So Long...Farewell

We're going to miss this place...

While cleaning out the house, Gene's sister found this little note. Written in his mother's hand, it says:

I Love a messy house with my children at home more than I love a clean house when they are at their own homes.

Rosie Meets Daisy (and other introductions)

Wondering who Rosie and Daisy are? They are the names that Zoe and her cousin Dryden wanted to name their new baby sisters!

We went up north this last weekend, and had the chance to meet our new little cousin. In all actuality, little Adrie is just about as big as little Genevieve! But that isn't such a surprise since her parents are much taller than miss g-veous' parents.

While the two little ones were getting to know one another, the bigger children were meeting some other new little ones...

  Dryden and Emory got two bunnies before Adrie arrived, and I have not heard about much else. Zoe in particular has been talking nonstop about the bunnies. And about getting some for our own family.

I must say...they are super cute...and Rosie and Daisy would make good bunny names.

(kasey, my sister, called me this morning to tell me that one of the bunnies died during the night. they got a new brown one just this evening to replace it.)

Oh, What Fun!

A week ago, over the Thanksgiving holiday, we were able to do something we've never done before! We went with Gene's sister's family to Ashley National Forest and cut down our first REAL Christmas tree!
What an experience! I didn't know picking out a tree could be so difficult. Gene's sister and her husband had their tree picked out within the first twenty minutes. But not Gene and I.

I just assumed that there would be a light shining down with angelic voices singing pointing out OUR TREE. Not so. It never happened.

We did find our tree, however. It took us until the very end of the outing, of course. And we did get to strap it to the top of van and drive all the way home! AHHH... the memories.

Our Own Backyard

A week ago last Saturday The Manziones, Jensens, and Calls came into town. We spent the day hiking in Zion National Park...Our very own backyard!

Squirrels aplenty
Gene and Asher

ZoeLorenzo
Ella

Esperanza
Claire
Lauren

The Narrows Weeping Rock
Aryn

Isabelle
Elyse

Handprint rock...that our family made the week before
Zane

Isaac

Swimming stop in the Virgin River via the Pa 'Rus trail.
Me. Well, at least my shoes.

Another Reason We Love Cousins

The children are home. I picked them up from their Grammy on Thursday. They'd had a fun filled week with their paternal aunts, uncles, and cousins. After I picked them up, we went to my sister Kasey's house, where we spent time with maternal aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The above pictures were all taken by my wonderful sister. She just got her backyard fenced in, and we were enjoying it. As you can see, all our children are easily amused with small, plastic pools, play structures, and popsicles. AHHH, childhood...