Family Camping

We got to have the best time camping together with the family in South Dakota.  Who knew that South Dakota weather changes every 5 seconds:  Sunny, foggy, overcast, sunny, 5 drops of rain, wind, still, and once, a violent thunderstorm:  more lightening than we have ever seen at one time before--blew in, blew out at night and was gorgeous by morning--the camping trails weren't even muddy.  The air is thick and Seattleish.  Was wonderful.  We missed Lisa (in Europe), James, Allie, Marie and Grace {Home taking care of Marie in the hospital}.  Everyone else was there.  Best fishing EVER.  Beautiful, beautiful country.  I had pictures of all the kids catching a fish, but blogger is being weird....so you get to see the pictures it would upload!  I actually think most of these are Kristen and Alex's pictures instead of the ones I took, but whatever!  I Blogged!  It was GREAT.  The week was so short, all the kids were PERFECT.  Weather (except for the one thunderstorm) was ideal.  Fantastic!  Happy Memories.

Miscellaneous

 These 9 children are my little sunbeams.....Natalie, Annie, Oakley, Bridget, Scott, Lindsay, Jaxan, Mailia and Zach.

 This is my happy Christmas Cactus that I have had for 30 years..........

This is Leah saying "What, you mean you don't have anything more interesting than the above to blog"

Apparently I don't do much.........because there was nothing very exciting in my recent picture portfolio to add to a blog.
Maybe when dad gets the front door back on, I will blog that!  Our front door is off, and has been for a week.  Feels a little vulnerable to just have a glass screen door that doesn't lock very well........but luckily we have been safe and protected.

Sunbeams

Here is a picture of the bags I made (with Brooklyn's help on the design and coloring.....) for my new little Sunbeam class:  Also, the baby is Moses wrapped in a blanket with his 'basket'.  

(This bag is for Oakley who has a twin sister Annie). {No joke....}

Cute class, darling children.  One sort of hard, one very hard, and the other five we met were very good.

New Year's Eve

Braving the cold to watch fire works.  (Adelynn has on my boots)

It was fun to have Brooklyn here, too.  She had come from California this evening......that is why the capri's.

Fireworks out in the snow.

It was a perfect, and perfectly cold, night.

Ground bloom flowers whirling under the snow.

Brennan running with a sparkler.

More fireworks (Part of Michael's had with a blow torch)

Cade with his sparkler.

So much fun........

Running through the snow with fireworks

Show's over, but it is so much fun just playing outside in the dark.....no one wants to quit.