Robins' Spooktacular!

This year we held the first ever Robins' Halloween Spooktacular.  I sent out invitations to all the ghosts and goblins inviting them and their parentals to join in the fun.

We gathered at the appointed hour and busied ourselves creating monster  and witch hat cookies, bone bread rolls, and jack o'lantern pizza for the little people.

While our dinner was cooking, we colored and cut eyes in paper rolls and loaded them with glow sticks to put spooky eyes in Grandma's bushes while we trick-or-treated.  All too soon the parentals arrived bringing with them our costumes and lots of hungry appetites.  We enjoyed our pizza while they ate chili and bone bread.

 After dinner we donned our costumes and lots of pictures were taken!  Welcome to our zoo--a giraffe, elephant, and monkey with a princess to enchant us and Spiderman to defend us!  We set off for a fun night of trick-or-treating with our parentals!  Returning home about an hour later with full treat buckets and treasured cousin memories!  Happy Halloween everyone!

Easter Egg Hunt 2012

Enjoying the sunshine, family and each other!

Easter Sunday was a a beautiful spring day.  We gathered as a family for our first dinner outside in the sunshine.  After a great meal of pulled pork sandwiches, chips, tossed green salad, and strawberry shortcake it was time for the annual Easter egg hunt.                

The hunt is on!

Shyann sporting her Easter tattoo finds an egg.

The eggs were hidden and each participant had to find 6 eggs (one of each color) with their specific initial on it.  It was fun to watch the older ones help the younger ones find their eggs!

Ready, set, roll!

After everyone found an egg of each color with their initial on it, it was time for the large egg roll.  They gathered at the top of the hill, waited for the start signal, and then the race was on!

Zac's egg breaks open!

 Zac's face was priceless as his egg burst open halfway down the hill.  Once he was told that the goodies inside were his, his smile appeared and he dug into the loot!

Brad and Shae Hunsaker check out their eggs.

The adults each got a bag of Cadbury eggs and I-tune gift cards.  Brad got a dvd of Phantom of the Opera to help him prepare for his upcoming role next year in the BYU musical.

The Everett Clan
Shyann, Tina, Ashton, Rick, Alex

The Bradshaw Family
Katie, Taylor, Mark and Zac

We took advantage of the sunshine to take family pictures.  It was so fun to have everyone in the family share this celebration!

Mark blowing up 2 punch balls at once!
Not sure he realized how it looked when he started!

As Mark began to demonstrate how much "hot air" he had the two punch balls began to grow!  We asked him if he realized what it looked like!  He nearly inhaled the punch balls as he began to laugh!  Simple dollar punch balls provided an afternoon of great fun!

Punch Ball Wars!

Our greatest Easter Blessings
Ashton, Taylor, Alex, Shyann, Zac

It is hard to believe that we are "grandparents"!  Where does the time go?  How blessed we are to have such wonderful children and beautiful grandchildren.  We are grateful that they live close and are willing to make the effort to join in family celebrations!

It is hard to believe that the births of Alex and Taylor nearly doubled our number of grandchildren.  They have brought such joy to our family, can't believe they have only been here a month!

Our family is truly the greatest blessing in our lives!  We are proud of the great individuals and parents they are and the beautiful children they are raising.

Shyann;'s First Ballet Recital

Shyann has spent the past year taking ballet lessons from Creative Arts Academy in Bountiful, Utah.  Tonight they had their annual ballet recital at Bountiful High School.  She was a Bluebird in the tale of Cinderella.  What a beautiful bluebird she was!  Her smile lit up the stage!

Our favorite bluebird in costume!

On stage with Cinderella at dress rehearsal the bluebirds are practicing spreading their wings!

On stage at dress rehearsal.

 I wasn't able to get any pictures during the performance but did manage to snap this one of her curtain call!  We were so proud of our little dancer.  Being on stage performing can be a bit intimidating at the tender age of 6 but she was beautiful!

The Bluebirds bow for their curtain call.

 After the show Shyann was radiant.  She was so excited to get two bouquets of flowers--one from each of her grandparents!  She is a beautiful little ballerina!

A ballerina and her roses!

Winterfest 2012

We bought tickets to see Brad and the Young Ambassadors perform at the LDS Conference Center Theater at Winterfest for my parents, and the girls and their spouses as part of their Christmas.  To go along with the tickets I invited everyone to come to dinner before the show.  Brad called on Wednesday and said he was in need of children to be in the show and asked if Shyann was coming.  He wanted her to be the "princess" in the first act.  I went online and got her a ticket.

With the birth of Alex last night, we lost Tina and Rick for dinner but Rick brought Shyann over for dinner and took Ashton home for the night.  After dinner, Katie and Mark drove Shyann to the theater so she could do a quick run through.  We followed about 30 minutes later with my parents.

Shyann and Uncle Brad backstage before the show.

Shyann was all smiles as she played the "princess" role in the show.  Her eyes sparkled as Brad came on stage as a tree and smiled down at her.  She was glowing as they placed the glittering crown on her head at the end of the number.  It was such a special moment for her.

Shyann with Alexis Flake, her stage mom

A princess and her prince!

After a great show and a fun night with family, Shyann came home with us for a "sleepover" at grandma's.  It was a special evening with family.

Happy Halloween Haunting!

What fun I had seeing the many ghosts, witches and goblins that came trick or treating on Halloween. About 8 p.m. I was greeted by a beautiful princess, Shyann and Ashton, her brave dragon. They were all smiles and eager to explore "Grandma's treat cauldron". We took pictures of the duo, heard all about their adventures trick or treating Main Street in Bountiful, and then enjoyed some Halloween pie--double cream blueberry! As Princess Shy put it--"it was really yummy!

I am so grateful to live close to our family so we can share these precious moments!