Holladay Family

Grandkids

2010-05-08T11:55:00.002-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! We hope you like the latest pictures of your grandkids.

Video Photoshoot: Grandkids all wishing you a Happy Mother's Day!

Kentucky

2010-05-08T11:46:00.001-07:00

In March, we went on a trip out to Kentucky to see our nephew, Lane, perform in his school's play High School Musical. But before we left we stopped by and saw our kids in the valley.

Grandbabies + Elle

Me with our "Elder Skippy" photo stand in

Brothers

family

Lynsi, Elle & Chris
I have my wings & I am ready to fly!

Kentucky Horse Park

My fancy hat!

Lane is the man!

With the star

Girls in downtown Lexington

Pharmacy museum

Skiing

2010-05-08T11:44:00.001-07:00

Chris & I went skiing for the first time in years at Sunrise.

Girls Night Out

2010-05-08T11:42:00.001-07:00

High school friends - SLHS class of 1975 - almost 35 years! Wow where did the time go?
(Debbie, me, Tammy, Julie)

New Baby Visit

2010-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

The end of February Bryan and his family came up to visit with the new baby.

Grandpa Stoner came over for dinner

Carson's first visit to DQ

Bryan & Colby trying to fly a kite despite it snowing

Watching Papa head out for a flight

Dad's Birthday

2010-05-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

My dad celebrating his 80th birthday! I made his favorite DQ treat.

DQ Convention in Cancun

2010-05-08T11:28:00.001-07:00

This year DQ went international for its convention. We went to Cancun!

Chuck E Cheese & Grandkids

2010-05-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Before we left for Cancun, we stayed in the valley with our kids. Bryan & Jenn had there baby 2 days before we left so it worked out to see the new baby and play with the rest of the grandkids. We took the kids to Chuck E Cheese and had a blast playing game and winning prizes.

grandkids + 2 cousins

Bentley

Makenna

Kaitlyn

Konnor

Colby

Carson Sean Holladay

2010-05-08T11:16:00.001-07:00

Bryan & his wife had their new little one, Carson born on January 25th.

proud grandparents

grandparents, baby Carson & Aunt Cara

Boys come for a visit!

2010-01-24T22:40:00.000-08:00

We brought Colby and Konnor up for a couple of

nights in January to visit. We had a great time. We

had Thomas the Train laid out in the living room the

entire time. We went to the "Princess and the Frog", ate

at DQ of course and watched a movie every night!

What fun - they were great and we loved every

minute of it!

Best Buddies!

Colby with Mickey & Minnie at Grandpa's

With Grandpa Great at his house

Playing in the snow at Grandpa's

Movie time!

Tim and Kaitlyn's birthdays

2010-01-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

Tim and Kaitlyn share the same birthday so we

went a couple of days early while Chris was off

to celebrate. The top pic is the boys at their

booth at the Fiesta bowl. We drove out to

Glendale to check it out. And finally a picture

with all five grandbabies in it! Not a great one - but

one nevertheless!

Christmas

2010-01-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

We had the traditional Prime Rib Christmas dinner.

B and Jenn weren't there as the baby is

arriving soon - We had to drive in the four wheel

drive to pick up Grandpa Great. Kenny and Leslie

are on the other side of the table by me - out of

view! Love these folks!

Talking to my misisonary - the best part of

the day!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great time having Christmas Eve lunch

with Ray and Carla and family. We had 4 level ones,

20 level twos and twenty level threes at the

party! Our family is growing!

DQ Christmas Party

2010-01-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

Probably the funniest white elephant gift in DQ

party history! Pinto with his picture - yes that is

him in a speedo as the reindeer pulling the sleigh!

The boys win AGAIN! I am tired of the boys

always winning!

Jud working his magic with the team

The whole DQ gang! Party time!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-01-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with family - feeding the

ducks in freezing weather, eating good and going

to the state football game - this is us at the restaurant

afterwards!

Grandbabies!

2009-11-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

Chris and I had the chance to spend the afternoon

with our oldest grandchildren. We went to the

Extreme Playground or the "bouncy place" as

the kids call it. It is indoor and has large bouncy

toys and they love it - it is our second time with

them. We spent several hours there and then

to Costco for rides on the cart while Grammi

shopped and a great dinner! Loads of fun!

Kaitlyn at the top of the big slide

Love these babies!

Papa giving rides at Costco!

Is there a better dinner than Costco food court?

Colby's Soccer game

2009-11-22T19:07:00.002-08:00

We had a momentous occasion! It was the first

organized sporting event of a grandchild!

Colby is playing soccer and we got to attend a

game! He was SO cute! They all just run

around the field in a huddle and try to kick

the ball. Hilarious! Chris's old coaching skills

surfaced and he was able to give Bryan a few

pointers. Chris as an amazing coach!

Colby did so well that he got the game ball

afterwards for listening and working hard!

We were so proud!

Colby in action

Proud Grandparents

Dad helps coach

Run Colby Run!

Game Ball!

Phantom of the Opera

2009-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

After the show

We got goodies on Mill Avenue

Me and my sweetheart!

I found a former Dairy Fairy working at Phantom!

Before the show - Tim was running late

We were all able to attend the "Phantom of the

Opera" at Grady Gammage Aud on the campus

of ASU in November. We had "nosebleed"

seats in the balcony but most of us still had a good

time. This certainly was not Chris's favorite

broadway production! We have seen Wicked and

Mary Poppins in the past few months and he

enjoyed those much more! But it was great to

be with the boys and their beautiful wives!

Ellie & Bucky

2009-10-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

We had my neice Lynsi and her husband Joey

over for dinner last Sunday. They have a new

little angel Ellie Jo and we had a great time

having them over. Bucky was quite interested

in her and her carrier. He was really quite

gentle with her. We love family!

Balloon Festival

2009-10-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Headed out for the adventure

Getting inflated

Some up - some trying!

The sheer numbers!

A few weeks ago Chris and I decided to take a

trip to Albuquerque New Mexico for the balloon

festival. We like to try to find something to do

on his days off so this time Chris was filing a flight

plan and saw something regarding the balloon

festival that would be affecting the air space

around Albuquerque. I started researching it

online and we decided to go. It was AMAZING!

We have lived this close all these years and have

never been! I can't believe it! It was seriously

one of the coolest things I have ever been too!

There were over 550 balloons and 75,000 people.

You walk right around the balloons while they are

inflating and really feel a part of the whole thing.

We had a great time. The trip home however was

a bit scary. It was windy pretty much the entire

time which isn't too much fun on a motorcycle.

