Lauri and Kerry and family

33 Years

2012-01-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

34 years ago I met the shyest guy I had ever met in my life! I cooked for his apartment for a few months during my sophomore year at BYU and getting him to talk to me was one of my challenges. I didn't cook for them for very long because I was spending to much time doing that and as a result not studying enough. However, as a result of this challenge Kerry and I became friends. How grateful I am for that friendship and how it has progressed over the years, of course there is more than a friendship now but the friendship remains. And now we celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary, wow!

I love this man!

I love being with this man.

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

My Old Friend

2012-01-09T14:02:00.002-07:00

I was walking down the Ala Wai canal today in Honolulu I put my ipod shuffle on and started to feel the rhythm of the music. It's funny in the seventies I liked the group Chicago a little but as I walk I find that their music is great for pacing me. I have tried other music and talks but the hits of Chicago seems to motivate me the most. It was a bright and sunny day and as I fell into a rhythm of walking I found that I had met an old friend, the music was good, the trade winds were wonderfully pushing and pulling me a long and there "I" was, feeling good, feeling strong, feeling happy. I missed that friend over the last few months. It felt good!

Hawaii Five O

2012-01-06T17:39:00.005-07:00

When I found out that Hawaii Five O was going to be remade I wasn't sure that I was happy about it, I do like the show though. Since we are spending so much time in Honolulu I have been wondering if we would ever see them shooting somewhere on the island. Today after I met Kerry for lunch we were heading up to his office on Bishop Square and directly across the street the "silver camero" was parked with cones all around it.

Then we saw the crew and all of the equipment lined up and down the street. They were inside filming in the UPS store. We watched for awhile and then went in his building and watched from above. People were standing everywhere it was kind of fun.

Because it was during the busiest time on a downtown street we wondered if it would be hard. The crew were really great to work with people when they were ready for "Danno" to come running out on his phone to his car they simply stopped people between takes.

After three takes they were done. Scott Caan stopped and took a few pictures with people along the way to the van where he climbed in and they drove off. Super smooth and it seemed super friendly unlike another report I have read about the filming and it's crew. I went up to Kerry's office for a minute and when I came back down the vans with the "stars" and the camero were gone and most of the equipment had been loaded up on a truck. It was still fun to watch for just a few minutes, I am always looking for familiar places on the show, now I will look for this scene.

2012-01-06T12:23:00.006-07:00

New Year:

I have so much to be thankful for, 2011 was quite a year for our family. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone this year. I am finding it hard to believe that the little ones will start turning one soon. I am grateful that we were able to be together with family in various ways and numbers throughout the year.

Not everything always goes smoothly but I have found that we take care of one another when it doesn't go as planned. It is comforting to me that I hear the girls back one another up and prepare to do anything they can for one another. When they were young I wondered if that would be the case at times. As they have married I have wondered because bringing in-laws into the picture can complicate things as well. The girls who live close have begun doing a "girls night" with me occasionally, it has been fun and I think is helping to keep the lines of communication open. We just hope that when Ken is done with school that they are closer and that Cydney can be a part of girls night as well.

I am amazed by the women my girls have become. They have a great deal in common and they have amazing talents that are their very own. They are such great examples to me. I have often said that they were sent to teach me rather than the other way around they each have strengths and testimonies that leave me in awe.
I have an amazing, wonderful, husband. He has gone through an awful lot this year with his surgeries. I hope that he is through the worst of his pain and can do the things he enjoys the most. Having him home full time is a new experience again and now he will travel a lot as he is over the restrictions. I know I over protected him from lifting and so forth and I am sure that I drove him crazy. I have never known anyone who is as smart as this man is, I turn to him for answers all of the time. I just wish I could share his love and enthusiasm for diving but I am glad it makes him so happy.
One of my new years resolutions for last year was to serve others better. I think I did ok. One of the things that I should have also resolved to do was to serve myself a little better. I have slowly gained a little of the weight that I lost, not much but enough to get me discouraged. I am still wearing two sizes smaller than I was three years ago and should be happy...not being able to walk with my hip and knee has been a thorn in my side and my emotions . I have found myself being more critical of myself and others as a result of the discouragement. I also find that I feel I can never help or make anyone happy, that nothing I do is good enough and that I am always disappointing others. Frankly the aging process stinks and looking in the mirror to see the deep circles under my eyes makes me feel I am at least a hundred years old.

While I know it is a noble goal to serve others I have to remember that I need to take care of myself as well. The word worry is a word that I grew to hate as I was a young woman and a young mother. I know I spent time "wringing" my hands last year and I will step away from that. While I truly mourn that my family is raised and gone a lot of the time I can only do so much to help them and can't put pressures on myself to protect them from pain or sorrow, it isn't my place any longer. While I remain concerned and I still love them dearly I have to step aside.

Kerry has been traveling for over the last twelve years of our marriage, it has been a trial but he is employed and for the most part he loves his job. We have been together more as I have traveled with him lately but there are still times when it is hard having him gone so much. I just have to make the best of the time that he is gone, be productive, take care of myself and complain less. I also have to quit making myself feel so guilty that I don't enjoy the diving and hobbies that he has come to love so much, it just isn't going to happen.

2012

I hate new years resolutions but I am going to make some anyway but they are really just goals I should be working on anyway.

1. Get back to walking-despite the knee and hip pain.

2. Take off the 10 lbs and more. get rid of the soda AGAIN!

3. Be ok with me-DON'T let anyone make me feel less of a person than I am. My feelings are important no matter how much I tend to keep them inside.

4. Beef up the spiritual side. Be better at the things I know I should.

(i.e. visiting teaching, temple attendance, attitude in general of where I live and worship.)

5. Be less judgemental or critical. (On the plane here there were several little crying children my first response was to hope they weren't anywhere near me, they weren't very close. As I found myself trying to empathize with the mothers who were trying to keep them quiet and not disturb the old farts who were complaining I felt myself soften towards them and the crying, now I just need to soften to the old farts! I really have tried to see more of the positive as I have been on the bus or in public situations and it has been good.)

6. COMPLAIN LESS I am afraid that I complain way too much about not feeling well, my head, hip, or knee, or ears.....I will try harder to not the pain let be known, no one likes a complainer.

I guess I see a theme here I just want to be a more positive person this year, I have to so much to be positive about, husband, children, grandchildren are only a beginning. I have life and I need to appreciate it and love it more than I already do. If I appreciate things more I won't be hurt as easily because I won't be thinking of myself.

Happy New Year.

Pearl Harbor 2011

2011-12-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

This man is one of my greatest hero's and while he was not part of Pearl Harbor 70 years ago today, he was certainly impacted by it. He like so many became a part of the forces to join and battle for our freedom. This isn't his Marine uniform of which he looked so handsome in but a time period photo. He spoke very little of his experiences in the war but I do know that he fought two times in the Pacific the last being on Okinawa.

My experiences here on Oahu have taught me a great deal about WWII and I am so grateful for that. I have learned to love to go to Pearl Harbor and show my respect, the movie never fails to teach me something or leave me in awe of that day. Today's 70th Memorial Anniversary is attended by 13 surviving Arizona members and they will dis ban the Society to keep them a survivors group because they are so old and feeble. Now they ask "Never forget", I will never forget them or any other troops who fight for our nation.
USS Arizona under attack

USS Arizona's fall into the harbor.

The newspapers headlines from that time.

Today's Star Advertiser. " Never Forget!"

The USS Arizona Memorial

My hero, my friend, my dad, Milton Ralph Smith.

(I had hoped to go to the ceremony this morning but because tickets were so limited and I would have to be there by 4:00 am to have a "chance" for public seating. I have been able to watch it live, I am glad that there are so many in attendance and can at least see the ceremony.)

Disbelief

2011-12-06T19:25:00.003-07:00

While at dinner last night with Kerry these two young girls were talking very loudly and one of them said "it isn't 1945 anymore, the war is over why don't people just get over it." I never wanted to get up and shake someone so badly. Since it is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor there have been many articles in the paper about the few veterans of WWII that survive and how they worry that they will be a forgotten generation...I give thanks for them and all veterans since who sacrifice for us. Hopefully we won't just get over it! (This was a post on Facebook earlier today. Following are some of the responses. They touched me.)

Gayle Rogers Lewis Thank you Lauri, I feel that our very young adults don't get it. They have had it pretty easy. No WWII, No Korea, No Vietnam and their understanding of Iraq doesn't exist because it doesn't affect them directly. I worry about their reaction to many things.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike

Janine Hiatt Mashburn Wow...I have no words...
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike

Kerry Stevenson The two great wars were globally tragic, but they created several generations of men and women for whom sacrifice was/is sacred. That is what is missing. A sense of purpose and shared sacrifice that makes service a sacred duty!
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1

Sharon Rogers Rankin This makes me so sad. Just another example of how some of the young people in this country think it's all about them. I know I won't forget all of those that sacrificed for us and I have done as much as I can to make sure my girls won't forget. My husband always says, "Not that I want another war, but it is the best thing that could happen to this country to make us come together and care about our country and our flag again." There is so little patriotism anymore.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike

Anne Tyson Gessel That makes me so angry! They need to talk to someone who lived through it! I know I didn't but my grandpa was a POW during that war and I will forever be grateful and never forget the past, present and future military servicemen and women! Let us please remember what happened on that horrible day and hope that history doesn't repeat itself.
3 hours ago · UnlikeLike · 1

Ken Jensen Its pretty sad. I can't say that I understand war any better than they do, but I do value life and value all the freedoms that I enjoy. Moreover I understand that the freedoms I enjoy were purchased with blood. I hope that I never under value that sacrifice. God Bless America and every soldier who has fought for it!
2 hours ago · UnlikeLike · 1

Brian Boyd Maybe they can go Occupy something.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike

Kerry Stevenson I can think of several things they could go Occupy.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike

Rachel Lunt That is horrible. Around 6% of the world population lost their lives in WWII. My kids had to write about what they value to graduate from nova (dare). One read his paper today and said he values and is thankful for those that serve their countr.
37 minutes ago · LikeUnlike

Rachel Lunt Country and have given their lives. He got very emotional and is so proud of his country. This from an 11 year old. I only hope it lasts. We should have that pride for our country and reverence for those that serve or served it!
36 minutes ago · UnlikeLike · 1

Compassion

2011-12-06T12:58:00.003-07:00

We have officially been on the Island of Oahu again for a week. It has been a very different trip for obvious reasons. We finally made it over to the beach to see the sunset on Sunday afternoon and I took this picture of him. He told me to quit taking pictures of him that he would hate but I told him I was just documenting things. After my last trip here in July I knew things would be and feel different and it truly has.

