The Allen Family

Allen-Hunsaker Reunion 2011

2011-07-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of beach bums....we loved it.

Aaron and Kyle just flipped!

Since Kyle married, Aaron is feeling a little lonely. (ha ha)

Grandpa with our 3 youngest grandchildren. Jonah, Paige and Jack.

Here we are....well not all of us. We sure missed Dustin, Abish and the girls. Soon, we'll be together soon.

Grandkids are the best. We love them all.....even when they are throwing a fit! Again, missing Lindy and Bianca.

I LOVE my family. Thanks guys for being such great sports.

Kyle and Maryann get married!

2011-05-29T18:52:00.001-07:00

These are not in any semblance of order so please bear with me.
This is Adam, Kyle, Maryann and Natalie as we came out of their endowment session.

Handsome Aaron waiting for the ring ceremony to begin.

Kyle accepting the antique book holding the rings from the darling little ring bearer. What a sweet shot of both of them.

Vicki, Maryann, Jessica and Gabby ham it up in the photo booth. Vicki and Gabby are Maryann's sisters. What a fun family.

Richard and I taking a turn around the dance floor to one of our favorite songs....Unforgettable by Nat King Cole. Thanks Kyle for playing this just for us to dance to.

A little cake. They were so polite and didn't shove it in each others faces. I loved it.

Bridesmaids

Groomsmen and Kyle in the photo booth.

I think Kyle just swept her off her feet!

Exiting the ring ceremony.

Richard had the honor of conducting the ring ceremony. Wind and mike problems aside he did very well. Kyle and Maryann were so sweet to watch.

Emma the flower girl wouldn't throw her petals down and when some flew out of the basket she had to pick them back up! So sweet.

Exchange of rings with Mike the best man looking on.

A little shot with us and the newlyweds.
It was a fun week with their endowments, sealing, luncheon and then the reception.
The Little family did such a wonderful job on the reception.
They have been great to get to know.
We are thrilled to welcome such a wonderful girl as Maryann into our family.

It's official! Kyle has popped the question

2010-12-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

Kyle before.......
Kyle made sure to come by the office so we could have a before and after picture of he and Maryann's big day.

The happy couple afterwards!
We are so excited to welcome Maryann into our family. She is wonderful and if I may say so Kyle has chosen well. (and so has Maryann!)

Random good pics

2010-11-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Aaron and Dad on graduation day

Jordan turning 2.

Sweet Reanna

Raingutter regatta 9th birthday for Sam.

Jimi and Jordan

Dorky Tyler and Becky

Sweet Ry

Sometimes only a thumb will do.

Michael trying to steal a snowcone.

Sassy

Natalie

2010-11-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

Each year Richard, his siblings and their spouses all try to get together for a reunion. This year we met in Thatcher and enjoyed the new Gila Valley Temple, Angle Orchard, a Graham Mtn. picnic, dinner out, crafts, and a lot of laughter with only a few tears mixed in. We celebrated their Dad's birthday and enjoyed just spending time together. It was so relaxing and a wonderful tradition. I'm so grateful to be a part of this family. They are wonderful.

Richard and I at Angle Orchard.

Richard and I challenged Ron and Nephi in some horseshoes.....we won! Yea! I even made a couple of the 21 points :).

Jill Dana is here

2009-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

We are so excited that Jill Dana has finally arrived. Born 11/18 at 3:18 AM. Weighed in at 8 lbs. 2 oz and 21 1/2 inches long. She looks somewhat like her big brother Ryan. Mom and baby are doing terrific. On my way to see her soon.

The Wii

2009-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

Richard and I visited Dustin and Abish recently and played a little Wii. This was my first time on the Wii and it was really fun. Here is Richard playing golf.

Lindy was way better at the games than I was. She must have been practicing. We sure had a good time. Love you guys.

My church buddies

2009-11-09T20:17:00.001-08:00

This is my friend Elliot. He, his brother, baby sister and Mom share Sacrament meeting with me each week and I love it. He is at the ward trunk or treat and he's just about done with the whole business. He refused to put on his hood and kept trying to shoo shoo me away. I was just trying to get him to smile for me. Sooooooo I kept trying.

Again......

And again....(maybe if I hide my eyes she'll stop!)

Oh my....she's never going to stop :(

Okay already....Here is my smiley face. (This really is his camera smiley face these days...just ask his Mom)

Here is his dinosaur of a brother. He didn't mind posing for me.

Well....he didn't mind THAT much.....

There we go...a true Owen smile. Love these boys!

Tyler turns 25

2009-11-09T19:58:00.001-08:00

Tyler turns 25 this month and we had a dinner celebration for him a couple of weeks ago. (I am in a holding pattern waiting for Dana to have her baby) Kaila made this yummy chocolate banana bread cake with white chocolate peanut butter frosting. It was yummy. It is so fun to have Tyler and Becky come over. We miss Tyler living here and it is good to spend some fun time with him. We love you Tyler.

After the dinner and dessert we retired into the living room. When Jordan comes I pull out a bag of toy animals that I use for church. When Jordan isn't looking the BIG "kids" take them over and play their own games. They role play scenarios where the cow is....well just mean! Then they have stacking games to see who can stack the highest. In the midst of all of this Jordan realizes she can't get to the toys. Next thing we know she is picking them up as fast as she can and hiding them in the chair. Too cute!

See, Tyler was the master stacker for the night.

Everyone got into the fun!

My (not really) FAMOUS Chili

2009-11-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

The missionaries had a great booth at our ward trunk or treat party. You drop a ball down this maze thing and which ever slot it falls into you get that candy. Here are a couple of pics of The Banana Guy playing and winning the BIG prize. For the record the missionaries were dressed as Samoan missionaries with their traditional wrap (not in drag like another ward thought!).

I won....I won.

For our recent ward trunk or treat party on Halloween the Relief Society "personally" asked me (and every other sister in the ward via a sign up list) to bring my FAMOUS "chili con carne". Well what is a girl to do? When they crave good chili they come to me! Ha Ha

Kyle turns the BIG 21!

2009-11-08T11:25:00.000-08:00

Kyle turned 21 in October and that was cause for celebration for sure. Over conference weekend we celebrated with Nat and family, Jimi and family and Tyler and Becky and Aaron. He had is requested Sunday dinner and Tres leches birthday cake. Then...the night before his birthday Aaron was with us so we decided to have another celebrate again! We made peanut butter rice krispie treats and he opened his presents. Then on his actual birthday we took him to a little Thai restaurant downtown. All in all he was able to party hardy for this milestone day.

Dad lighting his birthday candles, 2 on one side to represent 20 and 1 on the other side to represent 1.

It's hard to open presents when you have sticky treats in your hand.

Happy Birthday Kyle. We love you. You are a good man.

My randomness

2009-11-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in forever because my computer/camera set up keeps timing out when I try to load pictures. I now have a handy dandy disc reader that helps so much. But the awful truth is that I have several memory discs with tons of pictures that span months and months. I will be blogging these events but am afraid there will be no rhyme or reason to the events. I will take them as they come on the discs.

8 is GREAT!

2009-11-07T08:53:00.001-08:00

Richard and I flew up north for Carter's baptism on October 10th. Here is a cute shot of the family as they are going out the door to the church. After the baptism we all returned to Dana and Michael's home for some wonderful lunch and treats. There was a huge crowd on hand to witness this milestone in Carter's life and fun was had by all.

We so appreciated that Dustin, Abish and the girls traveled in from Boise.

