Abby is 6!

Today is Abby's 6th birthday!

She is a fabulous person.  We love her creativity - her desire to make everything beautiful.  She has an excellent memory and is a quick learner.  She is a very caring sister and treats her siblings exceptionally well. We are so proud of her desire to be good and to make good choices.

We had a very nice day, complete with a donut breakfast, a trip to Impressions 5 (which happened to fall on Chemistry Day which proved to be very fun) and lunch at McDonald's.  In the afternoon she helped decorate her cake, spent some time with mom, went with the family to the neighbor's 1st birthday party and rounded it off with a pizza dinner and her own cake!  Busy, but complete.

Impressions 5 is always a favorite of our kids.  We haven't gone for a few months, but were excited to see some of the new exhibits.  There is an awesome building area with all sorts of building materials.  Abby was especially excited about all the special chemistry events.  Students from local colleges and high schools set up displays throughout the museum with fun hands-on activities for the kids.  Mike's work was a sponsor and also had some activities.

This is Abby unwrapping a gift.  She got the bathrobe she is wearing, a couple outfits, a watch, lots of arts and crafts supplies, a movie, the traditional birthday photo book and a pony stuffed animal.  Thanks to all the grandparents and aunts and uncles for the lovely gifts.  (I like this picture because Briton was being strongly encouraged to keep his hands to himself while Abby opened her gifts.  He was just way too excited for all the festivities!)

Greenfield Village

Our family riding in an authentic 1921 Model T

Greenfield Village is one of the Ford Museums in Dearborn.  It includes lots of historical homes - not recreated homes and structures, but the real things transported from their original locations.  Some include Thomas Edison's workshop, Henry Ford's birthplace, the Wright Brothers bicycle shop, the Robert Frost home, the Noah Webster (think: dictionary) home and many, many more.  It is really a fascinating place.  Not all of it was super for kids as little as ours, but there was plenty for them as well - a glass blowing shop, a pottery workshop, a printer's office, etc. (all hands on to some degree).

Here are a few pictures from our fun day:

I don't remember too many times when all of the kiddos are looking at the camera in the same picture:)

Abby is taking her turn operating the printing press.

Everyone enjoyed the carousel!

 

Greenfield Village is an amazing place and we hope to go back!

Halloween 2012

A small shopping center in our town had trick or treating this week...and it was conveniently scheduled the same night as the branch trunk or treat.  Mike is going to be out of town on Halloween so we did our pictures a week early.

Here are the many faces of Abby the witch.  Perhaps you can guess which of the 4 poses I requested (one of these girls is not like the others...)  We think that the outfit turned out cute (and the girl is even cuter) - thanks, in part, to the US Postal Service.  (I mailed the skirt half finished to my mom so that she could finish it and then she mailed it back.)  Abby has wanted to be a witch since about the day after Halloween last year!

Briton just wanted to be a ghost.  You might notice the short sleeves and sunshine.  It was nearly 80 degrees that day.  Weird weather (but adorable ghost).

Hannah is the 2nd generation of Little Red Riding Hood.  Abby delighted us in this outfit 4 years ago.  (I guess it is really the 3rd - or more - use of it since I wore this hood and apron as a kids.  Ahhhh, cute.)  She picked up on the trick or treating quite well!

Part 2 from Bear Lake

This is a very delayed post.  We had such a great time on our trip to Bear Lake so it definitely deserves to be documented.  Here are a few more pictures.

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon playing at the lake.  The kids enjoyed playing in the mud and the grown up kids played on the paddle boards and kayaks.

 

This is just a cute picture of Hannah on the mini potty in the cabin.  It was so tiny!

On Sunday we did some family pictures.  It is so nice to have pictures with everyone!

  

I don't have a picture readily available, but the grown ups also did a really fun murder mystery pirate dinner after the kids went to bed.  

On Monday afternoon on the way back to my parents' house, we stopped in Logan to visit Frank (Mike's step-grandfather) and his new wife.  It was very nice to meet her.  In Salt Lake we visited Grandpa David and Nancy and went to dinner with Grandma Marva.  We also enjoyed (as always) stopping here:

It was a great trip and we wish it could've lasted longer!