Gingerbread house...

Brayden and Alex decided they wanted to make a Gingerbread house. They remembered making it when they were young. Here is Brayden putting together the house.

Each one doing their creating.

I think Alex was sneaking some of the candy!

Alex watching as Brayden added some details.

Brayden even made some roses for the flowered bed with some of the icing.

Of course Santa had to have a motor cycle which Brayden created.

Finished product with snowman, gingerbread man and yellow brick road.

The funniest thing about this house is...

we set it on the end table to display it and went to run an errand. When we returned there was a corner of the house gone and the gingerbread and snow man was gone. Alex thought Brayden had eaten it. Then we looked closer and there was teeth marks. ROOSTER loved the gingerbread treats!! So then the kids decided that was a great idea and have been munching on the house.

Highland cows...

When we lived in Scotland we loved to look at the Highland cattle. We loved their hairy bodies, how cute the looked, and to us they just had cuter personalities or seemed to.

We took a drive a couple of days around and found this herd near out ranch. They reminded me of Scotland and of how grateful I am that my sister-in-law is home with us again. So I dedicate this blog to Loraine because she is our UK family member.

Aren't they just so cute.

Christmas Lights on Temple square...

On our way home from the ranch we took a detour onto temple square to see the lights. I just loved it.

This is the reflection pool in front of the temple.

Lights reflecting in the reflection pool.

A nativity scene in the middle of the reflection pond.

Alex in front of the a light tree and the temple.

Bronze statues of Joseph Smith.

Brayden

Inside the old Tabernacle.

Just breathtaking.

This has always been my favorite temple. This is the temple I choose as a young girl to be married in. Steve and I were married in this temple almost 29 years ago. Where has the time gone. I am so grateful we took this little detour on our home trip to enjoy the light, but to also reflect on the importance of temples.

Most moving moment of wedding...

This is Grandma Crawford. She has been in a wheel chair for some time. As we were all standing in the parking lot it was realized the wheelchair couldn't make it up the steep rocky path. Grandma said she would wait for all of us to come back down.

But many members of the families decided it there was a will there was a way. The next picture you see brought tears to my eyes as I was shooting the picture. It still brings tears to my eyes each time I look at the pictures. It shows, love, compassion, charity, strength and an incredible group of caring people. Grandma Crawford was going to come to the wedding.

They decided the only way she could come to the wedding and be part of it was to be carried in.

There were many that helped and many that followed waiting to take their turn. It was a very moving procession.

Once the steep part was made they tried to push the wheelchair but it didn't work.

So they turned her around and pulled her up to the great spot where she could view the wedding of her Grand daughter.

Here she is with her husband, her son and her grand daughter. There are many things I will remember about the wedding day. But the labor of love shown in getting Grandma Crawford there will always hold a very special place in my heart. Thank you to all of you who helped to make it possible for Grandma Crawford to be a part of that special time.

My niece's Wedding some fun highlights...

This is John and Candice with John's parents.

Candice and John and Candice Grandparents. I hope you are looking at the beautiful view behind them!!

The couple before the wedding!!

Not sure what they are thinking about, but I am sure it is about the great and wonderful things that are head of them in a few short minutes and years and years to come.

This picture is very special to me because... This shows John's parents, brothers and sisters, and niece and nephew. They all traveled from back east to be here to share this special day with John and Candice. What a sacrifice they had to have made to come all this way. Not only that it was sure fun for me to get to know them.

Candice pinning on John's groom flowers. I think the expression on his face is saying Candice ouch!!! you just stuck me!! The evidence is the deadly weapon she is holding in her mouth.

John and his mom.

Here is John trying to pin the Mom's flowers on his mom. He looks pretty intense trying to get the job done!! I think she might be doing some coaching!!!

Here is both Candice and John with their moms.

Candice pinning the flowers on her Dad. Check out the look on Brayden's face I think he is trying to figure out why she handed him the flowers, what the heck it is made of and what is he supposed to do with it. Or Maybe he is worried he is going to have to wear it!! Who knows!!

It was such a great day. In looking through the pictures tonight I have decided I am going to have to do some more blogs in the next few days!!

Steve's Dad's 80th Birthday...

It was Steve's Dad's 80th Birthday this year. His wife Dottie started planning in January for the big event that would take place in March. It was a big surprise party weekend. She did an incredible job. Here she is standing by Dad to cut his cake. We all secretly meet for dinner on Friday night at his favorite restaurant which was the first surprise

This was the second big surprise. The boys took him for breakfast Sunday morning after church all the girls rushed over to the place for the bigger party. This is dad walking in. He thought he was looking for a place that Greg wanted to buy. When he walked in a realized what was going on this was the expression on his face.

The big birthday cake with all the things that Dad loves to do as decorations.

Here he is with his three boys. David, Steve and Greg.

The last surprise was put together by Robin. She had written letters to everyone that she knew and asked them to write a letter, send a picture or a card. Then she put it altogether into a big picture book. She made it with love. He spent many hours just looking at it, shedding some tears, and remembering so many things. It was truly a very blessed weekend for all of us.

All in a Year or maybe a little more...

It has now been almost 18 months on this journey of recovery. I am sitting here looking out at this beautiful place where our ranch is and reflecting on what an amazing 18 months is has been. There has been so many wonderful, fun, memorable things happen. Thanks heavens I took tons of pictures probably around 5000 or more so I could remember it!! Since this blog serves as my journal I am going to try and post some of the things before I publish my book into a hard back journal. I hope that each of you enjoy viewing these things as much I as have enjoy them being a part of life.