The One and Only, well for now.....

This beautiful child is my one and only granddaughter. I say for now because Petra has yet to find out if she is going to have a girl or boy. In the mean time Jenni Marie is our only beautiful granddaughter.

She has always been the best at posing for pictures.

The boys are asked to come and stand by the flowers for pictures, and no they run away. Jenni Marie stands very patient and lets us snap away.

Ahhh the joys of a granddaughter!

Cookie "The Sister"

This is my little sister Cookie, she is not only the youngest of my sisters but the shortest. Dad would tell us "good things came in small packages" when referring to her.

We were all at the Temple to see my niece Sara get married to Gary Grey.

We were so excited to see them, but while waiting we were taking pictures of the family hanging around. Mom told me to make sure to get pictures of everyone. Every time I tried to get a picture of Cookie I got things like this!
Yes, she would do anything to not let me get a picture of her. So my niece Annaleesa and I were on a mission to get as many pictures of Cookie as we could. That is the problem with our family, just tell us we can't do something and it becomes a priority.


The cute girl next to Cookie, is my niece Bridget, so darling!! And very nice about letting me take her picture.

Yes, these are some cuties, in my defense most of these pictures are from Annaleesa, she is the best at sneaking up and snapping a picture.

She never saw the picture above coming!! I think she was watching her kids do something. Poor Cookie she should remember how crazy her family is.

P.S. I love the dress, so lots of pictures are good, right??

OK, not falling for that, then I am going with "Mom made we do it!"

FINISH LINE!!

So when did this Cutie ....... turn into this Cutie...

We felt like we were in a race, it started with Seminary graduation. I forgot to take a picture of her at that event. When they called our ward it was so sweet to see her go up and stand with the same boys she went thru primary and YM/YW with and now they were done!

Then on to graduation she had such fun with all her friends, we had a BBQ after the graduation and then they were off to have fun!

Then we had her Young Womanhood recognition award night. All of her sisters have gotten this award, and she was so happy to be done with all the goals and fun things that make up that award. 80 hours of projects can be hard!!

Allie as the Laurel President, conducted the meeting. She will be released as she goes on to Singles Ward, sometime this summer. She has been the Laurel President for a couple of years, she will not miss all the meeting, or maybe not, she has finally got conducting BYC down!

I thought about her friends the "group" that gathered that graduation night, they couldn't wait to celebrate and be together.
They are always together, they have such fun and generally support each other in all they do.
Allie was always running to see someone in a play or concert, someone was sick, hurt, no matter what they did it together. This has been such a wonderful support system, a group of people that think and act pretty much the same way. They are LOUD and crazy, but this picture (above) was a cold winter day they decided to start the year off at the temple grounds bearing their testimonies to each other. Just for support!

These faces are the girls she is with the most! They met as Freshman in a Seminary class and have formed a bond that will last for a long time!! We as a family have come to love these girls, they have supported Allie in all she does! This morning I dropped off Allie to do the handcart trek, she really didn't want to go, she was dragging her feeting the whole time, then she saw Jayme, it was all OK, she was ready to go!
So as we crossed the Finish Line, Allie runs to the next Starting Line and begins the next phase of her life.

It's time to fly......
Love you cutie!

Winding Down!!

I am watching Allie's Senior year winding down. It is interesting how ambivalent I am about her leaving High School. All the crazy coming and going, the kids (girls!!) getting ready for dates, dances, parties...etc...




The loud laughter, the trashed bedroom (somehow they need to try on every thing in the closet and leave the rest on the bed.) the trail of cologne and overnight bags!!

Tonight's events are what made me think of this.. she is running out the door and down the street to Maggie's to have her peer edit her Senior Research Project. She has been running out the door and down to Maggie's for years. We have a wonderful picture of Maggie and Allie holding hands in the Kindergarten Thanksgiving pagent.




This picture is really small but all the way to the left is Allie and Maggie, and I wish you could see better that they are holding hands. They are so scared, and they have been friend ever since.

Allie is working on college funding and who is going where, I am tired but I know soon, Maggie won't be, down the street to the corner and count 3 houses. She will be in Paris, France going to College, and Jayme and Kristi are off to BYU I and poor Allie will be here going to Sierra for a semester. Several of the kids got into BYU and the rest are going to BYU I and CA Universities. I know all this noise will be gone soon and I am just remembering to enjoy while I can. I have been ordered off the computer so more homework can commence, now that I won't miss!!

Confession is good for the Soul!!

