a long overdue update...

we are so lame! it has been too long since we have updated this thing and i am starting to get grief for the lack of pictures depicting grandchildren. so here is a brief(?) set of pictures since september. i will then try to be more diligent about updating our blog in a more timely manner... enjoy!

ana turned 7 in july! she is growing like a weed!

our summer ended by being contacted by our niece ashlee we hadn't seen in 8 years. we are so happy to have her back in our lives. here are a few pictures with her.

aspen spent the night and vera read to her for a while in her room.

we of course spent some time in the mountains and took ashlee with us

in august joe's dad and stepmom came for a visit and brought joe's little cousin julie. we had so much fun spending time with them and getting to see julie!

more mountain pictures...

we are horrible parents! we took our kids to a college football party to watch the csu /cu game. they had fun! they learned the csu alma matter, they learned some drinking games and they made lots of new friends. oh and csu won! yay!!!

ashlee came over and was trying to teach ana how to skateboard.

on a sad note i ended my employment with the family i had been with for 8 years. i miss them very much but will continue to see them! the kids have grown so much over the years and i have been so lucky to be a part of it. i got a full time job with the school district working with kids with emotional disabilities. i love it! here is a picture of my last day at the ward's house.

here is a random cute picture of ana with our little friend rhys.

ana on mismatched outfit day at school.

the kids all played soccer in the fall...

vera got a trophy

we took our yearly trip to breckenridge in september. we had such a great time. here are some pictures...





here we are at bubba gumps for dinner. it was actually the first time i had ever seen forrest gump as it played on every tv in the place.

playing games at the hotel

rick and ana wanted to jump on the trampoline at nana and grandpa's, but nana told them they couldn't because there was snow on it. so they took it upon themselves to solve that problem. alex the dog was trying to help them. my parents have had her for 14 years. sadly she past away at the end of the year.

here are some sledding pictures!

we actually celebrated halloween at our friends dirt and jenn's as halloween happens to fall on their son rhys' birthday. we went to his birthday party and then we went trick or treating in their neighborhood.

rhys really liked ricky's costume. especially the lightsaber part.

vera was trying to look angry!

our nephew tyson is growing so big. here he is with my brother steve and kristin

vera spent an entire day with grandpa mike making green chile from scratch. she had so much fun and when they were done we all went over for dinner!

vera's booth at the science fair was really cool. she didn't want us taking pictures in front of all of her friends though.

ana and vera decided to feed rhys while he was visiting.

ricky played basketball in november and december. he loved it again.

okay... next up christmas pictures but right now i need a break so you will have to live with these for a little bit until i feel like sitting in front of the computer for a while again :)