Rest of the week

We all had a good time at OMSI here are Anna and Kim working the play duo. This is in the Children play area. They had so many things for them to do and explore it was great. The guys stuck around in the play area for a few minutes and then they looked so bored that they left to go and explore the rest of OMSI while Jenn, Katie and I stayed with the girls. It was fun to watch them play and play with them.





Ethan loved the water and wanted to go there first. He played in there for a long time until the guys left to go exploring.











Papa Bear , Hadley and I played in the construction site area. We built all sorts of stuff with our golf tees as nails. The hammers were rubber, so it didn't hurt when you hit your thumb. that was nice.
Even Sarah found something to do and someone to play with. She would get really excited and kick her feet to make the balls go up and down. It was really fun to watch her play and crawl around in the small children area. I was so surprised to see that they had such a variety of things for the children to do and for all ages.







Maybe Katie should have gone with the guys and she wouldn't have fallen asleep. I guess maybe this was as exciting for the parents as it was for the kids. What you don't see is that I also feel asleep in a chair by Jenn and Sarah. But only for a few minutes. But it did feel so good. It is surprising how a quick nap makes you able to go on for the next events. After we were through here Jim and I went to the Portland Temple for a session. It was fun to go with him to a temple that he had never seen or been in.




The next day Andy and Abby came over. Eric, Dave, and Papa Bear wanted to go with the kids to play in the new snow. Andy and Abby were tired of the snow so Katie, Jenn, Sarah, and I along with them decided to do some after Christmas shopping. So the kids went one way and the adults went another. Here is everyone getting ready to go and play. They had a lot of fun in the snow. Jim couldn't believe how beautiful it was.






Ethan was the first ready to go and could hardly wait to get out the door. He was so excited to go and play in the snow. Papa Bear was also excited to go and play with them. He was like one of the kids.












Ethan and Anna having fun on the tube. I love the expression on Ethan's face. You can truly tell that he is loving every minute of it.

















Kim and Hadley were next they also had a great time.




It truly was beautiful up in the mountains with the snow on the trees. It makes me miss the snow and how pretty it is during the winter. But no I still will not drive in it. Jim will have to take me everywhere during the winter in Mass. or I will just stay home and hibernate like the bears.

All in all we had a great Christmas. Thank you Jenn for all of your hard work to make this year very memorable and full of the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas in Vancouver

Jim and I arrived just minutes apart on Sunday Dec. 23. He was coming from Mass. and I was coming from NC. Then we went to church where Jenn had written the Christmas program for her ward. It was so beautiful. It was spiritual and full of music and love. Then we went to Jenn's for dinner along with Katie's family, Aunt Barbara, Uncle Scott, Laura their daughter and Helaina's family. We ate played games and had a good evening. Jenn and Katie made a Turduckin. That is a turkey with a duck and chicken inside. It was amazing.
The next day was Christmas eve. Jenn and Eric open their gifts to each other on Christmas eve so Jim and I exchanged gifts to each other also. I received a camera and I gave him some cologne.

This is a picture of Jim with my new camera that he gave me for Christmas. My camera stopped working and he dropped his so we were without a camera. I am very glad to have one again. Isn't he so cute.








Here is him opening up the gift from Jenn it was a picture that says Dusty family is forever. He really liked it. I think he also had a great Christmas it was fun to have a man to buy stuff for and to spoil again.









Playing games was fun. Sarah took a little while to come to me but not to long. Hadley came right over and gave me some loving. It is so fun to be with children at this time of year.

Here we are in matching PJ's of course we stayed in them all of Christmas day and just played around the house. It snowed on Christmas. That was exciting because in NC it was 68 and sunny. It just seems wrong to have Christmas when it is that hot outside.








Here I am reading stories to the kids while we wait for everyone to get ready to go to OMSI on the 26th . We had so much fun there. Jenn really planned lots of fun things for us to do.

The special event

I had a great Christmas in Vancouver with Jenn's and Katie's families along with Jim. It is now official Jim and I are engaged. The date is March 8, 2008 here in NC, we would like all who can come to come.

This is the ring. It is just what I have always wanted. Didn't he do a great job. I think so!! I received it on Christmas eve. It was so neat and special the way he asked me. He was so excited and it is a day that I will never forget. I am so blessed to have someone like Jim in my life and to spend the rest of my life with him. I know that those of you that haven't meet him will love him just like I do. He is so kind and full of the spirit.