This winter we haven't really had any snow. A few skiffs here and there in December. But Monday there was actually enough to play in for the day. The kids were in heaven throwing snow balls, building snow men, and of course riding the sled behind the four wheeler!! So now that snow is gone and they keep asking for more!! Seattle has had more snow than us this winter!!
The day after Christmas we loaded up and headed to my sister's in Arizona. With my mom's diagnosis of being in the last stages of breast cancer we decided we will take any chance of seeing her that we can. My parents went there for Christmas. So we got to spend a week with my parents, my sister's family with 4 kids, my brother's family and 3 kids, my other sister's family and 3 kids, my brother's family and 2 kids, and my other brother's family and 6 kids. It was a week of hiking, skeet shooting, eating, and games into all hours of the night!! It was a blast!! It took me at least a week to recover. My kids played hard with cousins and slept in the family room going to bed late every night. Since I got a shot gun for Christmas we took mine and Tyrel's and my brother-in-law has one so we had nice tournaments through out the week! Every night we played all different kinds of games until we passed out!! It was so fun to have that many of my family together on almost a wim! 2 of my brothers came last minute. I was so exhausted when we got back, but it was worth it!! Also on the way home Tyrel's sister Tranell happened to be in AZ for New Year's so we met up for lunch with her and her fiance Mo (he just proposed that day or morning however you look at it, New Years) It was great to see them and see her so happy!!
The beginning of December Tyrel and I were lucky enough to take off for 10 days and go on a 7 day cruise with my sister Sarah and her husband Chad. We went out of Peurto Rico and had a blast. We only had 1 day at sea and were able to see a new island all the other days. We had a blast snorkeling, ziplining, kayaking, and enjoying the beautiful beaches. The evenings and day trips were full of laughs and good times with my sister and her husband. It was nice to get away and relax. We could sleep in if we wanted, eat when we wanted, and just enjoy each others company. The entertainment on the ship was a huge bust, but everything else was great. Last time Tyrel and I went on a cruise we went alone. We had fun, but there was a lot more laughs with someone else to talk with. My kids had a blast too. For the first 6 days they were all with Grandma and of course that included lots of activities and close to their cousins Jayton and Colby. Then the last 4 days Peyton went with a friend of mine and the boys went with another lady from my ward whose kids are in their 20's. My boys had a blast with her and her daughter. They played hard and were not ready for me to come home at all!!! There are lots more details but I will document those somewhere else. I loved when someone asked if I was taking the kids, I just laughed!! I just talked to my friend who just got back from a Disney cruise with her 5 kids and she said it was a lot of fun, but not really a vacation as far having 5 kids to take care of on the cruise. She agreed on us going alone was a great way to go as far a real "Vacations" goes!! I do want to take my kids some day but when they are old enough remember it and pretty much take care of themselves!! I enjoyed getting one person dressed each day, feeding myself and getting one plate, having someone else do the dishes, make my bed, and cook my food. My mom made a good point. A wife/mom appreciates a cruise more than anyone else. Husbands and kids are already used to someone making thier food, doing the dishes, and cleaning up after them. The mom's are the ones who really get the break!!
I don't have too many pictures for November. We celebrated Tyrel's birthday by making him a cake out of no-bake cookies and get bought himself a hunting bow. I got him a few t-shirts for our cruise. We got our first skiff of snow that the kids died to play in, but didn't last. We had Thanksgiving with Tyrel's family which was fun, but I forgot my Camera!!! We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Tyrel's aunt and uncles house and had quite a bit of family there. We then had to come home that night because Tyrel had to work the weekend. We had just enough time Friday to get some things done and go buy a tree. We usually go cut our own down, but with Tyrel's schedule and our cruise he wouldn't be home again until the Sunday before Christmas so we went and bought a real one frome the store. It may not have had the story behind it, but it sure was beautiful and smelled wonderful and it made it to Christmas
With October came cooler weather, more soccer, and halloween!! We had fun carving our pumpkins from our garden. Peyton kept eating the pumpkin like a watermelon and Cooper had fun being able to carve the pumpkin by himself this year. Halloween weekend was full of trick or treating, costume contests, trunk or treat, and eating candy. Also I was able to be a part of a fall festival put on by the missionaries. It was a dinner and tour of the church for the community. I was in charge of the youth programs of the church and explaining them to those who came. It was a neat experiance and no one argued with me. I mean what parents argues with you when you explain to them good whole activities that their children could be doing instead of hanging out doing who knows what!! It was also a month of getting stuff ready for winter. Boys stacked wood, I cleaned up my garden and flower beds.
