the nannie blog

We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing....

2011-11-27T23:07:00.001-08:00

For the first time EVER we celebrated

Thanksgiving with ONLY our immediate

family. Turns out our own group is getting

so big that we really fill up our house, our tables,

our ovens, cooktops and countertops

all by ourselves. CRAZY...I know. And in

some ways it was weird to not have extended family,

but we were 25 on our own without Bryce, Lisa,

Miranda and Asher and they were sorely missed!

God willing we will be adding

2 more next year! I think we are to the point that we are

going to have to find a place to hold the celebration

if we are to gather with our extended families.

Regardless, it was a fantastic day shared with those

who are nearest and dearest to our hearts.

My sweet sister flew in from Oregon to be with my Mom

so I could concentrate on the preparations and have the

day with my clan. And here they all are....

We had a Kid's Turkey Table complete with lots

of crafting supplies and projects.

They even had their own special centerpiece!

Here's is Dustin's famous deep fried turkey....not

much to look at but delicious to the taste!

And here is my traditional golden brown bird....

These are the girls that helped make this possible....plus

Ezzie. I couldn't have done it without their help!!

(And look at those two adorable baby bumps with

the April babies in the ovens)

The food was delicious, the company perfect, and

the blessings innumerable. I have a very charmed life

indeed. Regardless of the challenges we all face,

our cups runneth over with blessings and love.

What more could I ask in life????

It was a perfect day!

November Birthday Highlights

2011-11-27T22:15:00.000-08:00

November is a BIG month for Birthdays

in these parts and we celebrated

some of the BEST of the BEST.

November 9th is Miss Poppy Louise Jackson's

special day...she turned a big 3 years old.

We enjoyed dinner with Grandma Alice and

Grandpa Steve at Benihana's that night.

The next day, Minie was kind enough to give

her little sister a haircut....free of charge.

Brooke may have cried a little but the Hello

Kitty Party she threw went forward as if nothing

had ever happened. (Way to roll with the punches!!)

The face painter was outstanding and

all the kids enjoyed their design of choice.

Of course, the birthday girl was "Hello Kitty".

Brookie-D always does it up right!!

Such a cute, cute party....

Gretsie showing us her design choice...

November 6th was my amazing Mom's special day.

She's 85 years young and her day wasn't all that

grand. She had a fall that required the EMT's

to come and help her up and she really wasn't feeling

well. But she was a good sport and

put up with our celebrating her.

Here's the party throwers minus Kennan who came

as soon as she got off work.

And here's the staff that celebrated with her too.

It was a nice little gathering, but sadly she had ANOTHER

fall the next day and it took several days for her to recover.

November 5th was Tucker's big day as he turned 12

and received the Aaronic Priesthood. This is one

wonderful boy and we were lucky enough to make

a VERY quick trip to St. George to see him play

football where he caught a touchdown pass and

then be present for his ordination on Sunday.

Great boy....always makes us proud!!

And November 4th was Jude's 6th birthday....

and as you can see, the Pirate theme carried right on

from Halloween into his birthday party!

The party goers decorated "booty bags" to hold

all their pirate prizes and walked the plank several times.

Ya-ya provided lots of pirate decorations from

school and even dressed up to read the group

a pirate story. (She's the best!)

Kennan did an outstanding job of

putting on this bash for a very large

group of pirates!!

Pretty amazing month to have brought forth ALL these

very special people. How very blessed I was to be

able to celebrate with them all!!

October Sewing Projects=Halloween Adorables

2011-11-27T22:00:00.000-08:00

I was recruited to assist with costume making for

the Jackson/Gregory group this year and

pirates were the chosen theme for the season.

It's obvious that this pirate crew

was the cutest group around!!

This miniature matey got to "ride"

the high seas while the crew

went door to door gathering treasure.

Kennan has been kind enough to invite us up

for dinner and then see the little's trick or treat in

her neighborhood. Great times!!

Halloween at Nannie's 2011

2011-10-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

In the middle of all the craziness, we still were able to

have a little Halloween Party at Nannie's house.

We had a kid friendly dinner of spaghetti and meatballs,

a little bit of a frightening "spook alley" complete with

peeled grape eyeballs, carrot fingers, cold spaghetti

brains, Grandpa's hair and a guest appearance

by the ghost of Grandpa Mike.

We finished the night off with a pumpkin carving

contest complete with awards for every

child. All in all, a GREAT little party....

if I do say so myself!

Halloween is just plain fun!

My Sisters Came to Town!!!

2011-10-30T23:28:00.001-07:00

My two sisters made a quick trip to SLC to see

Mom this week. It was a much needed and much

appreciated visit.

While they were here, Sunrise hosted a trick or treat night

for family of residents. Gabi and Bella were excited

to be able to participate.

(They were Draculara and Frankie Stein from

"Monster High".... Vanessa fashioned their costumes.)

Love these ladies more than words can say.

Thanks for coming, Sisters.

I really needed to see you and you

made Mom's month!!

Celebrating Kennan

2011-10-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

For Kennan's Birthday celebration, she chose

NOT to include the children (Ezzie gets to come

every where, however) and to go out to dinner

at Texas Roadhouse with family

(Yummy!!)

Here's the Birthday girl and her honey!

The attendees.....

Cute little exception to the rule!

This is what he looks like when he realizes his

Mommy isn't holding him.

Great little celebration for a really GREAT lady.

