Happy Birthday from Darth George

Darth George sings Happy Birthday in his underpants

A Visit with Great Gramma Luce

In January we made the drive up to Salt Lake to visit with Great Gramma Maxine Luce. We hadn't seen her since her 95th Birthday Party in August. It was time for another visit! The kids love to visit her place. In the spring, the whole yard is in bloom with flowers of every kind.

And in the winter, there's SNOW! Knock knock! Coming in!

George, chillin' on the sofa with Dad and Great Gramma

Claire playing with gramma's toys

Group shot! Everybody smile!

There was plenty of snow for little Natalie!

Kindergarten Graduation!

The pictures are out of order but I couldn't get the top two pictures to go to the bottom to preserve proper order. (Duh.)

Walking thru the graduation arch in her super-cool Zoo Keeper dress

(heh heh) :)

My little graduate

April 27th was Kindergarten Graduation (even though they still had a month of school left!). Each child was assigned to a profession for their "When I Grow Up..." program. Claire was the Zoo Keeper, and a darn cute one at that!

This was the program opener, with her neighborhood buddies,

Josh Hardy (the farmer) and Drew Foster (the athlete).

I love this little song (even though I only got part of it).

Isn't she the sweetest little Zoo Keeper ever?! She brought some stuffed animals with her but forgot to take them up to the microphone with her. But clearly she is wearing a Zoo Keeper dress and hat. There's no mistaking who she is!

This was my Crybaby Moment. They were all so cute, all dressed up. They all did a great job! Mrs. Olson's managed to do a great job wrangling all these 5 and 6 year olds again this year. (She was Natalie and Henry's teacher as well.)

Claire's First Day of School

(OK OK, so I'm about three months late on getting this entry done,

but I'm a busy girl! Gimme a break!)

So... funny little Claire started Kindergarten! (Our friend Marjean had taken each of the kids on their very own school-shopping trip. Claire saw this little "school-girl dress" and simply HAD to have it. Marjean was kind enough to oblige.) She was so excited about kindergarten. I think a lot of that was rooted in the fact I wouldn't let her wear her new dress until school started. (She cried and cried at the Kindergarten Round-Up when the kids get to meet their teacher and familiarize themselves a bit with their classroom.

Cute, new clothes make all the difference in the world! Thanks, Marjean!

Standing in line, listening intently to Mrs. Olson

A moment of hesitance

Sandwiched in line between her two buddies Josh Hardy and Drew Foster

"I Dressed Myself"

George had jumped in the shower. When he got out, I threw him his underpants. He wanted to dress himself. moments later, he walked in the kitchen and announced that he was ready for school. He's got on a clean pair of pajama pants, a clean (but inside out and backwards) pajama shirt, his boots (on the wrong feet) and NO UNDERWEAR. My baby's going commando!

He's saying "I dressed myself." And indeed he had.

Back Where It All Began

In the Middle of October when the leaves were changing colors and the temperature starting to cool slightly, we decided to take a drive up to Zion National Park for the day. We packed a lunch and packed the kids and headed back to the place it all began.

Here's the whole family standing in the same spot where

Trav and I got married nearly 14 years ago.

Miss Natalie Kate climbing around

The men-folk hiking around

George, Natalie, Henry and Claire

a perfectly good spot to take a photo

(Zion is SO beautiful!)

Same spot, same kids, looking in the same direction this time

Halloween is finally here!!

The girls both had their dance recital on Halloween. The little girls danced to The Monster Mash and the big girls danced to Thriller. It was Claire's first time and she was all-smiles. They both did a bang-up job! Natalie, in position
Claire and Lexi McInnes, hanging out to watch the bigger girls

Brett and Tiffany Reynolds at the Trunk-or-Treat. Tiffany is their dance teacher but moonlights as a mad scientist/balloon bender. It's nice to be friends with talented people!!

Cameron McInnes and our little George

The little buddies found each other at Trunk or Treat adn decided to stop for a snack.

The Trick-or-Treaters on their way out the door

Natalie = Taylor Swfit

George = the Travelocity Gnome

Henry = the Secret Apprentice

(Star Wars, of course)

and Claire = Madeline

They had a fabulous Halloween and 3 weeks later, we're still trying to plow our way thru all the candy!