Recent Events

Now that trips and travels are through, we have been having some fun around here this January.  While I have not taken as many pictures as I should have, here are some fun times that we've had this last month.

When we got back from New Jersey, the boys and I were looking through all the pictures and Alan realized that he had missed out on a bit of fun when he had been asleep.  He insisted that we recreate the water bottle game and had a blast knocking them over.  (James liked to help with the knocking over too, much to Alan's dismay. :)

A very nice look :)

In other news, Alan started Sunbeams at church!  Can't believe he is such a big boy!

After one of our snowfalls.  Thankfully it has gotten warm enough between snows that it has melted (unlike our first winter here.)  Everyone except Alan likes the melting snow.  He was distraught when our snowman melted.

To celebrate Aunt Sarah's birthday we went with their family to the zoo!  You can't really see Mufasa here, but he is sleeping up there on Pride Rock.

Riding a cow

A zoo keeper's car that the kids could play on.

The gorillas were the biggest hit.  They were hilarious!

After the zoo we celebrated and had a delicious dinner with Michael, Sarah, and Micah.

Alan was so excited about the hats and was thrilled to bring them home.  James... not so much. :) 

Happy birthday Sarah!

On Martin Luther King Day, we went up to Lowell to see the mills etc.  Scott had the day off and the museums were free that day.

Alan was an intent weaver.  For one string.  Then he told me I could finish the rest. :)

And James had fun running around or more like running away.  He is at this stage now.  Yay.

A more sophisticated weaving machine that Alan learned how to work.

The looms themselves

Alan took this picture.  It was hilarious.  He would take a picture (pointed way too low- you could tell) and then look at it and say.... oh.  that is not a good picture.  He finally got this shot.  It was a very fun family day together.

The Whole Christmas Season

Well, I've been negligent in my posts, so I will now attempt an all-inclusive December/Christmas post.  And it is massive.  I probably should have split it up, but I didn't.  So here it is!!

Alan loved his candy chain this year.  Although he never seemed to understand the counting down thing, as he would ask for multiple pieces of candy from it every day.   Or maybe he understood and just really wanted the candy.

Gingerbread house that we made with our Waltham friends.

Christmas tree waffles were a hit.

We had a babysit swap and these kiddos randomly had matching pajamas!  They were so cute.

For Christmas this year, we went to New Jersey to spend time with my family.  It was a Foulk family reunion as every member of our family was there for a week.  We went down a day or so earlier than originally intended so that we could see the BYU bowl game.  And we were grateful we did. And also grateful that Kyle is coming back for his senior season.  It was quite a game.

Alan got right to work helping Grandma make her famous Christmas popcorn.

And then he got right to playing in the basement.

As did James.  Peek-a-boo!

Who then decided to help Grandma eat her popcorn.

And it turned out he was a pretty big fan.

A very full Christmas tree

Foulk family pic

And the stockings, of course

Alan became Marc's best friend.  And loved playing games on his tablet.  And was probably getting him sick in this picture as well. :(

We each made a square on this quilt for Great Grandma Foulk.  It was a fun project and turned out really cute.

Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus

Evan loved his gift from Marc.  The world's largest gummy worm!

A note on sickness.  Alan had some sort of weird stomach bug that managed to get almost everyone at some point during the vacation.  It was very slow spreading, and tended to take people in waves and then lie dormant for several days before striking again.  Alan was sick on Saturday night, and then James got sick on Christmas Eve a few days later and was sick on Christmas morning as well.  Eventually everyone except Mom, Dad, and Geoffrey got it.  :(  Sad times.

A fun photo before descending on Christmas morning. 

Traditional stair photo

Checking to see if Baby Jesus came.

Kind of excited about his gifts :)

And Jamesy liked his gifts too

He was really fussy all morning though.  It is just sad to see the pics of this little guy when he was sick. :(

Alan had the time of his life.

Dad, Evan, and Alan

But James was up and running again in no time and loving the horse.

And the slide.  (We are currently in this cheesy grin phase. )

Time for a little family basketball game.

The cheering squad

that really wanted to be playing as well.

The boys didn't get quite enough basketball, so they went out again later that night to play at the Moorestown building.  Randomly enough, Scott ran into his old college roommate, Boston, at the chapel.  Soooo random, but it was a fun reunion.

So we had tons of family game nights.  Lots of traditional card games, but also some fun family games as well.  Emily prepared rounds of Family Feud, Match Game, Chain Reaction, and Minute to Win it.

They were all extremely fun, but minute to win it produced the best photos. :)

I thought these guys were going to die.

Technically I won this, but if Geoff had been officially competing there would have been no chance!

Alan and Aunt Meg

Family photo on the lighted hay ride.

It was a really fun ride and the boys loved it, despite the cold.

We then went out to a yummy Chinese dinner afterwards. 

Jamesy flexing his muscles. :)

Oooooooooo!

Headbandz!! Evan got it for Christmas, but Alan absolutely loved this game.  And it was soooo funny to watch him guess.  A major highlight of trip.

Steph and Marc had the great idea to do family bowling!

Alan loved it.  Whether or not the bowling alley loved him is a different story.

And James had a lot of fun too.

He would clap for himself.  It was pretty cute.

The boys love Grandma!

Cheese!

And I just had to finish with a picture of Ginny.  James LOVED Ginny.  He would always walk up to her and say "hi!" in the sweetest little high pitched tone.  I mean, he would be mid tantrum, and someone would say... "James, where's Ginny?"  And he would immediately stop and go find her and say "Hi!"  And Ginny was really sweet and let him do it as well. :)

All in all a super fun trip. It was so great to be able to all spend some time together and despite the fact that people got sick, we had a blast!