Snow!

We woke up to snow this morning! This is the first time we've ever lived somewhere where it snows, so this is pretty big news for us, even though there wasn't a lot of snow. The kids couldn't wait to get out and play in it...everyone except Jonathan, anyway. He was not interested in going out into the cold. I only went out long enough to take out the garbage and snap this quick picture, but the others had fun making a couple of snow angels and lots of snowballs to throw at each other.

Christmas

My parents came for Christmas, and brought the kids their traditional new pajamas on Christmas Eve. After opening them & putting them on, we went out to look at Christmas lights. Then back at the house we watched Joy to the World. It was really late then, so the kids didn't even want to stay up for hot chocolate and cookies (it had been a long, good day--we'd been invited to a fun lunch and program at some friends earlier that day), but the adults stayed up and continued the tradition.

Christmas morning, all the kids had big smiles on their faces when they found their Santa gifts.

We opened the rest of the presents, relaxed, played games and ate way too much food for the rest of Christmas. It was especially fun to set up our new trampoline mat and the kids enjoyed jumping again. We really loved having my parents here and just being together all day.

Garage camping

Brendon had a scout camp out in the freezing rain the weekend before Christmas. They had to pack up during the downpour, so when he got home he needed to set up his tent and clean it out. It was raining here, too, so he had to leave the tent set up in the garage to dry out...and so of course they needed to sleep in the tent when it dried out, right?

Only Suzanna and Brendon lasted all night in the tent. Jonathan and Ty didn't stay out long, and I don't blame them. With all the wind here, there's a lot of creepy noises in the garage!

Piano Recital and Jonathan's Birthday

So I may have forgotten my camera at Brendon's band concert, Suzanna's chime choir concert, and Suzanna's Christmas play/choir thing this last month, but I did at least have it for my piano recital. Course the piano recital was at my house...but I at least I remembered to get it out!!

We had Suzanna's friend Morgan (my piano student from Phx) who was visiting, Suzanna, Brendon, my new student Bridger, and Jonathan playing this year. They each played their own song and then a duet with me, which turned out great!

We finished off the night with some ice cream cake for Jonathan's 7th birthday!! Just what a kid always wants for his birthday--a piano recital, huh? In my defense, we did celebrate all day before the torturous recital began =) Actually, Jonathan is really loving piano lessons and was excited to perform that night. Hopefully his enthusiasm with piano will continue.

Santa Sighting

We had a fabulous ward Christmas party complete with a talent show and a visit from Santa. Only my two youngest wanted to get in line to see Santa, though Anna might have come too if she hadn't been pouting because I hadn't entered her into the talent show. Brendon is "way too old" I've been told. It's their loss, though, cause this Santa was pretty authentic!!

Gingerbread Craziness

At the beginning of December I helped Jonathan's class create a gingerbread house for a competition held at the high school. It was a much BIGGER project than I thought, but it turned out so great!! Another mom and I made the house pieces the night before (plus a gingerbread man for each kid to decorate and eat) and then brought the house to school the next day. Each kid got to come up individually and do a part of the house (with some friendly direction from the moms there to help!), and then I took the house to the high school. Walking around the high school at lunch time with a gingerbread house is a pretty funny experience!

That night we went to see all the houses entered into the competition and there were some pretty amazing creations. We won for our category!! We may have been the only entry in our category...but we still won! And our house looked great and got lots of good comments =) It was fun to do, and hopefully something we can do again...next year...cause I don't think I can look at gingerbread for at least that long!!

Anna's Christmas Program

I laughed so hard when my friend sent me this picture of Suzanna looking for us a her Christmas program at the beginning of December. We were sitting way, way way in the back. This school has a lot of parental support =)

I wish I had more pictures, because she was having the time of her life that night. She loves to sing and had been practicing the songs almost nonstop. I pretty much new every word myself!! More than one of our friends commented on how much she was into this performance--her pure joy was written all over her face. She also loved performing at her chime choir concert later in the month. I love how much she loves music!!

Grandma Allred's Funeral

Phil's Grandma Allred passed away last September, and we had the opportunity to travel to Thatcher for the funeral and family gatherings. We so enjoyed being with family, and celebrating this amazing woman. The above picture is of Phil's parents, siblings and their families. I didn't get a shot of all that came, but every single one of Phil's cousins made it to the funeral. I was completely impressed by that, since the family is so spread out, and I know that it was a tribute to how much Grandma Ellen loved her family, and how much they wanted to honor her.


Cheryl, Wendy, Lisa, Diane,Bob, Evan, Bradley and Phil



Our little family (Jonathan and Ty didn't go to the funeral--they stayed and played with Grandpa Flake, but they joined us for the fun gathering afterwards).

The girl cousins minus Alyssa, who is way too grown up to get down on the floor and play anymore =)

Brendon and Grant. These two used to play together everyday when we lived in the apartment above Phil's cousin and family. Neither one remembers any of it. Sad, sad, sad.

Phil and his cousin Todd. Todd and Shawnee also lived by us back in our early married days. I think we counted at least 5 Allred cousins who lived in that apartment complex by ASU at or around the same time as us.

We are so grateful for Grandma Ellen and the life she lived and gave to her family. It was great to be together and learn more about her!!

Joy School

I started looking for preschools way too late, and all of those here in Kingman were already full. But I was lucky enough to find a joy school group to join, even if the name "joy school" seems a bit lame to me =) I prefer to call it a preschool co-op.

I love being a little more involved with Ty's preschool experience, and there's enough moms in our group that I don't have to teach very often (which I love even more!). But when it came time for my first turn to teach, Tyler was sick. So he hung out watching a movie in the bedroom while his friends were here, and then we did our own preschool when they left. Another advantage to being the teacher =)