Happy 29th, K-Diggity.

XOXO

Game Time!

2011-10-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever you visit the Lamoreaux family

you can almost always be assured at least

one sporting event to attend.....after all,

these kids are born with a magnetism toward balls

of one sort or another!

So we got to see our first tackle football game

with Tucker. Seems so weird that he is old enough

to be playing football, but the photos that follow

prove that it is so!

Here he is trying NOT to be embarrassed by

the fact that his Grandmother is on the

field trying to get pictures!

We also got to see Miss Gwynnie mix it up

a little bit on the soccer field.

I love girls soccer.... no matter the outcome of

the game, they have a great time and leave happy.

It's more about the social aspect and the fun.

Thanks for showing us your stuff, guys.

Only wish you lived closer so I could catch a few

more games!

My Dixie Munchkins

2011-10-30T22:56:00.000-07:00

Words can not express how proud we were

of our two little Thespians who were

in the High School production of

"Wizard of Oz"!!

It was such a great experience for them

and a delight to see them perform....

Gwynnie was a Munchkin with a speaking part

(and I was lucky enough to create her costume!)

Abe was the Coroner of the Munchkins with

a musical solo and he did a fantastic job!!

He also doubled as a flying monkey.

I have a feeling we haven't seen the last

of these little performers. (Perhaps Gwynnie's

departing the stage while blowing kisses to her

adoring public is a good indicator!)

Can't wait to see what's next for these two!

Thanks for sharing with us.

XOXO

Great Grandpa Joseph Ridges and Pine Valley

2011-10-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

While in St. George we made a little trek our

to Pine Valley. Robyn and Bob have told us about

this idyllic place in southern Utah where you come

around the desert corner and enter this valley that

is covered in pines and so beautiful that you can't believe

you are near St. George.

Turns out it isn't only beautiful but it has some

family history associated with it.

This historic LDS Chapel has a plaque that

details how the pipes from the Tabernacle organ

in SLC were fashioned from trees from Pine Valley,

as specified by organ builder Joseph Ridges and shipped to

him in SLC. Joseph Ridges is the Williams family

claim to pioneer fame...he is their Great Grandpa!

It was a delightful outing complete with

a little history, some gorgeous scenery,

a few "oreo" cows and topped off with some

famous (but not too impressive) pie.

May you always be 29!!

2011-10-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KENNAN!!!

This lovely lady turns 29 today...

and she is worthy of MUCH celebrating!

In past years she has spent her birthday in the

emergency room with me after my knee

collapsed on me as well as several other

not so memorable things. I'm afraid this year

she may spend her day in the Dr. office with a sick

little girl rather than celebrating as she should.

Soooo...if you get a chance, wish her a happy day.

She is my daughter, my friend, and the spice

in my life. She has always made life interesting

and fun and NO one can make me giggle like she can.

I love you, Kennan and every day has been a

blessing since your arrival 29 years ago.

I have learned so many lessons from you.

I hope your day is better than you expect it to be!

XOXOXO

P.S. Thanks for giving me those 3 adorable

grandbabies. You are stellar!

Autumn Happenings

2011-10-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the random things

that have been going on around

Nannie's place over the past few

weeks....

Sugar cookie baking has begun...

We were lucky enough to be able

to catch a couple of the

"end of the season" soccer

games with Jude and the

Green Dragons....

Minie, Poppy and Brooke spent a

week-end with us while Dustin was

out of town and we made some

smashing, swash-buckling pirate

costumes for Halloween....

Ezzie continued to get cuter...

exponentially!!

Gabi celebrated her 5th birthday

a bit late since they were in

Denver on the actual day...

Bella and Gabi were dressed like

"Monster High" characters in costumes

that their Mommy fashioned for them ...

And Poppy just wanted to be dressed up in

whatever (we didn't get the memo about

wearing costumes...oops!)

This little lady is a rock-star in the making and

her Daddy got her a REAL pink guitar...

miniature size!

Robyn and Co. were up for a few days so

we made a trek out to Gardner Village for the

Witch Festival....CRAZY town!

And last but not least we made an Annie

dress for Gwyn for her Halloween costume....

visualize with red wig and black mary-jane's

and ankle socks. (This is for you, Paige!)

Autumn is upon us....and I must admit...

I LOVE it!

Birthday Buddies

2011-09-29T22:51:00.001-07:00

Two of my best friends in the world

and I have something in common

(well, we have a LOT of things in common).

But one of them is our birthday month.

We try to always have some kind of

celebration together during September

in honor of each other and our long,

and cherished friendship.

This year Jeanne had access to

a condo at Zurmatt in Midway,

so we snuck away for an overnighter

and some much over-due girl time.

We had long, late night conversations,

lots and lots of giggles, shared some

wonderful meals, did some leisurely shopping,

took in the view of the changing leaves,

and even enjoyed a late movie.

Jeanne and I were almost grounded because

we came home after curfew. Connie wasn't in trouble

because Steve was out of town.

Time flies when you are having some much needed fun!

Thanks, my buddies. Let's do it again real soon!!

Sneak Preview

2011-09-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, Dixie Chicks....

So....there you go. It's all done and will

be on it's way tomorrow morning first thing!

Lucky Me...

2011-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Paige and Nate had planned a Hawaii trip for

their 5th Anniversary and when there babysitting

plans got complicated they asked if I could make

arrangements to come out and stay with Brig.

