In Utah Without Brian

Well I have been in Utah now for a week and a half and I feel bad that I haven't taken very many pictures or put up a post for Brian to see pictures of his kids. So I figured I would take some pictures and send them off to him and let everyone else see them as well.

Saturday we got some snow so I decided to dress the kids up warm and let them see how they like snow. This is more snow then they have ever seen at once. Lizzie wasn't very fond of it however today she was much happier to walk in it.

Jamie on the other hand didn't seem to mind the snow much at all, even if his gloves don't stay on. He even complained when I picked him up or tried to convince him not to touch it.

The kids have gotten really good at climbing the stairs in the few weeks that we have been in the states and they have had stairs in the house to climb on. So I wanted to take a video for Brian to see just how good they are getting at it, sadly the lighting isn't very good so it isn't the best video, but it is still a cute one.

While we have been here we have gotten to help my mom decorate for Christmas. Much of the decorating of the tree I have missed out on as I have busied myself with going through some things that I have been storing here at my parents. Lizzie however has gotten to help quite a bit. Today I actually got to watch her help and it was so cute that I had to take some pictures of here puting on some ornaments.

I even took a video of it because she was being so cute.

After dinner I got a few other cute pictures of the kids that I thought I would throw in, just because they are smiling and cute.

Well we are enjoying being here in Utah, even though we do greatly miss Brian and are happy that he will be coming a day earlier then we thought he would be, Yea!!!! I have been through all 20 or so boxes that I have been in storage at my parents house and have thrown out about 6 boxes of paper and other unusable stuff as well as I have four overflowing boxes to take to DI of thinks that people may actually want or that could be used by others. Who knew i was storing so much junk. The good news is that it wasn't all junk and I do still have about 10 or so boxes of books and other memories/photos that I felt it was important to keep.

I have also been to able see all of my family that lives here, and I hope to be able to see much more of my family and many friends before we leave on the 1st of January.

Thanksgiving at Topsail Island

This year we were able to join the Hunters on their Thanksgiving Week Get Away. We went to a little island off of the coast of North Carolina called Topsail Island. It was great to spend the week with family, very limited internet access, and overlooking the ocean. The first day there(Monday the 24th) Lizzie wanted very little to do with the water or the sand and when we took her out to the beach she insisted on being carried. The second day (Tuesday) we got her involved in building a sand castle with everybody and she remembered that she likes playing in the sand and got use to the sound of the water. Jamie liked the beach but had a bit of a cold so I had to dress him up warm to take him outside.

Here are the kids playing.

And here is the sand castle with all of it's helpers. (The house we stayed in is in the background.)

Here is a cute picture of Jamie and his cousin Mathew, playing with a cooler.

Brian got to get a little fishing in and even cought the first fish of the trip (and the biggest, of course).

Thanksgiving morning I woke up early (meaning before the kids woke me up) and noticed that the sun was just rising. I got up and went outside to watch the sun rise and had the opportunity, as it was Thanksgiving, to think of all the many things that I had to be thankful for. It was nice to have that quite time to remember how truely blessed I am. The picture below is from Friday when I was again awoken by the beautiful colors outside, there were clouds on Friday which made the sunrise more beautiful and Lizzie got up to join me in watching it. It had been a very long time since I have watched a sunrise. I saw Wednesday's to but that was because someone had woken me up. I love sunrises the beauty of them and the peace of the morning.

This Thanksgiving the Hunters again ran their traditional Turkey Trot. Lizzie was able to perticipate in her first ever race and finished.

Here are all kids who ran the race!!! Great job kids!!!

And here is Brian finishing the race. Good Job Brian!!!

As for me I didn't run!!!

Brian also got to play a little football which gave him more respect for the game (and some sore muscles).

By the end of our time there Lizzie had decided that she did like the beach, as long as her shoes were on, and she even got pretty close to the water. She still got scared when it came so close to her, I guess she didn't want to get her feet wet, just like her father.

On Friday I felt that Jamie was feeling well enough to see how he likes the water. I found he is a boy after my own heart and he loved playing in the waves and getting his feet wet.

Just look at this kids smile.

It was so cute watching him play in the water and him walking out there that I had Brian take a movie of him. Here is Jamie jumping waves, before he can even walk.

Well we had a great time in this beautiful location and with the wonderful people that we are so blessed to be related to.

Thanks for making Thanksgiving a time to be very thankful for this year!!

Promise Land Here We Come

Well we have done it!!!

We have left the Mother Land for the Promise Land!!!

Our journey was much easier then those in times past, planes are much nicer to travel in then boats!!

It also helped that we had some sleepy kids who slept much of the way.

It was a crazy last day of packing before heading for the plane, we didn't even have time to clean the place up besides getting all of our garbage out. After an eight hour plane ride we arrived in New York in the middle of the night our time and the kids were very happy to get more sleep, until 5 in the morning. After a week of waking up before 7 then have finally adjusted to the time zone and today they even slept in till 9. That goes to show how much we tired them out over Thanksgiving.