The Nutcracker

 Mother Ginger and the Gingerettes

 The Sugar Plum Fairies

 Mother Ginger

 My Gingerettes

 Tori

 Sugar Plum Fairies

This year I pulled together a portion of the Nutcracker. 

It was so much fun to work with these girls. 

They were so willing and so much fun. 

We were able to perform for our community and enjoy refreshments afterwards.

 Since I had to choreograph the numbers, come up with the costumes, decorate the stage, make the refreshments for the parents, and apply make-up to my dancers there were a few oversights. 

I am so thankful for the moms that stepped in and helped and also thought of the things that I completely forgot...like taking pictures! 

Thank you to the mom who ran the music and controlled the curtain...also another oversight.

I couldn't have done it without you all.

The performance was amazing! Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Some of my best investments:

 The Pony: Cinnamae

Alex went through a stage where she was obsessed with the Three Amigos.

She wore the outfit, sombrero and all...she sang "My Little Buttercup"...and she wanted her own horse.

For her 5th birthday we got her a Pony.

She has loved this pony ever since and has grown confident to approach and ride the horse by herself.

The Great Dane: Blue...Man's best friend. This dog is loyal and will follow my kids to their destination then wait for them to get out so he can escort them home safely. This dog started out small enough to hold over your shoulder.

 The trampoline.

 Our kids are on the trampoline every single day.

It has helped them practice their gymnastics.

Given them great exercise while playing.

Been the meeting place for "secrets".

Turned into a water park in the summers with the help of a sprinkler underneath.

Been a secret fort they can take naps under.

This thing is worth its weight in gold.

 Alex mastering her front tuck.

 Tori practicing her front tuck.

 Benton and Ada's typical pre-nap activity.

 Benton

Benton can do a mean front hand-spring and even Ada is learning how to do a front tuck. 

As a child I had so many fond memories on a trampoline and I still find joy in jumping and flipping whenever I get a chance.

Football

 Benton's first football photo.

 Uncle Travis and Uncle Trent set Benton up with his own football gear. 

Excited is an understatement!

 As Garrett was helping him suit up, Benton fell backwards and hit is head against a rock wall and split it open.

First battle wound of the sport...and he wasn't even out on the field yet!

 Jayden and Benton practiced hitting but they didn't want to hurt each other so the first time around they just slapped their hands around in front of each other...no body contact.

They started to get the hang of it by the end.

Daddy is helping Benton learn how to "hit" in my living room.

The first thing Benton wanted to do this morning was put on his new football helmet. 

So proud.

Thanksgiving Fiasco

This year we packed up and headed to El Paso to spend Thanksgiving with all of Garrett's brothers and parents. I was assigned to bring rolls. I was a little leery of taking on this assignment because the importance of the dinner roll. Everyone expects a nice hot, buttery, fluffy roll to soak up all the juices of their Thanksgiving meal. Knowing that I would not be in my kitchen I knew this would take extra planning and care. Plus I had to make enough for 50 people. So, I took on this assignment and made the necessary preparations. I had everything measured out exactly in separate baggies, brought my own cookies sheets and even took it one step further by making little strips of paper listing things that we are thankful for that I was going to roll up into the rolls as a surprise fortune cookie type of effect. Everything was going smoothly. I had every hour planned out so I would have just enough time to pull hot rolls out of the oven on our way out the door.  There was no room for error.

As I started I realized something went wrong right off the bat. My water was too hot and I knew I had killed the yeast. I crossed my fingers that the yeast would still activate and the rolls would rise because I didn't have time for mistakes. 2 hours later I realized that this wish of mine would not be coming to pass. In desperation I called to Garrett to help me out by running to the store for more ingredients. He insisted that I just buy some store bought rolls but I couldn't do it. This was my contribution to a great homemade meal and I wanted it to be the best it could be.

Garrett was off to the store and I got everything ready to start all over, with one hour left before we had to be at Thanksgiving Dinner. While Garrett was gone I realized I didn't ask him to get all the things I needed. I had no way of contacting him and I was losing hope. This was the start of my break down. When Garrett arrived back at the house I told him that he would have to go back to the store and he was not happy. I lost it. I couldn't hold it together anymore. With a few phone calls to family members that lived close by we were able to gather everything needed for these darn rolls.

I had seconds to spare so I began the process once again only to realize that the yeast we borrowed was 7 years old! It was was past good. I had made another batch of flat, unleavened rolls! How could I show my face at Thanksgiving dinner with such a sorry contribution? I was beside myself.

Once I pulled myself together I was able to drag myself to the car with a plate of my dense dinner rolls. Upon arrival we realized that we were late and everyone had already begun. Not off to a good start. Then a sister-in-law approached me with the news that I didn't need to make rolls anyway because they had tripled their recipe and made 144 rolls. Not what I wanted to hear!

