Winter Fun!

We were so lucky to  have our cousin Collin with us at  our annual Hurst family reunion in Blanding.  We had great food, great games, a great wedding and...

Look at this marvelous snow.  It didn't stop until right before we left.  Aunt Emily left  later in the day than Grandma, Miranda, Amber and me.  She was going to leave after school but the weather was just getting too bad to wait any longer. So she sprung Bethany and Aaron from school and arrived just before the roads completely iced over.  Chad & Sam thought about coming but it was a very good thing they didn't because poor Chad ended up in the emergency room over the weekend and he would have been in big trouble without a urologist (which they do not have in either Monticello or Blanding.)  He's okay now but we're glad things worked out the way they did.

The kids had such a good time playing in the snow.  They built forts at Uncle Dan's house and spent a goodly amount of time clearing off Grandma's vehicle.

Aunt Cindy and I took a walk in the snow and slipped around everywhere even with very well treaded boots.  Aaron and I also walked to Alco from our hotel.  It was beautiful but we saw several cars having troubles leaving the parking lots because of the inclines on the exits.  We had our family dinner in the bell chapel which used to be the Blanding tabernacle.  It is where my dad went to church all through his childhood and it is where he and  I were baptized.  It was so much fun.  We went exploring the nooks and crannies of the building.  Even Aaron was impressed by the balcony story and the side cry rooms of the chapel.  And believe me, Aaron is not easily impressed these days.

Albuquerque did get a little bit of snow over winter break and we decided to take advantage by going sleddinging.  We didn't have the best spot and we probably mowed down a few desert plants but it was just too cold for baby Chance and baby Athena to go to the other side of the mountain where the snow would have been better.  Of course, Chad and Aaron are total snow snobs and do all of their winter sports in Santa Fe.

 Here are the big girls trying to entertain Chance.

 And here's baby girl taking a sort of short run down the hill.

Aunt Jane, Sam & Athena came down for a few days after Christmas and here are Jane and Athena at our annual Aunt Julie tea party.  Fun was had by all except for Athena and Chance.  I think Chance realized he was the only male in attendance.

After winter break is over, it is time for Upward basketball games to begin.  This is a picture of Amber at her first game ever.  I'm not sure she understands most of the rules but she sure had a smile on her face.

Most of the time Amber is on the court, she is either tries to take down her person (even when she's on offense) or wandering around with her arms crossed.  I'm not sure she's going to get a lot of passing action doing either of these things.  It reminds me of Aaron when he played basketball as a kindergartner.  After Chad saw him play his first game, he turned to me and said, "Mom, we have a lot of work to do."

Over MLK weekend, the girls had a sleepover with Grandma and Aunt Emily.  They always look forward to such occasions.  Emily always gets them a movie and finds a craft to do.  Grandma usually takes them out for breakfast.  Here is Bethany on the way to IHOP.  Yummy!

It almost looks like they are going to grab straws and sip syrup straight out of the containers.  Maybe the server was running late and things were getting desparate.

This picture is stuck in the middle but it actually was taken the night before when Aunt Emily and the girls made cake pops.  Don't you wish you had an Aunt Emily?

Amber the breakfast girl.  She does enjoy a good pancake and who can blame her?  Good Times.