The Headleys House

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Sledding at the Sinks

Beautiful sunshine after the storm!

A perfect day to go sledding!

We went to the most awesome place to sled....it's called the Sinks in Logan Canyon.

The only downside to sledding down the side of a mountain is having to walk all the way back up.

Coooome ooon Daaaaphne......

Some Dad's had their snowmobiles out going down the hill to bring the kids back up to the top.

Victoria taking a rest.

She ended up sleeping the whole way home afterwards.

When did these guys get so grown up?

I've cut this guy's hair for years and now at times I trim his beard for him.

When he was little I just never thought I would ever have to trim my son's beard.

Christmas 2016

We decided that this year we wanted to attend the 11:00 Organ Concert at the Catholic Church.

So we played games after dinner for 4 hours and had a blast!

We discovered quickly that Poppa cheats!

And Nana is the Yahtzee expert.

It had already started snowing mid day and was still going into the night.

We are definitely having a White Christmas.

We woke up to about 6 inches of snow and it was still coming down.

It is so beautifully silent during a snow storm.

Everything looks so pretty dressed in white.

The chickens are snug in their hen house.

Vacant chairs waiting to be sat in.

Waiting for summer nights when it's too hot in the house.

Lizzy Bean had to paw her way out of her house.

Morning chores took longer with the excitement of Christmas and the storm....

and being to busy watching the crazy kittens jump, catching snow flakes, and tunneling in the snow.

And crouching down in the foot prints to hide and pounce on the next snowflake.

Lizzy came out for her Christmas Cookie and then quickly ran back into her house.

I know that snowball is here somewhere!

Along with an awesome storm comes snow removal.
Kirk was getting snowed on as quickly as he was blowing it off the driveway.
We are so thankful to my Dad for handing down his snow blower.

Future Santa!

And quite handsome too....

Sammy.....Let me in, it's cold out here!

Thunder.......Nah

The kittens had their Christmas Eve Party after we went to bed.

Now....we can sit down and enjoy family time opening our gifts.

This is always so exciting to give those gifts that took lots of time to pick out the perfect one.

We kept gift giving to a minimum because we have some house repairs to do this year.

Gift giving became focused, unique and special.

Kaleb is ready to catch those fish!

I vote to wait for warmer weather!

Look! a goofy girl in a box.

Victoria is always spotting the Ford F350 Super duty pick up trucks and saying that she wants one to transport the herd of goats that she will have one day. The boys keep trying to bring her back to reality by talking to her about gas mileage etc...

So, guess who got a Ford Pick up F150 RC truck!

We are hoping that this will fill her up with her need for a truck and keep her from looking at the boy driving the trucks around here.....at least for a little while longer.

Christmas was once putting together little matching outfits for the kids, keeping them awake and quiet through Christmas Eve service, sneaking out to help Father Christmas, and shopping for presents with the kids present and them not even noticing.

Now, Christmas was about, wear something clean, make sure you wrap your presents before Christmas morning okay?, sliding on the ice in the church parking lot at midnight, Santa's a little late this year...don't come out yet, and being forever grateful that we are all home at the same time to love and cherish every single moment knowing that our family is growing older and that some day very soon it will keep getting more difficult to be together at the right time.

I look at Kirk and I still feeling young but looking older as the days go by thinking that some day we will be home alone. So for now I cherish the noise, the chatter, kids yelling at whoever is in the bathroom to get out, the long legs stretched out and crossed blocking the only path in the kitchen, the boys who eat half the food in the cupboards and fridge while dinner is being prepared, and turning in for the night at the end of a long day only to hear crazy laughter and something thumping the wall downstairs.

We have the most awesome family that God has blessed us with over and over and over.

Friends

Sammy and Thunder sharing the view.

We had no idea that our dogs and kittens would get along so well.

Cache County 4H Dog Program

The kids 4H dog club made rope toys out of old t-shirts to donate to the Cache Valley Humane Society. It was perfect timing too because employees of the Humane Society had just come back from California with a U Haul filled with 40 dogs that needed a home. The Shelters in California are over crowded so our shelter will go several times a year to help with that. Victoria fell in love instantly with several. You just want to bring them all home.

Jill and Rachel, the leaders of the club are awesome dog experts!

They both have the biggest hearts for the kids and the dogs.

We love them.

Everyone brought treats for the dogs. There was a lot of barking and commotion when we first entered the room and then when the dogs realized they were getting treats it got really quiet. Some were even sitting waiting for their treats. Others were too scared to come get it and then warmed up to the idea. It was very sweet.

Sibling Rivalry

Both Thunder and Lightning want to take a nap in the basket but Lightning won't let Thunder in. She propped herself on the edge and took her nap there. She actually closed her eyes and fell asleep. Her head was bobbing. After a while she got tired of waiting and bit him on the head so he would move over.

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Winter Ice Skating Show 2016

We were so excited to hear that both our girls were going to be in the same Winter Show this year. Victoria is a member of the Cache Valley Figure Skating Club and Daphne takes Ice Skating through Utah State University with the same coaches that they have had through the Learn to Skate Program from the time that we moved to Logan.

Victoria had one number with the club and then she skated her first solo to "To Feel Alive". It is the music to the second Percy Jackson movie during the credits.

Here the coaches are what Victoria calls....criticizing us!

It is great to be able to learn how to take criticism.

These are all wonderful skaters and are pretty tough kids.

You have to be to work closely with a coach and risk the fall factor that they often do.

It is crazy to watch the speed that they skate at.

During club practices they power skate and do some of the same sprints that

basketball players do touching line to line....but on ice!

It is also so amazing to see them stop on a dime from top speeds.

I love that she loves what she is doing. You can see it in her face every time she is on the ice.

I also love watching the big kids with the little kids. In a group like this, the big ones are always helping along the little ones especially if they struggle to keep up.

This girl has balance.....

Daphne's college group skated to "Hot Chocolate" from the Polar Express dressed in PJ's.

It was cute and very well done. She has a lot of fun in this group and has strengthened her body and balance. It is fun to watch her on the ice too.

The pin wheels always make me nervous. I was glad to see Daphne in the middle. I could just see her being flung off to oblivion if she were on the end!

USU college group.

The grand finale. We didn't get any still pictures of Victoria's solo due to the lighting. It was video taped. I might try to upload that if I can get it to work.