We were doing pretty well until we got to

Springerville. That last 45 miles home were the

worst 45 miles I have ever spent on a motorcycle!

It was simply terrifying! The wind was 40-50 miles

per hour! I do not know how Chris was able to keep

the bike upright - but he did I was ever so glad

to be home!

2nd Day in New York!

2009-10-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

Central Park

Brooklyn Bridge

Ground Zero

Manhattan LDS Temple

Waiting for Mary Poppins to start

Day two was great as were the others. This day we

went on a walking tour of New York City. I had found

this company from recommendations on TripAdvisor

(my favorite travel place!) and it was great! We

saw so much of New York and learned all kinds of

interesting trivia and memorabilia about the city.

At the end of the day we had been all over the place

and had walked 10 1/2 miles in 7 hours! Incredible!

That night Ray came into the city and we all

attended Mary Poppins together on Broadway.

We got in at 1:30 am again and this time we only

had two hours of sleep before we had to be up to

make it to the plane. It was a great trip and we

saw alot - but we sure did not rest!

New York City - day one

2009-09-29T21:04:00.001-07:00

Times Square!

Top of the Rockefeller Center

Avenue of the Americas

Classic Central Park carriage ride

Times Square after "Wicked" on

Broadway - it was totally Wicked!

Our first day in the city we were commuters

on the train from New Jersey into the city.

Good thing Carla had done it before - whew!

We probably would have been lost! It took

about 1 1/2 hours to get to Times Square.

We were starved - so we found lunch and

then headed to the Top of the Rock for

amazing views of the city. After that a walk

to Central Park, the classic horse carriage ride,

a stop at the Museum of Natural History (where

Night at the Museum was filmed) dinner at

a great Italian place and then Wicked on Broadway!

Carla had already been so Rustin Reidhead met us

in Times Square and used his student ID to buy

her a ticket for Shrek - thanks Rustin! It was

great to see him - I can't believe we forgot to get

a pic with him! After a full day, back to New

Jersey and into bed at 1:30am - back up at 6:30!

Niagara Falls

2009-09-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Simply breathtaking!

Ready for the Maid of the Mist boat ride

The boat gets very close to the falls - you get wet!

Read for the "Cave of the Winds" tour - cool

sandals that they give you to wear!

The walk way on the cave of the winds - check

out the rainbow! You could see both ends!

This part of the trip followed the Palmyra Temple.

It is about 2 hours from Palmyra to the falls.

Following the day there, we had to drive

6 1/2 hours back to New Jersey and Ray had to

be to work the next morning!

Palmyra New York

2009-09-29T20:31:00.001-07:00

At the airport excited to go!

The house my Mom grew up in - Port Byron NY

Hill Cumorah

In the sacred grove

Palmyra Temple

The day after our Holladay Reunion, Chris and

I boarded a plane for New York. We have never

been and we took the opportunity while Ray

and Carla are in nearby New Jersey on temporary work

assignment for Ray. Bridget flew in from Kentucky

and we began our journey. We arrived on Monday

night. After dinner at a local NJ hangout, we bedded

down for the night and got up early the next morning

to head out. We drove first to Port Byron New York

where my Mom was raised. We saw the house she

lived in and the town. It was great for me to see as

I had never been there and I was able to connect

stories from her childhood to the actual location.

We ate lunch at the little local diner which was classic

and had the daily special menu handwritten on a

piece of notebook paper - classic! After lunch we

drove on to Palmyra. We first stopped at the Hill

Cumorah. There is a beautiful visitor's center there

and we walked up to the monument on top. Following

that we went to the Smith Family farm and took

the tour with the sisters there and saw a replica

of the original log cabin home and the actual frame

home that the family lived in. Then on into the sacred

grove - such a peaceful spirit there. We stayed at

a lovely new motel in Palmyra and enjoyed "hot

tubbing" that night and visiting with other folks

touring the area. The next morning up early again

for a session at the Palmyra Temple. Another

wonderful experience. We changed clothes and hit

the road for the next part of the adventure - Niagara

Falls.

Holladay Reunion 2009

2009-09-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

From whence it all stems!

Ummm those nachos are yummy!

Swimming buddies

The boys minus missionary baby

Gorgeous daughters

Kaitlyn cannonballs!

Best buds!

Papa and Mackey

The whole group (I know tiny pic!)

Jet skis on Canyon Lake

We had a little family reunion a few weeks ago in the valley.

In the past we have gone to Mexico (7 years running!) Due to

a lot of different factors we decided to change it up this year.

I rented a huge house in Gilbert where we all stayed together.

Every family had their own room and some privacy and we had

alot of large common spaces to share - it also had a pool, pinball

and other games - lots of fun!

The first day we rented jet skis and spent the day on Canyon Lake.

I had never been there - it is a beautiful little lake and the weather

was perfect and the water refreshing - it was amazing! We had

a super fun time and B engineered a ghetto knee board out of a

boogie board and Kenny got up for the first time ever! It was

a fun day all together. I forgot my camera that day and I imported

pics that B took but I am not so competent so I only posted two as

they are tiny - I have to work on that skill!

The next day we went to a live production of "Jack and the Beanstalk"

for the grandkids - it was a fun time. The afternoon we spent enjoying

the pool and hanging out. Sunday morning we were up and out to

the boy's ward at 9am - lunch following at Tim and Cara's completed

our little get together.

I am so grateful for the wonderful family that I have - such amazing sons,

daughters and grandbabies - thanks to all of you for the success of our

reunion!

Birthday #52!

2009-09-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

German babies and orange julius made by
Kenny & Leslie

Billy & Mommy

Beautiful flowers from Donna

So birthday #52 is under the belt! Where does

time fly to? It seems like yesterday that I

was 19 and had just been married less than a

month. Now, five boys, four daughter-in-laws

and five grandbabies later, I am wondering

where it all went. I had a great birthday. Tammy

Brewer took me lunch on Thursday as part

of our tradition and a gift certificate

for a pedicure! Friday night Julie and Bob

had us over for dinner and cooked a delicious

meal of steak, potatoes, salad and a completely

from scratch german chocolate cake - yummy!

Also they gave me a wonderful book on tape.

Saturday was the actual day and that morning

Kenny and Leslie made German Babies and orange

julius for breakfast - mmmmm! I was just

home from the gym and standing outside saying

goodbye to Bridget and Ben when I got a call

from Sean. He sang in Spanish and then said

he wished he could be there to give me a kiss

on my birthday - I said I did too - and next

thing I knew he drove up! He came all the way

from Mesa to give me a kiss on my birthday

and could only stay a little over an hour.

