Life and a Vegas retreat!!

It's been a while since my last post, life has been normal for the empty nesters. Ron goes to work, to meetings, or when home, he is in his office working on bids, church agenda's and such!!
For me, I have started a little business "Forever Flowers" I enjoyed so much doing Sharies wedding flowers that I thought "why not make a little money on the side" in doing something I enjoy!!
I am on my 5th wedding now, (my 3rd was just the bouquet and boutonniere), but have enjoyed creating and occuping my time with something I enjoy. You can see all my flowers on my Facebook "Forever Flowers" page.,

Since my last post we have enjoyed a week at one of our timeshare places, in Vegas, it was nice because it was close but yet still felt like time away. I was enjoying my time so much that I really didn't even take many pictures (I forgot my camara) all I had was my phone so I did manage to take a few with my phone.  Friday March 29th Sharise and Craig, Ron and I arrived in Vegas, Saturday was pool time, and of coarse we listen to a long presentation about timeshare, but we got a free lunch out of it that day and $100.00 to eat anywhere in the South Point, which was fine with us because they have a Steak and Shake (its very tasty) which was one of Dan's favorite places in GA on his mission. Easter Sunday came, it was a different Easter but nice, the four of us attended Sacrament meeting.  Then Dan and Chantelle and little Haiven joined us. Then the Isom joined us for a couple days and we all enjoyed the pools. Wednesday came and I found myself there all by myself. Ron had a meeting tues night that he needed to be to and the last of them left Wed morning.
So being the Sun worshiper that I am, took that oppertunity to enjoy the sun down by the pools, but not with out alittle bit of worry on the side. My mom had gone in to have a battery replace in her pace maker that morning, so I laid in the sun, wondering how things were going in SLC. Mom called a little after 1 pm, she was home and doing well, so that last hour or so of laying in the sun, was worry free!!!!!!  After the sun worshiping I decided I would take a nice long bath in the jacuzzi, ahhhhh that was nice. I then wanted to go to the Factory stores, so I went to the front desk to see if their shuttle bus went there, but nope just to the casinos. She did give me the city bus schedule and mapped out where to catch it from there and at the factory stores. So that is just what I did. It was a little bit of a walk from the condo to the bus stop but it was a beautiful day, not to hot but lots of sunshine, so I took a bus ride to the stores, and looked around for a bit, found a shirt I liked and then decieded I would head back. Ron was on his way back to Vegas, so I went to the spot the lady had told me, right in front of a 7 Eleven, I went in to 7 Eleven  just to make sure the bus stop was there, and the gal told me yes and said the # of the bus that was to pick up there. So I had about 15 mins before the bus was to come. I people watched while waiting for the bus. Well the time came and went and no bus. I had been standing there for about 45 min when a couple came and asked if this was the bus stop and I said yes that is what I was told, but I have been here for 45 min. The next scheduled time was coming up, well guess what, that time came and went. I really was not to worried because I knew Ron was almost there so he could just come and get me. But can I tell you that standing on a street corner (on the strip) in Vegas really is not my idea of fun!!!!!!! Ron called, I explained where I was, we offered a ride to the couple that ended up waiting with me, they were headed in our same direction.
The Ogden family then joined us, we then enjoyed the pools with them. On Friday went to the Hoover dam. What an amazing bridge they have built across that area.  On saturday we returned to St. George to enjoy time with those at home and to listen to conference. There is nothing better than spending time with family. I love it!!!!!
I have a few pic I will post of our fun times in Vegas.

Those are the few pictures I took, didn't get everyone that was there, my old brain needs to remember to take pictures!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Rae Rae!!!!!

I know it is the night of your birthday but it is still considered your birthday even if it is almost over.
I had the opportunity to watch spend time with the Ogden children this week while Desirae and Mark went to one of Gods many Paradise' and then ended up getting to spend her birthday with her.
Probably mentioned this before for but she always called herself the trial child being the oldest. I think we did a dang good job with this trial child if I don't say so myself. Her nick name is and has always been Rae Rae because when she first started talking and try saying her name that is how it came out Rae Rae and it has stuck with her to this day, most of her nieces and nephews have called her that.
Desirae always entertained herself from the time she was very small until she left home. (I'm sure she still does!!)

Being the oldest it came with many responsibilities, it gave her the ticket to be the second in command after her mother, of course.  She was a very responsible little girl, I could leave her in charge of many tasks and they would get done, all but for keeping her room clean!!  :) She now is a very organized person and her house top to bottom is organized. 

She loved to sing and dance and preform for any and all that would listen and watch. To this day she still loves to sing and play the piano and does a fantastic job of it.

