Yep, Disneyland otra vez

This time we got to go with extra family members! Yea!Before the trip Elise talked non-stop about taking Grandma and Grandpa on the Ariel ride. Boy was she excited when she finally go to!

Disneyland - HOORAY!!!

A good effort at the sword in the stone.

The girls on a Davy Crockett canoe.

Not bad paddling for a two-year old.

Isis got the most soaked on Splash Mountain. Good thing there was a princess dress to change into. :)

Not particularly interested in prince charming's kiss.

The fast tea cup group...

The Mommy-speed tea cup group...

We can't get enough of the Happiest Place on Earth.

A Girly Morning

The girls LOVE to paint their finger and toe nails. Isis is "Ooo"-ing over Elise's painting job.

Elise insists on doing things on her own... or at least like her big sister.

Mr. CHP turns 33

What a handsome birthday boy. :)

He gets excited about presents too.

Time to clean?

I decided it was time to dust after finding this most recent name practice. :)

Isis the Riviter

We found some overalls and couldn't resist. :)

In Memory of Grandpa

France Marion Willis

1 May 1918 - 16 January 2012

I feel like anything I say is inadequate. Christmas was my last time seeing and talking to him. Giving him a hug then, I knew it was the last. Does knowing death is coming make it any easier? I'm not sure it does. However, since Grandpa Willis lived for 94 years it means that his death wasn't tragic, just sad. The week Grandpa died I cried often and was frustrated that my knowledge and testimony of the plan of salvation wasn't bringing me more comfort. But it was. I was just grieving for the grandparent I've been closest to. At his funeral I gained the closure I needed with the distinct impression that my sorrow was swallowed up in the joy of Christ. That is yet one more blessing of the Atonement. How could I get by without the gospel in my life?

But the missing him still hurts.

Almost all of Grandpa's posterity attended the funeral. Five children, 22 (of 24) grandchildren, and 5 (of 8) great-grandchildren were there. And, although it was a funeral, since it was a Willis gathering there was still a lot of laughter.
Elise meeting & playing with two 2nd cousins. (My cousin's kids, is that how that works?)

I am grateful my girls were able to know him. A man who grew up on the backstreet of Snowflake, Arizona, witnessed the events of Pearl Harbor firsthand as a missionary, built homes and churches in support of his family, and one who was full of memories, poems, and stories that no one else could tell in quite the same way.

My wonderful grandfather will be greatly missed and always remembered.

Images from Christmas

We spent Christmas in Tucson with my family this year.

Our Willis "family tree" :)

Gwin Family Christmas picture

Another demonstration of my mother's amazing seamstress talents. My lucky girls...

Never to young to learn to shoot, right? Not in this family.

Getting ready to play in the snow. Elise reminds me of a Smurf in this hat. :)

Trampoline fun

Trying to pry the candy off her gingerbread house...

Finally succeeding...

Biggest News First

If we somehow missed telling you... We are having another baby GIRL!!! She's due to show up July 7th. Isis and Elise have each chosen a name on their own: Ava and Aubrey, respectively. Both are pretty confident in their choices and argue about it if one hears the other tell someone the "wrong" name. (I'll have to post a video later of that.)
With this being number 3, the ultrasounds actually look like more than a white mess to me. And I am fascinated everytime I get a glimpse of her, especially live when she's moving around.
If you can't tell, that's her face with her hand up by her face.

I love baby hands...

and feet!

We're so excited!

It's Coming...

A catch up post is coming... but this is not it. I'm just getting everyone geared up to read about our last, oh, 5 months. Excited aren't you? :)

Disneyland - again!!

Okay, I know I don't have to post about every time we go. Maybe I'll just mention it in passing next time. But we just have so much fun! Jeremy bet me I couldn't write about Disneyland without posting more than 10 pictures. So just to prove him wrong... here are my favorite six. :)
Isis SUPER happy and excited to meet Rapunzel.
Remember a few posts ago what I said about Isis and the tea cups? Here's proof.

Elise saying "Arrrrr" as a pirate on Tom Sawyer's island.

My FAVORITE picture. Isis went with Jeremy on a roller coaster and Elise and I went on the Ariel ride. I asked if she was excited. Did she need to say anything? :)

Still excited to go AGAIN with her big sister. :)

Something Different

We happened to see a balloon "festival" mentioned in the our little southwest paper and thought that would be cool. We were pretty wiped out from Disneyland but made it to the balloon glow. Pretty neat.
Yes, they're in winter coats and it's probably only 60 degrees... but this is Vegas people.

Pretty.

November Outing

Red Rock is one of our favorite places to go.

Hanging out in the comfortable "Daddy cave."

We usualy hike/climb to "wave rock." It's a cool rock and we've never seen anyone else remotely close to it. It's like our own Red Rock secret. If you come to visit we can take you there sometime... blind-folded of course. :)

See, there are pretty places in Nevada. :)

Sewing projects

These are two of my recent ones. I only have about 10 more I want to do that are waiting for me in the sewing/guest/playroom.
I like how this one turned out.
I read an article a while ago that basically said no one knows geography anymore. I immediately resolved that my children would not fall into that category. Naturally, the best way to begin teaching geography is with a quilt...

Yep, I'm a weirdo. And I'm surprisingly okay with that.

Not a great quilting job but it's fun AND educational. :)