More Pics from Christmas

Dallas was thrilled that Kensington LOVED the little piggy he bought her for Christmas.  He was most excited for THIS present because she loves animals so much.  The little piglet looks so real and cute, and its snout and hind legs move when you turn it on.  She carried it around and fed him.  They looked like little piggy twinners.

If you know Raleigh well, you know that she LOVES buses.  She wants so badly to ride the bus to school- if only she really knew how stinky and dirty they really are!  But whenever she plays with her Polly Pockets or other little dolls, they are always loading up onto a bus.  Over Christmastime, we had a miniature sleigh for the girls to play with, and she would line all of the little manger scene characters up in a line waiting for the "bus" sleigh and give them all rides.  We have like four sets of nativities that we let the girls play with each year, and so far the sleigh-bus was the biggest hit.  Here's a picture of Raleigh opening another thoughtful gift from her Daddy: a BUS!  It's the second in her collection. 

Two anxious sisters on Christmas Eve, ready to spread the "Reindeer Dust" given to Madeline at preschool.  It is a hearty concoction of oats and glitter that lure Santa and his team to your house on Christmas Eve!

 

Here are the girls out in the yard spreading the Reindeer Dust.  I love this picture of them helping each other.  It really is a joy to have daughters who love each other.  Notice the beautiful luminaires lining the street- so beautiful.

There's our angelic little Raleigh-Kroggies singing in the back row at the school Christmas Sing-In!  She got put in the "tall row."  Poor girl.

The Barking Bush

One of the things I enjoy about our little mountain community in the summertime is NOT one of the things I enjoy so much in the fall: the early-morning run.  

In the summertime the air is still a little cool in the mornings, the sun is already out at 6:00 am, and that blessed Utah smell that reminds me of my grandparents' homes when I came to visit as a child permeates the air.  In the fall the air is even more crisp (which I love- the crispier the better), but the sky is PITCH BLACK at 6:00 am.  And that is why I found myself BEAR HUGGING some stranger lady in the MIDDLE OF THE ROAD  the other morning.

I like to exercise for the solitude; I'm not a social runner.  I love to be out in God's country and meditate and pray while I run.  And I like to run at MY pace and MY route, wherever that will take me, and for however long I want to go.  So that is why I was alone.  Very very alone.

I was running up the street in the extreme darkness (a little freaked out by the stories I've heard about cougars roaming the mountain roads) when I came upon what I thought was a bush right next to a fence.  Well, I realized it wasn't a bush when it started BARKING at me!  I swear it was holding so still, just waiting for me to come closer, so that it could scare me.  I SCREAMED and ran out into the middle of the road, murmuring a few Oh My GOSHes when a group of speed-walking ladies came to my rescue:

"Oh, are you okay, honey?"

"We didn't even see you."

"That'll sure get your heart rate going!"

And that is how I found myself BEAR HUGGING (and holding on tight) to some random stranger lady in the middle of the street.

P.S.- Don't worry.  I'll get a running partner.

The Elementary School Carnival

Last week the school had a big PTA fundraising carnival, and it was one of the first very hot days of the year. (Very hot, meaning we broke an uncomfortable sweat.) We went with our friends, Rebecca, Jensen, and Noah. (The husbands were working.) The kids had a good time "fishing" for prizes (twice), getting balloon creations, getting their faces painted and nails stickered, eating snow cones, and riding on this crazy tractor-deal. Madeline is in this yellow tin can creation, and Raleigh is in the first red car. The driver went so fast that Noah fell down inside of his tin can right when it started! He was zooming all over the place- (which made me wish I had joined them.) It was the first thing the kids did when we got there, and probably the most fun. Let's just say that all the kids were crying that night when we put them to sleep because they were just plain worn out from having too much fun!

What a hat!!

Kensington had too much fun and too much sun.

Watching the cloggers and eating snow cones and getting a little grouchy.

The Beautiful View from Our Yard

Memorial Day here is so cool. These tiny little pictures don't begin to portray how beautiful it was today- even in the rain! We walked over to the top of the hill this morning in the rain to pay tribute to the Veterans and enjoy a pancake breakfast in one of the city buildings. Just good small town celebration.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

James was Caesar.

Ethan and Lauren were a donkey and a camel. (They both clarified for me when I commented on their "horse" costumes. Oops.) Jensen was a king, and so was Will.

Raleigh was an angel (looking like she was flying high on drugs, but actually it was a few hours past bedtime.) Lydia was a perfect Mary.

Jayden was a shepherd, and Madeline was Joseph.

Our little block party @the Gooch's house was really fun on Monday night. The kids put on a little pageant of the nativity for us, and we all ate too much sugar. We enjoyed our neighbors and had a lot of fun!

Alpine in December

It is cold. Very cold.

Beautiful Alpine in the Fall

Can you just feel the crisp fall air in Utah?! One of Dionne's four favorite seasons . . .