Thanksgiving 2016

This year, Thanksgiving was in Vernal with the whole family.  We had everyone there but Cameron, who is on his mission, and Gio, who was with his girlfriend's family.  We even got a picture of all of us together.

Also, we got a new family picture.  I should probably print this out.

This is Erin and I looking bored so we could send it to Cameron (nephew) to let him know he wasn't missing much at Thanksgiving.

Here's Mom and Dad and their great grandchildren.  Poor Olive was picking her nose and I didn't realize it, but it makes for good memories.

We had basketball, scooters, board games, a program and lots of yummy food.  They later used these scooters to play human Hungry Hungry Hippos. 

This is our no distraction basket Mark set up.  Reagan thought it was so we could pick out a new free phone.

We barricaded the hallways so we would only have to clean part of the church afterward.  Liam was disappointed because he was planning on using the church as his personal spy game.  

This is his sign he made for the game.

Daniel brought his awesome Karaoke machine that has lots of settings to change your voice.  It was a pretty nice setup! 

Board games at all the tables.

I had a photo session with the Rosses and I had to show this picture.  We were in a field and this cow did not like us being in his territory.  He kept coming up and sniffing them and licking Daniel.  After a while, he started snorting and pawing the ground, so we decided it was time for us to leave him in peace.

We also cut down our Christmas tree again this year.  While we were walking around, looking for the perfect tree, Owen found "a stick" sticking out of the snow.  He picked it up and it was a Mule deer skull.  Oh my!  That was the most wonderful find he could have imagined.  He even found a little bit of blood left on it, which made it even more special.  Reagan didn't want to leave until she found her a skull too, but alas, we left with only one dead animal head.  I promised Owen it could be the star on our tree that year.

All the kids had fun, the had snowball fights and we had cookies and Reagan and Owen got cold and sat in the car with Grandma for a while. 

Randomness...

Here are some of the pictures I pulled off my phone from the last little while. 

This is Erin and Reagan and the group of girls Erin hangs out with in the neighborhood.  They were playing the scotch tape game where you look at the other person and just say a word, any word at all, and the other person has to say another word and so on and so forth.  If you hesitate at all, the other person can put a piece of tape on your face and you begin again.  They had loads of fun. 

Liam went to a couple of merit badge classes at BYU, and while he was in class, the rest of us toured the campus.  It is Erin's favorite place to be.  We hung out in the science building for about an hour and a half, because they have cool experiments all over in the front lobby.  Then we walked around the campus.  It was rainy that day, so it was nice weather for ducks.  The ducks were out in full force.  You can see one in the picture above in the circle by the tree.

We had just been to a regional conference where Elder Packer spoke.  He talked about a grove of sequoias in his talk and we wanted to see them.  Who needs the Redwood Forest?  Ha!

Owen had brought some apples that Grandma and Grandpa Manwaring brought to us from their tree and wanted to feed them to the ducks.  I would bite off little pieces and the kids would throw them to the ducks.  I don't think they liked it very much.

Cool stairs.

Erin with her beloved Y in the background.

We had time to go to the temple also.  We just walked around a little because it was rainy.

Afterward, we picked up Liam and went to the Creamery.  I had their caramel cashew and it was delicious.  Even Erin, who doesn't like ice cream, thought it was the best ice cream she had ever eaten!  High praise.

We had a few weeks of YM/YW volleyball.  I usually just go to cheer on the girls, but this year, Liam played.  It was fun to see him play and have the family come cheer him on.  He is above in the red shirt.

I think this is the only picture of Halloween we got this year.  Erin was the T.A.R.D.I.S. from Doctor Who, Owen was a ghost, Reagan was a dinosaur zombie and Liam was a scarecrow.  He isn't in this picture because he got invited to a Halloween party with some friends, so he went there instead and trick-or-treated with them.  It was a little sad to not have him with us.  He's growing up (sob)!

I got a job working at an elementary school as a playground duty a couple of days a week.  Here I am in my beautiful orange vest I get to wear.  It has been nice, because it makes me get outside the house.  Not so nice on days like this one was.  January needs to end!!

This is my arm with a perfect snowflake on it.  Isn't it cool? 

Red Fleet...I know I'm behind

In September, we went out to Vernal and Cameron and the kids went to Red Fleet with Spencer and Jenna.  It was a really nice time and they boated for a few hours and then right as they were getting in the van to come home, the sky opened up and it started pouring rain.  Good timing!!

School Days

First day of school.  The kids weren't too excited about it, but it has been a more contentious summer, so I was excited for the schedule.

Liam started Junior High this year.  We decided to take him out of orchestra and put him in band.  He started playing the baritone and attended summer band.  I think this helped him be less nervous.  He learned the layout of the school and got used to walking home every day.  They had a back to school bash a few days before school started with pizza, sno-cones, popcorn and a dunking tank.  He was nervous to go, so we went to the store, got some stuff for a "locker survival kit", a mirror and whiteboard for his locker, put the survival kit together and went to the school to set his locker up.  We got everything set up and it was time for the party.  I asked him if he was ready.  He looked nervous, but said yes.  As we were walking through the school, I just prayed that he would find a friend to hang out with.  We walked around the corner and a boy from our ward was there and wanted to hang out with Liam.  Heavenly Father listens.  I left and went home and cried because I am a mom and I can do that.  He came home and said it was really fun.  He's got seven classes and has really liked it so far.  I think it is good for him because it's something new every 45 minutes.

First day of seventh grade.

