Almost 2 months....

I can't believe I have not updated this for almost 2 months......time has flown by. Things have just been so busy. Ali finished up her winter gymnastics, Connor started soccer and both kids are getting ready to start t-ball/softball. I can't wait for summer!

Here is Connor at his first game. It looks so warm but we were freezing on the sidelines with a winter coat....spring soccer is just not warm enough yet!

The kids have been playing outside a lot lately.....in the woods and trying to swing on vines. Here is Ali and her friend (Libby) swinging on a 'Dad approved' vine. I was so scared when they first started doing it but there really isn't a big drop or anthing....it would just be a downhill roll if they fall.

I promise I will be updating with more pictures soon - Easter is on its way!

Thank goodness for ski lessons!

We went on our first overnight ski/tubing adventure on Fri and Sat and had so much fun. We went to Winterplace Ski resort in Beckley WV. We initially wanted to take a little family trip for the weekend and thought tubing sounded fun. Then I heard about this nice place that offered ski lessons with a ski/tubing package all day for beginners. Ian and I have never been skiing but I thought how hard could skiing be????

After we got all suited up we had an hour before lessons so we thought we would go to a beginner hill and just try it out. Well.....we never made it to the first hill. We never actually made it too far out into the snow. We spent the first hour trying to stand up and take steps. If only I had pictures of us trying to stay up......I saw Ian fall (like his feet were taken right out from under him) and it makes me laugh everytime I think about it because he never falls.....he's like a cat! Me, on the other hand, falls all the time so it was nothing unexpected!

I asked some cool snowboarders to take our picture (in order for us to be standing during the picture we had to hold our ski's)

So then it was time for the 90 minute lesson. The picture below is the kids coach - Greg. He was so patient and I am glad the kids had him as their instructor. They learned alot.

Ian and I went with another coach. Can't say I have a picture of him......the least thing I was thinking about was the camera around my neck for the next 90 minutes. I fell, and I fell alot! I am SO glad I had the camera.....not Ian :) Luckily the kids would ski by with their instructor and wave and Ian always waited for me when I fell behind our group - which was the whole time. After the lessons the kids were so proud......

We went on some beginner slopes together and of course the kids loved the lifts. Here is Ian and Connor in front of us on a lift.

The kids also loved the carpet lifts on the kiddy slopes (aka - Angie's slopes)

One final picture of all of us with our ski's on and standing up - YIPPEE! (notice my crooked legs/skis......I truely have no coordination!)

Off to the tubing park we go! It was a blast and effortless which was AWESOME after the day we had learning to ski. The tubing lifts (or super carpet) took us up everytime and it wasn't very busy. This is a picture of Connor (left) Ali (center) and Ian (right) racing down the tube lanes..

We hope to make this winter trip every year.......it was great!

WHAT A WEEK!

We have definitely had an challenging week and are SO happy to be back in our home.

On Wednesday morning our electricity went out @ 5am and it just came on about 5 hours ago. Yes - that is almost 5 DAYS without electricity. The whole town of Logan was out for almost 3 days and every hotel within 60 miles was full. The kids have been out of school and me out of work since Tuesday. It was just crazy. We were kicking ourselves for not having a generator but its one of those things you don't think about until you need it.

On Wednesday night we 'roughed it' with just the fireplace and lanterns - it was absolutely miserable and learned our lesson!

On Thurs night we stayed in a hotel.

On Fri night we stayed with our friends Rob & Sarah

Saturday night we stayed with Roger and Mary

Tonight will be the first night back in our beds! Thank goodness we have such wonderful friends - we wouldn't have made it without them. It was such a good feeling to have so many friends that called to check on us and open their homes to us.

Its funny how easy it is to take simple things for granted - heat, hot water, lights, comfort of home, etc. The one thing I will miss is we all four slept & cuddled in the same room 4 nights in a row - I loved that. Tonight when when we all go to bed, instead of the kids ending up in our bed, I bet I will be the one that climbs in bed with them :)

The kids missed sledding in the backyard so every time we came home to check on the house they would get their snow suits on just to go down the hill a few times. Here are a few pics of them sledding.

Happy New Year!

