Christmas (december)

Christmas Time, I love thee. 

There are few things worth braving the bitter cold. A cup of Christmas cheer and the lights on Temple Square fall among these things. (You're going to have to trust that the blurry family in the photo below is us)... 

And we'll skip to the big day (and the eve of the big day). Months had passed--nails had been hammered, floors and roofs installed, walls put up--a home was being created. The anticipation was immense. Spending our first night in our new home, well, we felt like little children on Christmas Eve. Oh, yes, that's right--it was Christmas Eve. So let's go ahead and multiply that feeling by seventeen. Jeff McNeil (who built our home for us) worked tirelessly (yes, even on the Eve Day of Christmas Day) so that we could experience this...

...in our new home. Thanks, Jeff. It was a night we will always remember with fondness.

And, the many faces of present opening...

Ah, the tree-shot. Yes, always the tree shot...

Merry Christmas. 

Thanksgiving (november)

 So much to be thankful for. It was a Saint George Thanksgiving this year. And... I took no pictures of the thing which I am most grateful for-family.

Well, okay I took this one...

But it doesn't count. I mean... you know what I mean. I mustered up some photo guff (don't ask what that is, it just came out and I'm sticking with it) and took photos of the beautiful Thanksgiving scene Debbie created for us...

And the place cards Vanessa helped my children make (and if you would like to interpret that to mean, "the place cards Vanessa made that my children took credit for," we're on the same page) ...

And while we there Jack's asthma became really bad. It gave me a lot to be grateful for: modern medicine, health in good times, Jack. 

He was a champ, and unfortunately he has to know well how to use the breathing machine. And yes, I am so grateful to have this available for my little boy. I am so grateful for my little boy. I am so grateful for all of my children and my amazing husband. And for his family with whom we create beautiful memories. And above all, I am grateful for my Savior, who has given me all, and makes the joys that I feel even more joyous, and the sorrows I feel, less burdensome. I have such a blessed life!

Halloween (october)

The probability of herding all costumed children into one location, and getting them to look in the same direction (preferably the camera), in the middle of a trunk or treat (candy every ten feet in any direction) for a photo is 1 in 17,467. So we'll collage it for sure...

The probability of getting Dalton to dress up with his underwear outside his pants is 1 in 3. But getting him to strike a pose while doing so... well, that's also 1 in 3. But it deserves it's own showcasing, sans collage...

Happy Halloween!

The Zoo (October)

We have a zoo. Our children are animals. Oh-wait-no. I mean, we went to the zoo. But our children are still animals :) Look at these crazy critters...

Grandma and Grandpa Good took us. Good times (I can't help myself). Everything is magical when you look at it through a child's eyes...

While at the zoo we sat and rested ourselves at a little cluster of tables. Slowly we all started heading back to the car. Russ found a cluster of dollar bills. What to do in this situation? We talked it over, and he did the right thing-he took it to the lost and found (because we all know that is going to work, and the teenage employee totally isn't going to pocket it).

Feeling good about making the right decision we drive home. Stopping at the store ten minutes from home (and about an hour away from the zoo) Rusty reaches in  his pocket and says, "I lost my money!" Had he been there upon the discovery of the cluster of cash? No. He was back at the car before any of us. Had he been through the discussion of what was right? What was wrong? Did it matter? Would whoever have lost the money end up going to lost and found anyway? No. And now... he was out a chunk of change.

We had a good laugh. And Rusty still had no money.

I came to the conclusion that doing what is right  isn't always going make things easier. It won't be convenient. People don't always say, "Good job," and the teenage employee may give you a weird, blank stare as you hand him a wad of cash. We don't see immediate blessings and say, "Aren't we glad we did the right thing? Otherwise...?"

Otherwise what? Well. Otherwise we would have done the wrong thing. And you know, I feel happier when I do the right thing. Even if Rusty is out a few bucks. Heck, even if I'm out a few bucks. No regrets. Well, maybe we regretted not calling Rusty to ask him if the money was his :) But we didn't regret not just keeping it.

Happy ending: Russ went to the zoo and got the money back. And the teenage employee hadn't pocketed it. Way to go teenage employee. You did the right thing, too.

Happy Birthday Two-Year-Old (october)

Oh, Jack. You are two years old. Is it terrible? Not at all. You... are a joy. Sure you stopped wanting to take naps and go to bed. Sure you started climbing on counters and breaking dishes. Sure you regularly go through the pantry and dump out food. But you know, I would take that all day just to have you stroke my cheek and tell me you love me. Because you do that, too. And you ask me to cuddle with you in the rocking chair. And you sing songs to me. And I love you more than anything.

Here's Jack on his birthday (have I mentioned I am expecting a baby, it explains the lack of photos--and the giving up on Jack actually looking at the camera)...

But here is one shortly after his birthday. He isn't smiling. But I still love this picture...

I keep thinking I'm not truly capturing Jack when I get his straight-faced reserve. I'm only just now realizing that to most people this is Jack. Only a handful of people know the little chatter box who loves to tell stories, hear stories, laughs, smiles, throws balls, throws frisbees, throws anything, cuddles, sings, screams, and loves. That is the Jack I know. I love this little boy with ALL my heart :)

Pumpkin Patch (october)

Probably the most fun way to bring in the fall is the hunt for the perfect pumpkin. Rick and Janell opened their pumpkin patch to our kids and let each of them find their own pumpkin. I think my favorite thing in the next pictures is Jack. He's just barely in each picture...