Well....duh!!!

Who wouldn't want a few days alone with

that adorable boy? And who wouldn't want

to wake up every morning to this face???

While I was there, little man got a new pair of

rain boots in the mail. And to say he liked them

is a major understatement. He LOVED them!!!

And pretty much didn't want to take them off.

Basically, being with him is about

the sweetest duty you can have!

Isn't he beautiful??

A great big added bonus was being able to spend

some quality time with these two!

Asher and Miranda have grown up

so fast and are so delightful.

We had some great visits together.

I got to see Asher test for his brown belt, too!

And I had some great visits with Bryce and Lisa as well.

Sometimes the un-scheduled, un-planned visits

turn out to be the most delightful.

Lucky, lucky me!!

VELOUR hosts ScramJet....and the Beat Goes On

2011-09-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Brad's band SCRAMJET was invited to perform

at Velour (a music club) in Provo.

And of course, we had to be there!

They have their own groupies....

headed up by Vanessa and other

wife of a band member.

The fans....

I guess you never outgrow something you

have a passion for and enjoy so much.

Go Scramjet!!

I will NOT have another BIRTHDAY!!!

2011-09-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

I really dislike it when this day rolls around....

but as far a birthday's go...this one was

very enjoyable.

Flowers at work from my hubby..,

And if you are going to have to acknowledge the day,

it's pretty grand to be able to spend it with

those people that you love so very much!

Hooorah! I made it to another...

The Coolest Kid in the Class Turns 5

2011-09-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

As an infant, Gilbert earned the title

of "Frat Boy" because he was just

born COOL. Just ask him....he is

the coolest kid in his class.

And he recently turned 5. We were

invited to his birthday bash and

it was a really good excuse to

head south for a few days.

He had a "rockin'" water party in his backyard.

There were lots and lots of kids, lots and lots of water,

and lots and lots of presents.

When Gil found out Mike and I were coming for

the party, he asked if he could have Jude for his birthday.

Kennan and Trev couldn't make it, but Jude was

totally in for coming along with us.

It was a great celebration for a really great

boy! How lucky we were to share in this

special day. Love this little man more than

words can say. And we are forever grateful

that he is here to celebrate with us. It could easily

have turned out differently.

XOXOXO

Zion Natl. Park.....Lamoreaux Style

2011-09-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for some excuse

to head down south to see

my Dixie Kids.

On this last excursion, Bob and

Robyn took us to Zion and shared

their well kept secret swimming hole

on the east side of the park.

Here are the littles all set to make

the very vertical hike down to their

special place and outfitted in

their life jackets so there were no

MAJOR mishaps.

Tuck and Abe wasted no time at all

jumping from the rocks to the water below.

Those Lamoreaux kids are fearless

when it comes to water....little fish!

The crew from up north were not nearly

as daring. Part of the fear had to do with all

the little froggies that were in the water with us!

Eventually Jude and Poppy mustered

the nerve to jump in from the rocks above,

but there was no "peer pressure" that

was going to make Miss Minie enter the

water from the rocks or other wise!

Believe it or not....even Mike and I

eventually caved in and gave it a try.

It was incredibly refreshing in the 100 degree

weather! But still.....

After lots of water fun, we hiked

out (somehow I forgot that my knees

no longer really allow that kind of hiking...

so I paid for my folly!). Then we drove on

up the way and found a little picnic place.

Back in St. George we enjoyed some swimming

in the pool at the condo Brooke and Dustin were

staying in....without froggies!!

Minie was on board for that kind of swimming.

The Lamoreaux's are great hosts and lots of

fun. Can we come again soon....we still

haven't been to Pine Valley! :)

38 Years and Counting.....

2011-08-25T20:54:00.001-07:00

On August 17 we celebrated 38 years of marriage.

In 1973 following our SL Temple marriage and

reception, we hopped in our car and made our

first trip to Jackson Hole. We were SOOOO

young, but we made a great choice in starting

a tradition of visiting one of the most

beautiful and breathtaking places on earth.

We fell in LOVE with Jackson Hole

and we have made the trip countless times

since, with friends and mostly with our

own family. This place holds a special spot

in all of our hearts. It seemed only right

that we make that trek again to celebrate

#38. It's still a GREAT choice!!

We usually stay in Teton Village and

we have never been disappointed.

Jenny Lake is a favorite spot as

is the Jackson Lake Lodge.

And of course, the town of Jackson.

We have to get a picture with all the elk

antlers every time!!

This sculpture was new since we were

there last and I loved it.

It was a wonderful weekend. We love the drive,

we love the scenery, we love the atmosphere,

and we loved having a little down time to

just remember how this all got started.

Thanks for 38 great years. It certainly hasn't

been boring!! I think we have another couple of

decades in us. What do you think???

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

XOXOX

July and August.....Summer Slips Away

2011-08-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Summer has literally slipped away without

so much as a moment's notice.

Here are some of the highlights

of the past 6 weeks or so.

Silly, giggly dress-up princesses

just chillin' in my back yard!

I LOVE little girlies...

Poor Jude is SOOOOO outnumbered

most of the time. We need Gil to

move up north to even the odds!

SIDEWINDER FALLS:

Sidewinder Falls in Nannie's backyard

on a hot summer afternoon....

TREV TURNS 30!!

Gretsie up to bat while Grandpa

Rog pitches to the little girls

at Trevan's 30th Baseball Birthday party.

