Kay and Kris Family

Not so Good News Today

2011-06-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for such a long time. I am sorry. I have an update that totally came at me from left field. Have you ever had to tell the most important people in your life that your doctor only gives you a few months to live? I had to do that today. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. My cancer has spread so much and is so aggressive that the doctor didn't give me much time. He said the chemo should help extend the time some but it is a 50/50 chance. They don't know me very well. I have too much to live for and to much to do. Because you see I am the best grandma in the world and if I go now none of my grandkids will remember that. That is unacceptable. So I really need your prayers and your faith because I have to fight for my life and I need all the help I can get.

OUR IDAHO VISIT

2010-03-25T22:40:00.001-07:00

We were able to spend a couple of days in Idaho when we went up for the blessing. Here are some highlights.

Grandpa and Lorelai were sharing a bag of cookies.

Lorelai decided that she didn't want to sleep in her bed she preferred the chair. I have no idea why.

Lots of fun at the park. Lorelai loves to swing.

I do have the cutest grandkids!!!

Grandpa's little sweetheart.

Lorelai helping Grandma make breakfast.

Tyler and Jessica. Tyler's summertime romance.

All Smiles!

Lorelai not so much smiles. This was time-out.

REAGAN'S BLESSING

2010-03-24T22:41:00.001-07:00

We were able to go to Idaho for Regan's blessing. I had the privilege of making her dress. We had a very nice weekend.

I made Lorelai a matching dress except hers had the pink top.

Preston's family Ken and Janet Dixon. Our really good friends.

Britney's Wedding

2010-03-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

My Niece got married last summer and I was able to go to it. I also was able to make her wedding cake which was quite unique.

KAY'S BIRTHDAY

2010-03-24T22:30:00.001-07:00

SoI only got two pictures from Kay's Birthday and then my camera died. This was July 17,2009. I have no idea what Brandon was doing in the background.

FATHERS DAY

2010-03-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Okay so I know that Fathers day was almost a year ago but I am trying to catch up on my blogging so you will have to bare with me. Anyway this is from June 2009. As you can see Brooklyn is a tremendous help when it comes to opening presents.

We blindfolded Kay for his next present. Everyone went in on this one.

Surprise a brandnew TV for our bedroom

I brought the girls these hats from Disneyland. They weren't sure what to think of them.

Silly Grandpa!

WE HAVE A NEW BABY GIRL

2010-03-18T18:01:00.001-07:00

Introducing the newest member to the Miller Family. She came into the world quickly and loudly. She weighed 8 pounds and 6 ounces and was 21 inches. Ashley did wonderfully. I got to be in the room when she delivered and that was unbelieveably awesome.

I got big sister and big brother shirts for Cambri and Daxon.

Going Private

2009-08-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

So it has been requested of me to put my blog private. So if you want to have access to my blog please send me an email address. I will do this in about a week.

DISNEYLAND

2009-06-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Joshua and I met Jeremy and his family at Disneyland. Ashley's parents treated her family to the trip and was gracious enough to let us crash their party. We had a wonderful time. To start the day off we had breakfast with the Disney Princesses. Cambri and her cousins dressed up as a princess it was sooooo cute. While we were eating breakfast four of the princesses walked around the room and visited with all the kids. Below are three Disney clowns not princesses.

CINDERELLA

Sorry about the blur.

SNOW WHITE

BELLE

JASMINE

MICKEY MOUSE

During lunch Daxon made a small error so he was placed in time out. I couldn't resist this picture.

BUGS LIFE

Daxon loves any kind of motorized vehicle. If he sees or hears one of any kind he yells it until someone acknowledges that he has seen or heard it. We were at ToonTown playing on the playground and he spotted this firetruck. He forgot all about anything else and played on the truck for a very long time.

TINKERBELL

We celebrated Cambri's birthday while we were there. Cambri got some chocolate frosting all over her face. Geee, I wonder how that happened?......Uncle Josh do you know?

Daxon did not want to get his hands dirty.

Farewell Disneyland we had a great time. Thanks Francie and Boyd for letting us join the fun!!!!

