BUMMA

OUT WITH THE OLD.....AND IN WITH THE NEW

2012-02-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

My first experience of out with the old,

this year, was when my heat pump
went kaput

and I had to buy a new unit.

I guess after 28 years the old one decided it had

done enough work.

I feel that way too sometimes.

Next we moved our office of 15 years to
this beautiful new one.
This is my new office....
everything isn't unpacked yet..
But the things that are,
I have trouble remembering where I put them.
.

The nurses station...

The most important room:
The kitchen, with a full size fridge.
For the first time in 25 years!

Even the bathrooms are sleek and new.

Leaving the old office was emotional....
Seriously,
Who would want to leave ALL this?

Dr. Stucki, my friend and boss for 25 years.

Me, trying to hold back the tears
As I prepared to leave my old office for the last time...

I repeat, tears flowed as I left my office

for the last time.....

This is the cleanest my desk has been in 15 years.

As a side note:
The pictures are not in the order that I wanted to post them,
but I haven't figured out this new camera yet....
so this is the best I could do for now.
Now I'm left wondering
when they will start to replace the old and bring in the new
in the employee division....
I'm in serious trouble when that happens.

CHRISTMAS 2011- IDAHO HO HO

2012-01-01T16:29:00.004-07:00

Christmas 2011 started with a fabulous

piano recital by 6 year old Macie...

followed by the infamous antics of

this guy...........my buddy Dalan

keeping us entertained

since 2006.......

He is a jokester,

an amazing Engineer,

and all around entertainer....

Khloe is the boss of this household,

and doesn't hesitate to let you know it.

While she looks pretty harmless here, she knows exactly

how to get what she wants.

Mr. Peeps comes as soon as the tree is decorated each year

to watch and report back to

Santa

If the kids are naughty......

(case in point)

or nice.

Mr. Peeps hides in a different spot in the house every night

and the kids look for him as soon as they wake up each morning.

Sometimes, Mr. Peeps is a bit mischievous himself,

and plays tricks on the kids....

Like painting their noses red while they sleep!

Making gingerbread houses took a lot of concentration....

skill, and will power....

to actually get the candy on the house,

instead of in the mouth...

(case in point)

The finished product

Some of the candy actually made it on to the house.

On Christmas Eve the neighborhood children

presented the Nativity story....

some of the actors, really got in to their parts....

and some of them.......

not so much..........

It was sweet reminder of

What Christmas is all about.

Christmas morning patiently waiting for the go ahead

from mom and dad.........

The 1st job of the morning is to look for the Christmas pickle

hidden somewhere on the tree....

Whoever finds it, gets to open the first present.

Winner......

Dalan

2nd place...

Macie

3rd place.....

Khloe didn't quite understand that it was a contest.

She started opening hers 1st anyway.

As stated earlier,

she knows how to get what she wants.

Gram Cracker and her new DVD player.

(Many thanks to the Shepherd family!)

All the Christmas pictures are courtesy

of the Grantham family,

Gram Cracker loves her new camera!

Also many thanks to the Park family

for the new ladder

which I have been wanting for a LONG time,

as well as the awesome gift card to one of my favorite stores...

Barnes and Noble...

'cause well educated and greatly vocabulized is what I is....

Everyone seemed extremely happy with their gifts...

"What size is it?"

(an inside family joke)

was heard only once....

(case in point)

A new picture for daddy's office

a silly pose taken with the new camera....

And Christmas was over for another year.

I left IdaHO HO HO on Christmas Day

and 6 1/2 hours later,

enjoyed another Christmas celebration

at Grandpa and Grandma Greats....

aka..... mom and dads.

Our family is now so big that it took 3 shots

to get the entire room photographed!

That's a lot of family,

especially since 15 of them weren't there....

(case in point)

It was a wonderful Christmas,

Now it's time to start a great 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ABBA MANIA

2011-11-13T15:44:00.002-07:00

Saturday November 12, 2011

these 2 adventurous ladies....

Went to Tuachan to the concert

ABBA MANIA!

In a word, it was

f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s

I love all the old Abba songs,

and while it wasn't the "real" Abba...

they sounded almost as good.

They even had Swedish accents when they spoke.

Have you noticed that when people with an accent sing...

there is no trace of the accent?

Why is that?

I was all set to start getting lots of great close up shots,

but just after I took this one....

The camera battery went dead....

I said

"Mama Mia!"

Send out an

"S.O.S."

I wanted to take pictures of me as the

"Dancing Queen"

After paying all that

"Money, Money"

to see the show,

I was face to face with my own

"Waterloo"!

That was the

"Name of the Game"

It was time to "Move on"

"Knowing me, Knowing you"

I was a

"Super Trooper"

and

instead of screaming

"Gimmee, Gimmee, Gimmee

a new battery,

I said,

"I have a dream"

"Take a chance on me"

cause

"The winner takes it all"

"Thank you for the music"

and with the last notes still lingering in my head...

soared like an "Eagle" into my bed.

DIAMONDS ARE SOMEONE ELSE'S BEST FRIEND.....

2011-11-13T14:56:00.002-07:00

On Friday, November 4 at 5:30 pm

I stopped at TJ Maxx on my way home from work,

and in the parking stall next to mine I found this:

The next day, I looked at the ring again,

and decided that I should call the store to

see if anyone had reported it as missing.

No one had, but they took my phone number

and told me they would call if anyone asked about it.

A few hours later I had a call from the store

and they gave me the number of the lady who had inquired about it.

I called her and she asked if she could come by and look at it,

and if it wasn't hers she certainly wouldn't take it.

This was my first clue that perhaps the green stone,

and the diamonds all around it were....

g.a.s.p.

REAL !

The sweet 70ish lady came and brought the

certificate of insurance as well as

a picture of the ring.

DEFINITELY

was hers.

And it definitely was worth big $!

( looking on line it appears to be valued at $5,655.00)

The next day she came by again

and brought me these:

With this sweet note:

It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside....

and I was happy that I had been honest,

and that the diamond ring

was once again with its rightful owner.

So 5 days later,

I am at another store....

It is late at night

(for me anyway)

Well, it was DARK,

so in my world, it was late....

The parking lot was empty except for a few cars and a shopping cart

that was closer to my car than I would have liked.

So as I grumbled to myself about how people are so rude....

and moved the cart away from my car....

I looked down....

and and found these.....

Fossil sunglasses.

Not a diamond ring....

but as of yet

still unclaimed.

which means...

I am rockin' the glasses until

someone claims them

or doesn't.

And for the record, I don't know

WHY I look like I am sporting a mustache.

(insert tears of self pity here)

w.r.i.n.k.l.e.s might be the answer..

which only makes that warm and fuzzy feeling I had earlier

a very

distant

memory.

WE HAD A BALL, AND WE HAD A BAWL!!!

2011-11-06T11:03:00.003-07:00

This family fun weekend of October 8, 2011

started off with a soccer game

starring

Briqelle...

Hmmm....what to do, chase the ball

or ponder chasing the ball.....

Team huddle to ponder chasing the ball

Now thats what I'm talkin' about!

Some were more interested in their treats

and although chilly,

wasn't unbearably cold....

The game finished just as it started to rain...

lot!

Next up getting the Grantham family ready

for their family pictures.....

