WRESTLEMANIA WITH UNCLE JOSH

Uncle Josh is the best! And a visit is never complete without some wrestling and a little 3 against 1.

Josh is pulling in an unsucpecting victim by the leg

  

Austin keeps coming back for more

SPRING BREAK WITH OUR IDAHO GIRLS

Rebecca and Renee made the drive from Idaho to spend Spring Break in sunny California, stopping overnight in Parowan at Grama and Grampa Great's.  The cousins are having one big love-fest.  The only squabbles have been between siblings.  The weather has cooperated all week and the kids have had so much fun playing outside in the nice spring sun.  They even had sunshine at the usually overcast beach in Oceanside on Tuesday.  

Paige 8, Luke almost 7, Claire almost 6 Dylan 5 1/2,

 Reese almost 4, Austin 3 1/2, Skye 2

(We're missing Kaylee 6, Blake 4, and 3 week old Lincoln)

Luke is playing T-Ball and he was happy to have his cousins come watch his game. Melissa made the darling team banner.

Austin, Reese, Dylan and Claire
After Craig picked me up from the airport Sunday afternoon,  we went over to Greg and Melissa's for a fabulous Carne Asada dinner.  The kids are all playing so cute together, and they are so happy to be able to play outside in the nice warm weatther. 

 

Skye loves her Grampa.  She runs right past Grama straight to Grampa every time!

Bryant's are staying at Melissa's two doors down, and we get Renee and Skye with us. It is so nice to be so close at times like this and we can go back and forth. It has been fun for us to spend a little extra time with 2 year old Skye.

Skye being silly one night before bedtime. 

 This is her "say cheese" smile.

We decided to begin Craig's gala 60th birthday celebration a few days early. 

 He chose In N Out for dinner.

Craig recieved lots of fun gift cards, and a book "HOW TO RETIRE HAPPY, WILD AND FREE". He just made the big decision to wait and retire early next spring.

The girls made Butterscotch Torte and

 Oreo Torte for dessert.  Dylan seems amazed by the heat

 from those  60 candles.

Some of Craig's best girls. 

 

Renee even looks adorable while photo bombing.

Love these beautiful sisters. 

Sad for me, I hurt my knee before going to Monterey

 last week. No clue how it happened, but it's getting

 worse.   Alas, I had to miss the beach  because the

 day before I went  to the Dr.  He x-rayed my knee

 and found arthritis and bone spurs.  So. Not. Fun. 

Today I am blogging while everyone is at

Knott's Berry Farm.  It's up to Craig to do the

 appropriate spoiling while I sit at home on my

heating pad, trying to have a good attitude. . . .

A Visit from Josh and Krista

It was so nice to have Josh and Krista home for the long Veteran's Day weekend. 

Krista is finally looking pregnant and she looks beautiful. We had hoped they would be able to join us for Thanksgiving but the Army is giving Josh Wed and Thurs off instead of Thurs and Friday.  His schooling is so intense he cannot afford to miss any class.  So far he seems to enjoy it and is keeping up his grades. It was interesting to see him speak and read Persian Farsi.  He tried to do a little homework while they were here. 

They are so excited about their baby boy, due March 7.

We had a fun weekend: we did a little baby shopping at Carter's, saw Skyfall - the new James Bond movie, (which was great) and then we went out to dinner at Cafe Rio in Redlands.  To top off the evening, Krista and I were victorious, as always when we played Sequence, boys against the girls.  Craig and Josh wanted a rematch the next night and once again, the girls triumphed.  Jamie would have been so proud of us!

Before we knew Josh and Krista were coming, we had planned to watch the boys for Melissa on Friday while she was at her Ragnar Race in Las Vegas. They were a little shy at first but Aunt Krista won them over in no time. The boys all love the old Marble Works (that our kids loved) and let our expert Josh set it up. 

It didn't take long for the wrestling to begin. . .

 

Austin was so happy to have a turn

The face of this child is so darling! He is such a sweet boy!

Greg & Melissa came over for Sunday dinner.  It was so nice to have the chairs filled around our table. Craig and I miss those glory days before eveyone moved to all parts of the country.  We like the show "Blue Bloods" with Tom Selleck.  In every show they have a big Sunday dinner with the entire family and we always look at each other with a heavy sigh -  missing those sweet days. 

Ben, Rebecca and Nick all have firstborn daughters.  Josh and Melissa are the only two who will have firstborn sons.