{A Little Eleanor Christmas Fun}

This is the funniest picture.  It makes me laugh everytime I look at it.  Look at that "look" - Ha Ha!

 

This one is just the cutest little rascal picture. Just wanna kiss her!

Before the kids left to go home Brittany asked us to pull out the living room Christmas tree so she could play with some photo's with the lights and take some photo's of Eleanor.  I had gotten her this cute little outfit with a red tulle tutu (adorable) that says "Santa Loves Me".  Oh yeah, had to get some pictures of that.

Precious!  First look, first time touching Christmas tree lights.  Also this respresents happy before we got her all dolled up and made her take a billion pictures. 

Angel Face

 

Then finally this chick had had it!  She was done - No more pictures please!  But we still laughed at this adorable scowly look - Ha ha!

Oh Eleanor - Christmas hasn't even begun and you are already making it merry and bright!

{Food Is Love}

FOOD is definately LOVE - Especially around the holidays.  I love cooking for my family and rolls and pies are two of my specialties. 

I love to make rolls and breads.  There is an art to it.  I love kneading dough - it is relaxing.  I love that push and pull and kneading it until it is just the right elasticity for perfection, and knowing when that is from years of practice.  I love seeing the dough rise light and fluffy and then shaping it into what it is going to be.  But the best, of course, is smelling them as they bake and then eating them, and every.single.time having everyone say, "These are THE BEST rolls ever".  It makes me happy when my family is happy!

{Thanksgiving}

We had everyone home for Thanksgiving this year which makes Kurke and I about the happiest parents and grandparents on the planet!! We love this little beauty so much and I think we spent most of the week just spoiling her and holding her and playing with her and kissing her and taking pictures of her.  Eleanor is the light of our lives!

We sat her in her little bumble seat right on the table while we played games all week.  She loved being in the center of it all.

We had so many pictures (as usual) that I decided to just do a few collages to capture the holiday.  One of my favorite pictures in this collage is Ellie sitting on the piano bench with Katie as she was playing.  Ellie LOVED it, and it was so cute to watch.

I made a new stuffing this year and it was soooooo good.  I made cornbread a few days before Thanksgiving to go with our Chili and I made an extra pan and cut it into cubes with a french bread loaf - this is the bread drying out.  Oh my gosh, add the spices and other yummies to it and it was the best Stuffing ever!!   Stuffing is Katie's favorite Thanksgiving food and she approved.  I will definately be keeping this on the holiday menu.

We all know "Food is Love".  Pies, rolls and other homemade goodness is one way I show love to my family!

(And just for the record and posterities sake:  Taylor is not taller than everyone else he was standing on his tippy toes).

Of course, we can never have too many photo's of Eleanor.

 

And Zoe?  She just puts up with all of us.

{Cirque De Soleil - Cirque Dreams Holidaze}

Months ago I bought tickets for this Christmas Cirque show!  With everyone coming home I thought it would be such a fun way to kick start the holidays.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  It turned out to be an extravagant spectacle of talent.  There were great, over the top, and colorful costumes, scenery and props that were bigger than life and really said "Christmas fun!" and, of course, the wonderful show!  It was definately a very merry and entertaining night!

We were not allowed to take pictures during the show so I got all of these photo's off the internet.

{Boise Idaho Temple Dedication}

On Sunday morning we arose bright and early.  Thrilled to have both of our girls with us, as well as, Trent to attend the first session of the dedication of the Boise Idaho Temple.

We dropped Eleanor off at Great Grandma and Grandpa Petridge's house and went over to the Temple about 7:15 in the morning.  The dedication started at 9:00 a.m.  There was already a line. 