One thing, however, that has been really sweet this time is the compassion that people have shown for Kerry. Everywhere he goes complete strangers ask if he is ok, and the voices are so tender. It is pretty amazing. Compared to home where people just look at him and look away. Not that he wants or needs the attention it is just sweet to see.

Loyal, Strong and True, wear the white and blue!

2011-12-05T11:42:00.007-07:00

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am an avid BYU fan. ALWAYS, I am NOT a fair weather fan. BYU is more than athletics for me, it represents who I am, my values, my standards, my religion. BYU has taken some pretty nasty hits over the years and yet it still hangs in there.

During our travels to Honolulu over the last four years we have heard a lot of trash talk about BYU despite the LDS population on the island. When BYU was in the WAC years ago they played UH on a regular basis and in most cases BYU won easily. When you hear past players or coaches talk about BYU it is usually pretty nasty. We have heard a lot of it lately. We arrived here a week ago and the trash talk has been really bad. One particular show talked about the past rivalry and how big this game was for Hawaii.This game also determined if UH would go to a bowl game and possibly the current coach being let go. Naturally they talked about how they would beat BYU and relived the last victory etc. They talked about the big games were always against BYU...kind of reminds me of the U of U and all of their trash talk.

As soon it was announced that BYU here this year I told Kerry I really wanted to attend the game. It was great fun. We were sitting up really high, the sound system was horrid but the fans around us were a lot of fun. I worried about how we would be greeted after the way Rebecca and I were treated in Las Vegas last spring for the MWC tournament but that was in vain the UH fans were warm and gracious just like the Oregon State fans were. Maybe the Independence isn't so bad afterall.

The view from our seats, pregame.

The native Hawaiians did the Haka (sp) inside the circle of players, I was sad the entire team didn't do it but as the BYU players went inside just before the start the entire UH team faced them and did it to them.
The first half was ok but BYU came out in the second half after making some changes and quickly wrapped up the game. It was a lot of fun to be there. Attendance to the UH games have been down and there were a few more there because of the hype but there were almost as many there for the Cougars. We had a lot up in the area we were in and we all made a lot of noise and had fun.

Kerry and I were anxious to see the newspaper the following day after all of the negative stuff the previous week. It was great I couldn't resist putting it on here.

What a catch Hoffman made, especially when it looked like Riley Nelson was going to be sacked on this play!!!

The Stake that we attend here in Honolulu is led by President Uale so we have watched his son play with great interest. Sad he is a senior though.

The front of the sports section in the Advertiser.

Last best of all the headline.

GO COUGARS!!!

2011-12-02T13:45:00.002-07:00

Kerry is here on the Island working again after his recent surgeries. I haven't been here since July and so I am here with him for two reasons

1. Because I can be with him and make sure he is being good and not lifting things he shouldn't.
2. Because I can and want to be with him.

One benefit to being here this time is because of the BYU/Hawaii football game. To say that the Hawaii team and fans are taking it seriously is a major understatement!!! The above picture seen in the paper at least twice this week might be an indicator. All I can say is BYU better be reacy and play a good game. I am not one of those fans who are fair weather, I am a cougar fan through and through, even if it has been an up and down season all I can say is GO COUGARS.

Another benefit is to be on the Island for the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. I don't know the plans yet but to be here for a part of history is kind of special to me. My time on Oahu has been a major educational experience for me as I have learned more and more about World War II.

Muppet Movie

2011-11-26T19:57:00.001-07:00

As soon as I saw advertisements for this movie I knew that I wanted to see this Thanksgiving weekend with the family. I have fond memories of watching the Muppet's with the older girls as they were little. One of the first times Jessica giggled as a baby was at "Animal" on the Muppet show. I was looking forward to hearing her giggle. Because we weren't seated very close together I didn't get to hear it but it was fun to imagine.

Afterwards the family came to the house to help decorate our Christmas tree with us. We decided to simplify and go with one this year since we will be spending the first week of December in Honolulu. I didn't take pictures while we were putting the ornaments on because I became so involved in it. When I opened the box with Cydney's little hand in it I fell apart, mourning the loss of my own little ones but enjoying the little ones that were there.

Before I brought out all of the decorations the kids were entertaining Grandpa and playing with a keyboard that I brought out of storage. All ages wanted to play with it, so it made things interesting.
Spencer tried to practice his Christmas piano piece on the small keyboard during the time that he had it.

Emma as cute as always taking a break from play. she loved pulling the ornaments off as fast as we put them on, memories.... with so many hands we had the tree decorated very quickly. The rest of the house is decorated a little since we will be gone I wanted to have it done when we came home. I have also done 98% of the shopping and it is wrapped and the ones needing shipping are on the way. A great feeling.

Manamana.....

Day of Thanks

2011-11-24T23:06:00.001-07:00

This year we did two turkeys, one regular roast and the other with herb butter basted. Kerry and I loved the herbed one we did two years ago and so we decided to do two smaller birds to make everyone happy. It worked.

Natalie's creativity keeps shinning, like all of my amazing girls! She made these cute little sandwiches for the younger kids while dinner was cooking.

She also made these edible cornucopias as place markers for dinner, so cute!

The dinner table.

We wish the Jensen's were here with us to complete the table, we miss them.

Caleb after enjoying the cornucopia.

Dave and Tanner checking out the candle centerpiece.

These guys were pretty proud of the beautiful pies they helped make.

Emma was so tired that she didn't make it all of the way through dinner, she had her own little dinner after we finished.

Such a delightful boy.

We haven't played games together forever, sad but true. Rebecca had played this game with friends and was so excited to play it with family members. We actually played various games from the WI to Clue. It was fun to relax and enjoy one anothers company.

Caleb amazed me as he played and solved this game. He was very methodical and solved it quickly, pretty bright guy. He will actually give his mom a run for the money when it comes to games, maybe he can eventually beat her a Boggle since no one else can!

I so love my family and am grateful for the time that we are able to spend together. This is such a wonderful time of year as it gives us time to reflect on the many blessings that we have. I am grateful that I live in this nation and enjoy the freedoms that I enjoy. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Plan of Salvation which offers me the promise of being with my family forever. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and the great man that he is and the Priesthood he holds. I am also grateful that the surgeries are over for him and that they went well. I am grateful for five amazing daughters and the women that they have become. I am thankful for four sons-in-law that love those daughters and care for them and for the good men they are. Then there are these amazing eight Grandchildren that have come into our lives what wonderful sweet blessings they are. I am thankful for my little dog, Quate, he is truly my little buddy. It makes me sad that he is aging so quickly, enough said about that...

I miss my mom and dad more than I can express, I am grateful for the great people they were, for their example in my life and I look forward to seeing them one day and telling them personally how much I love them. I also love my brother and sister so much and don't tell them often enough either. So many blessing in my life I could never adequately express my gratitude. Thanks to so many who do so much in my life. Most of all I am grateful for the Savior and his sacrifice on our behalf and the hope of returning to Our Father In Heaven one day

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Tradition---memories of Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:27:00.002-07:00

On Thanksgiving I got up and jumped in the shower before the troops started to come for the day. I was going through the check list in my mind to make sure everything was on track. As I started to think of the different foods we were making I began to remember where we were first introduced to specific foods and how they came to be a part of our "tradition."

Turkey- on every families table we know.. (This year we did two-- a regular turkey and a second with herbs from our garden. Yum)

Dressing- Kerry's dad made the dressing for our family (of course the time he added egg nog by mistake was quite memorable and something we still laugh about today.)

Mashed potatoes and gravy- a general basic and thankfully I learned about gravy from my mom.

Yams or yums- as my family calls them. I think these were a product of Kerry's dad again but I do know that we have embraced them as ours over the years.

Cinnamon apples- this doesn't grace our table often but it is something that my sister-in-law, Elaine, would bring to the table when we gathered as a Smith family. No one in the family likes it but me so I don't make them often. I love the taste and the smell of them as they cook.

Pumpkin roll- most of our family really don't care for pumpkin pie but put pumpkin roll on the table and it goes quickly.

Cranberry sauce-The canned kind was what I grew up with but Kerry's dad always made his with cranberries, orange juice, and orange rind, with sugar.

While thinking about all of these delightful goodies and family traditions I began singing in my mind the song from Fiddler on the Roof-Tradition. It led me to think of a scene where he is singing about his girls and it shows them close up and then far away and suddenly I was overwhelmed with emotion. As I have listened to different videos trying to find this particular video the words to "Sunrise Sunset" have been stuck in my mind.

Is this the little girl I carried?

Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older.

When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?

When did he grow to be this tall?

Wasn't it yesterday when

They were small?

Sunrise, sunset.

Sunrise, sunset.

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,

Blossoming even as we gaze.

Sunrise, sunset.

Sunrise, sunset.

Swiftly fly the years

One season following another,

Laden with happiness and tears.

What words of wisdom can I give them?

How can I help to ease their way?

Now, they must learn from one another,

Day by day.

They look so natural together,

Just like two newlyweds should be.

Is there a canopy in store for me?

Sunrise, sunset.

Sunrise, sunset.

Swiftly flow the days.

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,

Blossoming even as we gaze.

Sunrise, sunset.

Sunrise, sunset.

Swiftly fly the years.

One season following another,

Laden with happiness and tears.

I know some of my girls will laugh at the mention of Fiddler on the Roof because I was goofing around doing the "If I were a Rich Man" dance with the movie, not realizing they were watching me years ago. But now that they are older and more mature (most of the time!) I hope they will read the words and know what they mean to me.

"Unkie Marv"

2011-11-22T18:18:00.001-07:00

Just after Jessica was born Kerry's Uncle Marv introduced himself to her, he said "Hi, I am your Unkie Marv." That title never left it was a term of endearment for him with our family. Unkie Marv passed away after a long illness and much suffering. I am glad he has been released from the pain. He was a sweet man with a very soft spoken voice and had a gentle laugh. His funeral was small and graveside on a beautiful day in November.

Tanner found as many temples on the headstones as he could find.
Marv had served in the Army, a thought I hadn't realized until we saw the flag and the men in uniform. i
I don't do well with Taps and the 21 gun salute but it is a wonderful tribute to a fallen soldier.

Kerry's mom, the Matriarch of the family, received the flag that covered his casket. In her terms she's the oldest!

I was grateful that I was holding Olivia and protecting her ears from the gun shots because I didn't pull the ugly crying face as Taps was played. I am also grateful for Marv's service in the Military.

Marv's nephews were pall bearers for Marv.

