THE KNIGHT KNEWS

#12 Grandchild!

2011-03-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

Lyla Mae Merrill is here! She was born on Thursday, February 17th at 4:38 p.m., weighing in at 7 lb. 11 oz. and was 20 1/2 in long. Isn't she adorable?!!

But I am way behind as usual so first I want to post some pictures of the baby shower my sister Debbie and I gave Natalie on January 22nd.

Natalie loves owls so we decided on an owl theme and she and I made these cute invitations to send out.

We had it at Debbie's house and she did an awesome job as usual decorating everything. We had yummy salads and rolls for starters.

Natalie loves crepes so in the kitchen we had a crepe bar for dessert.

Stephanie made some adorable and delicious owl cake pops for favors.

Just a couple of the cute things people brought for Lyla.

Kimberly did a great job planning some fun games and also got this cute piggy bank for Lyla and had everyone write down some advice for Natalie.

Kim, Nat, Steph and cute Emma.

My sister Debbie with Natalie and I.

Thanks to everyone who helped bring the yummy food and came and supported us, it was a hoot!

Now on to the main event:

Here's Nat laboring away!
If you can call laying in bed with an epidural labor :)

Lyla in all her glory.

The new little family.

She has the chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen on a baby. Too cute!

And here's one with her eyes open.

She's a doll and we are so glad she is here safe and sound. Natalie is doing awesome as a first time mom. Welcome to the family Lyla!

Sakes Alive Matthew's 5!

2011-02-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

Matthew turned 5 last week and had a party at Peter Piper Pizza. It was a Batman theme and Stephanie went all out making him a darling cake and some cute cake pops for the guests. Lots of people, presents and of course pizza made for a good time for all.

The cool Batman cake and cake pops

The cute birthday boy

We love you Matthew!

Girl's Getaway!

2011-01-23T17:02:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we had a fun girl's getaway. Melanie wanted to do something with all the girls before Natalie has her baby and gets tied down. So we loaded up and headed to Yuma without husbands or kids! Gabe brought his kids to the valley and stayed at his mom's so we had the house to ourselves. We left on Friday afternoon and came home Sunday afternoon. Everyone was in charge of bringing a project to work on and we crafted the time away. We also managed to fit in a Saturday morning work-out, shopping, eating out, going to the movies, and hot tubbing! We also came home with some cute projects. Here's a look:

Kneaders is a staple in Utah but they also have one in Yuma so we hit it up for some yummy salads and sandwiches!

Went to the movie Country Strong and I've been overdosing on the soundtrack ever since!

The workout babes!

Now for some of our projects:

Charm bracelets we put together from a kit.
We also made candy bracelets to take home to the kids but I didn't get a pic of those.

Cute valentines baskets we dolled up with ribbon.

Photo clips we made from a large clothespin.

Cute holders made with twine and empty cans.

Adorable flutter capes they made for their girls

Didn't quite finish this cute wood project. We still need to modge podge family pictures on the empty blocks. And we also wanted to do a banner out of chipboard and scrapbook paper but didn't quite have enough time to get to that. Oh well, next time!

All in all a fun and relaxing weekend. The daddy's had diaper duty and did a great job. Thanks guys, we couldn't have done it without ya! We definitely need to make this a monthly, (well maybe annual or semi-anual) event. : )

8 is Great!

2010-11-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

Our grandson, Ryder, turned 8 in September. Emma turned 7 a few days later so Stephanie, Melanie and I surprised them with a quick trip to Sea World. The weather was great, the crowds were light and we had a wonderful time! We even got soaked on the shipwreck rapids ride. The kids had a blast and really enjoyed their birthday adventure.

Meeting Shamu

lots of flamingos

Then on November 20th came the big day for Ryder to get baptized. We were able to have it in Gilbert so all the family could be there. Gabe baptized him and papa Ron confirmed him. What a special day!

Gabe and Ryder

what a handsome boy!

Ryder with grandma and papa

We love this kid and are so proud of him!

What the heck were we thinking?

2010-11-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

Meet Booger. He is the newest addition to our family. Dollar signs got in the way of good sense on this one. We bred Daisy with a neighbors dog some months ago and had such good luck selling all the puppies that Ron decided we needed our own male to breed her with. Thus the reason that we now have 4 dogs! (5 if you count Nat and Tommy's boxer that is living in our backyard for who knows how long :) Booger is a crazy puppy and at times a royal pain in the behind but he has wormed his way into our hearts and we all love him! What can I say - we are crazy!

How can you not love that sweet face? :)

4th of July Getaway

2010-07-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

I love California. . . more specifically, I love the beach! During my growing up years, my family took a vacation to San Diego every summer and I loved it. After Ron and I got married and had our children I finally convinced him that we needed to go to California in the summer for vacation. So for the last 15 years or so we have headed to Oceanside and rented a condo for a week or two along with some of my siblings and aunts. It's been a blast! But with the growth of our family and the downturn in the economy, we have not been able to go lately. Last year I was able to get my beach fix with Debbie's family and this year Mel and Gabe invitied us to come over for the 4th of July weekend and stay with them. It was great! We made it to the beach twice and fit quite a few other activities in. Steph and Curt were over there too for the first couple of days so we hooked up and went to the beach and Seaport Village. Here's some fun pics:

Cousins on the beach

Gabe getting a workout

This is what Ron did most of the trip

(He's reading if you can't tell)

Aren't these some hot chicks!

Got sand?

We went to the beach on Coronado Island

This is the beautiful Hotel del Coronado

The Rojas kids sporting their 4th of July outfits

Papa lovin on Ruby

And it wouldn't be a trip to San Diego without Ghirardelli's!

We managed to fit in a couple of movies, shakes from Ruby's, delicious bbq from Phil's, and peach pie from Marie Calendars. We also saw a spectacular fireworks display from the comfort of the apartment backyard. All in all a great trip, wish we could have stayed longer!

Oh and did I mention the fabulous weather? Heavenly!

God Bless America . . .

2010-06-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Land that I love! I am so thankful to live in this great country and have all the freedoms that we enjoy and take for granted. I don't get too politically involved but in honor of the 4th of July we got out the paint and made some cute holiday decorations. Thanks again to Ron for being such a great wood cutter!

See I am patriotic! Now if someone would fix all the problems this country is having . . .

Dance Recital Take Two

2010-06-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Anaston has also been taking dance lessons and this time it was her turn for a recital. She was cute as can be in her costumes, dancing in two different dances. I love being Grandma and getting to enjoy my grandkids in things like this.

Annie with her doll from dance #2

Grandma and her darling dancer
It was held on my anniversary and I even ditched Ron for a couple hours to attend. What a devoted grandma! :)

The Twins Turn Thirty!

2010-06-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

Brian and Stephanie turned 30 on June 2nd. Can you believe it? I now have more children in their 30's than in their 20's. Does that mean I am getting old? We celebrated with dinner and then cake and ice cream on Sunday. They are both great kids and we are proud of them!

Don't they look happy to be 30?!

Love you guys, glad you are part of our family!

Dance Recital

2010-06-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Kinsley has been taking dance lessons and had her big recital on Saturday at the Higley Performing Arts Center. Kimberly bought me a ticket so I could go watch. As the music started playing and the kids started dancing, I got teary-eyed (I seem do that alot lately!) thinking back to the days when my girls were small and dancing in recitals. Then I realized that I no longer had to pay for lessons, dance clothes, shoes, costumes, recital fees, photographs, etc. and I cheered up considerably! It was fun to watch and Kinsley was adorable as a lion dancing to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

Kinsley in her costume

The proud Grandma with her little lion

Thanks for the ticket Kim, it was fun!

