Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Babies for the Babies

I have tried a dozen times to upload more pictures to this post, but it just won't do it. So, we'll just go with these pictures for now...

We had a great Christmas! I'm so glad it's over because of the incredible amount of work it is, but it was wonderful! One of the highlights was that my mom got all the new babies their very first Bitty Babies. Brooklyn was asleep when we took this picture, but here is Hailey & Sophia with the dolls. Hailey's doll is a red-head, Sophia's is blonde and Brooklyn's is dark haired.



I love Hailey's facial expression!


Hailey (8 1/2 months) and Sophia (5 1/2 months)

Thank you Grandma!!


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Christmas dance shows - 2011

Hannah & Kate both take dance classes from Murray Community Dance. It's such a great program and it's been fun to see them getting better & better. Hannah is too young to be in the show, but the last day of class, the parents got to go in and watch. She spent the first 10 minutes refusing to do anything, but finally participated. What a stinker!



This picture cracks me up - Hannah is on the far left. Her best friend, Heidi (who is just like Hannah) didn't like the girl who was standing behind her. Heidi is in the black with the Christmas skirt. Anyway, so funny!









Hannah twirling in the circle.



Kate was our only dancer in the show (Emily & Lindsey decided not to do dance this year). She was in the group performing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" and she did great. They had some hard steps to do, but she was awesome. The shows are so exhausting, but she had a great time doing it!










She's the blonde that's the 3rd from the left.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Bowen Family Christmas Party

Near the beginning of December, we were invited over to Bob & Debbie's for a Bowen Family Christmas Party! I have come to really, REALLY appreciate being invited over to people's homes. We are a HUGE family, so having us over is no small task. With my parents being on a mission, I now do most of the cooking/hosting for my family. So, whenever someone is brave enough to have us over, I am elated!

Bob is Jon's oldest brother and Bob & Debbie are 2 of the busiest people I know! They are constantly doing things for others. This Christmas season, they have prepared for a missionary to come, a missionary to leave, had most of their kids and grandkids for Thanksgiving and ALL of them for a post-Christmas celebration. If my calculations are correct, that's 22 of them!!! Anyway, amid all the things to do, Debbie put together a wonderful evening for us.

We went and she had created a couple of crafts for the kids to do - making stockings, beaded candy canes & fun Rudolph cupcakes to decorate. She had made a delicious dinner and even had the BYU game on for the boys to watch. It was a wonderful evening and so much appreciated! Thanks again Debbie!


Hannah & Kate making crafts


Aunt Debbie showing the kids how to do it.



Emily & Lindsey

Monday, December 26, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011

Oh my, I am so far behind in blogging....Christmas preparation has taken every spare second of my life and now that it is over, I feel like I can do some of the "normal" things again.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was a ton of work (at times like this, I really, really miss my mom!!), but it was memorable and a fun weekend.

We spent the day before Thanksgiving making pies. Jon does the crust, and I usually do the fillings. We ended up with 2 pumpkin, an apple, and 2 chocolate cream pies. Baking with Jon is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving.

We also spent the day cleaning the house in preparation for it...here is Hannah "helping."


On Thursday morning, we took all the kids to Murray Park. Jon played flag football with his friend, Carl, and the kids and I used the time to exercise. I pushed Hannah & Hailey in the stroller. Kate, Lindsey, Emily & Jack all went on a run around the park. Emily & Jack lasted the longest and everyone had a great time. We left Jon there to keep playing and we went home to continue dinner prep.


Hailey & Hannah





Kate



Emily & Jack


Hannah taking a pre-Thanksgiving dinner nap


We made a 21-pound turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, cranberry salad, raspberry Jello salad and creamed corn. We then took it over to the Cowden's to have dinner with my family. Becky Cowden is my dad's cousin and she was so wonderful to host all of us. We had a super yummy meal together and then enjoyed playing, laughing, and visiting with each other.




Hailey & Mike



Jon & Richard getting the final things ready



Thanksgiving dinner coma



We're so grateful for this sweet little one!

Around 5, we all made it back over to our house to clean up all the dishes from cooking in the morning, have leftovers and play games. Playing games is definitely a huge part of our holiday celebrations.