The surviving sisters. Linda, Pat, and Donna

Sleepy Boy

2011-11-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Rachel often stops by after school or picks Jack up when I have been watching him. Since he started doing the army crawl and crawling he is never still. On this day he was a little fussy so Rachel gave him his "binky" and he fell asleep right in the middle of a crawl on the floor.

So cute.

She got down by him to make sure he stayed alseep
What a sweet boy.

Jessica B-day

2011-11-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jessica a day late. We went to dinner at a new Mexican place in Eagle Mountain and then went to her house for birthday pie.

Notice how the boys are drawn to "Aunt Rebecca?"
The little ones all wanted to be in the Elmo seat but Emma won out!
Love those bright eyes!
In the middle of the story! Jack really wants to play with the big boys, but isn't sure how yet.
Speaking of big boys....
Time for presents.
And birthday pie? Tanner having just celebrated his birthday was all about blowing out the candles!
Notice the age, Dave improvised! Fun evening with the family again.

Boo 2011

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-06:00

I must admit I wasn't much in the mood for Halloween this year and only put out a few decorations. But happily we had some of the cutest goblins visit us tonight!

The first cute family to visit us, all decked out.
For Spencer the pirate legacy continues. Jessica did a great job with this costume, too bad it can't grow with him. Arrrggh
Caleb can be my knight in shinning armor anytime!
Though she didn't love the wings much she was adorable in her little costume.

Even in a bulky costume Jack can break out with that cute little smile.

"Mater" was asleep when he got to our house but it didn't take him long to get into the spirit.
Tanner is into "Cars" big time right now so his costume was pretty appropriate.

And a cute little fairy, Olivia, looked so sweet, and beautiful as always.

Our last spooky family of the evening, cute as a button.

Tanner's two

2011-10-27T22:02:00.000-06:00

We waited for him to come and join our family for awhile but where has the two years gone since he finally did. I am having a hard time believing he is two.

Because Tanner loves "Cars" so much Natalie made this adorable cake for him. Natalie is so creative.
Olivia, and her bright eyes, in such a good mood for his party.
Jack decided to check out everything he could while the party was going on. He has discovered he likes cords, oh dear.
Time for all of those gifts, Rebecca scored early with "Stevenson" from the second movie, it was all he wanted to play with after he opened that.
His own car, he loved it.

My camera batteries died after this shot so I didn't get pictures of him and his cake. He stood up to the counter and turned around on the stool, grinning, as the entire group sang to him. He was so dang cute. When Natalie lit the candles and he immediately blew them out without and coaching like he had done it many times before. It was so cute and an image I will never forget.

Hoping it wouldn't happen

2011-10-19T13:52:00.001-06:00

Though it is really hard to see the little stinker, Quate, finally found a way to get into the garden and get at the tomatoes. I called and called him to come into the house when he finally poked his head up out of the vines, grrr. When I ran to grab the camera he decided he better get out and was jumping over the fence when I got this shot. Little stinker!!

Oregon Get Away

2011-10-03T12:17:00.001-06:00

Kerry and I have been trying to get to our favorite hide away most of this year. Every time we tried something came up. We were finally able to get away before Kerry's surgeries. I have come to love the Oregon Coast so much.

Whether on Oahu or along the Oregon Coast I love to spend sunsets by his side.

Of course Mo's is always a part of the trip but we were shocked when we got there and they had expanded into where Belinda's Candy shop was. Of course I was sad and ran to see if it was still sitting beside Mo's and it was. I don't like changes but am glad Mo's is still as good as ever.

Oregon is where I fell in love with these beautiful flowers. I just wish I could grow them at home like they do there.

Kerry and I went to the tidal pools by Otter Rock to see what we could find. I could almost close my eyes and relive that experience over and over with the girls.

We got fairly close to these Harbor Seals before they started to panic. The tide was coming in so we didn't stay and watch them for very long.

Close to devil's punchbowl. The time was so good to be with Kerry in our favorite place away from home and Hawaii. We also went to the BYU/ Oregon State game in Corvallis. I was a little nervous because we weren't sitting with the BYU group but it was silly to worry. The Oregon State fans were so gracious and welcoming. BYU played well and won it was really a fun game and experience.

New Sidewalk

2011-09-20T19:02:00.001-06:00

After Kerry's shoulder surgery I was worried that he would get bored and over do, so I stood by as he and Cameron worked on a project in the yard. Kerry decided to take out the sidewalk along the back of the house and to add to the demension of the patio before putting the deck up. And yes he used his should far too much as the concrete was setting up.
Jack was very curious to know what all of the noise was about as his Daddy and Grandpa were working so hard outside.

This piece of sidewalk had raised up with a tree root that had grow under it. We decided that it needed to be replaced before someone tripped and hurt themself badly. We've already had stubbed toes and slight trips already.

After breaking out the old concrete these guys got busy putting in the new.

It will be nice not to worry about someone hurting themselves anymore!

Beautiful Sunset

2011-08-31T13:50:00.000-06:00

After Caleb's soccer game I was walking to my car and noticed how wonderful the sunset was. I only had my point and shoot with me so this picture doesn't give justice to how beautiful it was but I wanted to try and capture it to remember.

Josh Grobin

2011-08-16T13:13:00.006-06:00

Early this summer Jessica and Rebecca were so excited to learn that Josh Grobin would be returning to Salt Lake. Jessica bought the tickets and the day finally came. We first went to dinner at PF Changs in Salt Lake, Dave was in comedic form tonight and it was fun to listen to him banter with our server We then headed to the Energy Solutions Arena, it will always be the Delta Center to me, and waited to go inside.
The concert started later than we thought so we had sometime to goof around taking pictures and taking care of all of the necessities.

Wasn't she born yesterday?

2011-08-13T18:49:00.000-06:00

I can harldy believe she is doing this, I love the smile on her face.

She is so dang cute!

Along with her smiles is this face, it is very hard to keep a straight face when she does this. And this one is mild compared to some of the ones she gives us. What a cutie.

Cuteness

2011-08-11T18:43:00.000-06:00

This little guy is such a happy boy. Because I have been lucky enough to tend this guy when I am home I have taken tons and tons of pictures of him. He just melts my heart.

Play Day at Hogle Zoo

2011-08-07T10:02:00.008-06:00

We had planned on this Zoo trip for the whole family. Jessica was just coming home from girls camp and Kerry ended up staying in Honolulu to testify for the project. Of course Cyd and her family weren't here either. The morning we went Dave wasn't feeling well so I went and got the kids and we headed to the zoo. It has been a long time since I have been to Hogle Zoo.

The dinosaurs are a hit with the bigger kids, especially the ones that mist you on a hot day. Rachel and Spencer wasted no time getting to the water.
I guess it felt better with your eyes closed!
Rachel and Grandma Lunt get Jack all sun screened to protect that precious skin.
Emma was fun to watch as she watched the elephants, she could actually locate them and they were quite a distance away from her.
Olivia was in a great mood.
Spencer and Caleb were on the hunt for all of the dinosaurs they could find, Emma on the other hand didn't want anything to do with the noisy things.
Tanner really wanted to get up close and personal with them.
Everyone was trying to see what it would take to weigh as mush as a mature elephant, we didn't quite come close!
The gorillas were not cooperating very much because of the heat.

It was fun to get this close to the giraffe. It made me think of when we took the kids as Smith Cousins and the giraffe licked Nichole on the back of the neck as we posed for pictures!
These two had been holding hands and jabbering at one another but moved just as I snapped the picture.
It was fun to climb on the statues and under the misters wherever we could find them to cool down.
The carousel was fun to ride with the kids, Tanner loved it.

Caleb
Spencer
"Hi Mom"
She rode around this way and I could see people responding to her expression.
Tanner not really wanting to get off.
Emma saw the rest of the family and was ready to join them.
There is that little grin I have come to love.
How many heads can you fit into a dinosaurs mouth?
Last but not least the train through the Zoo.
Cute little family on board ready to go.

My buddies for the day, it was great fun to have a Grandma date!

Gardening

2011-08-06T08:13:00.004-06:00

Three weeks in Hawaii was not good for the garden!

This is only a portion of how bad it looked. I had done some clearing of weeds when I stopped to take this picture.
After several days this is what it looked like.
My garbage can couldn't hold anymore and I still had three rows to go. The lawn was so long that I had to go over most of it twice in order to make it look good. And supposedly it was mowed at least one time.
But finally it is looking more like I had invisioned.

Celebrating and First Steps

2011-08-06T07:59:00.005-06:00

I went to Eagle Mountain to watch Olivia and Tanner so that Natalie could get caught up on some work.

This is how I first saw Olivia, she's getting so big and so are her beautiful blue eyes.

Tanner was his usual busy little self while I was there.

We had dinner at Dave and Natalie's and then we were going to use the fireworks that I had bought before time ran out to be able to set them off, unfortunately the rain prevented us from doing the fireworks that night.

Emma is so close to walking and was the center of attention for
a little while. She still hasn't taken off on her own yet but it is just a matter of time.

24th of July festivities

2011-08-05T07:03:00.005-06:00

Because the 24th was on Sunday this year we kept it pretty low key. The Smith Clan, minus a few, gathered at Rosemarie and Patti's for a BBQ. It was fun to be together even though there were quite a few missing.

Rachel, Cameron and Jack came to our house before we went over, Jack seemed bored! Not really he just hadn't had much of a nap.
Rosemarie and Jessica setting things out.
I was shocked to see Spencer load up his plate like this but he ate it all plus more fruit, he is certainly on a growth spurt, his parents are in trouble when he's a teenager!
Dave and Olivia, getting things ready for Tanner.
Between bites I was able to get Tanner and his big blue eyes to at least look at me.
Jack is learning to reach for things, it won't be long before Rachel can't sit with him on her lap and eat in peace.
Caleb and the silly smile.
Love these little grins!
Jessica and Rosemarie
Emma lovin the ice cream.
But not lovin the cold!
The cute Smith sisters Megan, Nichole, and Lindsey.
The newest version of "The Cousins Clud?" Nahhh.
Cousins playing together while the big boys play football.
Those silly little grins!
Olivia and Dave all tuckered out.
It was fun to be together and visit for awhile. Life is so crazy it is hard to get together, I miss seeing all of my nieces and nephews more often but you do what you have to. I was also hard not having Cyd, Ken, Nora, and Clara with us and most especially Kerry. Soon, very soon!
Thanks to Rosemarie and Patti for having us to dinner and letting us play together.

Rainbows?

2011-08-04T14:17:00.009-06:00

Usually you can see rainbows almost everyday from the hotel but for some reason everyday this trip I watched and all I saw was bright sunshine (no complaints) or heavy gray skies and no rainbow. As I was packing to get ready to leave I finally saw a small part of a rainbow and thought that would count. After Kerry came to pick me and my suitcases up we went to Uncle's for dinner. As I started to walk to the entrance I looked up and saw the most beautiful brilliant rainbow I have seen in a long time. Could it be another sweet goodbye?

