Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

Terry and Nancy trudge through the snowy woods.

Nancy and I are bundled up against the cold - Stay Puff Marshmallow Women :)

We had fresh falling snow for Christmas. It was fun to escape the budding Rock Stars wailing away in the basement and go for a quiet winter walk.

Christmas Treasures

Lindsay sent these great hats to the boys. They wore them while playing Rock Star Band for the Play Station Three - a surprise gift for Bryce from his brothers. "Say it isn't so!"

Logan is holding the Complete Far Sides Collection by Gary Larsen - a gift from my brother Doug and his family. We shared goofy comics and giggled with each other all day long.

Nancy helped the girls open up presents - or were they helping her?

Melissa and Elizabeth admire a handmade present from Lindsay.

We got everything we wanted and more...the best thing was having my wonderful sister here to share the day with us. We are so grateful for our family and for the reason for the season - the birth of our dear Savior.

Pajama Party

Thank you Grandma Jeannine for the great pajamas!
All snuggled up and ready for bed.

Good things come in small packages

Jed and his two Christmas Eve princesses.

Noey likes to play with this rubber band ball.

Melissa and Lizzy on Christmas Eve - Elizabeth's shirt says, "Good things come in small packages."

Lizzy likes the wrapping paper better than the presents. Yummy!

"Are you sure I can open this by myself?" Noey had fun ripping off the wrapping paper, too.

Jed, Melissa and the girls joined my sister Nancy, Bryce, Logan, Terry and I for a Christmas Eve party.

Fa la la la la!

We went caroling in our neighborhood with the Johnsons, Sanders, Mulletts, Babos and Geddes families. Halfway through, we stopped in our garage for hot chocolate and cookies. And then afterwards we had Fred Johnson's award winning split pea soup and chili. Fun!

Winter has arrived...

Jed, (back from his Utah rotation) Melissa, Noelle, Elizabeth (the twin sweethearts), Terry and I went for a walk under frosty blue and pink skies at the Eagle River Nature Center today. The snow was crunchy and the air nippy. A lovely winter's day...

Grandpa Planted This Tree

I forgot to post this photo while we were in Utah last week. Terry planted this tree for Lindsay in front of her house. It reminds me of the tree I planted for my Dad when he died a few years ago...I planted a crab apple tree on the side of my house in Alaska.

The Second Grade Teacher

Here is a picture that Logan took of me - it's for Mom's Gran Peachy Surprise.

Cute Times Two

Here are Jed and Melissa's twin sweethearts. They are crawling and climbing and pulling themselves along the furniture. We love to have them come visit us!

Family

Kaiyan, Grandma, Ellyn, Emalise and Grandpa

Grandma Great, Lindsay, Kai and Grandma Lisa

Kaiyan and his grandma

Grandpa and his first grandson

At the Pumpkin Patch

Ellyn in the corn maze.
She's holding a little "baby" pumpkin that she found.

Look how big the tractor is compared to Ema.

We found dried sunflower heads and corn cobs.

Ema picked the perfect pumpkin.

Making Cookies

Emalise and Ellyn help their Daddy make cookies every Sunday.

Eating the dough is the BEST part of helping.

Are you eating MORE cookie dough, Ellyn?

Yes, Grandma. Yum!

Utah granddaughters

Emalise is wearing the beautiful new dress that Grandpa bought her

Ellyn likes to dress up, too - is she an angel or a ballerina?

A beautiful fall day in Layton, Utah. This is the girl's neighborhood.

Lindsay did a great job decorating the porch for harvest time.

Ema and Grandpa walk home from church. Her headband reads, "I can be honest."

Beautiful Baby

Grandma Lisa with Ema and baby brother

Lindsay coos at baby while Emalise holds her new brother

Ellyn snuggles with her little brother

Here he is on his birthday - Baby boy Olenslager - 11 lbs 12 oz, 22.5 inches

Lindsay and Matt are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy. He was born on October 22nd. Terry and I watched the girls while their parents went to the birthing center on Sunday night... the next morning they came home with this bundle of joy. We are very blessed.

That's why they call it fall...

Terry and Logan taking Shakespeare for a walk.

A boy and his dog on an autumn day in October.