Good Times

Heidi/Cinderella at a birthday party

Baby B in his Easter outfit

Amy at Baskins and Robbins working hard!

Easter fun

Heidi finally meets Brighton!

Baby B loves his grammy!

Dying lots and lots of eggs

We celebrated Adam's birthday before doing easter eggs. We had Easter up in Provo with everyone which was tons of fun.

Flooding--for the third time

The Newsons, our flood friends and water saviors, help for the third time!

The Newsons were joined by the Laytons in helping us in clearing out the basement. Thank you so much for helping us in our hour of need! Friends are a blessing!

Water water everywhere

Our basement flooded today for the THIRD time since we have been in this house, which averages out to once every 4 years. Instead of moving, we have flood. Usually this occurs in August, but April it is this time. Can we please be done with flooding? Third time and done? Once again the sheet rock is ripped up, carpet is gone, stuff everywhere in the house and garage, the smell of moisture and the sound of fans and humidifiers fill the air. I think we live under the Big Dipper, and it just keeps dumping water on us. Oh, we were draining the pool, but we really didn't want to drain it into the basement!!

Being a Grandma is the Best!

Cute little baby Brighton! He likes to snuggle under your chin, all tucked up!

Shani and Chris and Brighton, a cute little family!

Shani and Heather each holding their babies!

I think Shani looks great considering she went thru hours of labor, and then had a c section!

Well blogger friends, everything about being a grandma is great, except living away from the new little addition! It was so hard to leave and come home and know that the next time I see him he will have changed so much! It is the same intense baby love I felt for my own kids, but with a different twist. He smells so good, snuggles so nice, and makes the funniest faces! Of course he does all the newborn things, party all nite, sleeps all day, wants to eat but doesn't know how, poops all over you, but it is cute, the only time in his life it will be! I am grateful I made it up in time for the labor and the c section. Chris is so tender with Shani and the new baby, it was very sweet to see him take care of her in the hospital. Shani was a trooper and never complained, and is still all smiles even after staying up every nite since she had him! Brighton had a touch of jaundice and had to come home with "lites" to help, he was a glow in the dark baby, but is all better now! We are so thankful for the blessings of increased love and family, and to the Lord for getting our little Brighton safely here.

Heidi is 16!

Heidi is the big 1 6! Hard to believe that our baby is this old! She got heart attacked for her b-day, and also went to Bounce U for her big party! All the kids had lots of jump house fun, including me and Christy on the slide! Heidi had so much fun she is covered with bounce burns now! She even went on her first date, scarry!

Still looking for a winner!

We have two winners so far-- Julie and Amy wohoo! I already have an idea in mind for you two girlies, but we need one more. C'mon blogger friends, paying it forward is fun! You can do it!

I am a Winner!

I have won a blogging Pay It Forward contest! Wohoo! My friend Rebecca had a Pay It Forward contest on her blog, with the first three commenters winning a gift from her, and the opportunity to continue the contest on! So here are the rules, according to Rebecca:
1. Be one of the first Three (3) bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. (for myself, I use the word handmade loosely, anything that I make happen, is handmade!)
2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first 3 bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Post it on your blog; start your own 'Pay It Forward' chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! I will leave a list of names who were the first 3 on my blog as soon as I receive them! I have no clue what it is I will make you, lets see who the winners are first.
--So blogging friends, let the contest begin!! (I can't wait to see what I get from you, Rebecca, the queen of crafts!)

Heidi's singing debut

Heidi and her school friends performed Zero to Hero over the wknd in the schools Disney and Dinner program. The evening came complete with a line for dinner almost as long as the ones at Disney! Heidi and her friends performed wonderfully. Zach showed off his mad dance skills, and notice Alyssa's new hair cut. And yes, I did make the costumes! Heidi had a lot of energy, as usual, and sang very well! She continues in her "birthday" countdown to the big 16!!

Go look for lizards!

So the other day I am in one of my favorite stores, Target, looking around, and I see a clearance item that I just might have a place for. Quickly I use a lifeline, and call my hubby to see if he agrees with my plan. Upon finding out my location, he tells me: "Quick run, get out of there! That is an expensive place to be! You have obviously found what you are looking for and are now just wandering around. Go out in the desert and look for lizards. It is fun, and doesn't cost any money!" I am still laughing out loud about this "sage" advice!

Watermelon bellies

My father used to tell me when I was a little girl that if you ate watermelon seeds, you would get a big belly! then he would point out pregnant ladies, and say "see, she ate a LOT of watermelon seeds!" I was so paranoid of watermelons, and would carefully pick out each and every seed, he must have been laughing so hard! I bet he is smiling at his pregnant granddaughters, aren't they the cutest pregnant ladies ever?

Bringing sexy back

Doug's new Christmas hat, courtesty of Adam. When Adam told me he bought Doug a hat for christmas, I thought oh no, and I was right! Doug has a thing for hats that cover the ears! Here he is demonstrating that his newest hat also doubles as a communications aid device!

Doug and I at the tree in Bellagio, Kim, (friend of Amy's, Heidi, Adam, and Amy in front of the Bellagio waters. We had fun being tourists.

Santa did stop at our house, but more importantly, we had the spirit of our savior, Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for this special season in which the world stops to take notice of not only each other, but the birth of the Savior. May His spirit abide with us all!

Heather and Jordan, Shani and Chris during our 16 hrs together!

My mother joined us on Christmas day. My sister Beth and her family came as well. My mother had very good health during 2008, no hospital stays, hope 2009 goes well too!

Delivering Secret Santa presents to the neighbors!

Extended family celebration with Albright Family! Scott, Uncle Chris, Aunt Elaine, Heidi and Allie.

An all-bright Christmas!

Christmas is the most wonderful, magical, warm, bright, loving, and also stressful, packed full, and crazy time of the year!! Ours was great, just went by much much too quickly. We were all together at our house with everyone for a brief, 16 hr time slot, but we were lucky to have that as the married kids were at the in laws this year! We missed out on some family traditions, once again Heidi was too busy (perhaps too teenagerish!) to sleep under the tree, yet we brought back the 12 days of Christmas, bringing gifts to our neighbors on either side, and that was really fun to reach out to them, and get to know them better! Merry Christmas all the year thru, how many days left?

Snow in the desert!

Yep that's right, it snowed! Earlier I was driving in my car, with my seat heater on!, listening to Christmas carols, watching the snow come down thick, fat, and flaky thinking this is the coolest thing ever!!! Heidi and Alyssa played in the snow, had a snowball fight, and even threw one at me that hit dead on right after the last picture was taken! Snow in December, a special gift.

Pictures of us in front of our tree!

We had a very happy Thanksgiving, with both Doug's parents, and my mom joining us, as well as Beth and her kids. It was so fun having everyone home, playing frisbee golf, watching movies, shopping at 7 am (too early for me!), decorating the Christmas tree, and also eating at our family favorite--Macayo's!!

Family pics are finally here!

We took these at the Spanish Fork golf course over Conference. It was so fun to be together!!