Maybe I am jumping the gun in my goodbyes but even if we do end up moving to Hawaii for a time things will still be different.

Goodbyes at the aiport are always hard. Kerry was supposed to be coming home with me but had to delay because of a lawsuit on the project that he has to testify for. So while I bring all of my stuff home and a another suitcase with a good portion of his stuff I leave him behind. I hate that I cry so easily especiallly in a public settings so I hated that I cried as I said goodbye to this whole expereince tonight as well. I keep singing the song "Leavin On A Jet Plane" in my mind.
Aloha

Kerry at work

2011-08-04T12:03:00.003-06:00

More sentimentality, when Kerry used to stay at another hotel I used to watch him walk up the sidewalk and catch the bus in the mornings. It isn't possible to see him do this now at the place he stays in but I can watch him drive away occasionally, I did this morning, knowing changes are coming.

(He's in the grey suburban closest to the light reflection)

I've done several posts about having lunch with him at Bishop Square but this week was full of nerves and emotion as we talked. Having the time with Kerry has been significant for me.

Sunday with Kerry

2011-08-04T09:54:00.008-06:00

On our trip to the North Shore with the kids we saw some of the prettiest Shower Trees I have ever seen. So since we still had a car we decided to drive back over on Sunday afternoon.

Kerry loves the yellow ones and this one was really beautiful.
My favorite are the pink ones, and they are especially pretty this year.

As we drove past this one yesterday Rachel said she thought it was the most beautiful tree she had ever seen. I think I agree even though we discovered it was two trees intertwined when we stopped to take pictures.

We then headed back to Laniakea Beach. We don't normally go into the water on Sunday but this time we just went into the surf and talked and watched for turtles. It was close to dusk so we decided to stay and watch and talk.

I had an epiphany while we were there alone talking. I have come to love Hawaii so much because of moments just like this, the very quiet private times away from the world. We both had so much on our mind with his company pulling the stunt they have over the last month. We talked in detail about our options over the next phase of our lives. I asked him when he thought the new contract would come and what he thought it might be. He talked about options to follow and just going 50% on this project while trying to get involved on another. I was hopeful as we talked, still angry at the company, and scared about the future, all rolled up into one. Never the less I knew that these moments were about to end one way or another. Watching the sunset was simply different this time.

I noticed Old Glory up in the tree as we were getting ready to leave, a little tattered but it was neat to see it there.
Just a little melancholy as the day slipped away.

I love the time Kerry and I have at home and the prospects of him being home more makes me ecstatic but what I realized is that when he is home we are so busy getting things done and running that we don't talk like we do in Hawaii and that is cherished time for me.

Just before we left the water I watched to see if I could see a turtle surface one more time and one came swimming right up close to me as if it was reading my thoughts!

After our long talk and trying to make decisions we got back to the hotel and got cleaned up and ate dinner. As we were getting ready to go to bed Kerry checked his blackberry and there it was a copy of the contract they are offering with an ecpectation of a quick answer.........AAAAAAAHHHHHH.. Now the real stress begins!

Last day with family in Honolulu July 2011

2011-08-03T20:34:00.001-06:00

On our last day we headed back to the North Shore to play in the water. We stopped at Dole to get a pineapple whip as per Rachel's request.

From there we stopped in Haliewa at Ray's Grilled Chicken for lunch to take to the beach.

We headed for our favorite place to play in the surf, unfortunately it was very rough and not as fun as normal. I got out to watch Jack while Rachel played with the others, before long it started to rain really hard and all I could do was try and keep Jack covered until I could get some help. We packed up quickly and headed for "Turtle Beach" but with the time we could only drive by. We went to see if we could get a shave ice but the line was far too long. We ended up just heading back to the hotel so they could get cleaned up and ready to head to the airport to go home.

This was our ride for the weekend by far the best one we have had yet! And it didn't get stuck in the [arking garage, we didn't even try to go up a level.

Return of the Scooters and Harry Potter

2011-08-03T09:10:00.001-06:00

Friday night we went to see the final episode of Harry Potter, Jack was pretty happy to be out ot the Theater but he was pretty good through it.

Waiting for the bus was the beginning of a challenge to decide where to eat
and Jack became really fussy because it was his bedtime.
We stopped at Dave and Busters and had to find a place to hide Rachel away so that she could nurse in seclusion. For most of us the food was great but we were all ready to be in for the night.
Earlier in the day these guys had to return the scooters much to their dismay. They all had a lot of fun on them.

She thought everyone would think she was a bad mom because she had her baby on the scooter maybe if she was really riding with him.

She looks so cute, but didn't want to turn this baby back in for sure.

Kerry is facing a big challenge with the new contract for this project and it is going to be a difficult situation. This was his horoscope for the day and I thought it was pretty interesting.

Scooter Day

2011-08-03T08:39:00.000-06:00

One of the things on the "List" of things to do that the girls had for Hawaii was to ride scooters around the Island. So Thursday was the day, they had priced some and they were really close to where we were staying.

While they were out and about Jack and I spent the day together. He even practiced rolling for me.

Such a cutie!

What a look of concentration.

Not too busy to give me a big smile though.

Try again little one.

I'm not sure if he was surprised when he rolled over so quickly or by the flash.

When Kerry got back from work they encouraged him to get one and ride with them, he hesitated but the grin on his face shows how excited he was.

I couldn't resist this when I saw Jack's reflection in the mirror.

Grandpa was wishing there was a way we all could go, maybe someday.

The Four Musketeers? They made it part way around the Island before they came back. The last hour Jack wasn't such a happy camper, I felt bad for him because he was so unhappy and I couldn't seem to console him. All was well when mommy came home though.

This was the cutest little conversation! I think he has her wrapped around her little finger.

Swap Meet and Pearl Harbor-July 2011

2011-08-03T08:06:00.001-06:00

Before we went to Pearl Harbor we went and wandered around the Swap Meet and got a few things for friends and family at home. It was quite sunny at first and so that added to the sunburn they already had and it was terribly muggy. Part way through it started to pour and so we had to hide in some of the litttle shops. We made it about half way around looking for specific things only to turn around and go back and find things we had already looked at.

Last time Rachel and Cameron came to Hawaii we went too Pearl Harbor but they didn't go on the Missouri so this time we did. Rebecca has been there with me before and I think she loves it as much as I do.

On board

Rachel was amazed by the size of these guns.

Rebecca actually let me take fun pictures of her this time!!!!!!

We were able to go into parts of the ship that we have never been in before.

I can't imagine sleeping like this, and would hate to be the one on the bottom bunk for sure.

We had seen the Dentist quarters before but this was the first time we actually got to see the operatory. Rebecca was pretty excited to see it.

Rachel in the officer's chair.

While I stayed down on the main deck with Jack, who was sleeping, I wasn't comfortable climbing the stairs with him and I had seen this part before so they toured the rest.

While I was sitting there I accidentally over heard that they were having a big party on board after the tours ended and that Colin Powell was going to be the key note speaker. I would love to have heard him.

I love watching Rebecca and Cameron play around, I am glad that they get along so well.

The Arizona memorial just to the left of Rebecca's shoulder.

Captain Cameron looking very stoic.

It was still amazing to wander through and experience this ship once again and I know that there are still many things I have yet to find. It always makes me feel so grateful for the men who have served and serve our country the more I learn.

Time away from the sun- Ala Moana Mall

2011-08-02T17:45:00.000-06:00

Because of the sunburns we decided to take a little slower and more shaded trip and we went to the Ala Moana Mall. It is very interesting to people watch there. We started with a trip to the food court where everyone chose what they wanted to eat. Then we started to shop. I didn't buy anything which is pretty good for me.

This is what Jack thought about the whole thing!
And he did this most of the day, even after sleeping for twelve hours the night before.
Reb and Jack did have a good conversation though.
Everyone who comes to see us in Hawaii right now can expect a ride on "The Bus" as part of the experience! This has been a pretty low key day.

Jack's first time at the beach

2011-08-02T13:20:00.000-06:00

Since we didn't play on the beach on Sunday this was Jacks first real experience. I don't think he was overly excited about it.

Kerry took part of the day off to be with us and we went to Cheeseburger in Paradise and then got ready to play.

Cameron holding Jack, Rachel, Kerry and Rebecca just chillin in the water.
Kerry and Rebecca watching Rachel and Cameron with Jack.
The cute little family.
Jack really didn't love the water. After awhile they decided to take him back to the Hotel for an afternoon nap. Reb went with them to get showered and cleaned up. Kerry and I stayed in the water up against the wall and let the water sweep over us. Unfortunately I don't have a picture to prove to everyone that I actually let that happen, and laughed about it. It was great to just be in the water with Kerry to talk and relax.
When we all got cleaned up and ready to go to dinner Rachel wasn't feeling well and Jack was still soundly sleeping so she had us go with out her. It turns out he slept for twelve hours that night. With the time change and the fast pace we just wore the little guy out.

We tried a place right on Waikiki that I had wanted to go to for some time called Tiki's it was pretty good. I felt bad that Rachel had Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner while we went out but she said it made her feel better.

Little did we know how the little amount of time in the sun would burn Rebecca and Rachel so badly...not a good way to start beach time!

Oh What Do You Do in Hawaii on Sunday (If you have a car)

2011-08-02T13:00:00.000-06:00

The Lunts and Rebecca arrived on Saturday afternoon. Kerry and I had to switch rooms so that we had an additional bedroom from what we normally have. We also had to pick up our rental car for the weekend and to be able to pick them up at the airport and all of their gear.

When we got off of the bus to pick up the car the driver waited for us to walk by to see if we really knew where we were going, must look like tourists or something. I think it was a pretty tough neighborhood at any rate it was nice that he seemed concerned. We got the car and headed back to move into the room and get situated a little. As we drove the Tahoe into the parking garage we realized we were not going to be able to get out of the garage. We talked to the front desk to see if they had a wrench to take the luggage rack off in order to get out. I get the feeling this isn't the first time and they said when we were ready to leave that they would have a couple of guys come out and stand on the bumper. After switching rooms and putting the cold things in the fridge we went down and drafted a security guard and another employee and went about escaping the garage. I sat in the very back and they climbed on the bumper as Kerry let some of the air out of the tires and we began. Even with that they had to stop and move some of the bars on the luggage rack in order to squeak out of the garage. All I could do was sit in the back of the car and laugh, hysterically. From there we went and filled the tires again and headed to the airport to collect our family. We figured they would be waiting for us when we got there but they weren't we were able to see them come into the luggage area as planned but guess who forgot her camera in all of the craziness.