(He may be the most patient and

best grandpa I know!)

All the littles got in on the action...

Terri made this awesome cookie bat with

cupcake baseballs...she is clever like that!!

MIKE AND LIZA MORELL VISIT:

My cousin Mike Morell and his wife Liza

stopped to see Mom on their way through.

It was so nice of them to make the effort!

(And when did Mike turn into a

Ted Morell look-alike?!)

CANYON COOKOUT:

The raging waters finally subsided enough

for us to feel safe making a trip

up the canyon for a cook-out.

Oh...and somehow Ezzie grew up in

the past few weeks!!

I LOVE that we have our own

personal pre-school whenever we

have a family get-together!!

HANGING OUT IN THE BACKYARD:

Just chillin' in the backyard

with the fam.....

(Uh-oh...I think we might have a Nate

sighting in this photo!)

We had a VERY brief visit from Mr. Brig

and his Mommy & Daddy. He thoroughly enjoyed

his first ice cream cone in the back yard.

Contrary to popular belief...Brig likes

hanging at Nannies!

THE GREG'S CAMPOUT:

Mike and I joined Kennan and Trev

and their family for dinner

when they were camping out

in AF Canyon.

This girl loves herself a little fishing.

Grandpa took it upon himself to keep Ezzie

nice and warm. Turns out he was

totally down with the idea!

Thanks for the invite, Gregs...

A TRIP TO THE ZOO:

Then there was the trip to the zoo

with the Lamoreaux fam...

It was a super hot day so the

dinosaurs that squirted water were

a welcome relief!!

These HUGE moving dinosaurs are

at Hogle Zoo on loan for a short time.

All the boys loved them...and Robyn

and I were quite entertained just

sitting and watching kids freaking out

when they walked by and realized they

were MOVING!!

The zoo train ride is always a favorite!

SCRAMJET AT 7 PEAKS:

Brad's band (Scramjet) performed at the

7 Peaks Waterpark so Mike and I

went to listen to them.

And we got the bonus of watching beautiful

Gabi and Bella and their Mom enjoy the water

while Daddy performed....

LAST DAY OF SWIM LESSONS:

I also got to go to the last day of swim lessons

for these four water-babies!

And this little man....well he just

makes every good thing seem even better!!

I HATE to see it come to a close so quickly.

I for one am praying for a long, warm

Indian Summer!!

XOXO

Visiting the California Kids

2011-07-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

I have been hoarding our tax return so

we could make a trip to see our California

kids as soon as an opportunity presented itself...

and blessed Utah Pioneer Day made it possible!

I had Monday, July 25 off and with never working

Fridays...I jumped at the chance....4 days off!!

(In fact, I even took one more day and took

Thursday too!) Five glorious days to spend

with the kids I see the least....

That's right....he REALLY is this cute!

Brig has grown by leaps and bounds

since I last saw him.

Good news...he still liked us!

Paige, Brig, Asher and I made our way to

the Windsor Farmer's Market while

the men were golfing.

They live in a delightful place!

One day we drove out to Guerneville where

the Williams kids vacationed in the 60's.

We found Howard's old place and

did a little walk down memory lane!

Then we wandered down to the Russian River

at Johnson's Beach where we all

enjoyed a wonderful afternoon on the water.

This place is like stepping back in time...

it has a board walk, a beach, canoe rentals,

inner tubes, umbrella rentals, paddle boats,

a snack shack where you can buy

hamburgers for $2 and ice cream for $1.

Some one forgot to tell them they are in California

and they are supposed to raise their prices!!!

Poor Miranda was recovering from a TERRIBLE

allergic reaction to Benedryl that just about

sent her to the hospital. It took her several

days to get back to her usual self!

It was a terrific time and we could have done it

all over again the next day!

Nate and Paige had a business dinner/overnighter

in the city so we got to keep Brig overnight.

Bryce and Lisa hosted us for a BBQ

at their new home. Brig and Champ were

our entertainment!!

Great food, great company, great evening!

Windsor has a town green and they were

doing Shakespeare on the Green so we

met up there one night. Brig joined us until

Mike and Nate finished golf and then he went home

to bed with Daddy....

Bryce and Lisa came fully prepared with

table, chairs and refreshment!

It was a three man show and absolutely delightful!

Fun, fun evening....

As always, it comes to an end WAY, WAY too fast!

We met up for lunch at this wonderful french cafe

before we had to catch our flight home.

Miranda in her Annie Hall look...

wish like everything that I lived closer to this girl!

We tried to fit Brig in Mike's suitcase and

he was a willing participant.

But Paige said NO...

Here he is chillin' on the way to the airport in

my sunglasses and Grandpa's headset.

He is one delightful and charming little man.

Who told these kids it was okay to move away????

Until next time...

LOVE YOU, MY CALIFORNIA KIDS!!

XOXOXOXO

Brad's Movie Night....BRILLIANT!!

2011-07-26T21:54:00.001-07:00

Brad has been saying for some time now

that he wanted to have "Movie Night" for

family home evening at our house.

We were okay with the idea, so

Brooke brought down her back-drop

and Brad put together his HD projector

and sound system. All the littles brought

out blankets and pillows and Nannie

provided lots of treats.

We all agree....this was the BEST family

home evening idea we have had in ages!!

The kids had a blast and we all thoroughly

enjoyed it. We watch "Despicable Me"

and the littles laughed and laughed and

laughed some more.

