The many faces of Erica (and Grandpas too!)

My 17 month old feisty girl!

Looking at pictures of Erica with her Grandpas made me think about these pictures of me and my Grandpa Mangum. My Dad kindly dug them up for you to compare and enjoy!

Erica and Grandpa Anderson

Erica and Grandpa Jolley

Me and my Grandpa Mangum

Erica and Grandpa Anderson

Me and my Grandpa Mangum

Erica and Grandpa Anderson

Erica and Grandpa Jolley

Conclusion: Little girls LOVE their Grandpas!

Hello, 2012

2012 started with a snowstorm! We had fun in the snow (except Erica)

And except for our van. I drove it into an electrical pole trying to go down a residential hill and around a roundabout in the snow. The bad news: It happened on the way home from church and my van was full of my kids and three friends I was taking home. So embarrassing. The good news: No one was hurt, we crashed in front of a friend's house who invited us in and served us pancakes (thanks, Kings!), and now my van is good as new.

Good-bye 2011

So glad to catch the Portland Jolleys at Grandma and Grandpa Jolley's house. Love these boys. Notice their super cute Duck jammies courtesy of Grandma.

And this adorable skirt is courtesy of Aunt Jenni.

Love for Grandma!

Battleship with Uncle Michael.

Back at home on New Year's Eve, we had quite the party with our good friends Athina and the Marquardts.

Here are the kids enjoying their Christmas gift from Grandma Anderson, Just Dance Kids.

Christmas!

Justin's Joy School Christmas nativity. They performed it at a retirement home. Adorable.

Justin was Joseph.

It ended up being really nice to have church on Christmas morning. I have to admit I grumbled about it a little bit, trying to decide how to handle the present opening. But of course, it was the perfect place to be: taking the sacrament, and feeling bathed in the Spirit, talking and thinking about our Heavenly Father's gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. I want to do it again next year! The kids were soooo incredibly patient and wonderful because they only opened their stockings before church. Then we raced home to open Santa and family presents. Here's some Christmas morning joy.

What is it?

Lucky to be invited again to spend Christmas evening eating delicious leftovers at the Hunt residence.

Thanksgiving

This is my first Thanksgiving Turkey! I'm just glad I didn't screw it up because I cooked it for a lot of people. It was yummy and nobody got sick. Athina and Darren and I planned Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves and three other families and we had a great little party at the church. We had the West family, Dean family and Balentine family. Everybody brought such great food! We brought the Wii and after dinner the kids played in one corner while the adults played card games in another.

Here's the whole crew.

So thankful for these little cuties!

Athina and I showing off our feast.

Cierra and me. I miss this girl! Haven't seen her in awhile.

I guess Darren was the photographer this day; he's not in any of the pictures! I'm pretty darn thankful for him too.

November

Halloween with Grandma and Grandpa Anderson

Halloween got even better with Grandma and Grandpa
Mmmm, cookies!

Halloween at School

Joseph at his school Halloween party decorating cookies.The whole school has a costume parade at the end of the day and I had to catch Luigi and Princess Peach next to one another. Too cute. Justin and classmates in their costumes at their Halloween party. Enjoy their recitation of their Halloween poem!