Home Sweet Home

We kind of have a tradition of doing a New Year's Day hike with our friends Dave & Jenny. Adaira & Olivia and Dale & Owen are close in age and get along great - unfortunately we have very few friends with a child Brighton's age :( We went out to Phoenix where they live and hiked a small mountain near the new Glendale temple under construction. Brighton's officially got a pre-teen attitude. He loves to hate and find boredom with everything.  Dale did fabulous at the start of this hike, he went racing up the hill and was ahead of us for a while.  Love this handsome beast.  All the kids with the temple in the background. Dale was upset about something and wouldn't turn around for the picture. Simple pleasures at the end of our hike. The kids could have played on this bike rack for an hour. We enjoy our time with Dave & Jenny and are sad they live on the other side of town. We are glad we still get to see them a few time...

 As in the norm, the leaves don't fall off the trees until the middle of the winter, but when they do, Grandma & Grandpa Ellsworth's backyard is the place to be!  Dale is the hottest of all our kids. He must have a fast metabolism or something because he is always sweaty. He should live in a cold climate. Even in our cooler weather he hair gets matted to his head in sweat.   Great weather, a zipline, siblings and leaves  I love seeing the special little bond Daisy has with her big brother. He is so good to her. He does NOT like it when she pulls his hair though.  Dale has taken a liking to the Pomegranate tree. At the age of 4, pomegranates are best eaten shirtless.  Adaira is seriously always up for anything fun. She likes to try new sports, foods, you name it. Love her.  Dad came out to help them make a bigger leaf pile. Not related to the leaves, but Dale just cracks me up sometimes.

It wouldn't be Christmas without our annual family picture in front of the house! This turned out to be the best of all of our attempts at a family picture. Adaira insists on posing, whether it's spreading her dress in a curtsy or leaning on her brother, lol. The Evolution of an Owens Family Portrait "Adaira don't hang on your brother" "Brighton quit pounding Dale's chest! Dale quit trying to elbow Brighton! Justin quit passing gas! Adaira, your hands, again..." Dale trying to escape, Audra trying to threaten him to stop. This one looks almost perfect until you notice Brighton's "Doofenschmirtz" hands. Dale swinging, Daisy playing with the wreath. We love our kiddos, even if they all kept slowing walking toward us while we tried to snap pictures. Brighton and Dale, the younger brother who will undoubtedly outgrow him by the time he is 13. Tried to snap a few of Dai...