Party Up~

 Halle had her LAST dance competition last weekend. Deron and Cam didn't go so we picked up a "hitch hiker" and made a weekend of it! Dayna used to dance when she was in high school so it was fun for Halle to have her "Dance Idol" come and watch her. We stayed in Salt Lake where we hung out at the hotel, played cards and ate junk (you know, that stuff that tastes so good but it so awful for you~) Todd and Dana and Kenron stayed in the same hotel...so while Dana (she's the dance instructor) was at the solo competition Todd brought Kenron up to our room and hung out. He was so cute (Kenron...but yes, Todd is cute too). We fed him oreo's and pizza and laughed as he teased us all. Family is the best! We had an awesome weekend!!

 Oldest and youngest...our only 2 dancers~

 Halle...watching and waiting for her turn on the floor......it was a LONG wait!

 Little Mister keeping us entertained while Halle wasn't dancing~

 Dayna and Little Mister...

 For some reason, he just started laughing...I don't know if it was because I looked so funny or because he just had the giggles...either way, it was adorable!

Dance season is over for another year. We are preparing for the upcoming recital and then we'll enjoy a quiet summer and a little R & R, I hope~

Two peas in a POD~

Its that time again...time for SENIOR PICTURES!

I honestly can't believe that we have another one who's old enough (OR thinks they are old enough)

to leave the nest and find what its like to be a REAL grown up!

Cam and I went out in search for the perfect spot to take his senior pictures...I wanted

to find someplace that reminded me of him, someplace (or something) that would remind

us of his personality and things that he enjoyed, years

down the road when we pulled out the pictures.

IT just so happens that Cam loves to hunt, fish, camp and hang out in the mountains....

SO what better place to start than....IN THE MOUNTAINS~

Here are a few of my favorites (I couldn't download them all...so I tried to pick and choose a few)

 Yeh...this boy is a whopping 6' 8" and STILL growing~

 Cam proudly shows off his "2 (yes really) State Football Championship" rings...

Yeah, that's pretty cool and something to be pretty proud about!

We took over 200 pictures, sounds like a lot...but its really not!

 It was a fun afternoon...(at least for me). Cam got tired of smiling, changing shirts and snapping pictures, but 

we tried to have a little "CRAZY TIME" while we were at it too........

REALLY....it wouldn't be "US" if we didn't~

THE infamous "jumping" picture...all the girls try it (in the sand, off walls, stairs etc...),

 but it just didn't look as COOL with a 

6' 8" boy trying to look "dainty...ha ha ha ha

We tried to see who could throw a rock (or boulder) the farthest out into the lake....ummmm

it wasn't me. Cam said I throw like a "girl"....wonder why?!

Took a minute to primp...Cam needed to fix his hair again and he needed a little "water" to get his "DO" 

to look "just right"...when all else fails, wet it down in the river (yes, you know your a red neck when.....)

Thought I would grab a few "Mom and Cam" pics....ha ha ha, this is what you get when you get a short (compared to Cam...but not to anyone else) person (me) taking the picture....I can't reach high enough to get him in the picture~

....and then when he ducks down so I CAN REACH...he decides to pull a "Jim Carry" on me~

I guess when all else fails, have the TALL ONE take the pictures!

And...so let it be written... 

THERE IS NEVER A DULL

MOMENT when you put "Crazy and Crazier" together....

I have to say,

The nut doesn't fall far from the tree... for sure!!!

A Blessed DAY~

The second part of our wonderful weekend was 

attending the temple with Todd and Dana and our sweet grandson ("Little Mister"), in the Provo Temple.

This was a day they had planned, prepared and worked toward for awhile now.

I can't begin to describe the feelings that I felt, my heart is full...
It was joy beyond measure and a feeling of happiness that I could never begin to explain.

It was a special day filled with tears of joy and love from many family members who traveled 

from near and far to support Todd and Dana.

NOW.....

Their family is an eternal family and it all started when 

these two amazing people fell in love.  

 My mom and step-dad, as well as my dad and step mom were able to make the journey and attend

the temple ceremony too. Jack and Dayna, Kim and Cameron were 

also there to celebrate this special day with Todd,Dana and Kenron.

 Dana's family was able to come clear from Arizona and Montana to be here to

support and celebrate this long awaited day. 

There is alot of love for Todd and Dana between our two VERY LARGE families!

Cameron isn't able to go inside the temple yet, but he was there to see Todd and Dana as 

they walked out of the beautiful temple doors on their special day!

 We all snapped a few pictures outside of the temple to help us remember all that happened and 

the feelings that were felt. Afterwords I took Kenron back inside to change out of his

white temple clothes and into his church clothes...I handed off my camera to Dayna to take a few 

pictures while I was inside (didn't want to MISS A THING, you know)...

OH, DID SHE HAVE FUN.......

AND

THIS is WHAT HAPPENS 

when I give my camera to MY crazy kids....

 (notice anything "unsuspecting" in a few of these pics...ha ha ha ha ha ha)

 

 WHAT a wacky crew I have....and I love every one of those crazy, goofy, silly...and outlandish people!

THIS is what its all about!

Families are FOREVER!!

Some goals are worth the wait~

Last weekend was a very special weekend for us. 

