14 down & only 10 to go!

I knew this calendar would fill up quickly -- it does every year! We had a super fun weekend. It began Saturday at The Nutcracker watching Maya dance as a toy bear. It's been years since I had seen the Nutcracker and I really enjoyed it, especially with a granddaughter dancing in it. We brought Maya and Ethan home and picked up Macee for a sleepover. We ate pizza and ice cream and played Pit and Greed. We had to wake them up early Sunday morning, though, to get to the Conference Center for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. It was very neat to have them with us. Then Emily came down and spent the night. Today she and I went Christmas shopping, to lunch with Mya and Melissa, and to the movie The Princess and the Frog with Thomas, Mya, and Melissa. I love weekends like this that are full of so many fun things!

4 DOWN, 20 TO GO

Today Sheri Dew was our devotional speaker at the Orem Institute.

She gave a very inspirational talk, as usual.

3 DOWN - 21 TO GO

With 3 ornaments on the tree,

I celebrated the day with 3 crowns -- not the kinds for the three kings of orient are,

but with 3 crowns in my mouth!

owie

2 DOWN - 22 TO GO

2 ornaments on the tree.

Grant and I visited the live nativity put on by Jeff and Kamille's stake.

The experience was so incredible.

Inside where the Baby Jesus and his family were

was so warm and reverent.

Look at this adorable little beduoin family

taking care of the chickens and cows.

It was quite the production for a stake to put on. We loved it!

Let the Countdown Begin!

This advent calendar holds so many memories for me. I made it about 30 years ago when the kids were little, and every December nostalgia hits me as I remember them speaking (fighting?) for their turns to put the ornament-of-the-day on the tree. Where did all those years go??? Now I have to put them up every day (Grant doesn't speak for a turn -- can't figure that out!!) unless a grandkid stops by. So, grandkids, come on over and help me out!

It's a Stella-bration!

Love Love Love her!

What a beautiful family!

F F L !!

That stands for the 4th annual

Madame Alexander Doll Collectors Club

Fall Friendship Luncheon!!

We look forward to this day all year long!Everybody attending the luncheon got the doll in the middle.

She's adorable!

The one on the left is the one Janice won in the raffle. She's Mexico.

The one on the right is Fern from Charlotte's Web --

I won her in the raffle!!

The 3 doll-collecting sisters and Ruth's friend Roxie

We picked a lucky table this year --

We were all raffle winners!

YEA!!!!

Sea and Land Adventure

Ok, I know it's time to change my blog.

Emily wrote an awesome

day-by-day recap of our trip on her blog

so I'm just going to add some pictures. The girls by the fountain in front of our hotel in Long Beach.

Where did that truck come from? Loved the birds of paradise that were everywhere.

Watching the girls get their pictures taken in one of those photo booths.

Is she wondering about what's ahead

or starting to feel a little seasick?

the birds' favorite island near Catalina Island
Catalina Island
the gated community where the really rich people live
Catalina from the window of our little tour bus
Flowers all over the place in October! Our ship out in the harbor

The beach in Ensenada, Mexico. We had to drive around

the point of land in the distance

to get to LaBufadora

Things we saw along the way . . . a truckload of onions,
the army in trucks with their machine guns,
and Costco!
Things we saw when we got there . . . a Mexican buy playing a flute,kayakers in the ocean,
the spray of the blowhole,

and a fun real authentic Mexican restaurant.

Back on land, California Adventure had the

cutest Halloween decorations!

So did Disneyland!
Even Minnie had a costume

High School Musical 3and the cast of "UP"

Who is that crazy driver in front of me?

Loved, loved, loved it all!!!

the end

Steamboat Springs!

Steamboat Springs is a great place for a vacation!
There is a bike path that goes along

the beautiful Yampa River.

One day there was a porcupine right beside the path.

This is the view from the top of the gondola.

We had a delicious brunch in the restaurant up there.

We stayed right at the base of the mountain.

Every morning we watched this hot air balloom from our 8th story balcony.

We hiked up to Fish Creek Falls. It was so pretty.

We attended the rodeo. (It was funner than the Days of '47 Rodeo

except we didn't know the queen here.)
On Saturday, Ryan and Lacey and Amy and Jayson came up to play with us.
We rode our bikes on the bike path, rode the alpine slide 3x,
swam in the hotel pool, and had a yummy dinner
in a local restaurant named Slopeside.
It was so fun to have them come up to spend the day with us.
We are definitely fans of Steamboat Springs in the summer!