She has grown to be a wonderful wife and mother and a very thoughtful daughter and sister. She is a preschool teacher and has had many 3 and 4 years old learning from her and the children love her to pieces.

I dislike the fact that her sweet family is not living closer,  but love the fact that we can call and text any time to keep in touch.

We are so very thankful that her journey with cancer is over and that she is still here with us to enjoy her sweet spirit, for many years to come. 

We love you Desirae and your sweet family, so thankful for the opportunity that we have of being  your parents.

 This is the sweet picture of Desirae last year on her birthday two days after her surgery!!!!

This is today, a year later!!!!!

 

LOVE YOU!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY

Finally getting to this birthday blog for Brit the night of her birthday, My house has been a little busier than normal, so I haven't been able to do this until now. But would like to wish Brittany a very happy birthday, even though she had to spend it in the hospital with her little guy.
I made the trip into the ER with her last Saturday late evening and being that Kaiden's O2 was in the mid to low 80's they admitted him to the hospital, to start this long week stay in a box with a crib and a bed. With a diagnoses of RSV and metapneumovirus.
A shout out to this birthday girl, who was wanting nothing more than to have her little man discharged today for her birthday and it didn't happen.  We are hoping soon.

Brit has always been one who could bring life to the party, with her many impressions of movie quotes, my personal favorite the wicked witch from  The Wizard of OZ.
She was a very active child and one that I had a hard time keeping up with. She has a few just like her, I keep telling her that if I knew that a mothers curse really worked I wouldn't have cursed her quit so hard with having children just like her.  :)
I really wished I had been better at tracking her when she was little with the funny things that she would do and say, but unfortunately I was not, and she has her baby book so I can't even look them up right now of the ones I did. She also was a little child who would crave anything that said sugar on the package, she was a candy lover from the start.
One day she was challenged to eat a bowl of brown sugar, and she did and yes it made her sick!!!
She was our cute little strawberry blonde, sunkissed face, gruff little voice girl.

She is very patient with her active little ones, is a great wife and mother.
She has certainly earned her mothers badge the past 8 months with Kaiden starting out in the NICU for 11 days, having retracting problems along the way, a trip to the ER then. Having a couple seizures and a nights stay in the hospital and now this 5 day stay so far.
Brit we wish you a very Happy Birthday, we love you and are so grateful that we get to see you on a daily bases!!!
Love You
A couple of real recent picture. 

 Brit cuddling her little man

Today holding Kaido has he was playing with grandpa

 



Happy Birthday Danette

I love this picture of Momma Danette and her crazy kiddo's.  It is so fun seeing your children grow and become a parent. Seeing all the different personalities that come in that next generation. Danette was my calm, mild manner child, she loved to spend time alone in her bedroom, so thus living on her big farm with nothing around her but space and animals is the way I could see her living.
When she was young she loved animals and every creeping crawling critter she could find.
The funny thing about her was she loved going without shoes year round (grateful we moved to So. UT) but she was the shoe queen, she loved her shoes at the same time. She always wanted to go shoe shopping as a little girl, but when we would get there she could not make up her mind on which shoes to buy, which made for very long shopping outings. 
Danette is a very good mommy, she is patient but yet firm with her cute kids.
We all wonder where her kids came from because as I stated before, she was the calm one of the family and she has two very active kids and I am sure that Miss Annie will follow suit right behind the other two. (Must be from the Mclane side)  :)
It is hard having them live so far away, but it does make for some very fun vacations.  :)
Thank you Danette, for always being an example to everyone, you have a great family and we miss you everyday, but we are so happy that you are happy and healthy.
We LOVE you!!!!!

Happy 25th to our man cub!!!!!!!

I am just a little late in posting this birthday blog for Daniel Son, but it is still January so I figure I am ok.  It has been so fun watching him become a Daddy! He and his cute wife have a cute little munchkin that looks and acts just like her daddy did. 
When Daniel returned home from his mission (Atlanta GA North mission) he started up his window cleaning business,  he has built it into a great little company that is providing for their cute family.  But Daniels big passion is videography, he has also started up his own production company. (Cyprus Rock Production)
From the time Dan was very young he has loved to video tape things, he would write little plays and then recruit neighbor boys to come and act out his play, or he would have his younger sister staring in his plays or talk shows. He now is writing, staring in, videoing and editing many different things around St. George! He is doing a great job, my favorite little clip that he has created is this (find" the new partner") He has a very creative mind, his brain is constantly in motion thinking of new creative things to write or video tape.  He took first place this year in the Christmas Short film competition, writing and editing the short film. If you go to  vimeo.com/cypressrock and look for  "The Gift"
We as his parents are excited to see where his talent will take him. We feel blessed to have him as our Son, we love you Son!!!

