Thanksgiving Point Tulips

The tulip festival was a great idea for my cousin June's birthday.

        Mom got all 4 kids in one stroller, and gave them ice cream cone bubbles. It reminded me of my childhood - always so fun and squishy in the car or the stroller. Etta Mae will have this many kids in one stroller pretty soon, plus one walking. Logan- 23 mos, Alan- 26 mos and Austin- 19 mos, June's boy.He was getting tired by the end and needed his binky.

Finding his bellybutton, as usual.

 Logan follows Alan in dangerous stunts.

Logan had a little wedgie.

Good Luck on your mission Willi! When did you get so tall? This was taken literally minutes before he went into the MTC, as were saying good-bye at Grandma Vernon's. After you endure the monotanous MTC, you will love Taiwan even more! Julia promised she'd hold off on any wedding plans until you got back. JK, but maybe Parley will wait for you to be back. Oh yeah, and I will beat you at racquetball when you get back-even if you are playing right handed! 

Bye Bye Oldie, Hello Jim

When I got my oldsmobile from my cousin Maryilyn, she told me her name was Goldie, but I changed it to Oldie. She was a great old car, with nice, comfy, soft benches that moved with controls, lots of room to nurse Logan in the back seat, and it could even seat six people for when Hallie and her kids needed a ride. But I suffered through some hot summers with no AC and only one window working, some ridicule over my window crack that was letting snow in and so got some ugly duct tape all over it, and I had to learn to use the makeup mirror for a rearview mirror - Thanks, Dad, for glueing the rearview mirror back on, it but it just wouldn't stay. Then a couple weeks ago Oldie started lurching and not accelerating when I was trying to get onto the freeway. A little scary. The last time I was going to Provo in her, she lurched as I was accelerating, and turned off completely, which made it really hard to steer and brake, especialy trying to U turn on highway 6. We got home, but I knew it was time to say bye to Oldie - plus she has 234,000 miles, which is really good for an oldsmobile. But the biggest reason is that I had already purchased a replacement for Oldie.

Meet Jim -named by his previous owner- a reliable Honda Civic with way better gas mileage, turning radius, AC (a first for me), and low miles. He has a few rust spots on the outside, but what does it matter what a car looks like if its got a good engine? Plus, a couple of my neighbors would definitely agree that Jim is better looking than Oldie, as my friend told me I was moving up in the world.

The first time I saw Jim on KSL early Sat morning I knew he woud be my car. I called and magically got an appointment to see him that morning before anyone else even though twenty people had called the day before and people kept calling all while I was buying Jim. Dozens were lined up to see him that afternoon. I trusted the U of U student selling the car, who told me that Jim had a lot of life left in him, and had been well taken care of. He did, however, get made fun of by friends for driving a car made with no right side mirror. Who looks at those anyways?
I really needed to get rid of Oldie, but I couldn't just give her to the junk yard, so I listed her for 200.00 on KSL. Explaining her current condition I was suprised to get a lot of calls, but it made me happy that Oldie was wanted. So, late last evening a black guy drove down from Bountiful to take her to his friend's shop, and fix her up. I had a nagging feeling as he was on his way that I should do something, so I remembered to take off the license plate, but I wasn't sure that was it.
Then the guy drove up in his friend's flatbed towtruck with pretty lights all down the sides and came to look at Oldie. As he took Oldie for a test drive, I went in to get the title, which he had specifically asked for before he came all the way here. Suprise, it wasn't in our important file folder binder like I thought! Now I knew why I fet like I should have been doing something. I couldn't believe it wasn't there, and thought it was just between some other papers. But after checking three times and not finding it, I was devastated. I scrambled to any place in the house I could think of, and spread all the papers out of the phonebook cupboard on the floor, out from under the bed, all over the computer desk. I had no idea where it was and it would take hours to go through everything, but by this time the guy was back and standing in the garage waiting. I felt really bad that he had driven so far because I had told him I had the title. I am sure he wouldn't have come if he had known I didn't have it. Several more minutes passed, as I was frantically searching, so I made Pete go out to apologize for me taking so long.

FINALLY, I thought to say a prayer, and then I right away I got help. As I headed downstairs, I felt like I shouldn't go down there, but to the computer room. As I entered the room I remembered a gold colored BYU folder I had put some housing papers in, and I knew the title was in there. I looked around the room thinking gold folder, gold folder, and then I thought to look under the bed, where I had already looked. I found it, and inside was the title (I forgotten I had scanned it for something last fall). I quickly ran outside, scared that the buyer had left, but he was still there. We made a quick exchange of the title for 200 cash, he loaded up Oldie -which was fun to watch with Logan - and left. Then as I closed the garage door, I realized how thankful I was to Heavenly Father for telling me where to look for that one important piece of paper.

