Sunday, December 27, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas this year! We are so grateful for our blessings and our sweet family for being there for us and continually bless our lives each day. We are most grateful for our Savior and this special time of year to reflect on His birth! We love you all and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Here is a slide show from Christmas morning and a picture of my favorite gift this year, another AMAZING painting from my mom. We have wonderful pictures from Christmas Eve with Charlie and Robin that I will post soon.



Saturday, December 19, 2009

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving



This was a sad year because Ken and a few of the kids got really sick and we all stayed home to spare the rest of the family. On Monday we had a fun pie night with the Mann side of the family. My Mom made tons of pies and Dad shared the story of the first Thanksgiving (with some help from Porter) :) It was a lot of fun.

On Thanksgiving, the kids and I put together a last minute meal and had a lot of fun. We all felt very sad for our Dad because he did not leave his bed all day! He is finally feeling a little better and we are looking forward to the hayride today with Papa and the cousins!

Despite the sickness we sure do have a lot to be grateful for! We went around the table and I had the kids tell me one thing they were grateful for, for each year they have been alive. I thought the big kids would have a hard time coming up with so many but I think we all went over! Kyle cheated and counted cousins individually so that would make him about 50! I was so touched by Kenny and McKenna who's gratitude list turned into a beautiful testimony of the truthfulness of the
Gospel and the power of the priesthood. I am sooooo blessed!!

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and for nice Uncles who are always available to come over and give blessings and check on us. Thanks to ALL of our family who we love soo much!!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

We Are Still Here! Happy Birthday Kyle!

It has been way too long since I have had a chance to post here. Things have been busy through the move and school starting. We are enjoying Gilbert but we do miss our friends and family in Mesa! We are adjusting well and settling in.

We enjoyed a wonderful vacation in October to the Sheperd's in Texas! I will post pictures of that soon. We also celebrated Kyle's 11th Birthday!! I can't believe how fast time goes!

Kyle had a special birthday where he got his dog and best buddy Teddy back. We had given him away when we moved to this rental house. All the kids missed him but Kyle never really got over it. Luckily we gave him to a dear, understanding friend who agreed to let us give him back to Kyle for his birthday.

We went out for ice cream for family night and took a walk around Pet Smart just to kill time as we often do. I had Teddy groomed and he was sitting on a grooming table when Kyle walked by and saw him. He could not believe how much that dog reminded him of Teddy. I agreed and suggested that we take a picture.

I really took this video of when we told him that it was indeed Teddy and that he could take him home. It is precious and a little embarrassing since we are all crying in the middle of the pet shop! Enjoy!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

THIRTY EIGHT IS GREAT!! THANKS EVERYONE!

I just want to thank everyone for making this a birthday I will never forget! I was so surprised! Thanks for the sweet gifts and tender words of love from so many! It must have taken so much planning to get so many of us out to Maricopa! I received so many sweet gifts and hugs and kisses and phone calls from everyone. The biggest surprise was that my sweet brother Charlie somehow remembered the very first song I wrote when I was ten. He made an amazingly beautiful arrangement of it and had Hillary record it when she was up visiting him in Virginia. They recorded it with my mother singing the tender words including a third verse that she wrote that was so moving. This song was prompted by my mother's comforting words shortly after my little brother Brooks passed away. It brought me peace and helped me through a difficult time and helped my testimony grow. He must have been working on this for some time. I can't even remember how to play it. You amaze me Charlie! I can't believe you remembered it and wrote this beautiful arrangement of it! I can't even comprehend the scope of your talent! When I think of the time and thought this must have taken everyone, especially Charlie to even think of such a sweet tender gift is priceless!!

I am truly blessed and love you all so much! THANK YOU!








Friday, June 12, 2009

Picnic at the Parrot Club! :)

Well we know it's not really a parrot club but that is what my kids have called it all their lives. We had a fun family party there to welcome home Grandma and Papa from their 2nd mission! We had so much fun! We are so proud of them and are so grateful for their service but are sooo glad they are home with us again!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Heather Graduates! We are so proud of you!

Elise is 8!! What a special day! What a special girl!


Evelyn, Elise's 5 year old cousin sang this song I wrote for Kenny's baptism about 5 yrs. ago. Elise and Evelyn sang it again later that day at a convert baptism in her Grandpa's ward. It was so sweet and powerful.


My first step the waters warm
The burning in my heart tells me this is my first step home.
To my waist the water's deep
Sacred words the Priesthood speaks
Of promises and covenants kept
On this path I will take my first step.
The water rushes ore my head
I am washed clean by the blood He shed.
Immersed in His love then I rise
He took this step and so shall I.
The only one to fulfill the plan.
He came to earth to save all men.
On this road I'm not alone.
He'll be with me every step and guide me home.
My first step the water's warm
The burning in my hear tells me this is my first step home.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Goodbye King! We will miss you!

After a year of caring for this big brute, his owner is ready to take him home. Needless to say the kids didn't take it too well....

Go Grease Lightning! Kyle's Talent Show!

Kyle did a great job in this year's Emerson talent show! He had fun along with John Wright, Lance Bodine, Cooper Tingey and Michael. So funny....

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Kyle=Scofield

Some have asked how Kyle got his nick name. We started calling him Scofield because we see a grown up version of him in Michael Scofield from Prison Break. What do you think?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Finally met Eliza!


I went to the BYU Conference for Women last weekend with Bailey and Missie. We stayed with Wills and Robins Grandpa who lives right by the Provo temple. It was hard to be so close to Buddy and not go see him. We thought of purchasing donuts for him and throwing them over the fence at the MTC but decided to send him a package instead. Not as fun but probably more effective. :) Bailey's mother-in-law and sister-in-law were amazing hosts and showed us how to do the conference in style. She gave us conference bags with EVERYTHING you could ever need including umbrellas and little socks in case our feet get cold. It was so wonderful. It was very eye opening and I learned a lot. I am anticipating the movie Marylin is making from our conference photos. I also ran into a dear friend who I love very much and haven't seen forever! It was so wonderful and I enjoyed every minute! We plan on getting all the sisters together and making it an annual event!
I was so excited to FINALLY get to squeeze my little niece Eliza Mann for the first time. It was so good to see Robin too. We debated pulling numbers from a hat to see who gets to hold Eliza first. She is so beautiful! I had some special time with her Saturday morning when Robin ran an errand with her mother. I didn't have to share Eliza for a whole 45 minutes! She reminds me so much of Charlie when he was a baby. So Yummy! It was hard to say goodbye! We stopped by St.George on the way home to see Kevin! It is so beautiful there. It was so good to see how happy Kevin was and see where he lives and give him a big hug. Missie and Bailey and and I had a blast on the drive watching Ghost Whisper and giving our spouses the "Love Language" profile quiz over the phone. I had so much fun! I came home to a clean house and lots of hugs and kisses! Perfection.







Sunday, April 12, 2009

HAPPY EASTER!

It was so nice to have the rain yesterday and then wake up to such a beautiful spring, glorious Easter morning. I enjoyed our family discussion on the atonment with the kids this morning, singing in the choir, teaching the word Res-ur-rec-tion to the nusery kids and seeing my sweet babies looking so pretty today! I am so grateful for the Atonement of my Savior. I know that I am nothing without Him.