We went back to the hotel and got set up for the week. We then headed to "On Dong" one of our favorite "Mom and Pop" places to eat in Honolulu. It is so yummy. Then we walked along the beach for a little bit and they got their feet in the ocean. Everyone was exhausted so we went back and called it a night.

So what do you do in Hawaii on Sunday if you have a car. First we went to church in the Makiki Ward, our ward away from home.

Well we head to Laniakea beach or what I love to call "Turtle Beach" it is certainly my favorite beach on the Island (at least so I have found). I love to watch the Sea Turtles.
Cam was showing Jack the sights.

Reb headed away from the rocks where the turtles feed to get her feet in the Sandy Beach, what a cute girl. This is where she learned to really like to play in the surf.

This is why I love to come here. They are magnificent animals. I could sit and watch them all day. You could see many of them poking their heads up in the surf as well.

Rebecca was in a fun mood and challenged Cameron into a jumping contest.

From the beach we headed over to the Laie Temple Grounds last time Rachel and Cameron were here it was in the middle of the remodel and they only saw the shell. At least this time they could see the beautiful lights and the white of the temple.

Inside the visitors center.

It was fun to see the temple with the sun setting off to the side, so pretty.

Usually there is someone around who will help take a picture but at this point we were alone so we couldn't get all of us.

And more.

Jack was in a great mood.

The kids posing.

"Holiness to the Lord-The House of the Lord"

Plumeria on the grounds.

More beauty.

Total darkness and beauty.

A nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Back in Hawaii July 2011

2011-08-01T13:51:00.006-06:00

After not being in Hawaii since January I was able to fly back with Kerry for most of the month. It was HEAVEN to be with him and just walk along the beach in the evening and talk as well as watch the sunsets!

Our first night on the beach there was a Korean Festival going on. We watched some of the dances and looked to see if the food was any good, it just seemed like the lunch specials so we opted to go somewhere else.

This is the area of the beach where so much of the new Hawaii Five O is filmed, it's kind of fun to see it on TV.
If anyone has guessed by now the sunsets from Waikiki are one of my favorite things and I was glad that we were on time for this one.

This is actually one I took for my phone to put on facebook, not bad for a phone.

"Leavin on a Jet Plane."

It's rare to see Orchids by the sidewalks and so we snapped this picture as soon as we saw it.

Within a day the blooms were gone.

We walked along the beach and went to get something for dinner, by the time we finished we had missed the fireworks, sad, but the time was wonderful. Now it was time to get ready for the Lunts and Rebecca to arrive.

My B-day

2011-08-01T12:38:00.010-06:00

After Olivia's blessing we relaxed at Natalie's for awhile and when I said we should go home Kerry informed me we were celebrating my birthday at Jessica's. Surprise, she made me my favorite German Chocolate Cake and Dave made a wonderful meal.

Grandpa is getting lots of smiles from Olivia.
Rebecca with the look I get when I point the camera at her!
Tanner loving Grandpa!
Loves for Olivia.
Tanner pointing himself out to Grandpa.
Everyone managed a little nap.
Rebecca challenged Cameron and Dave to cupcake eating contest, I love the look on her face.
She didn't stand a chance but I don't really know who stuffed it in the fastest.
Trying hard not to laugh with her mouth full.
More cupcake fun for Tanner.
Second day in a row with cupcakes for Emma.

Olivia!
Yay for Tanner and Emma. Emma loves to dance like Elmo it is really cute.
It was a great day with lot's of family time.

Olivia's Blessing

2011-08-01T12:13:00.007-06:00

This was Olivia's first big day! With so much going on both Olivia and Daddy are exhausted. Poor Dave has been working such long hours as part of the grand opening of the new Macey's store in Lehi, but at least he is a little closer to home now, and it is a really pretty store.

Uncle Drew and Jack getting to know one another a little better.
Olivia's beatuiful dress that her Grandma Steed made for her.
Such a beautiful little girl.
Smiles for me!

Two beauties!

Not everyone was into pictures, Tanner just wanted to run around and play with everyone!

The Lunts

The whole clan, she's a lucky little girl!

Sweet Olivia!

Emma's One

2011-08-01T11:02:00.007-06:00

It's hard for me to believe this little doll is already one year old! But she is.

Or that Jack is as big as he is!
Or Olivia!

Emma is loving Elmo right now so Jessica made this for her birthday. Don't all one year olds respond to Elmo?

Since the fourth is on Sunday the Stadium of Fire took place on her birthday, while we were eating dinner on the deck at Jessica and Dave's house we were able to watch the fly overs by the military jets. Apparently they got a late start at the stadium because the jets kept flying around until time to the fly over, we didn't mind a bit because we got to see this eight times. I absolutely love it almost as much a fireworks on the fourth!!!!!

Time for cake "let me at it dad!"

Yum, she got into the cake more than her older brothers did.

All worn out.

Cleaned up after cake but happy as can be!

Tanner is quite curious about what Emma is opening up.

She is thrilled with the new clothes, she's starting early.

A fun day for a sweet little girl!

STILL TRYING!!!!!!

2011-07-21T19:30:00.003-06:00

So by now I should be used to go into the water!! I am still trying to love it as much as Kerry but I do love spending time with him and his patience in helping me feel comfortable.

September Sunsets

2011-07-21T18:28:00.005-06:00

In September some of the sunsets that we watched were so incredible so I just decided to post them to be able to look at them and remember.

Beautiful.

Aloha Tanner- August 2010

2011-07-20T21:25:00.009-06:00

(Although this is already a year past due I still wanted to document the trip with the Steeds and Rebecca.)

Natalie and Rebecca couldn't wait to get to the water after they landed, here they introduce Tanner to the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
This is over by Electric Beach where Kerry often dives. We come here a lot on Sunday afternoons to watch the dolphins jumping and playing. Wouldn't you know after we built up how many we had seen from this place we didn't see one this day.

On Monday we went to see Grandpa at his office. Tanner made himself right at home. Quite a few people came in his office to see what all of the fuss was about.

Time to really play at the beach. While Dave and Natalie hit the water for a few minutes Rebecca started to play with Tanner in the sand.

It didn't take long for him to decide it was fun to play with the sand and quickly became covered with it.

Still not very sure about the wave action though.

Making sure to protect that delicate skin before really taking him into the water.

The boat at the PCC. I love this place.

This man is one of the reasons that I love the PCC so much. Even though I have seen his routine multiple times I laugh just as hard and am entertained just as much as the first time I watched him.

Another day at the beach on the North Shore this time. While his mom and dad were diving with Grandpa, Tanner snoozed.

Headed into Sharks Cove for a dive. Natalie had been to Hawaii twice before and was so excited to dive but couldn't because she had an ear infection the first time and then was just pregnant with Tanner so she couldn't dive the second time. Kerry was pretty excited to have someone in the family to go with this time.

Preparing for the dive.

Natalie and Dave

At the hotel Tanner had a blast playing in our closet and kept climbing into Kerry's shoes.

On the final day we went to "Turtle Beach" to play and swim with the turtles. Tanner and Dave had a blast making their sand castle and Natalie came to join in.

You can see how close the turtles come right up to you, I just love it. One of them even nipped at Rebecca's leg while she was in the water.

Tanner still wasn't sure about the wave action and after this picture was taken he was swammped by a wave when Dave was holding him, he didn't like it much.

After a day at the beach we went and cleaned up and had dinner at "On Dong" (Rebecca's favorite place on the Island) and then we dashed to the airport to send them home. It was a fun week that ended way too soon.

Tanner getting familiar with the beach on the first day at Waikiki.

Dave Dive Training-preparation for Hawaii

2011-02-27T21:47:00.002-07:00

With all of Kerry's training he can now teach others how to dive. One of his first students was Dave and now he will be able to dive with Natalie when they go to Hawaii! We went and watched as they trained in a local pool.

Tanner just wanted to get into the water too!
Learning hand signals.
Skills
Laps
Tanner watching.
Instructions.
He sure loves this.

Tanner standing on the diving board watching and wanting to dive in.

Always a goofy smile when he sees the camera pointed at him.

Now all he has to do is finish up the dives in Hawaii.

Emma's Blessing

2011-02-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

Some of those special occasions as a family are baby blessings. This was Emma's turn.

Such a cute little family.
Dave's dad. Paul and and Joline with the family.
The whole group.
Our family.
Spencer
Caleb
Jes and Emma
What a cute a cute group!
Lovin sister
What a little doll.
Grandma and Liz
Dave's mom, Ann, and Jim with the family.
Proud parents
Starting to smile for mom.
Emma and I just having a little visit.
What a really great day.

Baseball

2011-02-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Part of the summer fun is watching Caleb and Spencer play T-ball and Coach Pitch. While there was a lot of games to go to it was great to be able to see them play.

Thumbs up became a part of the play as I used it to let Caleb know I thought he had done a good a great play! It became a big deal, don't you love that smile? I do.
It was fun to watch him grow as he played through the season. His last bat of the season he hit his best hit of the year.

Spencer was a riot to watch! Here he is running to home plate.

He and Andrew were having a ball in the outfield.

I am sure that I took hundreds of pictures during the season but these were some of my favorites.

July--Super month

2011-02-22T19:25:00.000-07:00

Because July was such a busy and crazy month I loaded the pictures and so I realized that they were from the end of the month to the beginning, not gonna redo it so we are looking back for this month.

To give Jessica a break one afternoon so I picked up the boys and went to lunch at Artic Circle then they played on the playground for a little while. They were so cute I tried to catch them in unison.

I just love his smile and the way he loves his new little sister.

When Jessica went to her Dr. for her check up we went to see the floats for the 24th of July Parade in SLC. They were on display for public voting, it was fun to see them up close. By the end Emma had had enough and was ready to go home, Jessica was also showing signs of over doing.
These are just a few of the ones that we really liked.

The crickets that surrounded this float were so cute.

Of course this was one of the favorites the only thing missing was Cosmo!

Even earlier we went to see the fireworks outside Cougar Stadium for the Stadium of Fire. I love watching Nora and Cydney together, she didn't quite stay awake for the fireworks though.

These guys were awake are ready. Tanner ended up on Natalie's lap with her hands over his ears but he liked watching them.

Snug as a bug these two were ready for the show.

Anyone who knows me well expects me to be close to the fireworks. But it especially nice to be next to my sweetheart. We are apart far to much so I take the opportunity anytime I can.

