New Years EVE/DAY

We drove home from Parker Canyon and slept at home waiting to hear when everyone was going to drive up to Grandma Brinkerhoff's Cabin. It was snowing and the roads were going to freeze if we didn't get up quick. I had studying to do and thought I would just stay the night here again and head up in the morning. Grandpa decided to not wait around on the roads and just head up. Kash and Braily really wanted to go tonight so they jumped in with him. Well, they made it about 30 minutes in and found out the roads were closed due to accidents. Cari left right about the same time and they decided to head up and around Globe to make it to Payson. The rest of us waited for the roads to open back up and they eventually did. The snow just kept coming though and everyone but us had 4wheel drive or chains for the tires. Shane and I decided we wanted to be with the kids for New Years Eve and left later than everyone else. It was snowing hard and we could barely see where we driving. We just followed the tire tracks in the snow. By the time we got to Payson my Dad really wanted us to just stay there for the night but we decided to take the trek really slow from Payson to Strawberry. It was pretty scary, I won't lie! Cars were off the side of the road all over the place but we made it! When I got there Braily ran to me in tears! I guess she was listening to everyone talk about us driving and she was really stressed out! We made it though and enjoyed New Years Eve with the kids! Played outside in the snow and lit sparklers! It was worth the scary drive!

Grandma Trader's Christmas

We headed down to Tucson for a few days to open presents with all the cousins and then we headed to the cabin for a night. Kids had fun playing in the wash and on the zip line by grandmas house and fished off the dock at the lake. I didn't get a picture of the girls but Braily and Sam were gone down the wash and on the zip line for hours.

Family Pictures

Cari was taking family pictures this morning and so I decided to throw some last minute family pics together too! We have not had a family picture taken since before Rowdy was born.

Christmas Morning

I love Christmas mornings but it is hard when Kash and Braily don't get to wake up at our house. We waited for them to come home before any of us opened presents. It still is so much fun to see their faces!

Christmas Pranks

We had fun pranking Tara this week! Tara had Kash and Matix over a week ago and Kash had turned around some of her candy canes in the front yard. She sent us a picture of it and we all jokes about it not being very messed up at all. I told her I was surprised they were not taken off and used as guns! Cari ended up texting all us sisters and mom about messing with her candy canes every night till Christmas. We did antlers, noses, eyeballs, scarves, and "poop". The last night we put two blown up picture of Kash on her front window!

Sleep Over

We love when little Addy has a sleep over with us. I found all three of them in the same bed this morning!

Dance Recital

Braily had her first dance recital ever! She is in a tumbling class and they got to show off what they have learned in a dance/tumbling routine. Lexi is in her same class and thankfully Cari got a picture of them before Braily ripped her outfit off! It was bothering her so bad!

                           

Grandpa!

Rowdy finds Grandpa every time I drop him off for school now. Grandpa always takes him outside to look for airplanes in the sky! 

Reading Together

Braily reading the new Olaf book to Kash and Braily from Grandma's 12 days of Christmas! Any time I see these three together like this, my heart melts.

Decorating Christmas Cookies

We decorated christmas cookies for Family Home Evening tonight. Kash had just the right amount of sprinkles to frosting ratio.

Good-Bad Ideas

Kash thought this looked like a really good idea today. His little black ramp is obviously not big enough anymore!

Birthday Dinner

Well, we did do cake and ice-cream for Braily and Shane but for some reason I took no picture. This is the only remnants of Shane's birthday dinner! Rowdy was loving the ribs and potatoes!

Birthday Lunch

Took Braily on her birthday lunch today and of course she wanted to go to Barros. Yes, it is actually Shanes Birthday today, but she has no school tomorrow so we are taking her out today! She wanted Kash to come with us, so he got to get out of school as well! Snapped this picture of all three of them sitting together and playing.

Christmas Tree

We headed out to get out tree today. Shelly called me earlier and said she wasn't putting up a tree this year so we decided to go buy her one! She was so excited to have a real tree and the kids loved picking it out for her. She sent us a picture after she put hers up! Our elf showed up finally too! All the other elf's came on the first but my kids were wondering where theirs was. Now we know!

Tucson Thanksgiving!

We headed down to Tucson for Thanksgiving and did dinner at Grandma Traders! The kids all got to light the candle and tell what they were grateful for. The next morning we headed up to the Cabin for some more fun. Rowdy saw his first javelina and was fascinated by it! Shane went out hunting with the boys and ended up in nothing but his skivvies in the water trying to retrieve one. Luckily Uncle Ryan documented it for me! The kids had fun collecting pine cones and decorating them for Grandmas huge tree at the cabin. The last morning we took all the little kids out for a ride and some shooting. The dads did a little hunting and the kids loved holding the ducks……well except Sadie. Colbie grabbed one for a picture and she didn't realize it till after the first one! It made for a great before and after!