Winter Beauty

Our church was cancelled today, due to the ice and snow storm we received here this weekend. So Saturday, we decided that we would invite ourselves over to Mike's brother's house in Nashville to play games with our beautiful nieces and fun Sister in law. They said yes so we packed up the car with Smokey and stuff for parents and toddler, for an overnight trip. We braved the icy roads and made it safely in good time. North of us, Nashville got a couple more inches of snow but we got more ice. After our fun sleep over filled with movie watching, board & video game playing, cousin bath time, spaghetti dinner and pancake breakfast, we were ready to return home (well, maybe not Michael, he could play Nazi Zombies all week if I let him) to our guard cat Oliver. :) The snow is rare for us and we think it is so beautiful but on the way home the trees, weeds and bushes started twinkling from the ice still frozen on the limbs. It was so beautiful, especially with the sun shining behind it. Finally we actually pulled off the road and stopped to try to capture it and whether you can see it or not in this picture (taken by me on Michael's cell phone! wow!). We are grateful we were able to see this and appreciate it. We are grateful for the peace in our lives.

We have people we are aware of who are suffering in one way or another and we definitely try not to take for granted that peace we currently enjoy. God bless you and your families that you are prospering and healthy. We think about our friends and family often, praying for your welfare.

Winter weather is finally here!

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Happy Birthday Cousin Liam! :)

Today is on of Evan's cousins birthday, in California. Since we don't get to see him in person, here is your HAPPY BIRTHDAY message LIAM! :)

stunts and 'stache's

We went to dinner saturday in honor of Grandma Jennie. Afterwards, there was a gumball/toy machine section that you could buy a felt mustache. We scored this black Tom Selleck-esq one that is... amazing!

Our Stunt Man. Hold on to your seat, it's going to be a 'bumpy' ride.

(no cuties were hurt in the making of this film. professionals performing only)

simple pleasures

I just love these shoes. they were bought at gap for $20.00 and it's the THE BEST MONEY I'VE SPENT! I would like to wear them every day and sleep in them. Can you marry shoes? I would if I could. (just thought you'd like to know)

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Can you help? Know someone who can?

This is a plea from a wonderful family related to me through marriage. Ryan Hess is my sister-in-law's brother, who I have met before and have supported through prayers and fasting during his chemo and bone marrow transplant (from his brother!). I am so grateful he is getting healthier and want to do whatever I am able so he can spend every moment he can with his sweet wife and beautiful children. Please read below to see if there is something you can do to help. Just read please. :)

My name is Ryan Hess and I was diagnosed on June 12, 2009 with a rare and aggressive form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Over the past 7 months I have received enough donated leave from federal employees to help me keep a paycheck and health insurance throughout 3 rounds of chemotherapy and most recently, a bone marrow transplant. After meeting with my Dr. last week (1/12/10), he said that I could possibly be back to work in July.I have finished one year of residency at the Veteran's Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. All of your generosity with donating leave and spreading the word has kept food on our table and kept a lot of stress out of our lives during this time. I am now doing well enough to watch our two children so that my wife can work part time to help with the bills. As difficult as it is for our family to have to ask for help, we have realized that we must do so at this time so that we can keep our health insurance and so that I can hopefully continue with work later this year. Thank you so far for your help and prayers. We are beating this together!We were told that any federal employee (ie: civilian military- not active duty, Border Patrol, DEA, FBI, IRS, Dept of Justice, EPA etc. EXCEPT Post Office employees and active duty military) can donate vacation time to be used as sick leave for another Federal employee.We would be so thankful for any number of extra paid days we can accumulate.Thank you so much.How can you help if you ARE a Federal Employee?Go to your HR department and request to donate leave to Ryan Hess who works for the VA. (Your HR person will know the form that needs to be filled out- each Federal agency has their own form to donate leave)Once filled out and signed, the HR person will then need to fax or e-mail the form to:Brenda Joy - Benefits Specialist (TUCSON V.A.)Phone #: (520) 792-1450 x 4409Fax # : (520) 629-1849 attn: Brenda JoyE-Mail : Brenda.Joy@va.govALSO, for those who are federal employees, please print out this message and post it in break/lunch rooms to help get the word out as well as emailing it to co-workers!How to help if you are NOT a Federal Employee:PASS this along to ANYONE and EVERYONE that you know and then ask them to pass the message along. Post it on blogs, Facebook, e-mail...whatever you can think of.Visit:http://teamryanhess.blogspot.com/

Family Photo

(you can click on the picture to see us bigger)

While in California, we took a family picture. ALL siblings and grandchildren were present! wow! My efforts at securing a professional photographer failed so we were forced to fend for ourselves. We did the best we could with what we had, but, you get the point. It is Parents, every sibling, all in-laws, every grandchild and even two aunts and two uncles! I was hoping my grandmother (only surviving grandparent) would be well enough to come but she was not though we were thinking of her. By the way, this is at LEAST what it looks like every Thanksgiving/Christmas/Easter or every first Sunday of the month for Break the Fast because sometimes extended family even comes. :)

