Alaska Cruise June 2011

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What an amazing trip we had.  We loved traveling with our good friends and can't wait until our next adventure.  Alaska is truly some of the most beautiful places I have had the opportunity to see.  We had amazing weather while we were there.  We only had a little rain in Ketchikan.  It will be a memory that I will treasure for many years to come.  Thanks for aking us to go along with you to celebrate your 20th anniversary and our 15th anniversary.  A little early but well worth it

Memorial Weekend

We started of our weekend by heading to Gateway for a much needed dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with Paul, Catherine, Hallie & Ty.  Hallie loved it.  We did a little shopping and she had to show Mark a bracelet at one of the stores that she said was so beautiful.  She loves her Uncle Mark and knows that he will do anything for her.  After a fun evening of food, shooping and spending time with family went went home and packed up the car for a weekend of camping.

We left Saturday morning to meet my family at Jolly's Ranch for a little weekend of camping. It was not ideal weather for camping but we were able to have fun anyway.  The guys were able to get in a round of golf at Hobble Creek golf course and had a super time.  That evening we sat around the camp fire enjoying some smores and marshmellows.  It did not rain on Saturday until really late after we were all in bed but it was pretty cold.  The next morning we woke to overcast skys but not rain which was nice however by eveing the storm rolled in and some of us staying in tents decided to pack up and head for home.  We left about 11:00.  Here is a few pictures of the fun we had. 



Luke sporting his shades upside down



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Rachel, Mark & Paul enjoying a game of Rook



Molly & Lestar take a spin in the jeep



Cute baby Alyssa

 

Kyler such a cheese and adventurous boy.




Brandon - enjoying a little gooey smore!!!



Marlene, Kristine, Kelsie & Klyer enjoying what little sunshine there was



Lizzy & Ethan enjoying some time around the fire!

Some of the family round the fire!
This was Saturday night before the rain.
Michele, Alex, Rachel & Mike

Lestar enjoying her marshmellow

Lily & McKenna - two cuties



Krystal & Kelsie - best friends & cousins




Sunday evening around the fire - down comes the rain.




Spencer & Randy trying to enjoy the fire!!!











What a great day to be an American.  So proud of our service men and women and the leaders of our country who never gave up on pursuit of those who victimized this great county.  Thanks for your sacrifice for our freedoms.

Hello Again

As many of you know I work for a CPA office so between the months of Jan to April not much happens except for work.  It is so nice to have another year of it over and now have so much to look forward to.  I am so happy to finally get to see that maybe "SPRING" has finally arrived.  It has been a long, cold and wet and we are all ready for some good days with a lot of sunshine.

We are heading to Alaska this year with our good friends the Heumann's to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and our 15th wedding anniversary.  We are so excited to get to go see this beautiful part of our country and to get to spend time with our wonderful friends.   Then we will be heading off to Orlando for Mark's convention and also to get to spend some time with Mark's brother's family, Dave, Kelly, Ava, Luke and Logan who live in Virginia and we do not see often enough.  We miss them and look forward to some time with them in Florida as well as when they come out for a long over due visit in August.  It will be a summer filled with lots of good times.

Farewell 2010 - Welcome 2011

We had a great Christmas season and enjoyed much time with family and friends.  It was a busy month but I can say I enjoyed all the good times we had.  We had a couple of company parties, neighborhood parties and was able to spend wonderful times with both our families.  We went to zoo lights with some of my family, attended the Festival of Trees, was blessed to do tow Sub-for-Santa and reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ.  It was a great way to end an incredible year.  We were truly blessed and hope that as the new year begins that we can continue to serve others and to draw closer to our Savior.

This year at my extended family party my sister heard that my Aunt Charlyn had been writing here history and she was so gracious to share it with my sisters and I.  I must say it has been one of the most precious gifts I received this Christmas.  I am one of the youngest of the grand children on my moms side of the family and the youngest on my dads side so I was not lucky to be blessed with knowing my grandparents.  I have been truly humbled to hear of the incredible struggles my grandma had after my grandfather passed away and she still had children at home to raise.  She raised two wonderful boys and five incredible daughters.   When my grandfather passed away she still had my uncle Raymond, my aunt Charlyn and aunt Karma still living at home.  They did not have a lot and were considered poor but because of the love of the Savior and the testimonies that were shared they may have been poor by worldly standards but were so rich in the matters of the gospel.  I  was brought to tears as I read of the incredible faith that my Aunt shared, the love of the gospel and the great power of prayer.  My testimony has grown as I have read of the struggles my grandma had but how she remained a faithful, loving, caring and spiritual leader to her children.  I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing legacy.  I love my Heavenly Father for blessing us with a wonderful grandma and grandpa who raised their children in the Church of Jesus Christ and kept them grounded in knowing what truly is important in life.  I can say that I was also raised but to wonderful parents who brought with them the teaching of their parents and am so grateful that they raised us in the gospel and helped to know what is truly important and that is to have faith in the Savior and to live the gospel to its fullest.   Thank you Aunt Charlyn for sharing

May this New Year find each of you being blessed even more.  We are so grateful for the examples and love of each of you in our lives and are better because of each one of you.