Spring Fever

I have had spring fever the last few weeks so I convinced Jim to go camping last weekend. It was a fast trip but we had a great time and are looking forward to more trips soon.

Ellie and Trevor were in a school play called "The Principal and the Pea". Ellie was Alice, one of the bothered bunch and Trevor was a stage manager. They spent many hours practicing and did a fantastic job! Grandma Elliott drove all the way down for the play and said it was well worth the trip.

Happy Birthday Jim!

This is a little belated but I wanted to post a few pics of Jim's 36th birthday. We had dinner with a few family members and some great laughs (thanks for being a great sport sweetie!) What do you give a guy who has everything??? Jim's mom came up with the most creative gift. His phone message says...leave a brief message....and since he is always on the phone we all have heard that message a million times. So, his mom gave him a pair of whitie-tighties with a "brief" message on them. Jim, being the big kid and great sport he is, had to model them (over his pants of course) for everyone. What a great laugh! We love you Jim!!!

Grandpa's 80th birthday party

Last weekend Alisha and I traveled up to Tooele to celebrate Grandpa Elliott's 8oth birthday with our family. It was really fun to see our aunts and cousins that were able to attend. It was really funny when Grandpa first came in because he was being onery and kept saying it was too early for dinner. We were all seated waiting for them to arrive and ready to suprise him but he wanted to sit in a certain spot(not where we were sitting). Mom told him that it would be better over there...(why would it be better over there...these seats are more comfortable) ...finally they were able to persuade him to walk over where we were all seated. Grandpa was so excited to have everyone there and kept grinning like a little kid. Happy Birthday Grandpa! We love you!!!

President's Day was a beautiful day here in Cedar City. I have had spring fever the last few weeks so I convinced Jim and the kids that we needed to get out and go hiking. We drove down to Red Cliffs and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the sun.

A New Year....

Zack started the New Year out with a bang...literally. We were helping Jim's brother move into his new house when Zack ran into the truck tailgate. 11 stitches and 2 hours later he was proud to show off his newly acquired black eye and tell everyone that he got to be first at everything because he was special today. What a kid!

A Year in Review

Douglas Family Happenings 2009

Happy New Year! Our Christmas letter is a little late in getting out this year…but I figured better late than never. We have had a wonderful year with so many exciting happenings. In March, Jim and I snuck away for a couple days to the Grand Canyon. It was breathtaking to see the beauty of God’s creations all around. Trevor and Alex had a combined birthday with Grandma Douglas in July this year. We spent the day swimming in her pool and playing on the huge waterslide. July also brought a long family trip to Texas. We spent a week with the Texas cousins during the Douglas family reunion and had a great time. We went to the Fort Worth Zoo, a jump house, the US Mint, and spent sultry afternoons swimming in the neighborhood pool. In August we closed on our beautiful new home after months of waiting for the bank to approve the short sale. We were able to find renters for our home at the last min. and made a smooth transition. We love having extra space for family and friends to come visit and we especially love the beautiful views we have. October was a very special month, as Jim and I were sealed in the St. George Temple. We had many family and friends in attendance to celebrate with us. The rest of the year has been busy with soccer, choir, orchestra, swimming, hiking, scouts, activity days, and family gatherings. We have been so very blessed this year and are so very grateful for our abundance. We are especially grateful for our loved ones and for the time we spend together.
Jim: Is still enjoying his work at the Leavitt Group, is the 11 year old scout leader and 3rd Sunday Priesthood teacher, loves spending time with the kids and is still making us all laugh.
Jess: Is enjoying spending time volunteering in each of the kids’ classrooms, is the 10-11 year old Activity Day leader, recovered well from surgery in June, and loves spending time with the kids.
Alex: Is 11 years old and in 5th grade. He played soccer this fall and is looking forward to spring season. He earned his Arrow of Light award in scouts this year. He is learning to play the viola in orchestra and has grown into a wonderful young man this past year.
Trevor: Is 9 years old and in 4th grade. He won 1st place in the Pinewood Derby with his cheese car. He is in the choir and will be a stage manager for the upcoming play The Principal and the Pea. He loves playing guitar hero on hard and expert and can outplay dad on many songs.
Ellie: Is 8 years old and in 3rd grade. She was baptized in June. She is in choir and will be Alice in the upcoming play The Principal and the Pea. She loves reading, helping mom make dinner, and going to Activity Days.
Zack: Is 6 years old and in 1st grade. He played soccer this fall and can’t wait for it to start again. He has become an excellent reader and is learning lots in 1st grade. He loves playing video games, 4 wheeling, and riding bikes.
Maddie: Is 6 years old and in kindergarten this year. She is learning to read and write “the kindergarten way”. She loves playing with her friends and helping mom around the house. She loves baby dolls and coloring.

field trip

Alex had a field trip to Mammoth Cave, Cedar Breaks, and a volcano near Mammoth Cave. I was really suprised when he asked me to go with him. He is in 5th grade and nearing the stage where parents are not so cool anymore. He really wanted me to go and I am really glad I did. Other than riding a bus for an hour an a half each way, it was a great day. The leaves were all changing colors and it was breathtaking. I love that our kids are in an area that they are so close to so many amazing things and get to take field trips that really enhance their learning.

No school!

The kids had their harvest holiday in October and had a few days off school. They were all really excited for a break and I was excited to have some time with them. It seems like the days all run together and by the time the kids get home and do homework, we eat dinner and it is bedtime. We decided to go hiking in the morning and then swimming in the afternoon. We went to Thunderbird Gardens and had a great time hiking around on the rocks. After lunch we went to the swimming pool and it was closed! The kids were so disappointed so we pinch hit and I let them all climb in the jacuzzi. They had so much fun splashing around and laughing that I had to capture the moment. The other night as we were reading we came across this poem by Shel Silverstein that made me laugh as I remembered this picture of the kids. "There's too many kids in this tub. There's too many elbows to scrub. I just washed a behind That I'm sure wasn't mine, There's too many kids in this tub."