REAGAN ELISE HOUSE

2009-06-13T18:13:00.001-07:00

Reagan Elise House entered this world on May 23, 2009. I got to go up and stay with Emily and her family on May 24, 2009 and spend a week. Emily acted like she didn't even have a baby. She also didn't look like she had just had a baby.

Reagan has been a great baby. She is already sleeping eight to ten hours a night.

Lorelai loves her little sister. She wants to hold her all of the time but most of the time it is only for three or four seconds.

We are stylin' with the shades!

Reagan needs to be stylin' with shades also.

Lorelai has a new pool and got to try it out for the first time while I was there.

Emily has this great park about twenty minutes from their house. It has these great musical instruments that the kids can play with in one section, a huge area of playground equiptment in another section and then a water play area. Lorelai loves going there. She runs from one area to the other. I had quite a bit of exercise just keeping up with her.

Reagan had her first bath at home. She did pretty good.

I bought the girls some matching dresses. They looked pretty cute in them.

We had a hard time teaching Lorelai how important it was to hold Reagan's head up when she was holding her. Either it wasn't enough.....

...Or way too much.

This is quite a beautiful family.

SWIMMING LESSONS WITH BROOKLYN

2009-06-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

On one of my days off I got to go and watch Brooklyn have swimming lessons. It was a lot of fun. Everytime Brooklyn completed a task she would look up at me and of course I gave her the appropriate applause. Her teacher did a really nice job. She was very firm but very kind. Brooklyn swam under water through some rings, got a toy off the bottom, jumped off the diving board, swam on her back and floated.

As you can see she was very pleased at the end. Especially when it came time for the licorice.

Addison enjoyed it too or maybe just likes posing for Grandma.

FUN WITH JEREMY AND ASHLEY'S FAMILY

2009-06-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

One day after we got home from Rocky Point we went to the train park. They have a really nice playground, picnic tables and trains.

Tara and Jeremy reverted back to their childhood competitive ways and tried to see who could swing the highest. Cambri reaped the rewards.

This really was a happy face.

Lunchtime

Fun with Aunt Tara

Who doesn't like a Merry Go Round?

Grandma, As you can see I am not in the pictures. Merry Go Rounds and my stomach do not get along.

The best way to finish a day at the park is with ice cream.

Grandpas special playground.

This is one of my favorite pictures. The parents went to a Diamond Backs game and left the kids with me. We had a group bath and as you can see it was great fun.

EMILY'S VISIT

2009-06-13T16:56:00.001-07:00

Okay so I am doing some blogging out of order. I need to catch up so you'll have to bare with me. Emily and Lorelai came to see us the first of the year. We had a lot of fun with them and put a lot of activities into just a few days.

It is really fun to see Lorelai big enough to play with Grandmas toys. We found out she loved pushing the stroller around with a doll in it.

Love the glasses.

Emily and Tara took Lorelai to the train park. They had lots of fun.

Another day we all went to the Zoo. Tyler has become quite the doting uncle.

Tyler begged us to let him take Brooklyn on a camel ride. He tried to make us think it was all for Brooklyn but we know it was a secret desire of his.

These two cousins became fast friends.

After a full day Uncle Josh makes a pretty comfortable bed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY AND ASHLEY

2009-03-29T21:51:00.000-07:00

I should have posted this this morning instead of tonight but better late then never.
Happy Birthday girls!
You both bring light and happiness to my life!!

ROCKY POINT -MY SONS WHO ARE DADS

2009-03-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

I love watching my once little boys interact with their children. It makes me think we did something right. Both Jeremy and Nicholas are great Dads as you can see by the next few pictures.

ROCKY POINT - THE BEACH

2009-03-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

We spent alot of time just playing in the sand. The kids loved it. The beach in front of the house was quiet and perfect. We had it all to ourselves. The kids did so well playing together.

ROCKY POINT- BEACH VENDORS

2009-03-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

There are lots of beach vendors in Rocky Point. If you make a mistake on buying one thing then word travels fast and they all show up at your door. We did buy a few things. All us girls got these sundresses, even me.