No matter how long it has been since Anna and Lindy have been together, they have an instant connection. Lindy cried when they had to leave:(

Anna, Lindy, Grandpa Ray (background), Grandpa Richard and Ryan.

Ry and Grandpa Christensen.

Michael's sisters, Sara (& 2 of the cutest boys you've ever seen), Rachel and Loni came in for the fun from Utah and Arizona!

The Bishop surrounded by Kami's cute Kylie and Quinn

Michael's mom Deb with Rachel, Sara and Sara's boys, Adam and Aaron.

The rest of the Primary Presidency (sans Dana) and Danielle.

A picture to prove I did attend.

Just been baptized and fresh from the dressing room. Here are Carter and Michael posing in front of the font.

All the wonderful Priesthood holders who helped to confirm Carter a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Uncle Dustin, Bishop, Dad, Grandpa Ray, Grandpa Richard
(Annie sneaking a peak at the right!)

2009-11-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here is my sweet "BANANA" helping me at the grocery. Of course he wanted to pick out the little bananas. He is the
"TOP BANANA" you see. We had just attended our ward "trunk or treat" and needed to get the food for Tyler's birthday dinner. "MR. BANANAMAN" got a lot of second looks going up and down the aisles and one kid kept telling his parents. "Hey there's the banana guy" over and over and over. What fun.

Impromtu trip to Payson aka beating the heat

2009-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Richard and I decided on the spur of the moment to visit Rod and Sharla for Rod's birthday. We knew it would be cooler up north but had no idea how wonderful it would be. A strong monsoon storm had come through the area and cooled things off. When we left the valley it was 110 degrees. Within 1 hour we were to Mt. Ord and in a fierce rainstorm which dropped the temperature to about 65 degrees. Once we were through the scary part of the storm it was pure heaven. Here we are with Rod and Sharla after dinner at our hotel.

We took a little drive before we returned to the heat into the forest. Parking at the side of the road we hiked a little way to get a good vista picture of the rim area.

Here is one of the pictures Richard took. Breathtaking.

This is what my man did to get the picture.....risking his life over barbed wire. Thanks for the great shots honey.

Here he is trying to pull up a manzanita bush. My mom had one of these that she hung ornaments on. I wanted to do the same....only we didn't really have anything to dig it up with. Oh well, maybe next time.

Mistletoe growing in one of the trees. Yes...this warranted quite a little bit of smoochin.....

He was so sweet to sit on wet ground and let me try out my camera a little on him. Hmmm.....what a hunka hunka burnin love. Oh man!

Park City

2009-07-10T17:36:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures that we had done by Three Winks Studio out of Salt Lake City. We met in a park by our Resort in Park City and I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful setting for our latest family portrait. Above is Peter and you can take a guess what is dripping from his hand! The kids had just busted a pinata and he must have had 3 pieces of candy in his mouth. Needless to say....it didn't all fit and had to come out somehow. Priceless.

Sweet Bianca with her July 4th pin wheel

Anna getting her candy. How precious.

Anna and Lindy

Richard facilitating the pinata play. Cute lining up.

How sweet, Michael helping Peter with his turn with Levi on the right.

Kyle

Aaron

OOH La La!

Richard and I with our kids.

Richard and I with our kids and their spouses.

Tyler and Becky

Richard and I with the grandkids and their July 4th sunglasses!

Carter, Dana, Michael, Anna and Ryan.

Jimmy, Kaila and Jordan

Peter, Adam, Levi, Natalie, Reanna, Ben, Caprina and Sam.

Bianca, Abish, Dustin and Lindy.

Here are all 26 of us!(until Dana's new baby comes in November...it is hard to keep a current family picture with everyone in it!) I love the way Stacy, our photographer put it all together. We took these at 8 AM and it was chilly, the grass was wet and more than a few balked at not wearing shoes. I love the way these all turned out. We had a wonderful vacation, stayed at a fabulous place, and best of all enjoyed just spending time together.

Tyler and Becky

2009-06-02T09:58:00.001-07:00

Tyler and Becky had their big day this past week and we couldn't be happier. Here are a few pics of the festivities. Above is the luncheon dinner we put together. I love when something youv'e planned and worked so hard on comes together. It was great and a big thank you to my bff Jennifer who was right by my side the whole time. Love you Jen.
Richard and I bought the little girls these darling dresses and as you can plainly see we do have the cutest granddaughters ever made. We sure missed Anna for this picture but she just had her tonsils out and Dana and fam weren't able to come. Not all enjoyed the dresses......but what can you do?

Becky and the little girls.

The boys got to share in the fun with matching ties. They were special because these ties matched all of the BIG boys! These are wonderful boys and we were missing Carter (who probably wouldn't wear the tie) and Ryan.

Tyler and his siblings. What a great looking bunch of kids. We love them and are so pleased to have Becky in the family. Love you guys.

Oh Woe is Me

2009-04-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

I am sad to report that upon returning from Idaho over conference weekend our dear, sweet, lovable, accomodating computer was. . . . well to put it bluntly DEAD! We have called in the professionals, he came in his Honda computer ambulance and took it to the ICU. (Intensive Computer Unit) We are waiting with bated breath to hear the outcome. . . . we must be patient. . . . we will know in the computer God's own time. . . but until then we must occupy our time with new STUFF!

Like I have discovered the RedBox and how to get free movies every week (so cool)
getting ready for Tyler and Becky's wedding (way cool)
buying a new vehicle (out of this world cool)
remodeling (it will be cool someday when we are done!)
traveling to Idaho, New Mexico and the occasional date to Globe and Burger House (YUM)
having company (Dana & Anna, Nat & kids, My sister Kathleen and niece Sarah...FUN)
reading Harlan Coben (I am hooked)
getting ready for our family vacation in PARK CITY (Yahoo and everyone will be there)
keeping our Texas borders safe (www.blueservo.net)

So...sometime in the future the pics from all of this with my wonderful, no red eye camera, will be posted.

Keep good thoughts for the computer....a new one is definitely NOT in the budget

Randomness

2009-02-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

The mean Granny that I am...I took this hilarious picture of Bianca playing with Tylers snowboarding goggles. She was none too happy to say the least.

Granny's bed again. This time with Ryan, Cart and Anna. It always amazes me that this is where all the grandkids come early in the morning when they are staying with us.

Another canning lesson (I love it). Abish received a new pressure canner for Christmas so a lesson was in order before they went back to Idaho. Here are Dana and Abish posing in front of the canners, one filled with 14 pints of chicken and the other filled with 7 quarts of pinto beans. The girls were then able to divide up the finished project and add it to their own food storage. I have continued to can but have stopped blogging about it every time! Still excited about it though and adding to it every week along with learning a new skill every month. Last month was making my own detergent and this month is ???? well actually I forget.

Bianca is a budding musician. She loved the piano and was picking out a tune here for Granny.

This is a random picture. This is Ryan Jarvis when he was a few months old. I love, love, love this picture and found it on the computer the other day. Who doesn't want to just give him a huge squeeze?

Kyle's new addition

2009-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

Kyle working on the new car using Grandpa Allen's creeper.

Goodbye motorcycle (YEA) hello 1994 Toyota Celica! Kyle has new wheels and here is "Carl's" first oil change. Carl is feeling the love already!

Tyler and Becky

2009-02-07T09:12:00.000-08:00

What will 2009 bring? The creation of a new family unit and an addition to our family. Tyler popped THE question. . . and the answer was YES! Here is nervous Tyler with the prop ring (he wanted her to choose her own) before the "Will You ...Forever" date.

