More Birthday Party fun!

The famous 'talking hamsters' - so funny!  

Tuesday afternoon the clouds went away and the sun came out - it was nice to go outside and play with some of the new birthday toys.

 The chickens roam around - they aren't laying as many eggs now that it is cooler - Jen actually had to purchase eggs at the store - hasn't done that since last May!

 Neat Christmas lights.

 House lights an hour later!

Santa brought Jason and the boys remote control helicopters - see Jason's up by the light and Noah's near the top of the table - they have been lots of fun to play with.

Luke and Noah's Birthday Party

 Birthday party time!  looks like Christmas all over again!

 Sixteen candles to blow out!  Jennie made Luke a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing - Noah requested a coconut cake with raspberry filling - both delicious!

 Their Cub Scout Pack gave them a pinewood derby kit for their birthdays.

 Sophie and Grace gave them Nerf shields, a battle axe and sword - they didn't take any time to use them!

 We were all laughing so hard at the 'talking hamsters' that I could hardly take a picture!

Yummy birthday cake and ice cream.

Luke and Noah's Baptism

 Handsome Noah Craig and Luke Samuel Hardy - on their 8th birthday and baptismal day - Dec. 30, 2014.

With Grandpa and Grandma Smith.

 
 So happy to finally be baptized - so important and wonderful to have their Dad perform the ordinance.

 The boys by the refreshment table at the church.  Cheese ball and crackers,  yummy cupcakes, strawberries dipped in chocolate, and olive penguins.

 Sophie and Grace helped with all the food - aren't they pretty?

The Hardy family - what a happy day!

 A close up of the table and the baptismal program.

 Close up of the olives, carrot, cream cheese penguins...cute and yummy.

Jennie was thinking that not too many people would come to the baptism on a Tuesday morning at 10 of winter break week - the room was packed!

North Carolina

 Sunday after church in Richmond, we drove to Jen and Jason's in North Carolina - this is breakfast the next morning.

 Jennie's pretty Amarylis - flower.

Grandma Dessa Hardy is visiting for the boys birthdays and baptisms also - she helped Noah make these bean bags and I helped him make the target box for a bean bag game - he was pretty proud of himself.

 Emilee and boys drove down on Monday afternoon - here are the four musketeers Tuesday morning.

Jennie was making a cheese ball for the refreshments after the baptisms and asked me to go get some fresh parsley from her winter garden - isn't it beautiful?

Mighty James River

 This is the Mighty James River - runs through Richmond - fun place.  It was a beautiful Saturday, 70 degrees and lots of people were out riding bicycles, hiking and jogging.

 Emilee and Ben - Ben was really happy to have the school term over - family time is the best.

 The rocks are smooth and fun to climb on .. Em says in the summer she just let Tal have his life jacket and float between the rocks all by himself.

The boys in front of their pretty Christmas tree.

Richmond, Virginia

 We walked from a VCU parking lot that Ben had a permit for into the downtown campus of the Medical College - Baden posed so cute on these stairs!

 Here is the Pike Family in front of the hospital that Ben will start learning in this term.  He had a card key so we got to go inside and see some of his classrooms, etc.

 Richmond has lots of historical sites - seemed like every corner...we enjoyed learning and exploring.

 Tal and Baden climbing on a decorative fence - the museum wasn't open.

 Awesome statue of George Washington on the grounds of the State Capitol building.

Virginia State Capitol building - so much history in there.  The site of the first state constitution in the US - seven Presidents of the US were born in Virginia -- the booklet said: "Freedom started here!"  Course it was the capital of the South in the Civil War and we stood in the room that Gen. Robert E. Lee accepted the leadership of the Confederate army - and Jefferson Davis was elected Pres. of the Southern states.  We learned that the northern 50 counties went with the North and renamed themselves - West Virginia.

More Chuck-e- Cheese Fun

Emilee and Baden at the games.

 Talus and Baden riding with Chuck!

 Tal driving the Monster Truck! Baden hanging on!

 Pizza was okay - salad bar was good!  Whole experience was fun!

One last game!

Christmas trip to Virginia

 Polly and Chris drove us to the Salt Lake Airport on Christmas Day - so we could catch our flight to North Carolina and Virginia to visit Pikes and Hardy families...and attend Luke and Noah's baptism.  I loved this poinsetta tree at the SL airport.

 Friday, Dec. 26th we took the Pikes to Chuckie Cheese - the boys first time....they were a little shell shocked at first...Chuckie came right up to them, they weren't too sure about it.

 They couldn't believe all the kids and games and noise!

 Still taking it all in - love that they hung on to each other.

 Cute brothers - they soon got involved with all the hub-bub!

Talus and Ben playing a boxing game.

"Oh Christmas Tree"

 The final product of the "go into the mountains and get your Christmas Tree" - they like their imitation of Charlie Brown's tree.  It smells really good!

 Our Christmas tree from a lot in Old Town - our woodsy one is on the deck with lights!

 Polly and Chris received a fun live Baby Blue Spruce for their yard - awesome!  hope it lives a long life.

 Christmas morning opening presents - about 10 o'clock in the morning!

Kroeber's all out shoveling the wonderful white Christmas that fell on Christmas Eve!  Love Granny's old Ponderosa long needle pine in the front yard.


Polly gave Chris this fun tee shirt!  love the saying!