How Pop pop and Zoey became Friends

We haven't fed Zoey any sugar....until now. We decided it was time for Pop pop to bribe Zoey into liking him. Every time he came to say hi he would give her a little piece of chocolate or candy. After the first time he gave her chocolate she didn't cry when he talked to her. Then we went to a BYU basketball game. Pop pop took her out of the car and carried her into the game and held her. Lo and behold she didn't cry! YEAH! Okay she did cry when Cosmo came to say hi to her, but she stopped right when he left and she stayed on Pop pop's lap. From then on Pop pop and Zoey have been great friends. Nothing will bond you like chocolate and BYU basketball!

Gingerbread Houses

Gingerbread houses have always been a fun Fletcher tradition. They are incredibly creative when it comes to their houses. Ty's are always ingenious, they usually end up being a battle field with decapitated gummy bears laying around. But this year I think Jeff won. He created the Rabbit of Troy from Monty Python: Search for the Holy Grail. It was awesome. I was so sad I forgot my camera.
I couldn't stop talking about it so Shane, my little brother, decided the Rickard/Parkinsons should have a gingerbread night. Due to every one's crazy work schedule at the restaurant only a few of us could make it. Maybe next year we can get a better turn out. Here are our masterpieces.


Matt's pyramid creation



Shane and Alli's Dr Seuss House

Brandon's castle. And Look! He's smiling!

Mom documenting the event

Richard observing the event

Our Gingerbread village. Notice all the candy and treats covering the table. It's no wonder I gained 5 pounds while I was home!

  

Zoey's First Ponytail!

Yes, I am actually making a post for Zoey's first ponytail. I have been waiting a long time for this. Now she doesn't have to have the same hairstyle as Dwight Schrute from the office!

Amy Birthday

It was really fun to be in Utah for Amy's birthday. We had a great time hanging out with the family.

Temple Square

We haven't gone to Temple Square to see the lights, due to Matt's weird boycott (something about not enough lights), for the last couple years. But this year I really wanted to do something with our friend the Acketts, so we went to Cafe Rio and to see the lights at Temple Square. It was Cafe Rio that made Matt break his boycott. Dinner was great and it's always fun catching up with friends.
The lights were pretty too. Jay even brought Christmas music for us to listen to as we walked around Temple Square.  But Matt is right, there are definitely less lights then when we were kids.

My little smiling elf

Jay, Ava, and Holly Ackett

Eating with Zoey

Meals with Zoey can be very entertaining. She has inherited the talent of pulling crazy faces just like her dad. Her favorite face is Crazy Eyes. To make her crazy eyes she bulges her eyes, opens her mouth and sticks her jaw out to the side, and holds her breath so her face turns bright red. She loves to make this face because we laugh so hard at her. She really likes being funny. Anyways, we are eating at Nana D's and she starts pulling all of these faces. Before long she has Nana, Brandon, and I in tears because we are laughing so hard. She is now Brandon's favorite.

Sitting there all nice and cute then...........

She hits ya with this face. What kids pulls a face like this on purpose? I'll tell ya, a Fletcher. Anything for a laugh

For whatever reason Zoey hasn't ever been a big fan of her Pop pop. So our goal for this trip was for them to be friends by the end. Attempt number one was feeding her. She thought about it took a few bite from him, but in the end she cried and wouldn't eat. So sad.

Keep trying Pop pop!

Discovery Gateway

 To start off our Utah holiday adventures Zoey and I met up with our favorite gal pals Holly and Ava at Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake. The girls had so much fun. They spent FOREVER playing in the garden room playing with the balls. They had suction tubes that work like the drive thru at a bank. You can watch the balls travel up all the tubes and into a giant ball pit. It was awesome. I couldn't believe how entertained they were. Zoey missed her morning nap but was as happy as can be playing with Ava.


Zoey trying to figure out what she is supposed to do with the ball



Ava looking amazed!

Zoey loves with on her face.

The next area was called Kid's Eye View where everything is shrink to be kid size.

Zoey was really really excited about the tiny couch

Ava wasn't quite as excited

A very proud moment: Going down the slide all by herself

Ava was a rockstar (get it!...rockstar!) She made it all the way to the top.

Zoey trying to be as cool as Ava. She didn't quite make it since she never left the ground.