The happy couple. Isn't that a rock? Well....it's the fake and yes it is blue!

Richard and I had the opportunity to go out to dinner with Becky's parents just to meet and start the wedding plan discussions. We actually graduated high school with Becky's mom and both the Allens and the Stokers had been in the same ward for a few months. Small world, that is for sure. Here Tyler bestows upon his bride her gorgeous diamond engagement ring. He surprised her with it at dinner.

To say the least we are thrilled for Becky to be joining our family. We love them both!

How do you love me? Let me count the ways

2009-02-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

You love me when you see I am cold while blogging and you bring me your FAVORITE wool socks and slip them on my feet to keep me warm. How in the world did I get so lucky as to marry you babe?

Journaling

2009-02-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

Let me just tell you...this boy is amazing! Carter is in the first grade and reads and writes fluently. He loves it. When he wants a reward it is a book! The "teacher" side of me loves this. Here he is writing in his journal that he got for Christmas. Where does he get this love? You don't have to look far...from his Dad (sports writer/novelist/broadcaster/voracious reader) and Mom (talented/avid reader/easy bake oven lovin/musician). They are such great examples and read DAILY to their kids. That's all it takes.

Dad and Cart writing in their journals together in our kids room. (This room can house 5 people and a has a crib. No room to move around but you get a bed!)

Missy Anns

2009-02-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

I LOVE this camera. Richard and I went to Amazing Jakes with Michael and the kids, (those pictures to follow) and while there I was seeing how fast I could take pictures and happened to catch these shots of Anna. I have a loooooong way to go but with my other camera the recovery time was so long I could never have gotten a sequence of shots like this. I love that it captures her personality to a tee. Love you Annie.

Evolution

2009-01-31T19:26:00.000-08:00

In the few short years that Richard and I have been married this is the evolution of my camera. First there was the comfortable, tried and true Kodak KB28 35 mm. I then won a Nikon Coolpix 4600 4.0 megapixel digital. I refused to use it until challenged by Abish to do so. I couldn't let the challenge go by and before you know it that was my new comfortable favorite. When it started acting up I "borrowed" Aaron's Vivitar 5110 5.0 mp and grew to love it. Then.....

My true love got me this for Christmas, a Canon Rebel XS 10 mp. No more red eye, YEA! I have been snapping pictures like crazy and am LOVING IT (and the man who gave it to me). I am now learning more about it and starting to blog the new pics. I have a lot of catching up to do and so this next week I hope to play posting catch up. Stay tuned....the best pictures are yet to come.

Check out this food storage website

2009-01-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Look here: www.funwithfoodstorage.net. I have been frequenting the food storage site www.everydayfoodstorage.com and Crystal has teamed up with two other groups to create this new site. Lots of giveaways and promising info. Take a look.

Temple Lights

2009-01-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Sunday before Christmas a few of us decided to go to the temple lights. I think everyone else had that idea as well as the place was packed! Here is a shot a sweet lady took of us before we ventured into the crowd.

I think this is Ben hitching a ride on Aaron's back.

Now he is hitching along with Dustin. Later Aaron with Sam and Dustin with Ben had a race back to the car. I was so slow I don't have a clue who made it there first.

Becky, Adam, (with Reanna kangaroo like) and Natalie. It was a little chilly but we had a good time. Next year I think we will be a little choosier about the night we go. You have to admit though....the temple is gorgeous no matter when you go.

Ben turns the BIG 9

2009-01-04T12:31:00.000-08:00

Ben asked for a snowman cake this year and this is what I came up with. I used little cakes for the hat and everyone wanted some of that!

The kids helped me put on the candles and Ben had his chance to blow them out.

Not quite sure what the gift was at first but was thrilled to find out he had gotten an MP3 player from Mom and Dad. It didn't take him long to plug in and tune us out. It is amazing how quickly these young ones grow up. Ben also got his own grown up boom box for his room and some stories on CD. He's a great young man and we are so proud of him...smart, handsome, helpful and loves to achieve! We love you Ben.

Christmas 2009

2009-01-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Catching up on the holidays...it is amazing how fast time goes by! We have been so busy these holidays and blessed to have everyone home at one time or another during these past few weeks. Here is a "staged" shot of Kyle and Dad putting up the Christmas tree. Having these tall men around is GREAT!

Dustin holding Jordan and Bianca

The grandkids found the sidewalk chalk and wanted to leave a Christmas greeting. It turned out so cute and they had a ball doing it. It has mostly washed off now and it's kind of sad to have it gone.

Santa (aka Grandpa) handing out gifts with the help of Peter. Each of the grandchildren (including babies) received a new coleman sleeping bag from Grandpa and Granny. They were put to good use when Dana stopped over at Natalies and the kids got to "camp" out together.

So sweet....uncle Kyle helping Levi with his new helicopter.
This was the first of many present opening opportunities. We opened at a family gathering when all of the Allen kids were together for the first time in 1 1/2 years. This was preceeded by a great dinner and we had a wonderful time catching up. The second came on Christmas Day when Richard and I opened presents with the boys (aka Tyler, Kyle and Aaron). The third came later that day when we opened gifts with James and family and Dustin and family also followed by dinner. The fourth came a couple of days later when Dana and family came to town and followed by church and another family dinner. It is so great to have had them all coming and going....I love to watch the interaction of the children with the grandchildren and watching how the cousins play together. They are all great friends.

Rematch...Arm Wrestling the sequel

2008-12-15T20:37:00.001-08:00

Well it was rematch time again for Jimmy and Tyler. First they wrestled with right arms.

I'm surprised they didn't bust a vein!

Then it was on to left arms...look at the cheeks on both!

A victory grin from Tyler. I am sure a rematch will be in order in the none too distant future.

Christmas Cruise on Canyon Lake

2008-12-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Cruise started with a potluck picnic by the side of the lake. We enjoyed soup in bread bowls with veggies and desert. It was great food with even greater company. We went with our "cruisin" buddies, Richard's brothers and sisters and their spouses. We always have a ton of fun when we get together. The cruise was on the Dolly Steamboat and lasted about 90 minutes cruising around the lake. Beautiful scenery...the rocks are breathtaking.

Here is our group...left to right...the Lawlors, Taylors, Allens, Sparks, Reeds...and us the Allens! I'd cruise with this bunch any day of the week. Thanks Jolyn for getting this together, you are the BEST!

Beautiful Blessing

2008-12-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

Here are Reanna and I before leaving for church for her blessing. She looked angelic in her little white blessing gown.

Proud Mom and Dad (and big sister Caprina)

This whole blessing thing can wear a body out!

Turkey Swim

2008-12-15T20:19:00.001-08:00

After eating ourselves silly we decided to work off a few of those extra pounds with a fun swim. Richard and I were staying at a hotel that sported a heated indoor pool with jacuzzi. It was like a sauna in the pool room but was warm and toasty while the weather outside was anything but.

Some of us decided to enjoy the fun from the sidelines.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-12-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics of the feast...and family...and friends. It was a wonderful meal and a great time to spend with those we love.

All of the Uncles are so sweet to the little ones. They will make great Dads themselves some day.

Levi has these two Uncles wrapped around his little finger...that is for sure.

