Landscapes

Darren and I have talked many times about what a beautiful place we live.  We have 4 seasons here in Utah.  (Darren always said he had to date a girl all 4 seasons to see how she was all year round, glad I passed the test!- we dated 5 seasons)  But this beautiful new place we live offers us some great views and great places to be.  

Alpine. Corner Canyon. Big Cottonwood. Potato Hill. Great Salt Lake Valley

Friends are Family

 We have been so blessed to have so many good friends.  I have always loved friends.  I think because I am a talker.  I like to meet people and talk and ....eat good food while I meet and talk to people!  We have too many good people in our lives to mention them all but here are a few photos that I want to remember.

Our bike shop friends.  We have been friends with the Isaacs, the LaRivieres and the Hyldahls forever.  We have found the Howells more recently.  We owned a bike shop together and are still friends!  A few weeks ago the wives all went on a overnighter.  So fun.  Food, shopping at a food store, more food, staying up until 5 talking. sleeping in.  Eating more good food and enjoying the company.  Because friends are great.  I often say, if I could choose my family I would choose them.  I love my family and would keep them too... but there are great friends out there too. For Christmas we had a cheese party, because we are soooo not fancy, but it was so good.  We walked over to see the famous Tree of Life.  Then let kids play while we were adults and talked and visited.  We have BBQ with these friends, go on countless adventures with these friends and do recreational activities together.  Heres to so many more years to come!

Our dear friends the Snowders and Minnicks are two families that are so close to our hearts.  We all have same age kids.  All the kids play NICELY and well together.  That doesn't always happen!  The other day we had them over and played at the park and saw the zebra.  Down below there are other pictures of these same kids playing in our backyard with water toys in the summer.  We had a movie night out side with a projector in the summer.  We even went to Tucahan in St George for a 24 hour trip with these friends.  We saw The Little Mermaid, which was incredible!  We are glad we aren't far from these friends even though we have moved.

Peace in a new home

The last post of 2014.  Finally caught up.  So happy.  I am excited to print off these pictures and have them published into a book.  

This year finished in such a good way.  We live in a place where I feel so much peace every day of my life.   I love my home and the mountains right next to me.  I love the quite around my house.  No cars or traffic.  

This neighborhood has been amazing at fun social events.  Its kind of silly to post food pictures but I love it!  Once a month two moms my age host a Taste and Talk group.  They plan out a fun menu and teach us how to make things.  We eat some amazing things.   The Fall and Summer were magical, sitting out in their backyard with lights above.  And stars out.  visiting and talking were amazing.  It helped me get to know so many people.  

 This neighborhood also does a walk about every first Sunday of the month.  There are a few host families who have treats and chairs out. Then everyone just walks around visiting.  They had a huge fall festival in a backyard with games and a bonfire.  They have a Halloween Milk and Bread social.  One family does a donut party.  They have a huge bonfire in the street circle.  You come eat donuts and cocoa and bring food and/or gifts for those in need at Christmas time.  There are so many activities that have made us feel so welcome in this new place.  We are so grateful!

December 2014

I dont mean to have so many pictures of Abby but it just kind of happens. I am with her all day!  She does new things every day.  She wants to be big like Ella.  

Building towers. Feeding her (my) Carebear.  Coloring. Sitting on the potty. Napping;) 

Tyler had some friend over.  I made a triple batch of waffles.  Good thing.  Those boys ate.
Tyler. Fisher. Jagar. Payton.  Maybe one day I will look back on this picture and remember when all these boys were little!

I got to see a dear friend of mine.  She flew in to Utah for two days to baptize her daughter.  Neti, in the pink, one of those people I am glad came into my life.

And Tyler and Ella teaching cousins Beth and Ruth how to be Jedi's.  Pretty cute!

Hatch family party at Rondas house.  94 people there.  and I was in charge of the white elephant game!  

Christmas Part 2

Hopefully I will have more pictures of this part of Christmas as my sisters update their blogs.  Darren took the kids skiing with Uncle Rob.  Cold but nice day.  I stayed home with Abby and Ely came over to play for a little bit with Renees kids.  

We went up to the cabin for a few days.  I lost my car keys in the snow somewhere but Darren brought our extra set up , thank goodness!  We played lots of games, ate good food, did some sledding, sat around and visited.  We had a talent show.  Darren got to juggle.  Ella danced and Tyler played a song on the piano.  We were all so tired from the cabin that we went to bed early for New Years Eve.  But it was ok.  We had a good year and sleep is a great way to start of the new year.  

Christmas Part 1

We had a few fun activities to fill our pre Christmas time.  My parents went up to their cabin and brought us down a tree.  (I was so sick we didn't make it up, but they brought us down a tree)  Darren went all out and decorated two trees.  Hanging lights on a 12 foot tree was a new experience.  

Tyler and Ella both sang in their school choir. My friend Sarah Snowder directed it and did an AMAZING job.  Ell is in green in the front row and Tyler is on the second row on the left corner.  Tyler played a song prior to the performance starting.  Believe. From the Polar Express.  He also had a solo part to sing.  He loves music.  Ella loved being one of the few 1st graders in the choir.  We had all the Grandparents there to cheer them on.  

We had an amazing ward Christmas party.  I have been so impressed with this ward.  Nothing is too over the top. But they do some fun simple events 7-8 times a year.  Traditions that go on every year.  Everyone helps so there aren't those 10 families who do it all.  

Our fantastic neighbors made gingerbread houses for my kids.  Then she invited them over to decorate the houses. They came back fully loaded and Abby loved to eat off them all day long.  They brought over Christmas presents for the kids.  Abby was so excited to get down on the ground and open it.

My dear old neighbor Tom would give us an amaryllis every year.  I went to visit him this year and he gave me another one.  The flower was bigger than my whole hand outstretched.  And there were 3 blossoms on it.  Love it.  The kids helped  me plug in lights every night.  Its so magical.   And we even hit the slopes a few times.  The reward of having kids old enough to finally ski where ever I want to go is amazing.  

We spent our break slowing down and enjoying. One morning the kids all climbed in bed with me and we just cuddled up.  But there were other times we had things to do and places to go.  The Balls family all came to our house for Christmas.  I told the kids we needed to set the table and Abby jumped right in setting bowls on the table.  Nolan and Corie came for lunch and we loved it.  We opened some gifts.  We played with cousins. And enjoyed the company.

Then we headed over to my parents house for a live Nativity. Darren and I got to be Mary and Joseph this year.  Abby was the angel who kept stealing our Baby Jesus.  She just wanted to give him loves and hold him.  We sat around and sang songs and played my dads famous white elephant game.  I love love loved seeing my mom grab Abby and start dancing around the room.  I remember my Grandma Hatch doing that all the time with us.

Christmas Day we low key and relaxing.  We got to sleep in until 7:00.  We opened presents.  (Ella is wearing the pjs my Grandpa Harston brought me from China when I was her age)  My parents and Rachel and Rob came over for a little bit.  We went and saw a movie with everyone.  We ate good food and enjoyed the day.