We also had the opportunity to spend an evening at Rosemarie's house with my Brother Les and part of his family. It was great to be with them for awhile. With all of our busy lives it makes it hard to get together very often. I was able to go to lunch with Rosemarie and Elaine. Elaine and I have been able to relate a little as we have spouses who are gone a lot...It was really great to talk to her.

These guys were just being silly while we were at Rosemarie's.
I couldn't resist this picture. I can almost always count on the cheesecake grin from
Dave when I point the camera his direction.

When Jessica came home from the hospital we had a 4th of July celebration at her house. Nora was enjoying playing with the family.

I just love this man and his smile!

Cute face!

Rosemarie and Nora becoming a little better acquainted.

Welcome home sweet Emma!

After church on Sunday we headed up to see them at the hospital. Kerry always holds the newborns hands to quiet them, something he did with all of his girls and now it is part of the experience with the grand children.

I wish we could stop time with a newborn for just a little while. There is nothing sweeter than that new tiny little spirit!

Mom and baby doing well and bonding!

Aren't they cute?

So precious!

It was fun to take Nora to church and show her off to the ward. She was really cute as she danced around in her new dress.

Two proud Aunties!

While this was actually a set up picture he did feel this way last year when he met Nora for the first time. He is getting better at handling new little ones!

Newborn!

Nora didn't like having to wait in the waiting room while we took turns going in to see Emma and Jessica. She just wanted to meet her new cousin as well.

Caleb and Spencer couldn't wait to go back and meet their new little sister. They had seen Dave and Jessica go buy as they were on the way to the room.

Nora kept watching as people went in and out of the doors to see their loved ones.

On the way to the room from recovery, I was too slow to get the camera up to get the baby in the picture.

This is out of order but it is so typical of Caleb as he watched Emma and made sure his mom was ok.

Getting to hold Emma for the first time.

Looking pretty good for just coming out of surgery.

All smiles, Rebecca
Nora going inside the house while we were celebrating my birthday early.

Do you think he has had the camera on him a lot? Just so dang cute!

Kerry surprised me with a new video camera. I'm pretty excited because it is so small and light and no more tapes!!!! He spoils me!

We celebrated my birthday a few days early because Jessica and Emma would be in the hospital on the real date. We had a party in the backyard with the family. It is always good to be together and to have Cyd and Nora here was a great treat as well.

Whew July was a really fast and crazy month!

Reb's birthday

2011-02-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

For Rebecca's birthday we had a chance to get together once again. Part of the fun for the evening was the "money" that Cameron made for Rebecca.

It's still hanging on her bulletin board in her room.
The boys were there to give a helping hand.
I find it hard to believe that she is already 20 years old. Where has time gone?

Cousins

2011-02-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

I am so delighted that there are "cousins" in the family! Not my cousins but my Grand kids have cousins and it is so fun to watch them get to know each other. Just before Jessica had her baby Cydney came to spend a little time with us! We spent as much time together as we could. On this day we went to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point. Caleb is so good with the little ones, they just love him and respond to him.

Best buds, these two brothers.

" "Aunt Natty"

Just so cute!

Say "cheese"

Not sure what to think about these "things"

Sheriff Nora watching her prisoners.

I love these moments!

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I loved watching Caleb cleaning the shoes of this pony, I wasn't sure he would do it when she asked but he really did well.

This video was taken at the house, Caleb got Tanner laughing and we all started, I'm not sure you can hear how much he laughed because of us.

New office-again

2011-02-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

During the three years that Kerry has been working in Honolulu his office has been relocated three different times. This is the latest so we decided to personalize this one a little bit since it seems to feel like he may be in this one close to his group for awhile.

I went and bought a bunch of frames for family pictures. The wall was really long and bare so it was easy to find ways to fill it.
He has a pretty great view of Bishop Square and on out to the Ocean from this window.
One Saturday afternoon we hung pictures all around his desk.
And a calendar.
There was still a lot of room on the wall so we started hanging pictures of some of the shots he has taken during some of his dives. Those pictures created quite an interest for a little while as people came in to see them. He has some pretty great pictures on his travel blog.

Punchbowl

2011-02-15T14:10:00.003-07:00

Punchbowl National Cemetery caught my attention many years ago as a scene from Hawaii Five O. On my first trip to Honolulu I saw the top of the monument from our hotel room and knew I wanted to find out how to get there. After being there and falling in love with the history of it and the history that I have learned from it we have taken each of our kids who have been there to see it. From the rim of the old volcano there is a lookout that takes in the beautiful panorama of the city and the ocean. I later learned that Kerry's great uncle was buried there. He had been killed in World War II and was buried there with all of the other men who were killed at Wake Island as civilians with him. We finally looked his grave site up at the registry and set about to find it.

It took us quite awhile but we finally located it.
Kerry even took time to pull some of the weeds growing by the marker.

These men were over taken by the Japanese and didn't even stand a chance. They aren't even sure who really is in the grave it is more of just a marker, it is a sobering experience to say the least.. I can't believe how many times we had been by this marker and didn't realize what it was.

Punchbowl and Pearl Harbor are still part of the Island that I love most.

Turning One-Surpirse!

2011-02-15T07:37:00.006-07:00

Our family seems to love surprises! When Cydney learned we were going to Zion's for Memorial Day weekend she was sad because she had hoped we would be in Kansas for that weekend to celebrate Nora's first birthday. What she didn't know was that Kerry and I were planning a small three day trip before to surprise them and be there for the birthday. I had all of the details worked out and that morning Cyd called to tell us that they were going to see a free concert and greet and meet at a local bookstore with one of their favorite bands. I knew that by the time we landed, got the rental car and got to their house they would not be there. I also knew that they could possibly run errands and a bunch of stuff after and who knew how long we would be in the car waiting for them to get there. So I made up a story! I told them that there would be a package delivered for her birthday and I really didn't want to have it sitting on the porch unattended for very long.... So after the concert they grabbed lunch and headed back to their apartment.

We waited in the car down the street, seriously I thought that we were going to be reported as stalkers because we were parked right across from where some young kids were playing outside and the mom was watching us.
"What the heck? Was her response when she opened the door, even though Ken spied me through the peep hole with my camera ready.

"Look Nora, it's Grandma and Grandpa."

The birthday girl.

Lovin' time together!

Outside and loving every minute of it.

Timid about the cake!?

Such a cute cake, for a cute birthday girl.

Checking out the wagon we gave her. Even Charlie seems to approve! And with that the trip came to a rapid close and it was time to head home.

It was a fun surprise for all of us!

Official First Grader

2011-02-07T23:12:00.000-07:00

Just looking at my grown children I am acutely aware how quickly time passes but this day just kind of snuck up on me. I can't believe he is officially in the first grade. I am lucky to have these guys close by so that I can go participate in these activities.

Here he is marching in for the Kindergarten graduation assembly.

Getting ready to say his line.

Saying his line about art projects.

And of course it's official, graduation mortar board and all, he is now a first grader. If I am this emotional about this what will I be like when he graduates from High School or even College. Hopefully I will get to see those too! So proud of our little (big) Caleb.

ZIONS

2011-02-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Say "Zions" to my family and many wonderful memories and stories come from each one of us.

Like Mountain Lion tracks and "hoo doos" and Quate running on the rocks and hardly being able to walk for days afterward (probably not a wonderful memory but a memory just the same.) Hikes, climbing in trees, the tent trailer, the big blue pot, camping pancakes, hamburger helper cheeseburger style,... and so many more. It had been awhile since we had been there, this year a part of the family was able to schedule time to go. But this year we wimped out and stayed in a hotel room instead of the tent trailer, after our last experience hauling the tent trailer none of us were very trusting of it, but that is another blog story!

I am not exactly sure why the "Hoo Doos" are one of the highlights for our family but we enjoy climbing and sitting on them, of course Rachel was the first one up as usual.
Each day after hiking around and playing we would go back to the hotel and head to the swimming pool to cool down it was a lot of fun. The strange thing is that often Rebecca and I were the last ones out of the pool, go figure.

This was on the Hidden canyon hike, aren't they cute? This is my favorite hike in the park, turns out it is one of the steepest and most difficult of the groomed trails. For some reason the height doesn't seem to bother me as much as it does in other places. I will always remember the first time we hiked this and we found lots of little side trails that we could climb into the rocks and rest in the cool and take great pictures.

Rachel and Cameron couldn't resist posing beneath the lower water fall. Just after the picture was snapped the wind changed direction and blew the falls towards us, we all got soaked and a little cold. I love hiking to the falls.

These are one of the little nooks that we love to hide in, they are a cute couple aren't they?

Tanner had by far the best view and easiest part of the hike. His dad was a little tired by the end of the day. I walked behind him most of the time just watching him laugh and have fun.

Just past the hardest part of the hike we stopped for lunch and Tanner crashed. It was nice and cool and we just had a good time talking and laughing.

And maybe a little silliness.

Just one of the views from the toughest part of the hike.

Our first night we went to the over look and watched the sunset, I thought this was a great picture. Rebecca loves to scare me by getting a close the edge as she can, just for a reaction. Darn kids anyway.
It was a lot of fun to be together and at the same time it was sad. You just can't relive old memories, Kerry and I were able to hike around beyond the Hoo doos and find some new things to see. There were a lot of catus in bloom and even some tracks to follow, maybe it was that old mountain lion afterall.

Kerry Dive Training

2011-02-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

To say that Kerry is enjoying his time in Hawaii is an understatement! He has absolutely fallen in love with scuba diving. During some of my visits there I have watched him doing different levels of training, this day he was working on a Dive Master internship. I was just above on a cliff taking pictures of what I could.

Here they are just going into the water, which was not an easy task because the waves coming in at Electric Beach were pretty strong. Watching how long it took all of them to go through was interesting.

After some time and different tasks they all started to come in and once again battle the surf.

Kerry looked exhausted as he brought up the remaining equipment at the end of the dive. He still had to do some pool training in order to finish this level. Then on to instructor- IDC. I don't think he intended to go so far when he first got started but like I said he has fallen in love with the critters under the sea! He has taken some pretty amazing photos and they are on his travel blog. Check them out at kerryjstravels.blogspot.com

Can it really be six years?

2011-01-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago Caleb asked Cydney if she would be in Utah for his birthday. It just so happened that Ken's break allowed for that. I can hardly believe how fast he is growing up.

Dave and the kids are having fun at the friend birthday party.
Tanner love the Mickey Mouse theme.

Cydney had been working hard to do a Boutique while she was in Utah. She makes some of the cutest bows and head bands I have seen around. The little tutu's were adorable. It was fun to see my old booth in use again.

It took all of us quite awhile to set up and hang all of her stuff. She is so talented.