Macie looked adorable

Dalan looked handsome....

Khloe looked like trouble....

darling, but definitely knows her own mind.

A stressful day?

A picture REALLY is worth a thousand words....

Who wants to show off their dancing skills?

Some of us had them....

And some of us

did not!!!!

Someone on the left could definitely

use some help in the "groovin" department.

You call that dancing?

Grrr.....please make this go away...

I am so confused!

Boys have to be boys and building a fort is

high on their list of things to do...

Dalan is a master builder

Jameson is giving the master a lot of competition!

Demolishing the fort is the best fun of all!

Sweet Quinn,

not sure what all these people are doing

at her house,

in her personal space,

she agrees with the dogs...

make them go away!

Cali's face says it all....

this family is

C.R.A.Z.Y.!!!!

And I love them!

STRANGER DANGER......PUT YOUR HANDS UP!..NOT A BEDTIME STORY

2011-10-02T13:31:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time

I was sleeping soundly on a very early Wednesday morning

1:30 am to be exact,

when I was awakend by something......

I heard a voice say "Put your hands up"

In my sleepy brain, I did as I was told...

then thought whoa.....what is going on?

I immediately jumped out of bed

looked out my bedroom window and saw...

Nothing.....

looked out every window of my house,

and saw

Nothing.....

So I went back to bed and to sleep.

That Saturday morning, I went to my back patio,

to do my weekly sweeping.

There was a long pole in my flower bed.

It looked like a piece of gray PVC pipe,

so I tossed it back over the fence thinking it belonged to

my neighbor and that the wind had simply blown it over.

A few feet down in my flower bed

(which I admit is sadly lacking in the flower department)

found

this:

There were also imprints in the dirt

that looked like someone had landed pretty hard there.

At least there weren't many flowers to

"break his fall".

I wouldn't want him to have been comfortable

when he landed.

Why this person left his shirt behind, I have no idea.

What he was going to do with that pole....

I don't want to think about.

Tender mercies of the Lord?

I think so.

I found out later that this person had tried to break into

my neighbors back door.

The neighbor that lives

NEXT DOOR TO ME!

Tender mercies of the Lord?

No doubt about it.

A blessing of being watched over and protected

by a loving Father in Heaven?

An absolute

YES!!

I AM A BELIEVER!

NYLA AND JOHN DEERE...REALITY CHECK PLEASE

2011-09-18T15:53:00.004-06:00

Memorial Weekend was great...

there is nothing better than family time together

As the kids opened Bumma's toy box,

Briqelle found her old doll "Nyla" that

I bought her when she was about 5 years old.

We had been to the Dixie Center to the

annual Christmas Fair, and she had thrown a fit

until Nyla was hers......

~~Ugly, Homely, Unattractive, Plain~~

"Sweet Spirited" Nyla

has lain forgotten the last 6 years....

until that magical moment when
Briqelle and Nyla were re-united.

Cali was happy to see Nyla too,

as you can see by her charming smile....

Actually, I think this was the smile for my question

Do you want to go get a sno-cone?

Jameson is a little man now....

Chocolate milk makes him happy.

This little lady rules the Shepherd household...

And don't you forget it!

We found a new park to enjoy...

This park has all the latest equipment, and instead of those

annoying rocks, or rubber chips on the ground,

it has some type of spongy mat under all the

playground equipment.

It is the Taj Mahal of playgrounds...

Which may or may not

explain why there appears to be a "dress" code..

It even has its own splash pad

Who else do you know that would insist on wearing

her pink twirly skirt to play in?

Briqelle was simply THRILLED to be there!

THRILLED I tell you!

Of course Queen Quinn decided that she was going

to adopt Nyla.

Nyla has never had this much attention,

and isn't sure that she likes the soggy, drooling kind Quinn gives.

Jameson wanted to take home a toy

a green John Deere tractor to be exact

Wanted it SOOOOO badly....

that when his mom asked what was wrapped in his shirt

he said "noffing"

But being almost 3, he CAN NOT tell a lie.....

And politely asked if he could take it home.

Of course you can take it home!

What Bumma could say no to that face?

Nyla however is back in her box,

slobbered on and forgotten,

packed away in a cold, dark box,

abandoned by her owner...

Will she wait another 6 years to be loved?

Will the tractor return for his beloved Nyla?

Will Bumma be committed for talking to toys?

Tune in next time for the adventures of

Nyla and John Deere....

HOLD ON.....

WAIT A MINUTE.....

WHOA......

STOP THE PRESSES........

Did I just have an entire conversation about a doll and a toy tractor???

Bumma.....

single handedly proving that.....

I have got to get out more!

I'M LEAVIN' ON A JET PLANE.....ALREADY LEFT WHICH MEANS THAT SOMEONE IS S.L.O.W. AT POSTING!

2011-09-12T18:19:00.004-06:00

Once upon a time in July

Mason was having his

missionary farewell.

His mom looks more like a sister,

but I don't even want to go there.

It just reminds me that once upon a couple

of decades ago, I looked that young.

This is Mason

posing with his FAVORITE AUNT.......

All the people who came

for a "free meal"

numbered at least 100.

This is Mason's 2nd or maybe 3rd

favorite Aunt Karen

and her daughter Leesa..

I can say that because

It's MY blog...

Karen and Jamie will have to

determine which is which...

without being a witch.....

which now brings us to....

Good food and conversation....

Mason's cousin Tyler and his wifeTressa

Not sure where they fit in his list of favorites...

they might rate pretty high,

but only if

Tyler is a U of Utah fan

and

not BYU...

BYU is a (gasp) very bad word

in the Molyneaux household.

I don't make the rules here, people.

My sweet Macie...

one of my favorites!

Mr. Active Dalan....also one of my favorites!

Crazy bug Khloe...Definitely one of my favorites,

but not so sure that I am one of hers.

Everyone loves a good merry-go-round

Even adults who usually are

true kids at heart

Dalan....the only male in a sea of girls....

Something his mother will have to get used to....

especially when he hits his teen years.

I can tell him all about the ways his mother

would sneak out at night....

oh yeah, good times to come!

Visiting with cousins

We all wish for Mason to have a great mission......

especially since he has been gone now for a couple of months...

And this slow blogger person

is just now posting about it.

Good luck Mason,

see you in 2 years....

Love,

your FAVORITE aunt.

and a P.S. to my sisters......

don't even THINK about a rebuttal...

You'll lose.

EXPOSED AND OUT OF FOCUS....SCHOOL PICS.... AND THE BOYS......

2011-08-31T17:33:00.004-06:00

FYI.....

All the following pictures were pirated

from the cameras of my daughters.

Just so no one gets the mistaken idea

that I have suddenly "developed" awesome photography skills.....

I never look at things from a "negative" "view "

because I am at all times "focused"!

Even when my lack of "shutter" skills

is "exposed"......

Seriously though.....

"I see dead pixels" when "I shoot people"

Bahaaawaaa....

First day of school 2011

Briqelle and Cali

Can't you just "feel the love!"

VIP signs just like at an airport.....

and just like in an airport....

the signs aren't for me...

sigh....

Macie's 1st day of school

"Why yes, I am F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S."

I hope she is still smiling

when that backpack is full of homework.

