February 2018

Randy arranged for us to rent a cabin in Island Park during the 1st weekend in February. It's a fun cabin, and there was a ton of snow.  Maden had a ballgame on Saturday, so he and Celia didn't come up.  Brian, Clark and Annie stayed Friday night and left early Saturday morning.  Blake and I left late Saturday afternoon.  

Annie rode with Molly and Ryder in Randy and Courtney's pickup.  Molly and Annie liked playing with some play dough, Clark liked doing a puzzle while Grandpa and Brian talked shop.  All the kids liked watching a movie.

There was a fun dart contest. I don't know who won, but it was fun!

We all had fun while the darts tournament was happening.

On Saturday, Molly and Ryder played with the toys, watched some Mickey Mouse, and got ready to go outside in the snow.

They got a little turn on the snow machines.

Swinging in the snow? Why not?

We had another Darts tournament before Blake and I left.  I know I did not win!

On Sunday, Feb. 4th after church Blake and I took off for a much needed little vacation.  We decided we would make it a temple trip. We ended up going to the 4 different temples.  It was a great, relaxing trip.

We stayed at the WorldMark Wolf Creek resort in Eden, Utah on Sunday night.  These deer crossed right in front of us as we drove to our unit.  There were even more up the hill.  On Monday, we drove to St. George, and stayed at the WorldMark, St. George resort.

On Tuesday, we went to the St. George Temple.  We had both been there, but had not attended together.  It is a beautiful majestic building.  It is amazing how the early members could build this building without all the modern tools and machinery. 

We went to a nice car wash, they detailed it very nicely.

On our way out of town, we decided to stop at Walmart, and as we are almost getting there, the light comes on in the car telling us that we have a low tire.  We took it into Walmart and it took them an hour to get the screw out and patch up the tire.  We were glad it happened then, and not in the middle of nowhere on the way to Las Vegas.

We stayed Tuesday and Wednesday nights at the WorldMark Las Vegas, Boulevard Resort.  On Wednesday we went to the Las Vegas Temple.  What a calming place to go in that bustling, worldly city.  After the temple, we went to the some outlet stores, and wandered around the strip for a bit.  We ate a good buffet dinner.

Thursday morning, we got up early and headed for Cedar City.  It is a new temple, and is very beautiful.  After we finished at the temple, we got some lunch and headed toward Payson.  It was kind of a long travel day, but it was a nice day.  We stayed in a Quality Inn in Payson on Thursday night.

We got up Friday morning to go to the Payson Temple.  It was our favorite of the trip.  I can't really pinpoint why it was the favorite, but it was.  It is just beautiful, and well laid out.  It was the only temple that we had to take selfies, and we're not very good at it! We headed for home after the temple.  It was a great trip. We decided we'd like to do something like that again.

Maden had double header basketball games on Saturday, Feb. 10th.  He and his little teammates have improved so much.  It is so fun to watch.

Ryder and Clark had a fun time playing with cars while the rest of us watched the games.

We celebrated my Mom's birthday on Sunday the 11th. (Her birthday is the 9th) The littles all love to sing and blow out the candles. I'm not going to reveal her age, but maybe you can figure it out.  

Molly, Ryder and Annie are enjoying some tv watching on Grandpa's lap.

On Monday, Feb. 12th, Annie and Clark came down, so we did their Kiwi Crates.  Annie had fun making paint go up the "stem" of the flowers. It was interesting doing Clark's and Ryder's Crates at the same time.  It must have tuckered these little guys out, because they both went to sleep on their way home.

Saturday, Feb. 17th, more basketball.  I love this picture of Clark, what a cute little guy.

Monday, Feb 19th, Molly and I did her Koala Crate.  It was all about Arctic animals. We had fun playing catch with Polar Bear paws.  Then, I went and did Maden's Tinker Crate. We wired a light that changed colors.  I love spending time with my grand little friends.

I brought Maden, Annie and Clark home with me, and they got to spend some time with Ryder.  We had pasta for dinner, because Maden and Annie love pasta.

