NYC Marathon Trip

Julie Babcock & Luanna, some super nice policeman, and the 45,000 runners coming over the bridge on the far right...

The difference b/w phone camera (apple in NY) and above (my Dean camera) is clearly obvious...

Cake celebrating Alzheimer team running.  David kindly inlucded us (and our spouses, just in case) on the list for the swanky reception after the race.

One of my favorite things I saw on the subway, super crowded, older Latino couple, her hand in his pocket.

Luanna is a lot of fun to hang out with!  Giggly sister making me laugh. Julie is calm and good at navigating and full of complements and kind words.

Eating out day before race, teryaki burgers...

Beautiful, smart doctor-in-training daughter of my cousin was super kind and has a great single's ward we went to Sunday early.  In our jeans and "Knit & Run" t-shirts.  We were made to feel very welcomed.

View from Kellie's place.

enJOY burgers (north of Kellie) gave us playing cards with our receipts, called out the card when our food was ready (and we turned in cards to be reused, clever, clever and good food).

Sunday after Church we subway-ed to Queens to catch the racers at the half-way point.  David went by so fast that we went north on the subway to chase him, caught him with minutes to spare at Duke Ellington memorial.

Picture below is in Queens, roof of an LDS celebrity...

Famous person spotting:  When David was teaching people to finger knit in the park with Lion Brand yarn (lovely, lovely yarn.  David is a spokesman for them, official promoter) Julie met Kristy Glass and worked out an invite to her apartment to watch the race.  This is her rocking chair.  She calls it "Yarn Bombing" and I was delighted! She is an amazing person, has a sweet family, and a home that is filled with the Spirit and lots of love & cool color!  We helped make a sign for her friend SHAY running right near David.  Sam has been a big fan of Shay for years, and was impressed with the networking.

Kristy has 3 children now, works as an actress, runs, and so does her husband.

David finished under 4 hours, which met his goal.  AND he finished knitting this scarf early in the race WITH LETTERS!  I am so proud of him and it was wonderful to be there and be supportive of his achievement!

The Celebration!

Thanks to Emma & Dean for music and flashing DJ lights for celebration dance!  Dean was great at choosing songs that were popular when my parents got married, throwing in music for the younger cousins, making sure there were enough slow songs for aunts & uncle couples to dance to...An hour was just right.

Stewart carried down rolling chairs for Mom & Dad to sit on, but they stayed in the middle of the dancing, spinning each other.

 

Then they blew out 50 candles in JohnB's amazing two-pan black bottom cake!

There is still a month and a half until the actual wedding date anniversary, but this summer was the only time we could gather almost all of us (before YW camps, Scout camps, band camps...).  Dad insisted that if you would have come to his funeral last spring (close call) please come to his reunion celebration while he is still alive.

I am thankful for parents who love each other and have worked hard to have a good marriage.  And thankful for siblings who have found good spouses and their beautiful children so easy for me to love!  It was a good reunion.

Email me or make a note in comments for details on how we did food for 56 for 4 days.

Family Group Photos: shoulders vs cluster

We tried to practice "clustering" heads for group photos...

This line up is okay (in order of age) but tv in background bad...

Better away from tv.  Outside would have been nice, but this was late at night, after parents were asleep.

Try angling that...

Or breakout sub-groups...my brothers, oldest to youngest!

And get people laughing!  Best Laura laugh, ever, hearing her talk about being in the middle, no matter what group.

How many tries to get this big group shot? Everyone here except Hermana Hannah on mission and our Maxwell.  (photo credit this group shot: Jen Babcock).

Utah Trip-favorite pictures, more to come...

I had been looking for the artist of this picture of CHRIST:  http://www.jeffhein.com/painting-history-scripture#3  FOUND THE ARTIST!  78x42 inch original, so the one in DC is larger than original.

Sibling hug at Aunt Becca & (soon to be officially) Uncle Chris home.

Painting from 1990 when I was a new mom-student-artist at BYU, in collection of Deborah Koehler. I was surprised at  how it brought back the emotions of being a new mom, the confusion, the love, the "cuteness" and the unending soberness of caring for the health of a newborn.  Rabbits were my favorite animal growing up.

John on his history-photo tour; one of his many, many jobs while we were starving students with children...

John, Sam, and Roxie waiting for me to finish looking at paintings at the BYU museum of art.

Current quilt show, downstairs at same museum:

What do you think???

Christmas Celebrating

Thanks to Uncle David Babcock's Guinness World Record Breaking event!  LOVE the shirts!

Sam started shaving this week...

Hairy fun (thanks to LJ!)

Ruffle scarves (more thanks to LJ)

Stairs with all of us...

Grandma Sandy found fun Tardis towels!

We struggled with lighting, too bright, shadows, and the tinsel wreaths were silly.  Everyone was a good sport, duty photo session, the one big thing I wanted this year.  THANK YOU for obliging.

Without sombreros.

Emma making sour cream fudge with spontaneous Grinch coloring.

Dean & Max making cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Great Grandma Billie and Suzanna.

Stewart by the tree.

Christmas Eve couple photo.  Not a hat on my head, candy candle behind me...

UNTOUCHED crazy vibrant colors of the day.

Max in his Defiant sweatshirt.

 Stewart.

We tried the circle head shots, too bright, even in backyard on trampoline and shooting from the roof (John climbed up on a ladder to get above everyone).  No broken bones.

 

We watched family history old VHS video from Emma's first birthday, Max's first Christmas, Suzanna 4th (?) birthday with Babcock cousins over.  Uncle Michael interviewing Great Uncle Blen Stoker.  John & I as young parents.  Our various apartments and blessing homes.

I hope the kids got a sense of who we are as a family.  With 6 children the youngest don't know a lot of the stories of the older siblings.  And we wanted Dean to see how beautiful-cute his wife was as a youngster.  We laughed hard at Stewart & Emma jumping on the mini-trampoline, singing, eating ice cream, John throwing Emma up in air...All my babies had beautiful eyes and sweet chubby fingers and square feet.  Their sounds, coos, expressions are dear memories to me.  I love being their mom, then and now.

 

MUST TRANSFER VHS TO DVD/archive this year.  Goal #1 to back-up what we do have, and be better about group shots, taking pictures of the adults-not just the kids in the room...

I love my family.