Welcome to the world, baby Mary

I was honored to be able to be at the birth of this new little one.  I've never been to a birth, besides my own kids'!  Rachel invited me to be there, and I was hoping she wouldn't come before I could get down to San Antonio.  She was very obliging, and when I got Rachel's call in the morning, I set off as soon as I possibly could.  I made it down to San Antonio in record time, and made it to the birthing center seriously like 15 minutes before she was born.  Rachel was so strong and brave to have this baby with no anesthesia whatsoever.  Baby Mary was beautiful and healthy and I cried when she was born.  A little later I drove to a friend of Rachel's to pick up Rosalia and Jacob to meet their new sister Mary Alice.  Such sweetness to see those two with their baby.  Rosalia and Jacob stayed with us that day and the next until my mom flew out and brought them back to be reunited with their mom and dad.
I love taking newborn photos, maybe more than any other kind.  Mary Alice was mellow and calm and alert!  She is a lucky baby to be born into her family.

Happy 11th Birthday, Mosey!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet eleven year old Mosey.  This year has gone fast.  I love being your mom.

 January

 February

 March

 April

 May

 June

 July

 August

 September

 October

 November

 December

January 10, 2015


(I am tacking onto this post to insert pictures from the end of 2014)


NEW YEARS EVE 2014

Time for our annual destruction of the gingerbread house!  I thought this year's was particularly good.







Apparently Mosey thought it tasted especially good as well.










Goodbye Gingerbread House, until another year!

CHRISTMAS DAY 2014

Christmas morning!
I didn't get too many pictures.  But we did our usual parade around the house, and then presents!



Howard enjoyed the wrapping paper.




The big surprise this year was a four-wheeler!  We're hoping it will be fun up at our cabin.  It was cold that morning-- everyone had to bundle up, especially with gloves, so as not to freeze on the four wheeler.


Love this picture of my handsome Mosey.

CHRISTMAS CARD 2015
This was a fun year, but lots of work!
I got the hats from Amazon, but made the jackets myself by cutting down Goodwill suit jackets and adding sliver rick-rack, the cummerbunds and ties are just red sequin material.
The actual taking of the picture (Judy Shippen came over to snap the picture) and making the card were easy, though.



Ben and I took some pictures to include with our annual letter.





And our annual family Christmas letter for 2014:

Turner Family happenings in 400 words or less!

Joseph (13): First year playing basketball, first time scoring in a game, first time in public middle school (decided after six weeks that homeschooling’s still for him), first broken bones in our family (radius and ulna, after falling from his skateboard—his first concern was how he’d play in his upcoming piano recital!), first to get his braces off, first of the boys to match mom in height.  Loves dystopian novels, writing, archery, and Friday afternoon airsoft battles.

Brigham (13):  Had a couple of firsts as well—first year running track last spring, and cross country this fall.  Has been very involved with violin, playing in the Austin Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, going to Texas State Strings Camp, making the Regional Middle School Orchestra, and playing in various ensembles for Church programs.  Also an avid airsoft-enthusiast, he loves playing computer chess, watching Khan Academy math videos, making pancakes, listening to Hans Zimmer soundtracks, and drawing.

Mosey (almost 11):  Graduated from Cub Scouts! Plays in the Austin Youth Camerata Orchestra and is chomping at the bit to get a full-sized cello.  Became vegetarian and introduced the family to MorningStar Garden Veggie Patties (try them!).  Helped foster six newborn kittens last spring through Austin Pets Alive, two of which became permanent members of the family.  Loves the Piano Guys, 3-D computer modeling, robotics, and Mythbusters episodes on Netflix.

Gabrielle (30-something): Can’t believe she is the mother of two teenagers.  Still teaches early morning seminary and homeschools the boys.  Manages some photography, violin, and sewing projects when she has the time.  Drove several thousand miles back and forth from Utah this summer, spending a couple of months working out at Neuroworx, a spinal rehab facility in Salt Lake.  Loves audiobooks, Hersheys Candy Cane Kisses, staying up late, and playing music with her boys.

