Christmas 2011 - Phase Two

The Openshaws came the day after Christmas. We went to the San Diego Zoo on the 27th along with most of SoCal!

The cute Openshaw family enjoying the animals but mostly the 75 degree weather!

Libby loves elephants...ask her what they say!

Cute Max

Christmas 2011 Phase One

The Mitchell Clan came for Christmas! We went to the Ritz Carlton to check out their decorations and enjoy the beach view. The weather was wonderful.
A few of the Mitchells in front of the gingerbread sailing ship

Didn't someone tell Libby you couldn't touch (or eat) it?

We went out on the balcony for a great view of Salt Creek Beach. A few minutes later we were treated to some frolicking whales right off shore!

Mitchells (minus Brit) at the Ritz entrance

The finished project - lots of sugar cookies!

Trevor with one of his masterpieces

That's a lot of cookies to decorate!

One of the few of Terrys he didn't eat!

Just trying to get Libby to look at the camera and smile at the same time!

Ready for Christmas Eve

Since the Cardons couldn't join us we all crammed into one room and table. Cozy !

The other end of the table

Becky and Brad made a wonderful Christmas Day dinner for our small group again. The Mitchells went to Erics moms and then went home. We miss them already!

A little gift from Jen for Christmas!

Thanksgiving and Sea World

The Macbeths hosted our very small group for Thanksgiving. They did a great job!
Ready to dig in!

Wednesday Becky, Libby and I went to Sea World. Libby loved it!

She loved watching the shows and loved making fishy faces!

Sea World was ready for Christmas

Libby loved the new Turtle Reef for an upclose look at the fish

Brit's graduation

Last week our neice, Brittani, graduated from the University of Phoenix
The graduate and her proud parents, Eric and Tammy

Way to go Brit!

No pictures but plenty of news

We just got back from helping Jen and her family pack up their home for the big move to Montana. It was very sad as they had made so many wonderful friends in the short year they were in Clarkdale. They had a ton of people come over to help and the job went as well as could be expected.
We did get to go to Ty and Syds last soccer games and it was fun watching them but sad when they had to say goodbye.
The truck, minivan and Tahoe headed to Amy's house in Provo Sunday morning. Becky, Brad, Libby, and we got to go to Bearizona outside of Williams, Ariz. Jen had a free pass and it was so fun. We drove through many animal enclosures and got to handfeed burros and watch as blackbears walked right up the road to us! It is a really cool place.
The lack of any pictures is because I am an idiot! We had great moving pictures, snow pictures, and animal pictures that I deleted!!! Jen and Becky didn't take any pictures because I took so many! I am an idiot!
I know the Stewarts will make wonderful friends in Billings but I sure wish it was a heck of a lot closer!

A cute ladybug and her big announcement

Sorry she is blurry but she was the cutest ladybug and even though she didn't know what candy was she loved trick or treating!

Libby with her boyfriends, Ian and Zeke!

The results of our pumpkin carving contest. Mikes bear and Brits ghosts won!

And the big announcement....Libby will be a big sister mid-May. Yeehaw!

Pumpkin carving time

Remember when I took pictures of her every week on my bed? She is so big now and it will be fun to take her brother or sisters pictures before we know it.

Check one off my Bucket List

I have wanted to Bike the Bridge in San Francisco since I saw it was possible last year. It seems I had a few other family members who thought it would be fun too. The Openshaws came for their Fall break and we all met at Tammys house in Sacramento then over to SF for the adventure.

What a crazy gang - 15 of us in all. Ellie made it all the way even though she had to pedal like crazy. Max was in his seat on Amys bike and Libby loved her trailer.

We just wish the Stewarts could have joined us but as the Openshaw boys said "they got to go on a cruise and we didn't"!

The Openshaws at the half way point. We rode into Sausalito and some rode back across while the rest of us took the ferry back. It was great and I'll go again anytime. The perfect weather made it perfect!

Mark found a good deal at the Hilton in the Financial District. This was the view from one side of the hotel.

Chinatown was right across the street so we did a little shopping, visited the fortune cookie factory, and Uncle Eric introduced the boys to Hercules poppers - WOW!

We had to ride the cablecars and rode the trolley too!

This adventure all started when Emily Oster asked Becky to be a bridesmaid and invited Terry and I to the wedding too. It was a beautiful wedding at the Flood Mansion.

We went to the Palace of Fine Arts before the long ride home. It is so beautiful and right on the bay.

Cruising with the Stewarts

We were lucky and got to spend the week with the Stewarts cruising The Carnival Splendor down to Mexico. Due to the hurricane we went to La Paz instead of Puerto Vallarta. Will post pictures later of us swimming with whale sharks there!

Ty loved the slide and the soft serve ice cream the best! Summer got to bring her best friend, Leah, and she is an official Stewart now!

That is Ty, Jason, and me on the jetski in Cabo

The three amigos after their parasail

There they are way up there

On our way to swim with the whale sharks

Terry, Jen, Syd and I got to swim with Renoir (our dolphin). It was great. We don't have any pictures of Jason, Sum, and Leah on their great zipline trip....darn!