While they were there we had a baby shower for Jessica and the new little girl coming into the family. While we were watching her open gifts Spencer came up and snuggled with me. It was so sweet. I love that we will still come up and snuggle up on my lap and ask for stories.

She got some really cute things even though it was mostly our immediate family. We are so excited for them to be having a little girl.

The tradition for the blessing outfit continues.

Caleb had a great time with the tissue paper on the side, Spencer I think was a little confused!

We packed so much into the time that Cyd, Ken, and Nora were there I think we were all worn out!

The terrible, horrible, bad, good, day

2011-01-14T19:49:00.007-07:00

A dear friend of mine lost her husband after a battle with cancer. It hit me pretty hard because it was pretty close, and close in age. On this day I helped prepare the meal for the luncheon after the funeral. I started early so that they turkey would be done and I could get several batches of funeral potatoes in the oven and make it to the funeral.

While I was working on this I realized I was short on sour cream and had to run to the store to finish up the potatoes. When I came into the house I expected to smell the turkey---no smell. I had turned the wrong oven on. Panic set in and I turned the convection oven on to rush to get it done. The potatoes were taking longer than I had anticipated and I wasn't ready at the time the funeral was supposed to start.

Since I obviously wasn't going to make it to the funeral I opted to finish the meal and to work on the choke load of ironing I was waiting to do. Some of it was Jessica's and I was trying to help her since she was feeling so crumby with her pregnancy. What I hadn't realized was how behind I was on my own laundry so it was a little overwhelming as I got started. Just a few minutes into the process I burned my hand quite badly. It seemed that no matter what I tried to do for others I couldn't seem to get any of it right.

I was very nervous about the turkey not being done in time, as the hour to have it there approached I nervously looked at the bird and checked the internal temperature. It was perfect. Thank goodness. I snuck the food into the kitchen at the church because I looked like a

wreck.

After several hours of ironing and the stress of the morning I was relieved to have things done. I managed to make potatoes for Rebecca and I and some to send to Jessica when I dropped the clothing off to Dave to take home.
A day I was trying to do a lot for a lot of people turned from a nightmare into a pretty good day after all. Once I saw past the stress I saw the success.

St. Spencer

2011-01-13T20:13:00.012-07:00

The last couple of years we have celebrated this guys birthday and the holiday at Pirate Island Pizza. With his love of pirates it is the best place to go and the food isn't too bad. Jessica has gone all out the last couple of years to get "gussied" up so we decided to join in this year as well. It was fun to see every one's response as they saw us.

We were all in the spirit of the Leprechaun this evening. And none of us can resist getting this little guy to laugh it comes so easy, this time it was Rebecca's turn.

He mad a haul with all of the tickets that were won playing games as a family. The difficult thing was choosing a prize with them, not super quality and kind of pricey for what you get but he had fun.

What a cutie!

Look what I won mom!

So much fun to watch these guys at the "range" and they enjoy the time with each other.

Pretty serious stuff.

Love that face!

Just a bunch of fun for everyone, a great way to celebrate two things at once, arrrgh!

Ice Castles

2011-01-13T19:58:00.004-07:00

In Midway last winter there was a fun thing to go and visit. We picked Grandma Stevenson up and went to explore these ice castles that a guy had patiently formed through the season. We got there just at dusk and were there long enough for the lights to work their magic. Despite the cold temperatures it was a lot of fun to go and explore.

These guys didn't stay on this frozen bench very long but it was a cute picture and they were patient with me.

Time to go for some hot chocolate!

Beauty

2011-01-12T21:11:00.003-07:00

One weekend on Oahu Kerry and I went to the Waimea Botanical Garden and hiked up to the falls, it was so beautiful up there. As we walked through we couldn't help but think about Caleb and his love of the Hibiscus flower here and how many different varieties there were that day.

When we entered the garden and started to walk around I was in awe of this banyan tree and the sun shining through the massive branches. The light streaming through simply took my breath away. Since I haven't had my nice camera for very long I didn't do a very good job of catching the scene. But it was so beautiful.
I must have had a good idea because a photographer stopped and put his tripod up and took many pictures of the same thing.

I would love to explore more parts of the Island like this one!

Catch up!!! Memories of 2010

2011-01-12T20:06:00.004-07:00

As I have contemplated trying to catch up on this I have gone through pictures from last year and have been filled with fun memories and experiences. I think we got so carried away in our Pirate adventures that I didn't think I could match or do clever posts. As a result I let some thoughts get away from me. I have so enjoyed the recollections that I am going to do a summary for my own memory.

I was able to make a few trips to Kansas this past year, I am determined that Nora is going to know me... I never knew either of my Grandmother's and was lucky to know both of Kerry's. I had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with his Grandma Stevenson when we were first married and she became the Grandmother that I never knew, I really loved her. At any rate I want my Grand kids to know me well and to know how much I adore them. That is a little difficult having Nora so far away.

Rebecca and I took a weekend around Cyd's birthday and played with Nora as much as we could.

It was great to spend time with them.

Ken practiced his new love of acupuncture on Rebecca and I while we were there. The hysterical thing was she was making such a fuss about the needles that she didn't even feel it when he placed it.

Of course he practiced just a little while we were there, he was trying to help her with a headache, it worked.

She was such a happy go lucky little thing while we were there. We could not have enough time with her.

While we were there she started to take her first steps, of course we encouraged her the entire time.

Nora was telling her it was time to get up and play with her.

Here are those steps, just look at the concentration on her face.
The time we had there was way too fast and before we knew it it was time to head back to Utah.

Kerry has given me roses for our anniversary that match the number of years we have been married. I was in Honolulu with him for our anniversary and so there were no flowers this time. When I got home from Kansas were waiting on the counter for me, a late anniversary and Valentines since we were in Kansas then.

Friday Nite Lights

2010-10-02T19:06:00.000-06:00

The lights in Honolulu burn bright in the evenings, it is a very busy city. For a few minutes on Friday evening the coastline the Hilton Hawaiian Hotel hosts a fireworks display. And for a few minutes things stand still waiting to watch. The shoreline is pretty to see from a distance.

Of course I will never turn down a fireworks display!!!

I love Friday Nite Lights!!!

Sunrise-Sunset

2010-10-01T12:46:00.000-06:00

Where we stay in Honolulu often affords us the opportunity to see beautiful sunrises. You can tell the time of year it is based on where it comes up around KoKo Head. Kerry is actually the one who comments on the sunrise more than me, does that really surprise anyone? But I actually took these pictures. Since we try to walk every morning at 4:00 I am better at seeing the sunrise here than when I am at home. Never the less it's a beautiful sight.

Of course there is the other end of the spectrum as well, who doesn't come to Honolulu and expect to see beautiful sunsets? We only have to walk a little over a block to get to the beach and see wonderful sunsets. I love to go in the evenings and watch the sun go down, I also like to watch the waves along the shoreline.

And with such beauty I get to practice with my camera a little bit, it's all good.

Turtles, Dolphins,Wonderful Waves and WHALES!

2010-09-28T16:29:00.007-06:00

On Sunday afternoons Kerry and I like to drive along the coastline and watch the waves and natural wildlife.

You can see these turtles all over the coastline of Oahu but I never get tired of seeing them. Since I had the opportunity to meet one up close and personal I just love to watch them. These are along Electric Beach near Ko'Olina where Kerry often does beach dives from.
We lucked out one day as we got there you could see Spinner Dolphins jumping and spinning right in front of where we were. They were fascinating and I could have watched them all day.

At Lanai Lookout on the other side of the Island we love to watch the large waves and their majesty.

One afternoon we managed to see this right off of the lookout, again I could have watched this go on and on. There were people there who missed the show because they were watching the surf like we had been.

I'm loving my new camera because we could never have begun to get these pictures with the point and shoot camera that I was using and still continue to carry in my purse just in case.

We went back several times during the whale season to see these magnificent mammals in action and were lucky to see them quite a few times. We had friends go there to watch after we told them about it and they didn't see any, we were very lucky and patient at the same time. I'm looking forward to this winter season and being able to see them in action again.

Poor Little Dude!

2010-09-28T16:02:00.003-06:00

This little guy is generally not allowed to get on my bed because his nails snag the comforter. A couple of days before I was getting ready to return to Hawaii he started acting really bad, almost every time he tried to move he yelped or would just look at me and whine. I couldn't feel anything strange or out of place but I was very concerned about him. While I was packing he hobbled up the stairs to my bedroom, he tried to jump up on the bed and yelped, taking pity on the poor guy I lifted him up and he yelped even more. He made his way to the pillows to look out the window, which he loves to do, but he just lay down not close enough to peer out the window like he likes to and he softly whined. As I watched him he just made me so sad.

A few days after I left Rebecca said that he was doing much better. Since then he has been diagnosed with an enlarged heart and other things. Quate', my little buddy, the little dude is a pro at making me feel guilty when I leave town. He sulks, he pouts, he slinks about and let's me know that I am terrible for leaving him once again. The only nice thing is when I return home he is equally as happy to see me and lets me know that as well. This day I just felt so sorry for the "poor little dude."

Birthday Bowling

2010-09-28T14:15:00.007-06:00

For Rachel's birthday she wanted to go bowling as a family. So we headed to Fat Cats and had lunch and then bowled. Rebecca brought a bag of skittles and added challenge to the game for all of us. With each color that you drew from the bag you had to bowl a certain way, backwards, through your legs, with your opposite hand...it made the game twice as long but a lot of fun. We laughed a lot and it was fun to be together. We missed Jessica and her family but they were all at home fighting colds, the boys would have had a great deal of fun with this game I am sure.

He got the spare but ended up on the ground.
My attempt to try a spare backwards, ha ha!
I think Reb got a little tired of the camera!

Happy birthday! It was a fun day.

CATCH UP TIME!!!!!!!!! December 2009

2010-09-27T19:33:00.012-06:00

The holidays are always a special time but this year was so full and so exciting that it's hard to write about it for fear I might miss something. I pulled pictures off of my file as I saw them so they aren't in any specific order. It was a special month because of Tanner's blessing and being able to have Cyd and Nora for a week. We tried to fit as much as we could into such a short amount of time. I captured a lot of these pictures on the camera that Kerry gave me for Christmas. I treasure all of the family time that we had especially at such a significant time for each of us.

Sees candy and nuts always seem to be apart of the things that magically appear under the tree each year!
After Christmas we went to Kerry's mom's house for a family dinner and fun. We also celebrated Rachel's birthday. After dinner we talked, laughed, and some played games. Just watch out playing word games with Jessica, she will always win!
Quate' even got into the spirit of Christmas this year! He managed to find all of his presents under the tree without prompting. He played with the wrapping paper just like he used to when he was a little puppy it was fun to see after being so sick over the last year!!!!
Most of Kerry's Christmas was the WI. We've had fun playing it at various homes over the year so it was time for one of our own. It was fun to watch everyone get into it.