Five little puppies and how they grew

2010-05-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

The puppies are now 5 weeks old. They have gotten very mobile, very vocal, very playful and very cute! We are having so much fun with them, but they will need new homes in 2-3 weeks. We are going to list them on some pet websites and hope to sell them. If anyone is interested in an adorable puppy, let us know!

The fab five

Two are black and look like twins

3 are multi-colored
How could anyone resist something as cute as these!

May Day

2010-05-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

Kamri is our May birthday girl and she turned 1 year old on the 15th. We went to the park to celebrate!

She looked like a little Angel

Lovin the swing

Diggin into the cute cake that Aunt Stephy made

We love you Kamri Leigh. Happy Birthday!

Farewell to Chevy

2010-05-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be life at our house without dogs and tears and here we go again. We lost another member of our canine family. :( Melanie's chihuahua Chevy was put to sleep last Saturday morning. She had lived a long 14 years and her body was giving out. The vet agreed that it was her time to go and so the deed was done. She was a big part of our family and we have many memories with her and will miss her dearly. She was technically my first grandchild! Melanie used her own money and purchased Chevy from a pet shop even before her and Gabe were married. The first memory I have of Chevy is when I was working at See's Candies and they brought her in to meet me hiding her inside Melanie's sweatshirt. She was very tiny to begin with but over the years (with a little help from grandma) she grew and grew and at the end she weighed 17 lbs. which is pretty big for a chihuahua. She sure loved to eat and I could never resist giving in when she came begging. Her barking and shedding were sometimes annoying but she was a very loving, loyal friend and lots of fun. She stayed with us many times over the years and always loved laying in the sun outside or sitting by the fireplace inside. All of Melanie's kids loved snuggling and sleeping with her and she was always good with them. Melanie liked smelling Chevy's feet which is a little weird, I know. There was a funny story with her mating with our dog Rudy but then it wasn't so funny when the puppies had to be aborted because they were too big for her to carry. It gives us comfort to know that she is now reunited with her best friend Chip and hopefully they are having a great time together in dog heaven. Unfortunately we have quite the dog graveyard at our house and she is now buried by Stitch. Gabe dug the grave, Redden said a prayer and afterwards Ryder and Emma decorated it. They did an awesome job!

Rest in Peace Chevy. We love you and miss you!

The Female Foursome

2010-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

While everyone was here for Mother's Day I managed to get a picture of the four newest members of our family. All four girls were born in 2009 and are getting so big and cute!

Here's Samantha, Reese, Kamri and Ruby

These girls are gonna have so much fun together when they get older!

Yuma or bust!

2010-04-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well the Rojas family has officially moved to Yuma. Ron and I made a quick trip down last weekend to deliver the trailer full of their stuff and check out their new digs. We are so excited to have them only 3 hours away instead of 11 or 12! We packed in some fun even though our visit was short. The rental house is fairly new and in a nice subdivision. Their backyard and patio area is great with a bbq, pool, spa and fire pit. They have also put a ping pong table on the back porch where I'm sure many competitive moments will take place! Here's a few pics:

Posing in front of the house (it was a little sunny!)

Ranger and Ryder enjoying the spa (the pool will come in handy this summer when it's 110!)

Gabe getting ready to get beat by Papa!

And of course the main reason they are there is the project Gabe is working on in nearby Wellton, just off the I-8.

(It doesn't look like much yet but eventually it will be a new border patrol station)

We are so happy to have all our children back in AZ!

We have puppies!

2010-04-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening our shih tzu Daisy delivered her first litter of 5 puppies! Everything went well and she is being such a good mama. It's amazing how instinct takes over and they know exactly what to do. The puppies are all doing well and they are mostly dark like Daisy. I will post more pictures as they grow and get cuter. You know you want one!

Good job Daisy!

Emma the Artist

2010-04-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

Every year Gilbert Public Schools has an elementary art show at Norwood Furniture. This year Emma was one of the few picked from her school to have their art on display. She is only in 1st grade and we are so proud of her!

We just might have a budding artist in our family. Way to go Emma!

Samantha turns 1!

2010-04-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, April 3rd, our granddaughter Samantha had her first birthday! We were in Utah so we partied when we got home. Can't believe how fast this past year has flown by. Seems like yesterday that she was born. She sure is a cutie!

We love you Sammy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

General Conference

2010-04-07T10:07:00.001-07:00

The highlight of our Utah trip (besides seeing the grandkids!) was getting to go to General Conference. Our good friends Sterling and Sheleen Leavitt and Hoke and Diane Holyoak came also and Sterling was able to get us some great tickets. We were able to attend both morning sessions and the men also went to the Priesthood session. All the sessions were very good but my favorite was being there on Easter Sunday, listening to the beautiful music of the Spoken Word, and hearing our prophet and leaders testify of Christ's atonement and resurrection. It was so uplifting and I loved the experience even if we did have to get up early and trudge through the snow and cold to get there! There is nothing quite like being in the presence of the prophet and hearing all the inspiring messages that give us hope and motivation to do better. :)

Most of the snow had melted by the time we got out and we were able to snap a few pictures.

A trip with these guys wouldn't be complete without some good eating! We managed to hit a few choice spots like:

And our favorite was:

Melanie and Gabe had taken us there before and we knew that it would be right up Sterling and Hoke's alley. And it was!

Ruby and Sheleen enjoying dessert!

And here's the fatty patty's admiring their handiwork in the window outside the restaurant!

We also managed to fit in some shopping at the Wood Connection, Tai Pan and Rodworks. We had a great trip and it was sad to leave knowing that my regular trips to Utah are over. :( But it will be so great to have the Rojas family closer. Woo Hoo!

Logan Temple

2010-04-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

We made another trip to Utah, this time to help Melanie move and to attend conference. One of our good friends daughter has moved to Logan and needed help getting her stuff there. So Ron agreed to pull a trailer with their stuff up to them in Logan and then we could pull the trailer home full of Melanie's stuff. It was our first time to visit Logan and the cache valley and boy were we impressed. It was beautiful! While Lauren and Cody unloaded the trailer (with the help of their ward) we took the opportunity to do a session in the Logan Temple. It is a very old, beautiful temple and we enjoyed getting to see it. It sits on top of a hill and the views were great. The day was cold but clear and snow was everywhere. Here's some pics of the day:

It is even more impressive at night! I would love to visit this place again in the fall. Wouldn't it be nice to have seasons!

Easter Decor

2010-03-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

My Easter project is done, hooray! Kimberly and I bought these unfinished sets a year ago and finally got around to doing them. I think they turned out pretty cute. Now on to the next one!

I will definitely miss going to the Wood Connection when Melanie moves, gotta stock up!

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-18T19:42:00.001-07:00

This year for St. Patricks' Day I was lucky to spend it in Utah. The day started out with green waffles and green milk for the kids.

Kinsley, Ryder and Redden enjoying their "irish" breakfast

Ranger on the other hand wasn't so sure about the green waffles

And doesn't Ruby make the cutest leprechaun?

Add in some shopping, some fabulous weather and Redden's cub scout blue and gold banquet and all in all it was a fine day!

Mi Madre

2010-03-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

March is also the month that my mother was born 82 years ago today. Wow! Debbie, Lindy and I took her to lunch last Friday to celebrate the occasion. We went to Crackers and had a yummy lunch followed by some chocolate birthday cake and bread pudding. Yum kitty!

