Family Pictures 2017 - Take Two!

They were all willing!  (And I'm so glad they were.)  We did family pictures the next day.  The lighting was better, Laynie looked at the camera more, and I love this location 10 times better.

My favorite picture of my favorite people.

Gavvy Boy

Laynie Bug

They have my whole heart.

Family Pictures 2017

We attempted to take family pictures with a tripod and clicker again.  Gavin is old enough to look at the camera, but Laynie refuses!  We went to the AF amphitheater.  I'm not totally in love with the orange rock...  It was the first time I had ever been here, and I kinda wish I would have chosen a different location.  Maybe I can convince the gang to take two and go to a different location tomorrow???

Afterward, we went to Mc Donald's for happy meals and then Macey's for ice cream.  Laynie was in HEAVEN.

Gavin has another lose tooth that will soon slip out in the next day or two.  This will be his THIRD!  He's only 5 1/2.  This just seems too early for my baby to be losing his teeth.  The dentist says he'll probably mature earlier than most...  I'm not sure how I feel about that...

This is Thanksgiving Day!

For Thanksgiving, we put up our Christmas tree in the morning (the kids were dying to do this), prepared some food to take to Matt's parents house, went for a walk around the neighborhood, and then went to Grandma/pa Anderson's home for dinner and pie dessert.  It was a nice, low-key day where we enjoyed the company of our family.

lights!

ribbon!

ornaments!

and finally: the star!

We put up a little Christmas tree in the front room as well.

Laynie was so happy and proud of herself for topping it with a star.

Santa dances to rockin' around the Christmas tree and Laynie joins in on the hip swaying' action.

Just getting back from our Turkey Trot walk.

At Grandma/pa Anderson's home for a nice meal.

November News

Our local library had a jar of popcorn kernels that people had to guess how many were in it.  Gavin (with my help) guessed 999 when there were actually 996 - taking 2nd place.  His reward?  A box of popcorn.

Gavin's to-do list for the next day:

lemonade stand

puppet show and school wor-

k and chores and

shopping and school

playtime, bedtime

and VASA.

My church calling is activity day leader, and I love it!  My partner Linda and I hosted a Lemonade party for our 16 girls and taught them manners.

Gavin and Laynie joined in the fun by snacking on cookies and pink lemonade.

The day before Thanksgiving, Grandma Anderson always hosts "Pie Day."  It's so fun to have a little girl that likes to bake.  Laynie helped make pie crust and the banana cream pudding.  She loves to cook and help out in the kitchen.  I'm secretly hoping she will grow up to cook dinner every night...

Master Carver

Master Carver

by J. Devn Cornish

How slow the forming—

how hard some blows—

But I, the stone, must come to know

In my own person, my own soul,

Thy will, Thy purpose here below.

O Master, now I plead to Thee,

Cut off my roughness, form my face,

Refine my feelings, make of me

A fit reflection of Thy grace.

Yea, haste the day when I may kneel

Before Thee and great Elohim,

Accepted, peaceful in Thy home,

At last like Thee, each grain of stone.

This is a poem that I came across back in 2005.  I loved it so much that I committed it to memory and kept it in my scriptures.  And now today, I feel inspired to add it to my personal history of sorts - this blog.