6th grade

Bumma peddling as fast as possible.

(which is why the picture is blurry)

You can't capture the speed of light on film.

The boys.....

A word of warning for their future teachers...

the only thing that has more energy than they do

is a nuclear power plant.....

or on 2nd thought....

NOTHING has more energy than these 3

You want a picture with all the kids smiling,

happy and all looking at the camera?

NOT happening in this lifetime.......

The fact that they are all IN the picture

is as good as it gets.

COUSINS CAMP.....PARK CITY STYLE

2011-08-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Cousins Camp 2011

started at

Park City

Home of the CROWDS!

Pictures , strollers

snowcones

visiting

Jumping

Twisting

And everyone's favorite

Waiting in lines...

Worth the wait to see the smiles...

Bumma's water cup.....

Is now the

community water cup

Dinner at LaFrantera

Nothing comes between Khloe and her quesadilla

This is what happens when a waitress takes the picture....

Notice the right hand side....

at least she got Britny's leg, Rob's hand,

and half of Avi's bow....

Home to relax and play Wii....

We must have had fun,

my camera died after this picture

It was as exhausted as the rest of us.

GIRLS WEEK- DAY 4

2011-08-05T10:00:00.009-06:00

Day 4

Starts out the same way as day 1

a ride on

the Carousel

Then to the library to "play computers"

Or just hang around the stacks.....

and watch the people

marching to their own drums, they are....

Splash pad....

Jumping contest.......

Sweating without even trying....

Dress up in Bummas shoes....

And the highlight of the week:

Anti-Gravity

Even Rob gets to jump

and flip

And gives unwelcome

sweaty hugs....

This was definitely

Fun

Even Avi

gives her smile of approval.....

And since getting her to smile for a camera

is impossible....

She must have been having a great time!

Wave good by to St. George,

as we start the 5 hour journey

to SLC and the beginning of

Cousins Camp.....

GIRLS WEEK- DAY 3

2011-08-04T12:04:00.006-06:00

Considering we are in St. George

and the heat factor was only

90 degrees

instead of

110 degrees

We stopped off at a park...

And Cali was the first to discover

that even at 90 degrees

the slide was tooooooo hot!

Each tried this spinny thing...

1 group photo
15 minutes later
and

We were sweaty in places we won't mention....

Cali, as you know

hates being hot, dirty, and sweaty!

On the way home the girls decided they wanted

to visit Papa Craig......

They all wanted to talk to him.....

And I think in their own way...

they did.....

Next stop.....

The highlight of Girls week......

THE LITTLE MERMAID!

King of the Sea

Cali was NO way, NO how

going to get close to the King....

Bumma however,

thought he had some pretty nice abs....

The line to get a photo with Ariel and Eric

was about 30 minutes.....

Macie was WIDE awake

and wanted to wait....but

It was midnight

and this coach was turning into a pumpkin...

(wrong fairy tale, but you get the idea)

If picture appears blurry, you might want to see an eye doctor....
(or start a fund for Bumma to take photo lessons....)

Macie was willing to wait as long as it took to see Ariel,

but Cali was falling asleep on her feet...

maybe next time......

much

fun!

Briqelle is like having an adult

to help out....

This week would have been

exhausting without her help..

PLEASE let Bumma just take one picture

in front of The Little Mermaid poster....

This was the one shot....

blurry...

just like we were all feeling at this point...

think

they were finally

worn out!

And they slept happily ever after..........

GIRLS WEEK- DAY 2

2011-08-02T20:49:00.003-06:00

Day 2

Girls sleep in until

9:00 am

Bumma's internal clock

woke her at

7:30.

This was however

SLEEPING IN!

After lunch

fixed by Briqelle.....

We relaxed the rules of

GIRLS ONLY

and picked up

Brecken

To attend the showing of

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Since Macie had already seen it,

she was very vocal

about "this is a fuuny part!"

and

"ohhh....this part is soooo good!"

followed by

"this part is kind of sad...."

Everyone in the theatre

thanked her for her

running commentary.....

Also,

there was a new record set

for most popcorn spilled.....

EACH one of them spilled a cup

and NO I am NOT exaggerating.

Good thing we had the

unlimited refill package.

Our outings are so

exhilarating that telling you

about our next adventure

might be too much for

you to handle....

Can you say....

P.E.T.C.O.!!!

Parakeets

Rats

Snakes

and a Parrott

Could be yours for the amazing

low price of only:

Unfortunately I had to turn that offer down.....

The lines to purchase any of these pets.....

was so long that......

Well, lets just say that

Disney rides have shorter lines.....

BAAAHAAA

snort.

GIRLS WEEK- DAY 1

2011-08-01T21:04:00.000-06:00

Girls week begins.....

Cali and Macie see each other

for the first time in 6 months...

What a surprise!

2 moms in 2 different states

pick dresses

EXACTLY

alike.....

without knowing it...

the cousins were delighted!

Day 1

The new St. George Carousel.....

each ride 50 cents....

minimum 2 rides.....

Are they afraid they won't want a 2nd ride,

is making change beyond their capabilities?

What is more fun than sitting

on a horse or

in a carousel seat

in 105 degree heat?

Being the Bumma and watching from the

sidelines......

that's what.

Next stop....

Cooling off at the pool..

one

two

three

Just chillin'

Hear no evil,

Speak no evil,

See no evil,

The best picture of the day

and the flash didn't work....

My body says it's tme to call it a day.....

The kids are still going strong....

Don't they EVER wear out??

Yeah, I know......

They are kind of like having a blender

that you don't have the top for.....

AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN......

2011-07-27T21:10:00.007-06:00

What do you get when you take this:

and add 1 Bumma

Give up?

Take a new bike and add an old Bumma to it,

you get a 100% probability of a visit to:

sooner

later.....

Hasn't happened yet......

but when you are the poster child for the adage

"She's an accident waiting to happen.."

It's only a matter of time.

I'd like daisies and roses delivered to my hospital room please.....

A SNEAK PEAK TO COUSINS CAMP......

2011-07-24T22:32:00.003-06:00

Quinn and Avi

becoming best cousin/friends....

the youngest cousins who will be attending

cousins camp August 5-7th.

They just need Miss Idaho....aka Khloe

to get the action started

Brecken and Cali

can't wait for the Idaho cousins

to join them.......

Brecken will hang with Dalan

and

Cali will diva up with Macie

Jameson

with those eyes will be

the catch of the camp.

Briqelle will be in charge of

all cousins....

she is the one we can't do without......

Babysitter, Referee, Entertainer, Cook, Listening ear,

Tear wiper, Argument stopper, and all around

Cheery,Charismatic, Cousin Companion......

If you can get her attention......

Cali is learning to be a great big sister....

Teaching Quinn the fine points of being girly...

Cousins Camp parents......

Teaching the kids.......

How to relax.....

A hopeless task.

You gonna share that binky Avi?

We are Cousins after all.....

My mommy made my bow....

and

my bracelet.....

I'm gonna' be like Macie and Cali when I grow up.

D.I.V.A.

in training.

Cali even tried playing baseball....

It was hot....

and sweaty....

but she

HIT THE BALL!!!

And then she was done.

Jameson gearing up to catch the ball...

mitt and all...