She has been a wonderful mother, grandmother and now great-grandmother to our family. Happy Birthday Velmababes. I love you Mom!

Birthday Girl

2010-03-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our lone March birthday is Miss Kinsley.

She turned 3 on the 3rd

Riding her new Princess bike

Kinsley with her Sleeping Beauty cake that Aunt Stephy made

Wow ~ can't believe she's already 3. Seems like yesterday that she was born. Love ya girlie!

Saturday Soccer

2010-03-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

Matthew played league soccer for the first time this year and did really well. His games were Saturday mornings and we finally made it to watch him on his last game. He did great!

Life doesn't get much better than a cupcake and a trophy. :)

Go Matthew! Can't wait till next season.

Bishop Knight

2010-02-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

What does it mean when your husband:

A. Gets a haircut

B. Shaves his beard

C. Buys a new suit?

A NEW CALLING!

Yep, Ron is now the bishop of our ward.

He is feeling a bit overwhelmed and inadequate

(who wouldn't be!)

But he will do an awesome job!

I am now a bishop's widow but I totally support him and couldn't be happier! (Feel free to check back in a few months, things could change. :) Thanks to our wonderful family and friends who have shown their love and support. It means the world to us!

Jan/Feb Birthdays

2010-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

This is a slow time of year for birthdays in our family but we can't forget the two we've had so far!

Jessica turned 26 on Jan. 10th

Matthew turned 4 on Feb. 4th

Happy Birthday!

Love is in the air!

2010-02-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

Well it's now February and Valentines Day will be here before you know it. So the girls and I got our craft on and made some cute decorations. A big thanks to Ron for cutting the wood. :) Check them out:

I love Valentines Day and I'm glad I get to spend it with my wonderful hubby. Love ya babe!

2010 Family Photo Shoot

2010-01-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

The first order of business for 2010 was to get the whole fam damily together for a picture. All month I had been talking about wanting to take a new family picture while Melanie and Gabe were in town. Our last one had been taken at Natalie's wedding and was now 2 years old and 4 babies short. So the kids picked up on this subtle hint and they all went together to hire a photographer friend of Stephanie's and give me a photo shoot for Christmas. Since Gabe didn't fly in until the evening of the 23rd we waited until New Years Day to get all spiffed up and go to Jessica's parents backyard to do the deed. We even color coordinated by family. I was very pleased with the results considering all the children (11) and adults (12) that had to cooperate! The only dissappointment was that it wasn't done in time to send out picture Christmas cards which I'm sure everyone would have loved and cherished. I debated about sending out New Years cards but then I had the thought that despite how lovely they might be they would probably go straight to the trash after getting opened instead of lingering around for a few weeks on countertops or bulletin boards like they do at Christmas because no one has the heart to throw them away until after the holiday is over. So I saved my money and instead you can come to my blog anytime and enjoy the beauty of us all year long! Here's a few samples:

33 years and counting!

The cutest grandkids (and grandparents) ever!

Ron and I with our 5 adorable children

The gang of grandkids! (Some weren't too happy :)

Thanks kids, I love how they turned out!

A December to Remember!

2010-01-12T08:49:00.000-08:00

December has come and gone and I was very bad and didn't blog about any of it. I am either: 1. too old, 2. too busy, or 3. too lazy! (Take your pick!) We did have a great holiday season and did many fun things with our family. Melanie and the kids stayed with us for the month of December and that was good (for the most part :). I decided it would take too much time and effort to try and catch up about everything so I will just move on and start fresh in 2010. Here's to a great new year!

November Birthdays

2009-11-29T18:14:00.001-08:00

Two of our finest family members have birthdays in November. Here's a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish to them both!

Melanie was 32 on the 19th

Anaston will turn 3 tomorrow
We love you both and are glad you're part of our family!

Turkey Pit

2009-11-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

Ron has always wanted to have a pit at our house that he can cook meat in. Well he finally did it! On Wednesday he dug and dug and dug until he had a hole big enough to put a metal box he had down in it. It is small but will be great for our family to use. Wednesday night was the trial run and he filled it with a turkey, a ham, some ribs, and a buffalo roast. It was a success as everything came out smelling and tasting delicious! Way to go honey! Here's some pics of him working hard and then the finished products:

Doesn't he look proud! (You'll have to ask him about the chest on his turkey!) :)

Ruby's Blessing

2009-11-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

The highlight of our trip to Utah was the blessing of Ruby on Sunday, Nov. 1st. Gabe gave her a wonderful blessing and she behaved beautifully. Gabe also bore his testimony and it was very touching. A good friend of Melanie and Gabe's, Linda Judy, made the dress for Ruby and she looked adorable! What a sweet friend to do that. The weather turned out beautiful that day and we enjoyed a fun afternoon of good food with family and friends.

The star attraction

Mother and daughter

Their cute family

The proud parents with their sweet girl

All the family that was able to make it

Grandma and Papa with Ruby

Stretching after her big performance

Four beautiful babies, four beautiful blessings! We feel so blessed.

Trrrick or Trrreating!

2009-11-05T07:52:00.001-08:00

This year we spent Halloween in Utah and got to experience trick-or-treating in real fall weather. Being from Arizona with thin blood I thought it was cold! But it didn't stop the kids from having a great time going door to door and hauling in the candy.

Redden was the Arizona Cardinal

Ryder was the Phoenix Suns gorilla

(Kinsley was terrified of the mask!)

Ranger was Sparky the ASU Sun Devil

Kinsley made an adorable Minnie Mouse

Kamri was a cute butterfly

Ruby was the cutest ghost ever

Even Chevy joined in on the fun!
The kids looked great in their costumes and a fun time was had by all. But we missed getting to see the grandkids in Arizona. Maybe next year!

Birthday Bonanza!

2009-11-04T07:46:00.001-08:00

October is our family's biggest month for birthdays and I wanted to wish them all (including myself) a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)

Yours truly on the 17th (A woman never tells her age!)

Ranger turned 3 on the 19th

Gabe turned 32 on the 26th
Redden was 10 on the 29th
Jason also turned 32 on the 30th

Life just keeps a coming and we are all getting older but hopefully wiser! We had fun celebrating in Utah.

Better by the Dozen!

2009-10-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Some things are just better by the dozen:

and . . .

GRANDKIDS!

yep, #12 is on the way

So I got out my megaphone to announce it.
My baby is having a baby.
Man that makes me feel old.
But we are excited!
Congratulations Natalie and Tommy!

Reese's Blessing Day

2009-10-13T20:52:00.001-07:00

Sunday was a special day as Reese Olivia Knight was blessed. Grandpa Ron got to do the honor and he gave her a wonderful blessing. Reese was beautiful in her dress and actually slept through most of the event! Afterwards we all went over to the McLellands home for some yummy food and visiting.

The guest of honor

Jessica and Reese

Their cute family

The proud grandparents

The Knight family (standing too close to the sun)

Some of the gang enjoying the food outside

Father and son

All tuckered out!

Truly a blessing from heaven. I love my family!

Birthday Parade

2009-10-01T09:14:00.001-07:00

This is the time of year when our family kicks it into high gear for birthdays. We had 3 this past week and I wanted to give them all a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY shoutout!

Ryder turned 7 on the 25th

Natalie turned 22 on the 29th

(I forgot to take a picture of her on her birthday.

She has a cute new haircut!)

Emma turned 6 on the 30th

We love you all and are glad you're part of our family!

Go Thunder!

