Grace getting a school award and backtracking to Grace's birthday Oct. 10, 2011

                          When my kids would get awards in school, I would feel so proud of them.
                 This year, Anna invited me to come see Grace receive an academic award at her
                 school.  When they were talking about what a good student she was, I just almost
                burst with pride, and it kind of surprised me.  I got a little teary, Im gonna admit.

                                                 Grace is the one on the far left

                                                  Sweet little Gracie Poo

                                                Grace on her 6th birthday with the yummy cake her
                                              Mom made.

                                                  A family shot

                                                 Little Jarom 

Julie's time at home before heading back for Winter semester 2012 AND Abraham's blessing in Alpine, UT

   It seems while Julie is home for either the holidays or during the summer, the action
   is non stop.  We have friends coming over all the time.  During Christmas break, Julie
  Elisa and Jenn recorded a song called "Hit the Lights" originally sung by Selena Gomez.
   This is Julie recording her part.

               One of the fun places for the kids to go hang out on, is the trampoline in the
               back yard.  They jump, they lay down and look at the stars and talk, and they've
             eve slept overnight on it.  from L-R  Lark Smith, Julie and Marissa Barnard

                                         Ellie, Julie, Marissa and Jimmy.  Ellie was saying her good-byes
                                      to some new found friends Julie and Marissa.  Jimmy drove the
                                      girls back up to BYU-I for Winter semester.  They left on Monday
                                      Jan. 2 and school started on Jan. 4, 2012

                Our family left for Utah on Dec. 31, 2011 so that we could be at Abraham's
                 blessing on Jan. 1-2012   He was blessed in the Hillside Ward in Alpine.  then
             we hustled over to Mark and Angie's ward to participate in Alexandra's blessing
             in Draper, UT.

Melissa's fall 2011 pictures of her kids

                                                  I LOVE how these pictures turned out of
                                             Stella, Sterling and Everett. 

                                      These were taken in October, 2011 (I think)

Christmas friend photoshoot and artist rendition

 Just before Julie was to head back to BYU-I for Winter semester, she and

her friends Elisa Haas and Jenn Sulcer decided to have a fun little photo

shoot.  After all, they had recorded a song, and needed to have pictures of

the group that sang it.  Elisa and Jimmy were showing off their photography

skills, which proved to be very good.  The top picture is the drawing that a

guy at BYU-I made after seeing Julie at a ward talent show, he looked at

her facebook, and liked her profile pic and asked if he could draw it.  The picture

was only half of her face, but he drew the whole thing.  I really think it

turned out nice.

                                                          Elisa, Julie and Jenn

                                                     The facebook profile picture that the drawing
                                                  was made from.

                                                            Julie

                                                 Girls just having some fun.