My mom had gotten all the grandchildren (7 girls & 1 boy), new pajamas. Instead of waiting until Christmas Eve, we decided to let them have them on Thanksgiving night when we get out our Christmas blankets. They loved them.


We had also done a secret sister gift exchange with Aunt Claudia, Ashlie & Meg, so we opened those as well. I had Aunt Claudia and had sent her a lighthouse wall hanging. Misty had me and I got the most amazing United States picture.


Brooklyn opening new Christmas pajamas



Misty had enlarged a picture of the US and then individually cut out each state, wonder-undered them on fabric and sewed them on. It is soooo cute!


We had a fun time doing the exchange and I think we'll probably do it again next year!


I was exhausted by the end of the day, but it was fun! And then onto Christmas....

Monday, December 5, 2011

Family Pictures - 2011

We had our family pictures taken in September and Lindsay (www.lindsaywrightphotography.com) did a great job! I wasn't very happy with the selection of clothes (I wouldn't have Jon & Lindsey wear white next time), but that was obviously my own fault. Here are some of the highlights (as well as a few posted a few posts ago).






















This picture says it all!


















Thursday, December 1, 2011

Final Days in Russia

Our last few days were great too!

On Tuesday, we went down to Red Square to see Lenin's tomb & St. Basil's Cathedral. When we went into Red Square, they made us check in our bags/cameras/etc. in order to see Lenin's body. They have kept this guy on display for over 80 years now. He looked a little waxy, but not too bad for being dead for so long. Apparently, they give him a chemical bath every so often. It was a very solemn, serious place.

After we saw that, we walked to St. Basil's Cathedral - a completely breathtaking building. We got tickets to tour the inside of it. It wasn't as long as I thought it would be, but at one point, Kate (in tears) said "I would rather be anywhere else in the world than here." She was obviously not impressed. Jon & I thought it was great. Unfortunately, Russian history isn't a very happy history, but they have beautiful buildings!


My cute parents - in their Russian hats



Jack was obviously not impressed either


another beautiful building at Red Square


After Red Square, we headed to lunch at McDonald's as we had hungry kids and a baby who needed to be nursed.






Look familiar?


Oops - another building on Red Square


On Wednesday, my dad had mission things to do, so my mom took us on the Metro to Ismilava - which is a flea market-type place with great souveniers. The kids found some fun things and we had a great time shopping. Jack got a chess set, my mom got a white Russian hat, Jon got a brown Russian hat, I got a Christmas nativity, and all the kids got small little Matruska doll key chains for their classes.


The only time we ever heard any Russian laugh was there - as we were walking, Hannah's pants fell down and it cracked up about 3 little old ladies sitting nearby.


On Thursday, we left Kate & Hannah with my mom and the rest of us took the Metro to Victory Park - a monument about World War 2. Lindsey really didn't want to go, but we made her come. We really talked it up and got there, only to discover it closes every last Thursday for sanitation day. It was still great to see the outside of it though.



What the monument and museum looked like as we walked towards it.



Lindsey, Jack & Emily's victory after running up all the stairs









My cute dad and I



My cute Jon & I



Emily in front of a sign that I believe says "Moscow." In the winter, they fill in the garden spots with colored wood chips.


Lindsey

That night, we celebrated Emily's birthday - who would turn 12 the next day - the day we left. It doesn't seem possible that we have a 12 year old already! She's such a joy!




Then, my parent's little community had a Trick-or-Treat night, so we had brought the kid's Halloween costumes, so they dressed up and we went around. Russian candy isn't quite as sweet as American candy, so they weren't all that impressed. It was so fun to be there though and meet some of my parent's good friends.






Cute little pig


Hailey - smiling at my dad


Wow! What an incredible adventure and trip! We were so happy with our great our kids were, how wonderful it was to experience a new culture and country and what a blessing it was to see my parents and spend time with them in the mission field. We miss them terribly! It's almost unbearable to have them gone, but they are where they need to be. To see them in their element was amazing! Thank you mom and dad for taking such good care of us and for giving us the opportunity of a life-time!!!