Florida

We are having a great time in Florida with Eli, Emilee and the girls.  We spent our first day at the beach near Cape Canaveral and Cocoa beach. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.  Eli bought a tent shelter so that we had shade at the beach.  The little girls love the beach and it was a fun day.  We went to dinner in Cocoa beach at Coconut's at the Beach.  Apparently it rains in Florida every afternoon and at dinner we had a down pour.  It was amazing that people were on the beach in the pouring rain in bikini's!  It stopped about a half hour later.

 On Saturday we went to the Orlando Science Center and Eli and Em bought passes so they can go any time that they want.  It was a fun and we got to see Clifford the Big Red Dog.  We had lunch at the "Stake and Shake" which was really good!  It rained that afternoon too!  On Sunday we were able to  go to church and hang out at home.
Today we went to the Kennedy Space Center and it was really cool. We recomend it to everyone.  Of course we did not have the little girls and that was good!  We enjoyed the Atlantas exhibit that is only 2 weeks old.  Of course we got rained on early in the tour. But the weather cleared up later in the day.  We spent an hour on the phone with our friends who were house sitting for us.  Our water heater is leaking!  Grrrrrrr.   Thank goodness for good friends.  It should be repaired tomorrow!   We also stopped off to see the Astronauts Hall of Fame which was also good.  More later!

It's out!

This week has been a lazy week for me.  Not that I am lazy but I could not do anything and I am still limited.  On Tuesday my gallbladder was removed!  Yea!  Apparently everything went really well. I slept through the whole thing, and then stayed asleep!  I did not wake up for a few hours.  I guess they were done in an hour but I stayed asleep for another 2 hours.   Jim was there and he was saying "Denny wake up, are you awake".  When we got home that day I went to bed and slept some more! 
    Jim and Aly have been taking care of me and I have gotten better every day.  I am still having some trouble bending over and picking things up, getting my shoes and socks on and I am still tender and sore, but for the most part I am much better. I still can not lift anything over 10 pounds not for another week.  I took the week off from school and will try to return this Tuesday.   No school tomorrow because it is Martin Luther King Day.  
   While I was convalescing Jim and I got hooked on Downton Abby.  We can hardly wait to see season 2 as we watched all of season 1 last week.  Season 3 just started and we have started recording it.  We are hooked!  Such an interesting lifestyle!  Love it!  Can't wait for tonight episode.  I can stay up since there is no school tomorrow!

New Years

Jim and I had a very quiet New Years.  We went out for a yummy dinner then spent the evening at home alone.  Yes alone.. Aly, Ryan and Ella went to a friends house.  We took some pictures of us in front of our tree before we had to take it down. 

A few days before New Years  we went to Mom and Dads to visit.  We got to see Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt TK, Sarah, Andrew Aunt Mo and Uncle Carr and  Kari Ann.  We had such a nice visit.

I have to go back to school on Monday and I am trying to do the snow dance so we will have a snow day but I don't think it is going to work.  I had better get back to my lesson plans!

Christmas time is here!

Christmas 2012

This year because of our vaulted ceilings we got a 10 foot tree.  It is beautiful.  It took about 3 hours to  prepare and put in the house.  We could not even put it on top of the car because it weighed to much!  We had to get the utility trailer!  Ryan and Jim worked on it in the garage to try and wrap it  and put bungies on it to sinch it  so that we could get it in the front door!   When we were to the point to stand it up not one scrape on the ceiling! Yeah.

 We stood on ladders  and threw the lights to each other to get them up at the top.  We used a  yard stick to get the ornaments on the top!  It took all day it get it decorated!  I love having the lights on low and enjoying the wassel and the lights.. This is my favorite time of the year.

Edmonds

We went to Edmonds this weekend to visit Mom and Dad.  The weather was beautiful and we had a really nice time.  Mom and I went to the market and bought some fresh fruit and it was so yummy.  Aunt TK was able to come on Saturday evening and we had dinner with her and watched some games.  We talked a lot about the family reunion that we are in charge of in 2 years!  Any one have any suggestions please chime in.

We went for a walk this morning down to see 9 blue heron's in the marsh then went to the water front.  It was not windy or cold just really nice.

Then we went to Dicks for lunch.  It is Washington's version of IN-N-Out!   We listened to conference going up and coming back home.  Back to reality for tomorrow.  My class is going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch!

  Grandpa just looking at the ferry boat and enjoying the day, and Jim being....... well Jim!  gotta love him!

Busy

It was such a busy week last week.  With school, new baby, 40 pounds of apples to do.....I was exhausted.  I finally felt half way decent Friday evening,  and started getting some stuff done at home.  I finished apples on Saturday, I think I made 7 pies, then finished up with  applesauce.  I just wanted to be done.
 I seem to have a great group of kids this year and only 23 of them. It is pretty even girl/boy ratio too. All three of us kindy teachers are am this year so that we could have more contact time with the kids.  My hours have been flexed, which means that I do not have to be there until 8.  I still go in early because I just can not get everything done.  We also started our kids eating lunch.  That was a real trip.  Trying to get these little ones to make a choice of what to eat, hold a tray while trying to step over a bench to sit down, eat their food and, dump their tray, dump their milk and put the tray at the big window so it can get washed. What were we thinking??? Gotta tell ya that today they did great. It has only been 3 days!

Little Ella is doing great.  She is eating well and the other end is just as active.  She had her first BYU game this weekend at home.  Papa was in Kansas and he did not get to see her in her "cougarett" outfit but we took pictures. At night she seems to sleep pretty well..... I guess.  I put in my ear plugs because I need to sleep and I just don't want to hear her cry.  She cries when she is being changed.  She does not like having her clothes off.  She is a little cutie and I am glad that she is here with us.

Welcome Ella

Very early this morning we welcomed again another genetically superior grand child. Eleanor Olivia (she will be called Ella) came just a bit early but all is well. She weighs 6 lbs 7 oz and is 17 and 1/2 inches long. She is so tiny! Aly and Ryan are doing great as is little Miss Ella. We (Grandma and Papa) got to be their for her birth. It was amazing. She is beautiful and has a good voice. We are very grateful that everyone is fine and that they have a lot of support.