Turkey Bowl

2008-12-15T19:37:00.000-08:00

Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving on the traditional day we all flocked to Flag to celebrate on the Saturday after Thanksgiving so we could all be together and also bless Reanna the next day. Our fun started with a quick trip to the bowling alley for a few frames. Look at this form...Oh baby!
We had some strikes, spares and a little screaming too for good measure.
Proud Dad and son.
Adam's Dad and stepmom were visiting and here they are enjoying the fun.
This ball weighs almost as much as Caprina.
Levi was fascinated by the scoreboard and by the ball return. He spent most of his time arranging the bowling balls as they were returned from the lanes.
Cheesy grin on Ben
And on Sam.

Happy Anniversary to US!

2008-12-09T20:37:00.001-08:00

zion national park~amazing
Richard, my most wonderful husband, and I celebrated our anniversary over Thanksgiving weekend. What a perfect time to celebrate a marriage and husband that I am daily thankful for! We traveled to St. George for a couple of days...passing thru Zion National Park (just a bit)...stayed at a brand new hotel in a fantastic room...attended the breathtaking St. George Temple...had Thanksgiving Dinner at Cracker Barrel (it was wonderful with all the trimmings for $9!)...watched a movie in our room lounging together like we can't do at home...and the whole weekend was WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!

our hotel bedroom....and my honey

St. George Temple

I love when the trees change colors...true fall which I don't get here in AZ.

You say potato and I say potatoe!

2008-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

Potatoes are a screamin deal at the grocery right now so I decided to add them to my long term storage. I'm in love with my pressure canner... though it does still scare me a little. Richard is the sweetest and helped me peel 20 lbs. of potatoes which the book called for to make 7 - 9 quarts.

We had 3 bowls of taters and when it came right down to it we sure didn't need no 20 lbs. So it is 11:30 PM and the second batch of quarts is currently in the canner with another 40 minutes to go. This is way past my bedtime!

Here are the taters cut up into smaller pieces.

The before picture...getting ready to enter the canner.

Here is the finished product. They look pretty good after all. I have set a goal that each week I will do something for my short and long term food storage. Last week was our stake day at the cannery so rice and oats were added. Today it was potatoes and this next week we will all get together and pull meat off of the 4 turkeys we picked up. Should be a very disgusting yet productive activity.

Campin in the backyard

2008-11-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Tyler recently picked up a tent at his favorite store, REI and wanted to test it out. He and Kyle put it up in the backyard AND he proceeded to sleep in it!

Shooting the breeze on a Friday night

2008-11-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

Matthew loading his little daringer.
Last Friday for a family activity we decided to go to the shooting range to practice. The boys were jazzed and even the long wait didn't damper their enthusiasm once we got our lanes. Some of us were wearing ear plugs and ear muffs to drown out the noise. Some of those guns sounded like a cannon was going off. We all had a great time!

Here Kyle checks out his accuracy with Tyler and Becky in the background.

Richard, Tyler, Matthew, Kyle and Becky.

Richard and Kyle show off their expertice!

Hubba Hubba.

I couldn't bring myself to shoot the 357 magnum pistol I chose but I did like the 22's I shot.

Kyle shooting.

What form Becky has!

Tyler's stance.

Tyler's Birthday

2008-11-16T19:25:00.001-08:00

Tyler opening his gifts. He got a great backpacking/climbing backpack.

A shirt to climb in.

Jordan so excited in the festivities!

Here Tyler blows out the candles on his cake. He requested banana bread with cream cheese frosting and it was WONDERFUL. Kaila made the frosting and it was mighty tasty!

Here Tyler shows off the candle he got from Kyle. Yes...it is the same candle he had given Kyle for his birthday just last month. You gotta love regifting.

Canning Butter

2008-11-16T19:14:00.001-08:00

I had read on buildingmyark.blogspot.com how to can butter and thought it would be a good idea. The opportunity presented itself when Richard and I attended a High Priest Social and we were helping clean up afterward. The tables were cleared and tons of butter were brought in only partially used. Since this wasn't a family party (no little fingers playing with it) I volunteered to take it home to try out this method. First you melt the butter and let it gently cook for 5 or more minutes. Then you spoon into hot jars and seal as you would jam. The jars then need to be shaken and shaken and shaken and shaken and shaken some more! The was a whole lot of shakin goin on.

Here is the finished product! So for no money I was able to put aside 8 jars of butter that will stay good on the shelf for 3-4 years.

Allen Reunion

2008-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

Each year around the end of October we get together with Richard's siblings and their children for a reunion. We used to do this around their fathers birthday and have continued since he passed away. This year Jolyn and Larry hosted the event in their backyard. We chose the middle of the day to accommodate church meetings but little did we know that it would be a sweltering 94 degrees on the first of November! It was warm, especially for Nat and Adam who came from up north. We love to get together and in the 4 siblings who attended we were introduced to 4 new babies that had arrived since the last get together. Thanks Jolyn and Larry for your great hospitality. We all had a great time.

Carol Lee and Spencer

Heidi, Craig and Brogan

Carol Lee and Amber

Ben and Sam

These are two of my great sisters-in-law, Donna (with Brogan) and Jolyn.

Loran, Anne, Lee and Lindsay

Peter and Adam

Natalie and Reanna.

Our fam

Loran's family

Becky and Tyler.

Levi helping Peter take a ride in the car.

Peter and his cousin (I don't know his name :/ )

Reanna

2008-11-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures of us posing Reanna for formal type pictures. They turned out cute. She is such a cute little princess.

Coloring

2008-11-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when the kids find a marker without parental supervision!

This and That

2008-11-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

One night we were all eating (at 2 separate tables) and weren't paying too much attention to Peter. We were celebrating Adam passing his MRI boards (YEA ADAM!) with an ice cream cake. The day had been too much for little Peter and he just passed out in his chair. You can see he did like his ice cream though.

One of the joys of a new baby is to get to know them. Here is Grandpa bonding with little Reanna. She is such a good baby and cute as a button. We are thrilled to have this new little one in our family.

Traditions

2008-11-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

I am all about traditions and the way they pull a family together and help us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves. One tradition I started way back before Richard came into my life and Dana's boys were little was this. Early morning TV watching on Granny's bed. The theory was to let the parents sleep in while I usually got ready for work and I could have a little time with the kids. Now we do it most times when any of the kids stay over. (That is if Grandpa isn't still in the bed)

Halloween Fun 2008

2008-11-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Before the Halloween festivities the kids and I made English Mummies (thanks Dana) for the kids, big and small. Each kid got to make their own and they loved the process. I knew that not everyone would eat hotdogs and chili at our ward trunk or treat.

YUM!

The kids loved Kyle in his banana suit. Peter especially liked his hands and carried them around forever.

Is this not a pair or what? Becky and Tyler as Tinkerbell and Peter Pan!

Jordan and Peter with Kyle's hands.

The newest little angel in the family, Reanna.

A fairy princess. Caprina is truly a little princess

Jordan as Tigger

Sam as a cowboy.

Jordan and her mama.

Sam, Tyler, Caprina and Kyle hamming it up for the camera.

Here is our boy that would never grow up....Peter Pan...aka Tyler.

Trick or Treating is hard work when your only 4 weeks old.

It doesn't get any better than this! Levi (manbug) Jordan, Caprina, Ben (pirate) Reanna, Peter (screaming monster) and Sam. It was so fun to have everyone over and see them in their costumes.

Ever Heard of the Big Kahuna?

2008-11-09T12:59:00.000-08:00

How about the BIG BANANA? Kyle was a banana for Halloween and wore his costume to work. He goes to work on a motorcycle! What a hoot.

