TOO MUCH GOING ON!!

We have a whole lot going on at this time of year in our family! (I know, so does everyone!) This is it in short for us... Begining with Thanksgiving Day, which was also Carl's birthday, the following day was Amanda's birthday, December 3rd was our 21st wedding anniversary, December 6th was Austen's birthday, the 18th of December is Ashlii's birthday, and Christmas of course! Then just throw in the fact that Carl works for Federal Express!! Busy, busy, busy time of year for us!! Here is just some of what went on during this time of year for our family. I haven't even gotten to Christmas Eve or Day... ENJOY!! WE DID!!


We had our family Christmas party at my Grandma Grow's home. We sang, enjoyed each others talents, good food and good company. I love it!

This is a picture of my Grandma Grow with her great and great, great grandkids!


It was touching to me to hear our whole family sing together while grandma played the piano.


My grandma got a real kick out of playing while we all sang Christmas songs!


Austen, Sophie and their cousins sang "Away in a Manger" I just loved it!!


My cousin Ben and his friend sang "Baby it's cold outside" it was soooo cute!!





Sophie performed for the group and sang Rudolph. (she actually did a few things for us, she loves to be the "STAR").


Santa made an appearance... it was fun for all!



Our family birthday party at Cheesecake Factory, we were celebrating Carl, Amanda, Austen and Ashlii's birthdays. I feel terrible Carl isn't in the picture, he is usually "the man" behind the camera!




For the first time in 20 years we were without both of our girls for Thanksgiving. Ashlii, Cole, Sophie and Rubie were in St. George with Cole's family. Amanda and Ryan spent a few days down south as well, visiting with Ryan's family. Although it was difficult to be apart, we had a wonderful day! Carl, Austen, myself, my sisters and their families went to my aunt and uncle's home in Peoa to spend the day with lots of extended family and friends! I love getting reacquainted each year on this great day with those family members I don't get to see as often as I'd like.

My Aunt Julie and Uncle Stewart's home.


My sister Marni and her husband Bob.


My sister Kristi and I.


Austen and some of his cousins.


We had a great game of soccer, I did score a goal for the other team... I quit playing shortly after that, but it was alot of fun!

The "I HAVE" tag!

BOLD the ones you have done.

1. Started your own blog. (Well Ash started it for me)
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain. (yes this really happened!)
9. Held a Praying Mantis. (not for long!)
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightening storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept over night on a train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill.
24. Built a snow fort and slept in it.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping. (oh geese... I am so sorry for this mental picture!)
27. Run a Marathon.
28. Ridden a Gondola.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Both!
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen Amish country.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. (wow at a time like this, I just feel blessed to be employed!!)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. (I am assuming at the gym counts?)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sang Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a Drive-In Theater.
55. Been in a movie. (does a home movie count? JK)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. (I have run a child care business out of my home for 20 years)
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone Whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter. (NOT a good idea when you are afraid of heights!)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Pieces of my blanket!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar. NOPE and I wont ever!
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job. Yes (Italian Village... I was 15)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. (Too many!!!)
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved somebody's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one. (My mom)
94. Had a baby. (3)
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone. YES!!! I just got my very first cell phone... I'm 42!!
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. One cavity or less. OH PLEASE!!!

I must say... I thought this tag was so long! But I was too far into it to stop, I was also sad to realize just how boring I really am!!
Although... I am grateful I finished it! I will be making my "BUCKET LIST" I have been inspired by this tag.
Thanks Ash!

For this reason... I tag you all!

WHAT SOPHIE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS!

What does my sweet Sophie want for Christmas? Amanda asked her that all important question yesterday... to which she responded, "I want a nutcracker!" Amanda said "a nutcracker, is that all?" Sophie said "I want a Barbie too... and I think I'll ask for a new pair of pants because my butt crack keeps hanging out!"
She is the funniest!!

Austen's in heaven!

Austen and his "buddy" Travis Pastranan! Thanks to a good friend, we got to go spend
the night with the whole Nitro Circus Crew and watch Thrillbillies Double Wide! "Austen was in heaven!" It is a great movie, go buy it!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Sophie is in Pre-School, she learns lots of cute songs for the Holiday's... I especially loved this one! I love this little girl!

NOVEMBER and THANKSGIVING DAY TRADITIONS!

Okay... You've all had plenty of thinking time... Please comment or e-mail me your Holiday Traditions for the month of November! Thanks!!

Rubie is so dang smart!

Rubie is so dang smart! She is almost 9 months old and can already do Itsy bitsy spider and wave bye bye! (she doesn't smile much while she is doing the actions... she has to concentrate) She is quickly on the road to being as perfect as her big sister Sophie!

That's my boy!

Austen did such a great job this year of playing center! He has played both sides of the line all season and I am so proud of him. I just love watching him play!! He had his last regular season game yesterday up in Oakley, it was such a beautiful day for us to take a drive up the canyon, take in all the Fall beauty and watch our sons team win a football game! Playoffs next Saturday! Go Alta!!


I have had so much fun being the team mom this year, I love these boys!


This was obviously a moment I was not in charge of the camera... nice girls! I included the more flattering picture below to make up for this one.




It was fun having Cole, Ashlii, Sophie, Rubie and Amanda there with us as well. (Ryan had to work)

Happy Birthday Dylan!

