Robyn's Birthday Gift

For Robyn's birthday this year she asked for me to make her a doll. I thought that was so sweet that my 10 year old girl still valued a home made doll. So here are some pictures of the doll with the clothes I made.

Christmas with the Kibbie's

Here are some pictures of Christmas at our house. This year we went to Joshua Tree, CA again to celebrate with our friends Liz and Kent. We had a great time and I got to shoot a gun for the first time in my life. Kent took us out to a dried lake bed out in the middle of no where and we got to shoot his 22 rifle he's had since he was a boy. The kids had a great time climbing all over the rocks and Liz and Kent gave Aaron and I a date day where we went into Palm Springs for lunch and had a wonderful time walking and having a uninterrupted conversation. Robyn got to spend an extra week with Liz and Kent in Los Angeles learning to cook and what it is like to be the youngest (they have 3 teenagers). She loved being with them.

Before we left, as a Christmas tradition, we did our weekly Christmas advent for the month of December. For this we have 4 candles (one for each Sunday) and on Sunday evening, before bed, we have the kids sit on the couch, we light a candle, read a Christmas story and have a treat. This was great fun being able to discuss how the story related to Christ and what we can do to become more like Him. We do this weekly when it's not Christmas time, but there is something about the candles that makes it so much more special.

Another tradition we started a few years back, after we had gone through a hard time, is that we try to find a family to help and organize our friends to pitch in or we find another family that is doing this service and help them. This year we found the family and prayed to know who to ask to help out. I was surprised at my answer, but it was amazing how all of the families I had asked to help out our family in need, really wanted to do something of the sort, but "just hadn't gotten to it". It was wonderful to involve the kids and be able to see the gratitude that this sweet amazing family had when we delivered Christmas. It was also amazing to witness the charity of others who gave so freely of their substance.

Robyn, Gwen and Emma (Aiden would not get in the picture)
Gwen, Emma, Robyn and Aiden all snuggled on the couch

Christmas Without Mr. C

This December Robyn and Emma were in a cute Christmas play put on by the Draper city called "Christmas Without Mr. C". They got to sing and dance as elves and had a great time. They both have grown to love the theater. To quote Robyn: "I always want to be on the stage Mom"

A Christmas Carol

This year for Christmas Grandma and Grandpa Kibbie gave us and the Sears (Aaron's sister Liz and her family) money to go and see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Theater here in Salt lake. We had a great time watching this fun production along with their Aunty Sharon (Aaron's other sister). The Hale Theater is a "theater in the round" which means that the stage is a circle with seats all around it. Parts of the stage move and it had openings for people to drop down. They even have a fly system. You can imagine the fun acting they could do with all the features. It was a great Christmas Gift!

Dan's Engagment Party

In November I got the opportunity to go to Seattle by myself for my little brothers engagement party. He is marrying a very cute girl whose family is from Viet Nam, so they had a traditional Viet Nam engagement party where our family came to her families home in a procession bringing the traditional gifts of different fruits, teas, cakes, Erik and Ron (my two older brothers)won't forget, a big pig (they got the honor of carrying it). At the ceremony the parents each welcome the bride and groom into their family and they talk about how we become as one family when a marriage takes place. I loved the family unity they talked about and all that it represented. Afterwards we went to a restaurant for a 10 course meal which was all delicious. I had a great time spending a few days, without kids, with my family.

The procession with Ron and Erik and the pig
The parents standing with Dan (my niece Ashley to his left) waiting for Jeanette (his fiance) to arrive


Jeanette arriving and being welcomed


Jeanette

Erik, Ron, Jeanette, Dan and myself (Gwen was in Cuba, she'll be there for the wedding)

Aiden's Creativity

One day aiden showed me a picture that he drew. He said "Mom, look at my 'OH NO' picture" There was a monster threatening to eat a little stick guy and in a word bubble it said "OH NO!" He ended up drawing several more of these "OH NO" pictures and here they are...

Putting the garden to sleep

At the end of the gardening season, we pull all the dead plants out and cover the beds with leaves. This year we got to the leaves before the landscapers did and had the kids and their friends help us gather the leaves from the front. As you can tell the kids had fun as well using the boxes as sleds and playing in the water! As you can see we had a great tomato crop this year. The last picture is what we picked AFTER the first frost.

Emma and her friend Savannah "sleding"


The kids playing in the water

Our left over tomatoes and Gwen's head

Volcanos

In October I orginized a family science fair for our homeschool group. My kids had a great time learning about volcanic rock. We even when rock hounding with Aaron's Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim to find some great volcanic rock (easy to find in Utah if you know where to go). Aaron did this project with the kids and I think he got into it more than the kids did :) Everyone else had a great time as well.

Halloween

Here we are on Halloween. Emma is a ballerina princess, Aiden is either Anikin or Luke (depending on the moment), Robyn is Little Red Riding Hood, and Gwen is a princess. I had a great time making their capes! We went to a fun homeschool park day where they had a costume parade and played games.

Emma, Aiden, Robyn (upset about something) and Gwen in the front

Here was the beginning of the costume parade

Aiden with his buddies


Aiden wooing the girls. He gets them while their young!



The kids with their friends

Gwen with her friend Thalia

Emma and Gwen, my princesses

Liberty Girls: Kaya

Here are some more pictures of our Liberty Girls group. This semester they are reading the books about Kaya (a Nez Pierce girl) Horses were a big part of their life so we had one of our members big sister talk to us about caring for a horse. The girls got to help groom the horse and watch her be trained. It was a great time!