They were free to roam and eat and

cuddle and play and watch at will.

The fire pit was going on the other side of the yard

and s'more making was going on as well.

This was a GREAT event. We wanted to

do it again the next night.

Brilliant...really!!

Thanks Brad and Brooke for all the

effort of putting this together.

When can we do it again???

XOXO

Tucker and the All-Stars

2011-07-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Last week Tucker was playing in the

All-Star Tournament in Cedar City.

His team had been kicking bums and

taking names, winning most of their games

by the 10 point rule (ten runs ahead and you win!).

He even made it into the St. George paper for his

first press clipping!!

They were undefeated and playing in the finals...

so we loaded up Grandma Billie and decided

to make a day trip of it.

This is his team ... 11 and 12 year olds so he is one of

the younger ones. Bob is the assistant coach.

Truth be known, Tucker doesn't play as much as

he would like or should (if you ask us!).

He was available to pitch the WHOLE tournament

and was never called upon...criminal, really!

In between innings he was able to visit

with his fan club. (Connie and Lyle and

Amy and her crew were all there too. )

As it turned out, Tucker's team had a bad day.

They lost and then had to play the same team

immediately after since it was double elimination.

Wouldn't you know when your WHOLE fan club

comes, your team stinks it up?

Regardless, he played well and I would have

traveled twice as far to see him.

Grandma Billie was about done in....but

she loves baseball where ever it is played.

I think Tucker took the losses better than

Bob. Oh well, wait until next year when he

is a 12 year old!!! They will clean their plows!

And you better believe I will be there to see it...

Love you, Tucker!

XOXO

60 ROCKS!!!

2011-07-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

FINALLY.....

I am getting around to posting about

my Sweetie's fabulous

60th Birthday party!

The girls and I put our heads

together and decided to throw a

surprise birthday bash for

Mike. Well, the surprise thing didn't

work out that great, but the

birthday bash party was a HUGE

success! I couldn't have done

it without the girls. Even Paige

contributed with great decorating ideas

from Cali and Robyn came up from

St. George to help pull it all off.

It was all done in a "deco" theme and

Brooke put together these awesome

posters of Mike through the years.

This was the guest book table where

people left personal messages for

Mike that I compiled into a

book for him to keep.

All our favorite little people were

there....Gil and Poppy...

And all of Mike's favorite friends

from all walks of his life.

Sully made it...and Poppy (again).

It was so fun just to visit and enjoy some

much over-due chat time.

We decorated with old albums hung from the trees

and used as centerpieces.

And all of Mike's favorite "oldies" were

playing int he background....

And Sully was there....and Ezzie too!

Brooke set up a "photo op"

for everyone to have their picture

taken with Mike's "rockin' image".

You have come a long way, baby...

So glad I have been there for most of it!

You wear 60 really well.

XOXOXO

Summertime....and the Livin' is CRAZY!!!

2011-07-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

WARNING: THIS POST MAY CAUSE PHOTO OVERLOAD!!!

Let's just begin by saying June was crazy town around here...

We started the month by celebrating this guy's 60th birthday.

It began as a surprise and ended up being fun but NO surprise.

And...when I finally figure out how to download all of Brooke's

pictures that she took of the festivities I will dedicate a post

purely to Mike's day. Just know that it was a fabulous group

effort on the part of the Williams girls.

GABI'S GRADUATION!!

Next came Gabi's Pre-School Graduation...

luckily it fell on a Friday so I could be in attendance.

I missed both Minie and Jude's graduations

In summary....she is brilliant!!

GIRLS CAMP 2011

Then came a couple of days & nights at Girl's Camp.

I was a slacker at documenting but this was

the banquet the final night and it was

a great time at Mutual Dell.

SULLY'S FIRST BIRTHDAY!!

Next came Sully's First Birthday...

Robyn came up to help with Mike's

party and had what we called a

"Stay-cation". She and her crew were

here for most of the month. So we got

to celebrate with this little man.

Angel boy wore this crown all day long....

he even came and visited me at work in it.

Sweet, sweet Sully. So lucky to have

you with us on your big day!! XO

MINIE'S DANCE RECITAL!!

Next up was MIss Minie's Dance Performance.

I blitzed straight from work to down town SLC

where she was performing.

Cutest little Kittie in the whole world...

and she is a natural. She is the best

in her class so she was front and center

so all the others could follow her lead.

BELLA'S 3RD BIRTHDAY!!

And then we had Bella's 3rd Birthday party...

Vanessa planned a delightful Unicorn Party.

Check out all the fanciful food and treats.

This party was to die for!!

Don't you love the unicorn horns??

THE BERSET SISTER'S VISIT!!

Next we had the great pleasure of having the

Berset sisters in town for a visit.

What a kick it was to be with these four!!

This was our Temple Square visit.

It was great to see these ladies and the

dynamics of the sisters together.

We had a wonderful visit.

It was too short but MOST sweet. It left us

wanting MORE!!!

BACKYARD FUN!!!

The high water conditions have kept us out of the

canyons....too scary with so many toddlers.

So, we improvised and had our own fires

and s'more making right in our own back yard.

Ezra just gets cuter and cuter by the minute!

MINIE'S 4TH BIRTHDAY!!

The first of July brought MORE birthdays....

Miss Minie Moo turned 4 and had a fantastic

"Garden Party" in Grandma Alice's backyard.