I just wanted to wish my nephew Dylan a very, very Happy 17th Birthday this Wednesday October 22nd! I love you Dylan!

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS?... HELP!

The holidays are right around the corner... I am looking for some neat family traditions. At the beginning of each month I will post this "Holiday Traditions?... Help!" If you would leave a comment on my blog or post something cool on your own blog if you have one, I would really appreciate hearing some of your ideas, neat memories you have of family traditions while growing up, things you have done with your own families, heard of friends doing... etc. (Traditions, and ideas having to do with the holiday that falls during that particular month).
(My daughter) Ashlii's mother in law makes sure that the "Great Pumpkin" comes to visit each of her grandchildren every year. The Great Pumpkin leaves a fun Halloween surprise on the front porch of each child's home. He leaves it during the beginning of the month of October so it gives them time to enjoy it and helps them get excited about the upcoming Halloween holiday. Sophie and Rubie each received a cute little Halloween outfit and some other fun things as well. You could go very big with this, or very simple! I love this idea! So do the kids! Alot of the kids in my home daycare think it is so cool that the Great Pumpkin came to Sophie's house. Unfortunately.. they are also wondering why he hasn't come to visit them as well? Needless to say, it has started a new tradition in many of their own homes too.
Ashlii and Amanda, if you would help me out by posting something similar to this on your blogs or sending people to my blog... I don't have as many visitors to my blog as you both do! I am really excited about getting some fun ideas! Thanks for your help girls! Mom

Tagged! I'm not brave enough to wait!

I have been tagged... I thought I'd post the "I have no quirks" below and leave it for a day, just to see how mean my girls were willing to be. I'm not brave enough to wait. I'll post my own quirks... thank you.

5 unspectacular quirks about myself... hmm...

#1 I can't stand crumbs... why do people have to leave their crumbs?! Enough said...

#2 I don't like other people to do my dishes, especially by hand! Don't bother...
when you leave... I just wash them over. Sorry.

#3 I can't go to sleep unless I have a phone by my bedside? I just can't!

#4 I don't like Austen to go to bed without showering first. The thought of him
sleeping with all of those kid germs on him... Yuk.

#5 I love to chew ice, it's terrible... I have broken so many teeth just chewing ice. I can't really even enjoy a drink unless it has ice in it.

Those are only 5 of my unspectacular quirks believe me!! I have many!

I tag any of you reading this who haven't been tagged!

Tagged! Quirks? This should be easy!

I've never been tagged! This one should be easy... "Name 5 unspectacular quirks about myself" ... I have none.

2 months in a slide show!

If you aren't familiar with this... you can put your cursor on the photo for captions, or view all images.

Broken Arms

Austen broke his left arm last week, riding a 4 wheeler while camping at the Sand Dunes with his Dad. Just a few days after that... sweet little Sophie broke her left arm, playing on the monkey bars at Grandma Kerri's house. Austen got a black cast which we hope is off and his arm is healed by the last week in July because football starts. Sophie got this pretty pink cast which we are hoping is off by the time Amanda gets married August 1st, even though it would match her little dress quite well! Poor kids!

Mother's Day

What a beautiful day... we had such a fun Mother's Day! We got together at our house with Marni's family, Ashlii, Cole, Sophie, Rubie and Ryan joined us as well. Kristi and her family spent the day with Dan's mother, we missed being with them. The Jazz win over L.A. inspired the basketball player in many of us, we had some pretty intense but fun competition going on.

More Mother's Day!

It was especially nice to spend the day with Ashlii, she is such a sweet mommy. We are so proud of her!

Mother's Day Etc.

Since I haven't entered a blog in quite sometime.... I can't even remember how! I am so frustrated! This is why there are 3 separate entries for 1 day!! UGH!!
Everyone worked so hard to make this such a special day,I really appreciated it. Thank you EVERYONE!

Wedding Dress Shopping!

Sophie joined in the fun when Amanda was trying on wedding dresses! Yes, she found one! No, I can't include of a picture of it. You'll have to wait and see.

Congratulations Ryan and Amanda!

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

She's a sleep robber!

Cole had to go to Las Vegas for work, Ash went along for the weekend. Grandma Linda (Cole's mom) took Sophie to St. George with her and her little cousins, Grandma Kerri got to keep Rubie. She's so sweet, so beautiful, so fun..... she's a sleep robber! Last night was our first night together, I'm feeling a little tired... as you can see from her picture... Rubie is just fine! She slept in her Grandma's arms in all night long (thank heaven for Lazy Boy chairs that recline!), she had a bath, her morning bottle, snuggled in Grandma's bed and slept a bit while Grandma got ready for a day of work! Not fair! Really, it was quite fun, I am grateful that Cole and Ashlii are so willing to share their sweet girls with me like they do. I am a very lucky Grandma. But, I definitely fell 42 today.

Visit to Arizona with Ty and Tiff

Since I still haven't figured out how to do a stinking slide show... these are just some of my favorite pictures of the trip Amanda, Ryan, Austen and I took to Arizona to visit Tyler, Tiffany, Jake, Jashua, Hayden and Holli. We have never been out to visit them the whole 9 or whatever years they've lived there... and I haven't seen my brother Ty since Ashlii got married 5 years ago. It was the BEST!! Don't worry, I will figure the whole slide show thing out.

We didn't get to see as much of Jake as we'd liked because of his busy work and school schedule. I sure am glad we got to hear him play his guitar... I was really impressed!