

Mammoth Springs and the canyon, and a seriously enthusiastic Zach. He loved the big rock at Mammoth Springs; he called it a t-rex tooth. But when we asked him to smile, that's what we got. The strangers walking by thought it was hilarious.

Of course we had to stop at Tower Falls, and of course we had to have ice cream!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Ah, I just love to hear Johnny Mathis sing that. Totally puts me in the mood!
Not knowing for sure if Mark will be here for next Christmas, we tried really hard to make this Christmas a really good one. Everything we did involved hot chocolate, and cookies if possible, we played lots of Christmas music and tried to be really involved in what was going on.

Here are a few of my favorite things:
*Christmas decorations~ I am particularly fond of our stockings. Charlie Brown and Linus, and the framed "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" print Chris made for me one year.


*Chocolates~ When I was little, I couldn't wait until I was old enough to be able to help dip chocolates. I remember the first year I was able to help Mom, we dipped them downstairs in the family room with the windows open and listened to a BYU football game on the radio. I love that my kids want to do it too.



*Gingerbread houses~ This is one of the traditions I remember doing every year for what seemed like my entire childhood. I wish I had been better about doing when Jonathon was little, but we didn't start doing them until a couple of years ago, thanks to Kimmie.


*Christmas Eve with the Evans~ It's so nice to be able to do Christmas Even with Evans and then Christmas Day up at Moms. That way there's no rush, we can enjoy being with our families. I wish I had Christmas Eve pictures with the Evans, but being me, I forgot my camera. So here's another favorite:
*Sugar cookies~ Yum Yum Yum, and the kids are getting old enough it's not nearly as much work as it used to be.


*The looks on the childrens faces~ The excitement, the giggles, the ripping of the paper. This year we papered over the entrance to the living room so the kids couldn't peek, and it was the best! I am totally doing that from now on. Zach, being the youngest, got to break through the paper first, and we were finally there to see the looks on their faces. Usually they get up, sneak in and look at everything (without unwrapping) before we wake up. This was way better!

*Christmas ornaments~ One of my happy memories involving my father is of him giving us Christmas ornaments. I have 3 or 4 that he gave me, and they are very important to me. Almost all of our ornaments have a specific memory or event attached to them, and I love them all for that.

Christmastime

What a busy couple of weeks we had! First, Chris and Eve "popped" in for a visit with Sevi! Kimmie was expected, so more company was a surprise!

While they were here, we dipped chocolates.




A few days later, we decorated gingerbread houses with Grandma, Kimmie and the Deans.





Christmas Eve brought the annual Nativity and Christmas jammies at Grandma and Grandpa Evans.





Christmas morning started way too early, with lots of fun presents. I think my favorite, though, was Zach's Clone Trooper helmut; he looks like a bobblehead!



Jonathon got what he wanted; lots and lots of iTunes cards.



Grandma Toy gave Alli a Madame Alexander doll, and made her a wedding dress for her! Alli was in heaven.



We went to Mom's that afternoon to open presents and have dinner and play in the snow.






After Christmas, we went to Orem and spent a few days at Kimmie's. We went sledding at Rock Canyon, we played the Wii a lot, watched movies, went to a Utah Grizzlies hockey game (so much fun!), saw Bolt in 3-D, and went to Temple Square to look at the lights.










It was such a fun Christmas! We have been so blessed.

We're Back!

This trip to Portland and Washington was so much fun! We did several things we haven't done before, fun things that we have, and we got to play with baby!
The road trip out was easy, unadventurous, and a nice way to start the trip off. When we got to Tolman and Audreys, Chris and Eve came over with Severin, and we tried on the hat I bought him. I don't think he liked it too much.

So kissable!

Sunday after church, we all headed out to the coast. It was too cold to get very wet, but the kids still had lots of fun running around, collecting shells, and playing in the water, while the grown-ups mostly sat and talked.

When we went to breakfast Monday morning at a place called Fat Alberts, this sign was out front; the theme for our trip!

Monday we headed up to Poulsbo, WA, to visit cousins! We had a bbq on the beach and watched the sun go down, while the kids just ran and ran, played on the swings, collected more shells, and ate lots of smores.

Tuesday morning we took the ferry into Seattle. The kids were so excited to ride the boat, and thoroughly enjoyed their public transportation experience!

They've never even been on a bus, other than for school, and they rode the ferry, the monorail, a taxi, a bus and a train.

I ate my very first clam chowder! Kimmie was quite disgusted with me.

We walked up to Pike's Place for the market, tried lots of different treats and watched the fish guys throw some fish around.


Then we walked to the mall to catch the monorail to the Space Needle, where the kids played at the children's museum, rode the ferris wheel with Grandma, and then we all squeezed into a taxi to go to dinner.

After yummy spaghetti, we took a bus back to the ferry, went back across, left the kids with Blake, and Melisa, Mom and I went to see Mamma Mia! It was a late night, but much better than going back to the house and putting the kids to bed! Thanks Blake!!!

Saturday, Mom and the kids, Audrey, and I drove up to Tacoma to see a dance festival that Melisa helped organize and run. It involved 2300 kids and 11 stakes, and it was amazing! She was so stressed about this, and after seeing what she was going through trying to make sure she had all the paperwork, I will never again be neglectful or late in turning in permission slips for things! It was a learning experience for me.

Sunday we went to Severin's blessing, which was great, and had a party afterwards. It was a long week, and so nice to be able to just relax for a while and eat lots of yummy food. It was such a fun trip, and it was so great to be able to go with Mom. She was hilarious, and so much fun.