The Kandells: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

Dolphin Swim in Puerto Vallarta

I intend to get around to posting our Disney Cruise we went on over Christmas Break and New Years but since I have a few hundred photos, I thought I'd break it up a bit and post some of the highlights separate.

One of our favorite shore days on the Disney Cruise was the dolphin encounter and kids swim that Ady and Maxwell did.

They both claimed they only "might" touch the dolphin and neither wanted to actually ride on the dolphin but that changed as soon as the kids get on the water with the dolphins. It was awesome to see the kids get to feed, ride and play with the dolphins. They both have talked about it as one of their favorite things from the trip. So glad they loved it, and so proud of my brave kiddies.

Swim Kids Dolphin Swim in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

New Years Eve December 2011

Adyson age 6 and a half and Max age 4 and a half

Grandpa's Funeral

{Eric, Me and Adyson at Centerville Cemetary}

Last Friday was the funeral to celebrate the Life of my grandpa Stan Smoot. A wonderful man and a life that was well-lived. It was an honor to sing with all my cousins at Grandpa's funeral, as requested by him before he passed.

So many beautiful words were shared and stories than made us laugh and cry. I beautiful day, and a fitting tribute to his legacy.

Love unlimited Grandpa!

{my brother Spencer and I at the viewing the night before the funeral}

{all my siblings minus Elder Austin Smoot who is on his mission for 3 more weeks}

{our family with Grandpa's beautiful casket}

Starburst Christmas Party

Since I am so behind and December was such a busy month, I had no intention of going back and blogging EVERYthing that happened in December but Ady specifically requested this so her grandma's could see her Dance Christmas Party which we hosted. Ady is on the Starburst Team at The Dance Club which actually consisted for 3 levels, Ady is on the oldest level, so it wasn't just a party for her "ALL Starburst team" it was for the minis and small Starburst teams too. 36 girls in all I think from ages 4-7. So naturally we made it a dance party, moved all the furniture downstairs, had a DJ come and all the girls played games and danced the day away.

Ady was completely thrilled to play hostess.

We also had 2 of my favorite nail girls come and go Christmas manicures for the girls. Thanks so much to Ashlee and Kinzie.

And for Eric and our babysitteres Brooke and Jenny for helping me control the crowd.

The starburst teams with their coaches...

Kandell Christmas Party

{Kandell, Marsh, Lovell, Kesler, and Desatoff cousins}

{L-R Zach, Maxwell, Adyson, Isaiah, Easton, Lucy, Sophia,

Bjork, Venner, Avery, Saige, Oliver and Violet}

This year we have our first Kandell Christmas Party. Usually the only time everyone is all together on Eric's side of the family is the 4th of July in Ohio.

So it was fun that everyone was here the week before Christmas to get together. We had everyone over Friday the 23rd for dinner, treats and a little cousin gift exchange. When I sent out invites, I drew cousin names for each kids to buy for.

My kids loved this idea. And had lots of fun shopping for their cousins.

It was a fun night being all together and doing the things we love most... watching hte kids play and eating way too much.

The craziness of the gift exchange, 13 kids from age 1 to age 9.

It was a fun night and we are so glad our kids have such fun cousins and a holiday to spend with them.

{sorry i have like zero adult of grandparent pictures, Ill be better next time}

thanksgiving at last.

This years Thanksgiving was much anticipated at our house. Our kids did oodles of school and home crafts leading up to it and we even got to attend Challenger's Thanksgiving feast at the kids school as a family, eating a lovely dinner in the cafeteria with Ady and her friends.

It as also much anticipated and we would be spending it in St George with Eric's parents.

We hoped for warmer weather but it was a great week all the same.

The kids are always in heaven with the Kandell Grandparents. Grandpa Jim is always cooking something yummy and Grandma Sue always is keeping the kids busy with art, crafts, walks and rock painting. It was a great time.

We did the red rock hikes a few times with the kids, looking for caves and litchens.

Lucy redefined bareback on the St George horse she was fully enthralled with.

Super Grandma on another adventure with the kids.

Another fun feature of the trip was that my family was down in St George doing Thanksgiving with the Smoot side of the family. So we met up with them a few times, for red rock hikes and at Tuacahn's Live Nativity.

We did plenty of relaxing a laying around too.

Thanksgiving itself was great, amazing food prepared by all.

Ady made more Thanksgiving pictures than I know what to do with...

And Grandma Sue had the awesome idea to start a tradition of the kids decorating the thanksgiving butcher paper tablecloth with all their own Thanksgiving picture and sayings of gratitude. The kids loved this.

The live nativity at Tuacahn started the day after Christmas with lights, santa, and a beautiful reenactment of Christ's birth in a pretty setting complete with real camels and lovely music. I highlight suggest this if you are down in St George between the holidays.