Nannie forgot her camera....but not to worry...

we had a little celebration in my back yard too!

*** THE FORTH OF JULY ***

And then came the 4th of July...

and the annual Hidden Oaks celebration.

The Williams Family Patriots were in the parade,

of course!!

All the kids wore their numbers (according

to Grandpa Mike's numbering system). You'll

have to ask for an explanation sometime...

it's too complicated to detail here.

TRULY.

Ezzie...stop the cuteness. You're killing us!!

After the annual neighborhood breakfast, we

enjoyed Sidewinder Falls, the bounce house,

a BBQ with Grandma Billie and the gang, and

fireworks compliments of Thanksgiving Point.

Whew....what a month!!!

The Lamoreaux clan headed back to St. George

and I headed back to work and I think we are

ALL exhausted.

Let's do it all again next year!

XOXOXO

Memorial Day...Part II

2011-05-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the actual "Memorial Day" so

Mike and I made our way back to the

cemetery to meet up with the

"William's Extended" gang.

We arrived to a downpour....

After about 20 minutes, the rain let up long enough

for us to make our way our to the

grave sites. Lee and Terri had come

up with an idea (via Elijah) of bring

photos to the event to be kept by the

head stones in waterproof folders.

Glenn's surviving family.....minus Mark.

Before leaving for the cemetery, Mike called me to the

kitchen window and said, "Look at this!"

There was this little quail family....Mom, Dad

and whole gaggle of little chicklets following in tow.

At one point the Momma spread her wings and

all the babies scurried underneath and she wrapped

her wings around them all to warm them up.

They were down in our "dug-out" area of the back yard

and the little chicklets were too little to climb out.

Mike tried to go out and help them but just

terrified them all as the scattered.

We finally left them to their own devices and

when we got home, they were all gone...

so I guess they figured it out on their own.

Cutest thing EVER!!

No Words.....

2011-05-30T10:58:00.001-07:00

Missing in Action....

2011-05-29T21:54:00.001-07:00

As it turns out....I took a blog break.

No excuses, no explanations...I just took a break.

But I have returned, not because I feel a deep, abiding need

to share with the world my life, but because

this is about the only way I document

what is happening. A type of journal entry, if you will.

Not much has been happening...work, church work,

house work, yard work, and rain....lots and lots of rain.

Mike and I did, however, take a quick break from the

humdrum and headed south to St. George

(4 hour drive to sunshine...do-able)

to see Miss Gwyneth in her first leading

role in a musical....and surely NOT her last!!

(We also caught a soccer game, but I failed to document it.)

She belongs to a singing group and she was given

a lead in their little spring performance...an adaptation

of the Mouse and the Lion story. As you can see,

she had the role of the mouse and I must say....

she was a smash! The girl is a natural and

LOVES the stage. No stage fright in this child.

And talk about taking the lead....she stole the show!

(I was video taping for Robyn so I didn't get shots of

the actual show....)

Her friend and neighbor, Gina, also was in

the production....another number with the

little older group.

Here are the proud Mommies.

Great work, Gwynnie!

(Oh...P.S....ears and tail

compliments of Nannie.)

And today (Sunday) the local families that were in

town came down and we visited the graves.

I love this part of Memorial Day...

it's always a joyful event where we

share stories of Grandpa Glenn and Jeff.

It even stopped raining long enough

for us to really linger a while.

Brad was recovering from nasal surgery and won't

get the stitches out until Tuesday but he was

a trooper and took everyone's teasing of his

inability to breath and talk properly in stride.

Later we made our way home for

Sunday dinner, and an evening of hanging out

and topped it off with a little popcorn with the girls.

Nice day...we missed the Jackson family, the Lamoreaux's

and our California kids...as always.

But what do you do? The show must go on...

right, Gwynn?

XOXO

Egg Hunt 2011

2011-04-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Nannie was still "under the weather" when

Saturday rolled around and the annual

Easter Egg Hunt was scheduled.

But...we managed to pull it off

and the littles didn't seem to notice

at all.

Here you see this year's 5 participants...

Gabi, Bella, Jude, Ezzie, and Greta!

(Minie and Poppy decided to stay down

south where the weather was a little

more conducive to bunny hopping!)

Gretsie spying yet another egg...

Jude happily dominating the hunt...

Gabi's overflowing basket....

And Bella showing off her findings...

All in all, it turned out fantastic. It was

chilly enough that we went inside and

threw a log on the fire but that was nice

and cozy and the kids played beautifully

all evening. I think we will chalk this up

to another success.

Next year I will be up to snuff and

more "present" than I may have been!

Happy Easter...

Way To Go Lisa!!

2011-04-24T17:35:00.001-07:00

Cute Lisa Williams Gurman accomplished

what most would think was impossible.

She graduated from BYU this week

with her Bachelor's Degree, one year

after giving birth to twins!!

We were so impressed that she persevered

while adjusting to life with 2 babies and

while Hayden was a full time student as well!

She is a wise girl....it's SOOO hard to go back

to school once you've left it behind to raise your family.

Cute Beckham and Ellery seem no worse for the wear!!

We threw a little party for her. Mark and Diana drove

out from Bakersfield, and Grandma was there

as well as many other Williams family members

who have grown to love this little family!!

Eileen made two yummy cakes in honor of

her accomplishment....and everyone

else pitched in to make a wonderful

dinner party.

