Gymnastics

We have had a crazy last three weeks!
Abby and Alyssa are both in gymnastics through the city and they go from 5-7 pm three days a week.
Alyssa is really getting good at her flips and bends.  She can even do a cartwheel of of the higher balance beam.  It is fun to watch them.    Abby has never done gymnastics before and she is learning well.  I think she liked it so much because her friend Katie Evans is in the class with her and the two of them love to play together.

I was able to get lots of grading done during these classes and I was able to work on and finish multiple scarves that were made for holiday gifts.  I don't have that much time to spare and so thankfully they ended tonight! Here are the girls on their bars and stuff.

We did learn the last few days though that Abby's teacher is from Manassa CO and went to Sanford High school.   My friend Marty (Katie's mom) and I were talking about my home town when she noticed the instructer had a 'Sanford Cheer' t-shirt on.  She wondered how many Sanford's there were.  I didn't know her, but I did go to school with her uncle and I knew of her mom.  Small world isn't it?

Santa Claus is coming to town

When you go to see Santa at the Mall, there's a problem.  It's all become so commercialized that you can't see Santa unless you buy pictures.  Well that's great if your kids are all fixed up like dolls and all you are going to do is see Santa, but me when I finally get to the mall I have shopping to do and my kids get drug around into 10 stores and are so upset about it all that no one looks like a doll.  I prefer to go to the mall alone or only have 1-2 children accompanying me.  Lucky where we are we have the shops that the Riverwoods.  They decorate all the trees's beautifully, have Santa Clause, hot chocolate, and free horse/carriage rides. 

Taking my children here, they are happy.  They are excited with the Christmas atmosphere all around.  The carolers in the central area perform wonderfully, the heat lamps around kept them warm and the lines are not long, keeping happy children and hence a happy mom/dad.

Alyssa is truely excited

Hailey informed up before we went that she was not going to set on Santa's lap, but when her sister's had all did it, she did to.  10 years old is not to old to set on Santa's lap.

 

 

This is the first year Macey would set on Santa without screaming, my baby's getting older!

 

 

Abby has always loved Santa and she was definately the most excited about seeing him and letting him know that she wants more polly pockets and barbie dolls.

 

Here are the horses.  Just after we got out of the wagon, the girls thought they should pet them.

 

John and Macey walking up the path

 

Then, my mom and Emily came to visit the next weekend and so we made the trip again.  This time John opted to stay home and Macey wasn't feeling the best so she stayed with him.

 

Here is Abby, Emily and Santa:

 

And Alyssa with Santa:

Meeting Friends

It was so wonderful to meet up with my dear friends Debbie and Dawn for lunch today. Dawn has been a good friend for over 10 years and still lives in Kalaheo HI. Debbie just moved back to Utah from Kalaheo but was one of my closest friends our first few years there. She did so much for us and I was so happy to see her looking so good and well just see her again.
I love you both!!!!

Thanksgiving in Colorado

We had a wonderful week in Colorado!  This year we decided that we would travel to Colorado for Thanksgiving because it had be 6 or 7 years since our last Thanksgiving there.  It was a Giles year, but the last two year had been spent with John's family. 
It started out great, my mom and me did lots of cooking and my girls had lots of fun playing around.  Poor John, all day Wednesday we spent cooking and he didn't have much to do.    He did end up playing around lots with his girls though and he always enjoys spending time with them.

Here is a few pictures of prep before Thanksgiving dinner:

it's good to get the men doing some work!

 

 

Here is the girls, waiting to eat :)

 

After Thanksgiving dinner and cleanup we played a few games and just hung out at my parents home.  Later that evening we went to wal-mart for the black Friday sales.  One thing in the San Luis Valley their isn't a big choice of stores to shop in and for me that's good.  Less running around, less sales and less money spent because I didn't see something that I just had to have at that price.  We did end up going to JC Penney's on Friday and found some great deals but that was the extent of our shopping. 

The bad part of our trip came Friday night and Saturday early morning.   First John, then Abby,  then Hailey, then my mom and then me came down with the stomach flu all within 8 hours.  We were all so sick that we didn't do anything.  Thankfully Alyssa was well and so she was able to watch Macey and they played together all day long.  Alyssa fed her, cleaned her up, played with her and was the babysitter 100%.  My dad disappeared so he wouldn't get sick too, thanks dad!  It did only last 24 hours or less and so we were better on Sunday, but not enough to go to church and then drive home as planned.  We just got up and drove, ready to get home and get better. 

Never had this sign looked so good before. 

It was a great vacation though and we did have lots of fun!  Thanks for the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Change in weather

Yesterday I saw Grandma Giles raking and raking out in her yard. It was beautiful weather and so I sent my girls, hailey and Alyssa, over to help. Of coarse that meant Abby, Macey and our neighbor Aubrey also joined in the fun. They did rake a lot and kinda made a mess of it must I made them clean it up to.

 

 

 

Then this was what we woke up to this morning. This is my neighbor across the streets house.
Then tonight John, Kyron and Easton all went to Byu's football game the temp was suppose to be 19 degrees (what's up yesterday was almost 60). Here is Easton with the snow they had on the benches.