Lydia's Kindergarten Christmas program.  They sang songs to recordings and did some cute movements.

Time for snow play!

Lyd was so excited for snow that she entertained herself on this teeny incline in our yard for an hour.





Nothing like the first snow fall to get you to switch the mower deck for the snow blower!  Isaac helps Daddy with the job.

Christmas on the Farm

Alec and Isaac

Lyd, Lilly, Alec, Isaac, Caleb, Josh and Ben - and Santa, of course

We shared Christmas dinner with the mission president and his wife, the Wirthlins.  Great company!

I think this is our only sledding day all winter!


Lydia's first lost tooth!

Joseph reads to a captive audience.

We celebrated more Christmas with Elisa while she was here.

We all went to the dollar store and selected gifts for each other then had a little stocking opening time.



Everyone was pleased with their little gifts.


Josh got this shirt to replace a similar one that he's outgrown.  "Here comes trouble" -Ain't it the truth!

Christmas in the snow.  Elisa visits for a few days from San Diego and braves the cold.

The big New Year's Trip to Niagra Falls.  This is pretty descriptive of the personalities of these monsters!  We lost Lydia at church - she was finally found sitting behind the piano with Grandma Camilla during Relief Society - who knew that Grandma would be found playing the piano?  Isaac walked away from the kiddie play area while swimming Saturday.  I saw his little yellow wet suit half-way to the wave pool and ran after him.  When I asked where he was going he simply said, going to find you.  Oh, MY!  Josh's story is told in another post.  Sarah was sick during the weekend, and we all were blessed with empathy for her in the two weeks that followed.  It was fun to be together, and we eagerly look forward to our next visit.

We took some time at a fun center on Monday before heading home.

The bumper cars are Josh's favorite thing!  But he was too short for it here!  Sooo sad!

Here's a ride that even Isaac could participate in, too bad it was all about shooting the bad guys.


Then mini golf.

This is the place.  We had to walk through that glass bridge to go between the hotel and the water park, which was on top of the parking garage.

I guess we wore these guys out!

Checking out the Falls...



It is cold!!!  Our Californian resorts to stealing blankets from small children.



Joe tries to get the boys to stick their tongues to the flag pole...