Visiting family in Wyoming

We headed to Wyoming Christmas afternoon.  It was a peaceful trip because...

Benjamin slept most of the way....

And so did Emmalee.

We had to take 2 vehicles, so Rusty took Zane & Callum with him & Michelle had Ethan, Brienna, Benjamin & Emmalee.

Palisades Reservoir was pretty. (Brienna took most of these pictures with her new camera) ☺

We liked the "snake" cloud that was slithering through the mountains in Star Valley, WY.  We spent Christmas night at Aunt Pamela's house (she was in Lander)

Grandma & Grandpa Carter's Christmas tree

Some of the gang--Rusty, Ethan, Benjamin, Callum, Aunt Laurie, Michelle

Grandma, Ethan, Emmalee, Rusty, & Callum

Rusty & Aunt Laurie

Michelle with her Momma, & Emmalee with her Momma.

Notice the shirts--"I may be Left Handed, but I'm Always Right" ☺

Brienna took a picture of herself with her camera.

Grandpa Carter

Grandma Carter

Michelle reading "Brown Bear" to Benjamin (we can't believe he will 14 months in a week!!)

Michelle gave 8 haircuts on Monday.

Benjamin & Grandpa

Ethan & Zane playing basketball at the church--Zane isn't missing any practices, but Ethan is missing 2 this week.

Callum & Brienna--Callum is finally able to make some baskets!!!

Grandma & Benjamin

Emmalee rolling on the ball.

We are having tons of fun--relaxing, playing games, sleeping in, & spending time with family ♥♥

Christmas 2009

We had a very busy, but wonderful Christmas this year.

Callum's class were reindeer in the Christmas play at school.  I think he makes an awesome Rudolph!!

Emmalee was Vixon in her pre-school play.  She is getting ready to pull Santa's sleigh ♥

We made a double batch of sugar cookies--everyone was a great help with cutting out the cookies, and then decorating, delivering & eating them!

This is what our tree looked like Christmas Eve (after Benjamin was in bed).

(The date on my camera is off by 12 hours--so this is really Christmas morning).  Zane holding Benjamin. 

Zane & Callum got up at 2:30, then again at 4 am.  And then they stayed up.  Zane even built us a fire so when the rest of us rolled out of bed around 6:30, 7, & 7:30, the house was nice & toasty.

This is the doll Brienna gave to Emmalee.  Purple is one of Emmalee's favorite colors.

Benjamin was not really interested in opening any presents.

Rusty holding a still sleepy Emmalee on Christmas morning.

Zane holding Benjamin--he just didn't want to wake up for Christmas.

Ethan really didn't want to get out of bed Christmas morning--he said the presents would still be the same whether he opened them at 7 am or 11 am--silly boy!  ☺

There he is--finally awake (enough) to watch "The Nativity" video (about 5 minutes) before opening presents.

Zane & Benjamin opening presents.

Zane on Christmas morning.

Emmalee & Benjamin playing with the Little

People sets that Benjamin received.  (Again the date is wrong--this time I had to change the batteries, & the date reverted back to the manufacture's orgininal date).

Brienna & Callum on Christmas morning.

I think Brienna was still a bit sleepy

Grandpa Stewart came over to our house to see what we got for Christmas.

Rusty & Grandma Stewart on Chrismtas morning.

We enjoyed a late breakfast of Rusty's famous & yummy omlettes & then loaded up & headed to Wyoming.

My Hometown Friend, Jennifer, is having a Give-away!!!

Check out her blog! 

http://sjandcc.blogspot.com/2009/12/giveaway-christmas-love.html

12 Days of Christmas....

starting this past weekend: 

♪♪♪♪  5 High school basketball games, 4 trips to town, 3 (or more) treats to make, 2 Christmas concerts/plays, 1 class party, 1 middle school basketball tournament....and a partridge in a pear tree. ♪♪♪♪

I made a double batch of gingersnap cookies (with egg replacement--for Callum) on Monday. And by Tuesday afternoon, they were all gone.  True, I took about 2 dozen to the concert on Monday.

