Snow Fun!

We headed up East Canyon to the Guffey's Cabin to ride Grandpa's Tom Snowmobiles.  The kids had so much fun with riding the snowmobile, dragging behind on the sled and tube and hanging out with the Guffey Clan.  

{Thanks for a fun day Grandpa and Grandma Guffey!}

 Susie and Millie

 a big jump for Sam!

Christmas

 It's the most WoNDeRFuL time of the year!

 Trimming the Tree

Christmas Jammas

Baking Cookies

{this even lures our teenager away from his electronics}

Our favorites are ...

Gingerbread, Candy Cane, and Sugar Cookies

 

CHRiSTMaS MoRNiNG

One happy boy!

Santa brought him Black Ops, a Soccer Jersey and a Snuggie {which he LoVeS!}

Santa brought Susie a camera {now she can take pictures like her mama} one of her another favorite gifts was a Pillow Pet.

Sam was super happy with all his presents ... a Cars Racetrack, a Razor Spin Out Trike, and Bright Blue Skinny Jeans {to name a few}

 and then there was a SuRPRiSe from Grandma, Grandpa and Clark ...

 Everyone is having a lot of fun making HooPs and trying to WiN!

After that Christmas Morning was all about cousins and GG's making our traditional scones!

 

We all had a MeRRy, MeRRy, CHRiSTMaS!

He Did It!

A little history:

Merit badges have been a fixture of the Boy Scouts of America since its inception in 1910.  The requirements that generations of Scouts have completed have taught lifetime citizenship lessons, personal fitness habits, and life skills. They have been the beginnings of countless careers and lifetime hobbies. In the last 99 years, there have been many changes in the merit badge offerings. As society has changed, the Boy Scouts of America has adapted by revising the requirements, implementing name changes, adding new merit badges, and in some instances, eliminating some badges altogether.


For the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Scouting , four vintage merit badges were released (for the centennial celebration year only),  giving Boy Scouts the hands-on opportunity to experience the exciting past of Scouting while learning how our world has changed in that 100 years.  [www.scouting.org]

When this program was announced Ben said that he wanted to earn them all .... motivated by the fact that Steve did not have them and he would be the only one in the family that could earn them (what can we say ... competitive genes!)

Carpentry - earned at Camp Winton

Pathfinding - earned with the Troop

Tracking (formerly known as Stalking) - earned at Camp Winton



Signaling


Since August he has been attending a once a month clinic to learn Semaphore Code (flags) and Morse Code for the Signaling Merit Badge.  He had to be able to send and receive both types of codes within certain time frames and even the teachers said it would be hard.  He and Steve tried to practice every day (with a serious push at the end) and his dedication and work paid off

He is a hard one to get a picture of  but he was smiling pretty big when he got home tonight!  We are so proud of him!

Must Be Santa!

Earlier this week Sam visited with Santa ... He had a serious question for him.

How do you get down the chimney?

Santa whispered his secret and Sam has been thinking out it all week ... trying to wrap his mind around the Magic of Christmas!

He also gave Santa a pricey wish list of 3 cars (and he is not talking about toy cars, more like a Humvee, a VW Bug, etc.), a dirt motorbike and presents.  

I love it!

Celebrate!

We had fun throwing Steve an 'Over the Hill Party' ...

Roasting and Toasting him with Friends,

Playing Bingo like regular Senior Citizens,

Yummy Costa Vida,

Delicious Cupcakes,

GOOD TIMES!

{click on the collage to make it bigger}

He now has a good supply of things to get him through his old age ...

Preperation H,

Grecian 5,

Magnifying Glass,

Gas-X,

Tailbone Cushion,

etc!

Too Funny!

Growing Old Together!

The Big 4-0!

Happy Birthday to Steve! 

He has officially reached what he calls Old Fart Status (OFS).

It is fun to look at pictures of him through the years!

We love him, he is a great friend, husband, dad, doctor, and scoutmaster!

MD in the House

Sometimes having a doctor for a dad or husband isn't as great as it sounds.  Working long hours, weekends, and holidays, endless on-call responsibilities {maybe a bit of psychoanalyzing} ...  but sometimes it's pretty nice.  Like tonight ...  with a quick {flashlight} check of the throat and a call to the pharmacy the kids should be feeling better soon.

 

How can you not love that?

Girl Heaven!

On the way home from San Diego we stopped in L.A. for lunch and a LOT of shopping at American Girl Place.   A little bit of heaven on earth for girls.   My Mom, Sister and I treated the girls and their dolls to lunch at the cafe and then shopped with the girls as the agonized how to spend the money they had saved for this day!

Vanessa got her ears pierced!

So many choices that it was a little overwhelming!  They all shopped and then added up their finds ... then put things back and re-added ... it went on and on :)

I loved seeing the girls eyes sparkling with excitement and having the very best time!  Priceless!

Thanksgiving Road Trip

On Thanksgiving Day, after Steve had rounded on his patients, we took off to San Diego.  We met up with my family in my brothers neck of the woods.  It is always fun to have everyone together ... cousins playing, talking, eating, enjoying the sights.
Here are the highlights ...

 Super cute printable tags found here:  Shindig-Parties


Touring the Mormon Battalion Center in Old Town San Diego

Panning for Gold

Walking through history

Playing at Torrey Pines Beach

Eating at Fred's!  Uncle Clark's FAVORITE!