A truly "Chile" Christmas!!

As you can see by the following pictures, we had a most warm, sunny, watery and unforgettable Christmas this year. We decided to go to Chile to visit Rick and Tiffany and their kids. All I can say is that we had a blast! Hiking, swimming...on Christmas even...zip line, beaches, blue sky, kayaking, STRATEGO with Hyrum, sleeping with the windows open, White water rafting in POLAR water, hot springs at the base of the Andes Mountains, random Llamas walking around our cabin, shopping, seeing Tanner's best friend Elder Brett Evans, talking to Elder Tanner on Christmas day, sun-kissed skin...even Ronald, the PICKLE, no cell phone for Maddie, jumping on a water trampoline in the Pacific Ocean, card games, watching the Sorensen kids jump for total joy at the sight of American cereal and the list goes on and on. Bottom line.......
Every moment will be a memory! Thanks to our host family.

There is NOTHING better than family!!!! Except to have Tanner with us...next year!!!

This past Thanksgiving we had a wonderful time together with our family. And we had the unique experience of having our Christmas with them at the same time since Ron, Maddie and I will be in Chile over Christmas! We played games,food, Murder-Mystery Game by Ethan & Ashley, food, creating our own family motto sponsored by Megan & Maddie, and then some more food! Presents were shared, family photos taken, a pulled pork dinner by Jaxon & Megan, oohs and aaahs by little tiny voices of the grandchild kind! Getting nakey-nakey with cousins and having bathtub time with Grandma and then topping off the week was a HOLIDAY Dinner complete with Ham & Turkey and every fixing you think of! (This is where I pat myself on the back!!!) I love my family and I love their little families. It is a lot of bodies and a lot of personalities but somehow we manage to get along so well and have a great time. I can't wait for next year when Tanner will be with us!

My new Camera...A Little Intimidating for Now!!!

So here's the deal as Maddie would say...A couple of years my two sons told me I should become "one with my computer"...still working on it but feeling a little more comfortable. Then I go and get a new-fangled, SLR, fancy-dancy camera. "Become one with your camera mom." I've had it about a week and it's a little intimidating to say the least. The manual is thick and I read it often. I've even tried reading it in Spanish and Chinese...not working!!!
Jaxon was a big help in doing research, reading consumer reports and making multiple trips to the local BEST BUY to gather as much info. to pass on to me to help in the decision making process. All I can say is that when we went in to BEST BUY to make the purchase, the clerk that was helping us made the comment,"This is a great camera, you must be good." Whoa!
These are just a few pictures that I have taken with my new Cannon Rebel Xs T1i that I love! The one of Jaxon and Courtney was one of the very first pics I took. The cool thing about it is that I was on one side of the apt. and they on the other. Can you say ZOOM!
Next is Ethan and Ashley's little 2 month old Wyatt and an up close picture of his little baby body parts. The next pic is of Miss Courtney Rose in her new Old Navy Pink Pea Coat being completely fascinated with my "Christmas Time Decor". "Grandma you have so many cherries all over the house!" And finally two pictures of little Azely and her many rolls! All I was supposed to do was change her diaper but decided that her Nakey-Nakeyness needed to be caught on film. All I'm missing is my little Jay Jay who is coming next week. Look out, Grandmas got a new camera!