If you pitch 15 balls to Brecken

he will hit at least 12 of them...

Professional ball in his future?

Jameson has the right idea.....

Cool off in the mister..

Cousins Camp

does not involve camping in any way, shape or form...

unless you call

16 people in 1 house

camping....

That is as "roughing it" as it gets for this family....

See you there!

FATHERS DAY 2011

2011-06-26T10:40:00.000-06:00

DAD

the one who has always been

the anchor in each of our lives.....

the sounding board through hard times...

as well as good times.

Giving advice, help and love

always the one sure thing

his children could depend on.

Being able to spend Fathers Day with you

was a wonderful experience.....

And to go back to the church

that I attended each week as a child

brought back some special memories.....

such as.....

I remember being so hungry one Sunday..

that I snuck back up to the Primary room.....

and took some of the bread that was left over

from the Sacrament.....

I don't know why we had the Sacrament in Primary.....

but we did.

I repented.....

It was raining buckets when I was trying to take these pictures

(The "sacrifices" I make for this blog are simply endless)

I also remember our family speaking in sacrament meeting one Sunday.

The meeting was set up in the cultural hall (the window furthest on the left)

because they were remodeling the chapel....

I played the piano..... (badly I'm sure)

I don't remember what my dad said in his talk,

but I still remember his voice.....

strong, deep, and kind...

just like it is today.

My parents are my rock

I love and appreciate them more than they know.

Now my son is making memories with his son...

As Brecken sang to his dad in Sacrament meeting on Fathers Day....

I remembered doing the same when I was a child in Primary.

We are all anchored in the love

fathers and children have for each other....

The circle of love continues....

Never ending

always expanding..

Generation after generation....

Children loving and honoring their fathers..

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

to all the dads in our family!

SAWYER......ARE YOU "LOST?"

2011-06-24T19:04:00.006-06:00

What does space A-27.....

Brandon, your camping concierge

at Big Mountain Campground......

Josh Holloway, his wife, daughter

and maid

and his airstream have in common?

They were the 1st celebrity guests

to "camp" at Big Mountain Campground...

While I am not a LOST fan,

I have to admit the scenery below

is awesome!

Tell me this isn't worth looking at....

or this...........

or even this......

Cold shower anyone?

A MEMORY MAKING WEEKEND....MEMORIAL DAY 2011

2011-06-05T09:36:00.000-06:00

This year I thought it would be fun

to take each grandchild on their

birthday, (or close to it)

for their own day with Bumma.

Briqelle turned 11 on May 16,

so this was her day.....

A little shopping, Pizza Factory lunch,

going to see the movie "soul surfer".....

It was a good day....

Shopping at Hallmark, where the decision was made

to purchase this guy....

It stays on your shoulder with a magnet.....

the trick to this is not losing the magnet.....

oops.....

Briqelle also bought some clothes

even though shopping is not her favorite thing to do..

(mine either)

we didn't buy these shorts though....

SHE MADE THEM!!

She is an amazing young lady...

Such a thoughtful, kind and

loving sister....

She helps out with all the kids.....

without her I would be exhausted!

Because of her

I have the energy for the next adventure....

A game of freeze tag....

and Ron can't resist the fun.

I love how Jameson thinks he is just as big as the rest

of the kids. He may be small, but has more "go power"

than all the rest of them.

Breakfast at IHOP

Brecken knew it was the place

with all the different kinds of syrup...

And he named EACH one of them .

He is so adorable and funny...

For example:

His dad took him to look at toy haulers and asked

Brecken, which one do you like?

Brecken replied,

Well, I don't really know, I haven't seen toys in any of them yet.

Cali always has a smile,

even though she has a battle wound on her cheek

from running into a brick post while playing freeze tag

(And she ate EVERY bit of that breakfast!)

Briqelle can't believe the size of the omelet!

AND

pancakes came with it as well....

She quickly offered to share it with me...

The good news......

Bumma is old enough for the IHOP Senior Specials...

The bad news..........

BUMMA IS OLD ENOUGH FOR THE SENIOR SPECIALS!!

Avi dressed in one of her "everyday" outfits,

complete with leggings...

Her mom made the bow and the bracelet!

A georgeous diva in training....

Jameson is growing up so fast...

Those big blue eyes get him

ANYTHING

he wants.....

I just melt into those eyes!

And when he says, "wuv you gumma"

I'm a goner...

Cali knows EVERYTHING about

pink, polish, bows, dresses, and sparkle...

She's a G.I.R.L.

Briqelle was heard telling her several times........

Remember Cali, you are NOT to act like a diva.....

Quinn.......

Don't you just want to hug her?

Such a little beauty....

A perfect baby

mellow, quiet and squeezably sweet

The weekend was over way too fast

and soon all that was left

Were the tail lights.........

And yes, I'm going to say it....

READY???

I was NOT happy to see the tail lights.....

What?

You were expecting something else?

EWWWWWW..........................

2011-05-21T11:01:00.002-06:00

I went out to plant some flowers last Saturday morning
and instead of a warm, beautiful day
I was greeted by this:

EWWWW........
My first thought was who threw dirt all over my patio?

My second thought was EWWWWW.....
why is the dirt
M.O.V.I.N.G. !!!!!

To make a long story short
( I know, hard to think I could do that)
The entire complex of 15 units
looked exactly the same
infested with some type of aphid
so small that you could hardly see them
Billions and Billions is not an exaggeration.

So $30.00 worth of bug spray later
and a professional as well
They are starting to die off...
but not fast enough for me.

At least they aren't in the house.....
but I can't help feeling
the creepy, crawly things are all over me
even though they aren't.
EWWWWWW........
I can't stress that enough
Just writing about it
is giving me the feeling that
I need another shower......

And how is your day?

BIG MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUND........WHAT'S IN A NAME?

2011-05-15T11:36:00.006-06:00

On Saturday, May 7, 2011

brothers Brandon and Michael Kay

grandsons of owners

Jim and Carolyn Ockey

and the new managers of

BIG MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUND

called for the annual family campground clean up.......

They are HARD workers

and were

able to get their Aunt Melanie

to work her butt off....

Wait, she already did that....

working at home....

I try not to hate her cause she's cute and skinny.....

Michael explaining to us how to strip the paint so that the

fence can be repainted....or... maybe this is where he

was wondering "What have I gotten myself into?"

Morgan....our 9 year old chauffeur

(you can barely see him on the left)

transfers those who are too ~~lazy~~ exhausted from

all the hard work from one end of the campground to the other.

(I would have been on the cart, but someone had to take the picture)

Melanie helping me clean a cabin. It looks like

Melanie was the only one working.........

my muscles said otherwise.

and.....someone had to take the picture....

Each cabin comes with a double bed and a bunk bed

maid service included.....but not by me.

Next up, repainting all the hook up sites...

all

239,394,288 of them

maybe a slight exaggeration,

but it certainly seemed like that many!

My fabulous, wonderful, can....and does...out work everyone

76 year old mother.....

known by all the grandkids as

Grandma Great....

and she lives up to that name....

She is incredibly amazing, and we love her,

and her example of work, dedication and love.

God kept the mold after he made her....

He knew he could never improve

that model of perfection.