Some of us got the Henna tatoos that last for about two weeks. Kay got a superman symbol with wings on his forearm. I got some flowers on my ankle, Tyler got stars on his chest but somehow we didn't get a picture of him. Josh got one on his back. We sowed some wild oats.

We got the girls hair braided which was very nice for the moms.

They both sat really still

Brandon found a friend who shared his passion for pop.

ROCKY POINT- LOOKING FOR SHELLS

2009-03-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time on the beach looking for shells. Especially during low tide. Brandon really enjoyed doing this and found lots of cool shells. He even found lots of live critters still in the shells. We tried to find sand dollars which is my favorite but they were quite elusive this trip.

This one didn't want to give up his shell

As you can see from the last two pictures even the kids had a great time. Uncle Brandons little green bucket was filled up many times.

THE TOY ROOM

2009-03-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

For awhile now I have been wanting to make a playroom for the grandkids. Tara has been wanting to help me. So we decided since Cambri and Daxon were coming to visit it would be the perfect time. Here are some pictures of the final product.

We took the closet doors off and Kay and Tara put shelfs up. Brandon painted the shelfs. I made the curtains and Tara and Kay made the Valance.
This is my pride and joy. I took an old brown dresser, sanded it down and then painted it. I keep diapers and wipes in the top two drawers, dress up clothes for boys in the 3rd drawer and dress up clothes in the fourth and fifth drawer for the girls.
Tara and I couldn't find any bedding we were thrilled with so we made our own. The print is a circus theme. We made all the curtains and two bedspreads.
We got two old pictur frames from DI and sanded and painted them. Kay put a piece of metal on the frame and then Tara sprayed it with chalkboard paint. This way the kids can put magnetic letters on the board and also color with chalk. To the left you will notice three shelves. The top one holds markers, the second holds chalk, and the third one holds crayons. They are connected by one board that you can't see because it is painted the same color as the walls. This was Tara's brainchild.
This was Tara's idea but Kay created the finished product. The kids can pull the paper down through the frame, create their masterpiece and then tear it off at the bottom to keep. We had a great time creating this room and the grandkids loved it. What else is there.

MY VALENTINES SURPRISE

2009-03-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in a really long time. I am going to try and catch up but I am going to not do it in order. On Valentines Day Kay surprised me with a new wedding ring. I have not had a diamond for about 25 years because mine was lost. I really hadn't given it much thought or ever talked about really wanting a new one. That is why this was such a huge surprise. I think it is just beautiful and the best part is Kay picked it out himself. Don't look at the ugly fingers just focus on the ring.

HALLOWEEN 2008

2009-01-02T22:55:00.001-08:00

Here are some cute pictures from Halloween this year. Everyone was pretty creative and I am so glad I don't have to come with seven halloween costumes anymore.

Preston and Lorelai. Guess which one is which.

This wasn't really Addison's costume, I just thought it was cute.

Ever seen a toehead Minny Mouse?

Grandma and Brooklyn in a the Halloween parade.

Cambri and company obviously having lots of fun. Love the red hair.

I do believe this is the cutest puppy I have ever seen. I think the pumpkin is as big as Daxon is.

Doesn't Cambri make a beautiful Ariel?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORELAI

2009-01-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Okay so I know it has been forever and ever since I have posted anything, but I don't think anyone reads this anyway. I have been very busy with my new job so I haven't kept up with my blogging. I will try and do better.

Emily, Preston and Lorelai came down for Lorelai's first birthday. It was a lot of fun having them here. I think she got pretty spoiled between the two Grandmas. Here some highlights.

Emily made her the cutest costume for Halloween since she is a halloween baby. I will put a full picture of the costume on my halloween blog.

She sure was interested in Grandpas soda pop.

Emily and Tara made this castle birthday cake. Pretty amazing isn't it?!

Our princess for the day.

The castle was so big it was hard to find the candle. Daddy was there to help since he is so full of hot air.

"I know mommy must have made a mistake, I never get this much cake."

"Well maybe not"

Lorelai was very happy to share with Cousin Brooklyn.

Lots of presents!!

And Cousin Brooklyn was very happy to share with Lorelai!