I Want to Be Like Dad.

Logan crossing his legs like Pete.

Yep, that's just how Dad does it.

With one arm out for support and everything.Logan wanted to put on Pete's hat, and then he made such a cute face we all ooooed and he kept holding the same face for a long time so I could get a picture.

Pete wants to be like Logan.

Zermatt Ice Castles and Kahtoola Bigfoot Snowshoe Festival

Gorgeous ice formations that we thought were just frozen fountains at first when we drove by on the way to my race in Midway. After the race we came to look at them in front of the Zermatt Resort and found out that they were ice castles made by a sculptor who worked on them 14 hours a day, moving around PVC pipe and harvesting icicles-we even saw him out there in his crampons. We were excited that we could go inside for only 2 dollars.

It was cool that under the ice castles were warm springs, like this one where fish could live all year, and Logan liked finding the fish.

This was the biggest one that you could go inside. They keep growing until the end of February and then last until May.

So pretty. We want to go back at night because they have lights on them.

We could play hide and seek around them.

Inside the big castle there was a narrow hallway, and a little window. It was quite slippery. Has anyone heard of that cool hotel in Canada or something that is made out of ice?

Logan loved being inside and when we went down the slippery stairs he wanted to go up again so bad that we braved the ice steps one more time.

Someday I'm going to aspire to doing this in my backyard. Wouldn't it be cool to say that your mom does ice castles for a living, like this guy does? It's awesome. By the way, the whole Zermott place was wonderful, just like Switzerland, with it's music, architecture, and bellhoppers in tights.

Earlier that morning at the Kahtoola Bigfoot Snowshoe Festival, standing next to a little Sasquatch Bigfoot.

Me, before the race. I was excited because it was so beautiful to run with sparkling snow all around and no roads. I was also just glad we got there in time. The thick fog all around Deer Creek made driving there a little scary. Good thing I got Pete up and made him drive me, but we didn't leave until 8:10 so I was a little worried. At least we had a GPS directing us so we knew right where to go. It kept telling us we would get there at 8:59, and the race started at 9:00 -Oh no!. It turned out OK and actually the race ended up not starting until 9:15 so I even had time to get a pre-race picture.

What the race course looked like. This lady was on her second loop -she was doing the 25k, I think. The races offered were: 5k, 10k, 25k, marathon and 50k -in snowshoes! These people were amazing, I was glad I was ony doing a 5k with the shape I was in. There were some true 'granolas' there.
Me, post-race with my frozen eyelashes and mustache.

My traction device called Yaktrax that Pete got me for my birthday last year. A lot of people ran in snowshoes, but I think these were much faster, as long as I didn't step in the middle of the trail and sink in. But to win in the long races you had to wear snowshoes the whole way. Kahtoola company was there selling these snowshoes you're supposed to be able to really run in -I might try them next year

I won overall first place female in the 5k, suprisingly enough. I guess my total of two workouts on the treadmill this winter payed off. This is me with the awesome race director, John Bozung, who is an amazing ultramarathoner. When he turned 52 he did 52 marathons in one year.

They had great cream of broccoli soup afterwards. This guy was waiting around for his friend to finish the 50k -over 30 miles! He came with his family and friend from St Louis- there were people from Virginia, and a couple other states as well.

Logan and Pete enjoyed seeing all the visitor center animals while I ran.

But the coolest thing was finding all the heater vents. Logan does that everyhwere he goes, nowadays. In the store he will point out if they are big square ones or big circle ones-those way up high in the ceiling. That's something I never noticed before - he is so going to be a good handyman.

Logan got ahold of half of my 180 energy drink which tasted like orange soda, and was in a pop can, so he loved it, of course. The race director warned us that Logan would be jumping off the walls, and he was right - the caffeine combined with M&Ms that Logan kept sneaking made for one hyper little boy. After he ran around in the visitors center awhile, people kept telling Pete that Logan needed to run the race next year.

Pete and Logan eventually came outside to get some of those wiggles out, and it worked. By the time we drove home after stopping at the Zermott, Logan fell fast alseep.

Pete liked the Sasquatch Bigfoot statue. I hope Pete never decides to let his hair grow out like that.

