Familiy Portraits

We had a new family picture taken while everyone was together for Thanksgiving. The weather was very cold so I'd made arrangements to have the pictures taken at the Utah State Capital Building. We are happy with the results. Some of the kids had individual family pictures taken but I only posted the ones of the whole family and Keith and I with our 14 grandkids. What a blesing our family is in our lives.



Sorry about the blue line at the bottom. I cropped it in a bit and when I pasted it I guess the size wasn't quite right or something. I decided to leave it that way because seeing it closer really is better.

Christmas 2011

Valerie stayed in Utah a few days after Thanksgiving and finished her Christmas shopping then I went back to Idaho with her (we picked up my brother Neil at the airport on our way) to spend a few days with my Dad. When I got back from there we quickly decorated the house and tree because Keith's sister Dorothy was coming back from a cruise they'd been on and I wanted the house decorated. It was fun to use the ornaments we'd bought in the Phillipines although I didn't even take a picure of the tree this year. Then it was onto final prep for the Relief Society Christmas program. Next a day in Midway with Keith's family and going to see "the Forgotten Carols" with Barbara & Mark Hale. I love that play and the music has become my favorite Christmas music. With only a week left until Christmas, Keith and I spent an evening wrapping gifts which was fun. We listened to Christmas music and talked a lot about our family. We went bowling again on Christmas Eve then did a fun treasure hunt that Keith put together about the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We let the little ones put the nativity together as we read the scriptures about Christ's birth and sang some songs. Christmas Day we went to Tooele first thing to see Luke, Katie, Sara and Viviane open their gifts and enjoyed a yummy breakfast with Scott & EmmaLee's family. We came back home and Randy, Heidi, Tyson & Abby came over and we gave them their gifts. Randy was quite sick so he didn't go with us over to Melissa and Spencer's to see Jessica, Branson and Preston open our gifts to them. It was a great day spending time with our family. It was snowy outside but the joy in my heart at getting to spend time with so much of our family and watching children at Christmas is just the best. It makes all the stress and pressure that I seem to create for myself at Christmas, all worth it. I love studying the details of the Christmas story and found a copy online of "The Mansion" a story that President Monson reads every Christmas - it really puts things into perspective. We hosted a Pryor family party here after Christmas before we started pulling things together so we could go to our family reunion, where we brought in the New Year with our whole family being together. YIPEE!



There are no pictures of Randy & Heidi's family because Randy slept most of the day and was just not presentable in his pj's - just kidding I could have at least taken one of Heidi and the kids. Sorry about that.

Family Reunion 2010 at Badger Creek Lodge

It was Valerie & Wyatt's turn to plan the reunion this year and she did a fabulous job THANK YOU Penfolds! Valerie reserved the lodge at BYU-Idaho's Outdoor Learning Center near Tetonia, just a few miles from her home. We were all supposed to arrive on Wednesday afternoon December 29th. However Mother Nature had other plans. We drove up on Tuesday to avoid a storm and to spend some time with my Dad. On Wednesday we left early from my Dad's home to deliver the suspended seating for Valerie's new kitchen before we checked into the lodge, so we made it through but shortly after that they closed Hwy 33 so Randy & Melissa and their families spent the night in Teton. Scott left home late and when he got word that Hwy 33 was closed he came through Piney Pass. He got there quite late and had some pretty slick roads but made it. Thursday morning the others went that way and everyone made it by early afternoon. Even though the temperature never got above freezing we had a great time sledding (with a rope tow even) three different times.









We played lots of fun games together and didn't even mind that we had to go out in the cold to the bathroom. They were indoor and heated but we had to access them by going outside. Everyone slept in the big bedroom with bunkbeds except Scott's family had a smaller room to themselves because of new baby Viviane.




Sorry to the guy in his PJ's. I sent the little girls up to take a picture of the bedroom and this was the only one they took.

Keith & I slept in the large family room so we wouldn't keep everyone awake with our snoring and to keep the wood burning stove stoked, which was the furnace for the lodge. The FHE lesson was a little rough and didn't go over as well as we'd wanted but hopefully everyone will remember that the armor of God isn't always comfortable or convienint to wear and that the sword of the spirit will "keep us safe from sin". We had great meals, each family took turns preparing food in a huge commercial kitchen.




Valerie planned a really fun New Year's Eve Party complete with crowns and noise makers we decorated ourselves and streamers and ballons and games and bubbly to drink at 10 pm when we put the kids to bed. Hey it was midnight somewhere.






We drew in the snow with colored water, played spoons, magformers, Uno and the boys were glued to the iPod at time too.





The kids had hoola-hoop contests and we all stomped on ankle tied balloons. Seeing the kids have all this fun together makes the work that goes into these reunions a simple joy. Especially when I think about my "I want a hug from everyone who calls me grandma" after family prayer when we were ready to leave.








We love our family and are so pleased that they enjoy being together. It is sweet for us to watch the cousins learning to be friends and the adults sharing what's going on in their lives with each other. It's always kind of lonesome once we're back home but know that plans were discussed for the next reunion in the summer of 2011. Thanks to each of you for all you do make our family reunions wonderful. WE LOVE EACH OF YOU SO MUCH (but remember Heavenly Father loves each of you even more).

Surprise Birthday Party for Kristine

It was truly a surprise! I tried to download the video but it just wouldn't cooperate. Anyway I was so scared when I opened the door and everyone yelled surprise that I threw my purse into the room and stumbled and stammered at the door until I finally figured out what was happening. It scared me to death I even started to cry. The kids had invited many of our friends - and they came, even on the day before Thanksgiving. The kids all contributed to a spread of great food. There was a beautiful cake, yummy cheese balls, pigs in a blanket ( probably because I love hot dogs), delicious punch, fruit and veggies and red balloons and it was just a fun party. The weather was terrible and I'd called the kids and told them they didn't have to come for Thanksgiving if the weather was too bad but little did I know they were already in Utah, working to make all the last minute plans for this party. The grandkids all sang a song for me and it was just a grand event. I had on a dirty shirt so after I got my wits about me I went and changed my clothes. My good friend who knows me well asked if I'd wet my pants when I came in the door to such a surprise. No I did not, I just wanted to look better at my own party. My actual birthday was the Sunday before Thanksgiving and Keith invited Scott's & Melissa's families over for a fun dinner he prepared so in my mind my birthday was over. They called that my pretend birthday party. They all went in together and bought me an iPod Touch. I'm still trying to learn how to use it but am enjoying it a lot. THANKS YOU SO MUCH TO MY FABULOUS FAMILY! you created a treasured memory. I'm always saying how much I like surprises but after my reaction to this they may queston that passion.

Thanksgiving 2010

Our whole family was together for Thanksgiving this year. What a joy that is. We also had our nephew Aaron Weaver and his wife Keymeo and their two cutie kids Sienna and Radon. Figuring out the tables and making food assignments was great because everyone helped. We enjoyed a delicious meal and had a great day together. I'd invited all the grandkids to come prepared to tell a story using the puppets we have and they ALL did. What fun to have the cousins play together and even though the adults reported being a little bored, they got into it a bit as well. Just being together is just what Thanksgiving is all about.