Cozy Kira!

Kira wasn't quite prepared for the cooler weather and had to borrow her aunt's sweater to keep warm. She showing you the peanuts that she so masterfully fed to the squirrels.

Colorado Trip

In October we spent a couple of weeks visiting my sister, Shanda and her husband, Preston in Colorado Springs. It was a long drive! But a lot of fun! We spent a lot of time helping with their house (painting and decorating), but also managed trips to the park, zoo, and Garden of the Gods Park. We enjoyed the autumnal and winter weather (it snowed five inches while we were there) that we just don't get in AZ.

SUPER TRENTON!

It's a bird! It's a plane! NO. It's super firefighter-Batman-Baby Boy! (Showing off his muscle and doing a dance!)

The PURPLE wall!

I love to decorate. When we first moved in we painted the focal wall in our master bedroom a dark purple. It came out brighter and more grapey looking than I had intended. One Saturday we went to Home Depot, got them to mix the darkest grey/purple color they could in their Venetian Plaster paint product, and spent the day troweling it on. We were quite pleased with the result and thought if any of you were considering Venetian plaster, you might like to see it.

Trenton Turns Two!

On Sept. 5, Trenton turned two-years-old! We had a car themed birthday, since that is what he is obsessed with lately. I tried to recreate Herbie for the cake, and his main gift was a large canvas "Car Town" his Lita and I made for him.

Kira goes to Kindergarten

I had to take pictures on Kira's first day of school, even though she didn't think it was that big of a deal since she had attended preschool at the same place the previous Spring. She loves being the big kid this year and helping out the preschoolers. She is an excellent reader and is becoming quite the bookworm (like her Dad growing-up). She is pretty ridiculously busy for a 5-year-old. School goes all day from 8-3, and she has been involved in soccer, dance class, and a singing group. I'm missing having her around very much!

A Dinner Group Halloween!

We are in a dinner group with some of our good friends that live in the neighborhood. We had them all over for a special Halloween dinner (pumpkin bowl soup, dry ice rootbeer, and ladies fingers rolls). Afterward we went trick or treating together.

Halloween

A little out of order here. I couldn't get some of the early posts to work. Anyway, Kira was a princess from India (with apologies to our cousins in India, if she wasn't authentic) and Trenton was a firefighter.

Summer in Prescott!

After all of the Utah travel, we spent some time in Prescott, at Grandma and Grandpa's house--while Barry worked on a well up there.

Of course, the kids had a great time there. Here are some of the fun pictures of them:

Cedar City

We stopped in Cedar City to visit our friends, the LeCheminants. Trenton was in heaven when Christian took the kids for a ride on his Motor Scooter!

Photographer in training

Trenton has decided that he is an aspiring photographer. Here are just a few of the hundreds of shots he managed to take on the little digital camera this summer. Notice his interesting use of angles.

Talent Show!

Kira and her cousins teamed up with Shanda to perform a stirring rendition of Mah-nah-ma-nah (sp?), but nothing tops my mom dressing up as a fairy to do a skit with her older sisters that they did as children.

It was impressive to see Grandma singing the car song with all of her kids.

Nielson Family Reunion on Kolob Mountain

My Grandma will turn 99 in a month. That didn't stop her from camping with all of her posterity on Kolob mountain this summer. We had a fun family reunion there and then spent some time with her and my parents and sisters at her home in LaVerkin.

Summer Fun in UTAH!

Trenton, Addie, and Kira, all loved the raspberries that grow at Papa and Lita's house.

Papa let Trenton and Kira play in his truck while he washed it. It must have made an impression, because everytime he talks to Papa, he asks him about his truck.

Papa & Lita's house

After the first family reunion we traveled to my parents house in Springville, Utah, to see them for the first time since they returned from China (where they spent the last year teaching English with a program from BYU). Lita brought these cute Chinese clothes for the kids. Kira had to show her Lita how well she can read now, and they had fun playing with their little cousin, Addie.

Family Reunion Fun---The Three Legged Race!

Kira found another red-headed cousin to race with.


We were all surprised when Uncle Steve and Great Uncle John Teamed up for the race.



Barry and Dale came in second place!

Fortie Family Fotos

We had a large family photo session...in fact, so large we couldn't get everyone in one picture. The Phyllis Harrop line of the family (ours) was at least twice the size of any other group. We are sporting color coordinated t-shirts with one of Grandmother's favorite sayings, "All it takes, is all you've got!" Notice how boy scout Barry is prepared this time?

Camping and Hiking at ZION!

This was the first of our big family reunions this summer, near the entrance to Zion National Park. Barry gave Trenton a tattoo. And here we are hiking to the emerald pools.