Julia and Logan

Julia and Logan were having a very fun time dancing together, and twirling their baby dolls around in circles while big Julia and Jason talked on the couch. They were so cute sitting on this little doll sofa together, and also it was cute when they were tired they'd lay down on the floor next to each other. Then one of them would say, "Wake up," and they'd start dancing again.

He Stayed in Nursery!

This is Logan with a new haircut and ready for church.

And yes, he did stay in nursery for the last hour by himself - not crying one bit. The teacher did have to hold him on his lap all the time, but I was very impressed with Logan for learning that he can have fun without us there. Props to Pete for being the one to leave him, I don't think it woud have worked with me.

Logan was so cute I had to take a video, and also to show off my birthday present I bought myself at Kmart for only $25 because it was 75% off - a Christmas light music box that moves the lights to the music. All of these were gone even before Christmas, but this was the display and so no one thought it was for sell. I found some worker and asked him, then waited while that guy called three people to try out if it was for sell and find the price, then give me 75% off. But it was worth it even if Logan had to eat a few skittles to stay quiet. We will have a cool house next year, if our tiny patch of grass doesn't put a damper on things.

Logan's Reading

"S-T-O-P, Stop!" Logan has become obsessed with this little stop sign. He doesn't really know how to read, he just likes to say "Stop" after he spells it. Still, it's a start. Logan's cousin, Julia is super smart, but she has this defiant streak in her and usually just pretends she doesn't know the answer. Logan misses her the most out of any cousins, because he goes around saying, "Julia gone, Yas Degas," (Las Vegas). Good thing she is coming back to visit in two weeks!

Snowy Days

We were lucky to get a huge snowfall after Christmas, so we spent a couple days just playing in the snow and it was great. Logan got out in his snowsuit and for the first time enjoyed it. He wasn't scared to walk off in the snow all by himself in the deep snow along the fence, or walk on the slippery ice. He didn't want to go down the sled hill by himself, however.
I stayed busy making snowballs for Logan and Julia to smash. Logan kept saying, "Logan, big one." Then he would say, "Logan smash it, fingers." Julia looked cute with her snowpants and connected boots. I held both their hands as we walked through the deep snow and they liked to stomp it down, or do anything the other one did, like push snowballs through the grate. They had so much fun together, sometimes I really wish I had twins.


Our little snow house that Keirra and I spent forever making, but it was fun. Mom gave us these cool brick molds we used with snow and a little water to make the bricks keep their shape. It was a couple days in the making, but even had a few tunnels under the wall for mail, etc. Alaya kept making tunnels for dogs to get in. One time Julia pushed over a lot of bricks before they froze together and I got mad at her. Logan thought it was a good place to hide.

He's trying to stick the little shovel through the window when I tell him not to.
It's always fun to tease Mom.
Keirra, Alaya and I had a secret night sledding party and meeting in our snow hut. We went out at 10:00 with a fashlight, some silly string and hid from the airplane bombers (Keirra was scared of this one low-flying airplane). A board and a few sleds closed off the roof so much that it got warm inside, and I could even sit up comfortably under the roof. The sledding was really good that night - it was so slick we just slid down in our snowpants, and actually went really fast! It was just gorgeous outside, although the wind started picking up. I miss just doing fun things like late-night sledding with the family. Scott and Keirra with her beautiful snowman princess.

The best sled hill was right behind our house!

Feeding Jesus

We set up a big manger scene in our house and I put a porcelain doll down as baby Jesus. Logan one day came back to the kitchen where I was washing dishes and said, "raisins, Jesus." He had dumped all his box of raisins on Jesus' face to be nice and share with him. Logan likes to feed other people, but now he's only allowed to give Jesus the toy milk bottle.

Christmas Morning

We got to spend the night at the Webbs and enjoy a great fire and sheperd's dinner. Logan kept saying Grandpa fire hot. Christmas morning was a whole new experience for Logan, and he sure loved having so many fun people around like Ian and Micheal. Logan loved Megan too, he just didn't want to show it at the time. He wouldn't say her name or give her a kiss, and ran away when he got close to her in the kitchen. He was just scared of her, and now he's better, but it was really funny.

After some help, Logan learned how to open presents all by himself.

We had a great time playing with the playdough buckets that morning. He really liked cutting with the little knife all the cookies and cheese and pretzels we made him. Pete and Logan also enjoyed building block towers and tearing them down. Logan aready can't wait until next Christmas.