Family Photos on Zenfolio

The link below will take you to the Zenfolio site where I have uploaded several new photos of the family for viewing and printing for our family and friends.

Christmas Eve

Jeffrey is getting into hiding now to make a surprise for us. He took advantage of his size and a box that was delivered. 

Tricia heard about the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo putting on a light show and thought it would be fun for us to go. And it was! This is a zoo worth going back to again and again. Jeffrey had a fun time and was even quite patient when we had to stand in a long line to get in. He was also patient when we had to take a number to see Santa Claus. We waited our turn with a bag of popcorn. When it was finally time to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas he was nervous. It took some coaxing to get him to sit on his lap and talk to him. 

On our way out we saw this restored carousel. It was an extra two dollars to take a ride, but it was worth it. Sometimes it is just the little extra investment that makes the trip go from fun for a day to memorable for many years. 

Jeffrey and me watching Finding Nemo in his room. 

Jeffrey still loves to put on his Buzz Lightyear costume once in a while. That costume has been a good investment. 

On Christmas Eve we opened the traditional gingerbread house. We had to put it up fast so that Jeffrey would not eat up all of our decorating materials. 

The post woman delivered a package to us on Christmas Eve. Wow, that was close. 

I took Jeffrey on a last minute errand to Walmart. We always have go to the back corner and admire the fish tanks. 

Of course there is no leaving any store until we have taken a turn on the rides. I did not have a quarter for this horse, but it was all the same to Jeffrey. 

Mom and Dad baked a tray of cookies for Santa. Jeffrey helped put a few out as he was going to bed.

We have our traditional new set of pajamas on received on Christmas Eve.

Hiding In a Box

Tricia took this picture of me and Jeffrey after Jeffrey came into the room with this open box around him as a disguise. Once he put the box down I put it on and then he wanted to get back in.

Christmas Party

By working a half day schedule from 0930 until 1200 each day, I do not have to use my leave days. We are not planning on traveling out of the area, so there is not reason to waste the leave days. 

Jeffrey's rediscovery of his trains has given him something fun to distract him as Christmas approaches. 

This year he understands the concept of presents better and can hardly keep his eyes or hands off of the gifts under the tree. "I am just watching it," is a typical response for why he is hovering around the tree.

Having learned about surprises there are times when Jeffrey does not want us to watch him getting dressed. Even when we are helping him. He turns around and says, "Don't watch me." He waits for the last button to be done up and then turns around to show off how handsome he looks. 

The Rogers family invited us to their home along with their neighbors from their street for a Christmas party. It is easy to find the Rogers' home since it has more lights than any other on the street. 

The party was a fun time. Each guest of families brought something to eat to add to the tale. After mingling and eating for a while it was time to play some Christmas games and then perform a nativity scene with the children that came. 

In a game Jeffrey received a blanket and a dice game.

Sunday and Monday

Jeffrey started the day off with a breakfast of last nights doughnuts. We all followed suit and had the same. 

I am still working on reading Jack London to Jeffrey while he is in the bath. I think once we finish this book I will start in on a Louis LaMore. 

A tired Jeffrey did not want to go to church today. It took both Tricia and me to wrestle him into his seat and buckle him in. We had only traveled a short distance when he fell asleep. Sleeping is the best way to take Jeffrey into church. That way he skips sitting still in sacrament meeting and wakes up just in time to go to nursery. 

After cleaning his room, we pulled his wooden train set out of Jeffrey's closet. He is not concerned with making the track meet up with itself in some type of circle. He is quite content to have the track lay out straight and chug the trains between the end points. I found his train whistle and made some sound effects for him.

New Tires

It is time to get new tires for both cars. Yikes! That is tough on the wallet. Of course, with winter here there is no putting it off as it is a serious safety issue. I am just glad that both of the cars have been for the most part reliable and low on cost for repairs. 

I watched Jeffrey for the morning while Tricia took the Christmas gifts to the post office to mail to family and friends. This is Jeffrey putting together a puzzle so he could put it away into his own room. 

While Tricia was away I tackled a mountain of clothing that has been building up in our room. For both of us washing clothes is no problem, but neither of us have any desire to fold and put away clothes. I still had not finished when Tricia returned so she joined in. By the time we were done we had doubled the amount of usable space in our room. We always say that we are going to get better about folding laundry, but our commitment only lasts until the next load in done in the dryer. 

Jeffrey is not good about being sneaky. He does not hide the evidence or clean up his crumbs. When Tricia noticed that several of her muffins (nuffins as Jeffrey calls them) were missing it took only a second to discover the wrappers tucked under the counter on the floor. Jeffrey confessed immediately when we showed him the evidence. 