"Reading"

first, this is two days ago when evan is still not feeling well with his, super cool, "i'm not looking at you" look. definately james dean-esq. (btw, thanks aunt heather for this pull over WE LOVE IT and wear it every other day it seems)

Ok, for the real story. Evan was playing in his room while I was folding laundry and watching T.V. He was being so good, you can tell he's feeling better finally, playing quietly. Then I realized he was 'talking' a lot, so I listened more carefully to see if he was happy or complaining. Upon closer inspection, I saw that he was turning the pages of his book and looking from left to right on the pages as he turned them, "READING" the book! :) He's really trying hard lately to talk. A lot of it sounds like Hebrew, which I think is extra genius personally. Luckily I was ready with the camera to capture it for ALL to enjoy. ;)

you'll have to turn your volume up to hear the 'reading'. sorry, i didn't want to risk him stopping if he heard me get up and get closer.

Four Wheelin'

My parents helped Mike and I pay for this 4 wheeler for Evan for Christmas. I had originally not planned on getting anything for Evan, since he just had his Birthday and didn't need anything but then... I saw this car. "I" had to have it (maybe 'someone' loved their big wheel when they were a little girl and this is something she would have liked too.... hmmm hmmmm hmm hmm hmmm...). Of course I saw it too late and it was out of stock but here it is, finally at our house and the kid loves it... can't you tell? :) Merry Christmas Lil' guy. :)

psst... happy 15 month birthday baby! ;) xoxo

Time-Zoneitis

So I have diagnosed our baby with 'Time Zoneitis". He had teething (4 new teeth coming in right now) or a little cold or something before we left for California for Christmas. Once we got there he had a really hard time for the first 2 days adjusting to the 2 hour earlier time change from Tennessee. Add dry warm weather, runny noses and excitement and that sweet baby started getting a horrible cough and runny nose. Once home, he got worse and even had a fever on top of it. We took him to our Pediatrician today for his 15mo check up and he was still not well so it turned into a wellness visit. The poor kid has a pretty bad Ear Infection. ;( So he's on an antibiotic now and hopefully he will get better quickly. Good news... he's still adorable even though he doesn't feel 100%. He jumps up and down every morning with a smile on his face and for that we are grateful. What a joy.

Christmas Vacation (part 2)

(part 1 tomorrow maybe but here's some of it...)

My Grandmother Nona, 94 has always been healthy and taken very good care of herself. Age is finally catching up with her I'm afraid. Recently, she was in the hospital for the first time that I can ever remember and is currently trying to get healthier at an assisted living facility. We were able to visit with her and take pictures. We had a good time.

while taking turns taking pictures with my grandmother, evan was showing off his tucking his sock in his plug trick. uncle isaac had not yet witnessed it for himself. we see the obvious reaction to my childs amazingness. ;)



Cousin Luke and Evan Chillin'


Thanks to my friend Heather, Mike and I were able to go to the Temple in Los Angeles with Ashley and Isaac. We had a great day.

Impromtu family dinner of "Lalo's Mexican Food" 7 of us were here for this, which is funny. If you want to know what family dinners looked like at my house growing up... it was a lot like this. Only we were smaller. ;)

I bought decorations for my parents mantle.

MY MISSIONARY BROTHER! This is #11 child in my family, Isaac. He is in the MTC headed for a 2 year mission in Ft. Worth Texas for our church. www.lds.org I got to give him his last haircut before entering the mission field and starts cutting it himself I'm sure. LOL. ;) Good luck Elder Wutkee! We love you!

Scored tickets to the Laker game while home. The biggest score for me?... I saw one of my best friends of all time that was even sitting in our exact section. ERIC SHARP! I keep in touch on email but haven't seen him since our 10 yr h.s. reunion in 02'. I got to meet his wife (who is beautiful and they look wonderful together!) and we took a buddy shot on my phone (post it later?) since my camera was with my hubby who was in his seat (we were in the lobby talking after we saw each other). Although they didn't have their 8mo old with them, we talked all about him as his name is.... EVAN! :) couldn't be happier to share the name with anyone else. :)

Yet ANOTHER haircut for my baby! What's going on with him!? I feel like I'm gonna have to start cutting it as often as michaels! ;) Well , here's a before then a close up of 'after' when I also added a "racing stripe" like in the 80's when the guys would get all kinds of designs cut into their hair. ;) Evan loves it cause it makes him SUPER fast! (speaking of fast... the kid is practically running now! sheesh! he was going up and down stairs, jumping in place or on the jog trampoline and without holding anything people! babies can't do that!? ;) lol, ok, he's a toddler, i admit it ok! he he he)

the racing stripe. can you see how fast he looks with it? probably, not cause he just went so fast, he's back already before you could blink!

Here is a short series of pictures of Evan with his cousin Liam. Liam is a January 08 baby and Evan is October 08 baby. My sister Jenalyn and her husband currently live in a guest house of my parents so we got to see her the most. She is a very good mommy and has taught her son to be very sweet too. Liam was waking up every morning saying "I want to see Cousin or play with cousin", which is adorable of course. Here are only a few of their moments together:

good bye auntie ashley, i love you...

One last hurrah before getting in the car to go back to tennessee. ;)

a