Mother - Daughter Weekend 2012

With being in Cali the weekend before, I had totally forgotten about our girls weekend until Caroline called to give me the scoop on the plans...oops! We had forgotten to change shifts at work, Troy worked until 9 pm that Friday and all day Saturday.  I  scrambled to find a babysitter, but it all worked out and we had a great time as usual.
We went to dinner at Red Lobster, and then headed out to Tuachan to see Aladin which was fabulous! The next morning we headed for a little hike out to Snow Canyon, it was beautiful weather and we had a great day together!

Gum, chapstick....

Sunscreen... ready, set go!

Anaheim Angles vs. Chicago Whitesox and the beach

After having sooo much fun at Disneyland, we were so super stoked to spend our Sunday afternoon at the baseball field...after all, our vacations just aren't complete if we don't include a major sporting event!  Our seats were great out in right field, however, it was a boiling hot, humid day so the kids and I spent a few innings playing some of the games/activities they had for family dayup by the concessions....a life saver! Troy and Kason went to scout out some cooler seats in the shade and thanks to an overheated red-faced Kason, he scored us some club level soft seats with waiters and a great view!

 

Dad spoiled us with new shirts, bats, balls, & all the necessary accessories!

Braxton practicing his pitching

Mom and the kids standing on the pitcher's mound in front of the stadium

We are loving our shady, cushy seats!  The seat Braxton is sitting in won $500.00 right before me and the kids got up there.  Troy said they were going to collect their  money and head out and that we could have their seats!

Great view !

Camrie making a spinning paint picture

 The Angels won the game and we headed back to our condo to get our car and off to Hunnington Beach!  I LOVE the beach...I posted on my fb that I was officially job hunting in the area!  Of course I was kidding, but still had a little explaining to do to a couple ER nurses when I got back.  

 

 We did stand out a bit with all of us in our red shirt!

 

 I wish my camera battery would've lasted long enough to get a picture of Tanner after he got knocked over by the next big wave...wet from head to toe, he was a good sport about it and by the time we left, both he and Braxton had to change clothes complelety!

 Camrie didn't love the water, it was too cold so she was completely content to pick up shells and would've easily stayed there all day.  She filled up one of Troy's socks full of shells and sand to bring home for her class to see!



After the beach we headed for Vegas, we were tired and it was a long drive, but we got in around 11pm and went straight to bed!  The next morning we had a little breakfast out on the patio and headed for the lazy river.  We were planning on doing some rides at the casinos, but by this time Kason, who up to this point had been so good, was totally done with this trip and cried and cried uncontrollably so we grabbed some lunch and headed for home.  We pulled into our driveway just in time for Braxton to grab his cleats and head to his football game!  We had a great time, and can't wait for the next road trip this summer!

 

 

 

 



We lost our sweet little Grandma Fern Williams last night...we will miss her and love her so much.

I'm so glad we got to visit with her a few months ago, her body had become so frail, but her mind was sharp as a tack! I KNOW she is happy and at peace.   And I know there was a wonderful and long awaited reunion with Grandpa and her sweet baby Dale.

My best memories of Grandma Fern:

~walking to her house after kindergarten

~doing long division homework at her green kitchen table

~sleeping at her house and hearing her work up in the flower shop early in the mornings

~she burnt my fingers while washing them in the restroom at JB Big Boy's in Cedar when I was little

~going to Cedar to the eye doctor, to get tires for the tireshop, and getting a goldfish at Sprouse Rites

~all kinds of her yummy cookies, cookies, and more cookies!

~family dinners at her house after General Conference, New Years, and our Labor Day 'come as you are' early morning breakfasts on her patio

~making 'salads' in the floral shop with the left over flowers and greenery

~memorial day flowers, wedding flowers, ribbon sandwiches, cookies, liters of 7-up, sherbet, the green van loaded for deliveries, playing in flower boxes, everything related to the flower shop and the catering business

~her wigs lined up on styrofoam heads on her dresser

~riding the Amtrak train to Oregon with them when I was 7

~listening to the Disney stories on records at her house and eating cookies (i blame my entire cookie obsession on her!)

~learning how to tie quilts from her and grandpa

~helping her decorate for Christmas

~being so worried about her when she fell and broke her tailbone before their mission

~writing to them and recording tapes for FHE to send to them on their missions

~mowing her lawn in the summers and going for an oreo milkshake at Annies

~watching Lawerence Welk with her and Evelyn Sater on Saturday nights

~thinking I had mastered closing the deep freeze door without her knowing I'd been sneaking cookies, she always knew because I never shut it tight avoiding the locking sound!

~teaching me how to bottle string beans and listening to me vent about my divorce 

~dancing at ballgames in high school, I could often find her and her good friend Evelyn in the stands about even with the 50 yard line or half court cheering me on

~the musty smell of her cellar....

