all together!

Twins Can Now Run for President

dittmer update

I loved Tricia's Hawaii pics. We are so excited to go to Hawaii in one week! This month has been a difficult one for us. At least one of us was sick almost every day in November. The sickness coupled with the days getting shorter and colder has made for a difficult transition into winter. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I usually love planning it all out, looking for recipes, and making all the things. This year, my rolls didn't rise, nobody ate my green salad, my pumpkin pie crust was burnt and weird. Tony's turkey was pretty good, but not as good as last year. It was just one of those years. Needless to say, I am so looking forward to family, sunshine, and the ocean. We need it.

Hope you enjoy this picture of Tony's mustache and the kids on one of the only Sundays we were all well enough to make it to Church.

Hawaii was wonderful

                                   Adam took our family photos

                                                BIG HUGS!

                                          HANG LOOSE..........

                                                   Paradise!

                                                       YEAH!

           Meriam teaching Dave that yes, boys DO wear flowers in Hawaii

                   Finally..... Lexi is happy to be taller than someone!

                                 Last known survivor at Pearl harbor

                         Our main food while in Hawaii..... shaved ice!

                                  Gwen and Tricia chilling together....

                        Becca and Tricia at the PCC with lots of TLC!

                             Courtney took Tricia to a REAL LUAU!

Hawaii was wonderful!

More hawaii........

               Yummy Chicken enchilada dinner at Paul and Collen's

                                        Hanging with the locals!

                  When in Rome.... or... Hawaii........MMMMMM good!

                           BYU Hawaii.... great memories for Tricia

                                                Pam and Tricia

                                    Three flies up ocean style!

                                          Thanksgiving at Pam's

                                             The Spring boys

                             Spencer Orme and girlfriend Chelsea

                                               Tricia and Colleen

                                        Adam and fiancee Deanna

                         Baptisms for the dead at the beautiful temple

                              Hanauma Bay snorkling... way cool!

                            Polynesian Cultural Center..... all savages!

Happy Belated Birthday Charlie (November 16th)

Chelsea!

So glad you were born!

Baby Eliza

Pam and I were lucky enough to visit (aka rush to California in the middle of the night) Santa Cruz last week. I've decided that cooking and cleaning and watching kids is super duper awesome when you have lots of friends around. I'm once again reminded that communal living is the best way to live. I made way too much granola, set the fire alarm off several times, forgot my cell phone charger, suffered through a few hours of buffering Downton Abbey, learned the best way to eat ice cream (mixed with whole milk yogurt and granola), experienced the Bargain Barn, went on an hour and a half "they live somewhere around here" jog, read not very much of Christian's dissertation, and even slipped in a dinner with Shelley and Steve. It was a great week. We were sad to go. Jake was glad I came home.

Da is underplaying what bad shape she was in, and when Pam and I walked into her hospital room two Saturdays ago, I realized that. Apparently the fact that she was texting me all through her ordeal made me somehow believe that she was kind of ok despite the fact that she had two blood transfusions and shifting slightly in bed was crazy painful and was on very heavy duty meds. This woman is pretty tough AND she was still the best conversationalist with us and everyone who came over.

Christian didn't make an appearance in my pictures, but he's pretty great, as you all know. He can get the kids bathed and ready for bed in no time flat, and if he's around, the kids won't have anything to do with the rest of us.

Why do we want to have babies again?

Oh yeah. There's this:

(perfect, miracle baby, who Christian dubs cuter than any other babies-- loving her baby train)

And this:

(Maria, whose face is a thousand words)

And this:

(Enzo making the best baby train and toys for Eliza

happy Happy Birthday Karen!
I sure love you!!