2008-11-02T14:39:00.000-08:00

What have you done?
This is an easy one - I tag everyone!
(Just copy and paste this to your blog and bold or change the colors (I put mine in Yellow)the ones that you HAVE done.)
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland ... and Disneyworld!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (I tried but it was raining and they didn't come)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

GRANDMA OLSEN

2008-11-02T14:11:00.001-08:00

Grandma came to visit and we took her to the swap meet. She decided she was tired of her own hairdo and wanted to do something different. These are the two final choices. You pick which one she should wear.

Or #2

PEDICURES

2008-11-02T13:48:00.001-08:00

As you have probably noticed we love to get pedicures. Anytime one of the girls comes into town we try and go get one. Emily was in town so Emily, Kris, Tara, Lorelai, Janet, and Lindsay went this time. We had a great time but as usual we missed our Ohio girls and Jackie.

Grandma Dixon sharing her water with Lorelai

Grandma Miller was sharing her water but Lorelai figured out it was real fun to kick water on the nail tech so she had to be banned from the water.

Pure relaxation on Mommy's lap.

Aunt Tara made sure Lorelai was included in getting her toenails done.

Since it was Halloween most of us decided to be festive and get orange polish with a black spider and spider web.

It was a lot of fun and will continue to be a definite tradition with the Miller girls.

SAN FRANCISCO

2008-11-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Josh went with some friends to San Francisco a couple of weeks ago. Here are some of the highlights of the trip. Morgans wife Melissa was running in a marathon.

This is at Pier 39. Seems to be the hotspot for seals.

A Cell at Alcatraz.

Light house at Alcatraz. Josh is standing in the courtyard where the guards children used to play.

View of San Francisco from Alcatraz. He is also standing next to a Century Plant.

This man is apparently confused on the dress and the direction on which to run.

This is the top of Lombard Street. It has to zig zag back and forth because it is so steep.

Josh, Morgan, and Melissa

Josh and Morgan took a tour on Segways. They have a GPS system on them that directs them around the city.

UNCLE JOSH

2008-10-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

I found these pictures on Josh's camera and thought they were really cute. Brooklyn loves her Uncle Josh. She loves to say his name also. It is one of the few things she says really clear.

WELCOME ADDISON GRACE MILLER

2008-10-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

Well today we had a special surprise. Addison Grace Miller decided to make her debut six weeks early. She weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces and was 18 inches. The doctors fully expected to whisk her off to the NICU as soon as she was born but she was perfect and doing wonderful. She is very tiny but her lungs are great and all the parts are there. We are so grateful for this new little addition to our family. Jackie was doing great and looked great as you can see. Welcome little Addison!!!!!

JAMIE KRISTINE MILLER

2008-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today would have been Jamie's 18th birthday. I can't believe how time flys. I normally don't do much on this date except go to the cemetary but I decided this was a big one so I placed some pictures depicted her great short life. She was a great joy and blessing in all who knew her. Happy Birthday Jamie. Our lamp is lit till we hold you in our arms again.

Jamie's first bath

THE GRANDPARENTS

Grandma and Grandpa Miller

Grandma and Grandpa Lewis

Grandpa Shepherd

Grandma Ashbaker

Grandpa and Grandma Olsen

First Christmas

JAMIE HAD THREE BEST FRIENDS

DADDY

TYLER

AND MATT
Matt was a little boy that was born two days before Jamie and lived across the street. They were inseperable from about time they learned how to walk.

BROOKLYN

2008-09-02T19:47:00.001-07:00

I was going through some of my pictures and decided to dedicate a blogging session to Brooklyn. I had a bunch of random pictures of her that are just to cute to not share.

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY OUR LILY IN RED

2008-09-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

So Tara turned 30 on August 15th. I can't believe I have a child that old. I swear it was just last week when I found out I was pregnant with her. She has been a total joy in my life. I can't imagine life without Tara. I made her a special cake to be eaten at her 30th birthday party that Brandon held for her.

There are 30 characteristics on the right side of the cake that the family all came up with describing Tara.

Brooklyn was having a good time at the party.

