Cleveland Trip

This year we decided to use Ben's vacation days to go on short weekend trips to different cities around us.  Cleveland, OH was our first trip.  We went to Little Italy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a great fresh market.

Here we are eating Italian ice cream in Little Italy (which was very little by the way).

Outside the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  This was a really cool museum and very worth the cost.  We spent three hours here.  I think Ben would have stayed all day but the girls were pooped after those three hours.

Downtown Cleveland

The girls practically packed their bedrooms for our trip.  We spent two nights in a hotel, which they loved, and here are the beds they made/brought.

The fresh market---was totally awesome.  Had super yummy food.

We also went to the Natural History Museum and the Art Museum.  This picture is in front of the Natural History Museum.  

Fanny Freezer

Since Alexis ran cross country during the Fall Ben suggested that he and Alexis run a 5K called Fanny Freezer.  They ran it on Feb. 11th and it was 21 degrees outside!  It was also quite windy.  It was really a fanny freezer.  Audrey and I cheered them on.  It was so cold Audrey was wearing her full snowsuit. I was so proud of these two!  I wished so much that I could join them but my healing sprained ankle would not allow it.  So Audrey and I settled for being cheerleaders, which was fun as well.

Before the race

Start

Halfway mark

Finishing strong!

Alexis finished 3rd in the 14 and under category.  Her time was 34:44.

Feeling good after the race.

Yea family!  Great job!

Audrey's 2nd Grade Musical

Audrey participated in her 2nd Grade Musical called, "Going Green."  Each kid got a part to speak.  Audrey spoke her part clearly and perfectly.  She was so proud of herself for learning all the words to the songs.  She loved singing them at home as well.

Alexis' 12th Birthday

I was a bit of a failure this year for Alexis' birthday party pictures.  This is the only one I got.  I can't believe it.    

 This year Alexis begged me to have a sleepover.  It's really not something I wanted to do but she begged long and hard enough so I relented.  I usually have an elaborate theme and lots of games and preparation but with a sleepover Alexis just wanted a few games (that she planned) and then a movie before bed. She also wanted an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen.  Those of you that know me well know that I love to make fun, special birthday cakes and parties.  So this was quite a change for me.  This is perhaps why I forgot to take pictures.  It was such a low key party.  I at least got to make best dinner---ziti, homemade rolls, and broccoli.  Alexis said she had a great time and that is all that really matters to me.  The girls played spoons, a memory game, "do you love me," and Kinect.  Then they watched Corpse Bride and slept in the guest bedroom on our many beds.  I think they actually slept for 7 hours too.  Not bad for a sleepover.  In the morning we had monkey bread for breakfast and the girls left around 11am.  

Alexis has really blossomed this year.  I was so worried about her starting 6th grade but it has been the easiest school year ever.  She has made so many new friends, gotten excellent grades, joined Cross Country and Track, and has gained enormous confidence in herself.  She has loved going to school and has only missed one day of school.  Her drawing and piano skills are improving all the time.  She also has a remarkable attitude about responsibility.  She gets all her homework done without being reminded to and has been prepared for every test.  At the beginning of this year she finished her goal of reading the Book of Mormon every day in the year 2011.  She made that goal on her own and finished it on her own. Not once did I have to remind her to read.  She is very self motivated.  Something I still struggle with!  I love my girl!  She is amazing!

Sister Trip to Denver

Peggy and I don't get nearly enough time with each other.  We usually see each other for one week out of each year.  This year we decided we needed more time together.  So we flew to Denver in January to have a sister's weekend.  It had been a really long time for both of us since we had been to Denver.  We lived just west of Denver in Evergreen for four years.  It was so much fun to go back and visit our old house and haunts.

We rented a car that was really nice.  Our favorite feature was the seat heaters!  Perfect for January weather in Denver (although the weather was very nice).

We managed to get some shopping into our visit.  We found these boots and we both loved them!  So I bought them in black and Peggy bought them in gray.  Nothing like having matching shoes on Sunday!

We had dinner at this burger joint and it had this super fancy drink fountain.  I have never seen one like this before.

16th Street Mall

We found this awesome candy store.  It had all sorts of stuff in it.  Some old stuff that I used to buy as a kid.  So fun.  We stayed for a long time in this store.  This picture shows the taffy section.  It goes around the corner as well.  It had some really cool flavors.

A wall of flavored pop.

Here's the store name.  They are online as well.

One memory I have of living in Denver is visiting the Tattered Cover Book Store.  We just had to go there again.  

Ah, the space house.  How many times did we pass this house as drove from Evergreen to Denver and vice versa?  

Just some beautiful views.

Evergreen Lake.  I used to walk to this lake from our house.  Actually, I used to walk all over Evergreen.  Miles and miles and I was probably gone for hours.  We also used to ice skate on this lake.

Downtown Evergreen

The turnoff to our house

The gas station that I used to walk to all the time and buy candy from.

We were driving around our old neighborhood and we spotted some deer.  I used to wake up and see them outside my bedroom window.

Me and my sister

Evergreen High School--where Andy and Peggy went to High School

I had so much fun this weekend together.  Peggy is my best friend and such a great person.  I love her to pieces!

Christmas 2011

We had a very fun Christmas, as usual. We drove to MN and stayed for a week. We had lots of time to play with cousins and aunts and uncles. There wasn't any snow though which meant no sledding. That was a bit of a disappointment. The dads did take the kids tubing which they all said was tons of fun. We had our traditional Christmas Eve with talents, song singing, and egg nog.

I managed to get a family picture on Christmas Eve.

Alexis has a teddy bear collection and was thrilled to add to it.

Audrey has become a huge Packers fan. Partly from our love of them but she actually really enjoys watching the games with us. She can tell you lots of the players names. Audrey has a collection of fuzzy, warm blankets. I thought Alexis would enjoy making her a blanket for Christmas and I had a soccer pattern all picket out. But in MN Lori and I went into a JoAnn's store and I saw this Packers pattern and had to have it. It turned out fabulous and the look on Audrey's face is fabulous.

Our good friends, Joe and Naomi, got Audrey a cheesehead. They are from WI and heard her repeatedly ask for a cheesehead. She LOVES it.

Drew and Carolyn Thomas (Ben's parents) with 9 or their 13 grandchildren.

Cousins!

Sing-a-long.

Cousin Valerie was loved by all. I thoroughly enjoyed holding her for long periods of time and all the girls wanted turns holding her.

We decorated sugar cookies again this year.

I bought some feathers online and we took the girls to get them put in. It was a fun experience but the feathers all came out within the week. Bummer.