Happy 2011!

In honor of the new year and my significant lack of posts over the holidays, here are a few pictures taken during our hiatus. The most recent pics of the kids are still stored in my camera, when I get all the Christmas stuff up in the attic, I'll move on to uploading pictures. In the meantime, enjoy:

Lucy and Hannah as a baker and candy cane for the Nutcracker.

Lucy (4th from left) in her thanksgiving school program.

 Baby Cole on Thanksgiving day.

Halloween weekend at Disneyworld.

Lucy's Birthday & Savannah Park

Last Weekend, Lucy celebrated her 5th(!!!) birthday with an ice cream party:

Even though there were 11 kids at the party,  these kids were the only ones left by the time we thought to take a picture:

Hannah and Lucy reenacting a LIVELY game of pin-the-cherry-on-the-cone:

We also got around to seeing Wormsloe State Park in Savannah this week, which we have been trying to visit for some time:

There are some cool old trees, and the ruins of a fort from the 1700's. The kids mostly liked the sticks.

More 'walking sticks,'  which apparently you can't have enough of on a one mile hike:

Lucy and Eric take a break (notice Lucy still has giant stick):

...Cole enjoyed the ride!





Fall Trip

The kids really liked this corn maze just outside of Asheville, NC. They wanted to ride on the cow train, but predictably didn't want to sit anywhere near each other (Lucy is in front and Hannah is all the way in the back).

Eric and Lucy shoot a corn cannon.



The sun was really bright when we were picking apples, Hannah's eyes were closed in all the pics we took at the farm:

Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg, TN

We thought these tubes were cool.

The kids wouldn't leave the 'penguin playground' for almost an hour. They also wouldn't look at the camera at the same time for a picture.



We found a trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that was only 2.6 miles round trip, had something to see at the end (a waterfall), and best of all was paved, so we could take the stroller. It was a little crowded, but perfect for the kids. Right after taking this picture, we spotted a bear about 50 yds away. Then we were glad it was a crowded trail.

Another waterfall in the park, this one we could drive to. Cole just wanted to watch the cars driving by.

Cole, this time not watching cars.

Part of the Appalachian Trail. We decided against it hiking to Maine.

Apple picking...

This weekend we went to pick apples at Skytop Orchards in Flat Rock, NC where we have been going for a few years now. The kids have really changed since we first started going:

2006



2007

2008

2010 (we forgot to bring our camera last year)

Summer photos, baby Cole...

Lucy and cousin Lilly take a break from swimming

Eric had a conference in August in Stone Mountain, GA. The kids had a lot of fun, especially on the ropes course:

Pics of Baby Cole

Cole is almost five months old, so we thought it was about time to post some pictures:



Baby Cole tries some cereal for the first time

Hannah and Lucy go back to school

More Pics of Baby Cole...

Cole on Grandma Beth's sock monkey quilt. Cole likes sock monkeys.

First time sitting in the bumbo. Perfect seat for watching football with daddy.

Hannah 'babysitting' Cole.

I know, I know....

Despite our best intentions, apparently eight months have passed since we posted anything new. For the life of me I can't figure out why we haven't posted, other than one minute it's January, the next, it's August. So...in attempt to redeem ourselves, here are some pics from the past few months:

In April, our branch was made a ward and to our astonishment Eric was called to be the new bishop.

In May, Hannah and Lucy danced in the ballet "Eloise." Hannah was a waitress, and Lucy played Madeline. (don't ask, we are still trying to figure out why Madeline shows up in a ballet about Eloise).

The cousins came from Florida to visit for Hannah's baptism. Hannah is badly out numbered in this bunch!

In June, Hannah turned eight and was baptized.

The girls rode in a children's fourth of July bike parade this year. Hannah thought it would be a good idea to make a balloon Uncle Sam to ride on her handle bars. We also learned that duct tape doesn't come off a bike very easily. (Lucy still complains about the sticky spots on her handle bars).


Back to school on August 17th. Hannah started 3rd grade, and Lucy started pre-K twice a week. They are both in uniforms this year, which I both love and hate depending on what day you ask.

Last week we took Hannah in for a long overdue appointment to check her eyes, and to no one's surprise, she needed glasses. She picked these out completely on her own. We think she looks adorable! Lucy is very jealous and now wants glasses of her own. We'll have to wait and see if she won the genetic lottery and got mom's bad eyes.