My silly family!!! I sure love them.
The month started with this little guy's blessing and we are sure enjoying him. He had just begun to smile and laugh out loud and so it was fun to hear him with that little giggle.
When Cydney and Nora arrived we all got together at Rosemarie's house for dinner. Whenever or wherever we get together someone almost always ends up on the floor talking. These two were getting to know Nora better.
Sister's loving each others babies!
The current picture with all of the Grand kids.
His first preschool Christmas program, isn't he a cutie?
Love that sweet smile on that kindergartner, his program was also very cute.
We all spent the morning in our respective homes doing our family thing and then we all gathered at our house for more family gifts and of course our traditional seafood dinner.

There was quite a bit of snow during the month and these two couldn't resist getting out in it and playing a little.

It seemed like they had just gotten there when they had to leave again.
Old friends!
Tanner Claus

Cousins meeting for the first time, don't you love that great big kiss?
During the time she was here I had my camera on her a great deal of the time, such a cutie. I just loved when she would tug on my pant leg and hold her arms up to me to be picked up...
One of the highlights that began the month was to go and see Rachel play with the American Fork Symphony. It was fun to see and hear her play the bassoon again.
What a terrific month, we are really blessed.

Arrgh! Slippin' Away!!!

2010-06-30T00:23:00.004-06:00

Ol' Norrington's guards still be takin' me out fer ta taunt me with the progress they be a makin'.

She be a purty sight fer these eyes. I still be workin' on that mutt. Hope be a fadin' now though as seems they be done afor this week be up.

Arrrgh! Imprisoned!

2010-06-27T20:06:00.004-06:00

Arrgh! I be welterin' in Admiral Norrington's brig fer the past fortnigh'! I nearly were in control o' the Pearl, but alas, ol' Norrington was a crafty bloke and he had too many guards an' one of em nabbed me afor I could make my git away!

Now I sits in the brig all day and watches as the blokes finsih fittin' up my Pearl.

Once a day, they lets me out in chains and drags me poor carcase up where I can see 'er better. I 'spect it be ta taunt me, I do.

But I got me a trick up me sleeve! I be slowly makin' friends with this wee mutt. I figure I can git 'im to brings me the keys. . . .

End of an Era

2010-06-23T09:39:00.003-06:00

We have been in this house for seventeen years now and they have been our neighbors all of that time. Tonight we said goodbye over the fence for the last time. They are going to be in new York as Mission President over the Rochester Mission, lucky missionaries and what an appropriate place for them to serve! I had cried as I listened to them talk and as the closing song in sacrament was "God Be With You Till We Meet Again." It is weird to think that this era is over. I hadn't been emotional about selling the house until this last week. Of course it isn't sold and I have so much to do but I have been emotional none the less.

It felt strange to say Goodbye knowing we may never see them again. It feels weird that we are in such a different phase of life than when we first met them. At the same time it feels good to be moving forward into that next phase.

Bye Jack and Melanie we love you guys.

Ugly Face Contest

2010-06-22T15:15:00.006-06:00

A few years ago our neighbor and good friend Jack Christianson taught some of our girls a game he liked to play called the "Ugly Face Contest." It even took place at girls camp. As adults some of my girls continue to play this game. When Tanner was blessed our family stayed around Dave and Natalie's house to be together, before long I noticed that Cydney and Rebecca had my camera playing with it and laughing hysterically. It didn't take very long for me to realize what they were doing and about 50 pictures later some of the evidence was found. These are the times that I absolutely love because they create such fun memories. We were all laughing pretty hard and wishing that others had stuck around to join in the fun.

And so it begins.
It didn't take very long for Caleb to catch on to the game and he laughed as hard as the rest of us.
Who's behind the camera, I don't think it was me.

He liked this game a lot...

What have we created?

...........

I can't believe they even got me involved!

Self portraits?!!!!!!

Okay so I guess that you had to be there to fully appreciate it but it was really fun to watch and a great memory of time together.

Love the normal smiley faces as well!

Ok love the silly ones too!

No More Teens!

2010-06-21T12:33:00.004-06:00

I have MANY blessings in my life but one that I am grateful for is Rebecca! I knew she was meant to be in our family long before I even knew she was really on her way. When she was born she was this quiet shy little thing that was glued to my hip. One year (I think when she was about 14) for Christmas all she wanted was a guitar, what we didn't know was the girl that was about to emerge as a result of that guitar. For some reason the guitar brought out the entertainer in her and our life has been filled with such laughter and fun as a result of that. She is a riot to be around, never a dull moment! I love her sensitivity and caring way, watch out if you are picking on the underdog!!!!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday Reb!

(My only complaint about her is that I can't get a decent picture of her because she is always pulling a face at me when I point the camera at her!)

She couldn't wait for me to round the corner and she her hanging over the edge of a cliff in Zion"s National Park and see my reaction. Love that smile!

See what I mean about the faces!

She loves to be with her sisters and together as a family. And the teasing has definitely been extended to the brothers-in-law believe me.

We all love you!

Farewell Mates!

2010-06-10T02:42:00.003-06:00

There she be mates! Me thought fer a moment the scurvy rogues 'ad sailed her away.

She be all fitted out and ready fer the masts ta be set, she is.

She be mighty fine quarters fer this Cap'n. Come first light in the marnin' I be a takin' her. If'n you don' see me within a two days, then this be Farewell fer I be in Davy Jone's Locker!

Mutiny!!

2010-06-05T23:57:00.007-06:00

Arrrgh!! Me crew marooned me on this blighted Isle! I be lay'n low watchin' the Pearl. Rumor be that inside a fortnigh' they be goin' ta float 'er ag'in and then I makes me move ta git me ship back!

Thar she be!

What be that on the bowsprit? Arrgh! She be the terror of the high seas when she be ready to sail agin!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart

2010-06-02T14:32:00.005-06:00

As we drove home from Zions' National Park yesterday I had some quiet time to listen to John Denver as I drove. I actually became pretty reflective as I listened to the words of many of the songs on the CD. Over the years his song "For You" has become one of my very favorite. He only played the piano occasionally in concert and he wrote this one and played it. You can hear the passion as he sings and plays it and it was amazing to watch him perform it live. But as I listened I realized even more how much it expresses the way that I feel about this guy pictured here. My best friend and sweetheart. I am so enjoying the time we have together and when he's gone I can't wait for him to come home. Happy Birthday Sweetheart. I love you so very much.

"For You"
Just to look in your eyes again
Just to lay in your arms
Just to be the first one always there for you
Just to live in your laughter
Just to sing in your heart
Just to be everyone of your dreams come true
Just to sit by your windows
Just to touch in the night
Just to offer a prayer each day for you
Just to long for your kisses
Just to dream of your sighs
Just to know that I'd give my life for you.

For you all the rest of my life
For you all the best of my life
For you alone, only for you.

Just to wake up each morning
Just to you by my side
Just to know that you're never really far away
Just a reason for living
Just to say I adore
Just to know that you're here in my heart to stay.

For you all the rest of my life
For you all the best of my life
For you alone, only for you.

Just the words of a love song
Just the beat of my heart
Just the pledge of my life, my love for you.

John Denver

Findin' the Pearl

2010-05-17T00:42:00.008-06:00

Step lively lads! We be about ta turn the tables on Admiral Norrington, we do!

But Cap'n! Me feet be killin' me. Tha' curs'd Admiral is gonna pay fer drivin' our ship aground clear round 't other side o' the island! Mark my word - I be gonna make 'im pay, I is.

Cap'n!! Look! It be the Pearl way over yonder, shore's I be a pirate!

Good job lads!

Here, step aside so's I can put me glass on her! That be her alright! We gotta pick 'em up and put 'em down now lads, if we be there 'fore night.

Blimey! Thar's landlubbers everywhere. Th' whole town be turned out ta see the Pearl today!

Quick mates! Th' sentry be gone from 'is post! Le's see if we kin git 'round t' other side 'n really git a look at 'er!

Aye! She be a purty sight now mates! She aint looked near this good fer years.

Cap'n! Look at th' bridge. She's gonna be a looker she is.

Aye mates! Thar's th' wheel whar I be steerin' the ship from. She be a sweet ship fer shore!

Arrgh!! The sentry's be a comin'! Gather 'round lads this be it!

Beam us up Scotty! Oops! Wrong movie!

"Surprise Guys"

2010-05-13T01:12:00.003-06:00

When Cydney, Ken and Nora were visiting from Kansas City we had a few opportunities to be together as a family. One of those was for "Second Sunday Dinner." It was fun to watch and listen to everyone as we sat around the dinner table. At the end of the meal Kerry came into the dining room with a "for sale by owner" sign and asked who wanted to help him put it up in the front yard. The reaction was a lot of fun for everyone but one who was a little sad.

And so we went outside and proceeded to place the sign in the front yard.
Rebecca was the only one who knew and believe me it has been a hard secret to keep. (Rebecca and I have been looking at lots for quite awhile so she knew when we found the right one.) We just wanted to have everyone together when we made the announcement.

We will be building a home south of Lehi. First comes the sale of the current home and then we will start to build. Wow am I excited.

(now comes the reaction of neighbors and ward members!)

Getting there!

2010-05-10T23:06:00.003-06:00

This picture is one of my favorite for many reasons. The time I have with Kerry here in Honolulu is priceless and I love discovering new things and places with him. As a mom I thought that there would always be kids around and life would be hectic and crazy. Well the kids are all grown up and life is still crazy and hectic but life is good. As I began blogging I realized there were few pictures of me, mostly because I most often have the camera but a major reason is that I simply didn't like the image I saw of myself. We made this hike to Diamond Head as I was already beginning to work on making changes in my diet and starting to exercise more. So this picture is kind of a symbol to me that I was ready to take better care of myself, lose weight and get in better shape.

The beginning!
Though this is difficult to see there is a sea turtle in this picture. Despite my horrible fear of water I found myself snorkeling in the ocean and we found this turtle just before we quit for the day. (Kerry was very patient with me and helped me become more comfortable with the water, while I don't think I will become his dive buddy at least I can experience some of what he sees!)

Yep, that's me snorkeling, believe it or not. A picture is worth a thousand words isn't that what they say?

While I still have a few pounds to take off, I keep adding to my goal, I actually don't mind having my picture taken like I did. I feel great. My goal for inches around the waist in an inch away, and I'm now changing that goal as well.
Hawaii has definitely been good for me!