Weekend in LA

  Daryl wanted to go to his Holiday office party, so that meant going to LA.  He was already there for work, and I was able to fly down the day before thanks to the lovely Ashley and Ayva who watched the kidlets while we were gone.    The party was Friday night and we returned home Saturday night.  We had a great time hanging out just the two of us.  It was like our Christmas gift to ourselves.  Friday night while we were gone we lost power.  Fortunately it was just after Ashley and the kids pulled out the last batch of gingerbread cookies.  They found a lantern and some flashlights and decorated cookies.  The kids had a great time!

Hollywood!  This was taken from the Griffiths Observatory.

I spent Thursday by myself in Disneyland until Daryl picked me up after work.  

The hotel we stayed at is brand new and extremely tall with excellent views.

This was the view from our room.

This is a helipad we could see from our hotel room.

Daryl and I saw a coyote on our walk up to the Griffith Observatory.

The Griffith Observatory was a great place to visit that we had never been before.

The beginning of the sunset from Griffith Observatory.

Meanwhile back home Ashley helped the kids construct a gingerbread house.

Avery is back at the table, Ayva is opposite Luke, Emery, and Harper decorating cookies by the lantern hung from our pot filler above the stove.

The kids having fun with flashlights during the power outage.

Daryl and I went to the Los Angeles temple Saturday morning.  It was gorgeous and big!

Daryl and I at the work party.

Hello December

     December is always busy and the first days of this month was no exception.  We went to the Festival of the Nativities that our Church has.  The kids were really excited to dress up there.  We helped celebrate our nephew, Logan's, fourth birthday.  Avery had another great piano recital this year, and she had a great choir concert at her school.

Harper, Emery, Avery, and Luke at the Festival of the Nativities

Logan blowing out his birthday cupcake

Avery, Luke, and Emery enjoying cupcakes at Logan's birthday party

Luke slept on the trundle bed in Harper and Emery's room with George who was visiting from preschool

Luke and George trying out a piano before Avery's piano recital

Sisko in the basket by a Christmas tree

Dax taking it easy on the entryway bench

Luke, Emery, Harper, and Avery were all doing something on the computer together

Emery, Harper, and Avery

Everyone looked cute before church, so I wanted a picture.  Emery was crying because she couldn't be in the middle.

We put a little Christmas tree in the family room

Some Christmas decor

Couple other nativities the kids like to play with

Avery at her choir concert

After the choir concert we went to Starbucks

Bye November

   With Thanksgiving being so early this year it took me a while to realize that we had a whole other week of November after that.  We had pretty good weather that week, so Luke and I were able to get outside.  He even took us on a long hike down, across, and up the ravine by our nearby park.  Luke was a real trooper through it all.  I only had to carry him a little bit.  That wasn't too bad for a four year old on a three mile hike where we went up the equivalent of 30 flights of stairs.  I loved it.  If I thought I could get away with it we would definitely do more hiking together.  I'm just not sure how far I can carry a four year old, and I am in no particular hurry to find out.  

One of Dax's favorite places to sleep is on our beach towels

Luke swinging at the park

The creek that Luke and I hiked along

Luke all smiles on our hike

I caught Emery sleeping one morning

Then I found Avery asleep like this one night.  That's the Zelda walkthrough that's open.

I forgot to get a picture of Luke's stunning Thanksgiving turkey

Avery playing with Sisko's new beloved Ikea cat toy

We got our Christmas tree all decorated

Here's Harper, Emery, and Avery painting some Christmas scenes

Thanksgiving Week

  The week of Thanksgiving was action packed.  Daryl took most of the week off, so Wednesday when the kids get out of school early we took them to the bowling alley.  They loved it.  For our Thanksgiving meal we went to the Thanksgiving buffet at the Hilton. The food was delicious, and I didn't have to make anything.  The day after Thanksgiving we went with Christie, Ben, and Zander to a light maze called Enchant at Safeco field. Everyone enjoyed the lights but the girls really loved getting their faces painted there. It was my birthday on Sunday, so Saturday we had a birthday lunch with my parents before Daryl surprised me with karaoke with our family and friends.  It was a private room, and we found out that Emery enjoys singing into a microphone a lot.  

Luke loved bowling

Luke, Emery, and Harper

At the building that houses the bowling alley.  Avery, Harper, Emery, and Luke

There was a dipping station at Thanksgiving dinner, so all the kids had a lot of chocolate that day

Emery gave Thanksgiving dinner two thumbs up

Nothing like Thanksgiving pizza and chicken tenders

Avery wanted her picture taken like this

Harper, Emery, Luke, and Avery at Thanksgiving dinner

Luke and I went on a walk after Thanksgiving dinner when it was pouring rain.  Luke loved jumping in puddles.

Daryl and Avery snuggling with Sisko while watching a movie

Zander and Luke at Enchant

Harper and Emery

Harper, Emery, and Avery.  This was the best picture I got.

Avery with unicorn face paint

Harper with a cat face paint

Emery with her unicorn face paint

At my birthday lunch

Avery and Grandma at karaoke

Benny stuffing himself full of sweet potato fries at karaoke

The first three decorative papers are Emery's.  The black pumpkin and Autumn poem are Harper's.

A close up of Harper's Autumn poem.

Harper's turkey

Our Christmas tree came in the mail on Wednesday

Daryl helped the kids convert a box into a rocket

The rocket has been a source of fun for days now

Avery loved bowling so much she constructed her own alley in her bedroom

Luke playing with Sisko

Luke being Luke

Dax likes when the living room fireplace is on

Harper and Emery with my birthday cookie