Graduation - VCU

 Saturday December 10, was Ben's graduation from VCU - with his Master's Degree.  It was nice to be at a college graduation again!

 Here is Ben walking in - far left - Emilee getting a picture and Baden dear...Happy Day!

 We had great seats - being there early helped!  Fun to visit with Jane - she has great stories of traveling all over the world.

 During the recessional Ben broke ranks and ran over to high five the boys!  I was a little late with my camera!

 Happy Family!  bright sunshine - cool day!

 Walking in downtown Richmond - from the big graduation to the smaller department one - several homeless looking people told Ben - Congratulations!  It was a little over a mile and a nice walk for exercise.

Can you say: Happy Family?  I asked a random person to take a picture of all of us - Dad and I, Jane - and they did - but it didn't work - at least it isn't on my camera - darn!!!

Bowling in Richmond, VA

 Our drive was through lovely countryside - and Emilee and Ben took us on a fun Christmas Gift - date!  First to a great El Savadorian restaurant for purpsoso (sp) - yummy meat, bean, cheese pies.  Ben's Mom was just ending her visit - and we were just starting ours!

 We all went bowling after dinner - - great time...we were the only ones on the end of the whole place ... until just before we left .. then lots of others came.

Ben beat everyone - Dad and I broke 100 - and Talus got a strike on his last ball!  Yay!!

North Carolina - Hardys

 Monday we flew from CO back to Salt Lake City - Tuesday we flew to Greensboro - so fun to visit all around the country!  Our plane got in too late to see the girls Winter Concert - here Grace is playing some of the songs from it for us.

 Sophie's hamster - Pansy - is in the purple ball - - she rolls it all around the house - Grandpa found it stuck behind the toilets in the downstairs bathroom!

 Hardy's pretty Christmas tree.

 Noah and Luke on their way to school Friday morning ... we left at noon to drive a rental car to Pike's in Virginia.

Grace and Sophie go to school almost two hours after the boys - such lovely grand daughters!

More CO fun!

 What a darling boy - in an awesome shirt! and with an adoring Grandpa Smith!

 We opened up the front door and went out on our way to Chic-Fill-ay for dinner -- Clark ran out, climbed up the side of Kurt's truck, up the rack and stood on the top of the ladder!  what a boy!

 Fun dinner - fun kids - several teenagers said hello to Maddie ...friends from her high school.

 She told us that one friend who lives there said when they are in the drive up window and a big van pulls up and asks for 9 ice cream cones - they know it is Maddie's Family!!

 So much fun to spend some time with these lovely people.

Great evening,  good food, wonderful company!!!

Clark's Baptism

Kurt's family's giant Christmas Tree - cut from the CO mountains - brought to their house by Grandpa Sheffield's 16 foot construction trailer!!

 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - Sweet Clark and his baptism suit and programs...at the Newlin Meadows Chapel - Parker Colorado.

 All the kids before the program ... it was cold outside!  Two older boys are Sheffield cousins.

 Proud Grandma and Grandpa Smith and excited Clark.

 All the wonderful Smith's at their house after Church Dec. 4th - some bare footed!  They raise them tough in Colorado!

Great picture of a proud Mom and Dad and Clark.

Party afterward!

Cute Grandkids by their giant tree!

With Grandma and Grandpa Smith - loved spending time with them.

Colorado Trip - Sue and John's

 Marc is moving to Honduras - he has a job there and his wife and baby are there!  He is bringing lots of things to Sue to store for him ... expecting to be gone just a couple of years.  This is the baby's baptismal candle - lit at her 'baptism' sprinkling - and the God Parents are supposed to on the anniversary remind the child of the covenants they made at baptism...course not for a couple of years.  Sue and John stood in the the God Parents that are in Honduras...Sue said it was a sweet ceremony - just not true...but we like the idea of the anniversary of your baptism - remembering - course we do that every Sunday taking the Sacrament.

 Names on the Box of the candle.

 I couldn't talk Dad into buying this great Christmas suit - not for the 99 dollars they wanted at Macys!

 More choices!

 Actually the blue one with Santa's was worn by a brother at Kurt's ward party - - really!

 Great gas prices in Parker!!  we actually saw $1.84 in Aurora... much better than the $2.39 in Poky.

 Marc leaving for the airport and his flight to Miami and then Honduras... he face timed and we got to see Julieth and baby Dana - so precious.

Sue's 'angel' Christmas tree - all the ornaments are stars and angels... so creative.

First Snow in Pocatello

Monday morning Nov. 28th we woke up to the first real snow of the season .. very pretty and cold!

Our front flower bed has been so pretty all the warm fall - but now will die down.