Merry Christmas 2013!

We had a great Christmas this year.  The kids we super excited that Santa brought the family bows and arrows to be able to set up their own archery range. 

 They were even more excited to get a trampoline!

 Carol gave James a remote control helicopter that will allow him to put his GoPro on it and make videos as it flies around.  Very cool!

 The biggest present was from James to Carol - a new tv for the living room - everyone loves this present!

 The kids spent most of the day outside playing with the bows and arrows, jumping on the trampoline and watching James fly his helicopter around.

 We finished the day with a delicious dinner and a beautiful apple pie.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Dad had a birthday in November.  He had a great day.    

 We made homemade pizzas for dinner and he got a fancy new smoker.

 He loves the smoker and had a super day celebrating with the kids.

Happy Halloween 2013

This year for Halloween we had a beauty queen (Samantha), a bride (Sarah), and a cowgirl (Emily).  

 The kids had fun carving pumpkins and didn't let a little rain slow them down from trick-or-treating.  It was a fun night.

 A traditional jack-o-lantern by the younger girls.

 A waterfall and kayak carving by Jacob and Kathryn.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom's birthday was the beginning of October.   

 The family really spoiled her with her own tiara, a scavenger hunt for her presents and a pinata full of chocolate.

 It was such a nice day and we all had a super time!

Happy 13th Birthday Kathryn!

Kathryn turned 13 on Sept. 21.     

 She wanted to kayak for her birthday so we headed to the river for the weekend.  Her good friend Sage was there so we spent the weekend with Sage and her Mom, Stephanie. 

 We got everyone on the river and they had a great time.

 It was a competition weekend so Kathryn joined in the fun and ran a few races, she had a great time. 

We had an ice cream cake for her when we got home, she had a great birthday!  Kathryn is a super big sister and such a great girl, we are thankful for her.

Happy 16th Birthday Jacob!

Jacob turned 16 on August 7th.  He had a super birthday!      

We had a quick breakfast and then went to the dmv for his driver's license.  He passed with flying colors.

 That afternoon we opened presents from family members and then headed to the bowling alley for a party with his friends. 

 Jacob's fan club.

 A kayak birthday cake.

 He had a great day and finished off the week with a trip to the river to kayak, his favorite thing to do.

 Jacob is a good boy and such a blessing to our family.

Happy 7th birthday Samantha

Samantha turned 7 on July 17.    

  We were at the river so we celebrated her birthday at the campground.  We sent her on a little scavenger hunt to find all her presents.  She had a great time.

 Her favorite gift was a new bike.  She learned to ride without training wheels in the spring and was too big for her old bike. 

 We went to dinner at a Mexican Food restaurant, Samantha's choice.  

 When we got home from the river she had a few friends over for a swimming party.

Samantha is such a happy girl and keeps us all laughing, we are so glad she is in our family!

Summer 0f 2013 at the River

We spent most of the summer kayaking and camping at the Nantahala River.  Jacob competed in the National Freestyle Championship.  He placed 6th among all the junior men in the nation - super placement for his first time competing!  James, Jacob and Kathryn made a quick trip to Canada to play on the Ottawa River.

Kathryn learned to roll her kayak this summer and got really good at surfing.

 Emily ran the entire Nantahala River several times this summer.

 Samantha got her own kayak and started going on the easy parts of the river.

 Sarah ran the entire river for the first time this summer.  She loved it!

Jacob doing some of his tricks.

Samantha lost her first tooth

In April Samantha lost her first tooth.  Still super cute with a little gap in her teeth.

Happy 11th Birthday Sarah!

Sarah turned 11 on April 22.  She had a super birthday.        

 On the Saturday before her birthday we took some of her friends to the YMCA to swim and play on the water slide, then we came home for pizza and cake and ice cream.  It was a lot of fun!

 All she wanted for her birthday was a white dress.  A friend of mine made a beautiful white dress for her doll to go with her new Sunday dress.

  We had a family party on her birthday with a kayaking cake and spent the evening riding bikes and playing outside.

Sarah has taught herself to ride without hands, this is a huge accomplishment for her.  

Happy Birthday Sarah, we love you!

Fishing for Family Night

The weather was beautiful today so we held Family Home Evening at the Tennessee River and did a little fishing.  Kathryn taught a great lesson about faith and we had a picnic dinner.  It was a relaxing, fun time.