Definitely reduced me to tears! Bryan, Jenn

and Colby called with wishes as did Tim and

family. I received beautiful flowers from

Donna and a necklace from Kenny and Leslie.

My missionary even managed to send something

in the mail that arrived on Thursday along

with a wonderful letter - it was a great celebration!

Thanks to all of you for making me feel special!

Live in Maid/Cook

2009-09-06T20:48:00.000-07:00

Look at this beautiful dinner that Kenny &

Leslie made last week. Raspberry Jalapeno

Chicken. It is like being at a gourmet

restaurant! It is great having them live with

us and we enjoy the delicious meals and the

help with the house and especially all the kisses

from Bentley!

Ellie Jo is Blessed

2009-09-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Ben blessed Ellie

Kenny, Leslie and Bentley waiting to begin

Mommy and not so happy Ellie Jo

My niece Lynsi and her husband Joey blessed

their little girl Ellie Jo last week at their home.

It was a beautiful blessing performed by her

Grandpa Ben. We were glad to be a part!

House Painted!

2009-09-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

So all the vines are down and the house is freshly

painted! The places where the vines used to be

look great - now we just need to redo all of the

front cement :) Never ends! One step at a time

I guess.

Vine Removal

2009-08-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

In the background you can see the vines
on the house

Kenny and Bucky helping out

Coming down!

Dad working hard!

We decided we finally had to take the vines off

of the front of the house. First of all the house

needs painted very badly and secondly they

were dying underneath and getting ugly. They

also bring on wasps and spiders and grow under

the siding and cause alot of problems. Once

we get the house painted we will be working on

redoing the entire front of the house which will

probably take until next summer. In the

meantime, it looks pretty ugly and bare!

La Casita!

2009-08-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Oooo a lemon looks tasty!

A little sour!

Joey, Lynsi and Bridget get a kick out of

watching Bentley and the lemon

The group eating at La Casita on Sean's

birthday! Happy Birthday Sean (he was in

Las Vegas!) Chris was on a flight and got

left out of dinner :(

Bentley's First Birthday Party

2009-08-30T20:45:00.001-07:00

This is Bentley's first birthday cake made by
Leslie. She decided to replicate Kenny's first
birthday cake shown in the small picture to the
left. It was great!

The birthday boy BEFORE the cake!

Not sure what he is doing

Mmmmmmm! Thanks Daddy - nice bite!

Fully into it now!

Since Kenny and Leslie were moving home

shortly after Bentley's first birthday which

was on August 8 - they decided to have his

party when they got home. It was held at the

Perkins with lots of cousin in attendance. He

had a great time!

Elder Skippy goes to DQ!

2009-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Elder Skippy sent me these pictures of a North

Carolina DQ experience! When I asked him

how it was he said "OK, but it wasn't home."

Awww - nothing like Mom's Dairy Queen - the

best in the world!!!!

First Grandchild goes to school!

2009-08-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

We must be certifiably old now because our first

grandchild is attending school! Here is Tim &

Cara's daughter Kaitlyn on her first day of

Kindergarten. I may be a bit prejudiced but

I doubt there was a prettier little girl at school

that day!

Kenny Graduates from BYU! (and moves home!)

2009-08-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

So the pictures ended up all mixed up from how I

wanted them - but anyway we were able to attend

Kenny's graduation from BYU last week. He

had a commencement exercise on Thursday and then

his individual college where he received his fake

diploma on Friday (they never give real ones here!)

We celebrated with dinner afterwards at PF Changs

and Bentley pretty much destroyed his area

entirely! We borrowed a trailer from Bob and were

able to move all of their belongings back in it. We are

happy to have them living with us for awhile until

they decide for sure what they are doing. It is so

fun to have a baby in the house! The graduation

was very nice and also very quiet compared to the

two previous ASU graduations! It is sort of like

general conference :) We are so proud of Kenny!

And of Leslie - she graduated from BYU as well

in April of this year.

33 Years of Wedded Bliss

2009-08-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

We have been married for 33 years as
of August 7 last week. It has been
up and down - just like life! But mostly
up! We have five wonderful sons, four
gorgeous daughter-in-laws and five
of the cutest grandchildren in the world!
Here are some retro shots and then
a couple on our date night!

walking down aisle

cutting the cake

just married

The video below...

Kirsten & Brock get married!

2009-08-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

Brock & Kirsten with nieces and nephews

My niece Kirsten was married yesterday in the

Snowflake Temple to Brock Lewis whom she

met at BYU Idaho. We had a funfilled week of

wedding preparation and family time. Everything

turned out great and we are counting down on

one hand the number of weddings we have left

between us!

Wedding Reception

2009-08-03T00:37:00.001-07:00

She wanted a "candy bar" and they had

every candy imaginable all in pink and green!

Sisters!

A crazy topsy-turvy cake made by Bridget

and Carla

The wall design created by Chris and Darbi

and Carla using paper plates

Baby and Bridal Shower

2009-08-03T00:28:00.001-07:00

Kirsten's bridal shower
Lynsi's baby shower

The next day we had a "girl's lunch"

My sister in laws and nieces

Bringing in the goods

Nice crowd of family and friends

Last week my niece Kirsten got married and

so we took the opportunity to have a bridal

shower for her and a baby shower for her

sister Lynsi who is expecting a little girl on

August 16. It was fun to get family and friends

together to celebrate both great occasions!

Tim's kids visit!

2009-08-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

We had Tim's three kids for four nights a week

ago while Mom and Dad enjoyed a "staycation" at

their home in Mesa. They were able to eat out, go

to a water park, see WICKED (I'm super jealous here)

and just spend some "alone time." We had a

super time watching their kids for them. We were

focused on doing fun things the entire time. We

fed the ducks twice, played at three different parks,

went to a movie, road the train, visited Grandpa,

ate plenty at DQ and took a walk every night followed

by a movie and popcorn - loads of fun! I'm not really

sure who had more fun!

One of the favorite toys of the week

We bought a new Thomas the Train set for

all the grandboys

Kaitlyn gets a new Disney Princess set

Ducks Feeding Round One

This is what Makenna did both times we fed the ducks

Having a Ball!

Getting ready for the one mile walk around
the park

Immediately Konnor decides not to ride the trike,
Papa carries it the whole way . . . . almost

Grammi helps out with the trike transportation

Of course there were plenty of visits to DQ!

Feeding the ducks round two

Waving from the train

Fawnbrook Northern Train

Makenna is not too sure about Grandpa Great

We visited Grandpa Great at his house

Who needs toys?

Mackey gets bored in the stroller

All squished in!