It all started with Kim being able to go to the temple. 

When each of our children were born into our family, we have looked forward to the day they would choose to walk through the temple doors and begin their eternal journey. When Kim was just a wee child, about age 5, the Vernal Temple was built. Several weeks before the open house (where anyone can go tour the temple), the local newspaper printed an article and some beautiful pictures of various rooms in the temple.In one particular room there is a large mural of Christ. When Kim saw the picture in the newspaper she looked at her dad and asked him if Jesus would still be in the temple when we got to go tour it (she was just a little squirt and didn't understand that what she was seeing was just a picture and not actually Jesus...but it was adorable and she was so excited to go and see Jesus). It was fun to watch this sweet little girl of five, walk through the temple, room by room, looking for Jesus. As we walked into the room where the large mural of Christ was, I could see that Kim was touched as she saw Jesus's picture on the wall. She was in awe and stood and stared at it, for what seemed like a very long time. It was a very quiet, reverent experience. From that time on, she professed that she was going to be married in that temple one day. As a five year old little girl, she felt something special in that holy room in the temple that continued to grow in her. No matter what, she wasn't going to let anything detour her from partaking of the blessings of the temple when she was all grown up. 

 It was such a beautiful day and Kim just glowed! 

She had finally achieved a goal she had set those many years ago,

and was able to go inside the temple in preparation to be married.

The BIG day is coming up...

 in just a few days (even just down to hours) from now, she will go to the Manti Temple and be 

sealed to her sweetheart for time and for all eternity. 

What a wonderful month this has been, and continues to be for our family.

My life in a nut shell.......

NOTE: This post contains blood...

if you're squimish, don't continue!

Being that my Blog is somewhat of a journal for me and will some day be bound into books, I

often write posts that are somewhat on the personal level and probably won't mean much to anyone reading them except for me and my little family...

so if  this is "TMI" (too much information) for 

you as the reader, I apologize, slightly... 

Several years ago I was diagnosed with a "Protein S Deficiency" which means that my blood clots when it SHOULDN'T. I've had several  TIA's (mini strokes) and other problems that brought the onset of a special blood test to diagnose this condition. I was put on Plavix which the doctors thought would take care of the problem. After a few years of being on Plavix...and continuing to have problems, I ended up with a blood clot in my leg. I was then put on anticoagulant's for the rest of my life, to keep my blood thin and keep it from clotting. I have to go and get my blood checked frequently to make sure it stays within the range (of thinness) that it should be. It's been hard to manage and tends to fluctuate very dramatically. Some weeks I go into have it tested and it will be just right, other times it will be  too thin or too thick...its just a guessing game. 

BUT when its thin, this is what I get.... 

I cut myself with a knife last week while slicing tomatoes...I applied pressure and a band-aid, and another band-aid...and another...and another and YES, even another...AFTER 7 HOURS and yet ANOTHER band-aid (almost 36 band-aids later),  my finger finally decided to stop bleeding. The cut wasn't deep but from the blood that kept dripping and dripping, you would have thought I had cut my finger off!

When I was first put on the meds, the Dr (a different one than I have now) told me that if I was in a car accident, chances were I would have internal bleeding and 3 minutes to live (let me tell you...it makes one want to wrap oneself in bubble wrap before going anywhere). Its nothing to mess with for sure! I error on the side of caution when driving, as the idea of getting in an accident is TERRIFYING to me!!! I am so grateful for my good doctor that watches my blood carefully and makes sure that its not TOO THIN, but also that its not TOO THICK either...(if its too thick I run the chance of having blood clots which can lead to strokes or other complications). I am certainly grateful to be born in a time when they have the knowledge and ability to take care of conditions like mine...meds and a good Doc have kept me safe and sound!

Guess maybe I better quite using knives...oh darn, that means someone

else will have to do the cooking...SHUCKS~!

Red Neck for sure......

Cameron is one of the most ingenious kids (young adults) I know... The transmission is going out on the truck, and at the moment it has no reverse. He needed to move his boat and so.....he jumped on his four wheeler and hooked it up to the boat and made due with what he had....I have to say, I got a good laugh and I'm sure the neighbors all did too. There isn't a problem he can't solve, a dilema he can't adjust too or a "broken" that he can't fix! He's quite the guy!

Breaking the RULES isn't always THAT bad...is it?!

I've been a mom for 26 years (well, very close to that)...I've always been "that mom" that 

makes sure my kids have something from each food group when I prepare their dinner...you know, the one that makes meatloaf, a green salad, a roll and a bowl of fruit...

WELL grandma's don't have to keep all the rules, we get to spoil the grandkids then send them home...

OH THE JOY and FUN we have!!! 

THAT might be the reason that Little Mister got to eat Cool Whip for dinner...

 Hmmm....I think I like this stuff....Hmmm...maybe I LOVE THIS STUFF!

 MMMM...another bite, another spoonful...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Yep...cool whip is the NEW macaroni and cheese!

Gotta love it!!

Nothing beats being able to break all the rules and get a smile !

*Disclaimer: I don't feed Little Mister like this all the time, I DO feed him FOOD that is good for him,

 but hey, a little cool whip never hurt anyone!