2009-09-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

Gabe coaches Redden in youth football and while I've been in Utah I've gotten to go to 2 of their games. They won big both times and it is so fun to watch! The first week they got to play at a really nice high school stadium with a turf field and Nani and Popi were also there. Gabe puts a lot of time into coaching and Redden has really improved and does a great job!

Their team is 4-1 and they only lost that game by 1 point. Way to go Gabe and Redden!

Ruby Update

2009-09-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

There have been several requests for more pictures of Ruby and since we all know how often Melanie updates her blog the job was left up to me. So here you go:

Her first bath

With her big brothers

Lookin cute!

Even Chevy adores her

That's all folks! We are all enjoying her and she's been really good so far. Melanie is definitely having fun dressing her everyday in cute girly clothes. Hopefully she will actually update her blog and facebook soon!

Ruby's Sweet Ride

2009-09-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Gabe's parents, Tony and Yvonne, came to Utah to welcome their first granddaughter after 17 grandsons. They made good on a promise to bring the first girl home from the hospital in a limousine. I was lucky enough to be part of the fun! A long, white limo picked us up from the house and took us to the hospital where we picked up Melanie, Gabe and Ruby and then it took us all home in style. The boys had a ball and thought it was pretty awesome. Thanks Nani and Popi!

Can you say spoiled?!!

09/09/09

2009-09-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

Melanie was induced today and delivered a healthy baby girl! #11 grandchild is here safe and sound. Ruby Yvonne Rojas was born at 2:55 p.m. Utah time, weighed 6 lb. 10 oz. and was just over 19 inches long. Mother and baby seem to be doing great. Here are a few pictures that they sent to me via cell phone.

Isn't she adorable?! I promise more pics when I get to Utah tomorrow. Can't wait to meet her!

Slow Down!

2009-08-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

When I was raising my kids they didn't seem to grow fast enough, but now that I'm a grandma they seem to grow way too fast!

From this:

Reese (2 days old)

To this:

Reese and Kamri (3 months old)

Samantha (5 months old) and Kamri

Aren't they adorable? Can't wait for Ruby to join them!

Reese's Pieces!

2009-08-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

3 down, 1 more to go!

The third of our four baby girls has arrived! Reese Olivia Knight joined our family on Thursday, August 20th at 6:02 a.m. She weighed in at 7 lb. 7 oz. and was 21 1/4 in. long. She has a head full of dark hair and is a cutie!

Annie with her new baby sister

Mommy and her two girls

The proud daddy

Grandma Knight with #10

Papa loves his granddaughters

How precious

Welcome baby Reese, we already love you to pieces!

Highlight Reel

2009-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

The dog days of summer are here and we're just trying to survive the heat! Here are a few highlights of the past month and what we've been up to.

Went to Wicked at Gammage

First time to see it and I really enjoyed it. Not really Ron's cup of tea but he was a good sport and went with me. (I think he thought they served food or something!)

Went to Oceanside

This year was a little different. For the first time in 14 years we didn't go to Oceanside as a family. Our family is getting too big and the budget wouldn't allow for it. But thanks to my generous older sister Debbie, I was able to go over and spend a few days at the beach with her family and my brother Terry and his family. We had a great time and the weather was fab!

Rode bikes around Coronado Island.

Boogie boarded up a storm!

What a couple of hot babes!

Went out on the pier and saw this cool pelican.

Went to Las Vegas

Last weekend Ron and I jumped in the car with our friends the Leavitts and went to Vegas. Didn't take any real pictures because: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
So there you have it. Don't we lead an exciting life?!!

Baby Shower

2009-07-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

"Tickled pink and happy to say,

that after 3 boys a girl's on the way!"

We had a small family baby shower while Melanie was here to help her get ready for Ruby's arrival. We enjoyed good food, good company and she got lots of cute gifts!

The pregnant guest of honor!

We had it at Stephanie's house and she made some cute and yummy cupcakes!

Some beautiful bling for Ruby! Gabe's mom Yvonne had promised diamond earrings to the first granddaughter. She only had to wait for 21 years to fulfill that promise!

Opening the presents. Ruby's gonna be stylin!

Enjoying the good company.

Me and the girls.
Thanks to all who came and helped. We can't wait for this little girl to join our family!

The Out of Towners

2009-07-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Melanie and the boys braved the 110+ heat and came to AZ for a visit. We had a fun filled 10 days with them here. Swimming, movies, softball games, pizza parties, crafting, playing with cousins, etc. Here are some of the highlights that I got pictures of:

Jessica's sister surprised her with a dinner/baby shower so we had a girls night out at Tia Rosa's.

Kimberly's birthday was on Friday but we celebrated on Saturday by going to see "The Proposal" and then to Cheesecake Factory afterwards for dessert.

Emily was a good sport and rode home in Kinsley's car seat cause it was a little crowded!

Cousins swim party at Debbie's. The kids had lots of fun!

That day was also: Kimberly's 25th b-day

Grandma and Grandpa Jennings 61st anniversary

and Cash Gunnell's 1st b-day. So we partied!

Kim taught Melanie how to make hair bows and boy did they make bows! You will definitely be able to tell that Ruby is a girl! However her boys loved trying them on too!

Here's Reddina, Rangela and Rydette
So cute!
We always love it when they come to visit and wish they could stay longer. Come back soon!

Kamri's Blessing

2009-07-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Kamri Leigh Carroll was blessed on Sunday. Jason gave her a beautiful blessing and just like Samantha last month, Kamri cooperated and didn't let out a peep! She looked adorable in the dress that Kinsley also wore. Afterwards we all went over to Kim and Jason's for some yummy salads and such. The Carroll's have a large family so it was wall to wall people but no one minded and everyone had a good time. Melanie and her boys are in town so they were able to be there also and that meant all 9 of our grandkids were there. (But I didn't manage to get a picture of that!) I did get some pictures of the action:

The guest of honor

Jason and his mom Darlene

The cute family!

Aunt Nanny

Grandma and Papa

Two more waiting to come!

Kim and her friend Ashleigh

Say cheese!

Kinsley, Ranger and Annie

We feel so blessed and thankful for our growing family!

Goodbye Stitchy :( . . . .

2009-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of dog stories over the years, some of them funny and some of them tragic. This one ranks right up there with the tragic story of losing Melanie's beloved dog Chip several years ago. We lost our dog Stitch yesterday. We were gone over the weekend to Show Low for the 4th and when we came home we found that she had been badly injured in a fight with one of the bigger dogs. We had Steph and Curt's dog here also while they are in Utah. I knew the minute we walked in the door and she wasn't there waiting that something was wrong. We don't know what happened and I will spare the gruesome details by just saying it was not fixable and money is tight right now. So Ron got the very unpleasant task of digging a grave in 110 degree heat and putting her down. This has been very hard on us as Stitch was part of our family for over 6 years. She started out as Brian's dog but he was single and soon found that he couldn't keep her where he lived and she came to live with us. He continued to have a very close relationship with her and he is heartbroken also. I find comfort in knowing that she had a good life here and Ron would say I spoiled her. She was a good natured dog and her only downfall was that she would aggravate the bigger dogs and not back down from a fight and it ended up costing her her life. Some people say that having animals is like a heartache waiting to happen. Sooner or later that is true. But it is the joy they bring you in between that makes it worthwhile. Those that are not dog lovers have a hard time understanding the bond that develops and the pain you feel at their loss. Stitch had such unconditional love and devotion and when I was gone she would drag one of my shoes or an article of clothing to the top of the stairs and lay on it. When I came home from a trip she would sleep in my suitcase as if to say take me with you next time. She would jump in the bathtub and that was my signal to come and turn on the faucet for her to get a drink. She was very gentle with the grandkids and would let them maul her without so much as a growl. I know she was only a dog but I loved her and will miss her a lot. (The only thing I will not miss is her shedding!) I have such a tender heart for animals and although at times it causes me much grief I wouldn't change it. My sister-in-law Lindy and my brother Terry recently lost dogs too and my heart goes out to them as I know what they are feeling. They say bad things come in 3's and I hope that means nothing else will happen. I don't think I could handle it! I know this was a long post and not easy to read but it was very cathartic for me so thanks for listening.

