Me 'n my boys!

Thanksgiving was a real treat this year. We all packed up and went to the cabin in Island Park. We took the new puppies, and tons of family members were there – including lots of cousins for Connor and Rocky to play with… After all, that IS the most important thing in life at that age, don’t you know?

We took the puppies up with us, which everyone loved! They’re growing like crazy!

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. We also hooked up a horse and sleigh to take the kids around in. It was a blast. There were even sleigh bells… so quiet and peaceful up there, in the mountains, snow, my boys the clip clop of the horse’s hooves, and sleigh bells ringing. That’s how the holidays are suppose to be… The only thing I was missing was that special someone to wrap my arms around and keep warm…

I let both Connor and Rocky take turns driving the horse. They did a great job, both of them. It can be hard driving that thing for a little guy… especially when you’ve got a horse that likes to keep a faster pace, and you have to keep the reigns pulled back… I was so proud of each of them.

The next day we went up into the trees and cut some firewood for the fireplace; then in the afternoon took the boys sledding on a hillside in the trees. Good food, company, fun, it all made for an amazing Thanksgiving…

Speaking of giving thanks… some of the things I’m most thankful for:

1. Great parents, thirteen brothers and sisters, and (I’ve lost count now of how many) nieces and nephews. :)
2. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
3. A good job that’s flexible enough for me to spend an ample amount of time with my boys and still provide for my family
4. Good health (how precious is that!)
5. Being able to live in an area with a good LDS influence
6. Good friends
7. A warm home
8. to see and experience more places in the world than I could ever deserve.
9. Being able to live in a time with modern technology, modern medicine, and so many things we take for granted that people didn’t have just 100 years ago.
10. Life and all the joys and education that it provides

But most of all, I’m grateful for my two precious little boys and the opportunity I have to watch them grow on a daily basis, and teach them learn from them, and love them. They seriously are the best part of life. Nothing is better. I thank my God every day for entrusting me with these two amazing little spirits and giving me the opportunity to be a father to them. I honestly could never say enough. I love them with everything that I am, and only hope I can be the best Father I can be for them.

Cousins playing "Princess and Pirates":

(Rocky working the cash register.)

(They didn't trust me to make any dishes, so I got assigned table-setting duty... Can't say I blame them.) :)

Ok... so somehow this game of "Kid Tossing" got started... I think what happened, is I grabbed one and tossed him from one couch to the other... well before you could blink and eye there was a whole line of kids lined up... and once was never enough, so they kept going back in line... this process went on and on... I should know better by now. :) It was still fun! Tiring, but fun!