17 December '17 Pictures

Jane:  I invited my new gym friend Yoko to come to church and then home
with us for dinner afterwards. Even when I warned her that our church was
3 hours long she excitedly said she wanted to come. I wish you could have
seen her humble reaction at every turn of the day. When she walked into
our home she put her hands together over her heart and said it was a dream
come true to be in an American home. When she sat down to eat she held
the roll up to her nose, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. Over and over
she thanked us for including her. She brought a hostess gift and then
sent a sweet thank you text saying it was a wonderful day for her.
Seeing Yoko’s sweet reactions reminded me how blessed
I am to have the fellowship of my church family, and the
opportunity to include others in that unique and wonderful blessing.

Ty: The girls kept getting out of bed. One of the times we heard them coming downstairs,
Michelle said, “Santa doesn’t like it when kids get out of bed!”
Eliza retorted, “He doesn’t even KNOW! He’s not here!”
This picture features my good-looking ankle.

Michelle: Ty and I got to play the roles of Mary and Joseph for the
Primary's "Walk through Bethlehem" at church today.

Afton: I'm getting in the Star Wars spirit.

Eliza: “The parking lot is sparkly and lots of colors!”

Kathryn:  Afton is teaching me all of her
accessorizing and posing techniques.

17 November 2017

Jane:  I made Thanksgiving Dinner place setting favors tonight.

Ray:  Celebrated a day I look forward to every year.

Cali: Scripture study with the family. 

Inman:  Learning to have family prayers like the rest of them.

Abe:  Reading bedtime stories 

Grace:  Got my hair done today after waiting way too long.

Henry:  Enjoying family date night pizza.

Hazel- got to spend some good one on one time with my mama.

Ty:  Getting excited for Thanksgiving in South Carolina!

Michelle: A candid from Eliza.
 I believe I was reading a book after being woken up from my nap.

Afton:  This is my favorite page from the Thankful Book I've been
making at school.  This page says, "Today I am thankful for my parents." 
(Please note those are poofy sleeves on Michelle ;0)

Eliza: Every day I anxiously await Afton's return from school.
This afternoon she helped us have a picnic in the backyard.

Kathryn:  Another candid from Eliza. 
I enjoy sitting on my mom's lap for some morning snuggles and girl talk.

Over 17 Pictures for 17th of October 2017

Lots of pictures documenting our lives this month.

Joe:  This seems appropriate given the 18 kittens
that Calvin and Jane inherited this year.  

Ande:  I have a tendency to over-commit myself--especially when it comes to Young Women's.
In the middle of designing and crafting my way through an Egyptian themed escape room.

Story time. Zeph accidentally wore Ezra's pants...
which meant they were too short and the waist was too big.
Ezra had his underwear on backwards and had a crack
showing anytime he moved. It didn't stop either boy from dancing.
It might have stopped me from letting them dress themselves.

Scriptures and Doritos.

Winnie shaking a leg at story time.

Ty: At noon, I took 12ish packages inside.
When I came back to the PIT Pad around 5, I saw this.
One more package came an hour later. Also I bought SEVEN tvs! I felt ridiculous.

Michelle: Eliza took a super flattering picture of me at the store today

Afton: I found my shadow during my soccer game.

Eliza: Kathryn and I helped Mom look for marshmallows
at the store today so she could satisfy a s’more craving.

Kathryn: Mom tried to help me wake up from my nap by opening the curtains and blinds.
When she came back to check on me a minute later, she learned I’m smarter than she thought.
And then she let me sleep for another hour.

Abe - playing LEGOs with the kids.

Abe - playing LEGOs with the kids.

Grace- had fun making faces with Henry today.

Henry:  Builds legos all day, every day.

Hazel- bath time with Henry!

Ray: Levin's winning battleship configuration . . . This will remain one
of life's great mysteries how his boats evaded being hit.

Ray:  If you think they're tough now just wait till they're 17.

Cali:  A newborn no more. I keep reminding myself that it only gets better,
because it really does, but I'm sure sad to leave this phase.
My favorite thing to do with Inman is hold him throughout the evening.

Levin:  He begs to hold Inman all times of the day,
and sings him the two lullabies he knows.

Atlas:  Helpfully spreading my newly swept pile. 
I'm told it's really important
to have kids help even when it isn't very helpful . . . 

Folletts:  Why we moved . . . wide open space and room to run . . . .
and a paved driveway.

Calvin:  Helped Ty buy and install things for the new "pitpad." 
The pit pad is a rental home for Air Force pilots in training.

Jane: Work. (Yes, you're right. One of these is not like the others. Br Toone is 7' tall.)
Several men from the LDS Seminaries & Institutes Northwest Area
are in town for training purposes. They are genuine men who
work hard to teach and help youth and young adults
learn the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I learn a lot from them.

Pictures for September 17, 2017

This month there are lots of combined cousin pictures.  Ty, Joe/Ande, and Abe/Grace families were together in Georgia, while Michelle and the girls were in Idaho with her family.  

Henry:  After church I like to play with baby Winnie.

Ezra:  After church I like to wrestle with Uncle Ty.

Kathryn:  After church, I got to play with Aunt Jayna.

Jane:  After church and a big Sunday dinner, popcorn is supper.

Ray:  Levin and Inman.

Eliza:  After church I like to play with Grandma Kathy.

Afton:  After church we celebrated cousin Addie's birthday.

Michelle:  After church we made a video to tell my cousin Taylor that we were thinking of him. 

Winnie:  Sometimes cars help me to stay quiet at church.

Grace:  After church I gave Joe a haircut.

Zeph:  After church I like to wrestle Uncle Ty.

Zeph:  After church I like to look and wish at Lego magazines.

Cali:  Our pew at Stake Conference.  When I tucked Levin in to bed at night
he said, "I can't go to sleep.  I'm not tired....I've been resting all day because
at Church you have to sit the WHOLE TIME. 
Well, his 'resting' exhausts
me.  Clearly he isn't sitting the WHOLE time.

Atlas:  At church I wait for it to end.

Levin:  Before church I caught Crush, my hampster who escaped.

Inman:  At church I'm learning how to sleep in my mom and dad's arms.

Joe:  After church we ate leftovers from our date the day before.

Joe:  At church I saw some cool things on the bulletin board as I walked the halls with Winnie.