High Desert Museum

On Christmas Eve Jeff went fishing and I decided to take the boys to the High Desert Museum. We have a membership there and they have a butterfly exhibit that I have been wanting to take the boys to visit. Bryce loves to see the bobcat too! I didn't get many pictures because as hard as it is to believe, the butterflies stayed still longer than the kids.

Look at that Snow

After Thanksgiving we went sledding in the Ochocos with the McLean family. While there, we decided to look for our Christmas tree. We knew it would be a little early but with the amount of snow already in the mountains we figured we better get it while we still could.

Cayden was already in the truck with his shoes and socks off.
Lots of snow

Macee not wanting to sled. She spent the afternoon eating snow.

Jeff and Bryce on their first run down. They blazed a trail through fresh powder and got some snow in the face. That didn't make Bryce happy but he was ready to go again.

Post Thanksgiving

Cayden and Erin Crofcheck had a Cupcake decorating contest for Thanksgiving. They each came up with a design and had some people judge to see whose design was the best. Erin won but both designs were good. Cayden had done a better job on his "practice round" a couple weeks before.


Here is a picture from earlier Thanksgiving afternoon. Bryce and Cayden were watching Nemo when we came around the corner and there was Bryce - snoozing away. If only we could get him to eat turkey every night before bed.

This is a kid that isn't what anyone would call a "sleeper" and here he is in the middle of the day zonked out watching a movie. It was truly a first.

Our Thanksgiving Tradition

I posted last year about our Thanksgiving tablecloth tradition but thought I would post again. Each year for the last 5 we have taken a fabric marker to a white tablecloth and have written what we are thankful for. Cayden's list the last two years was VERY long (which I think is a good thing). I think we have a couple years left before we will need to get another tablecloth and a new set of markers (Bryce has given the colors quite a beating the last two years).

P.S. Bryce's list includes family and Corey (his babysitter and MUCH more) and Hogan (Cayden's BFF). The "are you happy" is what Bryce asks us when he has been in trouble. He will say, "mommy, are you happy?" Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes it is no.

Happy Thanksgiving

Jeff enjoys a traditional Thanksgiving meal and it is a good thing he likes to cook so that he can have it. I have never attempted to cook a turkey and I remember early in our married life I suggested we have lasagna or pot roast for Thanksgiving and he looked at me like I was crazy. From then on, he has made the turkey and much of the fixin's. I certainly have that to be thankful for EVERY year.

At dinner with Bryce enjoying his turkey leg.
The boys with "the spread". Jeff smoked the turkey this year -YUM.

Great picture of the boys. Bryce is drooling as usual.

Cayden is waiting patiently. He is "soooo hungry".

Bryce sampling some vegetables.

Cayden's Accomplishment

Cayden has become addicted to all things Harry Potter including the books. He has already made his way through the first two books and two weeks ago we finally found the third book at Goodwill. He started reading it as soon as we got back in the car and 6 days later he FINISHED it. He is a reading maniac. Let me assure you that he also had chores to do, piano to practice, and homework to complete. AND, we made him play outside too (we are THAT mean). After he finished it he took an AR Test (for school and it measures comprehension) and scored a 95%. It was a 435 page book for goodness' sake and has a reading level of almost 6th grade. He may not look anything like me but he did get something from me - his love of reading!

What Bryce said

Last night we had Chicken and Dumplings for dinner and when Jeff asked Bryce if he "was ready for Chicken and Dumplings" Bryce said yes, "he wanted Chicken and Ducklings". And all through dinner he kept calling them ducklings.


Cayden has an Indiana Jones Wii game and Bryce likes to "play" too. However, ever since Aunt Anne's wedding in Maryland Bryce has taken to calling Indiana Jones "Auntie Anna Jones".

Love that little pest!