We had a very nice New Years with our friends the Jordan's and the Swope's. Well it started out with the Swopes but after 9pm and 2 kids sick with the flu bug, they had to leave. I felt so bad b/c we had been planning this for while but that just means we will have to have them over again very soon. Here is a picture of Jenny Jordan and her kids (Cameron, Blake and Jayce) and of course Ali and Connor. We had such a nice night with the kids and just hanging out!

Sarah, Rob and little Avery stopped by with their very new (5 weeks old) baby twins - Allie and Addy - during the holiday break. They are SO adorable and such good babies. Of course my Ali couldn't keep her hands off them.......she holds them better then I do!
And I thought I would add the picture of Mom and Steve from when they were home over the holidays. They are now back in Florida and we will miss them very much. But they have had a rough year so they really need that Florida sunshine!

Christmas Time!

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! It was nice to visit with so much family and friends this year, those are the best memories. I have so many pictures I want to post and will do my best.

First of all, I wanted to make sure everyone knew about our new 'musician' in our family! Ali is playing the saxophone and doing a great job. She was playing Jolly Old Saint Nick for grandma and grandpa in this picture.

Ian's sister Gretchen her husband Frank and their 4 kids (Shelby, Dalton, Hannah and Kennedy) visited us right after our electricity went out on Tuesday night. So we exchanged gifts and visited by the fire all night!
We were making cookies for Christmas dinner in these pictures. The kids are getting so good at making designs for the cookies. Doesn't it look like Ian is having fun!


Can you guess who made this cookie and just HAD to take a picture of it (hint - it wasn't me or one of the kids)
This is a picture of Ian's brother - Uncle David and Grandma Bev on Christmas Eve. The kids just adore David - they couldn't wait to see him!
Here are some Christmas morning pictures. Santa was good to us again this year! Connor woke up at 5:30 and I amazingly persuaded him to lay down with me and he fell back asleep until about 7. I can't say I prepared too much for these early AM pictures b/c I should have at least put the kids in better PJ's. Ali is wearing a nightgown she's had since she was 4 years old and Connor does not like to sleep in a shirt! Memories :)

Here is Charlie - he loves Christmas too!

The Friday after Christmas we had a dinner with my sister Amy and her 4 kids - 2 sets of twins! Jacob and Racheal - Mallory and Cameron. They stayed the night and the kids just loved it!


Then today, we visited with Aunt Susie, cousin Megan and David. They are getting so big - Megan will be starting college in August!

Again, we had one of the best Christmas' this year all because we were able to spend time with all the family - including Thanksgiving with Uncle Matt. My Mom and Dad flew home for Christmas from Florida but I just realized I don't have any pictures of them! Probably because we have been able to spend time with them almost everyday they have been home - we are so grateful they are here this Christmas. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

TAG YOUR IT!

My friend Carrie tagged me ...

Picture Tag!

The object of picture tag is to:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder

3) Explain the picture

4) Tag 4 people to do the same NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing, etc!)

Here is mine.....

This was one of about 20 shots I tried to get for our Christmas card this year. My plan was to get the kids 'laughing' because I wanted the card to say something like 'love and laughter for the holidays' Well Ian was in charge of trying to get them to laugh behind me and at first I had to tell him to not have them laughing so hard...:) This was one of the pictures that was kind of blurry b/c they laughed so much. This really was in my 4th folder b/c I accidentally saved it in an old Christmas folder and just found it searching for this tag thing!

TAG YOUR IT - Joy!

8 days and counting...

I can't believe Christmas is 8 days away! I wish I could say I am ready but I am far from it. We have had such a busy past few weeks since we came home from Georgia. I thought I would post some pictures of things keeping us busy.


Here is Ian putting up our first 'real' Christmas tree.

...and the finished tree

We also had our Christmas with Grandma Joy and Grandpa Jimbo since they leave for Texas for the winter.

Ali was in her first musical for Christmas......she looked so pretty! I only have a few pictures of the play but she was in the choir and being so tall she was stuck in the back of all the kids so we could barely see her.

Connor has played his first basketball game after 2 months of practice. He was excited about his first uniform and basketball shoes. It has been so fun to watch this age play basketball. They concentrate on the ball,their feet and the coach at all times. During the game Connor kept motioning the kid he was blocking to stand behind him - and he did what Connor said. Here are some pictures......