Grace's newest creation

Grace made this for me for Christmas. It's absolutely spectacular, I love it!!! It was so wonderful that she had several people at the pottery studio copy her.

Christmas Tree cutting

Ok so its the new year and I've got to get posting again. I'm sitting here with Grace going what should we say and she wants to post our Christmas tree cutting photos.

Every year,(except last year) we go to a local farm and cut our own tree down it's very fun and according to Wilson "our only Christmas tradition" (oh to be 18)
This year Veronica and Avery went with us.

Avery's comment was "you mean we have to cut down our own tree"

My response was "we get to cut down our own tree" fallowed by a very quizzical look.

The GIANT rope swing was going too so everyone got have a fun ride on that.

Here's a video of it, me racing around trying to keep up and getting motion sickness trying too. It was pretty fun!

This is the first time I've posted video so hope it works.

Home Coming Prince

Wilson was part of the senior home coming court last week. He had a great time and kept super busy with all the activities. Skits, relays, rally, parade, it was all very fun.

At the mission after the parade with everyone.

At the game.

grace's pots

Look at the beautiful pots Grace made for me. I love them, thank you!

Eye can see!!

We didn't know Audra coudn't see

But now she can!

Disneyland

We got to go to Disneyland last week. We did the "Give a Day Get a Day", where you volunteer for an organization and DL give you a day in the park. We went with Lori and the kids and had a great time. It was mid week so everyone got to ride everything 3, 4 or even 5 times.

Boys High adventure trip

The boys, Henry and Harvey got to take a 3 day trip up to the Sacramento area for a 20 mile trip down the American River. They had a great time riding the rapids, camping and eating tons of food. When they left for this trip the cars and truck were so full it looked like they were leaving for weeks. Food for millions right, no just 14 hungry boys and men.

Audra in Montana

Thanks to the Smith cousins, Audra got to travel up to Montana for 2 week of fun. She had a wonderful time with lots of great outdoor activities in this amazingly beautiful part of the country.
Yellowstone for 2 days

Learning to ride the quads. Oh correction drive the quads.

Spending time with cousins.

She got to fly up by herself this trip and she was challenged by all kinds of delays, flight changes, gate changes, you name it it happened and she did wonderfully so if anyone needs a flying companion here is your girl. I'm confident I could send this girl anywhere.

No shave November

Well here you have it folks, it's no shave November and this was the result.

Grace in the fall

grace has recently been to 2 table setting classes and so this past sunday we were treated to a beautiful fall table setting.



She also made her first apple pie. YUMMY!

Great job Gracie!!!!

church winter formal

Wilson's group that went.

Birthday party fun

Had the local family over for birthday dinner tonight. Mary wanted Pizza and Wilson wanted "food" so everyone was happy.

CC made the yummy cake

Love those girls cousins, they're so cute!

Surf wax = happy boy

Footsie jammies = happy girl

Love this photo!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday you two!!!!

Halloween 2009

Here is the woodside crew. We had a brand new addition this year, our baby giraffe is one week old.

Wilson worn this cape a few Halloweens ago too.

Grace and Jenea

The loot!!! Grace and Jenea weighed in with 6lbs worth.

The cutest Giraffe ever.

A week in Hair

Grace had CRAZY hair day at school this week.
Audra has been growing out her hair for Locks for Love and got it cut this week.

Just for the record

We went to the Dr's office yesterday and here are the kids stats.

Wilson- 6'1" 178
Briant- 5'9" 122
Audra- 5'1" 87
Grace- 4'7" 83

They are growing fast!
It's so exciting to see them grow into amazing young people.

This weeks funny surf story

So the boys have a surf website that they use to check the local live surf conditions on, multiple times a days. It gives them a live web cam view, current swell conditions and then predicts the next few days. Usually a daily update goes like this, swells 3-5', on shore wind speed, poor to fair, or fair to good. This past week the prediction came up swells 6-10' with occasional 12' good to EPIC. Not cool or awesome, but epic. They were so excited they bounced around here in anticipation for days. So Friday they head out, they're the first ones there and watched the sunrise as they're paddling out.
"They were the best waves ever!!!"
"It was like living in a post card!!!!"
"Deep wide barrels mom, you could just sit in them and go forever"
"It was the best day of my life"
It was in EPIC day here!

Hope you have an epic day too!!!

A close encouter with the Dorsal kind

Its White shark season around here and there have been several credible sightings lately, one 13-15' even got photographed, so the boys have a healthy respect for there fellow ocean inhabitants. There had even been a credible sighting over the weekend at there favorite surf spot so... Monday they headed out at 6 am cause its late start and they're "hard core surfers" "yea mom". The swell had been really big over the weekend and they'd been out I don't know how many times and where excited to get out again before the big swell was gone. Briant was out waiting to catch a wave when not 6" off the tip of his board a large dorsal fin appears, needless to say his heart left his chest and his bladder emptied. It turned out to be a pod of dolphins, 3 more shot underneath him and one more fallowed the first one surfacing right next to his board. He was still pretty wired about it when he got home, but by the time school let out he was good enough to go out again "before the big swell was gone".

We are so blessed to live in this amazingly beautiful place! Surfing with Dolphins on a Monday morning.

First day of School

Some love these words and re joyous when they are uttered and others groan, moan and roll there eyes with dread.
Below you find one of each.


We have two distinct shifts this year, the early morning seminary group, notice it is dark when they leave and yes those are the cloths they picked out 3 days before in anticipation. I only hope that they spent just a tad more time with there t-shirt choice for school photos.
The first group who had actually planned there wardrobe countless times during the previous week.
I'm still trying to decided which one I prefer.

Girl's camp

Audra's first year at girls camp was amazing! We had another great year! The big change this year was a real hike for these ladies and it was wonderful. 5 1/2 miles round trip with a beautiful waterfall and pool at the end. She was very excited to get to go since she wasn't queit of the correct age...but it was close enough. We had the biggest family showing with 4 cousins and 2 Aunties.

Easter

Let the hunts Begin