MORE TIME WITH LORELAI AT JENNY'S WEDDING

2008-09-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

We went to Jenny and Ben's wedding on 08/08/08. Emily and Preston came down from Idaho and met us there. As usual we had a wonderful time with Lorelai. I love the pictures of her and Tara.

Here's Tara and Grandma Lewis looking at Tara's wedding pictures.

This is Jenny's wedding cake that I made with Tara and Emily's help. Cakes just aren't the traditional look like they were before.

FISHING WITH GRANDPA

2008-09-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

I was waiting to blog this part of our Ohio trip till Jeremy sent me some better pictures but since that hasn't happened yet I will just use the ones we have. The main event Kay wanted to do on our trip was take Cambri fishing. The last day we were there we finally got to go. He took Cambri to the sporting goods store and bought her a Disney Princess fishing pool. They went home and he took her out in the back yard and taught her how to cast. She picked it up pretty quickly. Then we were off to the lake. Jeremy took us to a beautiful lake. We had to hike for quite a while to get to it. Jeremy went back to the car after just a short time to see if he could find a closer way to get there. He did. He was able to park right next to the lake. But we had to hike for quite some time. Anyway it was a great evening fishing trip. The weather was perfect, the fish were biting, and Grandpa Kay was in heaven fishing with his granddaughter.

Cambri practising in the back yard. (Sorry it's so blurry)

Tyler even enjoyed himself.

My happy fishing family.

KAY MEETS THE ROAD UPDATE

2008-09-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

So I realized it has been a long time since I have written anything about Kays injuries so I will give a quick update. He ended up going to a hand specialist because his wrist never quit hurting. The specialist told him that his Ulna was not attached to anything and so he would need surgery. Well when he did the surgery the ulna was find but there was a lot of tissue damage and so he cleaned that all up. He now thinks that Kay has nerve damage in his hand and so on the 17th of this month he has to see a Neurologist to see what is going on with that. He had a MRI on his shoulder and that just showed a lot of inflammation but the hand specialist is thinking he may have to go in surgically and clean that up also. Time will tell. We are worrying about the hand first. The original break in the arm is healed and seems to be fine.

DAXON 1ST BIRTHDAY

2008-07-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

We were lucky to be able to spend Daxon's first birthday with him. It was lots of fun. We decorated in a sports theme and Ashley made a really cute cake in the shape of a soccer ball for him. I think he was pleased. Here are some highlights.

Wouldn't you like a present almost as big as you.

Cambri was very helpful to her little brother. She was more then happy to open his presents for him.

He's a natural.

Quite a stash there.

THE SACRED GROVE

2008-07-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

We waited until twilight to go to the Sacred Grove which was a very smart decision. It was very peaceful and serene. I sat outside of the grove with Daxon and Cambri while the others went in so everyone could have their own sacred experience. When Jeremy finished he came out and I went in. It is very beautiful and it is hard to explain the feelings of peace that were there. The noises are hard to explain. The first picture is the grove from Josephs home and the rest are from inside the grove.

No this was not inside the grove. This is a picture of a lightning bug. After it got dark they started showing up all over. It looked like twinkling Christmas lights all over the grove. I tried to capture it on film but wasn't able to.

JOSEPH SMITH'S HOMES

2008-07-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

After Niagra Falls we went to Palmyra, New York. Joseph's homes and the Sacred Grove are located here.
This is the home that the whole Smith family lived in. I don't remember how many children there were but it was a bunch.

This is the room that Angel Moroni came to visit Joseph. There was a very sweet spirit in the room and it was very humbling knowing we were standing in the same room that an angel stood.

I see a vision.

The Smiths were unable to pay the mortgage on their home so their son was building this home at the time and they all moved into there after it was built.

Just Grandpa taking cute pictures of Cambri in an old wagon.

The spire of the Palmyra temple.

HILL CUMORAH

2008-07-23T20:57:00.001-07:00

We went to see Hill Cumorah. They have a beautiful visitors center and they were preparing for the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

Daxon and Ashley sitting next to the Moroni monument at the top of Hill Cumorah.

Cambri always ready to pose for a picture.

Daxon climbing to the top.

Is this a great picture or what. Certainly worth blackmail in those teenage years.