Erin started 5th grade this year.  She was not excited at all.  I think her nervousness comes out in anger.  We had a couple of clothing related meltdowns the first week of school.  We have since had a few talks and she is making a goal to say hi to people and smile.  She did that yesterday and said she had the best day so far.  She was nervous about her teacher, because she wanted another one, but now is happy with her teacher.  

Owen is in third grade.  How is he in third?  I think this teacher will be a challenge for him.  She is very organized and regimented, which he is not, but it will be really good for him.  He has taken everything in stride and is going with the flow.

So our first day of school was also fraught with meltdowns.  In fact, the whole first day of school mornings were meltdown city by our youngest.  This is the best all four children first day of school shot I could get.  She hated her shirt and wouldn't get in the picture.  Liam had to leave, so we had to take the picture with or without her.  These two pictures are the result.

She thinks I deleted these pictures, so no one tell her they are on the blog.  She cried screamed for about a half an hour after this and I had to sit and rock with her for a while.  I think a lot of it was nerves.  She has not wanted to start first grade.

Reagan started first grade.  All day long!  She didn't want to go because she would miss me.  She has been so brave and the nervousness has subsided a bit.  She is home sick today.  She has a fever.  We'll get there!

You do have to love this cute face.  Back to the school schedule!

Summer

Time to update I guess.  I've been very lax about doing this.  Liam graduated from elementary school.  He's getting so grown up!

Here's his picture on graduation day.  We had a little friend come with us who wanted to be in the picture too.

This is him onstage.  He's so handsome.  I'm not biased or anything.

And the family (who weren't in school).  Grandma April came and we got ice cream cones afterward and took Reagan to school.  Liam graduated in the morning and she had afternoon kindergarten.

We had our annual fourth of July ward parade.  Kids decorated their bikes and rode the parade route.  We had breakfast at a ward member's house.  It was really fun.  

It was also the first time the kids rode the whole route without us!!  Woo-Hoo.  We didn't have to be in the parade this year.  That night we went to the Bryant's house and lit off fireworks.

A few nights later we lit our own fireworks off in the circle with the Derrs and Reeves.  Cameron was super wonderful and helped all the kids light their own fireworks off while I hung with the girls on the lawn.

Liam went on his first week long camp out with the Deacons.  Cameron went with him (see how great he is?)  This was taken at 4:00 in the morning.  Good for them.  It was a long week for them.  The same week was girls camp, so I was up there with the Young Women for a couple of days.  Thank you Grandma for watching the rest of the kids.  I don't think they missed me at all with all the fun stuff they did. 

I got home from girls camp and the kids wanted to go to the 24 of July parade that afternoon.  I cleaned up, got ready and we got Little Caeser's pizza and went to the parade.  It was a good one this year.  Only an hour.  We got so much swag too!   

We took a tour of the big cemetery in Salt Lake and found most of the cool graves.  Orson Pratt, lots of the prophets, Porter Rockwell, Talmage, etc.  It was fun.  By the end, the kids got a little hot and tired.

Erin and Liam found Snape's gravestone...

...and the Potter's gravestones!  Liam had pooped out by this point.

Cameron's favorite gravestone. 

This is Erin being mad because there was a University of Utah gravestone.  She's BYU all the way to the grave baby!

Afterward, we went to the park and got Slurpees.  Fun times, fun times.  

Here's Erin doing the "dab".

Reagan fell off her bike (with no helmet) and landed on her face.  Here she is the night of the accident.  Poor little girl. 

We took progressive pictures of her progress.  

Her little eye was quite swollen for a day.

Then the swelling got better and the bruising got worse.

This was the worst she looked in my opinion.  She was worried about her eye being black when school started.  Luckily, it went away by the time school started.  She would walk into church with her hand over her eye so no one could see her bruises.

Getting better!

We also went to see the Tour of Utah again.  It really is kind of fun to see all the bikers and their support teams and the helicopters overhead and highway patrolmen.  Exciting!

This is how interested Owen and Reagan were in the race.

We had a Williamsen reunion at "the Valley".  It was maybe one of the last times we are able to go up there, since Cameron's great-uncle is getting pretty old.  They had food. and a zipline for the kids and a coin search in sawdust for the kids.

Erin zipline

Owen ziplining like he does everything else in life. Over the top.

Reagan ziplining.  She was scared at first, but after the first time, she kept going back for more.

Liam on the zipline.

The Lorenzons also invited us to go boating with them.  A fun time was had by all.

Reagan, Erin and Rafe

Creed, Liam and Owen

Erin

Cameron was the flagman.

We ended the summer with a trip to Lagoon.

I am so sad I am getting older.  The rides are affecting me more.  I got so dizzy on this one.  Erin wanted to go on it twice and, being the good mom I am, complied.  Blech!

This was Reagan's favorite.  I didn't even attempt this one because it was too spinny.

Reagan also hung out with Cameron while the rest of us went on the "scary" rides.  

Look what a great time Erin is having.

Cameron attempted the dinosaur drop in kiddie land.  He regretted it later.  No throw up though, so it was a win.

Erin wanted to stay until the lights came on, so we were there all day.  In this picture, Erin and I are holding up two fingers because we went on the Cannibal twice.  It was my favorite ride.  We would have gone more, but the line was too long.   

Well, those were the big things this summer.  Erin started mowing the lawn.  Liam was glad to have someone to trade off with.  She also watered the lawn and earned some money.  We had little adventures like scouts for Owen, art for Erin and band for Liam.  We checked out the pioneer museum in Salt Lake and had lots of mellow days playing video games and watching TV.  It was a good summer.  Next post is all about school starting.  Hooray!