Day by Day

Every day is a reason to take a picture.  Having 5 kids home right now keeps us very busy, and laughing a lot.  Everyone is going in 5 different directions and we are at some event every night, but it's sure fun!!

We started out the season listening to Alyssa's Arise Choir perform at Snow College.  

I went to lunch with these wonderful ladies.  We've been doing this every month for 15+ years!

Connor and his friends went on one of their epic hiking adventures!  

Taylor the decorating ELF!  He has been beyond amazing at putting up lights around our house, and decorating the inside of our home!

Taylor=Christmas Spirit in our home!

We were eating dinner and suddenly the kids started talking about Studio C and the "shoulder angel"...Guess which kid is the angel??

Parker just got his Student Council sweater...sweet!

Taylor performed in a Christmas piano concert this week.  He did awesome!

We had a ward Christmas breakfast at the church, and Ashlyn and her friends wandered into the Primary room and had fun on the blackboards..:)

Christmas Pics...

When I was young and naive, I thought we could just go to a picture spot, take maybe 10 shots, and call it good.  

NAIVE..REMEMBER???

Well, it is much more work than I EVER imagined.

There is the location, which I like to scout out way ahead of time,
We need to find a day where everyone is available, which is not easy these days! (we had a 1 hour window to work with this year!)
Then there is weather...will it be too sunny?  Rain?
Don't forget outfits.  We all just need to look like we fit together.
OK, now everyone needs to smile at the same time.  Don't stop smiling until the camera is down, no crazy faces unless we say so, don't look away even for a minute...

Then I bribe.  Yes, it may be shameful, but it works.  When we're all done, we'll go get a slushie at Sonic, or a doughnut at Ridley's, or an ice cream cone at Macey's.  I figure why not turn it into a fun family outing.  This year we came home and Parker made gourmet hot chocolate for everyone.

The truth is that my family does this for me.  I don't think it matters to them too much if we send out Christmas cards, but I like it, so they oblige me. 

Thanks guys for a fun photo shoot!

OH.....AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALYSSA'S BOYFRIEND, JOSH!  

OUR WILLING,AMAZING, PATIENT PHOTOGRAPHER!

LOVE THIS BUNCH!

                             

TA DA...WE DID IT!

Lake Powell III

Last year, the day after we went to Lake Powell with our favorite family, the Hunts...Jon (the dad) had a massive seizure which put him in the ER.  Following testing, a large brain tumor was discovered and he was soon in the OR undergoing brain surgery.  This past year has been one of many prayers, much faith and endurance, lots of treatments, and therapy, and most of all hope and love.  Jon is doing really well for now and was able to join us a year later on another Jensen/Hunt Powell party!

We love you Hunts!

The boys are telling me, "you gotta just jump mom!"  I'm telling them, "if you push me, you're dead meat!!"  

I jumped...!

Fall

I don't know what happened to October...it came and went without me hardly noticing!  Thank goodness for pictures that remind me that we did leave the house...;)

Connor reffed a TON of games this past fall.  He was often a center referee, which was great experience...and more money!

My parents and my boys and I all went on a fun fall hike off of the Alpine Loop.  

It was a perfect day!

Connor came with Karl and I on a short hike and Karl decided to quiz him along the way to get him ready for his driving test.

One Sunday in October, our power suddenly went out.  Someone had crashed into an electrical pole and we were in the dark until almost midnight!  Ashlyn still had some homework to do, so she got out her trusty flashlight and pressed on.  

Good Girl!

Taylor sat here, lying in wait for our home teachers.  They didn't know it wasn't just a stuffed decoration...he scared the bejeebers out of them!

Some things never change...:)

Parker spent hours making this costume!  I sewed up a vest, and he pounded out metal for his armor.  I can't seem to remember who he was...I'll have to ask him again.

I was helping with Taylor's Halloween class party and popped into see what Ashlyn's class was up to.  Apparently she was chosen to be mummified!

Hironari adventures!

We had the privilege of hosting another Japanese student again this year, and he was AWESOME! 

When you know the student is only here for a short week, it's important to 

make the most of every moment...

We attended a BYU Women's soccer game.

We went rock climbing.

And played laser tag.

Hiro taught us how to make origami 

Uncle Ryan graciously let us ride his horses.

Hiking Bridal Veil Falls was Hiro's favorite thing to do!

We took him to Temple Square and listened to Music and the Spoken Word with the 

Mormon Tabernacle Choir.