Elliott and Grandpa dance

More of Amanda and Company

Today, I really tried for smiles.  Miles is almost smiling.

Elenore is quite the sleeper.

Dex is one great Lego Batman gamer.

Amanda felt good enough to braid her hair this morning!

Okay, awake and here's the closest thing to a smile I could get on camera.  Considering that their Grandma is a camera queen; they are very camera shy.  They really do smile a lot!

Valentine's Day, New cars, an Unbirthday Celebration and a 1st Birthday!

Thanks to Josh and Meg for the truck, and Paul and Amy for the trailer, we were able to go to Denver on Valentine's Day.  Cute Jacob has grown up so much since Christmas time!

Dan's brother Matt, his wife Camy and their 2 girls were at Jess' house, too!

Sophie's actual birthday isn't until Tuesday, but since we were there, we celebrated her "Unbirthday".

We let her choose where she wanted to go out to eat. She chose Chuck E. Cheese's.  Tessa liked it.

Jacob liked it.

Sophie liked it.

And it was a party!. 

A family ride!

Sophie playing air hockey with Grandpa.

It was Sophie's unbirthday, and Jamison's actual 1st birthday!  When we got back from Chuck E. Cheese's we got to watch this cutie open his present from us.  Just on Wednesday Steph had her ultrasound and found out Jamison will be having a baby sister!!

Here's the gang leaving Chuck E. Cheese's.

Richard and Dan left to look a some cars for Dan after bringing us home. They found him a great deal on a Honda Accord.  By the time we were ready for Family Scriptures; Sophie was asleep.

Jonathan finished this painting the day before we left, that Jess had him do to go on this wall over this sofa.  We stuck it in the frame, but it won't actually be hung until they paint the wall. 

Jess and Dan are such good sports and pose for me after going running. 

Grandpa got to teach Sophie how to swing and hit the ball before we left. 

We also got to bring the trampoline we gave them for Christmas and to bring home Dan's old car for Jonathan.
Tomorrow we get to talk in church and then make it to my niece Tali's mission farewell!  Life is fun and good!

Sophie on stage at Chuck E Cheese

Please ignore the singing!

Jess and Camy dance to Call Me Maybe

Tessa on stage at Chuck E Cheese

Amazing Amanda

I have often bragged about my brilliant niece, Amanda.  She is a math genius and wrote the most amazing letters home from her mission to Honduras.

Well, the same week she finished her PHD, she found out she was expecting twins.  She carried them almost full term. They are just over 2 months now.  She recently found out she has rheumatoid arthritis.  She has had to stop nursing the twins, and is in a lot of pain.   And yet she has such a good attitude and is such an amazing mom!  While her parents are on a trip, I've been able to help her a few mornings and every time I walk away from her house I feel uplifted from being around her.

Of course playing Star Wars and Toy Story fights with Dex, (her 2 year old)...

bathing, dressing, feeding, holding and loving Miles and Elenore...

And doing figure plays for Dex may be part of the reason.

They are adorable and sweet..

But really Amanda just amazes me!

She even baked me chocolate chip cookies!

She left to talk to one of her BYU professors for an hour or so this morning...

he wants her to write a book for a math class.   So, of course, she's excited to do it!