Happy Birthday Danette

Happy Birthday Danette, love this picture of you! It was so fun having you here in Nov. and Dec. and to get to know your two little cuties. I know as we become mom's birthdays are not what they were when we were young. But just know that you are thought of and loved very much by us. (mom and dad) You are a great daughter, wife, mother and every other role that you are in. We love you and wish you a very Happy Birthday.
Now alittle about Danette, she was the one that decided to come very early in the morning. Just after midnight, and I waited a little to long to get to the hospital so no time to give me anything for the pain of labor. I had her all naturelle. Can say that I didn't like that much. But had an adorable baby. She was walking at 10 months she was not in a hurry like my other ones who walked at 8 and 9 months. But that is our Danette, not in a hurry. She was one of two that had two sets of stitches I am still trying to figure that one out because she was not real active and both where on her head. She was my one to totally entertain herself and loved just being alone in her room. I always teased that if I was going to ever ground her I would have to ground her by making her leave the house and go play with her friends. She was very content to be home and in her room doing what ever. Until of coarse, she became a teenager and driving then she would spend time in St. George with her friends. She waited and married her missionary and has a cute but active little family. (Not sure how she got such active little kids, must be from Chads side) :) Love ya Danette!!

7 Months, I miss you dad !!!!!

Just been thinking of my dad today and thought I would post this picture, I MISS holding that hand. Not that I got to hold it to often in the past 25 years since living in Leeds, but when I was at his house I would always find it laying on the sheets of his bed or out in the green house with dirt under his nails. It seems that the tears are coming less and less and with time I know it will get much better. When I call home I do miss that grumbly voice on the other end asking how the kids are doing. Love ya Dad!

Happy Birthday Daniel

It's Daniel's 22nd birthday, I can't believe he is 22 years old. Time certainly flies by way to fast. We feel very blessed to have him in our family. He always brings with him fun and humor, the room he enters is always brighter. I am grateful for the man that he is becoming. Lets go back a few years say about 21 1/2 years. He had ear infections one right after the other. We rocked and rocked to get him to sleep and then he would sleep for about 30 mins. How he was able to walk at 8 months is beyond me with all the ear problems the Ear Dr. was even surprised he was walking so early. At 10 mo. he had tubes put in to help with the infections, well I can say he was in the percentile that only helped alittle we still had to battle them just not as frequent. When he was about 18 mo. we were at Lake Powell and he decided to be a hot coal walker. We were getting ready to leave that day and we had set him down away from the coals, along way away and continued to pack things. Well I turned to see how he was doing and he had gotten up and was headed for the hot coals. I began yelling his name I could see what was going to happen and I started running and yelling his name. Just as I got to him he had stepped one foot in and the toes of the other foot. I grabbed him and ran him to that wonderfully sterile water "Lake Powell" he was screaming and I looked down at his feet to see that the skin was hanging from his one foot (sorry to be so graphic) it was a horrible sight to see. To shorten the story gave him a blessing and drove him to Page AZ to the little clinic they had there. They dressed his feet and called a head to a plastic surgeon here in St. George. He was crying and trying to step out of his feet. It was a very long ride home that day. I know that the blessing really didn't calm him at the time but the Dr. thought for sure he would have to have skin graphs and because of that blessing his feet healed and he has had no repercussions to this very day. I am thankful for Priesthood blessings. To move on to when he was 8 he had climbed the rain gutter on the side of our house and made it just about to the roof when the rain gutter came apart and he feel to the side walk and hit his head. Off to the hospital again with him. He was in the hospital for 3 days with a concussion seeing double and had a very mushy head. Oh there are others but these are the major ones. Needless to say I am very grateful that I have been able to raise him to this point now it is Chantelle's job to finish with him. He married a wonderful girl whom we love as our own. We love you Daniel!!!!!!!

The after math

Can I just say how very very quiet it is around my house. For two months we had laughter, crying, screaming and every other sound that cute little ones make. Oddly enough I miss all those sounds. We had a great time being together, I love the Christmas season it is my favorite time of the year. I have to say that I did miss talking with my Dad this year, I am just grateful that my mom is still here, with her illness she had, we about lost her in September and I am so very grateful I still have her here and I could talk with her. Having all my family around really helped keep my mind off of how much I miss Dad. It is very hard losing a parent, never imagined it would be so hard. But with the faith and knowledge that I have that I can see our loved ones again, does ease the pain. I miss hearing him give my kids or grand-kids a knuckle sandwich, he was famous for knuckle sandwiches when the kids were acting up or maybe just because they were standing there. I am ready to start this new year and hoping that it will be a better one, I am not to fond of 2009 with the exception of Daniel returning home, Lucas being born and Chantelle joining our family. Here's to 2010.
I miss you Dad!!!!!

The best family ever

Love this Family. We were all together this year for Christmas so we were able to take a new family picture. It was needed, we have had a few additions to the family since our last pic was taken before Daniel went on his mission. It was a great two months starting with Daniel's wedding Nov. 6 then moved on to Thanksgiving then Christmas. We had a great time.

Fun in December

We had a great time making Gingerbread houses this year, we were just missing the Ogden family, that would have made it a perfect night had they been here with us but it was near perfect. Everyone had fun decorating their houses with their own ideas. There are more fun pic of this on my facebook.

Park, Snow and Santa

We have been having fun with Danette and the kids, we have been to the park a couple of different times and different parks. We met Joan, Shelli and her two cuties at the Hidden valley park. Then we GOT SNOW (yuck) but Carly and Sam had fun playing in the snow on Monday. Then Tues night we went to see Santa at Brittany's club house, Carly was not into getting to know Santa at all! I was so surprised because she is the friendliest little girl I know, but she was not going to talk, look or sit on Santa. Santa was handing her a candy cane and I had to drag her up to his hand so she could take it and that was a chore she didn't even want the candy from him. Oh well maybe next year. Sam wasn't to sure either but Danette sat him down on Santa's lap before he knew what was going on. Brittany's two went to him pretty easy Raylie hesitated for a minute but went forward with the task of sitting on the big guys lap. And you can see Lucas, that's what he thought of Santa he fell asleep, was not interested in the least.