Thanksgiving Day at Scott and Karen's

It was hard gathering for Thanksgiving this year knowing that it would be our last Holiday family gathering for a long time!

And as always, what's a family gathering without a little birthday clebration? Krisette and I share the same birthday!


We celebrated the December birthdays as well...

Is that not the cutest picture of these cousins? Max and Ginger are great friends. Another sad thing to leave...all the cousins!

BYD

aka Bishop's Youth Discussion...one of the many things we grew to love about Don serving as the Bishop. Once a month the youth in our ward would gather in our home for an hour and Don would speak about whatever he was inspired to talk about. The Orchard Heights youth were an amazing group and Don really struggled with the thought of leaving them all behind.



And let's not forget about the best part...dessert!

It's Official!

Don was officially offered the North Texas Regional Manager position in the middle of November and they wanted him to start October 1st! That meant that we had to put our house on the market as soon as possible and hope that it sold fast because starting in October, Don would have to commute to Texas every week! It was all so exciting, but so sad at the same time. We had been in Port Orchard for four years already and grew to love so many people there. And the thought of leaving so much of our family behind broke our hearts. But, the reason we had looked for a new position was because Don was traveling too much and we wanted to be together more as a family. That was the only thing that made it all okay.

The Great Wolf Lodge

On Thursday after school, we picked up the kids and Don announced, "Kids, there is a major crime happening right now! Something really bad." The kids were a little concerned and begged to know what was going on. Don continued, "There is a kidnapping going on at this very moment!" More concern from the younger kids. Older kids started to get excited. "Mom and I are kidnapping you, we're taking you out of school tomorrow and we're all going to spend a couple days at The Great Wolf Lodge!" (For those who don't know, it's an indoor water park) The kids squealed with delight. We were all packed and ready to go so we were on our way. We had promised the kids that we would do something fun when we finished The Book of Mormon and we only had a few chapters left. So, since we had a few hours to drive, we all took turns reading aloud until we finished! This was our 2nd time to read it as a family and it only took us 4 years this time! We committed to start again and try to be more diligent about not missing any days and read a little more so we could maybe finish in 2 or 3 years this time. What tremendous blessings have come into our home from simply reading The Book of Mormon as a family on a consistent basis. How grateful I am for the scriptures.



The Wave Pool....

The Kiddie slides....

The main play area with a huge bucket that would fill with water and dump every 5 minutes or so.

This is what it looked like after that bucket spilled over...

The bigger slides were amazing. The first night we went down them in the pitch black and it was definitely a thrill ride! We had a great time. It was a perfect getaway from the cold, long winter.

Happy Birthday to me!

For my 33rd (is that right?) my little family spoiled me rotten as always. They showered me with gifts and fattened me up with one of my absolute favorites...berry rhubarb pie from the Victorian Rose Tea Room. The perfect pie crust with the perfect fruit combination with the perfect whip cream on top. Mmmmmm.

Don surprised me with dinner at The Melting Pot, somewhere we had never tried. It was a really fun dining experience getting to cook our own food at the table and dip combinations of food you'd never think to combine. Our suggestion... You have to try it once, but that's all you need. It was fun and different, but the food wasn't incredible and the price was ridiculous. Is that rude to say about my special birthday dinner? Don would agree with me and I still loved every minute of it with my sweet hubby.


For my birthday, Don gave me many gifts, but the sweetest, greatest, most thoughtful gift was that he was flying one of my best friends to be with me on my sister Ginger's birthday. Don knew how much I had worried about how I would make it through her birthday, especially once I found out that Don would have to be out of town that day. When he told me she was coming, I started bawling. I was so excited and so touched that he would do that for me.


Hilary and I met at Girl's Camp when we were only twelve. We hit it off right away and even though we went to different schools and were in different wards, we were close through junior high and high school and have been friends ever since. Hilary is the kind of friend everyone dreams about having. She was always so good, so friendly to everyone, such a great example of a good LDS girl. Not to mention that she was beautiful and fun and EVERYONE knew her whereever we went. Knowing that Hilary would be with me on Ginger's Birthday, my sadness and dread turned to excitement and happiness. With Don gone for a couple days we just played and played. We shopped and went out to eat and Hilary even treated me to a pedicure for my birthday! The best part was just being able to talk to someone about Ginger, to share funny memories about her, to look through photo albums with, and just to have someone to laugh and cry with. Those few days with Hilary were so healing for me and I found myself just smiling and laughing when I thought of Ginger, instead of wanting to cry because I missed her so much. Thanks for everything, Hil! And Don, you win the prize for the best husband ever.


I snuck this picture of Hilary reading to my kids. Can I just say that it was amazing having 2 of me for a couple days? It was so great and the kids love her!

Our Birthday week

Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday. I'm not trying to announce it so everyone can shower me with gifts, just thinking out loud as I anticipate my first birthday without my sister, Ginger. Ginger's birthday is on the 13th so we share the same week (and Brandi's, our younger sister, is on the 12th). Two of my last three birthdays I have spent with Ginger and our husbands in Hawaii and Mexico. This year we were going to go to Cancun or maybe Honduras. (Thankfully, we hadn't booked the trip yet. Another tender mercy.) I remember in Hawaii, Ginger surprised with a beautiful fresh flower lei to wear on my birthday, then we went to get massages together...her treat! I can still remember Ginger's face as she realized that she would be getting a man to give her the massage. Hilarious! She immediately told him that she prefered a woman and although this young man tried to convince her that he was "good", she insisted on a woman and was accomodated. We cracked up about it all day. This year, Ginge is actually treating me to a massage again! She called me on my birthday last year (of course) and knew how sad I was that Don was on a business trip on my birthday and how I was struggling with the dark and dreary winter and told me that she opened an account for me at a really nice salon right here in town and that I could go whenever I wanted and get whatever I wanted! That was so Ginger. So generous and spontaneous and thoughtful. Well, did I ever go get it? No! Life got crazy with the holidays and trips and my husband's travel and it seemed I never had the time to indulge. After she passed away I realized I still had this gift and that I would save it for my birthday this year. Don't know how I am going to make it through without bawling, but it will definitely be a special gift from my sister on my birthday!

Trick or Treat 2008

A chef, a pioneer, a vampire, Little Bo Peep, and a pirate. Interesting group, huh? I thought they went quite well together.


And no, I can not take credit for any of these costumes. I am such a costume mooch! I have the best friends and family that let me "borrow" and destroy costumes every year. My friend made the Little Bo Peep and the Pioneer. One day I am going to sew like that, too. Maybe. And as far as the vampire goes.... Even though I am a huge Twilight fan, I don't like my kids dressing up as yucky, dark, scary things for Halloween, but Davis won this one. He is done with superheroes and good guys. So sad!



Didn't get enough trick-or-treaters knocking on your door tonight? I've got a few more for you....HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Halloween 10/31/08

The Great Pumpkin

Don and I usually like to get a little pumpkin carving competition going to see who can carve a cooler pumpkin. Don destroyed me this year. Although I will say that he cheated by using the internet and used a guide on his pumpkin while I did it free hand, trying to copy a tiny, little sticker Gillian suggested. Can you guess whose is whose? You're right. Don's is the bottom one.