The Gurman family is heading out to CA

this week for another summer of door to door

sales. So we celebrated Hayden's birthday

which fell on Sunday.

Darling family....we wish them well and look

forward to seeing them in the fall when

Hayden comes back to continue his program

(where he can focus a little more on his studies

withOUT trying to do so while he cares for

the twins.)

I HATE BEING SICK!!!

2011-04-21T21:02:00.001-07:00

So, I feel like CRAP.... and I hate when I can't get on top of an illness. I know I shouldn't complain because I really haven't been sick all winter. Usually when I start to get something, I push the fluids, try to get some extra sleep and before you know it....I'm up and running again.

But, this last week when I spent a whole lot of time with a whole lot of little people with runny noses and colds (and let's face it, who can resist smooshing those cuties, regardless of their health conditions?) and combined that with less than normal amounts of sleep...way less than normal amounts...I wound up on the down-side of this nasty cold. Everyday I've been telling myself, "I'll feel better tomorrow" and then I just don't.

So, I broke down and went to the Dr. tonight. I called to try to see my regular physician and they couldn't fit me in until next week....big help that would be! Instead, I wandered into the InstaCare up the road. About 5 minutes and $136 later (love having NO insurance!) I held a prescription in my hands for an antibiotic that I was told would make a big difference in a day or two....seems I have a pretty good sinus infection and slight bronchialitis. I headed to the pharmacy and one of my sisters ex-boyfriends from ions ago is the pharmacist there. He knows of our insurance situation and was kind enough to work a deal for me and gave me the prescription at pharmacy cost. I KNEW I wasn't myself when his kindness made me cry.

I'm going to bed and will face what all I need to do in the morning. Four hours of sleep a night just isn't enough for me and that's about what I have been averaging. TTFN

(P.S. I promise this will be one of the few "whiny-butt" posts I will share.)

Spring Break at Windrush Cottage

2011-04-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Our "spring break" week started off with

Ezzie's blessing. It was fabulous!

Trevan gave Ezra a beautiful blessing and

he was surrounded by so many people who

love him and welcome him into this world with

open arms and hearts.

The men...Hayden, Bob, Tucker, Mark, Tim, Mike

Trev, Ezzie, Brennan, Landon, Abe, Roger,Cameron,

and Ted. Brad was there too, but he had to catch a plane

right after the service so he didn't make it to the festivities

at our house.

Proud Grandpas...

Thrilled Mom and Dad...

Williams Grandparents...

The girls...Paige, Robyn, Kennan and Me.

So nice that Paige could come out for the blessing!

Perfect day....and perfect start to the spring break.

The District offices were closed so I got to enjoy

a little time with the family.

Of course there had to be a trip to the mall

where the kids saw the Easter Bunny.

We got to see Jude's first T-ball game...

kind of chilly but fun.

Vanessa suggested a visit to Discovery

Gateway and Brig was happy to join in.

He could have stayed all day in the ball

exhibit!!

Gabi enjoyed being the cashier at the grocery store...

Brig was busy pushing the wheel barrow at the

construction site!

Gabi and Bella the cow riding a horse at the farm.

Brig sorting vegetables from the garden...

And riding the firetruck...

And the whole group driving the delivery truck from the farm...

Thanks Vanessa, for the passes!!

And then we had a day at Wheeler Farm

visiting the animals...

Minie trying to catch the geese...

The favorite was the goats with the curly wool...

They loved the play house

And climbing on the wagon. They never want to leave and

we were lucky to find a day with no rain!!

And we were lucky enough to witness Brig's

first haircut at "Cookie Cutters" while we

waited for dinner on our girls night out.

Such a brave and handsome boy!!

Beautiful girls waiting for dinner at Texas Roadhouse (yum)

with two charming young men who joined us (Brig and Ez).

And we finished the week with Sunday dinner

at our house. Brig loved the slide...

Everyone loves the trampoline...

Always some gymnastics when the

ladies get together...

Usually some drama with Miss Poppy...

Happy when Brad can join us...he didn't fly

out until Monday!

And Aunt Paige and Brig hangin' with the cousins...

We also fit in a little sewing, movie watching,

and several late nights.

I headed back to work on Monday and Paige

flew out Monday night...so all in all...

it was a GREAT spring break!!

(with the exception of the cold I got to take back to work with me!)

So there you have it....

now let's have a little spring weather, shall we????

Princess Update....

2011-04-03T23:08:00.001-07:00

Brad's camera is considerably better than mine,

so I'm sharing a bit of what he got from the

'Princess Party'...

Sir Jude....Protector of the Princesses...on the job!

Just thought you might want to know....

Greta Turns 3....Can't BE!!!

2011-04-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

As tradition would have it, we seriously

CAN NOT just celebrate a birthday on just one day!

So Greta started her celebrating a day early

and the Williams-Gregory clan met up at

Rock Creek Pizza for the first of her parties.

After all....a girl doesn't turn three

every day!!

Gaga LUBS her Uncle Cammy!

These girls waste NO time getting right down

to playing once the gifts are opened!

Side note: This little man is growing right

before our eyes! Ezzie is perfect...in every way.

Day 2 of the celebration was a Princess Party

at the Greg's house and boy were there ever

a gaggle of princesses!

But let's face it...the Birthday Girl stole the show

in her "Tangled" gown.

Sir Jude was a knight who was the

'protector of the princesses'

and a mighty fine job he did!

