WE GATHERED TOGETHER....

We gathered together for about four days of Thanksgiving fun. Not all
of us, but still a pretty good group. We all went out onto the front porch for
this picture right before we sat down to eat. Everything is fun with this bunch!

Some were so AMAZED with all the goings on, oh my!

Tons of food prepared and ate...we love to do the buffet style at our home.
I have a 16 piece place setting of beautiful china but no one wanted to bother
with all of that, so we did it plain and simple, in fact, as they went home, I divided all
my china all up, and gave it to some of them who wanted it, I even got rid of my china
cabinet...this downsizing thing feels wonderful!

Plain and simple for our gang, we just enjoy being together.

I had 12 pies and every one of them were gone by the time they all left!

We were all stuffed for sure and so grateful for our family.

I want you to know that Megan's sweatshirt lies...she is an angel!

We had my MIL with us, she is 98 years old...everyone loved
having her for Thanksgiving. She still lives in her home on her own
and has such a clear and active mind. She is a blessing to our family.

Emry and Sophia snuggled up watching a movie.

Ella and Sophia playing with the Barbie house and toys.

I stepped outside on the porch and took this picture of the tree.

I hope my little Sage will stay out of it this year!

From inside the library where it sits in a big window. I am keeping
things plain and simple this year for Christmas, and it feels very good!

Sophia loved packing my extra purse around with her toys inside of it.

Ella loves to eat her olives just like me, one on every finger!

Great grandma Donna...she is such a good sport to join us in everything
we do. She is a a sweet 98 year old angel who loves to hold the new babies,
here with new baby Claire...I think Claire will treasure this picture don't you?

All the kids love to get into the hot tub that sits on our back deck and
our dog Cougar loves it too...he keeps them busy throwing his toy!

Love Sophia's little chubby cheeks!

We all went to shoot skeet, it was a bit cold at times, but Sophia is
smart about tucking her hands into her pockets to keep them warm.

We shot up a few boxes of skeet...lots of fun on a beautiful day.

That's me in the red coat and yes I am an ok shot!

Our daughter Lindsey in the blue coat and her dad.

The littles playing games in the car...

Sophia cuddling with her aunt Laura, love her little pink pom pom boots!

Emry loving on Cougar...he has a way of bringing out the love in everyone!

Yes you do...my lovey-big baby boy!

We went for a hike and ran into a herd of deer...

I told you we were all angels, look at heaven smiling down on all of us!

The grands loved posing for pictures in every nook along the way.

They loved that they could fit into the holes, such a fun hike for them.

This is what we hiked up to see...Hickman Bridge. It is in Capitol Reef
national park, about 15 minutes from where we live.

I heard almost every grand child say over and over, what an awesome
Thanksgiving this was...the best days they have ever had! I guess if
I judge it by that, it was a success for sure. It was a ton of work and I
was so beat with throbbing feet and aching back but so glad we did it!

Today, I am putting all the Fall and Thanksgiving decorations away,
getting Christmas up...that is why we do it...for our family, so worth it!

Hope you are having awesome holiday times...the best ever!

~WITH MUCH LOVE~

OVER THE RIVER AND TROUGH THE WOODS...

Over the river and through the woods
To the grandparents house they are coming,
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
in the wide and drifting snow...

Hooray for the fun,
Is the pudding done?
Hooray for the pumpkin pie,
Hooray for the fun, hooray!


I am getting so excited for all our family to come!
The menu is fixed and bought and now for the busy part.

Prime Rib Roast
Two turkeys
lots of cranberries and
olives for every finger
Potatoes and gravy
Yams with marshmallow
Mixed veggies and cheese
Strawberry Pretzel jello
Special Dressing
Rolls with cinnamon butter
Strawberry lemonade
8 pumpkin pies
2 Pecan pies & 1 apple
Chocolate caramel candy

Yes, I think there will be enough for our crew!

Sweet Caleb

Sweet Claire

Sweet Ella
(my favorite smile..the one in the middle on your right hehe)

Sweet Sophia and her art work!

Did I mention how smart my grand children are?

The Chess Champ

~Talking it over~

I plan to do lots of spoiling...can hardly wait to get my arms
around all our grand kids coming for Thanksgiving!

Have you got your turkey yet?


Have a most wonderful Thanksgiving my friends!
Sending each and every one of you my love...
Have a great week and weekend with all your loved ones!

(I'll be back after Thanksgiving)

OUR VACATION...(Part 3)

This is the north end of Lake Powell, it is about 2 hours south of our home.

About every direction that you look you can see it spreading as far as you can see.

It backs up from the Glen Canyon dam down by Arizona.

It has wound it's way back and forth, in and out of all the mountains.
It is famous for house boats and water skiing, warm water and warm days.

It's a beautiful drive around it, just breath taking!

This and the next two pictures is Hidden Arches...we didn't hike down to them,
but it was fun to look way down there at them! Just beautiful.

How would you like to walk across the top of this? Not me!

I felt like a double decker bus! These two ride in their kennel most of the time
but here they ride on me! Bo loves to snuggle up in my lap and Zak has to be up
where he can see. Most of the time that means where you see him here or on the
back of my husbands neck!

We went to the Monticello Temple...it sits right in a neighborhood.
It is one of the smaller temples but so beautiful inside. It is so very
peaceful there.

Right to the side of it is an open field and as it starts to get dark,
the deer come down from the mountain to eat in the fields.

The Angel Moroni sits way up on top...

It was so pretty as we came out that night.

Next morning we headed out to go see Arches National Park.
This big rock was just there along side the highway, very unusual.

This great big arch was just right along the highway too...
can you see the person up there inside the arch? I loved this
big old arch...it was quite the sight!

This place is along side the highway also...a shop and home that has been
there for years. Quite the life time project...very interesting place.

This was on the rock as we left...pretty big fellow!

Here he is again...very cool!

I had never been to Arches...it is so awesome! As you drive up and
into it, on every turn are the most amazing rock formations!

I said to my husband...I think God and Jesus Christ had a lot of fun
when they created this part of the world! The formations are so unusual.

These tall walls of red rock rise up so high, it's just hard to believe,
even though you are sitting there looking up at it!

This formation reminded me of a group of chiefs standing therein their long robes.

This is balanced rock...impressive but not that big, right?!

It is that big, and it is amazing!

This big massive rock was being climbed! Can you see the climber
up above and another one down below? Courage more than mine!

So many neat formations everywhere we looked.

Another massive arch..see the people at the bottom?

You could walk up and into this one and explore all over in it.

I loved this kind of formation too, reminds me of a loaf of bread!

See the people inside at the bottom...there

were children and families having so much fun.

See the people down at the bottom...they are getting ready to climb this!

A picture of Delicate Arch, it has been done on a rock here.

There are lots of these in these mountains, but real ones!

This is a road that winds way up, as we watched there was a big white

vehicle that had got stuck and couldn't go any further. They had to get

help for them to get out of there.

~Me and my hubbie~
The weather was perfect.

What an wonderful world this is...and it is such a gift to be able
to enjoy it and appreciate this God given gift!

See the person?

And another tunnel...and you know what I do in tunnels...roll down the
windows and SCREAM... one of those high soprano screams!!!
What a fun trip we had, thanks for sharing it with us!

LOVE YA

JULIE