Christmas Photo Shoot

Well, I went out the park to take some pictures of the kids for Christmas cards. The kids were restless, and just wanted to run around (who can blame them). But here are some pictures from the day.

Our new address (for those who've I've not updated):

PO Box 4590

Page, AZ 86040

Thanksgiving

We had a great time in Tempe (Phoenix) over Thanksgiving. Lots of eating, drinking, shopping, and spending time with Grandpa and Aunt Annie. Grandpa did a great job of cooking the turkey on the grill and we truly feasted. I should have taken more pictures, but I did manage to catch some of little Annie in her new boots. We also snapped some pictures on a small hike, just to get a bit of exercise in. Now we are back in Page, where a bit of a chill has settled in. (low 50's).

Song

The kids were singing a sitting together, so I took a quick video. Jacob and Annie have watched this video about a dozen times and laugh hysterically each time. I guess they like to see their silly-selves on the small screen. They are silly, but it is fun to see them laugh and sing.

Balloon Regatta

This weekend was the Hot Air Balloon Regatta in Page. It has been fun to see the large balloons taking off and flying around the skies the past few days. Last night they had the "festival of lights" and it was truly spectacular. The other city festivals have been okay, nice but not much to talk about. This one made up for all the others. They closed the main street and had about 20 hot air ballons blow up and light up. You could get into the baskets, but they all stayed on the ground. We went with our two sets of neighbors and enjoyed the experience.

Visit with English/Scottish Friends

We had a great time visiting with our friends from the UK. (Thanks for coming!) Mostly, the kids just enjoyed each other and took the sites for granted. For example, at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, they were most interested in picking up sticks and running through the Juniper trees. And when they saw the amplitheatre, they danced on stage. They were quite oblivious to the massive canyon, which saved Rachael and I some grief about anyone falling off the edge. The next day we went on the toadstool hike in Utah, and the kids hiked wonderfully and enjoyed the rocks and sand. All around a nice visit. We hope to meet up with them for camping next spring/summer, perhaps Bryce Canyon?

First Boat Trip on Lake Powell

We had a fantastic day out on Lake Powell. This was the first boat trip for Jacob/Annie, and they did a wonderful job. Having their friends Eve and Jason certainly helped ease any worries. Our friends from down the street, Christine & Steve, took us out on a boat ride through the canyons of Lake Powell and on to the beach near Warm Springs. What a day! Thanks Steve, the boat captain. You will notice the buzz haircut on Jacob, an improvement.

Grandparents Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Sweatland came to visit us in Arizona. We've had fun catching up with them, playing with the kids and seeing the sights. Today took us to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. The picture of the Grand Canyon has the family (minus me and little Annie) out on the walk. Besides that, we've seen the lake, the dam, the Vermillion Cliffs, the Kaibab Forest, the city of Page and a drive-by of Lee's Ferry. They're off tomorrow for the drive home to Kansas. We'll miss them, especially the kiddos.