The Intimidator

2008-10-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Last year for my birthday my sweet husband bought me this 23 quart pressure canner. I was thrilled...I couldn't wait to begin using it...now 11 months later it has still gone unused. Not because I didn't like it...or didn't have the desire to use it...or even thought it was too difficult to master...NO it is because I am a scaredy cat! I have been afraid of the dang thing. So this past weekend after much preparation and much mustering of all that I have in me, I can safely say I will be intimidated no more!

My first project was to can 14 pints of hamburger. The prep was so easy (but is there anything grosser than handling hamburger?) I started the canner and after some anxious moments when I thought the pressure guage didn't work, it started to do what the instructions said it would do.
(Those dead bananas are going to be banana bread tonight though they do look gross)
AND.......

Here is the finished project. Canned hamburger just doesn't seem to have the eye pleasing affect that say...peaches do. Just the same I thrilled each time I heard each can seal.

I overbought the hamburger I thought and then discovered I needed to pack the jars a little tighter. I did have a bunch left over to freeze in individual baggies and place in a larger zip lock to freeze. So now I have 14 pints of canned hamburger and about 9 bags of frozen hamburger waiting to be used.

I am quite proud of overcoming my fear (I thought it would blow up...I'm sure my mother instilled this in my head somehow) I am now on to canning pinto beans; they are in the pressure canner right now so in a couple of hours we will also have 7 quarts of jalepeno pinto beans. YEA FOR ME!

Preparedness

2008-10-25T16:22:00.001-07:00

Of late PREPAREDNESS has been THE subject that has occupied my thoughts most of all. I have always been aware and a practitioner of preparedness and food storage but lately.....it has seemed to move to the top of my priority list. I have taken care of my 3 month food storage, thought about a 72 hour kit, (thinking does lead to completing) and am making sure my inventories for the long haul are addressed. I have a long way to go but I have found a couple of blogs that keep me moving in the right direction. One is this one displayed above. (I have linked 2 sights at right) Another sight is Building My Ark found at buildingmyark.blogspot.com. Great sights, check them out and get a little inspiration of your own.

Reanna

2008-10-23T19:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of our recent visit with Reanna. Taking a bath with Peter and Levi helping....or supervising?????I noticed this sweet scene and was lucky enough to get a decent shot of Levi being so sweet and tender with his new baby sister.

Ben and Reanna...the oldest and the youngest.

Sam, Ben and Reanna bonded.

Levi, Sam, Caprina and Ben get acquainted with Reanna.

At peace in her carseat.

Not at peace in her carseat. All in all she is a mellow, patient little girl who loves her beauty rest and enjoys grunting. We are thrilled she is doing so well.

A new man

2008-10-23T19:07:00.001-07:00

The other day I came home from work and found this scene on the back porch. I never knew Richard knew how to cut hair! Little did I know this was his first attempt EVER!
I think Kyle is BRAVE.......but now he says he has found a new hairstylist.
GO DAD !

He looks so handsome with this new doo.

No Longer a Teenager!

2008-10-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Kyle is no longer a stinkin teenager; now he is the big 20!!!!! We celebrated with dinner, cake and a few gifts. He enjoyed the company of his family and his friend Samantha for the festivities. Here he shows off the "sweet" candle Tyler gave him.
He requested a special dinner with ham, funeral potatoes and yummy fresh pineapple. Here he is blowing out the candles on his Tres Leches cake.

Jimmy, Kaila and little Jordan

Tyler and Matt

Kyle and Samantha

Samantha, Kyle, Me and Richard. Somehow we missed getting his Mom and Aaron in the few pictures we took.

Finally, the big cover up is accomplished!

2008-10-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Today is a day that has been years in the making! Literally! After having NO window coverings in the family room for more years than we have been married (almost 3 for those who are counting), we now have custom fitted 2" plantation blinds. Richard installed them today and I couldn't be happier. We did the back 2 windows and covered 1/2 of the horrible arcadia door. I love the look and the room finally feels finished. Now.....to put pictures in those frames that have been hung but have people I don't know in them.

This is the instructional part of the install. See....you pull this one to open and the other to close!!!!!!!!!!

Babysitting Fun

2008-10-07T21:17:00.001-07:00

Jordan came to play this weekend while her mom and dad stole a few hours off together. We had so much fun and am amazed at how quick she changes from one time to the next that we see her.

Tummy TimeJordan just lights up when she sees Kyle. He is her best bud. Kyle in turn is so sweet and gentle with her.

I think Grandpa and Jordan are both fighting to stay awake!

Sweet baby girl. What a joy she is to have in the family. We truly do love her.

General Conference

2008-10-03T19:19:00.001-07:00

It is time for the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to be held this weekend. I love conference weekend and look forward to watching every session and crocheting!

Reanna Joy has arrived

2008-10-03T19:02:00.001-07:00

We have a new pink baby in the family. Reanna Joy was born on Thursday and Mom and baby are doing well. Natalie did have an emergency c-section but when all was said and done Reanna was here and healthy. The doctors put her on oxygen for a while and did administer antibiotics through an IV in her head. What a blessing to have both Mom and baby safe and healthy.
Here is Natalie~she has just received a special gift from her Grandma that has been gone for quite some time. Some crocheted booties. So sweet.Reanna

Proud Papa, Adam.

The blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of this proud Grandpa!

Richard 1 ~ Gopher 0

2008-10-03T18:55:00.001-07:00

We have irrigation so we have gophers....the bane of Richards existence! Tonight there was triumph in the hunt for the little monster who was making major caves underneath our front yard. This critter has been taunting Richard on a daily basis. He would leave 1 or 2 mounds of dirt everyday; making sure we knew he was still there. Today success occurred when a well set trap sent this little guy to gopher heaven relieving us of our gopher heck!

My great white hunter! Gotta love him.

A Little Picnic

2008-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl whenever we would travel my mom would point to various places along the way and say "That would be a good place for a little picnic". Or she would say, "let's go on a little picnic". So on Saturday when my husband said lets go to Saguaro Lake at dusk I immediately thought, "we could have a little picnic". I am my mother's daughter.

I was asked recently if my husband was romantic and I told them that he was very romantic and what fun it was for me. I thought of this exchange when Saturday came along.

Saturday for Richard and I started with attending the viewing for a friend's father. Then on to lunch at one of our favorite local places...Rosa's. Richard wanted to continue our "date" (the boys were both out of town) and so we attended an afternoon movie "Nights in Rodanthe". (good chick flick) After the movie Richard still wanted to continue the date so....he wanted us to drive to the lake. A storm was moving in and lightning was flashing all over and the desert and mountains were beyond description. Such a beautiful evening. After getting to the lake as we went to a ramada for our dinner we had a skunk run across our path just a few feet ahead of us. Luckily we didn't startle the skunk and no one got sprayed. It was a lovely day and a great way to begin celebrating our 3 year anniversary of when we began dating. Time has gone by so fast.

Here is Red Mountain in all of it's glory. These pictures will give the Idaho kids a little piece of home.This rainbow was so vibrant. There actually were two rainbows but we couldn't get the shot. I love the saguaro and rainbow contrast.

An Arizona sunset...is there anything prettier?

This little valley below the cliffs is behind the dam and SRP has their workers living there. It is a beautiful valley and I would love to find a way down to the river here.

Baking a cake for the "Queen"

2008-09-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Lindy and I sent Dustin and Abish off on another date and we thought we would make Abish a birthday cake. Lindy asked if we were going to make mama a princess cake like she had for her birthday. I told her no....that mama was a queen and so we had to make her a queen cake. Here is Lindy in her new apron we picked up in Mexico and finally delivered. She is ready to bake!Here we are mixing it up and having a fun time.