Our family......(a few of us anyway)

Lauralee, Kevin, Dad, Me, Brandon, Jamie, Mom, Karen, Larry

Melanie missed the "I'm SOOOO exhausted" photo op.

Raise your hand if you want to do this again tomorrow.....

Jamie always was a little slow......

The good thing about a cleaning day....

no one cares if your clothes match or not....

look at that dimwitted fashionista 4th from the left.....

I mean, DON'T look at that dimwitted fashionista 4th from the left...

The award for getting the most paint

"not" on the object being painted

goes to......(insert drum roll here)....................

Laura

She "sacrificed" her dollar store pants for this project.

Now that's dedication....and

$5.00 she'll never see again......

As soon as the grass is back in, the campground

will almost be back to its former glory...

The previous managers.......

(who were not family)

thought gravel would look good here....

Ummmm.......not so much

For your camping enjoyment.....6 cabins are available....

(look how CLEAN they are!)

This is your view on one side .....

and this is Mt. Nebo

the view on your other side

The trees still show their battle scars from the fire that

destroyed some of the campground in 2007.

Though the name has been changed over the past 40 years...

Ranch Kamp, KOA, Camperworld, and finally

Big Mountain....

one thing has remained constant

The OCKEY'S

who will be

FAMILY FOREVER

and

campground connoisseurs...

as long as there are

BIG MOUNTAINS

FACE IT.........EVERYONE AGES

2011-04-23T22:24:00.002-06:00

Avi is 2 months old.....

Bumma was once 2 months old.......

Faces start changing when you hit (cough, cough)

your fifties......

Warning:

The following picture contains subject matter that may be

disturbing to some viewers...............

That is what happens

when you age without the benefits of

"enhancements"

(Avi is picture perfect so maybe that makes me look worse?)

Avi is facing passing gas......

and the little stinker

actually starts to cry...

When she sees a camera!

Taking pictures of her adorable face

may become a difficult undertakng,

but

"The difference between try and triumph is a little umph."

This is Brecken's happy face.....

Silly face....

Scared face

Crazy face

I'm sick of this game face

Time to face the music......

Put on my best face........

and remember that

Age doesn't mean a thing

The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles......

DON'T HATE ME 'CAUSE I'M BEAUTIFUL

2011-03-16T17:55:00.000-06:00

Yes

this is the entrance to my condo complex.

These beautiful almond trees are over 100 years old

Proving that old can be beautiful...

Nothing like spring in St. George.....

Now go back to YOUR georgeous views,

something like this right?

Hope your spring comes soon,

but meanwhile......

keep a stiff upper lip

you know, cause it's cold and all.

Don't hate me 'cause I'm sacastic...

1995 CALLED....WANTS THEIR TELEVISION BACK

2011-03-13T16:31:00.006-06:00

I admit it...

I have been one of the last to come into the world

of HDTV

This 200 lb monster has served me well for

16 years.......

But I can't say I was sad to see

the beast leave. The beast was ancient

and heavy....

very, very heavy..

Did I mention it was HEAVY?

Welcome, to the confusing world of purchasing a TV.

When did it become SOOOO difficult and bewildering

to simply

purchase a television set?

These days, you need a PhD (at the very least)

just to understand all of the TV jargon.

LCD, Plasma, HD, Home theater, 3D, and on and on and on...

I just want a

simple, uncomplicated, easy to use

turn it on and turn it off television!

As the "sales son" patiently

explained all of the options

I finally just said

throw this one in the cart...

After set up and a demonstration on which

button would turn it on and off.

I was DONE...

I still don't understand all the

gidgets, gadgets, pixels, thingamajigs,doohickeys, gizmos, or doodads,

but I have a somewhat working TV...

I say somewhat, because

apparently I still need to get some

Blue Ray, or Wii thing,

to make the HD part work....

and also to be able to stream

movies.....

because......

you guessed it......

My DVD player came out of the box

in about 1999.

Antiques anyone?

WELCOME TO THE WORLD....AVIANA K PARK

2011-02-27T11:08:00.002-07:00

It started with a text......

Which I didn't believe...

Rob is a prankster

a joker.....

always crying

"WOLF"

and at the doctor earlier that day,

which was Wednesday...

they had been told that the baby would

come MAYBE by Sunday

so naturally my reply was:

But he wasn't

and on

2/23/11 at 22:33 Hours

Avi made her grand entrance

into the world.

Welcome

Aviana K. Park

7 lbs 4 oz

19 1/2 inches

Notice Goal #1

Accomplished......

Britny, now known as

thehighestpaintoleranceintheworld

woman

delivered this sweet new baby

without so much as

an ASPRIIN!!

Wow!

The happy family....minus Brecken

Dang hospital rules...

since this is the season of RSV, or RVS or RSVP

or whatever it is...

no children are allowed in the hospital

that are under 14 years old.

We are so excited for this new little lady

to join our ~~crazy~~ close knit family.

This future diva has a headband and hat

for every occasion

Avi makes #9 to be welcomed into

my circle of grandchildren.

So thankful she is healthy

and is loved by so many.

Brecken loves his sister....

and will even pose for a picture

as long it takes no longer than 30 seconds

so that he can get back to

his Wii game....

Britny's mom Kris and dad Kevin.... and don't worry Kevin

Your secret about your "weak" stomach

is safe with me.......

for now.

2 days old and look at the strength of those legs!

I see a future gymnast......

or kick boxer....

or snowboarder...

with lessons from Brecken of course.

DIDN'T SEE ANY PRESIDENTS THIS WEEKEND.....BUT WE'RE READY FOR HALLOWEEN

2011-02-27T09:33:00.002-07:00

February 18, 2011

otherwise known

as PRESIDENT'S WEEKEND

started out being a bit

on the slow side

It was after all

Windy, rainy, and cold

What do kids do in this type of situation?

Some might play games,

or think deep thoughts.....

Others might just sit around looking pretty dang cute....

Some discuss world problems and how to solve them....

or something like that......

Still others think about a day not too far away

when they will not have a baby kicking inside

causing restless nights, and days....

The restless nights all to soon

will become sleepless nights, with a new daughter,

but that will be the subject of the next post..

When kids get bored,

sometimes they become pretty entertaining!

CASE

POINT

For once,

I AM

SIMPLY

SPEECHLESS......

And that is quite an accomplishment.

The weather did clear a bit,

so some decided to take a little ride...

Um........you MIGHT want

to take the box off the top first.....

Just sayin'.....

One good thing about 4 wheelers,

they make amazing storage containers....

A future drag racer....

Only 5 more years until she gets her license..

Her parents will sleep good tonight with that thought dancing in their heads....

It's either that, or that sugar plum fairy thing......

If you need somthing fixed around the house

I know a guy......

Now lets get back to the best part of the weekend.....

doing nothing....

And looking pretty good doing it.

DAY SEVEN......A JUMBLED CONFUSION OF DISORDER...IN PICTURES

2011-02-12T22:14:00.002-07:00

DAY SEVEN

This was a week of fun-filled fabulous family time

with Gram Cracker, Macie Monkey (the nickname she chose)

Dangerous Dalan (the nickname he didn't choose)

and Klo bug.

Although Macie got the DS for HER birthday,

Dalan talked his way into as much playing time as he could get

and then some......

The first and last words out of his mouth each day

were:

"Where's Macie's DS?"