                   Took this picture from their blog page, I love it!!!

Off to Texas and SLC for Christmas!!

12-12-12 has arrived and we were off to Texas with anticipation for two reason, anticipating the fun times we will be having when we arrive there, and anticipating Desirae's surgery with hope in our hearts for her safe and speedy recovery.  I am so pleased to announce that all went well with her surgery and she is home now and on the road to recovery!!! This mom is so glad that this journey of hers has turned out the way that it has, we love you Des!!
Danette was at the airport to pick us up with two other cute little faces in the van with her.  The third cute little face was in school.  It is always fun to be with our family where ever they are. We have had fun thus far just spending time with this family we don't see often.  We have some fun things planned, Carly will be out of school early today for the Christmas break.  I have been wanting to come to TX at Christmas time ever since Danette told me about a place in Collage Station that have fun Christmas lights, I love the Christmas season and the spirit it brings, love the music and lights, so I am excited to go there.
Some of the fun things that took place, we had Christmas early with the Mclanes, had fun opening presents,  we drove to the Katy Mills mall, and ate lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe, the kids love that place and I really like that mall, it is a mall in the round.  We drove to Galveston in the moter home and took the ferry across to an island, played on the beach, yes played on the beach the middle of December it was 77 degrees that day and it was absolutely beautiful.  Ron and I took Chad's new red convertible for a drive and it was a pretty day and a pretty drive. My favorite thing, we went to see the Christmas lights, that night was warm no jackets needed, it was fun seeing all the lights having dinner there and watching the kids see Santa. It was fun visiting with the Mclane family before Christmas.  The morning we were to leave, little Sam had an emergency, he split his head open and Ron and Chad took him to the insta care. Our flight was to leave Houston to SLC and then to Cedar and everybody was going to meet in Cedar for Logans birthday for dinner. For some reason when I looked at the time to leave I read it wrong, so we were thinking all along that we were to be at the airport at 4:30 (which was the time we left SLC) when I got online to check in, to our horrible surprise our flight was to leave at 2:15 and it was 1:15 at the time. Long story short we ended up flying out later that day into St. George so because it was a different flight we had to pay another full price ticket.  Merry Christmas to us!!!
We made it home late that night and Sharise was there to pick us up and take us home.
By Saturday Ron had found the flu/cold bug from somewhere and was not feeling good at all, and when he stayed home from all Church meeting on Sunday, we knew he was not feeling good.  By Monday that bug decided to jump on board with me, our plans for Christmas was to go up to SLC on Christmas day and spend time with the Ogdens, we had presents to take up to our parents and we had tickets to the Donny and Marie show on Fri, and was wondering what we should do.  In talking with Des she said that they had already had it so we decided to head up, we had a laid back Christmas and on Wednesday we went to see Les Mis, I know I was out there infecting everybody, I did keep my sanitizer at hand and coughed into my coat, that works right? Thursday I spent most of the day downstairs, my cold had hit my sinus' and I was feeling miserable, got a blessing that night and was feeling better by Fri in time to go to the Donnie and Marie show, it was so good I loved it.  The kids gave the tickets to me for my birthday, Thank you all my children for the wonderful present.
It was so fun spending time with each of our little families for Christmas this year. Now for picture overload.

 

 

Rainforest Cafe!!

Galveston, beautiful day!! 

Christmas lights, I absolutely loved this place!!!

opening presents with the Isoms, Tippets and Fowlks

Our Christmas jammies 2012

Opening presents at the Ogdens

Love the snowy mountains

Didn't get pic of these cute kids opening presents, but I love this picture of them.

Now on to 2013, lets see what it has to offer!!

Disneyland and Turkey Day!!

What a wild and crazy week we had, starting with Sunday Nov. 18th. Ron and I had planned on joining the Ogden family on their family vacation to Disneyland.  They surprised their kids with this fun vacation. Our plan was to attend Sacrament meeting and then head for Cali.  I received a call from Brit just as Sacrament was starting with some not so fun news about our little Kaido man, to make a long story short our little guy had two seizures with the first one he stopped breathing and Brit had to give him a rescue breath, which got him breathing again. The second one lasted until they they arrived at the hospital. Stayed the night for observation.
With Brit and little Kaido man in the hospital we decided we would still head to Cali and meet up with Des and her family. Knowing that we could turn around if we needed to head back or come home early if we needed too!
The Odgens had made it all the way to Vegas before they told the kiddos where they were going, and I just have to laugh because there response was "I thought we were having Thanksgiving in St. George." but they were a little hungry at the time so after their belly's were fed they got alittle more excited about going to Disneyland.  Ron and I arrived  around 10:30 and went to bed for a long fun day on Monday.

