Reflections Winners!!

 In October, Amy and Katelyn Black submitted photographs they had taken that went along with the PTA Reflections theme for 2014-2015 which was "The World Would Be A Better Place if...".

Both just won at the Region 3  level !

 

 

Their photography has now been submitted for competition at the state level. Wish them luck!

After being judged at State in March, their photographs will be on display at The Leonardo through the summer.  http://www.theleonardo.org/

Amy: The world would be a better place if…. We stopped and enjoyed the view. The world is full of many wonders and beautiful scenes. Sometimes we get caught up in the fast lane of life. The minutes and hours rush by us. We need to put aside the electronics and distractions and enjoy the beauty around us.

Katelyn: The world would be a better place if.... we laughed at ourselves more often. Life is too short to take everything so serious all the time. We all make mistakes. We should learn from our mistakes, laugh about them, and move on. Laughing eases life which is never harmful.

Grandpa Buckley

"Sing Your Way Home"

Sing your way home; at the close of the day,

Sing your way home; drive the shadows away,

Smile every mile, for wherever you roam,

It will brighten your road,

It will lighten your load,

If you sing your way home.

We just enjoyed Grandpa's funeral. What a wonderful man and disciple of Christ. The services were so nice and uplifting and the music was just what grandpa would have wanted. I have fallen in love with "Sing Your Way Home". I never knew the song existed. The song is so Grandpa Buckley! I find myself humming it now throughout my day. He has touched my life once again and that is just the type of guy he was. Touching everyone's lives he came in contact with. Ever serving, ever loving.

  

 Grandpa was the first extended family member of Mike's family I got to know. We took several trips down to San Juan while we were first married. This is where I was introduced to the mountain from the bed of Gpa's trusty truck. Where I saw rocks and fossils that were cooler and shinier than anything I could ever see in a museum. Where I first ate microwaved bacon and drank repeatedly from a tiny Dixie cup. Where I learned a lot of genealogy about the Christensens. Where I ate from a luscious garden and roasted by a well stoked fire in the summer.

We will miss grandpa dearly and hope to be a little more like him with each passing day!

 

4 generation at Curt& Kristin's wedding 8.02

Gpa feeding baby Kates.

In the dead of winter, she could have nothing on because she was near Gpa's roaring fire

 

4 generation Tyler

 

 

4 generation Amy

 

Playing on Gpa's tractor

Black boys camping in St. George.  Unfortunately, the GoPro ran out of space on the way that site, so we didn't get the campsite and awesome hikes.  We'll have to go again.

Christmas 2014

So bummed I didn't get these 2014 blogged in 2014. We had a great holiday season and it was jam packed with awesome things!

Santa was very good to us this year...as always. The older three kids are Santa's elves and B and C could care less where things come from. But Jess is sooo cute! Always talking about Santa. She prays for Santa. Just loving the whole Christmas kit n' caboodle! She was my little helper when it came to all the

 

decorating too.

 slumber party in mom and dad's room

waiting on the stairs to go down

J got a "strider"

K  an electric guitar amplifier

All he wanted for Christmas was some camouflage duck tape. funny kid!

 

Luckee! Ty got a GoPro

This was a camping Christmas. lots of camping and hiking gear

Christmas not complete with out some "Frozen" stuff

Boys and their guns

These two just wanted to hand out all the presents. They were pretty disappointed when all the big presents were gone. the last little homemade ones under the tree are my favorite. 2015 calendars, bookmarks, cards and the best was Christian's snow globe.

Final experiments with St. George GoPro Videos

I'm sure the videography will only get better from here on out.

These two buttes near the Blacks in St. George look just like the Bears Ears on Elk Ridge near their home in Monticello.  Its a little home away from home.

Christmas Eve at the Denkers

The Annual Christmas Eve program at the Denkers was splendid! 

Jessie was so excited to be Mary and Christian was a perfect Joseph.

 

 K and Amy were excited to be graduated from the production.

 

Katelyn played us some nice Christmas tunes on her guitar- "Silent Night"

"Jingle Bell Rock".

Lights at Temple Square

This was a whirlwind Christmas Season and we barely squeezed in some time to see Temple Square, but we made it and got one decent picture. We happened to pick the coldest, windiest night possible too. We didn't last long. This will do until next year :)

St. George Motorcycle Trip

Black boys doing some sick videos in St. George.  Found a really neat slot canyon about mid-way through the video.  Thanks to grandma and grandpa for letting us come by.

St. George Swimming