Her very own bowl of popcorn every night!

Nightly movie ritual complete with popcorn!

Sunrise Ride

2009-07-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

So we decided today to take a nice little afternoon
ride with Bob and Julie - our first ride together
this summer - it is just hard to get our schedules
coordinated. Anyway, when we left we were all
hot and fully clothed up and decided to head up the
mountain toward Sunrise because we wanted
"cooler" weather. Well we got it! We should have
rethought our destination when we started getting
a little rain at the WME Theatre in Show Low! But
we liked the cooling off and pressed on. We hit
small patches of rain on and off all the way to the
turn off to Sunrise. By now the wind is really
kicking up - but we are still fairly dry. So we
tell Bob that we are going to go to the lodge at
Sunrise and rest and get a drink. So he drives through
the lodge parking lot and then heads up to the
base of the mountain. Why I ask you? So that is
where we REALLY hit some rain! By the time we
got back to the lodge we were really wet by now!
It was nice to be inside and warm. When it was time
to go we dug everything imaginable out of the saddle
bags (we were not prepared!) and let Julie wear
the one jacket we had between the four of us - she
swears she would have died without it! I wore an
extra t-shirt, a facemask we found, my gloves and
I stayed pretty warm. Bob found a beanie and called
it good. Chris just sucked it up! We headed down the
mountain in rain the entire time! By the time we got
home we were soaked! What an adventure! Always
have a grand time with Bob and Julie - thanks guys!

Getting a bit windy now!

Good group shot

Ride Continued

2009-07-19T19:47:00.001-07:00

Turn off to Sunrise

Starting to get wet

Action Shot

Did we get alittle wet or what? Boys drying

off in Sunrise lodge

The ride home - notice Julie is TOTALLY

bundled up now!

Road Trip!

2009-07-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

Leaving the Queen

In Cortez Colorado FINALLY!

Leaving Cortez the next morning

So we finally decided to do it! We took at 1084 mile

road trip on the motorcycle. We left out on Monday

morning and headed out through St. Johns, onto

Zuni, up to Gallup and then to Shiprock. In Gallup

we ate lunch at a little place called "Jerry's" that

I found on Trip Advisor - it was great! That leg of

83 miles from Gallup to Shiprock seemed like 283! It

was hot and windy and the dead reservation. Whew!

We were so glad to finally get to Cortez another 45 miles

past Shiprock where we spent the first night in the

smallest hotel room we have ever had! I made reservations

on hotwire and it was a Days Inn. Super small room!

But we didn't care - we were pretty tired.

The next day was an absolutely gorgeous ride from Cortez

Colorado to Ouray Colorado. It is only about 125 miles

so a short day but the roads are super winding so it takes

a bit longer but it was so nice. It was cool and beautiful

and just great! We stopped at "Stoner Ranch" in Stoner,

Colorado - a little stop in the road literally. For those of

you who may not know - Stoner is my maiden name.

From there we went to Telluride and had lunch at another

Trip Advisor recommendation which was good again.

Telluride is gorgeous and we saw the home that Tom

Cruise once owned. The ride from Telluride to Ouray

is again spectacular. I have always loved Ouray and

wanted so badly to finally stay there -so our next night

was planned for here. Unfortunately I wasn't able to

get reservations at the hotel I wanted so we ended up just

stopping in and getting one - wow - they do not need

good deals in Ouray because it is so touristy - we paid

a fortune for a Best Western but it was clean and nice

and had a real hot springs pool right at the hotel that

we got to try out. The next day on the way from

Ouray to Santa Fe New Mexico I talked Chris into

stopping at Purgatory and riding the Alpine Slide. We did

this with the boys when we took them about 16 years ago.

We were surely the only people there in long sleeve dark

shirts, jeans and boots - but we had a ball - it brought

back great memories.

We found a nice little mexican place in Pagosa Springs for

lunch and then into Santa Fe. I had never been to Santa

Fe and there is alot of history here - it dates back to about

1620. I got a great hotel here on hotwire that was in the

plaza and therefore walking distance to everything. We

had dinner there that night and walked around the plaza.

We were having so much fun that we decided to extend

our trip a night and not go home on Thursday as planned,

instead we got a Priceline room in Albuquerque for the

next night. So on Thursday morning we had some extra

time and took a trolley ride through Santa Fe that told

alot about the history - we had a great time. Then on to

the short 50 mile or so ride into Albuquerque - because

we got there early we had time for dinner and a movie

that night. The next day was the ride home. About 285

miles to Show Low through Soccorro. The ride from

Socorro home was really nice - we got a little bit of rain

a couple of times but it was nice and helped keep us cool.

We had lunch at a favorite biker place in Quemado and

then on home over the mountain from Springerville. We

realized on the trip past Sunrise that with the exception

of parts of Colorado, we have as beautiful a place as any

we visited right here at home! We feel fortunate to live

in such a beautiful area and we loved getting out and seeing

more of our wonderful country! What a great trip.

I am learning the pros of being a biker chick is that you just

can't worry about your hair - I had a hat on the whole time

and getting ready in the morning is sure speedy!

Coming into Colorado

2009-07-12T21:23:00.000-07:00

See the "Stoner Ranch" sign in Colorado

On the road outside Delores

Downtown Telluride

The mountains behind the main street in

Telluride - there is a beautiful waterfall going

down that mountain

Ouray

2009-07-12T21:17:00.001-07:00

Coming into Ouray

Box Canyon falls

The start of the trail to the top of Box Canyon

At the top of Box Canyon

Cascade falls in Ouray

Colorado continued

2009-07-12T21:09:00.001-07:00

Leaving Ouray

View of the mountains of Ouray out the door
of the hotel room

Beautiful Colorado!

On the chair lift for the Alpine Slide

Top of Purgatory Mountain ready to slide!

Santa Fe

2009-07-12T21:00:00.001-07:00

Old house in the United States

Great Southwestern hotel room

The Santa Fe Trail wagon train sculpture

A beautiful indian maiden sculpture

Oldest church in the United States

Headed Home!

2009-07-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Leaving the Alburquerque Hotel

Catching a needed drink

Final eating place in Quemado on Friday

T-Bucket Debuts in the Parade!

2009-07-06T04:14:00.001-07:00

Waiting in the K-mart parking lot for our turn
in the parade

The whole gang!

The trial run

Papa gases up

Chris's birthday was spent working hard!

We bought a kit car just before Sean's 16th birthday

to be built as a parade car for the DQ. We have

been building it for six years! Ok - so most of that

time it just sat - but we have owned it that long!