Celia took this cute picture of Annie when she cashed in her tickets for a ball at Culver's.  She's such a cute smiley little sweetheart.

Saturday, Feb 24th was Maden's last game of this season.  It was a fun season.  Annie was there, just not in the pictures, but she took the pictures of Clark and Ryder and me.  She loves to take pictures, most of which get deleted because I don't need 181 pictures of the game.  Grandma Beth and Grandpa Chin Chopper got to come and cheer Maden on too.  

After the ballgame, I went with Randy to JC Penney's. This is what happens when you go shopping with a 2 year old.  He climbs into the shelves, then can't get out.

Molly was such a big girl and got a really cute hair cut.  She's such a little doll. Ryder and I enjoy going to Story time at the library.  This is such a typical smile on Maden's face.  He is getting so big.  

January 2018

On New Year's Day, some of us decided to go to Fat Cat's in Rexburg.  It was a pretty busy place, so they couldn't bowl, but they had fun in the arcade.

Molly and Ryder think they are as big as their parents and can do anything they do.  

We went to Blake's Aunt Ilene's funeral, then to Chuck A Rama afterward.  Blake and Merralee got Helen 3 plates at the same time.  She felt silly with all 3 plates in front of her, but she ended up eating most of it.

Ryder loved helping to make banana bread.  Annie and Clark like Grandpa to read them a story.  Annie loved her magic trick she learned from her kiwi crate. I loved hearing her laugh.  Ryder stayed over a for a weekend and had to have some stories before church.  Clark liked painting his mat that came with his cricket crate, Annie liked it too.  Ryder enjoyed painting on his cricket crate mat too.

We celebrated Nikelle's 26th birthday on the 13th, since she was at her Grandma's funeral on her birthday on the 6th.  All the kids like the cake time.

Randy and Ryder set up the Magic Track to try out the new cars for it.  Ryder loves to watch the cars go up and down the hills, and through the tunnel.

Molly loved her xylophone, tambourine, and dancing flag that we made from her Koala crate.

We took Ryder bowling with Brian, Annie and Clark.  Once, Ryder got the idea that he had to take turns, he really liked it.  Annie and Clark love it too.

It was a fun day.

We went to the Ag Expo in Pocatello.  Ryder liked getting in the big bucket of the loader and standing on the huge wheel of the tractor, and eating popcorn.

January 19 was Grandma Purcell's (Helen) 92nd birthday.  She's living with Merralee now, so there was soup and cake at her house.  

Fun at Texas Roadhouse, Ryder and Molly were both watching videos on their parents phones.  Annie lost her first tooth! Ryder and Molly love to play together.  Ryder and Grandpa playing with the Tony the Tiger truck.

Maden's playing basketball again.  It's still quite entertaining to watch, but Maden has improved a lot.  He makes quite a few baskets, and he's very good on defense.  Molly and Clark and Annie are his best cheerleaders.

December 2017

I love this picture of the Idaho Falls Temple taken by Josh Packer.  I love the temple and the feeling of peace that comes as soon as you drive into the parking lot.  Blake has spent a lot time in the early mornings in this building since it reopened in June.  He has been successful in seeing that hundreds of people have got their work done.  I have been able to go at least once a week, and sometimes more often thanks in part to Blake being willing to watch Ryder while I go.  It has been an immense blessing to us to be able to go so often.

December 2nd - I got to spend some time with Maden, Annie and Clark, we made some ornaments out of pipe cleaners and beads.  Then when Nikelle and Molly came, they made some too.

I love how these little cousins love to be with each other.

Clark thinks he's funny to climb on the stool just like the big kids.  Maden turned 8! (How did that even happen?) Ryder loves to play games with me on the IPad.  All the kids love Jared!

December 9 - Since Maden's birthday is on the 5th, and Jared's on the 11th, we celebrated them together on the 9th.  Maden turned 8 and Jared turned 27! They broke the wishbone from the turkey, it was as close to a tie as is possible.  We had a great lunch and cakes.