Jeremy and family at the base of Hill Cumorah

Top of Hill Cumorah

The next few images are of different sides of the monument at the top of the hill.

AMISH COUNTRY

2008-07-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to drive through Amish Country. It was very interesting to see the differences in the way of life. We went to one of their restaurants and ate dinner. The walls were completely covered in quilts It was beautiful. They had hard boiled eggs that had been soaked in beet juice which made them pink. I didn't think about getting a picture but Cambri thought they were pretty cool. Here's an old steam engine tractor they use for farming.

I really wanted to get a good picture of an Amish buggy but I was sitting in the back of the van. Ashley was a little shy about hanging out the window to take a picture so Tyler opened up the whole side of the van and leaned out while Kay was holding onto his pants so he could get a good picture. Cambri was not happy about this activity at all.

Interesting contrast isn't it. I bet they don't care about gas prices.

NIAGRA FALLS

2008-07-21T21:48:00.001-07:00

We went to Niagra Falls with Jeremy's family the end of June. We had a great time. I went through Priceline.com and got a fabulous hotel for a great price. That is horseshoe falls that you can see behind the family. This was taken in our hotel room in front of a huge plate glass window. The following four pictures are from our hotel room.

This was on the boat Maid of the Mist. It is a big ferry boat that drives pretty close to the falls. You feel like you are in a hard rainstorm. The kids loved it especially Daxon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY AND TYLER

2008-07-20T22:29:00.001-07:00

Here we have the family gathered around the dinner table to celebrate Kay and Tylers birthday.

Kay is looking at a book from Neal Maxwell that Josh gave him. Kay loves books by Elder Maxwell. Kay is 52 this year. Where did all the time go?

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!!!!!

Now maybe Tyler will stop stealing Kay's ties.

Tyler saw this picture of Joseph in a seminary video. He told me about it and how much he liked it. We had no idea what the picture was called or who the artist was. It took me many hours to find it and then a lot of work to find someone who would sell me a print. I found a Gallery up in Utah finally. Tara helped me pick out a matt and frame. Tyler seemed very excited.

Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed. Yeah right.

A BORN ATHLETE

2008-07-20T22:03:00.001-07:00

Daxon has his own basketball standard and has a great desire to play but there seems to be one problem. He's too short.

Uncle Tyler comes up with a great solution.

Maybe Dad can teach his some basics while he's waiting to grow.

THE POOL

2008-07-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and Ashley bought a pool for the kids that fits on the deck. They spent a lot of time in the pool while we were there. It was very enjoyable to sit out and watch them play.

ROCKBAND

2008-07-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

So it has been forever since I have posted and a lot has happened so we will start from the beginning. Josh and I went in the the video system Wii. It has been a lot of fun. We took it to Ohio with us and while we were there we bought Rock band. Cambri is a natural and Tyler is looking all cool.

GRANDKIDS

2008-06-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here's just some updated photos of the grandkids. The joys of my life.

Daxon and Cambri

Lorelai

Brooklyn

LORELAI

2008-06-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

I took a short little vacation this last week and went to see Emily, Preston, and Lorelai. Prestons mom Janet was there also and we had a great time. Lorelai loves to smile and does it all the time. We were taking pictures constantly because she was always so happy. Emily called us the Paparazzi. One of the days we were there we went to see Shoshone Falls which is about two hours away.

KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS

2008-05-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

What's a "Krispy Kreme?"
When people talk about a Krispy Kreme doughnut, they're usually referring to our signature treat: the Original Glazed. Made from a recipe dating back to the 1930s, our Original Glazed doughnuts have helped set us apart. And if you haven't had an Original Glazed HOT off the line, you need to try one!

So you are probably wondering why I have this on my blog. Well you wouldn't have to ask if you have ever had one of these doughnuts. I discovered them a few years ago when they opened a Krispie Kreme store in Tempe. We would drive there special just to get the doughnuts. Then something glorious happened and they opened one just ten minutes from our house. Well a couple of years ago all of the Krispie Kreme stores in Arizona closed. I can't even tell you how bad that hurt my heart. Especially during the holiday seasons when they have their pumpkin doughnuts. Well the most marvelous thing happened. On May 13th 2008 the Krispie Kreme store by us once again opened it's doors. I went there the other day and their were 30 cars in line for the drive through. I guess I'm not the only fan.