Bye Stitchy, thanks for the memories!

Latest Utah Trip

2009-07-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well Kim and I are either really brave or really stupid but we decided to do a road trip to Utah to visit Melanie. Now mind you that is 12 hours in the car (each way!) with a 2 year-old and a 6 week-old. Are we crazy or what?!! But actually the girls were great travelers and all things considered, it was a fun trip. Thank heavens for video players, Kinsley will sit for hours in her car seat watching movies! The weather was great and I wish we could have stayed for another week. Some of the fun things we did:

Here's Kinsley taking her turn driving!

We went swimming in the neighborhood pool and the kids had a blast.

We got to watch Redden play baseball at 2 playoff games. His team won both. Go Redden!

We went to a horse parade in downtown Lehi and the kids loved chasing down the candy that was thrown out.

Ryder was such a good helper and loved holding Kamri. Aren't they cute?!!

Ranger and Kinsley had fun playing together all week.

We went to see the movie UP and everyone enjoyed it.

We hit the wood connection and made some cute Uncle Sam hats!

Thanks Melanie for letting us come and entertaining us all week. Now it's your turn to come to Arizona, see ya soon!

Farmer Ron

2009-06-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

In honor of Father's Day I thought I would do a post about Ron. Technically he isn't my father but he did give me 5 great kids so he deserves mention on here from time to time. Ron is a farmer at heart. In addition to raising buffalo, cows, pigs, chickens and 4 dogs, he loves to garden. And he is really good at it! Every year he spends hours getting the soil ready, planting, watering, weeding and finally reaping the benefits of his hard work. We are enjoying tomatoes, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, green beans, 3 kinds of squash, black-eyed peas and he just picked his first watermelon. Plus there are beets, onions, peppers and cantaloupe still to come!

Here he is in all his glory.

Our son-in-law Tommy helped put in a watering system.

Look at those carrots

His first watermelon, isn't it beautiful!

Can you say zucchini?!!!
My contribution was bottling some of the bounty.

Thanks for letting me brag on my talented hubby!

Apricot Adventure

2009-06-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

I made the trek out to Kim's yesterday to help her bottle apricots.

We went from this:

To this!

And I also got some cute pics of the girls:

What a fun way to spend the afternoon!

Samantha's Blessing

2009-06-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Samantha was blessed yesterday. Curt did a great job and gave her a beautiful blessing. She cooperated and didn't fuss or cry. They live in a young ward and there were 5 babies blessed. Afterwards we went back to their house and enjoyed a yummy meal. It was great to spend time with family.

Samantha looking precious in the dress that Emma also wore.

The cute family of five now.

The kids hamming it up for the camera.

Papa and grandma with the guest of honor.

We love you Samantha!

Happy Anniversary

2009-06-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Wow

33 years
5 children

5 in-law children

9 grandchildren, 2 more on the way

Where does the time go?

I love you babe!

Jennings Family Swim Party

2009-06-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

At the start of the year my sister and I decided to put some dates down on the calendar for Jennings family get togethers. We feel it is important to keep getting the family together as we are growing fast and getting bigger every minute. (6 new babies have been born in the past year with 2 more coming soon!) The first one was in March at Gordon's and last night we went to Debbie's for a swim party. The evening turned out perfect with great weather, great food, and great people! Here are some random pics of the fun:

We finished off the evening with some yummy homemade ice cream made by yours truly. The next date will be in October when Ron and I will host a sausage gravy breakfast. Can't wait!

Cute Cousins!

2009-05-27T11:46:00.001-07:00

I just had to post a picture of my two new cuties! Samantha is 6 weeks older than Kamri and at this age it really makes a difference. She is quite the chubs now and smiles so cute. Kamri is still quite petite although breast milk does wonders and I'm sure she'll catch up in no time!

Aren't they the cutest?!!!

Rest in Peace

2009-05-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Joey was laid to rest yesterday. It was a beautiful funeral with a large crowd in attendance. Vanessa gave the life sketch followed by all their married children and spouses giving a short memory of their dad. Sterling gave the spiritual talk and then their bishop closed with his remarks. Two musical numbers rounded out the program. The tone was upbeat as Joey's life was celebrated.

A good friend of Joey's, Monty Hogle, made the casket and it was incredible. Vanessa's sister Pam did the floral spray for the top out of leather roses that everyone helped to make. It also was incredible.

The Larry's minus Joey :(. . .

Ron was able to help carry the casket.

In true mountain man tradition they fired a cannon for Joey.

Ron and I with our flowers to keep from the casket.

The Larryettes. (I love these girls!)

Ron and I did well with our emotions until the closing song.

Each life that touches ours for good

Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord;

Thou sendest blessings from above

Thru words and deeds of those who love.

What greater gift dost thou bestow,

What greater goodness can we know

Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways

Strengthen our faith, enrich our days.

When such a friend from us departs,

We hold forever in our hearts

A sweet and hallowed memory,

Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee.

For worthy friends whose lives proclaim

Devotion to the Savior's name,

Who bless our days with peace and love,

We praise thy goodness, Lord above.

To all of my family and friends that touch my life for good, thank you and I LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2009-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my father's 83rd birthday. Wow, time sure flies doesn't it? Debbie, Terry and I were able to go to lunch with him and my mom to celebrate. He is a wonderful man and father with many good qualities. Thought I would share just a few:

Smart - I could ask him anything and he would know the answer. (Or have an opinion!)
Handy - He can fix or do anything and he has done many projects for me over the years. (Thanks dad!)
Funny - He has a great sense of humor and always makes us laugh with his jokes.
Tender - He loves his family and it shows in his emotions. (I definitely inherited that gene!)
Loving - He has become a devoted caregiver to my mom as her illness has progressed. (Gotta give him props for that!)

Dad and Mom

The lunch gang

Me and my Dad

I love you dad! Thanks for all that you have done for me and my family.

The Circle of Life

2009-05-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

Friday was a very bittersweet day for us. It started off at 5:30 a.m. with the dreaded phone call that our beloved friend Joey Mortensen had passed away. We knew it was inevitable but who knew it would happen so fast and he would be gone before we were ready to let go. Ron is still reeling from the news and hurting deeply even though he keeps his emotions hidden inside. The world lost a great man and we lost a great friend. We will miss him.

The sweet part came later as Kimberly gave us our 9th grandchild, a sweet baby girl with the name Kamri Leigh Carroll. Born on May 15th at 10:50 p.m. She weighed in at 7 lb. 6 oz. and was 22 3/4 inches long. Wow! Where did that height come from? The nurses were all saying that she would be a super model and Jason is banking on that! She was posterior so her face got a little banged up on the way out but she is darling anyway. Here are some cute pics to enjoy:

Kimberly still working hard after 12 hours of labor.

The finished product!

Mama and her new baby.

Another daddy's girl.

Natalie witnessed her first birth and she's thinking adoption sounds pretty good now!

The proud grandma.

