It has been so long since I've posted on this, I'm not sure anyone even checks it anymore.  But I thought I'd try to get things going again.  

 Any one seen this show?  When I first heard about it I thought it sounded weird but when I actually sat down and started watching it I found out how fantastic it is.  It is a relatively clean show that is very entertaining.  So go try it out.   The first season is on Netflix. Just beware that once you start it's hard to stop.

Hills Visit AZ

The last weekend of September, Adam and Jessica and their family came down to Arizona for a visit.  It was so much fun to have them here!  The Monday that they were here, we all got together and went to a lake.  The Allens rented some wave runners and brought a tube for everyone to have fun in the water.  It was so good to see everyone and just play for a day.  My only regret is that I didn't get a big group photo!  Anyway, it was so wonderful to have the Hills come down and visit us ... Thanks again, Adam & Jess!  Love you!

Christmas Concert After Party

I posted this on my blog, but thought I'd post it here too. :)

I decided since I haven't posted about anything that we've done in the last few months, that I'd go back to Christmas time, at least for a little bit.  Eliza's and Kate's singing group, Shine Your Light Singers, sang at a church's Christmas Party in December.  Outside of the church, they had a small set up of a manger scene, with actors, and a small "petting zoo."  There were donkeys, and sheep, chicks, and bunnies.  The Allens and the Hills were able to come with us.  It was so nice to have family there supporting our girls ... Thank you, we love you!

Poor, Adam stood by the pen for the bunnies waiting and waiting for his turn with a particular bunny.  Finally, when he was given the bunny, he was scratched and it startled him enough that the bunny needed to be put back down.  After that point, he waited and waited patiently for another turn, which he never got.  I was surprised by his persistence.  He stood there for easily 15 minutes waiting for another turn.  While, Andrew held a bunny for probably 8-10 minutes alone.  He sure got attached to that cute furry thing.

Eliza and Kate were also attached.  Kate is holding a guinea pig, and Eliza is holding a bunny.  They left with the intention to own a bunny someday.

Oh, and their performance was so fantastic.  We were a little bit late, but made it before they started, so it was all good.  Eliza had a solo that she was able to sing one more time.  Kate's solo was part of a Chipmunks Christmas song, and their teacher didn't feel it was right for a church setting, so she didn't get to sing her song.  But, I will say this, after their first performance at an assisted living center, we walked out and all of the girls in the younger group were asking for Kate's autograph ... they all exclaimed at how much she sounded just like Alvin.  And, I completely agree!  Surprised me for sure!

Holiday Tradtions

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything here.  We were in Idaho Falls for an internship all summer, which most of you know.  I was not excited about this at all and the first part of the summer went so slow.  But as I came to realize what a blessing it was to be there and how the Lord was truly doing what was best for my family I started to enjoy my time there.  We learned a lot and are glad for our experiences this summer but hope that we won't have to repeat it.  And then when we got back, between school starting and me being down because of my back for more than two weeks it has been a little crazy.

So to start out a new era of posting I want some input from you guys.  What are your traditions that you do as a family every year?  I really want to make this Christmas more Christ and family centered, so I need some ideas.  I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving, and I hope you all know how much I love and look up to you.  You are all amazing people and I'm glad to be a part of this family!!

Happy Birthday: Sarah!

Happy Birthday Sarah!  She is turning nine today.  We just love having Sarah around, and love that we get to see her so much now.  She is such a sweet girl, always ready to help out and serve others.  Such a great example.  We love you Sarah!

Edited to add pictures:

We were invited to celebrate Sarah's birthday with her on Saturday, which included swimming!  It's always  refreshing to get in the swimming pool on a hot day.  Thank you, Robert and Norine for sharing your pool!  It was a blast!

 

Soup Recipes from the Family Reunion

I posted a link on the right to my blog that has my favorite recipes on it, but thought I'd put the direct links to the soups I made at the family reunion in a blog post to make it easier for anyone who wanted to find them.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Also, Heather, .... so glad you changed your mind about making waffles at the reunion ... I just made a double batch of your sour cream waffles (which were SOOOOOOO yummy!), and it took me about 1 1/2 hours (with a yield of about 25 +/- waffles).  :0)

Movie Ratings

My friend just told me about this site and I thought that I would share it with you all. It is a movie rating site that tells you detailed about violence, sex, language, and drugs. You can also look up music as well. This has become my favorite site. I make sure that I look up the movies before we go to anything, you never know what you are going to get now days!! Here is the site......commonsensemedia.org