Eliana's Baptism

When Eliana chose to be baptized she asked that she be baptized in Pennsylvania so her cousins could also attend.  It was a very special day full of love and of the spirit and we were so grateful to share it virtually with family members far away.

Eliana was involved with every detail.  She designed the program, selected the songs, asked specific individuals to offer talks and prayers, and even accompanied the special song.  Initially she requested that the cousins sing one of her favorites, "America, the Beautiful" but when she started learning "Angels We Have Heard on High" she asked if they could sing that instead.

Eliana has a big heart and a very tender spirit.  Often when we are discussing scriptures as a family, her voice will get filled with emotion as she shares what she understands of her Savior.  We are so blessed to have her in our family, she is growing as a peace maker and her love of scriptures is blossoming and teaching us so much everyday.

Christmas Time is Here!

Last minute in the season, I decided I was going to try to get Christmas cards out--for the first time in ten years!  The stars aligned when we got this super cute picture of the family.  It was fun to share our small adventures of 2022 with friends and family.

 

This girl got a little tired of everyone singing "All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" but we never got tired of that gummy grin!  Ha ha!

During the month of December, Lillian's kindergarten class had fun themes for each day.  If you wanted to dress according to the focus of the day you could.  Lillian LOVED this and excitedly got out of bed each morning to get ready for the special theme.  I loved it too, school mornings are usually pretty rough around here, but what a gift December mornings were for us!  Here she is sporting a hair-do and red scarf for "Snowman Day"

We were pretty excited for the family gift exchange!

The only shirt Kyron ever wants to wear these days is his Mark Rober shirt...so he got a few more to get him through the week!

Eliana and I trying to crack open a geode

For days leading up to Christmas, Lillian would be found busily working in her room making so many creations and gifts for each member of the family.  I loved that the kids understood how much effort was put into these handmade gifts and they lovingly showed so much excitement as they opened each one.

For Activity Days, the girls learned how to create these huge, beautiful snowflakes.  Hylie and Eliana worked extra hard and made as many as they could during that hour.  They were pretty excited to bring this batch home that night!

No, Hylie did not get a box of pasta from Santa, it was just the container Santa decided to use to put her tickets in for Go Cart Racing with Dad!

The night before Christmas, Lillian excitedly shared that she couldn't wait to see the "Stuffy House" she had asked Santa for.  Such a request was news to Geoff and I, but the little Elves pulled through and Lillian was thrilled to wake up to not only a Stuffy House, but also a soft bunny that had already moved in.

Kyron was stoked that he got his very own Bingo game--complete with the basket that mixes up the numbers and Bingo cards to boot!

Our Pokemon and LEGO loving girl was super thrilled to get two of her favorite things in one package!

Grammy and Pappy's Visit - October 2022

 Geoff's parents decided it was safe to make their way over for a visit in October.  We were very grateful to see them and spend time together.

A lot of time was spent outside enjoying the beautiful fall weather

We also visited the Museum of Science and Industry where the adventures, learning, and opportunities did not disappoint!

Mirror Maze!

Balls + Air + Water = Complete Bliss!

We even had some science lessons at home with Pappy

and extra nature walks to visit the swans with Grammy

So thankful for all the wonderful memories made!

Heather's Visit - October 2022

Heather was asked to present at a National Educator's Conference in Chicago and she was so sweet to come visit with us when her conference was over.

 The kids were THRILLED to get some more time with Auntie H!

One of the highlights was going to a nearby forest preserve.

Lots of exploring and even more laughs!

And no visit from Auntie H is complete without a scorpion lollipop treat, right?!

Thanks, Auntie H, for the wonderful fun!