Papa with his princess.

The cute family of four now!

Isn't she sweet?!

A day of deep sadness, a day of pure joy. A death, a birth, and the circle of life continues according to our Heavenly Father's plan. I'd like to think that Joey and Kamri passed eachother on their way in/out of heaven and he was able to give her some tips on how to keep her papa and grandma in line. We're gonna need it so we can all be together again someday. Until then we say goodbye. Gone but not forgotten. We love you Joey and we love you Kamri and welcome you to the family!

Guess what......! No wiener = baby girl!!!!!!!

2009-05-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

That is the text that Melanie and Gabe sent out to let everyone know that after 3 boys they are having a GIRL! WOO HOO! We are over the moon excited for them and excited to be having our 4th granddaughter within 6 months of eachother. Won't that be fun! Congratulations to Gabe's parents as the spell has been broken and after 17 grandsons they are finally getting a granddaughter!!! Melanie says that this is going to be their last child and what a perfect ending to a beautiful family!

Cinco de Mayo Celebration!

2009-05-06T09:40:00.001-07:00

My brother Terry was born on cinco de mayo and this year he turned 60! (Can you believe I have a brother that is 31 years older than me?!) So my sister Debbie and I threw him a fabulous party at her casa. We enjoyed yummy mexican food and great company. Here's some pics of the big event:

Debbie whipping up some delicious non-alcoholic margaritas!

Everyone gathered around to enjoy words of wisdom from the birthday boy.

Debbie and I made him a scrapbook with various pics from his life. Very funny!

Terry with Scott Horne, one of his childhood friends.

Terry with his two sons, John and Sam. I'll bet you can guess where Sam got his height!

Terry with mom and dad. (That's Debbie clowning around behind!)

The two hostesses with the mostesses!!!

And lastly, me with my big bro.

Terry is a wonderful brother and so much fun to be around. Here's hoping for many more years to come. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Ode to Joey

2009-05-01T10:31:00.000-07:00

One of our nearest and dearest friends, Joey Mortensen, has been diagnosed with cancer and given only a short time to live. We are deeply saddened by this news and feel so bad for him, his sweet wife and family. Joey is so full of love, life and laughter and lots of fun to be around and we feel so very privileged to be his friends and part of the Larry group. We are bettter people because of our association with him and Vanessa and their great example. He was hospitalized recently and we were able to go visit him and take him some fro yo (he loves ice cream!) Here he is enjoying what little he could eat:

We love you Joessa and hope and pray for a miracle.

Sleeping Beauty

2009-04-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took Emma and we went to see Sleeping Beauty at the Hale Theater in Gilbert. They put their own little spin on it but it was very cute and we had a great time. She loves the Disney princesses and she is such a princess herself!

Getting ready to leave on our date.

Anxiously waiting for the play to start.

Having fun with Grandma!

Enjoying a big cookie during intermission.

After the show all the cast members lined up in the foyer for a meet and greet but Emma was too shy and wouldn't stand by anyone until I finally bribed her to let me take a picture of her with Sleeping Beauty.

Thanks for going with me Emma. In a few more years there will be lots of girls cousins to go with us!

Camping Fun!

2009-04-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

While Melanie and Gabe were here our family went camping at Pinto Creek from Thurs. - Sat. We had a great time and some highlights of the trip were:

FOOD! We feasted on tin foil dinners, navajo tacos, sausage gravy and biscuits, smores, gooey chex mix, etc. It was all very yummy!

FUN! We enjoyed activities like shooting guns (and killing innocent squirrels and birds), playing games, collecting woolly worms, swinging on the swing that papa built and everyone loved going for rides on the quads!!!

FAMILY! We loved spending time outdoors with family. Sitting around the campfire and telling stories, and the kids getting filthy dirty while having fun with their cousins made for some special moments!

We all missed Brian, Jessica, Annie, Stephanie and Samantha as they were not able to make it. We sure hope they can join us next time we go!

Easter Surprise!

2009-04-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

We had a good Easter this year. The funniest part was when Melanie showed up from Utah with a baby bump and a shirt that said Suprise! (She spelled it wrong but no one seemed to notice except Brian.) She is 18 weeks pregnant and no one in the family knew. Little stinker! We are very excited to have #11 on the way. She is hoping to make this the year of the girls for our family but with the Rojas history we are not holding our breath! She was scheduled to find out this week but since they are in AZ we will have to wait. Her boys are darling so whatever they have we will be excited. All the kids came over for Easter dinner (yum!) and then afterwards the grandkids had an egg hunt. And of course it wouldn't be Easter at our house without See's Candies! Everyone definitely had an overload of sugar.

All the grandkids (minus Samantha) with their Easter baskets.

Aren't they the cutest?!!!

Kentucky Fried Dog?

2009-04-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Okay here's a funny story. Well at least it was to me but it's probably one of those had to be there kind of stories. Anyway I had taken two of my dogs to the groomer Thursday afternoon and went to pick them up around 6:00. On the way home I stop by KFC to get some potato wedges (love them!) and a drink. I wait in line behind this car that takes forever! and my dog Daisy decides she wants to sit on my lap. Then the car leaves and it is my turn so I pull up and the girl opens the window and tells me the total so I get my money and as I start to hand it to her Daisy decides it smells too good in there and jumps out of my car and into the drive-thru window! I hear the manager behind her ask if that dog just jumped in the window. It shocks me at first, my money goes flying out the window and all over the ground, then I am so embarrassed and keep apologizing, then I get the giggles and I can't quit laughing! The girl was really nice about it, she handed me back my dog and just said that she had to go wash her hands. Then she comes back and gets me a new order of potato wedges. I wonder how often that happens! I normally don't drive around with my dogs in the car and now I guess I know why! She can be such a stinker at times but mostly she's sweet. Here's the culprit:

So next time you go to KFC watch out you just might get served kentucky fried dog!

Take me out to the ballgame!

2009-04-09T09:22:00.001-07:00

Well we went to our first D-backs game of this season. We took Matthew with us to give his mom a break and we had a good time. Matthew is really into cars and trucks and that kind of stuff but not really into sports yet. (We need to fix that!) It was a little boring as the D-Backs lost 9-2 and the only excitement was the home run that went over our heads and a guy about 5 rows behind us caught it. But Matthew did good and here's some fun pics of the day:

Getting ready for the game to start.

Sharing ice cream with papa and getting to keep the helmet!

Ron and Shirley Mortensen had the seats next to us and they also brought their grandson.

Matthew with his new buddy Wyatt.

Being shy for the camera.
I don't think he's a true baseball fan yet, but we'll keep working on it. We love you Matthew!

One down, two to go!

2009-04-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

The first of our three new babies has arrived! Samantha Jewel Walker made her appearance at 2:55 p.m. on April 3rd, weighing in at 7 lb. 9 oz. and almost 21" long. She is a cutie! Mom and baby are both doing well.

The proud (and tired) mama!

The proud grandma!

The proud papa!

The cutie pie!

Stephanie with her two prizes! Her new baby girl and her sprinkles cupcakes that her wonderful mother went and got her while she was in labor!

Great job Steph! Congrats to you, Curt, Emma and Matthew!

Jennings Family BBQ

2009-03-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Last night we barbecued at Gordon and Lindy's for FHE with the Jennings fam. We had a good tournout and a great time! The weather was a little cool but considering what is to come we thoroughly enjoyed it! An evening full of good vittles, visiting and volleyball! Here's some random pics of the fun:

Thanks to everyone who came and contributed as we build those memories and traditions!

