Thursday, December 25, 2008

Christmas with the Richards'

December is always such a busy time but we always try to do some fun family activities to celebrate the Christmas season. Here are some pictures from some of our activities.

Grandma Ellinger made adorable pajamas for all the grandkids.


Libby and Mallory with Santa (he sure does look a lot like Grandpa!) at the Ellinger family Christmas party

Helping Mom bake some yummy holiday treats.
We went on a fun wagon ride with some friends to see the Christmas lights at Thanksgiving Point

Decorating gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve





Christmas morning and Santa brought Princess bicycles!

Libby

Mallory

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Richards Family!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Summer Fun

This summer Libby, Mallory and I had a lot of fun doing lots of different activities. I wanted to make up for the lack of fun we had last summer when I wasn't feeling well. We went with some friends from the neighborhood to the weekly kiddie matinee at the theater in A.F. We had a season pass to Thanksgiving Point and there is tons of stuff to do there like visit thd Farm Country, Children's Discovery Garden and the dinosaur museum.
Some of us moms in the neighborhood have formed a group called "Mommies On the Go" and we did monthly activities with our kids. We went to an Owlz baseball game, had a water fun day, and played at the Noah's Ark fountain at Thanksgiving Point.
Here are a few pictures from our fun summer.

Noah's Ark fountain at Thanksgiving Point. Libby in green and Mallory in red.


Water Day at Willow Springs



In front of the Movie with Blake Sanderson. We also went with Ethan and Emilee Dawdy but they couldn't make it the day I actually remembered my camara. Libby in purple Mallory in Pink.

Having fun with cousin Ellie at Thanksgiving Point farms.



Monday, July 14, 2008

4th of July

On the 4th of July we just stayed here at Willow Springs. The morning was pretty uneventful, which is how Shawn likes it because it is done of the few days that he can really relax. But that evening we had a BBQ with some of our friends and neighbors. When the sun started to go down we blocked off the road in front of our house and did fireworks. They were not quite as good as Stadium of Fire but at least we didn't have to fight the traffic.

The girls having fun making faces.


Libby likes the front-row action!


Fireworks in action!

Monday, June 30, 2008

Ralph & Penny Richards 50th Anniversary




June 21st was Ralph and Penny's 50th Anniversary. We (all the Richards children) had been busy planning this for the six months to a year. So starting Friday afternoon the whole Richards clan started congrigating in Evanton for the big celebration. The first activity was a round of golf for all the boys. Which is their favorite thing to do when they get together. I am sorry to say that my poor husband Shawn came in last with a 94. Better luck next time Shawn. That evening we had a BBQ and the kids all had a great time playing with their cousins.




On Saturday morning all the women went to breakfast and the men stayed home and watched the kids. Uncle Ken made his famous thin pancakes (the Ellinger's know them as crepes).





For the four of us who went out to breakfast it was so nice not to have little people there hanging on you. We had a great time talking and laughing.

I was planning a surprise the Ralph and Penny so that afternoon when everyone went to the park to play and have lunch I said I was tired and wanted to lie down at the hotel before the big party that night. But instead of laying down I really was going back to decorate a cake for them. It was a replica of their wedding cake.





Last year when we first started talking about what we wanted to do for thier anniversary I knew I wanted to make a cake for them. But I was worried that it would be out of my relm of ability. So when a few months later we came across a picture of their cake I was very excited that it didn't look to difficult. Though I must say trying to decortate it in a hotel room made it a little more intersting, because I knew if somthing went wrong there was no way I could fix it. Thankfuly it all turned out ok.



Meanwhile at the park their was a big baseball game going on. I think this was the first time Libby and Mallory got to really play. Even Tracy got in on the action and she is due to have her baby anyday.









That evening was the big celebration at the Bear River Restaurant. We had dinner there and then all the grandkids each did a musical number. Libby and Mallory sang and signed "I Am A Child Of God" and then the theme song from Scooby Doo. I am sorry to say they did a better job on Scooby Doo. I guess you can see where our priorities are.





Probably the highlight of the evening was the DVD that Shawn and his siblings had put together of their life and years together. We also had them cut the cake and feed it to eachother. It was a great weekend and fun to celebrate their years together.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Mallory Gets an Eye Full

I was asked to work on Friday morning for a couple of hours so I could assist in a couple of surgeries. I told them I would but I would need to bring Libby and Mallory with me. It was an early morning for us, it wasn't fun having us all up and ready to go by 5:45am. Well the first surgery was a vasectomy. I did bring a bag of toys and things to try and occupy them while we were there but Of course Mallory did not want to be away from me so she kept coming into the room where the surgery was being performed. So here her mom was, having to apply pressure to "the area" with one hand and try to shoo Mallory out of the room with the other. Thank goodness the poor guy was out cold. I'm sure he would not have appreciated a four year old witnessing this "sensitive" time in his life. The moral of this story is don't bring your children to work with you or they may see and hear things that they shouldn't at such a tender age.