Happy Winter!!!

Here are pictures from our Winter Storm on November 18. It took Ryan two hours to get home from Logan. As you can see from the pictures, it is still snowing, but Linden and Sarah couldn't stand not playing in it so we went out. They just walk around in it making trails and had a blast.

I had to add this picture because it is so cute. Sometimes, we break things up for naps to make it more fun. I let them take a nap together on the floor and this is what I found. I had to snap a picture. They are so cute when they are asleep!!

Happy Halloween!

This is for Grandpa Gummer, Grandma Linda, Grandma Greta, and all others who didn't get to see Linden and Sarah on Halloween. Thanks Carly for the cute Doro-fee dress as Sarah calls it. And thank you to Jackie for letting Sarah borrow your ruby red slippers.

Here's our Dorothy and the Scarecrow!! They don't even know who that is. I showed them pictures on the internet today so they could have some connection.

We stopped at the store to trick-or-treat to Grandpa Van!


Then went over to Whitney to visit Grandpa and Grandma Beckstead.


Grandpa built a big bonfire in the hollow and we had a smaller fire that we roasted hot dogs on. It was great fun!!


The kids had to sit with Grandpa on the four wheeler.

Hanging out around the campfire!! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma. It was a super fun Halloween!!

Pre-School Fun!

We have a lot of fun in preschool with Sydney, Linden, Sarah, and Maggie. Last year Sarah and Maggie just had to watch, but this year they can participate and they already know the Pledge of Allegiance just from watching last year.

We learned about emotions and how to handle different emotions. The kids decorated their masks and then we made faces with them to show emotion after reading the book "Today I Feel Silly" by Jamie Lee Curtis. Don't ask me why Linden wouldn't be in the picture with the girls. He gets his own picture.

We learned about pumpkins and how they can turn into Jack-O-Lanterns. We were so excited to have them feel the inside of pumpkin to experience a different texture. My kids wouldn't even help me separate out the seeds after I had taken them out. Maggie stuck her hand in and Sydney got into it later.
Linden and Sarah thought it was cool to carve the pumpkin and got excited at this point. They also enjoyed eating the pumpkin seeds that we roasted from inside our pumpkins.

This picture has nothing to do with preschool. We got ready to go somewhere and I took a picture of them. Linden calls these clothes his "Handsome" Clothes. These two are so fun!!

Catching UP!!

I've been a blogging slacker. So here's some catching up!! Be forewarned, there are a lot of pictures on this post.

We spent a lot of time this summer swimming in the pool and then playing in the sandbox. Here are the kids playing in the sand box.

We had a double birthday party for Jackie and Sarah. The kids love Mickey Mouse Club House so we had a Hot Diggity Dog Party and Toodles even came. Sarah has just used her handy fishing rod to get her prize. (Don't look at the weeds. That is the result of a husband being gone all summer and a wife being pregnant with two little ones to chase around. YES, we are expecting #3 to come some time around the end of January or first part of February.)

Of Course hot dogs were served at the party!!


On Sarah's actual birthday we were in Salt Lake. I was so proud of myself because I found a park to play at in Riverton close to Ryan's work so we could play before we picked him up!!

We played at a lot of parks this summer!!

We went to Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner and here is the birthday girl posing with her presents!

The kids got to share a root beer and thought it was awesome! They had fun and still talk about going there.


Sarah started dance from mommy. She loves to wear her pretty dress to dance. She watches in class and then comes home and shows me everything I taught that day. She is such a funny girl. Linden also started tumbling, but I don't have a picture of him. Sorry!! He is a great tumbler.


The annual Beckstead reunion was a Cherry Hill. Linden and Sarah loved it as you will see from the following pictures at the Pirate's Cove.

Our kids are little fish and have loved all of the swimming we did this summer.

This is the four generation fishing picture as Ryan calls it. Linden has been fishing a couple of times with Grandpa Beckstead. This time Grandpa Gummer, Sarah, and Uncle Jordo came along as well. Linden caught a wild fish the first time he went and this time he told me he just got a really good bite!

I had to throw this in because it is Sarah all the way. She is 100% girl. I love the face she is giving me here when I asked her to smile.

Natalie and I started pre school again this year for our kids. This year Maggie and Sarah get to be part of it. Nat was teaching a lesson on the five senses. The kids weren't sure what they thought about the blindfolds.

Aunt Carly gave my kids a couple of dress up dresses and it has brought tons of fun to our house. Thanks Carly. Linden really wanted to be in a dress also in this picture, but I only had three. He is around too many girls.

One Saturday morning while Nate and Erin were here, Ryan and I were tending six kids. We had a great time. I love my nieces and nephews.

Isn't he just cute. He has the most kissable cheeks. He was playing with rocks.

The twins loved riding in the jeep. These two crack me up. The call each other Maggie Doodle and Sarah Babe. They are a week apart and act a lot a like and that is why we call them the twins.

Aunt Kaye came over and brought some new books for the kids. They all love reading books.

Kaye's lap wasn't big enough so we recruited Kacy to read to the boys.


Linden asked Elise to read him a book. She did a very good job and afterward told me that she had to imagine some of it. She is getting so grown up.


We went to Yellowstone last weekend with Ryan's family. It was great fun. I will probably post more pictures later, but here are the pictures with their cousins.

Here they were told to do thumbs up. I actually have several pictures of Linden attempting it and finally getting it, but this was a cute picture of all of them.

Salt Lake City!

Ryan is doing an internship for the LDS Church in Riverton, Utah this summer. The kids and I have been down to Salt Lake a couple of times to visit so far this summer because we hate being without him. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for letting us stay in your beautiful apartment. Here are a few of our favorite things.

The Children's part of the Church History Museum!!!

We just discovered this on Thursday night, but the kids love to put on these skirts and dance in front of the mirror. There is a Spanish man and lady dancing in the background that they watch and try to follow. It is so fun.

They love fishing from Nephi's boat. Linden asks every day if they can go to the "USEUM" as he calls it.

The kids love to walk and hate to hold my hand. There is too much traffic and too many people so I did something I said I would never do and purchased leashes for my children. It is the only way to keep them with me and safe.

As you can see they are cute little backpacks and we carry water bottles and snacks to be eaten somewhere along the way.

They love the water fountains or waterfalls as they call them. We walk around temple square and look at all of them. They won't go back until we have seen them all. We went up on the roof of the conference center and the missionary let them put their hands in that fountain and they loved it.

They like to go see Jesus. I finally took my camera and the two of them sat right down and posed for the picture. They crack me up.

Playing on the balcony is a favorite and a lifesaver because they hate being cooped up inside. I was sick this past week and didn't feel like venturing out the first few days so the balcony was a great place for the kids to hang out. Ryan put a fence up to keep them safe. The apartment is on the 7th floor.