Grandma + Cousins = FUN!

A special time for us...time that went by WAY too fast!

We let the kids skip school on grandma's last day here. We went bowling, then had lunch at home before saying goodbye. One of the things mom had really missed since moving to England was a really good hamburger. So the kids had Happy Meals while us grown-ups enjoyed some In-N-Out, and it did not dissapoint!

A gutter ball proved to be too much for Jack to handle...

he got over it by his next turn, but wasn't completely happy with himself until he got a strike.

We also managed to get in some grown-up time...late night chats, and a GNO complete with shopping and dinner.

Dinosaurs!

On the drive home from California, we decided to stop at the dinosaur museum. It was so much fun! Jack is really into dinosaurs right now, and was amazed at the sight of these massive monsters!

California

We made the trip out to California just after Christmas for Great Papa T's funeral. It was a really beautiful service, & very uplifting as family members spoke of his life of humility, kindness, service, & love.

Mom with Aunt DeAnn & Aunt Chris.

Mom & I.

Almost all of the cousins are in this picture...the last time we were all together was at grandpa's 90th birthday party in 2007. It was so fun to see everyone & get caught up with each other's lives.

The kids were so excited to see grandma after so long. Grandma was excited too, but still jet-lagged & exhausted!

That evening, Dave and I took the kids to Chuck-E-Cheese for some much needed family fun time.

Backyard Camping

Over Christmas break, the girls decided they would like to sleep outside. They tried relentlessly night after night, eventually always surrendering to the bitter cold. On the third night, Dakota actually did fall asleep. Consequently, Rian came inside because she was scared. We had to carry Dakota is as well, for fear she might wake up unable to feel her extremeties! They gave it a valiant effort, but in the end, these are just two very warm-blooded Arizona girls!

On the last night. I surprised them with hot chocolate and extra whipped cream. Dave surprised them with a ferocious "ROAR" at the back "window" of the tent!

Bull Riding- Cameron Style

Dave's idea of an "Activity" for FHE...

Who can stay on daddy's back for 8 seconds?

Amazingly, everyone came away with all their bones in tact and teeth still in their mouths. I guess you'd call that a successful family home evening, right?

Oh, and Jack won!

She did it!!!

Since Dakota got a new bike for Christmas, Rian decided it was now time to learn how to ride her brand new (old) bike! She had a little more trust in Dave and I this time, and a little more confidence in herself. So...

We are super proud of you, Rian!

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam!

As expected, Jack was not at all thrilled with the idea of primary today. He had an absolute meltdown in the hall with daddy. Our 2nd counselor, Teri, decided enough was enough and stepped in to put a stop to his madness. She waited until he calmed down, took him to the bathroom to clean his face and then brought him into sharing time.

Once in the room, he sat in his chair with his face buried in his hands. In between songs, if you listened carefully, you could hear him quietly whimpering. The little sniffles and short breaths were enough to break my heart! Soon enough though, he decided it wasn't so bad. He stayed in his chair reverently and took it all in.

I later saw him happily bouncing down the hall with his class, and peeked into his classroom to see that he was enjoying himself quite a bit. I can't say the same for his poor teacher though!

Dave was helping out with another class today and was able to capture this heartbreaking moment on his cell phone.

What really got to me today was the fact that my baby girl, Rian, is now in SENIOR PRIMARY! I hate the fact that these kids are growing up so fast and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Crushing.