Some More December Memories

Here are various shots downloaded from our other camera, and one from Gayle's android phone, that capture more of our December experiences.

 Avril and McKel, enjoying some time together when Alicia took them with her for a visit up in Montana.

 Ali and Avril in Montana.

Since Alicia and the girls were gone on the 25th, we celebrated part of our Christmas with them on the 26th.

 Gayle and McKel, sharing the excitement.

 A recent, random shot of McKel (from up in Montana).

 Avril really liked opening stuff.

 Ali and Avril sharing some Christmas fun.

 McKel, playing with one of two toy phones she got!  I'm sporting the two macaroni necklaces I got from the two girls.

 The living room rug was the perfect place for opening gifts.

 Santa even brought a fun game that both girls can play.

Finally, here is a wintery shot from Gayle's phone taken at night, earlier in the season after a brief snowfall (it has been very dry lately, without a good snow for several weeks).

December Photos

 In addition to the usual company and ward parties this year, we also held a family get together down at Chuck-a-Rama to celebrate both McKel's and Alicia's December birthdays.  Here are Avril, Alicia, and McKel.

 Some of those at the table - We love being able to have Tracine's dad, Lee Hales, join in the events too.  Jared, and Adrian & family were there too.

 Brittney, Arleen, and Adrian.

 Us.  I had just begun sprouting some holiday season whiskers.  Jared has a head start.

 Alicia, sporting some new duck feet pajamas!  Nice and warm.

 McKel posing on the decorative rocking horse (not to really be ridden).

 

Ali and McKel.

 The grandparents.

 On Friday, the 23rd, Trish, Kelly, Olivia and boys were able to come up, so we got together for some preliminary Christmas celebrating up at Grandma Joyce's (and Grandpa Spencer's).

 Kelly, Trish, and Olivia.

 Grandma Joyce and grandpa Spencer - terrific hosts.

 Tracine, Sam, and Spencer Lee came over but Robert wasn't back from Illinois until the next evening.

 Arleen and Parker.  Adrian and George.  And Brit with Edison.
 
 Jared's baby handling services were required also.

We gathered for some early present opening while Trish el al. were there.

Jared and Gayle, with the bright snow and sunlight from the backyard behind them.

 Julie (Susan's daughter) came up from her duties as an Engineering  prof. at BYU for some festivities on Saturday.  What would Christmas be without some caroling around the piano?

 Julie had invited Brit to come up early so they could hit the volleyball around in the backyard.  The cold didn't seem to bother Brit, playing in a sleeveless top and having moved from Azusa, California just a few months ago!  Sam was helping with the volleyball practicing too.

 This could be the same pose as on almost any Christmas day, or other big family breakfast (although this was a Christmas eve meal) except that this year I'm letting the whiskers go.  The beard was much more visible when it was a mixture of reddish-brown and blond (last time I grew one was about 14 yrs. ago).  Now it's mostly grey and white.  I enjoy the kitchen duty, especially if it's just flipping pancakes.

Robert, back to Zion from Zion.  Explanation: he is working in a place called Zion, Illinois.  Utah is known in some cases as Zion (or his home ward and stake, for that matter).  So he has returned to Zion, having come from Zion.  Tracine is beaming to have him home.

Gayle's Trip to Georgia for Beth's Services

Over Thanksgiving 2011, Gayle's younger sister, Beth, passed away from complications incident to neurofibromatosis.  Gayle flew back to Georgia to be with family and attend Beth's services.  Here is a photo of Gayle and Beth together in October of 2010 in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Beth and Gayle in 2010.

 David, Katie, and their new addition, Blythe.  David is son of Richard and Rosemarie (Gayle's sister).

 Two of Gayle's three step-brothers (Kenneth passed away a few years ago).  This is Wendell and Guy.  Wendell lives with his family in Florida, and Guy and Jean live up in Tennessee.

 Gayle, Robert Meier (Beth's husband), Richard, and Rosemarie.

 Rosemarie and Gayle outside the church where the funeral service was held.

 A group of cousins, re-united.

 Emily (Rosemarie's daughter), Chester, and their talented family (they are very musically inclined).

More of Gayle's cousins, Cathy, Anne, and Dale.

November, including Thanksgiving

 The two sisters in matching pajamas, sitting under a cover on the sofa in our TV room on a cold November night.

Trying out the toboggan in our front yard after a mid-November snowfall.

 We got together for Thanksgiving with Grandpa and Grandma Parkinson, Trish and Kelly and their kids, Adrian, Arleen, and Brit, and Jared.  Later, Robert and his family came by too.  Here are Trish and her three boys (yes, triplets).

 Alicia, McKel, Avril, and Kelly's daughter, Olivia (10 yrs. old).

 I always get drafted to carve the turkey, even though I'm not great at it.

 And grandma Parkinson is always so well prepared and organized, even though she thinks she's not.  She runs a great kitchen!

 Jared enjoyed caring for the three baby boys.  Here he is with Edison.  As you can see, some of us gave our faces a rest for the holidays.  Some of us did so for longer than the holidays, in fact.

 Olivia and her hirsute dad, Kelly, who is sporting a very nice looking beard.

 Adrian, Arleen, and I think that's Parker.

 Avril loves her big high school cousin, Brittney.

 McKel and her Parkinson grandparents.

 Gayle, posing with her father-in-law.

 The Glenns.  A handsome couple!

 Arleen always gains much satisfaction in working with children.  Here she is with Edison.

 Avril loved the pies (she had some of the chocolate pie too).  And later in the evening she insisted on more pumpkin pie (of course I had to help her eat it).

 Yes, I was giving my face a rest from shaving for a couple of days too.  Here I am in the process of feeding some chocolate pie to McKel, as you might discern from her face.

 Adrian, giving Parker a rest.

 The patriarch of the Parkinson clan, taking it all in.

 Brit with Edison.  Brit also likes helping with the kids, and she's good at it too.

 Don't know if it was the tryptophan or just the caloric intake, but some of us got pretty drowsy after the meal.

 Meanwhile, Trish played some beautiful music, including some Christmas carols.  Parker didn't enjoy it after awhile, though.

 We were very happy that Robert, Tracine, Spencer, and Sam were able to drop by.  Brian, though, is on his mission down near Mexico City.

 It takes a village (as Hillary would say).  The significance of this shot is the following: the triplets were born on the same day, as you might expect.  It was April 16.  Adrian was born on April 16.  Eleven years later Jared was born on April 16.  And when Adrian was dating Arleen, he didn't believe her at first when she said she was born on April 16, but she was, in fact.  So in our immediate family we have 6 souls born on April 16.

 Olivia and Brit were able to hang out together too.  They're both beautiful girls.  And the significance of this photo, you may ask?  Brittney was born on August 11.  Four years later Olivia was born on August 11.

 Back home, Alicia grabbed the camera and took a couple of shots of the girls on our stairway.  As plainly visible, they were indulging in some brownies.

 Had to throw in this one showing McKel being very animated!

Wanted also to get the mom in.  You can see where the girls get their looks.

Gayle took off this evening after our Thanksgiving activities in order to get to Trish and Kelly's to stay the night at their place in Salt Lake City.  She is flying out tomorrow very early for Atlanta.  We got sad news about 3:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.  Gayle's younger sister (55 yrs. old) passed away in her sleep.  She had many health challenges, but this was still unexpected.  The viewing will be tomorrow night and the funeral service Saturday.