End of 2013 and Beginning 2014

We have had lots of fun with different family and friends since Halloween (the end of the last post)  Our biggest adventure was our trip to visit Amanda’s Family over Thanksgiving.  This trip started by driving to SLC for Kayla’s first treatment since moving out west.  It was scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving.  Amanda went in with Kayla, and I got to wander around downtown SLC with Glenn. The doctor in SLC was more aggressive with the treatment than the Dr. in Ohio, so when Kayla came out of the OR, we were all shocked at how different it looked.

After picking up Amanda’s sister along the way, we went out and stayed the Thanksgiving Holiday with Amanda’s more local family.  We enjoyed her sister’s well done inaugural Thanksgiving hosting as a married lady, and lots of just general visiting.  Pictures show some of what we did there.

When we got back we got everything ready for Christmas, decorating, etc.  Glenn really loved the decorating.

Glenn decorating tree with glee

We also got to celebrate Glenn’s birthday with his grandma as well.  Amanda got really into his cake and made a fire truck (one of Glenn’s favorite things)

We got really into some of Glenn’s gifts for Christmas since now that he is older, he is beginning to show some real preferences.  We got him a “Thomas the train” set and a tricycle.  He has been all over them the last couple of weeks.

After Christmas a niece on the Bingham side was baptized, so we were able to attend it.  It was nice to have our kids interact with them.

Then after the new year (for which we stayed at home watching a movie) we celebrated Kayla’s birthday.  She enjoyed her cake, but did not get as messy as Glenn (no matter how hard WE tried).

Now some miscellaneous pictures of us and the kids that didn’t fit in other places above,

Glenn playing with the big boxes we get with packages.

Glenn & Kayla spinning (Glenn loves it but Kayla doesn’t

Glenn & Kayla after being spun in the office chair

Glenn playing out in our backyard in the snow.

Glenn playing with his car rug he got for his birthday

Glenn & Kayla with the completed Christmas tree for Christ that Grandma Evans made for us.

Amanda with her new curly hair (she got a hair “deep waver” (whatever that means)). and she really likes it.

Through Halloween

Here in the Magic Valley one of the most striking landscapes if the snake river gorge.  We traveled to visit it one day and did some walking around.  It is impressive and beautiful, but a little nerve racking with a little boy that wants to climb up to the top of the barrier fences.

We also went to see Shoshone Falls, which is taller than Niagara falls (though not as wide nor near as much water).  I was another beautiful scenery.

In the same trip we stopped by the Twin Falls Temple grounds and walked around a bit, as we had not been there yet.

Later in the summer there were several heavy rainstorms, that made big puddles in our apartment parking lot.  Glenn hadn’t really been able to play in the puddles before, now he is a big fan.

In August they had “Optometry Appreciation Day” at work, as part of the corporation.  It was nice and they got a cake from the bakery.

Over Labor Day Weekend, we went and visited some of Amanda’s family.  It was nice to see them again, and see the kids together.

In September, my parents moved closer, and I helped out with the move.  I flew out to their old house, and helped drive out to their new house.  Then we helped move their things in.  Since then, we have helped several times getting things organized and up in the house. (here is Glenn in the new house, he really loves going to “grandpa’s” house.

Kayla has been growing and moving a lot since last post.  She crawls like a pro, and has been climbing stairs, and pulling herself anyplace she can.

Glenn has been talking more and more, and now he actually puts small sentences together. (Too bad we don’t have any good videos of this-he gets camera shy when we try to record him, but on his own, he will hardly stop talking)

Amanda celebrated her birthday with a pumpkin cheesecake (reviews were not so good though).  Paul Celebrated his birthday with a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake (reviews were really good for this one)

For Halloween, we expanded last years costumes (which were 100 acre woods characters, being Winnie-the-Pooh, Eeyore, Rabbit, and this year we added piglet)

We also had a few days/week where there seemed to be a lot of spiders in our house, and since Amanda absolutely hates spiders, we had quite the drama in our house.

Misc pics