I can hardly believe we have had this little

sweetie for 3 years. Princess in deed!!

I'd happily celebrate you for 2 or 3 more days.

Love you, Gretsie!!

XOXOXO

Dixie Delight

2011-04-02T17:16:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I decided on a whim to head to

St. George to see my "Dixie Babies".

I really needed a change of scenery and

there were several events that warranted

my attendance.

Abey Baby, sporting an attempt at Justin Beiber hair,

was participating in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.

Robyn is the Cub Committee Chair "person"...

brought back memories. (I offered to give

her my old scout leader shirt, but she refused!)

True to form, the Lamoreaux kiddies were there

to cheer their brother on.

Abe's car is on the right...and I might add,

he truly built it himself!! (Smart ward...they have

a pinewood derby for the Dad's later in the evening.)

Way to go, Abe!! He took 3rd out of a field

of about 20. He made us proud!!!

The next day it poured rain but that

didn't deter these boy's competitive soccer team

from playing. They won handily, Robyn and

I watched from the car, and this is how they

looked by the end.

(Also brought back some memories!)

And finally, I got some quality squishing

time in with this little man!

You will notice that all of my photos of Sully are

slightly blurry....that's because he is in constant

motion. But it was high time we became better

acquainted AGAIN! And I really needed a

Sully fix. We also got a little Rummy in and

just some general hang-out time. It's always

comfortable and fun to visit my St. George crew.

Short and sweet, but always fun!!

Thanks for the visit, sweeties.

Love you all!!!

XOXOXO

VERY Noteworthy....

2011-03-12T23:35:00.001-08:00

Somewhere between the January Blahs and

the February that moved at the speed of light

I have failed miserably in documenting

some VERY important events in

the life of Dr. Poomela.

Sooooo...let me make amends.....

This little man turned one month old

and is doing absolutely beautifully.

There is never enough holding time

for me in Ezzie's life. NEVER!!

On March 11th ,this adorable daughter turned 25.....

25 MIND YOU!!! And she wears it

very, very well.

We celebrated with a little sushi at the Mikado

for lunch where we may or may not have been

out numbered by the pre-schoolers.

We followed it up with the first BBQ of the year

where we all celebrated what a delight it

is to have sweet Brookie in our lives.

She is the easiest person in the world to love

and she must have been the inspiration for the

hymn "Scatter Sunshine" because that is exactly

what she does. We viewed old home videos of Brooke

and it was fun to observe the wonderful chaos of our young

family being repeated before us as we watched the screen.

Adore this girl!!

On March 2nd, this handsome boy turned 35....

YIKES....35 MIND YOU!!! I still

think of him as my little boy and he is

very, very much a MAN.

We gathered at his choice of Cafe Med where

we enjoyed Mediterranean food and

atmosphere and celebrated the sweet

sincerity of dear Brad.

Vanessa made this gorgeous cake and

we all had a great time together.

I'm trying to train myself to NOT

bug Brad about what he should and should not do.

Seriously....I think he should be on his own at 35!

Brad has always been a great example and the one

that his sisters look up to for guidance.

The Lord knew what he was doing when he sent

Brad to usher in all his sisters.

He is always so willing to help us out.

We ALL love him and his unique way of seeing

the world.

Also of note has been the arrival of

Jude's new obsession with everything pirate.

Check out his version of a "peg leg",

hook, sword and eye patch.

He's even convinced the girls to join in.

We can only imagine what will be next....

L-O-V-E this little group!

So as you can see, there have been

some very noteworthy happenings

and I promise to do better at documenting them.

For my sake....

P.S. Events of the past couple of days have reminded me that

we should NEVER fail to state, note and appreciate

all that we love and hold dear.

Cutie Pies ....

2011-02-15T22:44:00.001-08:00

Little Mr. Ezra made his first official visit

to Nannie's house on Sunday for a Pre-Valentine

dinner party. He was amazing but the throngs of

people made his Mommy very nervous and

may have over-stimulated him a bit!

None the less, it was monumental to have

the little Prince in my home!

Here he is...the definition of sweetness.

The recently de-throned baby of the Gregory family...

no worse for the wear, I might add.

Gretsie is now a veteran at staying the night at Nannies!

Ezzie is all kinds of cute!

A few events failed to be posted in the hubbub

of Ezzie's arrival....

Of great note was Dustin's 30th birthday!

From here on out he will be sharing the festivities

with his little nephew. We managed to celebrate

even in the midst of the eminent arrival.

And prior to Ezzie's birth, Mike and I were

able to make a quick trip to St. George to

hear these four sing a special musical

number in Sacrament Meeting.

They were nothing short of amazing!!!

(We also managed to see 4 basketball games)

And somewhere in there we made a quick trip

to the Aquarium. Miss Poppy is just plain

CUTE perched on her frog!!

Okay...now I think I have us pretty much

up to date. Life is full and delightful!!!

As Per Your Request....Master Ezra

2011-02-09T21:52:00.001-08:00

This little man is one week old today.

And I have been so busy enjoying him

and his siblings that I have failed to

update as I should.

So....these are for you sisters who

don't live in the vacinity.

He is delicious and that hair.....

enough said!!

Ezzie is incredibly alert and just

studies you when you hold him.

Yep....he's a keeper!

He just keeps getting better.

And his little Mommy is too.

You should be jealous that you don't get

to cuddle him like I do!

XOXO