I tried to suck it up, plaster a smile on my face and enjoy what was left of this blessed day. Everything was delicious and the mood was calm. The day ended in a success despite my rolls and I was able to sneak out for a late movie with the girls. Just what I needed!

While I was gone Garrett had put the kids to bed and even did some Black Friday shopping for me! SHOCK!

The rest of the weekend was fun shopping, attending a BYU football game and visiting. Then Carol, my mother-in-law, said she wasn't feeling well. We tried several different things to try to make her feel better but to no avail. She ended up being rushed to the hospital in Ciudad Juarez. Upon arrival she was diagnosed with high blood pressure and pneumonia.

What a Thanksgiving! Thankfully she was in good hands and they were able to help her heal and she was released 5 days later, but the very next day she was readmitted to the hospital because she was having chest pains and shortness of breath. She was later given a CAT scan and diagnosed with a tumor that is 5 cm long and wrapped around her esophagus. It is below her thyroid so they will have to break her sternum to extract the tumor. She will have a long road to recovery but we are all here for her.

This is probably one of those holidays that no one will ever forget. Here's to a smooth and clam Christmas!!

Happy Birthday Ada!

I love your little voice.
I love how you say Happy Birthday to everyone on your birthday.
I love how you grab my finger and lead me to whatever it is that you want.
I love how you give High Five's and Knuckles to everyone, even strangers.
I love your crazy, curly hair.
I love how you greet everyone with a Good Morning.
I love how stubborn you are about what you want to watch on  TV.
I love how you give kisses.
I love how you say I love you..."A wuv you."
I love your personality.
I love you.

Let the terrible two's begin!

Story Time

Every night my girls ask me to tell them stories. I have told them stories from when they were babies, historical stories, Book of Mormon stories, and stories of me growing up. Tonight I thought I would tell them stories about their Great Grandpa Walker. He passed away before any of them were born so I told them they got to spend time with him in Heaven before they came to earth. I wanted to record some of my memories of Grandpa Dr. Robert Harris Walker.

Grandpa was a very well known and respected heart surgeon in Calgary, Alberta. He was raised working on a farm and later went to school to become a Doctor. He developed the Triple Bypass surgery. He passed away when I was 17 years old, of heart failure. Kind of ironic.

Grandpa was a sweet and gentle man. I never saw him get angry. He loved jam on his corn flakes and always made sure there was Ginger Ale and Haagen Dazs ice cream in the fridge. He had a great appreciation for the outdoors and always loved to take us grand-kids hiking and horse back riding.

He kept his cash crumpled up in his socks because he claimed the nurses couldn't steal it from him while in surgery if it was in his socks.. He always wore cowboy boots, with one pant leg tucked in and the other out, and sported a cowboy hat on occasion.

We would always eat at the Glenco Club in Calgary and one summer while eating hamburgers on the patio a bumblebee landed on Grandpa's burger. He immediately smashed it into his hamburger and ATE it. He just said, "Yum! More protein."

He had the softest hands ever!

When I was in 5th grade I developed a painful cyst on the palm of my hand. He personally drove me to a doctor (Dr. Remington) to remove the growth. Once the little surgery was complete Grandpa asked the Doctor how much he owed him. Dr. Remington said, "Don't worry about it. It's on the house." He was good friends with everyone.  Even while  vacationing at his cabin in Waterton people would come knocking on the door in need of the good Doctor. He would help them, diagnose them, and perform small procedures on them  all for free.

He always looked forward to attending the Calgary Stampede and watching the covered wagon races. I loved going to the early morning, parking-lot breakfasts with him. They made the best pancakes ever! 

We had Sunday dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house every Sunday afternoon and Grandpa would always invite anyone that didn't have a place to go. He had such a generous heart and made everyone feel so welcome.

He is a great man and we believe he is watching over us. I know there will be a big hug, juicy kiss and a warm welcome waiting for us when we get to the other side. We love you Grandpa!

Hallo-week!

 We were invited to the Annual Adult Costume Party this year at Meredith and Rusty's. We ate yummy food and went through a Haunted Forest. Garrett went as himself and I went Gothic/skeleton (yes, I am expecting baby #5).

Greg and Cambria Memmott went as Paul Bunyan and Babe his ox.

Rachelle and Christian Jones were our homage to Top Gun.

Rusty and Meredith were Mobsters.

Justin and Janae were snakes.

Jasmine and Lamoni were Little Red and the Wolf.

Deanna and Tyson were Batman superheros.

Meghan and Jared went as Wonder Woman and Camo.

Michele and Eric went as Snow Bunny and Elvis.

Dave and Mary were Clarke Kent and Super Woman.

Jade and Devon went as "Pumpkin Pie".