Gram and Macie went shopping and she chose the

Zoobles Habitat and Rapunzel Barbie for her present.

All these new fangled "toys" are the reason

SHE picked out the present from Gram this year.

She wanted a "Nook Color" like Gram's but

it was ~~too freakin' expensive~~ a little out of my price range.

The first and last words out of her mouth each day was,

"Where's Gram's Nook?"

She is SOOOO like her Gram.....

Dalan is now able to ride a bike...

The mount....

NO training wheels...

a very important fact that

Dalan made sure to bring to my attention.

Khloe loved playing with the balloons.

Backtracking

(which is why this is a jumbled confusion of pictures)

Macie answering the door to find

Gram standing there.

I think she was hoping for Hello Kitty....

Who can resist this smile?

Or this one?

Time to say Good bye to my delightful

Ida ho ho ho entertaning week....

It is amazing what a jelly bean will do

To get Klo bug to look up for a picture.....

To get this picture Dal was told he could

play the DS

otherwise we would have had

to make do with this one....

Taking the kids to school,

and Gram to the airport,

was the end of a first-class, tremendously great week for me.

And that's the end of this ~~weak~~ week of fun,

and my ~~feeble~~ futile attempt at entertaining you through pictures.

I love you THIS MUCH and more!

DAY SIX......WATER BEADS AND THINGS I LEARNED AT SCHOOL

2011-02-12T20:54:00.006-07:00

Water Beads....

put pellets in water

and in 12 magic hours

You have water marbles....

freaky, cool, and

a fun diversion for the kids...

Do you see a theme here?

Think: Khloe in the background

EATING

Because of the exuberance of the boy on the left,

we had to make the water marbles

an OUTSIDE toy.

Guess who had water marble fights with the neighbor kids....

Macie preparing to show us her

experiment of taste, smell, and touch

she learned at school

First we smelled sprinkes.....

Next ....Chili powder

and my personal favorite

The Caramel Pecan Bar...

Before we go ANY further though I have to clarify that

NO I did not go out in public with

my pajama bottoms on...

I thought the ~~mismatched~~ contrasting colors would keep you guessing

as to how my sanity level was holding up......

(very well, by the way)

Then we were instructed to taste things ....

but to plug our noses

We were served bread, bananas, and bubble gum.

No, I don't know her reasoning....

But at least she didn't feed us the chili powder!

Dalan has his turn with the taste test....

And yes,

He did want to feed us a water marble....

but was FOILED by a watchful mother.

DAY FIVE.....THE "REAL" BIRTH DAY

2011-02-12T20:08:00.003-07:00

DAY FIVE

Wednesday

February 9, 2011

excactly 6 years ago today

this sweetheart came into the world.

Birthday Breakfast request....

Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, and

Hot Chocolate--with a chocolate dipped marshmallow straw.

Request

GRANTED

Even though it is your birthday,

You still ~~have~~ get to go to

School....

She is still at the age where she

LOVES it......

Fast forward a few years

and we may be talking a different story.

Scarlet and Macie

NOT

posing for the "going to school" picture.

Khloe just toodles around

doing EXACTLY whatever she wants,

or DOESN'T want to do.....

which at this time, includes not wanting to walk much.

She is going to continue with the free rides on mom's hip

for as long as possible.

Birthday dinner at Macie's favorite restaurant....

Can you guess???

Rrrreddd Rrrrobbin...

(you're singing it aren't you!)

Dalan not exactly a big fan of the red bird,

but warms up when the

birthday sundae arrives....

Hey Macie,

you gonna eat all of that?

Here, let me help you....

Ahhhhh......good to the last drop.

Happy Birthday

from your

whole family.....

We Love You!

And that goes for

Gram Cracker as well!

DAY FOUR..... MC HALF PRICE TUEDSAYS

2011-02-12T14:17:00.005-07:00

DAY FOUR

Tuesdays are 1/2 price Happy Meals at McDonalds in Meridian.

Gram is always up for a 1500 calorie ~~burger~~ anything...

especially since I will burn it off in

playland......

or not......

Klo, Klo...

a little McCrabby

but still adorable.

and

Mr. McLook what I made today....

McHappy Macie

McCrazy Dalan

I know........

No words needed.....

DAY THREE........LOOKERS, LEGO'S AND A LOOSE TOOTH

2011-02-12T14:02:00.002-07:00

DAY THREE

The Lookers.....

fresh from the

MegaMind movie in 3-D.

A great movie except

for the nightmares that it gave Macie later that night.

Khloe didn't mind not going to the movie,

she had something better to do.....

E.A.T.

An added bonus of turning 6,

another loose tooth!

Between the Birthday and the tooth fairy,

She could finance your next loan....

Thumbs up when you see what was

created out of Lego's.....

Yes, that is chocolate on my face....

But I have NO IDEA how it got there....

the point is.....

Look what I made!!

Gram even got to "borrow" the hat....

but only for the picture.

DAY TWO...FLIPPING OFF THE BED

2011-02-12T13:29:00.003-07:00

DAY TWO

Gram Cracker....

(thats my new name)

WATCH ME....

It's all in the way preparation...

get ready....

and

FLIP

And don't hit your sister on the way down...

I hope you enjoyed the show

When I asked if they were allowed to jump like that

I was told

Gram Cracker, it's ok we can do it....

Um............

just........don't

TELL MOM!

Khloe full of grins and giggles

Can you even begin to imagine what her siblings

are going to teach her?

Best get 911 on speed dial....

DAY ONE.....THE BIG SURPRISE AND THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

2011-02-12T13:14:00.003-07:00

DAY 1

The birthday party

S.U.R.P.R.I.S.E.

Macie had no idea that Bumma was coming

to her birthday party!

After Macie could finally stop hugging me....

Or to be more accurate, when Bumma could finally stop

hugging Macie.. there was a surprise for me.

Amber, Briqelle, Cali, and Quinn were also there!

I don't know who the girl on the left is, just one of

the party goers that got included in the picture.

That is just another facet of my incredible photo skills,

getting the "who is that?" conversation piece in the photo.

HELLO KITTY

was the theme

And everyone was real excited about it.

Especially Dalan, who could hardly contain his excitement!

I captured his opinion of Hello Kitty perfectly.

Blow out the candles but save some

energy for the.....

Pinata

Swing

and Hit

Cali gives it her all, and makes a dent,

but we needed a

Power hitter.....

Now for the best part....

PRESENTS

I'd say she had a good time...

wouldn't you?

JANUARY 9, 1953.....A SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION OF THE LAST 58 YEARS

2011-01-23T11:44:00.330-07:00

58 years of wedded bliss was an opportunity

to celebrate the love of our

incredible parents.

Who also are grandparents...

and great-grandparents.

As attested by each of their posterity;

Never have we heard them argue....

Never have we heard them speak evil of each other...

Never have we heard an unkind word pass between them....

From the beginning of their bringing 5 children into the world...

One of them being "the golden child".

( sorry Melanie, I couldn't resist, you know we love you!)

Have you heard Amazing Grace?

Gracie has an amazing voice in that tiny body.

and

NO FEAR....

What family function would be family

without everyones' favorite

KYLE

Grand daughters gave loving tributes to their

grandparents.

