The Black Family

Twas the Night Before Christmas

LeGrand's Christmas challenge, Brent's nativity story, Michael's music, and our sweet babies. We love Christmas Eve better than Christmas morning!

Cute little pills and photography

Why fight it? Sometimes cute little kids decide they don't want their picture taken. You can't really blame them. Even adults fight it. Family portraits would often be missing the "male presence" if wives and mothers let guys out of it. So photographers shouldn't be too surprised when pictures don't turn out like they dreamed when children-of-will are involved.

Case in point:
I said, "Hey, let's get a shot of just the kids! Brinlee and Chandler, you guys stand there together and we'll let Chandler hold the baby when you get set."

I actually thought this was a better group of pictures than the posed kind I dreamed of originally. It shows the personalities of the kids and how much fun it is to work with them. I love these little children!

Vernal Weekend and Dinosaur State Park

I loved working at the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding. The displays were so amazing--I couldn't figure out why a little town had such a great museum. As I prepared for tours, I loved learning about the pre-historic creatures that wandered the earth before man. Many people who came into the museum while I was working told me about Dinosaur State Park in Vernal, but I was content with our own little slice of history in San Juan County. We even knew where real dinosaur bones and tracks were "out in the wild." I felt that we certainly must have the best place in the world for enjoying old fossils.

Then David and Ronni moved to Vernal. Of course any tour of the area included the Dinosaur State Park and Museum. Let's just say I was very very impressed. If you want to see dinosaur bones, go to Vernal!

Swearing in of the Jr. Rangers

The building's north wall is the rock that holds hundreds of fossils. Unbelievable!

The boys filling out their Jr. Ranger books.

Jess would have been a tender morsel for those big guys.

Amy making it look so good.

Find ~~Waldo~~ Christian in this picture.

Gwen's first big trip.

Bones, bones, bones. . .

and more cool bones!

Mike and Tyler looking for treasure.

I could never get the names of grandkids right because the parents never held held their own kids. This is David and Gwen.

Brig loved the play table at the visitor's center the best of anything in the Park.

Amy dreaming of new stuffed animals.

Jess looking so darned adorable I wanted to take a bite out of her myself.

The film before the tour.

Brent sneaking up on Katelyn.

So, if you or your kids love dinosaurs, go the the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding and learn all you can. Then take a trip to Vernal and see some amazing evidence of prehistoric life.

Ninja's welcome!

"A cousin is a ready-made friend for life."

Swaddling the Babies

Jill knows how to wrap up a fussy child (or two).

Christmas and Primary Classes

This is LeGrand's 10-year old Primary Class. He loves them and they love him. He teaches with two doctors from McKay-Dee who knew Curtis well.

This is my Sunbeam class. Logan told me after singing a song in opening exercises: "I am so glad Jesus loves me!" Jocelyn is so thrilled with our class that she jumps up several times during my lesson to hug me. Merilee doesn't speak often, but I can always get her to smile when I ask questions that no one else can answer but her.

We made cute cards and ornaments with their pictures for Christmas.

Olivia

Yes, I am playing catch-up. Is it obsessive to not want to post "out-of-sequence?" Because of my inability to add to my blog for awhile there, I missed some important events. I will make a stab at trying to soothe my anal desire to keep things chronological.

Just before Delivery: