Starting Christmas out right!

I know I just blogged yesterday but I just had to comment on our evening last night. If you have never been to the production of 'Savior of the World' put on by the Church, it is worth being put on hold for a half an hour to get tickets the 1st day they are sold. I saw it 3 years ago and have wanted to go back and take my family ever since. It is held in The Conference Center in Salt Lake and is such a wonderful play.

The play is about The Saviors Birth and His Ressurection. It's 2 hours long and the kids did a great job sitting for that long. They really paid attention and even Cullan understood it.

It made me remember what not just this 'season' is about, but what this life is about. It was a Great way to start out the Christmas Season!

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the theater so here we are waiting out in the lobby.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! Our family had such a good time this past week. We drove to California and spent Thanksgiving with my family. Everyone was there! It was amazing. We were constantly busy and all the kids had fun getting reaquainted with their cousins. Monday we took the kids to the park and then to Chuck E. Cheese for Family Home Evening.

Cousins at the park.

Cousins keeping cool!!

Trying to get Isaiah to hug me!!!

Parker on his 1st horsey ride. Giddyup!!

Laura choreographed a dance for the kids to perform on Thanksgiving. They danced to a song from High School Musical. They were so proud of themselves. This was only 8 of the 22 grandkids.

On Saturday night we all went to downtown Riverside to see the lights on the Mission Inn. It was crazy trying to keep everyone together.

On Sunday John & Emily blessed baby Kaylee. It was nice to be able to be there for that.

The whole crew minus Trena, Jordan, Cory, Jamal and Michael.

Cullan and his cousins Isaiah and Adam

Nelson and his twin seperated at birth, Hannah

Our Family!!

Mom's 60th Birthday!!

I don't have anything new to blog right now so I decided to tell about my mom's 60th birthday last May. It definitely deserves some blogging.

All 8 daughters(sisters and sisters-in-law) plus my daughter Lauren, surprised my Mom and took her to her favorite Beach House for her Birthday. It was so fun. The best part of it was how suprised she was. Dad did a good job of keeping the secret and packing Mom's things for the weekend.

Here's how it played out. Lauren and I & Laura and Parker drove down from Utah(everyone else was already there). The next day my Dad brought my Mom down to the beach for dinner for her birthday. We were all waiting in the restaurant. She was so surprised; as you can see from the pictures.

After dinner we decided to go for a walk on the boardwalk. We walked her past the beachhouse and started kidding around about trying to see who was staying in the house. I snuck through the gate and started for the front door and my Mom was saying "Get away from there, what are you doing?; someone is going to see you". Meanwhile my sister Angie had gone around the back of the house and gone in. When I got up to the front door Angie opened it from inside and we all yelled "Surprise!"

Here she is opening her presents. Cute hat Mom!


We all stayed at the beach for 2 days and just shopped and stayed up late and watched movies. We had such a fun time. Oh and we ATE!!

Okay so the weather wasn't great for tanning but we had to at least try.

OH MY GALLBLADDER!!!

Yes, that's right, I had my gallbladder removed friday and anyone who tells you it doesn't hurt is lying! I'm pretty sure in about a week when the pain is gone I will say the same thing so I am documenting that it really does hurt at this moment. I am trying to get through this with out pain medication but I guess I'm not that tough. Tonight I will be taking some hard narcotics so I can sleep! There are pictures of my gallbladder I could blog but that is just too frightening. So here is a picture of the beautiful flowers my sister Laura brought me in the hospital. Aren't they gorgeous?!!

Here's the real kicker....they found NO gallstones when they removed it!

Oh wait here is a picture of me with Parker after the surgery.

Happy Halloween

Here are our 2 little IPODS!! Nelson and Cullan had a candy filled day! 1st parties at school, then Ron's work party, then off to the church where we had trunk-or-treat and finally the actual Trick-or-Treating!!

Laura, Paul and Parker came Trick-or-Treating to our house. What a cute Lion! I think they should have dressed up Otis to look like Toto and taken him with them..haha

This is Nelson's class at school. He loves his teacher Mrs. N.

And this is Nelson's teacher from last year. He wants his Uncle Michael to go out with her!!