These are the faces of this family having an awesome time at the Happiest Place on Earth!!!!

Monday we spent our day in Disneyland and was able to hit all the rides we wanted to except for Indiana Jones, they were closed down.  It was very packed Mon. but we managed to make it to the rides we wanted to.

This is why we were able to get on the rides that we wanted with out much of a wait. Because the past 15 months my Oldest baby girl has been through some very rough times. With surgeries, Chemo radiation and did I mention surgeries, she has been through so many with one more coming up in Dec. it has left her with low energy which is so very hard to see because she has always been so energetic and on the go.  I know that she will get it back but will take some time. We just feel so very blessed that she is doing so good and still here to be the wonderful wife and mother that she is.  Well anyway someone had told Des about a special pass that she could get with the rental of a wheelchair, and thus the fast entrances onto the rides.  



 

We of course went on Star tours and they dump you right into the gift shop, anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE Yoda, they had the most awesome Yoda backpack that I really wanted to buy, but really $60.00 for a Yoda backpack at my age, I just couldn't spend that much money. So I had Emma take a picture of me with his ears on.  We stayed to watch Fantasmic and the Holiday fireworks, I think I loved those two the most, Fantasmic was done on the water and a fun light show and then the Holiday fireworks were beautiful done to Christmas music, this is my second time at Disneyland during the Holidays and is my very favorite, I love the lights, the music and just all that the Christmas spirit brings with it.

Here is our second day that we spent in California Adventure, less people there and again were able to get on all the rides we wanted even Cars Land twice.  We didn't ride the ferris wheel because that line was long and it takes fooooorrrrever to get that thing around and get people on and off, but I was not heart broken because out of all the rides that one scares me the most!!!!!!  Weird I know.

Loved Tower of Terror, our poor little Ellie was so big and brave she really didn't want to go on the ride but she humored us and went on but had her face buried in her Mommy's lap the whole time, and when we returned to the motel she really didn't want to get on the elevator to go up to our room.



 



 

By tues. night this Grandma was one worn out grandma, I ached in parts of my body that I didn't know could ache. But so worth it to see the excitement of our grandkids. Thank you Odgens for the fun time and hotel that we were able to crash in.

Wed. morning came to quick and we were headed home after saying good by to the kids for their third day to go between the parks.  We were a little worried about the heavy Holiday traffic, but we breezed through until we arrived in Vegas and of course there were a few accidents on I15 there to slow traffic down a bit. But we made it home and stopped to see our little Kaido man to see how he was, so far so good no more seizure. I crashed when I got home, so worn out. Thursday morning brought an unfamiliar Thanksgiving no Turkey to cook today because we were to celebrate it on Fri when the Odgens got into town.  We went shopping for all the goods went out to eat with the Isom family and did a few preparations for Fridays dinner.  I feel so bad I didn't get any picture of our Thanksgiving dinner but with the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything prepared I was just glad my body was letting me accomplish what I needed to. We had a great time with most of our family here, Mclanes did not make it from TX because they were her in Oct for the wedding, we missed them.  Saturday the Odgens left and some of us went to our traditional holiday movie to see "The Rise of the Guardians" cute movie.

Which brought us to Sunday and we celebrated Chantelles birthday, so more family time which I love. When Monday arrived I think I stayed in my PJ's all day and did a little cleaning and putting away the Thanksgiving decorations.

Back in Oct after the wedding I caught a very nasty cold which I haven't had in a long time because I take my Vitamin D3  :)  But this one hit me really hard and lasted the normal 10 to 14 days, the nasty nose and sinus pain went away but I have had a slight cough since then not a bad one but just one that is annoying. Started feeling heaviness in my chest before we went to Disneyland but pretty much tried to will it away. Well, after not being able to bring up the tubs for my decorations on Monday with out huffing and puffing and having to sit down in between doing everything, I decided I would break the bank and go see a Dr. $150.00 later I was told that my cold had turned in to an infection in my bronchial tubes, which I would call bronchitis, but then I am not the Dr., he was kind enough to give me a breathing treatment with no charge, it was so nice to be able to breath again. :-p That explains my total exhaustion for the past month!

My Christmas shopping is complete, and we are ready for a trip to TX in Dec to see the Mclanes, so bring on Christmas, my favorite time of the year!!!!!!