Think Pink!

2009-03-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's raining pink at the Knight house! We have 3 more grandbabies coming and all of them are girls. Stephanie is due in April, Kimberly is due in May, and Jessica is due in August. Won't that be fun! Added to the three granddaughters we already have that will be 6 girls to 4 boys. Poor Matthew is the only grandson in AZ as Melanie's 3 boys live in Utah. He will have his hands full at family get togethers! We are very excited and hope these three new girls will grow up as close cousins and have lots of fun together. We love you already!

Weekend Getaway

2009-03-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I was able to spend a few days with my aunt Lana and my sister Debbie at her beautiful cabin in Show Low. We had a great time! We visited, ate, shopped, ate some more, played dominoes, laughed (a lot!) and enjoyed the fantastic weather. We were having so much fun that we even stayed an extra day. I forgot my camera (darn it!) but I did manage to take one picture with my cell phone. Here is Lana and Debbie looking fabulous:

Thanks for the great time gals! Let's do it again soon.

Utah Trip

2009-02-20T16:50:00.000-08:00

Well we made another trip to Utah to visit the kids. We started off by driving to St. George and stopping overnight. The next morning we did a session in the temple before driving the rest of the way. We had never been to this temple before and it was beautiful.

We then drove the rest of the way and spend the next 4 days enjoying spending time with Melanie, Gabe and the boys. We met up with Gabe one day in Salt Lake City to see where he is working now and we had lunch at the Joseph Smith building. Yummy fried pickles!

Here is a view of part of the project that Gabe is working on.

The idiots that went swimming in 35 degree weather! (But the water was 90 degrees and 104 in the spa)

And the wimps that watched!

Ron and I were able to have lunch with Janice Beggs, a friend who used to live in our ward.

Papa with his buddies with the snowy mountains in the background. I don't think it got much over 40 degrees the whole time we were there. Burrrr!

Gabe and Ron got invited to a Jazz game so while they were gone Mel and I and the kids went to see the new Draper Temple and got to go inside. Very pretty!

Always a fun time. Thanks for letting us come, hope to see ya again soon!

Peralta Trail Hike

2009-02-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

I know you are all thinking what the heck, Paula actually went hiking?!!! I am actually thinking the same thing! On Friday I went hiking with my friend Jen Wood, her friend Mike, and her 9 year old daughter Krissy. Jen is a seasoned hiker who has done the Grand Canyon a few times. I told her to pick an easy one for me to start off. We hiked the Peralta Trail up to the Fremont Saddle which is 2.2 miles up and 2.2 miles back down. Piece of cake right? Well maybe for you but for a not so in shape 51 year old it was hard work! I thought the going up part would be the hardest but the coming down was a killer. It was fun and even though my knees are killing me today I'm glad I went and hope to do a few more hikes in the future.

We made it to the top! The view from up here was definitely worth it. Thanks for letting a slowpoke like me tag along.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTHEW!

2009-02-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

A big shout out for our cute grandson Matthew Paul Walker. He is 3 years old today! We love him and hope he has a great birthday!

Good News :) Bad News :(

2009-02-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well I'll start off with the good news. . . Gabe got a really good new job! He was chosen from out of 200 applicants. The pay will be good and the benefits are great.

Now the bad news. . . It is back in Utah! My dream of having all my children living in Arizona is over for now. He will be working for Okland Construction in the safety field on a large commercial project just south of the Salt Lake Temple where the ZCMI mall used to be. Today is his first day and we wish him well. Ron will miss having him around as they have spent alot of time together and Gabe is lots of help. But we are happy that their family will be back together as I know it has been stressful for them living apart. We are already planning our next visit. I guess my shopping days in Utah will continue!

World's Best Kettle Corn!

2009-01-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon the best kettle corn at Sam's Club the other day. It is by Popcorn, Indiana and on a whim I decided to buy a bag. OH MY GOSH! I practically ate the whole bag by myself! It was so good. I don't know how long it has been around but I have been clueless until now. It also comes in other flavors and when I went to Walgreens they had aged white cheddar that I knew Ron would love. It was delicious too, but if you like kettle corn you HAVE to try the original stuff. But watch out or you'll be addicted too. I'm already planning another trip to Sam's Club! And you can order all their flavors online. Woo Hoo!

Here kitty kitty . . .

2009-01-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Since my last post was about a dog, I decided I would give equal coverage to the feline population. (Which after last weekend is slightly smaller!) Ron and his good friend and hunting buddy Sterling Leavitt went mountain lion hunting in Southern Arizona and both were successful. Ron was supposedly just tagging along for the fun of it but I knew he could not resist shooting one when the opportunity arose. It is a small tom but it is his first one and he was pretty excited. He is having it made into a rug that will one day adorn the walls of our home. I can hardly wait!

The hard working hunters with their results. Starting off 2009 with a bang!

A Stitch in time saves nine!

2009-01-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

There is much truth to this old adage! This is our dog Stitch. She had a problem with her heat cycles and her female parts wanting to hang out. (Very gross I know, just be glad I didn't include a picture of that!) The vet said she was producing too much estrogen and we needed to have her spayed. Well it went away after her cycle and I planned on getting her fixed but as usual I thought I had lots of time. Then boom, before we knew it she was in heat again and the problem was even worse. So after weeks went by and it didn't get better I finally bit the bullet and took her to the vet. (Ron thought we should use the bullet!) So as the saying goes, if I would have got Stitch spayed in time it would have saved me $900! (Actually it was $600 but still way more than it would have been!) She also had a small tumor on her head that the vet removed. Poor thing, she has to wear that cone around her neck and bumps into everything. But consider it an expensive lesson learned to not procrastinate!

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

A new year always brings reflection on life and what needs to be changed or improved. Unfortunately I'm far from perfect and the list is always long! There was an article online that listed the top ten resolutions and they are:

1. Spend more time with family and friends.
2. Get fit.
3. Lose weight.
4. Quit smoking.
5. Enjoy life more.
6. Quit drinking.
7. Get out of debt.
8. Learn something new.
9. Help others more.
10. Get organized.

These are some really good goals I need to work on and since I don't have to worry about #4 or #6 (unless Diet Coke counts), I would like to add increasing my spirituality. A tall order indeed but what the heck anythings possible! How are your new years goals coming along? Let's encourage each other and see how we do. Happy New Year!

Family Bowl Off #2

2008-12-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Christmas we decided to go bowling as a family. It was lots of fun and I must say I kicked everyone's trash! Steph and Curt had their ward Christmas party that night and were not able to come. So last night for FHE we went back for a rematch. The guys bowled on one lane, the girls on the other lane, and the kids on their own lane with bumpers. I have to admit that Gabe redeemed himself with two solid games and Brian did pretty good the second game considering he wasn't feeling well after a root canal that day! But once again I ruled the women, pulling ahead at the end of both games to beat the Melvinator! The kids had a great time also. Thanks to Brian for hooking us up with some free coupons. Here's a few pics from the fun evening:

The thrill of victory . . . . .
And the agony of defeat!

It's a Girl!

2008-12-25T20:43:00.001-08:00

Well the secret is out and the Carroll's are having another girl. Kamri Leigh is on her way! Here are pictures of what they opened to find out. A shirt for Kinsley and a onesie for the baby. I'm just glad that I don't have to keep it to myself any longer. That was hard work!

Kim and Jason reacting to the happy news. Congratulations, we are excited for you!

