Fun Filled Break

We had a wonderful after Christmas break.  We were hoping to go to Ruidoso again and have a family ski trip.  However, we are "ball'in on a budget" as Parker puts it, so we stayed home.  

We had plenty to do though and it worked out just fine.  We spent time with friends and family.  Brian, Gram, Grandpa, Brinley, Aubrey and I went up to Lubbock for a temple trip.  Chris and Ang were cute to include us on several activities during their Martin family reunion.  Here are a few pictures for memories sake.

One day we joined in the Martin reunion and played dodge ball and volleyball.  We had a blast!  Grandma Honey was the last woman standing.  She is a hoot.  (Shari Martin...not our Grandma but we still call her that some.)

Tanner is front and center.  Aubrey is to the right wearing her headband.

Parker dodging that ball!

It was sooooo much fun!  I wish I would have taken some pictures of volleyball.  The day we went to the temple, the boys were invited to go play with the Martin group at a friend's gymnastics gym.  They climbed the huge rope, played in the ball pit, hide and seek and more.

We had some drama about chores....mostly from this little one.  Life is so hard when you have to help out around the house.  She didn't want to make multiple trips to the dumpster so she loaded up the wagon.  She also utilized her father's shoes.  This picture just captures the drama so well though...we see/hear the complaints multiple times a week...winter break or not.  Still love her though!

Tanner and Bryn got some snuggles in.

Sometimes Aubrey and even Morgan joined as well.

We were able to spend a little bit of time with our Bird cousins but not a lot....they were a sickly group this break. (Flu, strep and the stomach bug!)

We loved seeing our Merkley cousins who came for Gram and Gramp's 50th. Above: Perry and Griff with Bryn.  Below: Blair and Sutton  

Grandpa heated the pool!  We didn't do a big group swim like last year...too many sickies....but our family had a blast.  (Here is last year's post when Grandpa heated the pool.)

Aubrey invited two friends from church to join her: Trinity O and Avery M

Tanner and Tate T swam two days in a row.  One day they did swim some with the little cousins but I didn't get any pictures.

Bryn, Morgan and Aubrey swam one day as well.

We played some games.  (Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam gave us the 5 Second Rule game for Christmas.  We approve!)

I was cracking up that Bryn had her book out.  I guess Aubrey was taking extra long on her turns trying to crack the Mastermind code.

Settlers of Catan....Tanner was victorious.

Parker taught us a new dominoes game: Chicken Feet

Gram & Brinley played some Scrabble.

And of course we had some XBox games happening over the break.  (Tate and Harper T on the couch.  Cole B on the floof.)

Bri took the girls to see "Little Women" one day.

 

I loved when Aub pulled out our old XBox 360 and put in Just Dance 2015.  Tanner and I even joined in a couple of times too.

Tanner had all of these crazy b-ball drills that he practiced.  He would throw a tennis ball up while dribbling or thow the tennis ball at the wall while dribbling.  Super impressive.  He had Aubrey doing a few drills as well one Sunday afternoon.

We sent our girl back to BYU--sniff sniff.  

The day before the kids headed back to school, Parker and I did some serious errands together.  We headed to the bank to make a deposit and get a notary for his upcoming humanitarian trip.  We also shopped for a suit for his upcoming football banquet.  Look at this handsome guy!

And now back the the daily grind....