Sean worked on it alot with Chris in high school

to actually get it built - but it needed body

modification and lots of other stuff that we have

just recently done. When Sean got home from his

mission it was the first time it had run in over two

years. He got it going and vowed that it would be

in the parade this year and it was! He and Tim

came up two weekends ago to work on it and we

made it through the parade. It still has more to

make it completely complete - but there is next

year's parade, It was alot of fun and we invited

Lance and Lauren to walk with us to pass stuff out.

We were a really popular item!

Fourth of July Parade

2009-07-06T04:06:00.001-07:00

We were really popular - they are all heading
out to try to get something - we are out by
now - it is at the end of the parade

A die hard DQ fan who knew the pictures of the

car and family from the store - his dog tries

on a helmet

Our parade wagon

Still More Fourth!

2009-07-05T22:34:00.001-07:00

Good shot of the tail lights for the boys who

weren't here!

New instruments

Elder Skippy Loves North Carolina! (and Nascar)

2009-06-28T22:39:00.001-07:00

Elder Skippy and the Mission President Hobbs

Backwoods flower pot

Just your normal street sign

Elder Skippy and Sister Hobbs

Our little missionary is doing great! He is working

hard in Waynesville, North Carolina and

loving it! He had some really great experiences

this past week in tracting out and teaching

investigator families. He has seen the fruit

of hard work and obedience. This Tuesday he

is 1/4 of the way done with his mission - he

doesn't like to hear that - he says it is going

WAY too fast! Keep up the good work - we

are SO proud of you!

My Crazy Boys!

2009-06-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have had this picture as my background at my DQ

computer and everyone who sees it just loves it!

I thought I wanted to share. Last time we took

family pictures when Sean got home in Sept. the boys

decided to try this shot - no planning just everyone

jump at the same time and it is amazing that it worked!

They all did something creative and Rick managed to

catch it! Just wanted to give a shout out to my

wonderful sons - they are all so amazing in so many

ways and I love them so much!

Light Family Reunion

2009-06-21T20:11:00.001-07:00

Donna, brothers and families

Gayle & Ed Mooney - hosts of the event

Aunt Barbara, Me, Aunt Anita

Keith Dawson and I

Donna, her brother Brian, Me

This past weekend I went to Elk Grove California

for a Light family reunion. These are members

of the biological family that I recently came into.

My biological grandmother was one of eight

children of which three are living. These "Grand

Pooh-bahs" had a family reunion and I was

lucky enough to attend compliments of Donna.

Here are a few of the pictures. I was finally able

to meet one of my Dad's football buddies from the

1949 team at University of Pacific - Keith Dawson.

Keith was married to my biological great aunt whose

name was Frances. Fran sang at my adoptive

parents wedding in 1951 six years before I was born!

Talk about a small world!

It was a whirlwind trip - I left Show Low on Friday at

1 in the afternoon, drove three hours, flew two hours,

spent the night at Neils, attended the reunion, flew

two hours, drove three hours and got home on

Sunday morning at 1 am. Whew! I am tired!

Elder Skippy Current Post!

2009-06-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

Preparation Day Clothes

Sam - a guy they taught at Books a Million

Beautiful North Carolina!

Six Pack of Awesomeness (according to Elder

Skippy)

These are some recent pics of our missionary!

The last picture with the soda pop is a drink

that is from that area called "cheerwine" you can

google it and read about it. He is apparently

in love with it!

He is working hard and just doing a great job

and we love him!

Elder Skippy Retro Post

2009-06-14T20:47:00.001-07:00

On the new motorcyle!

Is this pirate cake not the coolest thing ever?

Mom and her baby!

Skip and his boys (he is like 16 - check out

the beard!)

October 2008 Conference Trip

I just felt like I wanted to put a little post up about

my baby Elder Skippy. I don't have any new pictures

from his mission (but uh Misty does and she will

email them later) so I decided to pull a few out of the

archives for a retro post! I love this boy! I love all

of my boys! I am so blessed to have the five

most wonderful sons in the world! You all make me

proud!

Colby feeds the ducks!

2009-06-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

As part of our fun few days with Colby we took him

to Rainbow lake to feed the ducks. We ended up having

to pretend we were guests at the Lake of the Woods

because there were no ducks on the other side, but

he absolutely loved it! I didn't bring nearly enough

bread! He could have done it for hours!

Colby comes to Visit!

2009-06-07T21:28:00.001-07:00

Papa takes off

Colby and Papa "ducking" under the wing

A little windy!

Fawnbrook Northern Railroad

Colby loves the train - everytime we drive

by he wants to go!

We are having a ball watching Colby for part

of B and Jenn's vacation. We picked him up in

Payson yesterday and had a fun day. We ate

lunch at our favorite DQ then to see the movie

"UP" - then rode the train at the Fawnbrook

Northern Railroad. After shopping at Safeway

we came home and made dinner. Colby went

right to bed when asked and was perfect for us!

Today we went to church, he is a sunbeam but

chose to stay in nursery with Grammi - he was

a bit afraid I was leaving him there - it took

awhile for him to understand that I was the

teacher! Then Papa had a flight this afternoon

so we went out and checked out the planes and

helped him get the airplane out. Colby loved

it all and especially watching Papa take off!

Sedona Motorcycle Trip

2009-06-07T21:01:00.001-07:00

Biker chick complete with chaps!

On the Mogollon Rim

The Red Rocks of Beautiful Sedona!

Last Wed and Thursday Chris and I took a motorcycle

ride to Sedona. We started with lunch in Heber

(you get hungry fast :)) and then through Strawberry

and Pine to Camp Verde, Cottonwood and finally

Sedona. We stayed at the Poco Diabo Resort that

I snagged on Priceline for a mere $77! We had a

two person jacuzzi in the room! Perfect after 305

miles on the bike. We ate at a great Mexican

restaurant that night and then went to the late

movie. I nearly froze to death on the way home

from the movie. The next morning after a nice

walk, we took a swim, more hot tub and then

off for the day. We had a lovely lunch at the

Wildflower Bread place in Sedona and then checked

out a few shops for a hat for Chris. We are both

not too into shopping so it didn't last long. After

some expensive chocolate we hit the road. We

went back through Oak Creek Canyon into

Flagstaff. This is old stomping grounds for us as

we frequently went on this road to Sedona while

we were in college at NAU. This was the days

when there was virtually nothing in Sedona and all

of the outdoor water spots were free! We then

went from Flagstaff to Happy Jack, back through

Strawberry and Pine into Payson and home. All in

all we rode 690 miles in two days! We are prepping

for our ride to Ouray Colorado in three weeks!