(I made 4 batches of rice crispy treats for the basketball game on friday--for concessions & will need to make brownies & a salad for the Jr/Sr High school lunch on Thursday). Plus I want to make some yummy treats--gingerbread & sugar cookies, peppermint bark & kettle corn)

Here is Zane playing the trumpet (tooting his own horn).

Brienna looked beautiful while singing in the choir.

Back row, left to right: Mariah, Brienna, Brett, Lindsay

Front row, L-R:  Jennifer, Madeline & Jennifer 

Brienna playing in the band

Both Brienna & Zane did a wonderful job.  Zane is a natural on the trumpet, & Brienna has a beautiful, pure voice.  She sang "O Holy Night" for her solo.

Zane (w/the orange t-shirt) is at the middle school basketball game in Lima, Montana.  It was a close & exciting game clear to the end, when we won 25-24.

Ethan played after the middle school (middle, #20)

Their game was a "boring", run-away game:  64-10.  If I remember right, Ethan scored 4 or 6 points.  He was one of the captains & started.  Even though it wasn't close at all, Ethan played a great game.

Computer Crash & Family Pictures

Yes--My poor, poor, computer crashed on November 30th.
So we went almost a whole week without a computer in our home--talk about pure torture!!!!

I love modern technology--it keeps me more "organized" with the many, many hats that I wear. 

I do the following things on the computer:  my primary music, piano lessons, cub scouts, PTO, kids up-dates, journals, and a lot of my financial stuff.  And a ton of other things too!!!

Luckily, I am diligent in backing up everything.  The only thing I had NOT backed up were the family pictures I had just downloaded the day before & started editting.  But I still had the camera disk.

So last Friday, Rusty & I went into town to look for a computer. 

And we got a Dell desktop for the family to use, and a nice Gateway laptop for ME!!!

So we had Christmas a little early.

Ok--now here are the pictures that we took at our land, and some others that I haven't posted of our family.

Ethan wants to see if we can use any of these pictures for his Senior pictures.

I think they turned out good.

Nice, ETHAN!!!

Beautiful Brienna :)  I can't believe she is 13!!!

She is my lifesaver at home--helping wherever help is needed.

Here is Zane holding his cat--Gray Stripe.  And Callum in the background.

Zane's cat is a really calm cat.  But he is definately an outside cat!!!  The only time he comes inside, is when Zane is holding him (or the occasional times he sneaks in when the door opens).

Santa came to town Saturday.  Zane decided to go ahead and tell him that he has only been "a little" nice.I guess he gets points for being honest!!

Callum on top of the "cliffs" on our land.

He is too cute (don't tell him I told you that)

Callum giving Benjamin a piggy back ride.

Callum  wasn't too sure about talking to Santa--I guess he doesn't visit the big guy too often.

Emmalee found a perfect resting spot on the side of the cliffs.  And in this one she is showing how she can look like the "Emmalee" scarecrows" that I found at Wal-Mart.

Occasionally Emmalee will get to take a bath in the kitchen sink--and here are the 2 cutest expressions of pure happiness.

Don't you just love her beautiful eyes????

Emmalee wants a truck & car for Christmas--and then a few days later see added:  A Doll.

I took this picture because Ben was wanting my attention right then, and I was taking pictures of the other kids.  And when I looked at the picture, I noticed you could see how swollen his gums are--he was cutting all 4 molars at the same time.  1 top one has popped through, and 2 others are close.

I wish he would do this more often!!!  But I take any naps that I can get.  He usually takes 1 nap a day, for anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.

Benjamin stole Mommy's computer chair!

Rusty & Michelle

And our dog, Zeb. 

So that is my up-date for now.  I hope that I get to the blog more often now that the computer runs so well.