Merry Christmas!

It was great to spend Christmas with Grandma, Grandpa, Jacob, and Emily (and for the kids sake - the dogs.)

The little ones were still sleeping but Christmas was still there when they woke up.

Not a Baby Anymore

I can't believe it has been a year.  Here is my little boy - one year old.  

  More interested in candy then presents..

Because we were leaving for Texas early the next morning, we decided to celebrate the rest of Deacon's birthday with cousins a couple of days later.  They had fun playing "Don't Eat Deacon" and eating Christmas brownies.  

Happy Birthday Deeks!

Farmer's Market

Taylor is so creative.  The 2nd grade was holding a Farmer's Market and Taylor decided he wanted to make elephants.  He had them sold before he opened up shop and then had the clever idea to take orders.  He was sweet and saved one for Camryn to buy.  

Costa Rica

It is such a blessing to gather as family. This Thanksgiving we had the opportunity to gather on the beautiful shores of Costa Rica. We started off the vacation with a visit to the San Jose, Costa Rica temple and attended a sacrament meeting in Spanish - special thanks to David, Mindy, and Bryce for translating the talks.

Our days consisted of a variety of adventurous activities and in the evenings we enjoyed devotionals and games of Rook and Nertz. 

 We had a wonderful time - strengthening family relationships, taking a break from cooking and cleaning, and having a great time with the people we love.

Fall

The kids have anxiously been waiting for enough leaves to fall so they could rake and play in the piles.  Last weekend we finally had enough. 

Trick-or-treat

In Iowa, Halloween is celebrated a little differently than most of the United States.  We trick-or-treat on Beggar's Eve (October 30th) instead of Halloween.  A little weird?  We think so, but when in Rome...So we went trick-or-treating on unhalloween with Ironman, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Whinnie the Pooh. The big kids ran from house to house (Dad and Deacon were able to keep up) while Camryn (with Mom) had her own pace and interest.  She preferred puppies over candy - stopping to pet each one, ask the owner its name, etc. This was probably my favorite trick-or-treat yet, despite being separated from most of the family.  Camryn's enthusiasm was contagious and her easy-going pace gave us the opportunity to meet and talk with our neighbors.

Pumpkin Fun

Last year we carved our pumpkins too early.  (By Halloween they were falling in and rotting.)  So this year we decided to wait until just before Halloween.  Despite our best intentions, here is our carving crew one hour before trick-or-treating.  Maybe next year we'll time our carving so it's just right. 

Dakota with Rapunzel's tower, Taylor a bat, and Camryn (aka Cookie) a cat. 

Saturday Fun

The kids were excited to pull the remote control airplane out of the garage Saturday. We decided to give flying one last try...and we were successful!  We didn't even need to use the duct tape after the first two flights.  :)

Dakota purchased her own hula hoop Saturday and showed us her amazing hula hoop skills. Despite her valiant coaching, the family has yet to come close to learning that same skill.

Soccer Saturdays

I am loving our Saturday mornings at the soccer fields.  Taylor and Dakota love playing, and Bryce is enjoying coaching Taylor's team.  Dakota scored her first goal Saturday!

Family Retreat

We decided to spend our "There's No Place Like Home" family retreat in Omaha. We enjoyed reading The Wizard of Oz the week prior and watching the DVD on our drive to NE. Although Bryce and I were both sick for the trip, we made some great memories and enjoyed our discussions regarding heart, courage, and mind.

We also enjoyed our visit to the temple and while Bryce and I switched off with the kids we visited the Mormon Trail Center.  

 We walked from Nebraska to Iowa and back again on the longest pedestrian bridge connecting two states.

Another favorite was a trip to the Omaha zoo.  The boys especially loved the aquarium. 

Taylor and Dakota especially enjoyed  the skyfari ride and Camryn the carousel.  

My Buddy

This girl is my buddy all day.  Deacon naps for a long time, now that house is quiet.  So it's just me and Camryn...and what a blast she is to be around.