The anticipation

The hunt...

The find...

And loading up all the goods...

Labor Day Campout (september)

This campout was so much fun! Oh, where to start? I'll just delve into the photos

Hallie. Oh, Hallie who looks like she is trying wriggle out of Grandma's arms. She just got tickled because the little cutie often refuses to smile for photos...

Jack doesn't necessarily refuse, he just often doesn't...

We have decided this would be the first of many campouts with Grandma and Grandpa Good. First, all of the spoiling that went on! Look at the goodies they are enjoying!...

Spoiling will often bring a smile to Hallie :)(she is showing off one of her treasures from Grandma)...

And I don't know if you'd call this a smile, per se, but he definitely seemed quite content to be spoiled...

 Brecken enjoying her treasures from Grandma and Grandpa...

And, of course, our little Tay Rae is always eager to put on the cheese for the camera (look at our beautiful campsite!...and of course a beautiful Taylor)...

This is a better shot of the creek nearby where we enjoyed fishing. And by "we" I mean Grandpa Rusty. But the girls got a good thrill out of watching...

Although spoiled, this little guy had a bad case of... constant full diaper. And a diaper rash to boot. So this was a common sight (poor kid)...

But aside from the smiles and the tears, the fishing and the eating, the spoiling and the fun, I wanted to show one more picture of where we camped. Great Basin National Park is one of the greatest places in the nation for star gazing. So they say. I believe, in this case, they are right. The night skies were breath-taking! The camera and the person holding the camera are not necessarily the greatest in the nation for capturing night skies, but I wanted to at least try to remember the beauty of it...

Great Basin, you were in the middle of nowhere--down a long, seemingly endless road--but you were worth it. 

Lightning Storms (august)

I want to remember the August skies. They were beautiful--cloud-filled from horizon to horizon. Not the hazy clouds that are merely there to block out light, the beautiful shaped clouds, that are glowing and ominous. At night the lightning brought them to life. This picture is pretty lame. But on this night, for over an hour, the lightning was striking literally every three seconds or less. It was amazing.

Miss Taylor Rae is Six (August)

Taylor Rae turned six years old. I love this beautiful girl so much! She is not to be matched in sweetness and her unconditional love for everyone. We actually had a wonderful day, we went to the Ogden Temple open-house, we went  out to lunch at IHOP, we spent the afternoon in This Is the Place Monument Park, and had a fun family birthday party for her at home in the evening. And I finally pulled out my camera when we did the pinata at dusk. 

Taylor, I love you!...

Hallie Turns Four (july)

With every birthday I am amazed at how quickly time is pushing forward. My little baby, Hallie is four years old! She is so sweet and so spunky. And if you want to read "spunky" as "feisty" be my guest--I often do :) I LOVE this little girl--with all of my heart. Hallie, you are so special!

Allen Family Reunion (july)

We did it. Our Tenth Annual Allen Family Reunion. At least I'm pretty sure it was our tenth :) The clan gathered, we laughed, we cried, and then we parted. With, of course, eating being thrown into the mix (and quite a bit).

Apparently I only thought to take pictures of little children, animals, and scenery. I think my biggest photo-op-lost was the fishhook in Adam's hand. He pushed it all the way through his hand (for two hours--it was crazy). I'm getting side-tracked. Back to pictures.

This is what I do have...

This rock was the popular kid hang out...

Our hike. I could either catch up with this crew...

Or hang back with the men in my life...

Hanging with the boys proved to be the better choice. I got to watch Jack run right off the boardwalk and belly flop into the marsh. He got confused when we told him to run. No pics, just a good memory :)

Along the way feeding the ducks was a big hit...

I loved our view...

I loved this one, too--for different reasons...

:) haha. I'm still chuckling. 

Down the road (less than a mile) from where we were staying we saw (much to Luke's excitement) a moose. And a deer...

Later Hallie and I went hiking alone on a remote trail. We came right upon a deer... then I remembered the moose. Yeah, we left. Pronto.

But my favorite picture of the whole trip was this baby right here...

It was taken right after we told them Santa Clause isn't real. They took it hard. Poor souls.

Haha, just kidding. They are just often naturally like this.

Oh, wonderful memories! Good times! Happy Family!

Meet Daffy (july)

My children found a baby duck (well they called it a duck-it was most likely another sort of fowl, but I let them call it what they wished). It was helpless in the middle of the lawn and nearly dead. This is Daffy...

For two days they cared for him (or her), they coaxed him to eat and drink, and they built a home for him (complete with "Portrait of a Duck" decor)...

On the third day he cheeped. He also waddled. And he ate of his own accord. Until this day he was devoid of any sign of recovery. Needless to say the girls were giddy with delight...

At the end of the third day, Gideon, the cat also met Daffy. And thus was the end of Daffy, the fowl we called a duck. 

(I do have to say, though, that I really was heart-broken for my girls. They cried and lamented a good 24 hours over Daffy. Hallie swore off ever petting Gideon again. It was a sad day.)