I dare you to...

stick your elbows in the banana splits bowls! It was cold & sticky, but, I did it! The kids thought is was hillarious. I think I started something by tossing them their rolls at the dinner table that evening. Sometimes it's good to mix it up. My children help me realize that sometimes it's good to relax and not take things too seriously. One evening I said, "Caroline, sometimes you're so silly it's not funny." Scott commented with a smirk, "Mother, sometimes you're so serious it IS funny." I had to laugh at the witty comment & I'm trying to let my kids see my fun-side a little more, as they know my serious side quite well at this point.

Who's that girl?

Cherre & Eric at Maggiano's for the Rehearsal dinner

Dave & Camillia exit the temple, welcomed by family and friends. CAMILLIA is definitely THE girl in the spotlight this weekend... isn't she dazzling? She was ALL smiles & we're SO happy for her.

Camillia sets a wonderful example for all her little nieces by being married in the temple. All the girls were VERY excited to see her wedding gown.

William, Scott & Hayden James await the happy couple outside the Apex temple.

The wedding cake was BEAUTIFUL & delicious: chocolate, cheesecake with strawberries & raspberries, as well as carrot cake. Mother is a fabulous baker & Cerah did an incredible job with the icing & flowers. Love it!

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

The kids were in the mountains with PaPa Truelove on Eric's actual birthday, so he got to celebrate twice this year. For Eric's 1st party, he was SO exhausted from the long hours he's been pulling lately, that I ordered take-out from Outback for him to pick up on the way home from work so we could enjoy a nice evening without heading OUT. It was great! But, Eric was SO exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open to open his presents. That's a true sign of aging! But, a few days later, he was able to catch up on some sleep & celebrate again with the kids... they didn't let him sleep through this party. We sure were glad to have them back home!

Basketball

Scott's getting schooled in the game of basketball this season, as he's one of the shortest kids on the court. He's fast & knows how to hustle, which gives him an edge. We enjoy watching him play. We've missed several practices & games this season due to sickness/inclement weather/schedule conflicts. I'm learning how to use my new camera... can you tell?

Duck Hunting at Jordan Lake

Eric was up at 4am to head out to Jordan Lake to set up decoys in hopes of a duck hunting adventure over his Christmas break.
Scott & Eric

Scott

Scott & Uncle Chuck

This was Chuck's first duck hunting excursion. He looks cold & a little sleepy, huh? I think his boys will enjoy these outdoor adventures down the road, so it's great that Chuck is learning the ropes. Hopefully this place will turn into a nice duck hunting spot in time.

Christmas Day

Scott was up at 4:50am on Christmas morning... the earliest to date for our family. He was happily surprised that SANTA came to our house this year, as the children have been on the NAUGHTY list much more often than the NICE list as of late. We are hoping the upcoming track-out will give them plenty of time to work out their behavior issues.

Christmas morning at the Truelove's

Christmas Day was full of family visits. Here, Mackenzie gets a good hug from Great Grandpa Truelove.

Here, soon-to-be Uncle Dave gets a group hug from his soon-to-be nieces. This is just 3 of the 13 little nieces he is about to inherit by marriage. And he thought he was just getting Camillia. Thanks for being such a good sport Dave. We love you!

Caroline LOVES her little cousins. Here, she's getting an armful of little Landen.

Eric, Scott & PaPa Truelove debuting red mock turtlenecks on Christmas day. Gotta love this trio!

These are only a few of the family members we were able to visit with on Christmas day. It was a long & busy day, full of good times & great memories. We are blessed to have lots of family nearby & grateful we were able to see most family members this Christmas holiday.