KAY MEETS THE ROAD PART 4

2008-05-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven't been keeping you up on Kay's accident but I don't think anyone is reading this anyway so it doesn't matter. Anyway if someone is out there reading this I will update. Kay had an MRI on his wrist. The MRI showed that he has deep tissue bruising. The doctor said this can cause much more pain then the break and takes longer to heal which has certainly proved to be true. Kay started with a physical therapist on Monday and will continue to do that twice a week for six weeks. He comes home from PT pretty sick. Hopefully the end will justify the means. The good news is he can put on and do up his jeans by himself. It is very painful but he does it.

KAY MEETS THE ROAD PART 3

2008-05-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

So we went to the orthopedic surgeon today and the good news is the elbow is healing well so no surgery there. The bad news is that something is terribly wrong with his wrist and after three xrays the doctor can't figure out what it is but is is extremely painful. So now Kay has to get an MRI and the doctor put a brace on his wrist. The road rash is healing but still painful especially on the right knee. I will keep you informed.

KAY MEETS THE ROAD PART 2

2008-05-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

So I have an update on Kay's arm. We went to an Orthopedic surgeon yesterday. He said the arm is broken in three peices. The problem is it is so close to the elbow it is dangerous to immobilize it for very long. So they splinted it again and said that will be on for one week. Then we go back and have another xray taken. If it is stable and not moving then they will keep the splint off of it. If it is not stable then they will probably do surgery. So pray for stable. The road rash is doing better. The pain in the broken arm is very bad when the arm is moved, bumped or Kay breathes wrong. I had to go back to work today so he will be on his own. Try going potty or pulling up pants one handed. It's tricky. An insurance adjuster cam to look at the motorcycle yesterday. There is a great possibility they will total the bike. YEAH!!!!! Think good thoughts.

KAY MEETS THE ROAD

2008-04-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

So the day that I knew would inevitably come came yesterday. Kay called me at work yesterday and this is the conversation.
Kay: Hi, I need to go to a hospital, which one should I go to?
Kris: Why do you need to go to the hospital?
Kay: I think I need to have someone look at my arm.
Kris: Why do you need someone to look at your arm?
Kay: I think I broke it. (At this point I feel like I am talking to a four year old who doesn't want his mommy to know what he did.)
Kris: How did you break it?
Kay: Well someone pulled out in front of me and I had to lay the motorcycle down.
Kris: (Now in panic mode) Are you alright, are you hurt anywhere else? Are the police there? Did the paramedics look at you?

Any way I had him come to the hospital that I work at because there I can pull strings which was nice. As soon as he got the the ER they took him back and a doctor saw him within ten minutes. So the verdict is
1. Broken left arm
2. Road rash on both arms
3. Road rash on right knee which is also swollen and black and blue
4. Bruised heal.
Needless to say he is hurting quite a bit but he is alive which is all that matters. They put a splint on his arm with a sling, bandaged up the road rash and sent us home. Tomorrow we go see the orthopedic surgeon. Hopefully he will be able to just set the bone and cast the arm and he will not need surgery. I will keep you posted.

FUN WITH THE HORSES

2008-04-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Nicholas came over yesterday and brought some friends with their three children to ride the horses. It was a very nice day and I believe everyone had a good time. Brooklyn liked petting the horses and even wanted to kiss them but when Grandpa set her up on them she wasn't quite sure about that.

LORELAI MADISON HOUSE

2008-04-16T20:47:00.001-07:00

My grandmother Letitia Ione Dunn Ashbaker Jensen Smith had this interesting thing she would do with her legs all the time. She would sit in a chair with her legs up. Now you might ask why is that interesting, everyone sits with their legs up. Well she did it without anything underneath them. She had to have had the strongest abdominal muscles in town. Anyway apparently she has passed this trait down to her great, great granddaughter. Emily says Lorelai sits like this all the time.

