Out Like a Lamb, Eh?

So this is how March ended for us here in northern Utah:

And this is the sight that greeted me just inside the door to our kitchen (I'm going to miss this someday):

I guess most lambs are white, right?

This post authored by Amber

First Night

 

On the agenda for New Year's Eve:

*finally get around to watching the Sherlock Holmes film A Game of Shadows which I've had in my possession for months now and haven't even seen,

*get pizza for the children and then have Brevin tend the rest while I go on a date with Jason to Sizzler, 

*make sure to take plenty of photographs of everyone posing in their snazzy 2013 glittered glasses,

*let Jason and Brevin watch Mission:Impossible on Netflix and all the others watch The Lorax while I frantically try to finish up a grant application for the PTA that has a deadline of December 31, 2012,

*watch the ball drop in Time Square and give my husband a celebratory kiss on the stroke of midnight,

* go out on the front porch and into the frigid cold to light some sparklers,

* and make a list of resolutions for the coming year 2013.  Nah.  I think we're good!

 On the agenda for New Year's Day:

*play in the snow

* and get everyone to bed early!

 

 

This post authored by Amber

No Dreaming Necessary...

...Christmas Will Be White.

As of late, there have been some really good snowstorms dropping significant amounts of snow around these parts, and the forecasts show an actual snowfall to commence on Christmas Eve and carry on through Christmas day.  We won't wait until then to enjoy it, though!

This post authored by Amber

Snow's Grand Entrance

Technically it is fall, but it has felt like spring...until winter decided to make an appearance.  Balmy temperatures of 70 degrees were struck down in a fury of flakes and frost.  It was a significant dumping of heavy, wet snow that not only brought the temperatures down, but damaged lots of trees that were still trying to hang on to their last leaves.

The timing was good, though.  The storm moved in on Friday and persisted through Saturday morning, leaving us a day free from work and school to shovel ourselves out.  We were then able to go play in it.  We invited Parker, a cousin, to come along with us for some sledding and snowboarding at Big Hollow Park.

 All aboard the sledding train!

 

  Brevin took a couple of runs on the snowboard.

 

 I'm not sure why or how, but Spencer always 

manages to get the most air when he goes off a jump.

 I'm not sure why or how, but Garrett likes 

to go down the hill with his eyes closed.

 

 I really love this picture.

I managed to snap this photo while every single person was 

still airborne after going off the make-shift jump. Totally RAD!

 

 
Once we sufficiently wore out the children, we headed home for some hot chocolate and dry clothes.  While Ella napped, Jason took the boys to the movies to see Wreck It Ralph and I attempted to complete a few chores that were left undone due to our outdoor activities. 

Saturdays like that are the best.

This post authored by Amber

In The Sun He Melted

Between egg hunts on lovely spring days, a storm or two decided to stir things up.  When the snow accumulated to a sufficient amount to build a snowman, Garrett was persistant to have my assistance for the task.  I realized this might likely be the last snowman of the season so I reluctantly obliged. 

The snow was wet and dense and perfect for moulding into form.  Throw on some buttons, a hat, a carrot nose, and some other accessories, and our snowman turned out to be a pretty dapper fellow.

No sooner had we built the icy figure, when the sun came out and melted him in a matter of hours.  And just like that, he was gone.  All we had were the photographs to stand as any proof that it had even snowed that morning.  Oh--and we had the memeories, too.

When I looked over the crumbled mound of snow that had been a smiling figure moments before, a twinge of sadness washed over me as I thought of how many (or how few) snowmen I might have left to build with Garrett before he begins to outgrow the notion of building snowmen all together.   At the rate life is going, I might soon find myself thinking And just like that, he was grown.  All I will have are the photographs to stand as any proof that he had once been a young, spunky three-and-a-half year old who obsessed over building snowmen.  Oh--and I'll have the memories, too.

I am so grateful for that little snowstorm!

This post authored by Amber

Finally!

We love a good, dumping snowstorm.  There's so much to do when a significant amount of snow accumulates in a short period. We excuse ourselves from boring Saturday chores to build snowmen, snowball fight, and sled instead.  I have a reasonable excuse to have a messy front room, what with the littering of wet boots, puffy coats, gloves, and stocking caps.

This winter we've had merely flurries and rain, and the mountains above our house have been looking grey and naked (and no one wants to be out in the cold naked!), so you can imagine our bliss when the two days of slushy rain finally decided to turn into fluffy powder.

Time to break out the snowman kit we got for Christmas!

Brevin and Spencer were lured into the house with offers of hot chocolate while Garrett remained outside.  They watched with Ella from the front window as Jason and Garrett had a final snowball battle.

It just does not seem like winter is complete without experiencing a day like this. 

This post authored by Amber

"Somehow or Other, It Came Just the Same!"

I know that December has come and now past,

So I'm getting to posting about it...at last.

It came without mention of wild winter weather.

It came before getting my "blog-act" together.

It came without uploads of pictures to Facebook

(Despite all the numbers of pictures I took).

It came without lists of highlights from our year.

It came without bragging of what goes on here.

Somehow the season just came and then went,

But here are some photos of how it was spent!

Every Christmas, Grandma & Grandpa Park take the entire family to

Los Hermanos for some chips & salsa (among other things).

We went to Temple Square early in the month to beat the crowds at getting to see the lights.

A family friend secured tickets for our family to attend "A Pioneer Christmas"

 at the Church Historical Museum.  The boys even got to see Santa to tell him that he

 could bring them whatever he wanted.  They had no requests. 

We had our annual dinner of snowman-shaped pancakes to go

along with the reading of the book Snowmen at Night.

The Park family has a tradition of having a train around the base of the Christmas tree. 

Grandpa's Polar Express train is much cooler than our GeoTrax train! 

Before church on the Sunday before Christmas, we dedicated some

time to take a few family photos.  By the time we were finished,

Jason and I both had broken into quite a sweat. 

Why is getting a decent family photo such hard work?

The last day of school before Christmas break ended up being

canceled due to a massive snowstorm that dumped on our area.

With school canceled, what better way to spend the day than sledding!
 

We pulled out the china to have a formal Christmas Eve dinner. 
 

The boys were excited to open their pajamas before going to bed.

Garrett "crashed" at 7:30  p.m. and thus missed singing

"Happy Birthday" to Jesus before eating some cake.  Brevin and Spencer

 were not far behind when they went to sleep at 8:30 p.m.



 The gifts seemed to be a hit, as everyone was smiling.

The day following Christmas, we traveled to Ogden to be with my family for our annual Grab Bag and Nativity reenactment.  We also had lots of delightful foods to eat.

Spencer got to portray Samuel the Lamanite in the Nativity. 

Brevin (with cousin, Emma) was one of the wise men.

This post authored by Amber