Then they opened presents, then had a bingo tournament with Grandpa Chin Chopper or Grandpa Paul as the bingo caller.

Maden took the kids for a spin on the sled.  Clark only wanted to ride behind Maden, Molly loved the sled from the start and Ryder decided he liked it pretty well too.

Later on, Jared and Randy took Molly and Ryder shopping, they thought the Mickey and Minnie cars were great!  Jared and Randy were so excited to find some little trucks and trailers like they had when they were little boys.

Annie had fun with the activity from the Kiwi Crate.  Blake and Ryder are playing a game with a car on the table.  Clark loved pushing this wheeled tub around.  Randy and Courtney joined Grandma Beth and I for fun game of Phase 10.  Ryder thinks he plays cards with us too.

Ryder got to help plow the snow for the first time.  He thought it was funny.  He talked the whole time about what they were doing.  Thank goodness he hasn't had as many chances to plow this year as he could have last year.

December 17 - We went to the Live Nativity at Jensen's Grove.  It was cold, and a long wait in the line, but it was also fun.  Blake took Molly and Ryder in the shelter by the fire to listen to the singers for a little while, the rest of us just stood outside waiting.  

Here we are finally all on the wagon.  It was a very nice depiction of the 1st Christmas, the birth of our Savior.  

December 23 - Blake and I tended Molly and Ryder while their parents went on a little snow machine excursion.  What one of these little people does, the other one has to do too.  So, when I fix Molly's hair, Ryder has to sit up on the stool too.  If one has juice, the the other does too.  If one is playing with a pillow, the other plays with a pillow too. If one sits in the chair, the other one does too.  It's a good thing they're good kids, because their grandpa had a good nap while he was in charge of them.  Nikelle and Courtney ended having to ride together on one snow machine because one got broken, but they said it was a fun trip anyway.  

December 24 - Clark got a fun new crane!  Brian's family came to spend Christmas Eve with us.  Maden had a fun time making a domino structure.  Clark and Ryder liked eating cheetos and watching Mickey Mouse.

Christmas! Molly woke up to a lot of lute from her parents and Santa! Annie wanted to watch me put my on makeup and get a little on her face too.  After the traditional monkey bread breakfast, we opened lots of presents.  

The kids were excited for me to open my huge round present.  It is a swing for them to use this summer! 

Still opening presents, while FaceTiming with Cindy and Ken.  

Annie loves her Rainbow little pony jacket, Ryder got a "Ryder" truck, Courtney got a soft blanket that's big enough to cover her whole body.  Molly is helping Annie get her gloves on so they can go outside. 

Annie loves the tree swing, even in the cold and snow.  She and Molly had a great time having Jared pull them on the sled behind the 4Wheeler.  All the big kids including Maden and and Annie went to Courtney's school to play a little basketball, Ryder, Molly and Clark got to stay home with Grandpa and Grandma.  

Maden lost another tooth! Molly got to stay here because Nikelle had to have her Gallbladder out.  I took her to Tracy's and we both got our haircut.  She was a very good girl.

December 29 - We took the Christmas decorations down.  Thanks to Courtney, Ryder, Jared, Nikelle and Molly, it went really fast! Ryder and Molly helped do the dishes too.  Molly loves to dance, she can really shake her bootie! But she loves to dance with her daddy most of all.

December 30 - Chambers Family Party.  We had a little holiday party at the Groveland Church while some of the Chambers Clan were in town.  The big kids had fun playing a little basketball, and the little kids even had a game.  Annie was thrilled when Matt lifted her up so she could dunk it.

There was a lot of games played!

The little kids had fun with spike ball, and sweeping, and finding different places to sit.  Ryan was such a good helper pushing Molly on Ava's scooter.

New Year's Eve - We had an early countdown for Molly and Ryder before they went to bed. Then some watched a movie, and some played some games.  Blake and Jared went to sleep before midnight, Blake woke up just as I snapped this picture at 11:58.