Feelin' Lucky

I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends... Some of these dear friends spoiled me today with a birthday lunch and my birthday was two weeks ago! It's pretty fun to just keep celebrating all month long. We laughed so hard that I cried, we ate and we laughed some more... It was great. I love my friends. Yep, I am very lucky.

Keri and Allison spoiled me a couple of days after my birthday by going with Ally and I to the temple and then taking us to lunch after. It was a perfect day.

MM 16

Allyson Kay has always loved ice cream! Many summer afternoons & evenings when the kids were little were spent at Grami and Papa Jack's enjoying swimming and homemade ice cream. This summer day in 1990, after stripping off her swimsuit, Ally sat down on the jacuzzi steps and enjoyed every bite of her yummy ice cream ... except the bite that missed because I called her name to look up for the picture!

I can hardly believe that Ally, my baby girl, we be going into the MTC next week as she prepares to serve a mission in Houston, Texas. She is going to be one fabulous missionary...and I am pretty sure she will be able to find some good ice cream in Texas too.

Birthday Fun

Last Friday was Caleb's birthday too (along with Amy and Aunt Mary) and we got to celebrate it on Saturday at our house. It was great to have Caleb, Olivia and Leah over for some birthday fun... He is such a cute, sweet boy.

MM15

Kaden didn't quite believe me when I told him that I broke my leg skiing at Lee Canyon when I was 14 and had a big cast all the way up my leg. I am glad I found this old picture to prove it! My dad and Lisa look so young... well, Lisa should look young, she was only 6! And I love seeing a picture of my wonderful Grandpa Huntington.
It was about the end of February 1970 and my mom and dad took me, a couple of my best friends, Taffy & Teresa and Teresa's cousin skiing for the day at Lee Canyon. They even let us ditch school to go. We had a great day and I just wanted to get one more run in before we had to leave. I was wearing my brother's skis which were way too long for me (in my 14 year old wisdom, I was trying to be cool)... the snow was starting to dry up and I hit some gravel and wiped out big time. My body and knees were in one direction and my right foot and leg were in another. Ouch! Teresa hurried to get the ski patrol and as I lay there waiting, I made sure to comb my hair and asked Taffy to hand me some lip gloss because I knew how cute the ski patrol guys were! Obviously my leg wasn't hurting quite yet. The ski patrol came and I did my best to flirt with them as they loaded me into the basket thing so they could get me down the mountain...(and I wonder why my girls were always such flirts!!) Then, my leg really started to hurt... really. hurt. and the only boy I wanted was my dad! I had a spiral break from my ankle to my knee.
I had to have that ugly old cast for three months!!!!! What a memory.
Check out my dad's plaid pants. Now those are something!

Happy Birthday Amy!

Happy Birthday Amy!
We hope you have had a wonderful day and that you know how very much we all love you!

Amy is...
smart
beautiful
spiritual
kind
funny
perfectionist
generous
loyal
leader
great teacher
adventurous
hard working
lover of traveling
great friend
wonderful daughter
Roonie
etc. etc. etc. etc. etc....
We.Love.You!

Poor Kaden!

Poor Kaden! Last Saturday at his football game, he caught an interception and ran the ball back 30 yards for a touchdown...that part is great...it's the right after that part when he hurt his ankle and had to be carried off the field that is the not so great part. They got ice on it right away and after a little while he said it was better. He could walk and only sometimes had a little limp. All week we have been just having him rest it a bit and not practice. Well, today we went to the doctor just to make sure it was really OK...and it was not OK. The doctor said, "This is one tough kid. Most kids wouldn't have been walking at all!" He has a fracture in the growth plate of his ankle and a pulled ligament. Are. you. kidding. me?! He has to be in a cast for 4 weeks. No sports at all...for this boy, that is really painful! I feel so bad for him. Poor boy... on the bright side, it will be a great time to catch up on schoolwork, read a lot of books and watch some NBA Basketball with Grama. That did not make him feel better at all. Maybe he needs to take up golf or bowling when he gets better!
When we got home he said, "I think I just need a hug..."

Brittney and Micah

Last Saturday (Amy's best friend) Brittney, and Micah were married...they are such a beautiful couple.
We have know Brittney since she was three! We are so happy for them...
Jennie was the photographer and she said these two were like "eye candy" for her camera!!
Congratulations! We love you and we love both of your wonderful families!!

Memory Monday 14

Last week I was in the car driving with my dad and he started to cry. He said, "I just miss your mom so much...
I hope she knows how much I love her." I know you miss her Dad, and I know how much you love her.
She knows it too.
I longed for Mom to be at the temple with us when Allyson went for the first time on Saturday. She would have been so happy. She would have given Ally a big love pat and a kiss and introduced her to everyone she knew. She would have held her hand and cried tears of joy. She loved the temple. I miss my mom. As soon as we walked in the doors of the temple, I realized that Mom was there... and she was smiling just as brightly as she did in this picture taken so long ago in front of the temple. I remember well my mother sharing her testimony of the temple and talking to each one of her grandkids telling them how beautiful and wonderful the temple is and that it is where we are sealed together forever as families. Mom was her very happiest when she and dad were serving in the temple.
I am so grateful for her beautiful example.
I am grateful for how Mom loved us and for all that she taught us.
I found a talk that Mom had written on little note cards. She closed it with these words...
"My love and gratitude for my sweet husband and our family is so real and strong.
I thank my Heavenly Father each day for his blessings. May we all remember, happiness is homemade.
May God's love and His joy be with each of you in your homes I pray..."

I love the Temple

Yesterday was one of my all time favorite days... Allyson went to the temple. It was like a little bit of heaven being there with Ally and dear friends and family. I was so happy my smile muscles hurt!

Ally is going to be such a wonderful missionary in Houston Texas!

Dress Ups

When Kate and Olivia were here last Saturday, they went upstairs and played for a long time.
Soon they came down the stairs wearing these...

It doesn't seem that long ago that Amy and Ally were in those dresses coming down the same stairs!

I love this picture of some of the neighborhood kids who had come over to see Amy all ready for Homecoming... Wow, have they ever grown up!!!

MM13

Leah, Jennie, Amber holding Calder, and Justin in 1984... We always loved it when the cousins came over!
Now Calder and his sweet wife Ivy are the proud parents of adorable Piper Elizabeth and Calder will be graduating from University of Minnesota Law School in May. Justin and his wonderful wife Jena,
who are both Hydrology Scientists... are expecting their first baby in the fall!!!
Where did all the years go?...Will somebody tell me please!?


Here's another great picture of some of the cousins taken in California in 2003...

Leah, Livie and Caleb

Leah, Olivia and Caleb came over and spent all day with us Saturday. It was so much fun to see them... it's been a while and we've really missed them. They went to Kaden's football game with us and Kate got to come over for a while too. Olivia and Kate are "bestest friends"... they have so much fun together. Caleb had a great time playing catch and soccer with his mom and having a picnic at the park.
We sure love them and it was wonderful to get to spend some time with them.