New Year's Sledding

Some traditions are hard to shake! One of those at our house is the New Year's sledding activity on Bemis Hill. This has been going on for at least the last 7-8 years, maybe even more. When we moved to Roseau, it was a yearly Young Men/Young Women activity that they invited the branch to. Now it has just turned into a straight Branch activity. And the kids LOVE it. Especially when it's not -20 like it was last year.

 Sledding isn't the same without lots of food to share.

 Ethan was too hot and shed his coat first thing.

 Sister DeKay and Brenden

 The Elders showed up at 10 a.m. - they didn't get the memo that 10 really means 11:30.

 Eli went up and down the hill so fast, I barely caught any pictures of him.

 Here's Ethan's ride

 Getting funner...

 Even catching some air

 And the crash at the end.

 Not sure if Olivia can see or not...

 Elder Woolley decided to spin his sled beforehand

 And ended up like this

 And then this.

 This little girl has her Daddy wrapped!

 Not long after this, hoards of other people started showing up...I guess everyone else realized how fun New Year's at Bemis can be (or maybe it's just because it was 26 degrees this year and not -20 like last.)

Check off another successful year of sledding - may not make it back until next New Year's!



Christmas Time

It was looking like Christmas around here long before it really came. I took some pictures to help Lilly who couldn't be here to enjoy it with us. 

 It's funny to me how decorations have become traditions in our family. I can't change much of anything or I hear about it from the kids.

This year though, Steven helped me cut down a couple birch trees so I could do a display on the front porch. I think I'll make that become a tradition!

But the day finally came! Mom and Dad came downstairs to the kids with cartoons on - I guess that was the only way they could handle waiting to open presents. After a meal of cinnamon rolls and eggs, we got to it. Not very many of the family wanted to be photographed at that time of the morning, so I only managed to get one of each.

Olivia had a huge grin all morning.  She got gum in her stocking from Santa like she'd wanted. That was about the only thing she asked for. She got some doll furniture which she took everywhere with her all day, clothes, and some number bots.

Love the photo bomber in the background! Leah got mostly clothes - sweaters, boots and a new coat.

 Everyone had on their new pj's they opened on Christmas Eve. Eli also got a filled tackle box like Ethan, Mastermind, socks - he was ecstatic, and some clothes.

 Alex loves to have his picture taken! He got some clothes, flashlight, gloves and a trail camera.

 Ethan got his legos he wanted, as well as a tackle box with lures, a 1000 piece puzzle, some clothes and a warm coat.

 Here are Leah's boots.

We also got a super fun game from the Gunnells that is so addictive it has taken up many hours of our days since.

The family also got an air hockey table that barely fits in the hallway upstairs. It converts to a ping pong table, and has been a fun addition. We wish we had more room to put it, but it works for now.

 Leah sacrificed herself to retrieve the hockey pucks and ping pong balls as they fell.

Merry Christmas 2015!