Happy Birthday Papa G!

We helped my dad celebrate his birthday last weekend! (Don't worry dad, I won't say how old you are!)
For the last couple of years we have been going sledding, but the weather just wasn't cooperating this time. It was raining instead of snowing. So we decided to go bowling instead. We were in Soda, so we went bowling at "Geyser Bowl." The funny part is, the bowling alley hasn't changed a whole lot since I was little. They even have the same fry sauce!



Dad trying to keep score. He had a pretty good first game....we won't talk about his second game!!


Alexa


Avery


Sydnie pitching a fit. (It was sooo nap time!)


Courtney and Nate keeping score.


Our Beautiful Shoes


Rylie
We had 3 lanes that we were using. We had the bumpers up on one of them and just let the girls have at it. They loved it!


Ryan helping Sydnie


The whole group


Alexa and Rylie


Rylie and Avery


Avery and Jeff


Rylie and Sydnie watching the ball bounce from one side of the lane to the other.

Happy Birthday Dad!!

Rylie Dances at USU Basketball Game

Every year the USU Spirit Squad holds a Dance/Cheer Clinic. They hold the clinic in the morning and then all that participated get to dance at that nights USU Boys Basketball Game. USU played Boise State, the Stadium was sold out!

This is Rylie's 2nd time going to the clinic. Last year she wasn't so sure about dancing in front of everyone. When they went to take the girls down to the floor, she started crying....she danced, but didn't want to do it again!

This year when it came around, Rylie said she would do it if her friend Brooklyn did it as well. So we talked Brooklyn into dancing with her, I didn't get any pictures of Rylie and Brooklyn, but we are very greatful that Brooklyn danced with Rylie. Rylie was sooo excited after she danced this time. She wants to do it again next year.



My mom and dad were able to come and watch, they also brought Cousin Alexa with them. Rylie loves it when Alexa comes to visit!! This is Sydnie, Alexa, and Rylie. (Where did that face come from Syd?) My mom was sitting on the other side of Sydnie, not looking at the camera. My dad and Ryan were sitting across the court in our normal (much better) seats.



We had to get a picture of "Big Blue" dancing out on the floor. He is usually the first thing the girls look for when they go to the games.


This is the 5-7 year old group dancing. My camera doesn't take very good pictures when it is far away...most of them were really blurry! If you couldn't tell, Rylie is on the right side of the U. She got to dance to a Hannah Montana Song....she was very excited!!


Rylie and Alexa - Hey Kristin, Alexa wants to dance next year!!


"Big Blue" came right by where we were sitting. Rylie and Alexa went over to get a "High Five" but I wasn't fast enough with the camera. So we got him possing with another kid.

More Visitors!

Ryan came in on Saturday morning (1/17/09) and said we had more visitors. Sydnie and I were home this time. Sydnie was very excited to see the deer. Rylie was at a dance clinic and didn't get to see them.


This is looking out my bedroom window. The deer had been eating out of the neighbors garden.


We then went out front and saw the rest. This is looking north into the neighbors back yard.


Sydnie was pretty excited to see the deer. While I was taking the pictures, she had put on her boots and coat and was ready to go outside to get a better look. By the time she had got out there, they had started to move down the fence line.

A Visitor at our House

I just got an email from my neighbor Suzie. She thought we would like to know what goes on at our house while we are at work! Her little boy said, that she should call Santa because he forgot one of his reindeer.

Suzie said that the deer was eating the berries off the bushes out front. We know that we have deer that come through the yard, because of all the tracks and droppings that you see. But we never get to see them. Kind of fun to see!

A Wonderful Christmas!

Since Rylie was about a year old, we have started a tradition of going to Ryan's mom and dad's for Christmas Eve, spending Christmas Morning at our house, and then going to my mom and dad's sometime Christmas Day. It makes for a very crazy couple of days, but we are so blessed to have family so close and to be able to spend the holidays with both!

Christmas Eve at Grandma Shirley's.

