Redrock

We visited St. George recently as a family (thanks to an offer by Monte Magleby) and had a fun weekend playing...we golfed, swam, watched movies, the girl's had pedicures and we all enjoyed the warmer weather together.

One afternoon we spent a couple of hours CLIMBING around the rocks and exploring the caves at Pioneer Park.
I loved the beautiful REDROCK at sunset.

The Opening Act

Zach and his friend Ben performed as the OPENING ACT for Ty Turley -Trejo's annual concert "Night of Piano Love" Saturday.
Ty, a BYU music student, heard about them through his brother Bjorn, who is a friend of ours. Ty came out last week to "audition" them and after hearing a couple of their songs asked them to perform at his concert at the Tahitian Noni Auditorium Saturday night.

These two boys have been writing original songs together the past several months and really are quite gifted. They have about 10 songs completed and are working on a couple more.
Ben is a talented pianist and musician and Zach loves to write lyrics , melodies and sing so together they are quite a team!

LULLABY ROAD

FOR THAT GIRL

The reaction to their performance was FANTASTIC. All who heard them were very kind and complimentary after the concert. They were invited by one man to come to his recording studio and one girl even told them she wanted them to sing at her wedding:)

Snow Day

Thanks to the Magleby's we enjoyed a couple of days
at Sundance after Christmas.

A highlight of the trip was sledding outside the cabin.
The kids were crazy zipping down the hill and off the jumps...practically clearing the street below a few times.

Here's the little line of kids hiking back up the hill.

Hans making sure the run was smooth and fast!The action shots...
After a day in the snow
the parents deserved a night out at the Foundry Grill

Christmas Eve Traditions

Our Christmas Eve is full of traditions.
First off the kids always get new P.J.'s when they wake up in the morning.
This year we did robes instead.
The search for "The Pickle" is a favorite for the kids. Abe hides the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree and the kids search for it. Whoever finds it gets to open the special Pickle present. This year it was a decided tie as the ornament fell to the ground when Zach moved a bell on the tree and the three oldest all saw it at the same time. Sadie picked it up and claimed victory while Zach protested that he had won. Then we make yummy CREPES for breakfast.
Lucy loves to help Dad get out all the ingredients and blend them up.

Then in the afternoon we head up to my mom's house for our
Christmas dinner. My brother, Rolf reads a Christmas story to Lucy, Elsa and Liesel.Then we play Christmas carols on the bells and have a talent show where each child chooses a talent to show off.
This year we had a dance, a drawing, a recitation of "The Night Before Christmas", a homemade gun made from PVC pipe and a typing demonstration...some interesting choices:)Acting out the NATIVITY gets more chaotic each year as we add new little actors.

This year we had no baby so the role of baby Jesus had to be played by a doll.
Sadie was Mary as she has been since birth and Olle was Joseph as usual. Leif and McKay carried the roles of Shepard and wisemen and the little girls were angels.
Zach carried three roles, Shepard, wiseman and Donkey.At the end of the evening we head to our nephew Finn's spot at the cemetary and sing Christmas Carols and light luminaries.
Then we head home for hot chocolate and sweet dreams!

Tis' The Season

I love CHRISTMAS!  

I love the music, the smells the feeling of excitement and the memories.  

I've enjoyed re-discovering my love for photography lately 

& spent a morning last week capturing some of my

  Favorite Christmas Things 

I love the way the mantel looks 

with the stockings hanging from it 

and the way my kids tell everyone who comes over

 which one is theirs.

I love the wreaths on all the doors.  

I don't know why...it is just something I love.I love our tradition of 

"THE PICKLE"

We hide the pickle ornament on the tree & on Christmas Eve 

the kids search for it.  

Whoever finds it get to open a special "Pickle gift" a day early.

I love the RED and GREEN.  

The cranberries and lights on trees and on the houses 

and ribbons and wrapped gifts...

I love that at the center of all the celebration

 is the memory of 

a little baby boy who changed everything!

TIme for a new post?

Sparky

Zach and his friend Chase Heiner found a rabbit in the field by our house.  We let them bring it in thinking it was our neighbor's as they have a few pet rabbits.   

It took us a few days to get ahold of the neighbors.   In the meantime our kids were enjoying caring for said rabbit who was living happy in our unfinished basement.  We did finally get ahold of the neighbors and they informed us that this rabbit was, in-fact not their rabbit.  Our kids quickly came to believe they now had a new pet.  The boys even came up with the strapping name of SPARKY which fit our little rabbit quite well. 

 

WELL...Mom does not particularly enjoy rabbit droppings and carrots spread randomly throughout the basement and I began to form a plan to get rid of Sparky. 

 

My brother's son Finn is buried at East Lawn Cemetery on the east bench of Provo.  In this cemetery we have often spotted rabbits hopping around the lawns.  "Why not let Sparky join the multitude of rabbits at the cemetery?" I ask myself.  

I explained to the kids how I simply did not want a rabbit...after-all they are not a fun pet, they run away they don't make any sounds and are not loyal to their owners.  "We'll get a good pet eventually I say".  "How about if we take Sparky up to Finn's spot and let him go free?"

Well they finally agreed to it as they love Finn and think it would be a good memory.  This way we can look for Sparky every time we go to visit his spot. 

  

Last Sunday we transported Sparky from our basement to the great outdoors where he immediately disappeared under a pine tree.  We are sure he has made lots of friends and that Finn is smiling down on his new little rabbit friend.