~I dropped 2 of her Thanksgiving pies on Mom's driveway....she just laughed & never failed to remind me about it every Thanksgiving after

~hiding her pink sugar cookies from my college roomies and the boys, soon she just started sending enough for everyone!

~every blanket she has ever made for me and my kids

~the last time we visited her - Troy had taken the kids out to the car, she asked me to thank Troy for being such a good example for Braxton and loving him the way he does.  She was very quick to tell me that Troy was the best choice I'd ever made and how much she appreciated all the things he had done to help her be comfortable when my mom would take her home for family things. She never complained.

 

I feel so blessed to have been so close to her my entire life.  She has left an amazing legacy, I'm so thankful to have a copy of her personal history and many journal entries from their missions to Florida.  I am so blessed to know that familes are forever and that mine is just that!  As Troy and I layed in bed last night discussing our thoughts on what goes on in heaven, I noticed that just for that short time, my thoughts were so focused on the Savior and what is really important, that the things I had been worrying about earlier in the day such as work, paying bills, etc seemed so completely trivial and not worth my time nor energy!  I love you Granny, and it will be just a short while until we see you again!!



HOORAY FOR THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!

 We were super excited to join Nick, Paige and Josh for another fun trip to Disneyland! We did 3 days at the Happiest Place on Earth, and went to an Angels baseball game and the beach on Sunday. We stayed Sunday night in Vegas and had a fun short stay.  All the kids were so good and the best little travelers!

Everyone is so excited to head to California - I think all the excitment would make me wanna stick my fingers up my nose too Kason!!



We found Mickey as soon was we walked into California Adventure.  While everyone waited in fast pass lines, Nick and I took Camrie and Josh to get Mickey's autograph and a have our picture taken.  Camrie wasn't too sure about things just quite yet!



Minnie had just flown into California Adventure!!



Bet you didn't know that Mater is tickleish unter his headlights!!



Fun ride in Cars land, just like a giant air hockey table!

 

Lean to the left...lean to the right! - Get those tires a movin!

 

My most favorite ride EVER! California Screamin! I could  just ride this all day - Me and Troy are the 5th row from the back.

 

Sulley in the Pixar Parade

 

Monsters Inc.

 

Posing for our very own family movie!

  

We love Goofy!  But where's our goofy Braxton??

 

Camrie was so excited to see "her castle" behind us!



What a fun bunch we are! Missing little Lexy tho.....

Kason and Camrie loved the merry go round!



P - U - L - L  HARD!!



Kason LOVED the Dumbo ride and would clap and point everytime we walked by!



The kids had a blast on the bus, Josh was so excited to ride it everyday!! We are so tired and heading back to the condo for lunch and a quick nap to recharge!

 

We loved the cups! Dad & Braxton loved sitting this one out!



Crusing in Mickey's car



'Driving Miss Paige!' Tanner loved riding every ride he could with Paige :)

 

Dad and Tanner defeating the enemy Zurg
 

Autographs....

 

After our last day at Disneyland, we drove up to Santa Monica with a little stop at the Temple.  Tanner sang "I love to see the temple' the whole time we were there.



Having a little dinner on the curb at the Promenade in Santa Monica

 Breakfast time!!

Camrie and Kason having fun with the luggage rack, I was so happy with the kids and how well they all got along :)
 

So many pictures, so hard to choose, but hopefully you get the idea that we had a blast! I will do a separate post about the Angels game and the beach since I don't have my camera with me at work!  We have our condo in Aneheim reserved for this coming June....lots of planning to come for another fun week!!!

Happy Birthday Tanner!

Happy Birthday Tanner Man! You are 5 already and a 'handsome' little guy (you correct anyone that says you are cute) We celebrated your birthday early as usual on the mountain with our family, mom was a slacker this year and let you pick out a cake at the store in Beaver, you were so excited that they wrote 'Happy Birthday Tanner' on it. When Braxton turned 5 we held his party at McDonalds so I guess maybe we've started something....we did the same for you and invited the McFadden's, Marshalls, and Morgan and Haiden from your daycare class. Their birthday pack includes 10 happy meals, a cake, and party favors - really not a bad deal at all! It was a short party since we all needed to go to back to school night, but it was short, sweet, easy, and the kids had a ball! and no mess at home!

When Braxton turned 5 we held his party at McDonalds so I guess maybe we've started something....we did the same for you and invited the McFadden's, Marshalls, and Morgan and Haiden from your daycare class. Their birthday pack includes 10 happy meals, a cake, and party favors - really not a bad deal at all! It was a short party since we all needed to go to back to school night, but it was short, sweet, easy, and the kids had a ball! and no mess at home!