This side of pork was amazingly delicious. It slowed cooked in the crock pot for two full days with a break in between with an over night in the refrigerator. I was not sure how to best get the meat off of the bone, but that was not problem. I had only to touch the meant with the knife and fork and it fell right off the bone and left the bone as clean as though it were sun dried in the desert. The pork was amazingly flavorful. Good one, Tricia.

Seven Falls

I received a coupon at work for a free entrance to the Seven Falls. Christmas lights were put up and the falls had colored lights on them. 

After breakfast each morning at work I have been going back to the office and spending an hour at my computer reading the scriptures. Reading the scriptures on line makes it fast to get to the references listed in the footnotes. It also gives quick access to General Conference talks on the subject I may be studying. 

I ran around the house with Jeffrey playing air planes and trains. Periodically he would turn around as I chased him with my air plane and say, "Good job flying that airplane Dad."

Snowboarding

Our company 1SG arranged a snowboard trip for the company this last Tuesday. I intended to take the free lessons, but SSG Jakob and I missed the bus that went to the bunny hills. We ended up going on the ski lift two miles into the mountain and figuring out how to snowboard on the way down.  I took a lot of tumbles for the first quarter mile until I figured out how to snow plow by watching others. Soon I connected with CPT Thorne and SSG Edwards who have their own boards and we were having a blast together. Snowboarding may be one of the funnest things I have ever done.

That Promised Day

That Promised Day

I found this video while preparing for my daily scripture study. It describes what it took to create the LDS print of the King James Bible.

Fun Times

Jeffrey put himself to sleep reading Skippy John Jones. 

This is a test of the hand prints on the floor by a new soldier to the battalion. 

Jeffrey pretending to be Woody from Toy Story.

Jeffrey watches Little Einsteins while I do homework on the computer.

Halloween 2010

 When I asked Jeffrey what he wanted to dress up as for Halloween he told me he wanted to be Russell from up. So for the first time ever I made his costume.

Pretty good eh?

 Grandma MacNeil's funeral was the weekend of Halloween, the day we drove in we met my sisters at Gardner Village (one of my favorite places!) and walked around a little bit. Here's a few of Jeffrey's cousins.

 The twins were witches, Elena was Little Bo Peep (in a costume that my sister wore when she was little, it was also one of my clogging costumes), Jeffrey was Russell, and Liam was Shaun the Sheep! I have to point out something in the pic, Jeffrey stays still about as well as a flea and so I told Lizzie to hold his backpack so he couldn't get up. She did a good job!

 3/4 of the witches council (one member short). Sam and Cory had shirts that said "I live with a bunch of witches", and "I'm related to a bunch of witches". Yep, we're witches.

Pammy also wanted a picture of her family, so here they are. Photogenic all.

The cutest little mechanic I know!

I love this kiddo! He's my adorable nephew. He fills any need I have to hold a newborn and I get to hand him back at the end of the day. He's all dressed up like his daddy.

Yellowstone trip in September

 In September my family planned a trip to Yellowstone. My gram generously paid for us to all stay in the same cabin and most of the family (we three girls were single with our kiddos) was there together. I had a BLAST! It was so great to see everyone again, even if Cory wasn't able to be there. This is all the kiddos and Aunt Paige and Aunt Sherri at the Paint Pots. We ended up spending way more time there than we thought after Jeff's wife, Melissa, had to help give CPR to someone.

 Uncle Jeff generously offered to hold the leashes of the kids. Hehehe!

 Pretty right?

 Several years ago my family went on another trip to Yellowstone (I stayed home with Paige and Jeff because he had tickets to see Phantom of the Opera and took me!) and Quincy got this junior ranger hat. He brought it to Jeffrey the first day we were there and Jeffrey LOVED it! He idolizes Quincy and so getting a gift from him made his week!

 Paige and the gwirls!

 Quincy was a lifesaver, he would hold Jeffrey's had all the time and walk with him. Helped keep him from getting lost or falling into a geyser.

 Waiting for Old Faithful...which can be hard with 10 kids under the age of 12. But I came up with the idea to have them cheer and clap for the geyser to erupt. If nothing else it kept them busy.

 Old Faithful.

 Me and my travel buddy!

 The hike down from the upper falls. I was very sunburned from waiting for Old Faithful the day before. This is the hike where we learned that people are very generous with their food when you tell them you have a diabetic in need of sugar. (Even offering half eaten granola bars!)

 Mammoth Hot Springs

 Sugar, Jeffrey, and Me at Mammoth Hot Springs. Can I just say how much I love my parents? They are so cute together after 35 years and always up for an adventure.

 A petrified tree. It's a major tourist draw.

 Hello. I'm a cute little bear and I like to stop traffic for MILES around when I come out to play. People also get dangerously close to me while I'm walking across the street.

Hi, I'm a huge elk who also likes to stop traffic for miles around when I walk across a field. Check me out in all my majesty.