We have thought for a long while that we should have written down all the crazy things Petra said as a child. Well, now that she has CJ we know the crazy sayings are hereditary. So if you are tried of hearing about my beautiful Grandchildren you might want to stop reading now.
Petra had borrowed a CD from Katie and lost it. She and CJ got home and he found out his Mom had lost the CD, he got very upset and told her "just tell her now, Please, she is going to be VERY MAD, not at me I'm CJ, but she is going to be very mad at you. At this point he is pacing back and forth. He told her " Just confess, it's better that way, just tell her and get it over!!" Poor tortured soul, his Mother is going to drive him crazy.

What is your name???

You ask what a Hospital sign has to do with the title of this blog??

Here is the story. ...

Efrain came to get the kids on Monday, life is normal, lots of hugs and kisses, Grandpa walks them to the car and waves them off. I come around the corner from work and wave as they go by. Efrain gets home and it is a normal night, dinner, homework with Jenni, bath time and then Efrain starts feeling sick, but not bad, just not feeling right. By the time Randi gets home from work he is feeling pretty sick. He is up most of the night and by morning knows there is something really wrong. Randi hurries and gets the kids ready for school, Efrain is feeling pretty bad by now.
Here is where we have to stop and give you a little back story. The twins go to preschool 5 days a week. Well, they used to both go but they don't like anyone picking on them, so if some other child had the misfortune to do something to one of them he got the wrath of both of them. They have a pretty good tag team thing going. You know, one pushes the offender down and the other kicks him, that kind of thing. Now only one of the twins can go each day, they take turns.

So back to our story. Efrain is sick and Randi is getting the kids out the door to school. Randi tries to get Efrain to the Dr and by the time the kids are ready to be picked up from school. (they all go only half day, Jenni in Kindergarten and the boys preschool) Randi is ready to take Efrain to the Hospital. As she rushes to collect them she goes to pick up Isiah, she is in a big hurry, the teacher is trying to tell her she thinks there is something wrong with Isiah. As she is dragging this child to the car she looks down and realizes it's Isaac. She had sent Isaac to school instead of Isiah. He had spent the whole day trying to tell the teacher he wasn't Isiah. The teacher was sure it was Isiah, it was his day to be there, Isaac had been there the day before she carefully explained to Isaac. Poor kid was so confused, by the time I talked to them that night, Isiah told me "I don't go to school anymore, just Isaac." I told him yes he would get to go, but he said "no Isaac is Isiah one day and then Isaac the next day" well that is how it did happen but we couldn't stop laughing. Oh, and yes Efrain's appendix needed to come out, it was leaking into his system and he was one sick guy! He is in the hospital, recovering, but still there. His blood sugar is out of whack and they are watching for any infection.
Those cute boys always have us laughing. Isiah is convinced if you throw up you have to go to the Hospital. He was throwing a month or so ago, he had a concussion, so he was in the ER for several hours. Now his Dad was throwing up and had to stay several days. So he told me to make sure not to throw up because you have to go to the Hospital, and it's not fun!! This was said with a mouthful of ice cream Grandma and Grandpa (Jeff and I) had brought to help the nerves, of a very long day at the ER and then being taken back home to Aunt Allie.

Couples Retreat

This almost looks like a fake background. I decided to see if I could get a picture of the snow falling. It was soooo cold standing out there but the view was so incredible I kept walking back out.

This was the entrance to the big lodge we were in for the event. It is huge and very nice.





Jeff and I were so in awe of all the snow. It snowed pretty much the whole time we were there.
We thought it was approprate that Linda and Grant were in room 309. Jeff and I were in the room across the hall, so fun!
Jeff thought it was fun so see how far he could slide, all I could think of was how I was going to get him to the hospital when he broke his leg.

My Dad

We just passed my Dad's birthday. Last year Dad was bedridden but sitting up and smiling and ready for his Birthday Dinner. Ron and I raced around and got him a steak dinner (thanks to Ron!!) Randimarie decorated his room and Mom, Ron, Jeff and I all gathered around his bed and had a party.

I asked Dad about each of his children, it was interesting to see how he looked at us, Linda being so able to handle anything in his eyes, Randy being the practical one, always able to fix anything, me, well, I would like to say he said I was sweet and wonderful, but that would be lying so I have to say he told me I was funny and always ready for a laugh. hmmmm well better than being sad?? Cindy he told me was his sweet girl, she was most like his Mother in her ability to quilt, and do needle work. Ron was the sports boy, from the very beginning Ron loved sports. Cookie was the baby and loved by all. JJ was the one he depended on, and at this time in his life, for his day to day stuff. Now remember this was a year ago and my aging memory is not the best but I loved that I heard one last time how Dad saw things.

He went downhill from that night and we didn't get to have many more nights of laughing and pictures.

I miss you Dad, I am glad Mom sent me back in to give you hug that night. It was my last one!

