Gateway Children's Museum

We have an annual pass to the Children's Museum at the Gateway. No matter how many times we go, the kids always have a great time. Here's some pictures of a few of the times we went last year.

Emma is Eight!

WARNING: THIS POST HAS AN OVERLOAD OF PICTURES. READ AT OWN RISK.

We let the kids have friend parties every other year. This year, Emma wanted to go to Classic Skating, but a few weeks before her birthday, she broke her hand, and was instructed to stay away from any physical activity for 6 weeks. That seriously limited our party choices.

We ended up at a really great place called "Young Chef's Academy". She still had to use only one hand, but it was a fun activity for all her friends, and something she could still participate in.

Getting ready for the party...

First they got instruction in how to make pizza...

Then it was time to start the cookin'...

 

Then things got a little messy...

Present Time!

And the cake...

On her actual birthday, she opened up presents from our families...

                            

                            

And apparently, she got everything she wanted and was super excited.

                                                                                                             

I just love this kid. She is so helpful and such a good friend to her brother and sister. At this party I could see how well-liked she is among her friends, and I can see why...she's so nice to everyone. She is an amazing girl who is growing up to be an amazing young woman!

Family Letters

As long as I can remember, my Dad's side of the family has always written letters at the end of the year, recapping the events that went on with each family member. We only see one another once a year, if that, so those letters were the only way to keep in touch with all the family (this of course being before Blogs and Facebook). I didn't really appreciate these letters, and even thought it was somewhat cheesy. Now that I'm a grownup (sorta), I've gained a real appreciation for these letters, and see them as valuable family history. I've kept them all for the last 15 years, and recently read through my Grandparents' letters. My Grandpa died nine years ago, and he was my only living Grandpa. It was nice to go back and read the letters they wrote together and remember him, even if just for a moment. My Grandma has always hand-written her letters, and as I read through them, I noticed her handwriting progressively deteriorate from year-to-year. This year, she turned 87, and it was the first year she's had to type her letter. Sad. Even though she is technically my 'Step-Grandmother', she has been the only Grandma in my life (both of my parents' Mothers died before I was born). As she, and all of my Aunts and Uncles age, I'm especially grateful for this tradition...even though they are still pretty cheesy ;)

So anyhoo, I brought this up because I thought I would post some of my letters from the past. I missed a year here and there...mostly when I was single, and really had nothing to write about. So without further ado, here is my letter for 2010:

Another year has quickly passed and we have no idea where it went! The kids get even busier with each passing year, which we didn’t think was possible! They are growing up so fast, and we are very proud of each of them.

Landon is ten years old and in the fourth grade. He loves school and does particularly well in math and science. He recently opened a store for his Economics Unit, and decided to sell origami; he now considers himself an origami expert. He also joined the Chess Club at school and recently competed in his first tournament. Additionally, this year he started taking piano lessons and is progressing really quickly. He still loves scouts and is currently a Webelos. He got to march in our city’s parade, and hold the flag to celebrate the 100^th year of scouts. He took first place in the Pinewood Derby this year and said it was “the best thing that’s ever happened to him in his ENTIRE life”.

Emma is seven years old and in the second grade. She loves school and excels at reading and spelling. She is also in the Chess Club and takes piano lessons. Her true passion is dancing. She is currently in ballet, hip-hop, and jazz. She has such a natural talent for dance, which she certainly did not inherit from her parents. After only a few months, she was moved up from the Junior Team to the Senior Team, with girls that are 2-3 years older than her.

Olivia is three years old. Over the summer, we enrolled her in gymnastics, and she was very excited to start her class. Unfortunately, just a week before class started, she broke her collarbone, and was unable to attend. In September, she started preschool and absolutely loves it. She comes home and sings all of the songs she learned that day…over and over and over. She is now able to read and spell most three-letter words, and can write her name really well. She is our constant entertainment and is so much fun!

Ruger is the latest addition to our family. He is a 6-year old Chocolate Lab. We were fortunate to have inherited him from a family member that had him professionally trained, and raised him with twin girls, so he’s great with kids. Our family is over the moon to finally have a dog.

Melanie keeps super busy as a stay-at-home Mom (see all of the above).  In addition to being a professional chauffer, she is currently the Webelos Leader for Landon’s scout pack. Also, in September, she went on her yearly ‘Girls Cruise’ to the Bahamas, expecting some well-deserved relaxation time.  However, the next day, the mountain behind our home caught on fire and Jeremy and the kids were unexpectedly evacuated. After 48 hours, they returned to find out the fire was a mere 20 yards from our property line. It was such an emotional time, and although several of our neighbors lost their homes, we were so grateful that our family was safe.

Jeremy continues to work hard, although he loves what he does so much, it’s hard to tell if it’s his job or his hobby. He still travels a lot for his business, but manages to fit in the occasional baseball game or Broadway play in between meetings. When he’s not working or spending time with his family, you will find him at a Utah football game.

                   We hope each of you had a great year, and wish you a Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2011!

             

                                                                                                      Love,  The Palmers

Landon's Letter Jan 3rd

My winter break was CRAZY! It seemed like I had to go somewhere every day. I had 3 Christmas parties, a whole week in St. George, skating, fun at Incredible Pizza, My dad and I saw the movie, Gulliver’s Travels, and I got the Super Mario Bros. video game, and an iPod! If you’re wondering what I did in St. George, well… here it is. The first day, we basically drove there and settled in. The second day we had fun indoors, since it was really cold outside. The third day we went to a really fun place called Pirate Island. It had an all-you-can-eat buffet, an arcade, and a really cool environment! On the fourth day my grandma thought I would be interested in Yoga. I tried it and I loved how it sooths the body and stretches the body’s muscles. On the fifth day I said goodbye to my grandma and grandpa and we left. I hope you had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

  Sincerely,

            Landon