July 24th

We spent the evening of July 24th a.k.a. Pioneer Day with the Snows in Mapleton.

All of the six kids (but the Maryland clan) were in town.

Julia loves playing with the only girl cousin close to her age on the Snow side of the family--Eva.

This is the view from Jeanmarie and Jim's backyard--it's beautiful!

The hammock kept the old and young kids entertained.

Grandpa shared some pioneer stories of his ancestors with the grand kids.

Emily snagged my camera and ventured into the grassy fields behind the Andersen's house and took photos, here is just one she captured.

Despite the rain which descended on us for a short time, it was a beautiful evening--

thanks Andersens!

Be Mine

I love getting homemade cards especially one for Valentine's Day! Julia presented this valentine to me yesterday and I have to say it is my favorite!


It doesn't get any better than this!

XOXOXOXOXO

My multi-talented and thoughtful sister made this darling Valentine's banner for me today. I love it!! She is going to be selling them on Etsy soon--just one of the many cute things she has created. Lots of Love Sis!

MLK Day

A must see destination when visiting Atlanta, Georgia is the National Historical site dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. A short walk away from the visitor's center is the Church where King preached and King's birthplace, a picture of his home is shown below.


Having lived in Atlanta for a few years, we had the opportunity to visit these sites with Elizabeth and her girls when they came to visit us. (There is a cute picture of the girls in front of this home that has gone missiong). Anyway, today's holiday, which commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr. and his life and message, takes me back to this unforgettable visit.

Arizona Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2008 was spent in Arizona with my side of the family. We hit the road on Tuesday for the long drive through the deserts of Utah and Arizona.

We made as few stops as possible and this was one of them, Glen Canyon Dam.

Hannah

Julia and Emily

We arrived safe and sound and enjoyed the beautiful weather (even a little bit of rain) and the unique landscape.

Wednesday morning I was able to catch up with a few lifelong friends (yes, we date back pre preschool days). It was so fun to see them--thanks Jill and Tracy!

Random cactus that I liked...

Dad and Hannah

Hilary

We took family pictures Wednesday afternoon and here are a few that different family members took from my camera...

Sisters with Mom

ALL the girls with Grandpa and Grandma

Thanksgiving Day was also my mom and dad's 45th Wedding Anniversary. Grandpa surprised Grandma with a beautiful new diamond ring. The granddaughters were all catching a glimpse of it at Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by Aunt Kristin and Uncle E.T. and it was all excellent. Emily and Hilary are pictured here getting a taste of some dozen pies we had to choose from!

More Thanksgiving Day pictures...

J.J.

Later in the evening we headed to the Stake Center to celebrate Grandpa and Grandma's wedding anniversary. Without their knowledge, we had put together a DVD of pictures that spanned the years. After the DVD, Uncle Dave broke out these one of a kind drinks to commemorate the anniversary.

We also played a lot of fun games with the cousins and aunts and uncles.

Friday is what I will call Temple Day. Earlier in the day, all of the grandchildren, 12 years and older, attended the temple to perform family name baptisms. They patiently waited over two hours (we did sneak in a trip to In and Out Burger) to get their turn. It was an unbelievable sight to see 12 granddaughters, dressed in white, lined up near the baptismal font--not to forget the one grandson who also watched and waited in white. The best part of all was seeing Grandpa and Grandma inside the temple, dressed in white, checking in on all of us while they worked their shift. That same evening, all the married children and spouses did a sealing session at the temple. Once again, it was an unbelievable experience to be in the temple, with my dad performing the sealings. Afterwards, some of us headed to Nielsen's Frozen Custard for a late night concrete.



Kristin and E.T.

Dan and I

Alison and Curt

Mom and Dad

Before we headed home, the girls picked fresh grapefruit, oranges and pomegranates to take home.

Hannah

Many, many thanks to all our family for the awesome trip! It was wonderful to be all together. A huge thank you also to the Andersens for taking in Scout and our awesome ward members (executive secretaries and yw leaders) who scrambled at the last minute to rearrange things so that we could stay an extra, unplanned day!!!