THE LAST SENIOR

We have early morning Seminary here in CA. So all of our kids had to get up and be over at the church at 6:30 am. If they were in the band or choir they had to go to early, early morning Seminary, and yes that is what they call it. It starts at 5:30 am. I got up and took the first 5 kids to Seminary. So when Allison came along I told Jeff it is his turn!!! He wasn't happy but for the last 3 1/2 years he has been doing it. We always find someone to car pool with but he has to do at least part of it.
I have enjoyed listening to him deal with this last child, remember this is his baby and he usually is pretty kind to her but after almost 4 years he is getting over it. It starts the same way every morning, "Allie are you up??" "Yes, DAD!!" she is very good about getting up to her alarm. Next, "Allie, did you eat??" and in previous years he added "Allie did you take your pills??" She had pills for her headaches she had to take every morning. Then there is a bit of a pause, you can hear her getting ready. Then it starts again "Allie, time to go!" about 1 minute goes by, (I have timed him!!) "Allie, time to go" then after 2 minutes and I do mean 2 minutes he walks down the hall "Allie, I will be in the car!!" and he leaves. This morning I was just cracking up. Allie came to see what was going on, I just laughed, "your Dad says the exact same thing EVERY morning". She says "yeah???" well you would think he would know you always make it to the car late and you always have to carry half your clothes to get ready in the car!! AHHHH the joys of the last child. We laughed and then heard the horn honk out front and she grabbed her stuff and ran for it. OK, here is the secret, when the car pool picks her up (at the same time Jeff takes her) she is totally ready to go. hmmmm I think she has trained her Dad????

I PASSED!!

I thought my head was going to explode, but when it was all done they gave me a piece of paper stating that I PASSED!! Miracles happen everyday and today is one of those days!! Yesterday, when I was studying my heart out, Jeff kept coming checking on me and brought me dinner so I wouldn't have to leave the computer. Then he gave me a blessing, I then knew that no matter what happened it was just fine!!

NO MORE TESTS!!

I am too old to take tests!! It does feel like I am 10 years old again and Mom is making me practice the piano or do my homework. I can think of a millions things that just have to be done before I can study.
The crazy guy in the hat was my instructor, he was a hoot, I do think I learned a lot from him mostly because he was always doing something crazy and that kept me from falling asleep! I was by far the oldest person in the room, it was interesting to see how fast or slow the younger people learned the material.
Well, I guess I have to go back to studying. I don't even want to sell Life Insurance, I just want to have my license to make me legal when I am talking to someone and I can give them advise on their application/policy.

ALLIE SPEAKS!

Today Allie gave a talk in Sacrament meeting. She has spoken several times in Sacrament meeting but the big thing about this time is, she wrote her own talk. I mean ALL of it! She wouldn't even let us suggest places to look or things to talk about. Her subject matter was pretty easy, it was the "Importance of Family". She referred to the Strength of Youth pamphlet and had a couple of scriptures then referred to a talk by a General Authority. She spoke in her own words how she felt about her own family also. (this was a little scary!!) All in all she did a great job! I am soooo glad she got to speak first, right after her was one of our full time missionaries. He is from Australia and she LOVES! his accent, I am not sure she could have spoken so clearly and calmly after he spoke, yeah, she is at the right age to really think the missionaries are cool!!(19 year old boys, 17 year old girls!! go figure!)

CONTRAPTION

This is CJ's contraption. If you ask what it does, he will go in to detail as to why each object is where it is in the contraption, then he will tell you what it does and why we need it. Petra tells me he goes in his room and she won't see him for a while. He comes out and has a new contraption to show her. All of his inventions are called contraptions. I have a brother that built weird stuff also. I was going to say that thought gave me comfort, but he is still weird (sorry Gayle!)

Christmas 2009

It's Christmas time- - - - - -

This is what Christmas is all about, Christ Birth is the most important but I love to see these cute faces. Petra was trying to get them all to smile at the same time and Isiah got tired of smiling so he gave one last BIG grin!
I love that Jenni is so excited about watching CJ open what she gave him, she doesn't even start opening her own gifts!!

Two happy boys, they can go to bed as batman and spiderman!
Isiah loves his packages!! He can't wait!

Hans and Shelli were a big hit!! The kids loved their presents!!

We lost track of these guys! Petra went to find them and found them under the kitchen table!!

CJ got a new toy and there they were all under the table playing with it. CJ is the ring leader, Isaac and Isiah are always willing to follow, because they know he has something new to show them or some new game to play.

The toys are all open and the fun was all had, and they end the day at their favorite place in Grandma and Papa's house. The mirror at the end of the hall!! Some things never change!