Family Christmas Party

2008-12-24T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the Jennings Christmas party. We have outgrown mom and dad's house and garage so we have moved on to a church. The food was great and the kids had fun screaming and running amok through the hallways. We even had a special visitor that the kids loved. Thanks to everyone for coming and bringing the yummy food. Here's just a sample of the evening:

What a sexy Santa! Hope I get what I wished for!

My Lips Are Sealed!

2008-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went with Kimberly to her ultrasound appointment to find out the sex of the baby she is having in May. I had this cute idea for her to let me find out and then I would buy something either pink or blue and wrap it up for Christmas and then they could find out what they are having by opening the present! Only no one thinks I can keep it a secret until then. I am so hurt that they have so little faith in me, I can't imagine why! Women and secrets go hand in hand don't you think?! Anyway my lips are sealed tight! And I'm not in politics so bribing won't help either, although I could use a good back rub, foot massage, someone to run my last minute Christmas errands, clean my house, etc. Let me know if your interested and we'll see what we can work out!

Christmas Traditions

2008-12-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Every year we make the trek to see the temple lights with my side of the family. We have done it for umpteen years now and it is one of the highlights of the season. We start at Pioneer park and then cross the street to the temple, make a loop around enjoying the lights and music while fighting the crowds, and then it's back to the park for doughnuts and hot chocolate. The weather cooperated this year and didn't rain. Here's some random pictures to help remember the fun!

Can't wait till next year!

My Christmas Village

2008-12-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

One of the things I look forward to at Christmas is getting out and putting up my village. I love it! It all started back in 2004 when Melanie and Gabe were living in Texas and we went for a visit the week after Christmas. We stopped at a JoAnns store to see what they had on sale and their village houses were 70% off clearance. So Mel said she was going to get some and I decided what the heck I will get some too. We each bought a few and then got home that night and opened them up and plugged them in and saw how cute they were. So the frenzy began! We went to every JoAnns in the state of Texas to look for more. Well maybe not the state but the whole Dallas/Ft. Worth area! We would even jump out of the car and race each other to the store to see who could get there first. It was alot of fun! I ended up coming home with 7 different houses and a few accessories. Then I learned they had them on ebay and let's just say over the next couple of holiday seasons I became obsessed. I even got a couple at Ace Hardware. But I am finally running out of room on top of my entertainment center so I have reigned myself in this year. I could use a few more trees though. It looks much better at night when its dark and all the houses are lit up.

Gotta have Santa flying overhead! Isn't it cute? So fun!

The Bishops

2008-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

Ron and I received an early Christmas present with a surprise visit from our old friends Ron and Peggy Bishop. They made a quick trip to Phoenix to attend a funeral and we got to hang out with them on Tuesday night. It was so good to see them! They moved to Gilbert and into our ward back in 1990. They have a son Ryan who is Brian's age and a daughter Brienne who is Kimberly's age and we hit it off right away. Unfortunately in 1994 work took them away from us, to California and then Seattle but we still manage to keep in touch. This is one friendship that time and distance is not going to put asunder!

We took them to all our old haunts. They were so disappointed when we told them the original Mattas had closed so we went to Mattas too and they have the #4 so both Ron's were happy!

Then it was off to see the lights at the Arizona Temple. Isn't the star beautiful? (Not to mention the women underneath it!)

They were so excited to see the camels!

Last but not least we stopped to finish off the night at Nielsens. This was one of our favorite places to go with them and it still is. Peggy was in heaven with her spiced apple cheesecake concrete!

We really enjoyed getting to see you guys. Come back soon!

A White Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T07:44:00.001-08:00

We had an untraditional Thanksgiving this year. First, we spent it camping/hunting in the mountains, second, we had none of our family with us, and third, it snowed!

What a sight to wake up to on Thanksgiving morning. Beautiful!

Sterling carving the deep fried turkey.

We did have all the traditional food though and it was delicious!

The women after stuffing themselves. We were a little bummed thinking about all the sales we would miss on black friday!

Ron and I by the newest addition to our family. One of the things we were definitely thankful for this year. It sure made camping nice!

The Leavitts, Knights and Holyoaks enjoying the campfire.

Hoke just being himself. He sure kept us laughing!

Putting the fire out after packing up everything to leave.

Sterling doing his part to help!

Ron couldn't miss out on the fun.

Thanks to the Leavitts and the Holyoaks for the fun time we had and for filling in as our family this year. Better luck next time with the hunting!

Even though we were not with our family we sure did miss them and we are very thankful for each and every one of them!

Last Utah trip?

2008-11-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

I just returned from spending a week in Utah with Melanie and the boys. Depending on how fast (or slow) their house sells, this may have been my last trip. Although I am super excited to have them move to Arizona, I will miss getting to visit Utah often. Some of the things I have grown to love:
Scenery, seasons and shopping! I love the mountains (especially with snow on the tops), the canyons, and the lake that Melanie lives by. I love that they have different seasons, the leaves in the fall are beautiful and even the snow is fun for a little while. And the tulips in the spring are gorgeous! The mosquitos in the summer are definitely not my favorite but the cooler weather is nice. I will miss shopping at Tai Pan, Gardner Village, Rodworks, Roberts crafts, the Wood Connection, Lehi roller mills, and many other cool places. (maybe that's a good thing!) And I will miss the hot springs heated pool and spas that are right across the street. But I will not miss the freezing cold!

While I was there Melanie celebrated her 31st birthday. We took the kids and went out to dinner and later that evening I made crepes and she had some friends over for dessert. She is such a special person, an amazing woman, a fabulous daughter and I love her so much! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Time Out for Women

2008-11-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I was able to attend Time Out for Women with my sis-in-law Cindy and our two cousins Debbie and Pam. We didn't realize it was also for girls so the format was a little different. But it was fun, upbeat and very uplifting with lots of great music. We didn't want to pay their price of $17 for lunch so we had our own parking lot picnic.
Cindy and I looked like twins with our haircut, brown tops and skirts. We even got asked if we were sisters. What a compliment!You can't go anywhere with these women and not have fun. Thanks for taking me with you!

Homemade bread

2008-11-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Awhile ago Stephanie had gotten into bread making. She borrowed my old bosch and since she was getting more use out of it than I had been I decided to give it to her for her birthday. But then I realized that I missed having one and so for my birthday last month Ron surprised me and got me the new version. It had been awhile since I had made bread so we got together today at Steph's house so she could show me how she does it with her recipe. It wasn't that hard and if I do say so myself it turned out fabulous!

Grinding the wheat into flour

My new bosch in action

Steph and I in our cute mother's day aprons

Weighing the dough Kim stopped by to check out our work

The finished product, yum oh!
Did I actually make that?!!!!!

Halloween

2008-11-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

We have never gotten many trick-or-treaters at our house and this year was no exception. Only the cutest ones bothered to come by and they were adorable!

Anaston as Minnie Mouse

Kinsley as a bumble bee

Matthew and Emma as Lightning McQueen and Sleeping Beauty

And you know Grandmas house always has the best candy!

Arizona State Fair

2008-11-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

We went with the family to the AZ State Fair on Oct. 22. I love the fair! The sights, sounds, smells, food, etc. After the usual dinner of San Tan Indian fry bread (yum!) we hit the kiddie rides. They had a blast! Emma and Matthew were the perfect age for the rides, Anaston and Kinsley will enjoy it more next year. We missed the Rojas family but they will be able to join us in 2009. Woo hoo!

I'm a Blogger now!

2008-11-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

Well I have succumbed to peer pressure and started a blog. My life is so entertaining and exciting that I just had to share it with the world. So check it out when you get bored and need to be livened up!