We downloaded an audiobook by one of my favorite

authors onto the ipod, had a splitter and listened

away! Beautiful scenery, and special time with

my sweetheart - what could be better?

Leslie's Recital

2009-06-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Bucky helps Papa mow the lawn one-handed!

On Memorial Day Leslie performed a recital
similar to her Senior Recital for her friends and
family here that were not able to go to Utah.
As usual she was stunning! She is so talented
and we love to hear her sing.

Mackey does dishes!

2009-05-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last night Makenna was such a little helper!

She is helping Daddy do the dinner dishes - she

had so much fun and we just loved watching her!

Sean & Lori are Married!

2009-05-25T08:30:00.001-07:00

The happy couple!

A BIG THANKS to Bryan and Jenn who
took all of the pictures for the wedding.
They did an amazing job and we are
so grateful to them!

Lori and sister-in-laws! Wow - we have some
beautiful girls here!

More gorgeous girls! Lori and her sisters

Jenn & Misty

So Sean and Lori are married! It was a wonderful day!

The wedding was at 3 in the Snowflake temple. The

ceremony was lovely and it was wonderful to have

everyone from our family (except our missionary!)

in the temple. We were even lucky to have both of

Chris's sisters there and some of children. Following the

ceremony we got many wonderful pictures and then

headed to the social hall for the dinner. I couldn't have

pulled it off without the help of my wonderful friends,

Jill, Tammy, Julie and Jane. They were true lifesavers!

Lori's family also helped with the salads which was great.

We had a nice dinner of rolls, roast beef, ham and ten

different salads followed by brownie & lemon bites,

cream puffs and M&M's! The dinner was followed by the

reception that was held in Lori's Aunt's backyard. They

have a gorgeous home and yard and Lori and her family

did such a wonderful job making everything perfect!

Unfortunately Mother Nature was not on our side that

night as the rain began pouring down precisely at 7pm which

was the start of the reception! We moved it inside as

best as possible and pressed forward. Thanks to the many

friends of Sean and Lori that came and supported them -

they are so happy and we are thrilled for them!

More Wedding

2009-05-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

Lori's sister Lindsay made the most beautiful
centerpieces - tons of work!

My crazy sister-in-law Bridget surprised

us by coming in from Kentucky for the wedding.

We were fortunate that Holly was having

a baby and Carla was already here from

Kentucky also. Thanks so much for coming -

we loved it!

Kenny & Buckster

More wedding

2009-05-25T08:15:00.001-07:00

These are my awesome friends! Along with Jill

Pratt (not pictured - she wasn't there yet!) they

totally pulled together my luncheon after the

wedding for me. They are truly the best of the

best!

Brother's being serious

Brother's being silly!

Grandbabies at the Wedding!

2009-05-25T08:12:00.001-07:00

This was one of the best we were able to get with
all of the grandbabies. For some reason they
did not want to all cooperate at the same time!
Imagine that!

Donna's Visit for the Wedding

2009-05-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

My birth mother Donna came for

Sean's wedding. These pics that I

took off B's website didn't turn

out so good - I'll try to find better, but

this is her first few minutes in our

house. This was her first visit

to Show Low.

Elder Skippy Pictures

2009-05-25T08:01:00.001-07:00

Playing disc golf on preparation day

He says he is pretty good at this game

At a car show

Elder Skippy is doing great in South Carolina.

He is loving his mission and his companions, we

miss him like crazy but wouldn't want him

anywhere else!

Mother's Day Missionary Phone Call

2009-05-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

Getting my alone time on the phone

Misty brought me beautiful flowers for
Mother's Day

Catching Misty talking to Elder Skippy

Everyone loving the call and having a grand time!

Our kiddos are growing up!

Mother's Day Dinner

2009-05-10T23:46:00.000-07:00

Cuties!

The group minus Sean the picture taker

Sean and his fruit creations

Dad figuring out how to cook on his new super

grill - oh, excuse me - my Mother's Day gift!

The boys whipping it up in the kitchen!

Birthday Kids!

2009-05-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

Konnor turned three on May 7th and Makenna
will be one on May 15th. While they were up
we went ahead and celebrated with them. We
had a fun time opening presents and playing!

Lovin The Bucket!

2009-05-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

We got the t-bucket out again for some more riding

since the weather was beautiful! It is running good

and just needs some additional work on the interior.

It is at least driveable for the parade on the 4th!

I think this year it is happening!

Lori's Endowment Day

2009-05-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

Lori received her endowments in the Snowflake Temple

in preparation for the wedding in two weeks. They

are a darling couple and we love Lori! We are so

excited to have her in our family!

Elder Skippy Updates

2009-05-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is a super cool lotus car that Elder Skippy
got a ride in - he loved it!

There he is in the car -

New Comp Elder Barton

A member's bird that talks to them!

"Drive By Mexican Riviera Cruise 2009"

2009-05-10T22:33:00.001-07:00

Our well laid plans to take Ray and Carla on their first awesome cruise were waylayed by the swine flu pandemic media insanity. We boarded the Carnival Splendor headed for the Mexican Riviera and ended up with a half of a day in San Francisco. Needless to say were weren't the happiest - but we had a great time with Carla and Ray and enjoyed LOTS of wonderful food and fun. It was definitely an unprecedented event and we have now made history! Thanks Ray and Carla for making a bad situation into a great time anyway!

I videoed this clip taken from the cruise ship DVD

they make to sell you - we wanted on!

"The Mother Ship" aka Dairy Queen at night

2009-04-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

We recently updated all of the exterior lighting

at the DQ. We had super old 8ft interior

flourescents around the building and we replaced

it with weather-proof 4ft fixtures with two high

output lights in each. WOW! It is so much brighter.

We also added all new lighting in the front of

the building. All of the lights aren't even on in this

picture as they go farther down the sides of the

building, but due to breaker overloading, we have

some disconnected until Chris can get is all straightened

out. Many kudos to Sean and Lance who did most

of the work (with Dad's supervision!) They did

an awesome job and learned alot about electricity.

We decided two things can now be seen from space,

the Luxor in Las Vegas and the DQ in Show Low!

T-Bucket comes out of the garage!

2009-04-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

We have been building a "DQ car" since August
of 2003. The last time it was running was
June of 2005. Sean got it up and going a few weeks
ago when he was home painting the DQ and we
took it out again yesterday. This is one of the
pilots, Scott and Chino (Marco, another pilots, son)
going for a ride. We still have a bit of work to do
to complete it, not to mention the DQ logo that
will eventually be on the side, but the weather
was beautiful and we had a great time running
around - boy it is fast!!!!