No baking session would be complete if we couldn't lick the spoon!

Lindy wanted so much for us to hide when Abish and Dustin came home so we could have a suprise party. The problem was that when they returned I was busy changing diapers and the phone kept ringing and we didn't hear them arrive. We did improvise when Lindy hid in the living room and was able to suprise Abish when she entered the room. Here we are trying to get the candles all set up.

Lindy loved the look of the finished cake...and so did Abish. Make a wish Mom.

A cake fit for a queen. Here Abish and Lindy blow out the candles.

It was so fun to spend time with the kids before returning home to my sweetie. Thanks for everything kids, love you all.

Abish's 30th Birthday

2008-09-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

A real treat of my trip to Boise was the fact that Abish turned 30 while I was there. We started her birthday morning by sleeping in and then to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. The food was great and the kids enjoyed the pancakes tremendously. Then we went to one of the many parks in town. This one was down by the river and there are many parks that connect with each other with walking and biking paths. Here is a picture of a little bit of fall!!!!! I absolutely love fall and fall colors and the trees were just starting to turn. It was lovely.This set up really didn't work out but it was worth a try.

This is a shot while standing on the bridge looking down the river.

Abish and Bianca

These next two pictures were taken after a couple of joggers went by and Lindy decided to do her "exercising". She ran to the end of the bridge and back. Notice she is wearing her slippers and the purple shades!

A family shot. The kids often go to the park and this is a typical stance for them. Lindy was hiding and Bianca loves to ride in the stoller and take walks.

Lindy and Dad checking out the ducks in the pond.

Bianca entertaining herself in the stroller.

I wanted a shot of Lindy with these flowers and just by chance got a picture of her putting her glasses on the flowers. Maybe she thought it was a little too bright for them?

Bianca In The Morning

2008-09-29T19:16:00.001-07:00

Look at this bedhead! What a hoot and that furrowed brow is hilarious.Best buds, Dad and Bianca.

Lindy and Bianca

2008-09-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

On Monday I left Twin Falls behind and traveled to visit Dustin, Abish, Lindy and Bianca in Boise. I encouraged Dustin and Abish to have a date; a rare commodity for them. I wasn't totally altruistic about the gesture because....I got to spend time with the girls. Bianca is a totally different little girl since the last time that I saw her. Here she is enthralled with my tennis shoes. No need for fancy toys to entertain her.

Lindy has grown so much and is so smart. We had fun watching a Mickey Mouse cartoon (the really old ones) DVD and had fun having dinner, talking and hanging out. She is so mature.

Sisterly love....or mauling?

Bianca's curly hair is such a huge change from Lindy's straight hair. Abish says Bianca's hair has a life of it's own.

Bianca looks so much like Dustin. What a cutie.

Random pictures from Dana's

2008-09-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random pictures from my trip to Dana's.
Here is sweet Ry.Dana eating smores at the Garden Cafe. (It was the coolest idea for a dessert, you toast your marshmallow right at the table!)

Michael at lunch.

A few years ago I made this tent for the kids. They still love it and we pulled it out for Ry and Anna. They wanted to watch a movie in it so they got their pillows and blankets and had a great time.

Anna and the favorite man in her life....Dad!

The new arrangement in Dana's hutch.

Carter and I sharing a fun moment. He is the best and is reading chapter books in his first month of 1st grade. Way to go Carty!

Annie with a fruit snack stuck in her teeth!

More smores at lunch.

Curtains for Anna Banana

2008-09-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is another blog of the trip to Idaho. (Still much more to come)
Anna has had a blanket over her window to darken her room for a long...long time. So....new curtains were in order. Dana chose this fun pink and green stripe and we got busy. They turned out darling and the room is considerably darker with the special darkening fabric on the back. Now Annie will be sleeping a little later in the morning. Yea!

Happy Birthday Carter "7"

2008-09-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Dana made this cute birthday banner. This side is for boys and the reverse for girls. This is just one of the many projects we wrapped up while I was there.

Carter Michael turned 7 while I was visiting and after 2 full days of painting we wrapped it up and Dana pulled together a party for the birthday boy. Here he is after the party playing with his big gift...a leapster 2.

Carter wanted a BYU football birthday party. He invited a few BOYS, (his first all boy party) and they had football games, cake and fun. Dana put together this fun cake.

Here was his table showing his gifts, cake and game prizes. Very colorful.

Present time. Notice the BYU football field rug that Michael brings down from the playroom every gameday.

GRANNY MAIL

2008-09-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

Granny Mail is something I have done for the grandkids for years. This was my way of connecting with my grandchildren when they lived miles away and I wasn't able to see them as often as I would like. I have a mailbox in my home that is decorated with a "Granny Mail" logo where I hide little treats whenever any grandkids come to visit. I also use this same logo on any mail I send to them so they can just look at the envelope and know it's from Granny! When I went to visit Dana I asked her to make a box for Granny Mail while I was visiting. This is what Ryan and Anna came up with. (It was a fun box...thanks Ryan and Anna). Each day they would look inside and find some kind of prize. Here are a few of the prizes......chalk

jump ropes (what a hoot)

funny glasses...even Michael liked them!

I love being a Granny and this is just one of the ways I try to connect with my 12 (soon to be 13 on Oct. 2nd) grandchildren.

New Temple In Town

2008-09-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

My wonderful trip included a session in the newly dedicated Twin Falls Temple. It is beautiful and what a blessing to the good people of Magic Valley. The architecture includes images that acknowledge the falls found around Twin and the Idaho state flower image is detailed in the stain glass windows. I love how each temple reflects characteristics found in the area that it is located. The woodwork in this temple is phenomenal!President Monson dedicated this temple and as President Hincley would say, he "slapped some mud" on the date stone.

Dana and I

Michael and Dana.

I was lucky enough to get these shots as I was leaving town. The temple with that gorgeous sky background was perfect.

Project Time

2008-09-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the first pics from my trip to Idaho. Dana had a few projects in line to occupy our time and this was by far the biggest. She had wanted to repaint her living/dining/kitchen/entry/hall/stairway since she moved in 2 years ago. The problem was the enormity of the whole thing. We decided to (as President Kimball said) "Just Do It". She chose two wonderful colors, a taupe and a red. It was surely a job but was very rewarding when done.

Here is a little perspective. This is a 10' ladder and the ceiling extends another 6' or 8'.Here is the before view.

Dana prepping and taping the walls.

We all got into the act. Me!

Carter was a huge help. He painted this whole hall wall himself. Anna seems to be supervising.

Ryan tackles the entry.

Anna takes a brush to the end of the stairway.

Michael took the day off work to help. It never would have gotten finished without him.

Dana did all of the trim around the ceiling. It took muscles, a steady hand and diligence! This handy tool made a world of difference.

Neither Dana nor I wanted to tackle the high shelf so we

"hired" my grand niece Danielle to first vacuum then paint the shelf and wall above the kitchen cabinets. She was a lifesaver and fearless. I couldn't watch; it made me too nervous.

Here is a finished shot of the red accent wall. It turned out very nice and mixes with the taupe walls beautifully. Dana did a great job with the colors. I can happily say we knocked this out in 2 days! We were determined to be done by Friday night and it was after midnight but it was finished.....there is a little touch up but that is for another day. I am thrilled with the results and pleased that I could lend a little help. We had lots of other goings on......but that blog is for another day.

