So thankful

I have so much to be thankful for. This past weekend I was reminded once again how nice my life is. I love Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. I love spending time with my family, eating and remembering what I have to be thankful for. I took all of one picture on Thanksgiving and it is of the girls. I love these girls. I have been blessed to have so many great examples of women who are strong and faithful in the gospel. Thank you for your wonderful example and service to me.

The next day I woke up way too early because I had gone shopping for Black Friday on Thursday night and got home around 2:15 and got to sleep around 2:30. Jay came into my room around 7am and was so excited to make posters that day. Jay and I were laying  in bed and talking when Jays says "mom, lets get some breakfast." So I say, "what you are making me breakfast in bed?" That was all it took and Jay was off to the kitchen to make me breakfast. I had to get a shot of him walking in the door and what my breakfast was, a bread and butter sandwich, banana and a cup of milk. It was yummy and I love that Jay did this. I even got to stay in bed a little longer so I wasn't nearly as tired.

 Later that Friday we got to drive up to Prescott Valley for Abby's baptism. I didn't get any pictures of her but I did get a shot of my family. We had such a great time going to visit the Platts and hanging out with my family. We were fortunate to get to stay the night and had fun hanging out watching football and chatting. Karrie was a great host and I can't wait to go back to visit. I told her to expect me for weeks during the summer.

On Saturday we got to drive up to Flagstaff for the Show Low High School State Championship football game. Unfortunately they lost to Blue Ridge but we still had a great time cheering on the Cougars and hanging with Ryan's family. The Ricedorffs are great and always make me laugh.

I had such a great Thanksgiving weekend and I have so much to be grateful for.

football

We had a successful football season. Jack's team only lost two games and we thought they would go further in the playoffs but lost in the first round. Jack was bummed but we had a great time cheering him on. In one game when there were only five players Jack got to play the entire game and had two pick sixes. He loved it.

Jay's season was not as successful but you could see a difference in the players from the first game to the last. I don't think Jay won a game all season but he scored two touchdowns and in one game he says he pulled "like a 100 flags." The two times Jay scored a touchdown he says "I looked back and saw a kid coming to pull my flag so I turned on the jets so he couldn't get me." He was so fun to watch and I know we will be watching many more football games in the future.
Below are pictures of Jay playing football. He improved so much and had so much fun.

Jack was the quarterback and said at the beginning of the season he was going to be the "next Rathen Ricedorff." Gotta love the confidence.

From here to there

We have moved from here

To there about a quarter of a mile from our old house.

Halloween

Happy Halloween

We had a great Halloween. We went to my parents ward party and met up with my mom and Matt, Julie and her family and Joe and his family. I always love seeing the family. We ate yummy chili and great fry bread (I think I had 4 pieces of the fry bread, it was that good), and then went trick or treating around the neighborhood. It was great especially listening to Kate and Keelie call each other Tinkerbell and Annalise. Once we hit all of the houses we wanted in my parents neighborhood we went back to my own neighborhood and met up with Jason and his family. Jack wanted to go to all of the scary houses and now Kate will not sleep in her bed at night. We had a great time and can't wait till next year to see what my kids will dress up as.

Jay (Vampire), Kate (Tinkerbell), Jack (Zombie)

Taylor and Jack both as Zombies I think.

The three little princesses.

The group of kids, minus Keelie, Jay, Jack, Ty, Wyatt, Taylor's friend, Taylor, Kyley (as a pregnant teenager), Hadlie and Kate.

Jay's second lost tooth

I have no pictures of Jay's second lost tooth just a funny story. Yesterday was Sunday and Ryan was in Primary giving a spiritual thought. Jay was also in primary and has had a loose tooth for awhile. Well, while in primary Jay walks up to Ryan and says "here hold this." Ryan was thinking what is this. It was Jay's tooth. Ryan then asks Jay "when did you loose this" and Jay says "just now, here take it." So no drama or pain in the second lost tooth just like the first one. So that night Jay puts his tooth under his pillow for the tooth fairy to come. This morning he wakes up and can't find his tooth and there is no money. I should now tell you that I knew the tooth fairy was not coming because all she had was a 20 and Jay was not getting a 20 for a tooth. Anyway Jay says to Ryan and I, "I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't find my tooth and had $2.00 so I put the money in my wallet and went back to sleep." I look at Ryan and mouth did you do this because I didn't and Ryan says no I didn't do anything. But the tooth is not under the pillow. We look around and find the tooth but Jay still swore that he got $2.00. I am thinking great the job is done. When Jay starts thinking maybe it was a dream and then counts his money in his wallet and only has $8.00 not the 10 he should have if he got the tooth fairy money. So he figured out the tooth fairy didn't come and now I need to break a 20.

