Coming Soon...

I hope! More pics from Christmas Morning, Christmas Dinner at Pop & DeeDee's, and Claudia's 12th Birthday...Happy New Year!

Christmas Dinner at Mom & Pop's

I have more pictures to add, but haven't had time the last few days, so I'm posting what I've got and will edit later!

Lots of little boy cousins, all about a year apart, and all under age 4!
L-R: Elise's baby Colin, born May '07; Molly's baby Cohen, born July '06; my Leo, born May '05; and Molly's Hayden, born June '04. They have a little girl cousin, Baylee, born July '07--she lives in Las Vegas (see Maren's blog!).


The little boys with big cousins Claudia & Caleb. Pop & DeeDee have a dozen grandkids now!

Cohen & Leo taking turns kickin' back in a bucket--with all the new toys around, they choose the box!

Christmas Morning 2007

This picture of Leo looking a bit overwhelmed and giddy sums up our Christmas morning: Lots of fun and craziness! We are happy, blessed people to have each other and abundance to share! You can glimpse some more of the mayhem below...

Yay! New tub toys! The froggy slippers were a gift from last Christmas--they still fit!

Christmas Eve 2007

These pictures were taken with a new camera I bought Christmas Eve, but I'm taking it back! All the pictures are slightly blurry and I didn't read reviews before I bought--that's what you get for impulse buying! Below, me with all my kids. The expression on Caleb's face seems to be typical of late...I promise, he's having a good time!

Michael, Leo, Claudia, Karl & Caleb--and me behind the camera--all gathered for a Christmas Eve dinner of semi-homemade chicken noodle soup (which turned out very tasty, I must say!) and rolls, with Karl's famous Chocolate Crinkle Cookies for dessert. Leo had leftover chicken enchiladas because he is being a picky eater these days. Earlier in the day, Michael & I took the kids to see National Treasure: The Book of Secrets. After that, Michael & I took Leo to visit friends Hawk, Sara & Kjell Windchief and finished up a quick bit of last minute shopping at Barnes & Noble. We drove home from shopping in the snow, which continued until 9 or 10 that night--a perfect Christmas Eve-type snow!

We always open a present or two on Christmas Eve. Leo opened this rocket ship from Mommy, and the big kids opened pj's and video games. I actually made it to bed around midnight after helping Santa out, of course!

Thanksgiving 2007

Me & my kids with my parents and my mom's parents (hey, that's four generations!). It was nice to gather at Mom & Pop's house this year, since they've been out of town for Thanksgiving at least the last three years.

Matt & Leo having cookies on the porch. Leo is borrowing Luke's beer-logo toboggan hat.

Uncle Matt in a turkey coma. Dee-Dee on the phone with Caleen in Texas.

Karl with Claudia, trying to pretend Uncle Luke isn't there...

Cute Little Claudia is possibly in danger here, being so close to Uncle Luke sporting his "Yukon Jack" look and crazed expression!

Claudia's self-portraits. The true personality emerges...




It looks like I didn't get pictures of everyone who shared a turkey with us--but Molly, Paul & their boys Hayden & Cohen were there, and Michael, Leo's dad, too!

Moab Winter Sun 10k

Victory dinner at Moab Brewery. Leo with mouth full of milk cheezing for the camera!

Leo climbing at Castle Creek Winery, and with daddy on the rocks.

Just before start time. It was chilly & windy, but lovely compared to the blizzard we had the pleasure of driving through on the way down! Leo is arching to get out of the stroller, but he was great during the whole race.

Weird Al Yankovic

Caleb found out that Weird Al Yankovic was playing the Utah State Fair in September, so I decided we'd go "for the kids." I remember him from the '8os--remember "Eat It?"--and was never a real fan, but, I have to admit, Mr. Weird puts on a GREAT show! We had so much fun! He never stopped moving the whole time, and I don't know how he had the energy for a photo session with a bunch of strangers; it was probably past midnight here. A family friend I happened to run into at the fair (thanks, Steve Barth!) is a member of the Board of Directors, and arranged this meeting and photo. It was pretty rushed, and you can barely see Leo for my head in the way! The boy in the red shirt is Ashton Morris, my friend Stacy's son. I think Al must really have earned the "Weird," considering the way he's leering at me...

Space Mountain

I posted this picture before, and then tried to edit the post and screwed it all up! Anyway, here it is, in some of it's former glory, with two pictures added...Like I said before, I don't usually buy these ride photos, and I wouldn't have because I look so stupid in this one--but the kids look too funny!

Hamming it after the ride. Space Mountain did such a great job feathering Caleb's hair so neatly, we had to get a special picture just of that!

Blue Ribbon Girl

Claudia submitted an entry to the Utah State Fair this past September and won a 1st Place Blue Ribbon! She created this pottery at a little art school just around the corner from our house, and the teacher recommended she enter and predicted a Blue Ribbon--yay, Claudia! Thanks to Caleen & Markelle for the inspiration to post this artwork. Maybe you girls can support us all when you become famous artistes!

Leo Sayings

Some of you may have seen this picture on the website that Leo's daddy, Michael, does for him (http://www.myboyleo.com/), but I have to post it here, too, because it is such a great picture of him!

I have to write this down somewhere, and since I think it's so cute, maybe you all will, too! Leo is at such a cute stage of talking (he'll be exactly 2 1/2 Nov. 27th), and some of his pronunciations are fabulous:

"Moomie" = Movie
"Wore Yelcome!" = You're Welcome
"Biggie Dat!" = Gimme That!
"Mah-ee" & "Dah-ee" = Mommy & Daddy
"Wat Bew-Bews" = Watch Blue's Clues
"Make-a-Acaze!" = Make me a Cave!

A couple of Claudia's sayings that I remember from when she was the same age as Leo, which would've been Summer 1998 (geez, time flies and I'm old!):

"Moozie" = Movie
"Tayub" = Caleb

Music Added

...and I actually figured out how to add it with just a little help from Molly!

Trip to Cali ~ Oct. 26-30, 2007

Ok, so this being my first blogging attempt, these pics are not in chronological order because I can't figure out how to move them around!

Here we are in Beaver, UT, just a few hours in to the road trip to Cali--don't the kids look thrilled?

We stopped in Las Vegas to see Maren and meet little Bailee D for the first time--she is SO cute!

Grandma Cindy's first time to the Pacific Ocean. Notice the sand around Leo's mouth!

Claudia with mom, Caleb in the background digging for sand crabs.

Me & my kids at The Sword in the Stone in front of the famous castle.

Aw! Leo missed out on some of his favorite Disney characters!

This is the ride we bought California Adventure tickets for--it did not disappoint, although Caleb sat out the 2nd ride while Michael, Claudia and Cindy rode.

Caleb checks out a bearded dragon perched on a bike seat at Venice Beach, CA

Yay! Pirates of the Caribbean is open (unlike last year)!!

Leo & Michael in front of "The Castle"

~We really want to be King of all Britain~

At the front entrance to The Happiest Place on Earth. Michael's mom, Cindy, is on the far left.

I finally joined this blog-o-thingy! Are you all happy now?!

Leo as a Baby "Kicken" with mommy & daddy as the "Kicken" Farmers

Claudia as an Emo-chick, Caleb paying homage to Jack Skellington, and Karl doing the Jason thing, I think!