Mac and Parents Super Short Visit

2009-04-12T22:25:00.001-07:00

Mac, Billy, Me, Kayla and Loren

So Sean calls me at 5 pm on Thursday night and

says that his mission buddy Mac is coming through

Show Low and will be staying at the house. I say

"OK" "When?" - he says tonight. I say "OK" and then he

adds - "Uh - he is bringing his parents with him."

"WHAT!!!" I say. I have about 4 hours to prepare my

house for people I have never met! My boys know I am

a bit of a freak about that. In fact, I don't even like

it when my kids surprise me and come home when

I'm not prepared. But it was great! We loved Kayla

and Loren immediately - they are now officially family!

They were so great and even brought a washer and

dryer to give to Sean for his wedding! We are

so blessed by our son's missions in so many ways -

here is yet another! Come back anytime guys-

we love you! Next time hopefully they can stay

longer than 11 hours! (Sleep included in that figure)

Bettie's Memorial Service

2009-04-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Me, Lisa (Bettie's daughter), Trudy (Bettie's
sister) and Brandon (grandson)

Lisa being goofy!

Bettie's extended family

We had the memorial service for Bettie on Tuesday

April 7th at the LDS Stake Center. I gave the life

story, Tim and Sean sang "Be Still My Soul" - Glen

Jackson gave a talk, Bishop Pratt added remarks

and we ended with an awesome "Nearer My God

to Thee" by the DQ Choir. I think I might take the

choir on tour! Made up of young DQ current and

former workers, they were amazing! Following the

service we had a dinner in the cultural hall. I brought

all my little cars and DQ stuff for the tables - Bettie

would have loved it! Her family was very

appreciative and I was happy I was able to help

give her a loving send off. We love you Bettie!

Bettie's Memorial Service Con't

2009-04-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Everything set up DQ style!

DQ Workers table

Bettie's brother Dale, his wife, nephew Kenny

and Sean, Lance, Lauren, Lynsi, Dorline & Seya

Chris, Dad, Glen, Tim & Bettie's family

Ted & Ellen Smith, Ken & LaFawn, Maylene

Pearce, Marshall Pratt, the Mel West fam

In Loving Memory of Bettie Clark

2009-04-05T20:44:00.001-07:00

The only "non-halloween" picture I have of
Bettie. She was very adamant about not having
pictures taken - it was so hard to get one!

Bettie taking care of her flowers - she took alot
of pride in our beautiful flower bed.

Bettie as "sponge bob"

We laughed and laughed over this - she didn't

mind posing for these pictures!

Last night I lost a wonderful friend and former

employee to a battle with cancer. Bettie J. Clark

passed away on April 4, 2009 in Snowflake at

Webb's care center. I hired Bettie in the winter of

2001 just out of the blue. I normally never hire

people I don't know, but for some reason I felt

impressed by Bettie. Boy was I on target! She

literally became a member of our family. She

was a faithful employee, never missing work and

always working her hardest, as honest as the day

was long and always looking out for my best

interest as "the boss." She quickly fell in love with

all of the teenagers and especially my five sons.

Tim never actually worked with Bettie, but all

four of the rest of them did. She loved Tim even

though she didn't really know him, but she made

it clear how much she loved the other boys.

Bryan nicknamed her "B to the Eddy" and she

loved that! All of the boys worked with her in the

kitchen cooking and she and Sean would yell

"Let's get ready to rumble" everyday before the

lunch rush. She worked with Kenny both before

and after his mission. She loved "her little Skippy"

as she called him because he was only 12 years

old when she started working at DQ. She was always

a champion of the teenagers and if I would ever

get on them, she would come to their defense

saying "they are just kids." If she liked you, she would

do all of your side work for you during the day

(Sean and Skippy capitalized ALOT on this benefit).

She loved to "hide" the towels. We tend to use too

many towels each day and it would just gripe her to

no end - when they would come in each Monday she

would grab some and take them upstairs to hide them

heaven only knows where! I don't think she could

find them again if she wanted to, in fact I found some

just the other day! We laughed and laughed!

She worked until June 30th of last year and then she

simply could go no longer. All of the pleading in the

world wouldn't get her to the doctor until late Sept when

she finally ended up in the ER - from there she went

directly to the Hospice center where she was given 10 days

to live. You have to know Bettie, she is pretty stubborn! She

went on to live over 6 months longer than they anticipated.

She was a fighter. We loved Bettie and she will be sorely

missed. Knowing her made my life so much richer and I

will remember her always!

Repainting the flames

2009-04-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

When we remodeled our house nearly 5 years ago,

Sean and Skippy wanted to paint their room

a bit extreme! We let them with the understanding

that they would come back and repaint it later.

Sean made good on the promise this weekend and

the room is "normal" again. We are planning on

turning this into our "aviation" room. We are in

the process of adding to our collection!

Bucky's first visit to the Park

2009-04-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

We took Bentley for his first visit to the park while

I was in Provo. It was a gorgeous day and

he loved tasting the grass, swinging, teeter-tottering

and just general park fun! We were lucky because

on Monday we woke up to about 3 inches of

snow! Look how pretty the grass is already!

Bucky loved the swing!

Wheeeee!

Leslie's Recital

2009-04-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Leslie & her accompanists

Pianist - Chris & Violinist sister Natalie

On March 27, I was lucky to be able to fly to Utah

to see my daughter in law in her senior recital at

BYU. She is a vocal performance major and the

recital was her crowning achievement. She was simply

stunning! So much talent and she sang in four

languages! I can barely speak one (not so good at that most

of the time!) I am so glad I got to attend. I flew into

Salt Lake and rented a Toyota Yaris (aka - "go cart") if

you have never seen one of these check it out - it was

really pretty fun to drive, but not for the long distance!

I stayed with Leslie & Kenny and they were wonderful

hosts - thanks guys!

Sean & Lori are Engaged!

2009-03-22T22:58:00.001-07:00

Sean is officially engaged! Lori accepted

his proposal and the date is set for

May 23 in the Snowflake Temple.

Congrats to Sean and Lori! Another

beautiful daughter for us!

Dad's New Ride!

2009-03-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

2008 Toyota Tundra

We finally decided that after 15 years, Dad deserved

a new truck! We bought a "gently used" one that

Hatch had been using as a demo in the dealership.

It is a super nice ride and has the biggest back seat

I have ever seen in a truck! We have calculated that

using our current truck purchasing habits we will

be nearly 67 years old the next time we get one!

Making Snickerdoodles for Elder Skippy!

2009-03-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Grandbabies Visit!

