Holiday Time 2009

We got to visit with Ethan and Lois at their new house and then over to Kristen and Cory's. It was a quick trip, but we enjoyed getting to be with everyone for a couple of days and do some of our traditional New Year's activities. As usual we had some good food (Ethan and Lois made barbeque sandwiches and red velvet chocolate balls, Kristen made fettucine and chocolate chip pie - just to mention a few of the yummy treats). We read our predictions for 2009 and made new ones for 2010. We shared some of our favorite 2009 memories, writing them on our tablecloth, and then writing in each other's journals. A good time together! This picture is of some of our family (Adrian, Kristen, Ethan, and Adam) playing the wii at Kristen and Cory's house.

Merry Grace, Paige, and Ian munch on a snack of popcorn.

Ethan and Lois, with Adam in the background, enjoying good times together.

Logan writing in a journal.

The Grandchildren

Elise - looking so pretty and quite grown up.

Ian with orange hair - courtesy the Christmas gift paint from Logan.

Merry Grace shows the wonderful make-up she got from Santa.

Paige looking so cute with those beautiful eyes of hers.

We love these sweet and wonderful little grandchildren!

Christmas 2009

Adam and Logan enjoying our traditional taco dinner on Christmas Eve.

Lois and Ethan around the table on Christmas Eve.

Cory and Kristen place the Christmas stockings.

Our little Christmas tree.

A walk in the woods

Over the holidays we enjoyed a walk in the woods around our house. Here some of us are walking across the yard, headed down to the creek.

A beautiful view of the mountains from our yard.

Logan

Logan helping with a pep rally before the state championship game.

Looking spiffy

Snow

Our deck after the snowstorm on Friday

Chip loves the snow!

We enjoyed several walks through the woods behind our house.

Kristen played the piano while the family gathered around to sing Christmas songs.

Thanksgiving at Grammy and Papa's

Papa and Ian racing in the back yard. It was a nice day and the kids enjoyed being outside.

Merry Grace in front of our little Christmas tree.

Ethan designed a pillowcase for Adam and we all wrote a note and signed it on the back.

Getting ready for a mission

It was a whirlwind few days (about 9) from the time Adam got word (while in San Diego) that he was to the report to the MTC on November 18! Here's a family picture on the Sunday before Adam left.

Here we are...Adrian, me, and Adam. We are all so grateful he has the opportunity to serve.

I love sibling pictures! And more than that I love how they all love and support each other! What good kids and I'm so thankful they care about each other and help one another.

Adam and Meredith after church. Meredith just got her mission call, too, as a mission medical specialist in South America. She reports in February.

Halloween, Soccer, Parties

Logan worked at the movie theater on Halloween and most of the employees dressed up. This is Logan going out the door in his costume.

This is a picture of Logan being recognized at the soccer banquet for his sense of style!

Adam and Meredith put on aprons and cooked up some delicious food one night at our house while she was in town to see Adam off on his mission. They made enchildadas and blackberry cobbler. Delicious!

Adam, Meredith, and Lois around the bonfire at Adam's going away party hosted by some friends of ours.

October 09

Adrian and I took a walk down to our creek this week and saw these beautiful decorative grasses growing along the path with the sunlight behind them. We picked the rest of the peppers and tomatoes from our garden and yard before the recent frost, and I still have a few flowers outside around the house. We have enjoyed fall sports, with Logan playing soccer again this year. The guys also got some free tickets to a Wake Forest football game and had fun cheering the team on. One of the pictures shows Logan backing his car around the circle as he heads off to work. He's been pretty busy this fall with seminary, some hard classes this semester at school, soccer practice and games, and his work schedule. He was elected school treasurer and now makes the makes the morning announcements at school. At church, he is on the stake youth council and the stake youth conference committee and also serves in the branch in the priests' quorum and is trying to finish up his eagle scout project.

October 09

Fall is here and the leaves are changing colors, the daylight hours are shorter, and the days are cooler. Here are a few pictures I made recently. The top one shows the fall colors with a deer in the background, in our front yard. On the bottom are some wild turkeys that regularly show up in our back yard now. The other foul are our chickens. The other two pictures show our dogs, Chip and Jr. Chip is only a year old, but Jr. is about 12 or 13. Sadly, Jr. has gone missing this week. We keep hoping that he is just out roaming around and will be back on our front porch soon. He is such a good dog - so smart and such a faithful companion.

Our Little Chippy

I've been trying to find a camera I can use since mine bit the dust yesterday. I made these pictures with one I found here at the house that seems to work okay. These are pictures of our little dog, Chip. He's a year old and weighs about 6 lbs., a cute, little fellow.

Sunrise

As I drove onto campus one day this week, I had to stop and take a picture of this beautiful sunrise.

Fall 09

We have enjoyed going to Logan's soccer games this fall. Hard to believe this is Logan's senior year. Where has the time gone?

We had a good family time celebrating birthdays recently. We gathered at a park for hot dogs, homemade chili, birthday cake, visiting and playing games. Here are Adam and Merry Grace at the swings - one of her favorite things to do at the park.

Adrian, Cory, Merry Grace, Logan, Ethan, Grandma, and Adam around the picnic table.

Kristen and Paige. Love the hair adornments.