I'M OFF

2008-09-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

I am off to see not the wizard but the kids! Yahoo! Haven't seen Dana, Michael, Carty, Ry, and Anabanana since December! And I haven't seen Dustin, Abish, Lindy and little Bianca since March! I think this is the longest I have gone and it WILL NOT happen again! Can't wait to hear Carty read me his chapter books, tickle Ry and have Annie tell me NO! The temple has been dedicated and we have an appointment Thursday morning for that. (I made sure I packed my temple clothes first) Dana has a notebook of projects to do and we will have lots of fun. Will spend fun times at the park with Lindy and Bianca and will be celebrating (shall I say it?) Abish's 30th birthday! I will report back soon.

My Man

2008-09-03T20:39:00.001-07:00

Love this picture but more than that I love this man. What a joy he is to me. I couldn't ask for a better friend, husband or man. Thanks for loving me babe!

Ice Cream fit for a KING

2008-09-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream! I got a tip from my sister-in-law that the ice cream mix from Wal-Mart was really good. The mixes were on sale so I thought that I would try it out. My sweetie suggested I add chocolate almond clusters to the mix and if I say so myself.....this ice cream is worth screaming about.
(thanks for the tip Marlene, love and appreciate you)

JAMES IS THE BIG 27

2008-09-03T20:17:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday we celebrated James' birthday with dinner, cake and some games. This picture is showing off the "celebrate" plate we use for those special occasions and this was one. When Jordan gets fussy it is amazing what putting her in front of the mirror does for her. She will talk and laugh and have a ball with that cute baby in the mirror!

Jordan loves to play with your face when she eats. Nothing sweeter!

A-1 Sauce for the birthday boy! James is known for putting A-1 sauce on EVERYTHING! So-o-o-o here is a bottle fitting for his every need.

Made a special cake for the occasion....the problem? James does not care for angel food cake and this has pineapple which he doesn't care for either. Oops...the rest of us did enjoy it though.

It took everyone to light ALL 27 candles.

Now on to the games. We have been playing "hand and foot" lately and enjoying it a great deal. Of course the birthday boy and his lovely bride won. A great time.

CANNING R US

2008-09-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

It is the season for canning in our home! Peaches are a staple and this year I fretted over finding the wonderful Utah Peaches we have come to love. I got some from Nat and have a couple of boxes coming in next week to bottle as halves. This is one thing I can serve my family that they always love..love..love!Here is my sweetie helping me prepare corn for freezing. He has been such a help, especially when my knee is acting up some. Here he is using the electric knife to carve the kernels off of the cob. The corn is then put into quart bags and frozen. We got 12 bags out of 6 dozen. Not particularly cost effective but very tasty. I'll save them for Sunday dinners.

Kyle went up north this past weekend and there was a corn festival going on. He picked up the corn for us and delivered them home for canning. Thanks Kyle, love and appreciate you!

If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake!

2008-08-25T22:32:00.001-07:00

It was Levi's Happy Birthday and we made him a frog cake. It was green of course because with Levi if it is green it belongs to him! Here is Sam, Caprina and Peter "helping" put together the frog. The mouth is made from red licorice rope and I only needed a strand so we had fun munching on the ropes while we decorated. Caprina thinks they make a great mustache!Ben helping with the rope.

I must be lecturing. I do that don't you know.

Here is the finished frog. I loved how it turned out and Levi liked it as well. We didn't leave him out of the decorating fun, he had gone shopping one on one with his Mom and Dad which is a treat for him.

Sometimes I hate to carve into a cake I have put the work into. But after seeing the grandkids faces it is all worth it. Next we will have a pizza party and have some frog legs! YUM!

Saturday is a special day...a workday

2008-08-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

Saturday is a workday and boy was it for all of us. Adam and Ben tackled reworking a bed into a trundle for Caprina. A thrift store find at only $10. What a deal and it worked like a charm.Ben

We are a family that loves our peaches. In fact our home canned peaches are called "Peaches made with love". Natalie started her canning this past week and finished up a few boxen on Saturday. I will start my canning tomorrow and Dana has her peaches in hand and is just waiting for them to ripen a bit. Last year I spent some time with the girls canning and now this year they are taking off on their own. What a great feeling.

Nothing prettier.

Sam helped by getting the knots out of this string.

My project was curtains, curtains and one more pair of curtains. The big boys now have their own room and new curtains needed to be fashioned. I went up to begin the project a couple of weeks ago and finished up this past weekend. Here are Dad and Nat getting the clips on for hanging.

We took the curtains from the previous boys room and enlarged and lengthened them to fit the new room window which is considerably bigger. (yes...that is an xray of Buzz Lightyear hanging in the window)

Caprina had an idea and it was PINK!
That means pink curtains in her and Reanna's room. I love all of the colored ribbons hanging from the tops. This idea Natalie had turned out really well. Just a little trimming of the ribbons and it will be done.

Levi and Peter now share a room and these are their curtains. This was truly a challenge for me to work out the even borders and mitered corners. After a shaky start at 10 pm I threw in the towel and went to bed. The next morning my brain was back on track and the curtains came along nicely. I think these are my favorites.

Levi turns 3 (or free if you ask him!)

2008-08-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Levi turned the big 3 on Saturday and we paused long enough to celebrate. Here he is with Dad blowing out the candle on his frog cake.Then we opened presents.

A Thomas the Train playhouse. The kids all loved it and Levi loved it so much that he took it to bed.

This train fits perfectly on Levi's bed.....so he slept in it all night. What a hoot. He is such a funny little guy.

Here he is being Batman.

We all had such a fun time. A little pizza, a few presents and family and friends. Who could ask for a better party?

Random Fun

2008-08-25T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random pics from the weekend.
Caprina reading.Grandpa pumping iron with the two little boys.

Pumping iron with boys plus one! Wow is he strong! Has he been working out? YES!

Little Peter with a skinned up nose playing on the top bunk.

If you want to occupy Peter just put the stool up to the wall or a post. He has loads of fun.

Levi hiding in the pillows.

Granny and Caprina taking a well deserved rest. Actually Caprina was asleep until we took the picture and it woke her up.

Did you know Grandpa can multi-task? He can jump, play sudoku, and play with the grandkids all at the same time.

Knee update

2008-08-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

My knee is doing really well....it just looks so bad. It took a few days for the bruising to surface and it will take a lot longer to get rid of. It is nice to have it fixed.

Knee Surgery

2008-08-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of knee surgery this past Monday and all went well. My knee looks and feels pretty good and the doctor says I will be pleased with the results. They found some arthritis in there as well as the tear I created when I fell and they fixed it all. Notice the OK on the leg. There was some confusion as to which leg they were operating on and I felt a whole lot better when they wrote on the correct knee!Flowers from my sweetheart. I couldn't ask for anyone better to take care of me. My Richard has been both so sweet and so supportive. He and the boys have taken over the meals and clean up and I just sit around and watch. Life is grand :).

Flowers from work, thanks Shellie. They are gorgeous.

Nurse Richard....when the chips are down he is the one I want in my corner. He is the best.... and the cutest!

"BOB" the Buffalo

2008-08-02T10:38:00.001-07:00

This is my friend "BOB" the Buffalo. He came to visit us in the office this past week and was our lunch companion for many days, though he didn't eat too much. Dave the owner where I work shot "Bob" this past January and his head arrived this week. I can say that this didn't bother me because I am used to stuffed animals; growing up in a hunting family as I did. Dave also keeps the meat and shares and I can say that Bob made a tasty dinner as well as a nice lunch partner!Did you know that buffalo horns are actually made from hair? I didn't until I could get up close and personal with Bob. His horns were peeling, sort of. I am sure he was a majestic animal. Too bad he was headed for a hanging this weekend in Dave's gun shop!