California

Finally I am posting about the family trip to California. After my cruise Ryan met me in Cali and we partied it up going to Disneyland (where I took two pictures total, where it was crazy busy, and all my kids wanted to do was go to the beach, I know my kids are spoiled, but it was fun). We also got a smoking deal on a time share hotel, The Newport Coast Villas. It was actually more like an apartment, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, full kitchen and family room. It was nice. So we invited the Platts and Joe and Cassie and split it three ways. One hundred dollars for the three nights and four days. Not bad. The only bad thing was listening to a two hour time share presentation. But we figure it's the Platts or Joe and Cassie's turn to go next year. We figure we can stay in this hotel for the rest of our lives without buying the timeshare if we work it right.
We had a great time. I am glad Karrie decided to come, she was iffy because she was by herself and Joe and Cassie were great. Joe takes the kids on adventures and entertains them.
Here are the pictures below.
My family, it is so hard to get us all looking and making normal faces at the same time.

The entire group, Jake, Jack, Dyan, Karrie, Jay, Ryan, Kate, Hannah, Abby, Annie, Keelie, Hadlie, Joe and Cassie. It was so nice to have so many kids, my kids were entertained and so was I because I had so many adults to talk to.

Jack and Jake showing off their mad hops. We went to Laguana Beach a couple of times and the boys loved jumping off the boardwalk.


The three little girls. Kate mostly played with Hannah but the girls still stuck together and played. It is so fun to watch them interact.

Abby and Jay were inseparable. They hung out the entire time. We liked to call them the skin and bones club and they are the only two people that can actually join. They had many games going on and were in there own little world the entire trip. I loved it.

Kate and Hannah, playing soul surfer. They pretended to be Alana and Bethany the entire trip. They would take turns being Bethany and walk around with their arm behind their back like it had been bitten off by a shark. The best part was Karrie always had to be the mom. So whenever they called for mom Karrie had to help out.

The girls at the beach. They all loved being outside and playing.

Keelie, Abby, Kate, Annie, Hadlie, and Hannah

Ryan and Jack hanging out. I love how Jack looks up to his dad and I love how Ryan just hangs with him and talks with him.

The kids at the beach. It was a great trip and can't wait to go next year and not have to listen to the timeshare presentation.

Jake, Jack, Hannah, Jay, Abby, Annie, Kate, Keelie, Hadlie

Kate and Hannah again playing "Soul Serfer." It entertained them for hours.

Vacation here I come and random pics of the Canyon

I am leaving for vacation on Monday for 11 days. I can't wait. I am going on my annual girls cruise Monday through Friday. I get off the ship then stay in California until Thursday. Ryan is meeting me in Cali on Saturday. We will go do Disneyland and hang out at the beach. It will be a nice vacation. But there is a lot of work leading up to going. I will be busy folding laundry during conference. I can't wait to watch conference. I'm always uplifted by the speakers. I swear sometimes they are talking just to me. Can't wait and I should get packing.

Here are some random pictures of the Grand Canyon.
The entire crew on the North Rim before we started out. It was the only time Luke was seen until the South Rim.
The group: Uncle Jim, Penny Bauer, Cami Hunt, Kourtner Garner, Pam Sarbo, Katy Vermilllion, Dad, Dyan, Karynn and Billy Rowley, Duane and Royann DeSpain, Ryan and Kelli Brown, Matt, Jodi, Jeremy, Chuck Melser, Steve Patience, Richard Garner, Ryan Alder, Craig and Nick Willis, Luke, Sherry. 25 crazy hikers

My dad coming out of the canyon, Jake hiked down a little and carried his pack out and now Jake had the itch to go.

Karrie high fivin me, I am done and it is the best feeling in the world.

Me, Kelli and Penny. Funny story I asked Kelli if there was room for my friend Penny and there was only to find out about 3 months later that Kelli and Penny are good friends and there girls play ball together. We had no idea we were all friends.

The view of the Canyon. If you look close you can see the trail. It's nice to look back and see how far you have gone.