New Year's Eve

Our thoughts and hearts were with Darren and the Roos family today. Darren was able to fly up to Idaho for his Grandpa's funeral. We miss him! Back in AZ, we enjoyed a lovely dinner & evening of games. I wanted to have the New Years countdown @ 9 pm, but Grandma pleaded for the Grandkids to stay up. When I finally agreed to let them stay up until midnight, you would have thought I had given my kids the best present in the world.

Seriously.

Courtney got on the kitchen table and started doing the worm.

Not kidding.

How does she even know what that is?

It was hilarious. The games were great, the company was great, and I hope to always remember it.

Temple Lights

They still had the lights up at the temple, and we loved going even though it was after Christmas. Breathtaking. I feel such a spirit of peace just being near the house of the Lord.
My boys

Silly Auntie Rebecca can always get my kiddos riled up. She's a hoot and they love her dearly.

Awww...

Not to detract, but just wanted to let you know that isn't a headdress my Mom is wearing-- just some foliage in the background;)

Happy times!

Mangos with My Mama

My Mother's Birthday is in December, so we went out to celebrate. She was a bit... wary when we walked in the door, just because the atmosphere wasn't quite what she's accustomed to. All in all, she acquiesced and decided she had a great meal. {and yes, the walls are that green}
Dad enjoying some fried ice cream.

I dared Rebecca to try a Singin' in the Rain pose. Love it!

The Sherlock Cheesecake Workout

It sounded like a terriffic plan...

Park the car by the theatre.

Walk through the mall to Cheesecake Factory for some Godiva sinfulness.

Walk back through the mall to the theatre, plenty of time to spare, to watch Sherlock Holmes.

Yeah, only...

Yes, I am a bad influence, introducing my baby Sis to the wonder that is Cheesecake Factory:)

K, so, back to the story. When we finished our cheesecake, the doors leading back into the mall were locked!

Chandler Fashion is a HUGE, two story mall, and we were at the opposite end of it.

We power walked like crazy women outside, down a flight of stairs, through a few parking lots, climbed the rock wall by Sears, all the while thinking of dumb movie quotes to keep our minds off the fact that we were two women out alone very late at night. Bunch of crazies!

We made it just in time {missed the previews} and worked off our cheesecake in the process.

Yum. Not talking about the cheesecake here. Did I mention we saw it twice?

Visitors From the North

My Sister, Dad & Mom came down for a quick visit after Christmas. We had the BEST time! My dearest darling Seester, Rebecca, who had been up for days prior to this picture. She was starving, tired & so crazy fun to be with. She just finished putting together a "Jane Austen Ball" up at BYU-I {sounds magnificent, huh?} and was also just cast in a leading role in "South Pacific."

The second day she was here, we played duets on the piano for hours. We might have laughed a little more than we played.

Sweet Grandma Kathie. Lately she's been calling every night and the kids read her a chapter in one of their books. They love it. Here she and Courtney were singing songs from "Wicked."

This was my Dad's first visit to AZ. I was surprised that he enjoyed playing Wii with Alexander. They had a great time--I hope Grandpa's shoulder recovers!

Fun Cousins

The kiddos played so well together. Nathan & Alyssa are really sweet, great kids and we're going to miss them terribly! The girls both love coloring, books, animals & princesses
The boys set up multiple shooting galleries-- this one with a bow & arrow aimed at an empty can, and another with army guys & rubber bands. They both love sports, Ds, and being outside. {I love Nathan's "aiming eye"}
More food! {This one involving less calories than Thanksgiving}. The girls prepared a feast for Grandma, using food from Courtney's play kitchen.

Sun/Rain Devils

The boys went to an ASU game & the weather was crazy! First off, it was hot and they all got sunburns-- the next half it rained and they were freezing! They couldn't believe all the tailgate parties.

Wiiiiii

We were naughty and opened a Christmas present early. Mom was a good sport and humored us by bowling & boxing:)
Dad's turn-- check out that form!
I think the funniest part of the night was making Miis on the Wii.
Cami & Scott just bought a new home in Utah. It sounds beautiful & we can't wait to see it!

