Pictures and Patience' 2nd Birthday

We get steady wind some days, so we tried flying a kite. The picture of Patience sleeping is her first night sleeping in her twin bed in Hunter's room. Gwendolyn has moved on to a Queen bed. Every night the children love to hear Marianne read them books. Patience got a lot of clothes for her birthday. Marianne made a catipillar cake for Patience out of cupcakes and licorice legs.

Picture Update

Here are pictures over the last couple months: Swimming at Becky's, Steve's Family Picture, Gwendolyn's Kipper Dog Cake, Ballet class positions, Snow-tubing at Big Bear, manmade snow, Grandma Goldthorpe's Birthday, California's one rainstorm this year, Snail fun, Hunter's Car, and Patience poses.

Fancy Cake

This cake was decorated by ward member for a baby shower with the theme of children's books. It has a marshmallow fondant frosting.

Portraits from home

Gwendolyn began ballet class this month.
 

Christmas

Gwen is singing in her pre-school class' Christmas party where she is wearing a macaroni necklace. Our niece Elise came to visit my parents after she returned from her mission serving in Temple Square. Gwen wore a cute red Christmas dress to our ward Christmas dinner. We took a picture of an Elf sleeping with our children. Hunter looks forward each year to having a train under our Christmas tree.

Marianne enjoys preparing Christmas cookies for neighbors and home/visit teaching families. We invited two ward families, my parents and sister Diane to our home for a Christmas Eve dinner. Hunter showed my Dad our current train setup. We added HO track and buildings to the train table. Steve bought used trains from Ebay in 2012 and thought Hunter was old enough to start working with the smaller trains.

Patience got a coat for Christmas. If she loses baby fat, she may be able to wear it a little longer. Gwen got a hair styling doll which Marianne and Gwen will have fun playing with. Marianne put together a puzzle on Christmas day, which Steve purchased at the Boeing aviation museum in Seattle.

Merry Christmas

Halloween, Thanksgiving and early December

We have posted pictures for Halloween, Thanksgiving and early December. Hunter and Gwendolyn had halloween parties at their school and church. We also visited Steven's parents on Halloween and Steven's sister Phyllis and nephew (Wesley) were there.  

The day before Halloween, a bathtub glass door shattered while Gwen was in the bathtub.  All the pieces fell into the bathtub and as Gwen moved, she got cuts on her legs.  We are thankful that it was not more serious.  Gwen thinks the first major rainstorm is a little chilly.

We went to Steven's sister Diane's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  We got a Thanksgiving gift package from a neighbor we are befriending.  Marianne has fun with the children by having elves in the house before Christmas.  Marianne was in charge of decorating for the Relief Society Christmas brunch and chose a candy cane theme.