Lauralee spoke about what

it is like to be the favorite...and only

daughter in law.

Jamie......

who got her name because being the 3rd girl

to come into the family

dad was convinced

that perhaps he would never have a son...

He need not have worried.....

Kevin was born

and became the favorite....

son.

And we as his sisters, were determined that he

WOULD NOT BE A SISSY.

(that would be a whole other story)

Just when Kevin was enjoying his status as the favorite.

along came

Melanie...

The Golden Child.....

Need I say more?

She holds a special place in my heart

as well as in the hearts of her siblings.....

She was the golden child to all of us....

Karen

relates the tale of how she was just

a bit rebellious in her youth....

Nothing major...but the words

"I'm not going to church, and you can't make me"

as well as

"You'd better hem that skirt up to here, and not down to there, or I won't wear it!"

did escape her lips a few times.

Leesa,

Mother to Amazing Grace and cute Ellie

and a beautiful person as well

and not only because she is married to....

A practical joker extraordinaire....

Kevin is the master prankster....

Only he could get his mother in law

to shower with what she thought was a bar of soap,

but in actuality was a wedding mint.

(She wondered why it wouldn't lather up)

Tyler, and Tressa...

parents to 3 amazing children.

How Tyler survived his childhood without

losing any limbs, is another mystery of life.

Colton, who doesn't look ANYTHING

like his daddy; does he?

Jeff, Lacie and McKadee

this poor little girl doesn't have

anyone to spoil and love her.....

Not anyone at all....

especially not these 3 uncles..

Whatever...

these guys would walk through fire; stand on their heads,
and jump through hoops

for this "mini ruler" of all things breathing.

McKoy; one of the sons of

the golden child...

Does that make him a 2nd generation golden child?

Another descendant of the golden child is Morgan.

He is the youngest grandchild of the Ockey posterity,

and therefore stands to

inherit the "golden child" title.

Karter

aptly named after Grandma Great's parents

(only they spelled it Carter.)

Kyler kept begging and begging me

to put his picture on my blog.

He wanted me to post as many pictures of him as possible..

to give him the crucial exposure to all the babes in blog land

through this ~~prominent~~ , ~~illustrious~~ ,~~well known~~

virtually unknown blog.

I finally had to break it to him.... the unbelievable fact

that my blog gets ~~very little~~ zero traffic.

See the look of disbelief on his face?

I know, hard to believe that this blog has not

been voted the #1 comical site of the year.

Jamie and Larry also are finding it

hard to believe that my blog is not as well known

as say, for instance....

"Other Than That Mrs. Lincoln, How Was The Show"

a popular blog of an admired, role-model type Ockey cousin,

But this post is not about "me" or "her"

so lets get back to the story.

Lily,

the youngest great-grandchild for now.....

and the youngest daughter of Tyler and Tressa...

In March, this family will produce the youngest great grand child

in the Ockey clan

In summary:

This is what 58 years,

5 children
19 grandchildren

and

14 1/2 great-grandchildren

looks like.

Missing in this picture, Dave and Lindsay Grantham and their 3 children, Macie, Dalan and Khloe.

For those family members whose individual photo is not here in all its glory....

I will
"get you next time my pretties"....

In Conclusion:

This is what a phenomenal, admirable, incredible, awe inspiring,

happily married couple looks like:

We love you!

(even though you will probably never see this post!)

and that my dear reader,

IRONY

AND THERE WERE "SHEPHERDS" ABIDING IN THE LAND....A BELATED, LENGTHY AND PICTURE FILLED CHRISTMAS POST

2011-01-15T15:37:00.009-07:00

This year for the 1st time I was able to spend Christmas morning with

the Shepherd/Bailey family.

I was greated by this cute reindeer upon my arrival.

Then I was told all about Mr. Peeps....and the Christmas Elf.

They make their annual appearance the 1st of December.

Mr. Peeps hides in a different spot each day to make sure

the kids are dong what they are suppossed to.

He of course, reports any violations directly to the

Big Man in the Red Suit.

The other Elf is the keeper of the key for Santa.

Since there is no fireplace for Santa to use to get into the house,
~~Some clever person devised another way to finagle money from parents~~

The other elf leaves him a magical key

so he can deliver the booty.

Each year when my kids ask me what I want for Christmas,

my brthday, Mother's Day or whatever the occason,

apparently my answer is always the same.....

N.O.T.H.I.N.G.

And so this year, I got what I have

always asked for.. I give you

My jar of nothing!!

We can't forget to leave Santa his snack.

Briqelle kindly wrote "have some milk and cookies" on the cup for Santa.

Cali explaining how the magical key works.

The first Christmas for this Shepherd

and she wasn't quite sure what all the fuss was about.

Looks like we might have a diva in training here....

And she has the best teacher on the planet.

Jameson can't quite take it all in...

that's one BIG train set

It only takes one word to describe the true love of this little man...

TRAINS

And when he starts playing with them...

Well....lets just say NOTHING comes between him and his trains.

He got very upset

when he was pulled away from his train set

to open more presents..

VERY

upset

However, more Thomas the Train cars helped him get over it.

Time for Mr. Peeps to go back to the North pole for another year.

That will be a good thing for a certain girl who may or may not

throw a diva tantrum when she doesn't get her way.....

Such as in this picture where she was tired of hiking after 10 minutes,

because in true diva style,

it made her all "dirty and sweaty."

That's MY kind of girl

But I digress......

Mr. Peeps and Mr. Elf leave until next year...

The Shepherd family as they keep watch

over their little "flock"

With the newest little angel Quinn

making the Shepherd's Flock

complete...

It was a wonderful Christmas in 2010

spent with a beautiful family.

Bumma minus make up is not a pretty picture.

Maybe Cali can help me, with her "diva in training" class.

The favorite present of these two:

Their "pillow pets"

Thats Bumma's kind of a pet....

remember this

and that?

In my world, pillow pets are the best.

BIRTHDAY PARTY ADDENDUM

2010-12-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Brecken starts the party off

by showing his great gymnastic skills.

Unfortunately, Bumma wasn't too quick on the draw

with the camera action.

The party had it all,

Candles

cake ( what spit?)

Pinata fun

Candy for everyone!

The gift he has been asking for

The Buzz Lightyear Cosmic Blaster

A fun night for everyone.

MONTESSORI CHRISTMAS PLAY AND BIRTHDAY WISHES

2010-12-11T15:58:00.012-07:00

On Cupid, on Donner, on Blitzen

That was Brecken's part, as well as the

shaking of the bells....

AWESOME JOB!!

I haven't seen anyone shake bells with that much

enthusiasm E.V.E.R.!!

And the singing....he sang his little heart out.

He could be the next "tween heart throb".

He's already stolen his Bumma's heart.

Definitely stolen my heart!

He has a 30 year old mind in a 4 year old body.

And today is his 4th birthday.

He made his parents a beautiful ornament for the Christmas tree AND...

It didn't cost a penny.....

which was the "theme" for the ornament.

He also does not like posing for pictures.

Remember that theme from another recent post?

Proud parents of a special little boy.

Note the wonderful "baby bump" on

my FAVORITE daughter in law!

His Grandparents think he is pretty great too!