What a beautiful thing it is to sit inside the Temple with my family.  On this day to have Trent with us was a special blessing.  We sat in the first endowment room.  To have my 12 year old little man sitting between Kurke and I, what a thrill - kids do not ever go to an endowment room.  As we waited we got a super special treat.  It was nearing the time for the dedication to start and Elder Walker stepped into the room with us and said, "I will be escorting President Monson down this hallway and if you look out the door in a few minutes you will be able to see him."
Well, not only did we see him, but as he came into view he came right into the doorway of our endowment room and filled the whole doorframe with his arms up on either side.  He gave us a huge smile and said, "Good morning and isn't it a great day to rededicate the Temple".  Then he started talking to a boy sitting right next to him at the door and he said, "Have you ever seen me wiggle my ears?".  Then he DID it - We got our own, up close and personal, ear wiggle from President Monson.  He laughed and said, "That's a unique talent you know".  Then he smiled and told us to enjoy and continued down the hall.  Once in a lifetime!

The dedication session was beautiful.  It will be so nice to have our Temple operating so close to us again. 

As we came out we saw Taylor.  He is on the Stake Youth Committee this year and had been invited to do shoe covers and attend the 12:00/2nd dedication session.  So We saw him sitting outside ready to put shoe covers on.  We missed him with us but glad he was also able to attend a session inside the Temple and also do some service.

{Boise Temple: Youth Cultural Celebration}

 

We had a magnificent weekend watching 9,200 of our local youth participate in the Youth Cultural Celebration for the Boise Idaho Temple, going to the dedication of the Temple, and seeing President Monson. 

I am not going to lie.  It was extra great to be a Bishop's wife this weekend, the perks being that we got tickets to go to the YCC and sat 6 rows directly behind President Monson and Elder Bednar and his wife, and we also got to go to the 9:00 session of the Boise Temple dedication, with our family, and be in the Temple.  What a wonderful blessing!

This photo is out of order but I love it.  President Monson arrived and you can see his smile and his exuberance as he speaks to the youth - He loves them!

These are pictures I snapped while we sat waiting for the YCC to start.  #1 is from our seat looking down.  You can see the green seats where President Monson would sit right behind that podium.  #2 The absolutely A-Mazing youth in the choir - they truly sounded like Angels. I have never heard anything like it!  #3 This is just a snap of some of the youth as they wait to begin.  The TB Arena was packed to the rafters with youth - it was a sight to see!  #4 I found Trent, Isaac and Cheryl Botkin (arrows) with my camera.  They were sitting just about directly across the arena from us in a sea of kids.

This is President Monson arriving in a golf cart. He got out and immediately started greeting the kids.    I am tearing up as I type this, it was so beautiful.  The bottom left picture we see our own Claire Tingey and Jamie Jones.  Bottom right picture - Pres. Monson settles in to watch the show.

My friend Tami was on the floor with the kids and sitting not to far from Jamie.  I snapped this picture as she watched the Prophet greet her daughter.  Love it - So full of emotion and love.

I caught some shots of our kids:  Top left:  AJ  Demond and Taylor,  Top right:  Claire Tingey and Jamie Jones,  Bottom left:  Elyssa Vincent,  Bottom right:  Trey Botkin

Our Stake had a Basque dance.  These are just some photo's taken as the kids were waiting their turn to go out and perform.  And yes, that is our Taylor in the mustache with Trey and TJ!  Ba Ha ha ha ha  Nut!

With the Basque flag.

This is the kind of picture Trey's mother will need one day to haunt him - Hilarious!

Our kids performing.

 

The girls in our stake also did a Japanese dance - Beautiful!

(And I wish I didn't get the bald head of the guy in front of me - ha ha)

 

 

Then next pictures are a taste of many of the dances.  Loved them all! 

This picture needs a nod.  Very creative for the song "Give Said The Little Stream".  There were dancers and in the middle and winding around was a river of blue and these 2 fisherman being carried in their boat as they fished.  President Monson LOVED it as he is a big fisherman!

The flag was amazing as the kids came out basically dancing with their pieces of fabric and all of a sudden...Bam...an awesome flag!!

 

I thought it was kinda cute that Elder Bednar was taking pics with his I-phone :-D

Finale!

 

Trent, Isaac, Cheryl, Savannah and Izzy in their seats and helping to wave a sea of yellow flags during the finale.

See Elder Bednar down there still taking pictures.

All the yellow flags going - Whooo Hooooo

 

President Monson stood and cheered with the kids.  It was fantastic.

He shook a few more hands before he left.   What a night!!  One these youth will never forget!