Our Road Trip

David and I went on a little road trip on Friday after Thanksgiving. We found we had a little time so we went off to enjoy some scenic Utah. Now - I'm still a 'blogging novice" because I am starting with out end of trip. Whoops!

Here we found some Christmas lights in Teasdale on our way home. It was really a quaint little part of Utah with some beautiful landscape. Here they put lights in the over hanging trees. Imagine what they look like with snow on them!!!

We drove through the Natural Bridges National Park. There are 3 bridges, and we only hiked down to this one. It was shorter and easier. Some day we will have to go back and do them all.

These Indian ruins are just off the road. It's almost like a rest stop, but with some interesting views. David of course had to get down in and check it all out.

We stayed our last night in Monticello and took pictures of the Temple there.

Here we are in Canyonlands. David got a real bad case of nostalgia and walked up Elephant Hill. We once did this scary ride with his parents. I can't believe we did it. I would not do it now and would not want my kids to either.

This is a room, they called it a home, where several people were allowed, by the government, to reside. They dug a whole in the rock! Not so fun.

Here we are at a look out in Canyonlands. We even took a hike where we had to follow the cairns (small rock piles to tell you the direction) to stay on the path.

This is our first excursion on the trip. We went to Dead Horse Point. The weather was quite cold, but it was so fun to be there in a different time of the year.

We had so much fun doing this, just the two of us. Although, we said several times how much the kids would have loved this trip.

Thanksgiving

Whoa! I didn't get a whole lot of pictures at our Thanksgiving dinner. Here are a few of the family eating and hanging out. It was a good time. We had 18 people here at our house for dinner.
Here are some of the girls eating and contemplating and eating and talking!

There was a lot of WII action afterward. My grandma and mom used to make us walk around the block. Now we just drive and do a bit of bowling and tennis! It was still great fun, not too much of a work out, but who wants to work out on Thanksgiving.

Kaja loved the traditional shrimp cocktail. It's really funny when you know her parents don't like fish of any kind! Oh, they like to go fishing, but not to eat it.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I thought I would tell everyone Happy Thanksgiving. Then I had a great idea to go back . . . way back and share some photos of Thanksgivings in the past. I have such great memories of being with my family at Thanksgiving time. It was a big day, and a full day of love and laughter. I hope that all of you who read this will have that same kind of day tomorrow and make sweet memories for your kids.

This is me at the counter helping my mom make her famous, delicious rolls. I can almost make them like her.

Whoa - look at mom! She's taking a sneak bite!

This is me and my mom and brothers with Nana at her home after the big meal. She always made us walk around the block before we could have pie!

Here are my brothers with Nana ready to dig in!! Nana was my dad's mom.

This is little ol' me gnawing on the leg. Can't do that anymore. It's all white for this girl.

Here's my mom encouraging my brother to eat all his food. Which was really not hard to do. He had quite a good appetite.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all my good friends. I love you. Denise

ONE OF THOSE DAYS . . . .

Have you ever had one of those days;

You just can't move fast enough.

Too many things to do and you don't know where to start - so you don't start.

Just like to think & think & think & think.

Things just don't get done like you had planned.

Ya just can't get going!

AHHHHHH!

Well, that's my day. To be honest it's been my last few days.

Thanks for listening.

The Accordion

Tyler and Christine came over the other night for dinner. That's always fun in and of itself, but this night was special. Tyler and I went downstairs to find a box and Tyler found his dad's accordion. He lugged it upstairs, it is very heavy. But no matter how we begged David would not play for us. He just sat on the couch with his socks on backwards! (You had to be there!) So, anywho - Tyler entertained us instead. It was downright tear makin' music.

David took lessons many years ago. He doesn't pull the instrument out very often, well never would be a better word. This might be due to the fact that the first time he pulled it out, Leslie and Andrea were 3 and 2 years old. When he sat down, put it on his lap and began to play - the girls started crying and not because they loved it! I think David was just as surprised at their reaction and they were to what he was doing.

Great fun and times with the kids!!

Yesterday most of the family were able to come to dinner. We missed Leslie and hers, Kevin and Nicole and David! (David went to the Sunday Fireside at the Marriott Center).

Tyler's helping Kaja fly like Tinkerbell.

Here Jaxon's flying like Spiderman!

Saturday night we tended Leslie and Jared's girls so they could go to a JAZZ game! Grandpa was a great help!

Andrea and the kids came over one night for dinner and games. Andrea's doing the WII fit thing and Jax and Kaja were standing on cookie sheets and driving!

Here are my little trick or treaters! Leslie brought her girls to the office to trick or treat and then they went with Jared to a NuSkin party. Here Kylee is showing off her Fairy Princess wings.

We went to see the grandkids. Here is Jaycelyn as a spunky little fairy! Don't you love the headband.

Emily gets in the 'spirit'. She curls her tongue. Something her grandma can't do!

We zipped over to Springville too. Here are Kaja and Jax testing out the candy in the back of the van. Andrea and Paul's ward do "trunk or treat". It was really quite organized and fun.

Jaxon was Spiderman (with a gut)!

Kaja's always got a cheesy smile for the camera. She was the cutest Super Gril ever. Yes, I spelled it right, according to Kaja's pronunciation!

Happy Halloween

We had some fun last night. We had our FHE pumpkin carving last night and it was fun. Leslie and I cleaned the pumpkins out earlier in the day, to make the carving a little quicker. It was a good idea. Oh, we didn't clean out Tyler and Christine's pumpkins.

Emily enjoyed some time without everyone grabbing at her.

Tyler and Christine got pretty serious about the whole carving thing!

Leslie gave Jared the "easy" one!

Everybody got into the fun! (Once they got over the slimey stuff!)

Whoops I did it again. I forgot to take the after shots of our pumpkins!

Isn't the Fall fun!

I had the best time ever yesterday with my daughters and my grandkids. And they are GRAND.

Here's our annual Halloween Picture with all the kids. What you really miss is Leslie jumping up and down and screaming - trying to get them to focus on the camera and smile at the same time.

The kids played so well together. They really love being together.

Kaja and Kylee are looking at magazines and deciding what they want for Christmas or whatever they can have.

Jayce's watching the big girls frosting cookies and then eats them.

Jaxon's ready for another cookie.

Kylee and Kaja liked frosting cookies. But their idea is a bit different than grandma's. In their mind when they frosted the first cookie they ate it, then frosted another and ate that one and so on and so on. They didn't get that we just frost all cookies and share them.

After all the fun at grandma's we went to Jaker's Pumpkin Patch and played in the maze and picked out some great pumpkins to take home. Here's Kylee on top of a bale of hay and considering the maze and how to get out.

Jaxon ran around and around and around and around.

Jayce walked around and was way cute!

Kaja like climbing on the bales and getting off "all by herself". Tyler got in on the fun too!

Tyler and Christine and Emily went clear out in the field to cut their pumpkin!

I think I'm going to have to do this every year, but I think Grandpa should come and enjoy the time with the kids.

Happy Birthday Kylee

What a sweet precious little girl our Kylee is. She certainly is our little princess.