You did a great job Brecken, we are proud of you

and hope you have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Can't wait to get the details on your fun day in SLC

on the Polar Express!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

I'll stay in the sunshine....

P.S.

I just found this great Christmas video

The song is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!

and will bring the spirit of CHRISTmas into your very soul

Which is......

The reason for the season

GRRRRRR.......OWL

2010-12-05T15:49:00.003-07:00

Each and every year, I have the

MARVELOUS

opportunity to clean up the

mess made by my neighbor's

dang blasted pecan tree.

This year was no exception.

And so, 2 hours and 14 3 Ibuprofen 800s later...

I tried to think of reasons to be thankful that I have this

golden opportunity.

Are the leaves pretty, golden and red?

No, they are ugly shades of brown.

Is it giving me a workout equivalent

of an hour at the gym?

Not quite.

Does it let me know that my nose runs

in perfect order with each breath I draw?

You betcha...

Do I feel a sense of accomplishment as I

silently cuss this cursed tree in all it's naked beauty?

Naked because its leaves are

2 feet deep on my patio?

Am I grateful that I am able to physically

perform this dreaded annual task?

O.K. that is a BIG YES.

Plus, don't forget all the wonderful

perks of getting all the pecans that fall on my side of the fence!!!!

YES, YES, YES!!!!!

I am beginning to develop an attitude of gratitude!

A clean patio, and the nuts....

ALL....THOSE.....GLORIOUS.... DELICIOUS....NUTS...

which you may know, cost a small fortune at the store.

I get the leaves, and the neighbor gets the nuts?

GRRRR.......OWL

All that work for this?????

I just may have to visit my neighbor's yard tonight...

with a flashlight and an extra large bowl.

If you happen to see this:

Followed by this:

You'll know the real story behind

the headlines:

"She went nuts over the nuts"

THE ART OF THANKSGIVING

2010-12-05T14:38:00.009-07:00

What do you get when you take a delighted smile

A lot of energy

and a deep thinker...

And mix them together with

a lot of concentration?

Don't forget to add the face of a true artist at work.

Throw in Bumma who loves making these kids happy.

Give them paint, stensils, brushes

and let their imaginations go to work.

And viola'....you have

fun, giggles, yawns, and

A sence of accomplishment

This is one of the few pictures of this ball of energy

that shows some exhaustion...Creating a masterpiece of art is draining.

This is what you get when you say

"Smile for Bumma and show me your pretty mug."

Not in this life.....

This one didn't paint, but is a work of art herself.

(The cute baby girl on the left, not the old Bumma...

just in case there was any confusion......I know how easy it would be

to make that mistake.....and yes, I did choke on those words.)

This is the ONLY time I was able to get this

sweetheart to pose for a picture. Every time I try

I get this:

this:

or this:

WHATEVER you do, DON'T ask her to look at the camea.

Quite a different story for this one:

Or this one::

Or these:

Quite a different story indeed....

And lastly, what fun to be able to spend time with my

sister Jamie and her beautiful (inside and out) daughter Nicole.

Nicole also has 4 brothers that are very protective of her..

VERY, VERY, PROTECTIVE...

Remember that, if you are one of the fortunate ones

to get a date with her.

And we can't leave out the talented family member,

(one of the above mentioned 4 brothers...btw)

Brandon

He is amazing with the things he creates.

I have never seen anyone like him.

He takes things most of us would throw away, and

creates a beautiful piece of art. Old doors become benches, and wall hangings.

Old windows become beautiful artistic masterpieces.

Check out his website for a very small sample of his work:

http://www.etsy.com/people/thissandthatt

AMAZING.

and the Art of Thanksgiving was enjoyed by all.

A WEEKEND OF FAMILY, FOOD, AND FUN

2010-11-14T14:55:00.004-07:00

The weekend of November 5th-7th, 2010

started with a family favorite.

Their Mac and Cheese is the best.

This is probably the only time you will find adults telling the kids

to "save room for dessert".

The adults ulterior motive?

To eat the kids mac and cheese.

And the weekend of fun begins.

First the grandkids start planning the things they want to do.

Hey Bumma

Halloween's over!!

Next stop....adult purgatory

and child heaven

Chuck-E-Cheese

The only time putting a kid in a cage.....

is legal.

How do you get a "playland" like this in your own home?

I could have used this a lot when my kids were growing up

and NEVER causing any problems.

(Hold on a second, I seem to be choking on those words)

Jameson was having none of the rides and games.

He's a shy one, but oh so adorable!

What's more fun than putting kids in cages?

Making them pose for pictures.

They love, love, love that!

Bumma with the only 2 kids that

don't have an opinion about pictures.

Macie and Dalan wanted to let Chuck-E-Cheese know they

had come to see him.

300 tokens, 5 fun fueled, exhausted kids later
and 2 baby girls that had no idea of what they had missed....

we prepared for the blessing day of

Quinn Tatum Shepherd.

4 generations with Grandma Great, Mom Amber,

Bumma Mags, and Quinn..the reason for the gathering.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Ockey

hold Quinn, who just wants that thing off of her head.

At least, that's what I think she is thinking.

The Shepherd-Bailey Family,

with Quinn making the family complete.

So tired from this great weekend of family, friends and fun.

Quinn's expression says it all.

I wish I could know what she is thinking.

My best guess?

" This family really loves me!

Although I miss my Heavenly home,

and my Father and Mother there,

I feel the love from my family here

And I feel Heaven very close ."

yes

very, very close indeed.

We love this sweet baby girl.

Quinn in her blessing dress on November 7, 2010
What a blessing she is in our lives.
We love you Quinn.

THRILLER

2010-10-30T12:16:00.007-06:00

Each year Tuacahn produces different

outstanding musical productions.

October means

HALLOWEEN

which means

THRILLER!

For one of the first times in my life

I was P.R.E.P.A.R.E.D.

and actually remembered to take my camera.......

Then the announcer said.

"Sorry folks, NO cameras, videos, or cell phones

as it may cause physical harm to the performers."

WHAT??

Apparently the flashing lights cause them to fall off the stage or something.

My thoughts on that?

Aren't these a r t i s t i c....people supposed to "suffer for their craft?"

AND

Isn't Halloween

a time for things to go BUMP in the night?.

However,

I was able to get a few pictures after the performance

with a few of the stars.

I don't know this zombie's name, but she

really seemed to like Shar, following her everywhere.

Shar on the other hand,

not so much.

In fact not at all.

There was freaky, goulish, creepy fun everywhere.

For those of you expecting "Thriller" to be

a tribute to Michael Jackson, an evening of listening to

his music,

Which was what I was exptecting.....

It isn't.

Although there is a bit of a resemblence here....

Thriller is presented by the Odyssey Dance Theatre, and is

HIGHLY entertaining.

I found myself laughing at a River Dance spoof,

where someone starts shooting the dancers.

S.I.C.K. I know, but hey

It's HALLOWEEN

A little goulish sickness is expected.

Halloween has always been a holiday I De-plore, De-test, and De-spise.

But now that I have experienced the De-lightful

"thriller" experience, I think I might actually start to

De-monstrate a more De-sireable attitude towards this

De-moniac holiday.

That is a De-finite

Maybe.......

I have a whole year to

De-cide.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

From Bumma and

BATMAN