Ben (30-something): Discovered his very most favorite church calling ever—Assistant Scout Master.  Leading the boys on many camping trips, he’s perfected the Scout camping trip go-pack, and is determined to get all the boys in the troop to their Eagle.  Stays busy at work with Texas Mutual and at home keeping up with the pool (spending many times more hours fixing it than swimming in it…).  Loves long runs with our dog Sandy, the rare unscheduled Saturday, and BYU TV’s Studio C.

Wishing you a happy holiday season, and a wonderful 2015!

CHRISTMAS EVE 2014

The Jardines came to celebrate Christmas Eve with us. We had our traditional shepherds' dinner on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas night so that we could go be with them at their house in San Antonio Christmas night.

Our Christmas Eve music program.  Rachel is great with child this year!

DECEMBER 2014

Our good homeschooling friends the Eckholdts moved away to Florida, to help manage one of the church's ranches.  We'll miss them.

Brigham, Joseph, Caleb (back), Christopher (front), Lucy, Mosey, Jonathan, and baby.

Chrissy and me.

Mosey graduated from Webelos! How can I have no more Cub Scouts?

Now on to 11 year old scouts!

Ben and Mosey playing pool at Main Event.

We went Christmas tree shopping!

THANKSGIVING 2014

Thanksgiving at the Welches!
We drove up from Austin to St. Louis to spend the Holiday with Rosalynde and John and their kids in their new house in Ladue, MO.
The kids helped make Thanksgiving appetizers with fruits and vegetables.





Mosey, Brigham, Jack, Joseph, Elena, Miles (hiding), and Mara.


There is Miles!


The whole group.  Rosalynde invited another family from her ward (the husband is a chef for Hardees/Carls Jr. and had lots of interesting stories to tell).  Rosalynde sets a beautiful table.


Serving table loaded with yummy food!


I don't think I got a picture of the pie table (in the dining room).  We had blueberry, lemon cream, apple, pumpkin, sweet potato and probably a few others I don't remember.


(out of order-- this is breakfast the next day, I believe)


Elena and Mara making the appetizers.


Brigham and Joseph helping with appetizers.




So pretty!


While Rosalynde and I were making dinner, we had a beautiful snowy morning.  The kids got outside for a snowball fight.











Mosey was outside when it first started to snow.  So beautiful!






While we were at the Welches, the kids played lots of games.  Hearts was a favorite-- I don't think my kids had ever played before!



More games in the basement.


Miles and Ben playing chess.


Joseph and Jack were buddies, as always.  Joseph has grown quite a few inches!



We missed our kitties at home.  But Brigham and Star became buddies.


Joseph corrupted the Welch boys with Tanki, I think.  :-)


Rosalynde asked me to take her family Christmas card picture.  She has the most creative ideas.  This was particularly poignant because of all the recent stuff with the Ferguson riots, etc.


The day after Thanksgiving, we went to Cohokia Mounds just over the river from St. Louis.  These are enormous mounds that the Cohokia Indians built many hundreds of years ago for reasons that aren't exactly clear.  It was very interesting!





Joseph loves getting his picture taken.  He also go his braces off recently and has graduated to a retainer!  Yay!






All of us on top of the tallest Mound with St. Louis in the background.


On Saturday we went to the Science Museum.  After some drama with Mosey disappearing for a while, and Ben and I frantically searching the building, they ended up having a great time.  This was a game in which you try to focus your brain to move an electronic circle over to your opponent's side.




After that we went to the zoo for a very short visit.  This is Mosey at the zoo.

Goofball!

It was a good Thanksgiving.  Next year at our house!

NOVEMBER 2014


Brigham's Fall AYO concert.  He's a first violin in the Sinfonietta this year.




What is this?  You're guess is as good as mine.  Classic Brigham, though.  He gets an idea in his head, then makes it happen!


Mom/Mosey selfie in our driveway, watching Brigham and Joseph play basketball.


Sandy, ears flopping.


Pretty flowers given to us to take home from the stake Thanksgiving music program.  Brigham and Joseph played a piano duet-- Copeland's Simple Gifts, and I wrote and performed in a quartet arrangement of Because I Have Been Given Much.