2009-03-15T21:35:00.001-07:00

Tim & Cara's kids came for a visit on Saturday. Papa and
Grammi had a grand time with them. Here
MaKenna is testing out the flavor of a rock.
I got the next pictures backwards - we went to the
nursery at church (my current calling) to clean
and organize the toys in the closet - we took the
helpers and they loved it! The before and after
pictures are below. We started the day out with
lunch at our favorite Dairy Queen!

Sean & MacKay's Excellent Adventures!

2009-03-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post that a couple of weeks ago one
of Sean's favorite mission buddies from Utah
came to visit. They spent one night in Show Low
and rode a bit around here on Dad's bike and
Sean's (Skip's???) and then in the valley they
rode to Canyon Lake on the Suzuki and Shadow.
They had a great time! These are for you
Elder Skip!

Elder Skippy Pictures

2009-03-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a little update on Elder Skippy. I
actually have no idea what is going on in these
pictures (they came via Misty - thanks Misty!)
But I know he is doing great! He loves his
comp and the area - he is currently serving
in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Gotta love the Nascar!

Grandkids!

2009-03-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Serious girl!

Kaitlyn Belle aka "Sissy"

Konnorson

C-Bone

Fun in Mesa!

2009-03-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a meeting in the valley for DQ, so
Chris and I drove down on Monday and took all
the kids out to eat. B had the idea to get Panda
Express to go, then drive a block to the local
Mickey D's and order the kids food there and eat
while they played on the toy set! Worked great!
Here we all are including Cara's brother Glen,
wife Dana and two boys.

My little Mackey girl! (Check those cute teeth!)

Loads of fun!

Sean & Lori loved playing the games too!

On The Right Track

2009-03-02T03:50:00.000-08:00

This is just a little shout out to my fav missionary!

This is Elder Skippy & Comp (Probably Elder

Wortley) in the field. He is doing a great job and

we are so proud of him!

First Ride of the Season

2009-03-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

We took our first motorcycle ride of the season yesterday.

It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. We rode

from Tokay junction to Whiteriver and then to Pinetop. It

was really warm the whole time until about 10 miles out

of Pinetop and then BRRRRR! We ate a late lunch in Pinetop

and then went to the movie - it was about 6pm when we

headed home and then it was really cold! We are looking

forward to a great summer on the bike!

DQ Meeting

2009-03-01T21:28:00.001-08:00

I had two days of DQ meetings a couple of weeks ago and

Chris wasn't able to attend. I hung out with Joan Belshe

from the Eagar DQ. We had a great time! Here

we are at the Arizona Opry - a dinner show in Apache

Junction that they bussed us to - it was great

entertainment. We got some good information from

other operators and are ready for the busy season at

our stores!

Weekend in the Valley

2009-02-09T20:53:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we took a trip to the valley to see

our grandkids. Chris has limited days off and it had

been a month since we had seen them. On Friday

night we went to a place in Mesa that is filled with

inflatable toys for the kids to play on - they had a great

time! I had all of these plans to take pictures for the

blog and I ended up not taking one! Thanks to Tim

for these pictures from his phone.

We stayed at the Marriott in Mesa which I proudly

secured on Priceline for $35 per night! It was

great and we enjoyed the time away from the hustle

and bustle of everyday life! We took walks, worked

out and just had a nice time. Unfortunately it wasn't

the "Valley of the Sun" this weekend - more the valley

of the rain - but it didn't dampen our spirits! We enjoyed a

nice Sunday with the kids and dinner at B and Jenn's-

thanks guys! Also a trip to Costco and a movie rounded

out the trip - it was great to get away!

Elder Skippy at the MTC!

2009-02-09T20:47:00.000-08:00

Here he is at the call center where they call
people on the phone and talk about the church

It is cold in Provo!

The classic shot where you point where you

are going to serve your mission

Elder Holladay & Elder Ellsworth

This is a friend that he has known

all of his life - Curtis is serving

in Spain

Classic missionary shot

Just thought I would update with pictures of Elder Skippy.

He is now in North Carolina (actually Fort Mill, SC) serving

in his area. He has a great trainer that he loves and is

doing great. He is loving the mission and all is going great.

We are so proud of him and his hard work! Keep it up

Elder Skippy!

Julie's Birthday

2009-01-27T20:45:00.001-08:00

Julie, Terri, Bob, Chris, Lori & Daryl

52 years!!!

My best friend Julie celebrated her 52nd birthday
on January 26th. She has been such a great friend
for so many years and I am truly grateful for her.
We celebrated at Charlie Clark's in Pinetop and
Daryl treated us - thanks Daryl!! I baked her
favorite cake (chocolate cake with white sticky
icing). It was a mess by the time I got it there but
it tasted OK. Here's to many more happy
birthdays!

Lori's Birthday

2009-01-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

Lori's 23rd birthday was on January 25th. They were up in the

mountains for her brother's missionary report. Sean gave me

about an hour to pull off a birthday dinner for her! I pulled something

together for dinner and then we had snickerdoodles (Sean's

favorite) for dessert and quasi-cake! Here are some

pics of the celebration (notice Sean's ultra cool 70's ish downhill

skiing sweater compliments of the thrift store). Happy

Birthday Lori!!!!!

Coast to Coast Air Ambulance

2009-01-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

Chris has helped to start a new air ambulance company

that is flying out of Show Low. The owner is Jeff

Obering out of Cedar City, Utah. They fly turbo

commanders and have a great crew. They are

pictured here in front of the hangar in Show Low.

He is excited about the new company and this

new opportunity! He just loves to fly!

Disneyland!

2009-01-27T20:14:00.001-08:00

On the last night I snagged a shot with Mickey
and Konnor (after a line wait of course!)

The birthday kids!

On our first day, we are EXCITED to get in!

My dolly granddaughter posing on a Mickey

bench waiting to get in the park.

The Sunday before we left on the trip, the girls

had the cutest matching sweater dresses on and

Konnor was very handsome!

We had the opportunity to go to Disneyland with Tim and Cara and kids for

Tim and Kaitlyn's birthday's. For anyone planning on going to Disneyland in

2009, plan to go on someone's birthday because they get in free! Tim and Kaitlyn

share the same birthday so it was a perfect excuse to go.

Chris had to work but really wanted to come so we arranged for him to fly over

on the last night and spend the last day which was the birthday's to spend in

Disneyland with us and then drive us home, I just didn't manage to get any

pictures with him in them! Sean and Lori also came along for the trip. We all stayed in a

SMALL hotel room and managed pretty well! We had three days in the parks and

it was a grand time!