Giving Thanks

We were so lucky and blessed to have Darren's Mom, Dad, sister Cami & her family with us over the weekend. We had the best time, and the kids LOVED having their cousins visit. I thought this was such a sweet {I mean manly} moment. Darren & his Dad went out on the back porch and gabbed while they peeled potatoes.
Mom & Dad Roos-- so thankful for you!
Lovely dinner--Mom, Dad, Alyssa, Courtney, Nathan, Alexander, Scott, Cami & Moi. Darren insisted on taking the picture.
We did our Gratitude Box again this year & it was a hit. Delicious food, great company & laughter-- what more could you ask for?
Note to self: Never attempt to make rolls without contacts in... you just might miss an ingredient or two. Rolls were promptly thrown in the garbage-- luckily I had time to make some new ones:)

Sunday Fun

Adam & Michael made the trek to our house so the kiddos could play one more time before they headed back to Montana. Our church doesn't start until 2:00, so they were able to have lunch and visit for awhile. Proof that the kids had fun playing: Michael's flushed face:)
He is a "chicken monkey" boy! {His favorite insult}

Adam wanted me to take a picture of their fun rental car. Michael named it "Herbie." Alexander kept talking about the Pinewood Derby, and Michael kept correcting him, saying, "You mean Pinewood HERBIE!?!"

If You're Sick of the Dodgers...

Don't read this post:)We got a fantastic surprise this weekend! My bother, Adam, and his son Michael flew into town for the NCAA championships. They had a free day on Friday and wanted to see a Spring Training game. Please twist our arms some more...

Darren got us awesome seats on the front row of the Dodgers/Royals game. My brother and I are the same age for 2 weeks in March. He's 11-1/2 months older than me. My poor Mom. Adam is a doctor up in Montana. He said he'd never seen so many pairs of shorts in his life. It was perfect weather!
An umpire came and gave Courtney a foul ball. She was so excited, and kept saying, "Look what Blue gave me!" {We call the umps "Blue."}

And MANNY was out playing today. Three base hits-- way to go!
The boys looked awesome in their matching shirts. Michael is wicked smart and such a fun little cousin. Much of his relationship with Alexander is based on Nacho Libre. Needless to say, there are a lot of wrestling moves and "Anaconda Squeezes" when they play.

Brothers

Thanks so much for coming, Josh! Your wife and darling kids were so kind & unselfish to share you with us. We were happy to corrupt you by exposing you to Nacho Libre and warm winters:)

Playing Barbies

Courtney is always begging me to play Barbies with her. When Grammy came to visit, she became Courtney's new target. She was beyond thrilled when Grammy agreed to play Barbies with her.It was a darling moment and something Courtney will always remember.

Manny Mania!

We are die hard Red Sox fans, but when they traded Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Lowe & Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, our loyalty was divided. It has been a dream come true for Darren to be a part of building the Dodgers & White Sox Spring Training Facility in Glendale. He gives us daily updates of people he's seen and enjoys watching the players practice.
Tommy Lasorda is a regular out and about on his golf cart. He was out signing autographs, and would only sign things for kids. He said, "Ladies first!" and grabbed a ball from an eager fan with long hair {which happened to be a boy.} When told the "lady" was actually a boy, Tommy handed back the ball and said, "Go and get a haircut!" He signed Alexander's baseball!The Men: Grandpa Roos, Alexander, Darren & Josh @ Camelback Ranch

How do you spell spoiled?!? My kids! Grandpa & Grandma made Xander's day by surprising him with a Manny Ramirez t-shirt. The kid won't take it off.
And spoiled child #2. I guess she's been begging for this wicked ugly monkey for weeks. Grandma to the rescue. Courtney told us, "I just can't stop smiling!"
The big man himself-- Manny Ramirez made his debut at this game. The last time we saw him in person was at Fenway Park in Boston.
Grandma & Courtney cheering for our team. Yea!

Snowbirds

Darren"s Mom, Dad, & Brother Josh came out of the Idaho snow and down to the Arizona sunshine for a visit. The boys are big baseball fans, so they all went to some Spring Training games. The journaling here is Darren's domain...

Day @ the Duke

Darren took his Dad to our neighborhood golf course, The Duke. It was a perfect, beautiful morning to spend some time together on the green!