On Christmas Eve, Santa usually comes to make sure everyone is still being good and to double check on any last minute details before the big night. He also tells everyone to make sure they go to bed real early. (Yeah, Right!)


Rylie with Santa.


Sydnie with Santa. This is the first year that we had "Happy Faces" the whole time. Usually they are both a little hesitant and one of them ends of crying when they have to sit on his lap. They both did very well this year!!


Christmas Morning at our house!

The tree before all the craziness! Ryan eventually had to wake the girls up at 8 o'clock that morning. They were out cold, from the late night.







Christmas Day at Grandma Joy's

Once we had opened all of our Christmas at our house we packed things up and headed for Idaho.


Rylie and Sydnie with Papa G. (Waiting very patiently for Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kristin to come.)



Avery and Sydnie opening gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.


Ryan just loves this time of year...can you tell?


Alexa and Rylie showing off pajamas that Grandma Joy made for them.

We spent two days in Idaho. On the last day that we were there, Papa G got his Razor out and pulled the girls around on the sleds. They loved it!


Papa G and Sydnie waiting to go for another ride.


Rylie is in the sled waiting to go. She could spend all day being pulled around. Ryan is on one of Courtney and Nate's Snowmobiles. Maybe he should of asked Santa for one of those instead of a 4-wheeler.


Off they go, down the road!

While we were gone, the weather reports said that it had snowed quite a bit in Logan. I was a little nervous to come home and see what the drive way looked like. However, when we got home, our wonderful neighbors had cleaned the drive way out. We have such awesome neighbors!! When I finally found out which neighbors it was for sure, she said that there was about a foot of snow that had come on Friday, plus whatever was drifted across the driveway! We definitely had a Wonderful, White Christmas.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

For those that don't know me...I love it when it snows!!! We woke up on Saturday morning to lots of wonderful snow! The girls were so excited that they wanted to go out and play. They also wanted Ryan to hook up the 4 wheeler and pull them around in the sled. I think he enjoyed it as much as they did!!



Sydnie


Ryan and Sydnie on the 4-wheeler


Ryan pulling the kids around the circle. By the end, we even had some of the neighbor kids over to take a turn.


Rylie and Sydnie trying to shovel the sidewalk to the front steps. Rylie actually wanted to shovel it....I don't think she will think it is as much to shovel by the time February rolls around.

Christmas Dance Revue

One of the perks of having 2 girls is that we get to go to Dance Recitals. Rylie and Sydnie had their Christmas Dance Revue on Friday, December 12th. They were both very excited. This was Rylie 4th year in dancing and Sydnie's first. I think Sydnie was more excited about it then Rylie was. Grandma Joy and Papa Galen, as well as Grandma Shirley and Grandpa Von were all there to watch.


They wanted to get their picture taken by the Christmas tree before we left.








They both did a great job and were very brave to dance in front of all the moms and dads. They had a great time!!

USU Game & Lights at Temple Square

We were able to go to the USU Boys Basketball Game against BYU on December 6th. It was at the Energy Solutions Arena, in Salt Lake. Rylie and Sydnie love going to the USU basketball games...well they love the thought of going to the ball games. Usually about half way through the first half, they are board and looking for treats, or they are climbing all over us. They also spend most of the time looking for "Big Blue".

This was a great game. USU actually lost by three points, but it was a fun game to be at.


Rylie and Sydnie at the beginning of the game. Sydnie didn't want her picture taken. I think she was still taking it all in. It was really loud, and I don't think she knew what was happening.





Once we got the treats, Sydnie was a little more comfortable and was okay with getting her picture taken.

The end of a great game.


After the game we walked to Temple Square to see the Christmas Lights. The girls had a great time, other then all they could talk about was going back to the hotel to swim.





After we were done looking at the lights we went back to our hotel. This is looking out of the window in our room, looking down at the Gallivan Center.




Rylie and Sydnie looking out the window at the ice skaters.


During the same trip we also ended up going to Cabelas. (You can't go to Salt Lake, without going to Cabelas!!)




The girls had a great time seeing all of the animals and the fish!!