Sam's Birthday Celebration

2008-08-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Sam had his 7th birthday last week so when everyone was together we decided to celebrate a little. Here is the birthday boy opening some gifts.He loves puzzles and these glow in the dark! What could be better?

I always ask the kids what kind of cake they want for their birthdays. Usually I get the answer, "Strawberry or Vanilla". Not with Sam though, he always knows what character he wants. Last year it was Sponge Bob and this year he asked for Patrick, Sponge Bob's starfish friend. Did I know who Patrick was? NO, but after a thorough search on the web I got some ideas. Here is the finished project.

Everyone eagerly awaiting the blowing out of candles. You can't see him but Joseph kept trying to blow out the candles. (L~R Caprina, Peter, Alexis, Ben, Levi, Jacob)

Grandma Mathias cutting the cake. It had over 2 cans of frosting on it. Yuk.

Random Pics

2008-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

We had Nat and family here this past weekend and here are some random pictures from the visit.
Ben in his new BYU shirt. I am trying Dana.Applesauce must be eaten with both hands! Here's little Peter. This was before he bumped his head and had a bruise and 3 lumps on his forehead! What can I say, It was a rough weekend on the kids!

Adam's mom, Loreen visited with us and here she is with a few of her many grandchildren.

Caprina....I don't know why I didn't think to get the crumbs off her face first.

Sweet Levi...this was before he fell and split his lip! Yikes.

We had Adam's brother Ammon and family over for dinner and to help celebrate Sam's birthday. Here is Jacob, Ammon, Kyle (Adam's nephew) and Adam at the dinner table.

Richard, Loreen and Adam.

Swimming Rules!

2008-07-25T20:46:00.001-07:00

Our sweet neighbors let us use their pool again. They are the best. Here are a few pictures from the fun.
Sweet SamSam, Caprina and Natalie.

We had all of Natalie's family, Adam's mother and Tyler. What a fun time.

Levi is fearless! He would jump off the diving board and the side with no one waiting for him. He loves the water.

Caprina going off the board too!

Ben and Sam hamming it up for Granny!

Caprina with the diving sticks.

Peter loves swimming in his float tube.

Bad Moon Rising

2008-07-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

The other day I was listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival's song Bad Moon Rising and I thought of our own Full Moon that occurred on Friday. Richard and I were sitting on the front porch enjoying a beautiful bright full moon and a few moments together, contemplating the events of this past week. Traditionally the days leading up to a full moon bring out the craziness in people (especially when you work retail!). This past week was no exception and then.... Aaron had quite a bad car accident on Wednesday up north. He and his friend will both be OK with the miracle powers of healing but the thought that it could have been so much worse made us appreciate how Heavenly Father looks out for those we love. So....this hasn't really been a bad moon rising, it has been a blessed moon rising and we are so thankful for it.

Babysitting

2008-07-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

Being a Granny is the best, especially when your grandchild lives in town and you get to spend a little one on one with her. Of our 12 grandchildren little Jordan is the only one in town and last night Richard and I watched her while Jimmy and Kaila went out for an anniversary dinner. What fun. She is the cutest and I discovered she has the sweetest little elflike ears! I stole this cute picture from Jimmy and Kaila's blog, I didn't take any, what a shocker.

The Monsoon Has Arrived! Yahoo!

2008-07-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

"It's raining it's pouring, the old man is snoring" This little rhyme is really true because Richard is snoring away in our bed! The monsoon season has arrived and I love it. It is truly my favorite time of the year. This past week we had a good rain that dumped over 2" in town alone. This afternoon it started to rain again and it is pouring. We so need the moisture. I have included a few pictures I found on the web. (Wish I could take pics like these!)The clouds rolling in from the east everyday is divine.

Now here is my picture. You can at least see how hard it is raining.

Thanks Dana

2008-07-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

Dana is responsible for the look of my blog. It would never look this good without her. Thanks punkin you are the best and I love you.

Viva Mexico!

2008-07-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

This will be a long blog. We just returned from our trip to visit the Colonies in Mexico. We visited my favorite Aunt Karen and this is also where my Dad and Grandma were born and where Richard's Grandpa was born. Our trip to Mexico looked pretty much like this from the back seat, coming and going. The boys stayed up until 3 am both nights before travel to allow for some quality car sleeping.

We are almost there! Here are a few pictures of the countryside

Our first view of Colonia Juarez. If you look hard you can see the angel Moroni on top of the temple.

We took the trip with 2 of the boys, Kyle and Tyler.

Aunt Karen and Uncle Meredith.

Pool sharking was a fav for the boys and their dad.

Watch out Dad, Kyle is out to get you!

We BBQ'd a couple of times. The backyard was so pleasant in the evening (except for the flies). A welcome change from the heat.

Karen and Camden, Derrick and Laurice's little boy. He had just finished a sucker and he had this green fluorescent glow around his mouth. I brought some of these suckers home for my grandkids to enjoy!

The first morning there, Richard and I took a little walk down to the barn. Here is the house and the view from the front porch. It was breathtaking.

Richard, Tyler, Karen and I did a session one night in their temple. Lucky for me it was in English. It wouldn't matter to the others because they all speak Spanish. Later Meredith, Karen, Richard and I did a sealing for a baby that my Granny had had before my mother was born but died after only 3 days. She had never told any of us that this baby existed. One day I was looking through birth and death records for the state and found a death certificate for a child that was clearly Mom and Karen's sister. I was a shock to everyone but what a wonderful experience it was to be able to seal this family together. I know that it was not a coincidence that I found this information on the internet.

Swimming was a fun time at Kelly's house. The boys took turns jumping off of the rock fence. I guess the diving board and the diving wall just weren't high enough.

Kyle standing on his head in water.

All fun has to include a noodle fight.....doesn't it?

The life of the party?

Is Tyler levitating over the pool?

We had a lot of fun four wheeling around on Karen and Mered's motos (quads).

One time while we were riding up the river Tyler decided to climb this gigantic tree.

The town sports a swinging bridge that we took a little time to check out.

My great grandparents and a couple of uncles are buried in the town cemetery. We took a little time to spruce up their plots. Thanks guys, you are the best. This meant a lot to me and made a huge difference in how the plot looked.

This is the Mexican Catholic side of the cemetery and looked so different from the American side of the cemetery. It was very interesting and is obvious the people think very highly of those that have passed on.

Here are a few shots from around the area. This is downtown Nueves Casas Grandes.

This truck was full of baskets. This was not an unusual sight.

An adobe house in Colonia Juarez.

The house my great grandparents lived in and where my Grandma and Dad were born and where my Great Grandpa and Grandma died. A lot of family history here. My dad almost burned the house down when he was a teenager by lighting matches and flicking them at a rooster whose tail feathers caught on fire and it ran under the house. Yikes!

The Academy. This is a church run secondary school and has been an institution in the area for over 100 years. My Grandma and Dad attended here.

Out to dinner with Karen and Mered in Old Casas Grandes. A very interesting restaurant.

We had so much fun. Other activities that we did that I did not get pictures of are walks, skateboarding, shopping, July 4th fireworks (my cousins Todd and Derrick gave us the show on the driveway of my Aunt and Uncles home), watching movies and visiting. It was a wonderful trip and we want to do it again. Thanks Karen and Mered, you are the best!