Grandma Pearl turns 90

What a fast weekend.  We left early Saturday morning to arrive in time to change clothes and go straight to the church to help celebrate Grandma Pearl's 90th birthday.  It was really nice to see everyone.  My parents drove down from Washington to be there for the celebration as well.  We visited and  caught up at the church for several hours then went to dinner with my parents. After dinner we headed to the hotel pool with my dad and they all played Marco Polo.  They girls had a great time with my dad.  They were very tired by the time they got into bed.  Sunday we woke up early and headed home, there was suppose to be a snow storm on the way home, but luckily we didn't get any snow on the drive.  It may have been a really fast weekend, but it was packed with memories and lots of fun.  

 Uncle Don, Aunt Debbie, Grandma Pearl, my Dad, and

Uncle Stan

 Grandma Pearl's children and their spouses

My little family with my parents

The girls in the pool with my dad and Ward

Reflections

After the Solo Ensemble I took the girls up to see

Jodi in the hospital.  We had a really great visit.  It

had been nice talking to her on the phone getting a text

during the day but to walk in and see her for myself 

was a relief.  We went on a little walk around the hospital 

catching up and see some great sight in the hospital.  While 

we walked around Jolene and Ashley had fun taking

pictures of themselves in anything that showed 

their reflections.  After we had been there for 

several hours we said our good byes and headed to the mall

to pick up some things the girls needed grab a snack and 

head for home, it had been a great day for us all.  

~Happy New Year~

It's the 2nd of January and we headed out on this amazingly

beautiful day for a drive in the mountains.  We headed out with

a direction in mind and where we would end up but not knowing

what we would find in between.  It was a perfect day in every way.

We saw some beautiful country we had never seen before, walked through

the snow in the middle of nowhere, saw this beautiful old church with

a bell tower, took some great pictures, bought cowgirl boots in a small town,

laughed, told stories, drank hot cocoa, and ended the day

with dinner together before heading home. 

It was a day I hope we never forget!

 

 

~Update

Trying to pick the color for the family room, kitchen and

dining room.  It is safe to say these three...

LOST!

Now to start again.

~Blessed~

So much has happened the last couple of weeks that have made me stopped and count my blessing, I have been reminded many times over that my little family is very blessed.

A couple of weeks ago Ward was offered a job, a really good job, but he already was employed and doing really well. He had no reason to accept the job, then he was given another offer and yet another one. At the time I thought it was great to have so many offers and to be employed, when so many are without work at this time.

A few weeks later Ward came home and said they told him there was no work, he wasn't laid off, there was still busy work, but it gave us both time to pause and really look at what the future held. It was time to make some hard decisions.

The first offer he was given was still on the table, he interviewed with the second offer and turned it down. The third offer was a little side job he can do at the same time he does his

full-time job.

Ward accepted the first offer and was very pleased with the agreed arrangements so

he is changing companies at the same time the kids were starting school.

The first week of school was a little crazier then normal with the new schedule to get use to.

After I got home from taking the girls to school, I sat back and took a deep breath, I am so grateful Ward works hard so I can be a stay at home mom. When the girls call I am here, when they need me I can be there, I can take them to lunch, I can be home with them when they are sick, I get to be their main influence before and after school.

Many times I have stopped during the day, overcome with emotion at how very blessed we are. We have work, we have a beautiful home, we have healthy children, who despite all the challenges thrown their way continue to choose the right.

I am very grateful.

I have been blessed.

~Love More~

I am starting to really like our entryway. I found this great website were the lady had written "love more" on a board and hung it above her door. I did ours in vinyl, much easier. I love how it turned out. I put it above both doors, the last thing we see as we leave our home. It is nice to see it and remember the importance of love and doing it more. We all want to be loved, so why not give it in order to receive it? I added a few pictures and sayings to the wall in the entry way that add to the meaning of our family. My family is the greatest treasure I have.

~Photo Shoot~

Do you ever have one of those days were you wish the day would never end? I had one today. We spent the morning together getting the house cleaned, them took off to go see the Falls. They are so beautiful in the winter partly frozen. While we were there we took lots of pictures of the girls hoping to find one for Jolene's birthday pictures. She dressed in her favorite sweatshirt and boots for her little photo shoot. We walked around the Falls getting some great pictures, enjoying the fresh air and each others company. We hiked a little behind the falls before it got to slippery, then headed back down and ended up going to lunch and laughed hard throughout the meal. There is never a dull moment when Ward starts to tease the girls. He had them laughing so hard Raychel had tears running down her cheeks. It was a perfect day!

This is the birthday picture

Raychel was determined to be in the picture

Such a little poser

I really love this man

more posing

Nice boots