Love the flip-flops

Mom doesn't want me sucking my thumb so I'll suck my toe instead.

NUMBER 5 IS ON THE WAY

2008-04-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

April started off with great news. Brooklyn is expecting a brother or sister. Jackie is due on November 12th. We are so excited and so blessed to see our family expanding. Congratulations Nicholas and Jackie!!!!!!!!!

Notice the shirt.

KAY GRADUATES WITH HIS MASTERS!!!

2008-03-29T14:29:00.001-07:00

We are finally done with school. I am so proud of Kay and what he has accomplished. Last night was his graduation. Now what to do?

Brooklyn is very proud of her grandpa

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY AND ASHLEY. HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!

2008-03-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER AND NICHOLAS BIRTHDAY

2008-03-29T14:04:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Nicholas birthday on Easter Sunday. Here are some of the highlights.

Grandpa is placing a flower in Brooklyn's hair from the garden.

Pretty sad that Nicholas has to light his own candles.

Ready, Set, Blow

Now that's a lot of smoke. Nicholas you are getting old.

Pretty Cute!!!

Booklyn was helping herself to the food when dinner was over. There was a perfectly good cheesecake right next to her but she chose the ranch dressing. I wonder where she got that from.

PACIFIC BEACH

2008-03-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

The second day of our mini-vacation we went to Pacific Beach and spent a few hours. Tyler was brave and went boogy boarding. Kay and I were content to walk on the beach and look for sand dollars. I love sand dollars and it is a real challenge to find them unbroken. Here is a short clip of Tyler in the ocean. The funny thing about the day was Kay got the most excited about a Taco bell that had a balcony that over looked the ocean.

Tyler boogy boarding. The ocean is about 59 degees.

SEA WORLD

2008-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Tyler and I picked up Kay at the airport (he was in Utah for a seminar for work) and we headed to San Diego. I decided that it has been too long since we had a vacation and while this was only going to be a mini-vacation it would still be a chance to get away. I got a screaming deal on a hotel from Priceline.com so off we went. We had a nice drive there. Tyler has his permit so of course he drove most of the way. I drove once we got just outside San Diego. I decided he wasn't quite ready for California Freeways. We went to dinner once we got there and then went down to see the beach at night. It was beautiful.

First thing Monday morning we headed for Sea World. Now I know most people like Disneyland but my favorite place is Sea World. It was a beautiful day. We couldn't have ordered anythng better. Of course the first place that Tyler and Kay wanted to go was to see the Clydesdale horses that pull the Anheiser-Busch wagon and as you can see below we also were priviledged to see the donkey. I was very disappointed though because the horses would not be parading that day. It was grooming day. They did let us get a picture next to one of them though. How does anyone get on to ride?

Tyler and the Donkey

Next we went to see the penquins. One of my favorites. Kay and Tyer were good sports in trying to keep happy.

Here is a video of the penquin habitat. I loved watching the little ones play and at the end of the video it is obvious who is the boss.

Now for the Beluga whales. They are very cool.

This video is especially for Cambri and all those who love Nemo and Dory. I got to see them in person.

Here is a pretty cool video of a walrus.

Next was Shamu. Here are some of the highlights.

Just for those who love the beauty of nature I added the flamingos. There were some really tall ones.

Now we are at the dolphin show. This one was a little disappointed. It was mostly the trainers dancing.

After we saw the show we went to a place where we could be up close and personal with the dolphins. We had to pay to feed them but that's okay. I tried to get a picture of Tyler petting the dolphins but he wasn't that thrilled with the idea.

Flipper says hi!

We did a really cool thing for dinner. We dined with Shamu. They have a special place that they have a great buffet and they train the whales while you are eating. The pool is right there four feet away. Here are some still pictures and a video. This was Tylers favorite part of the day.

After dinner they had two night time shows. The first one was with the seals and walrus's and they did a spoof on the other shows. It was pretty funny. They really made fun of the trainers of the dolphins. Here are some highlights.

The last of the day was a night time show with Shamu. The music was the best part.

The final event of the night was a fireworks show over Shamu's theater. It was short but good. We had a wonderful day. A much needed break. I hope all of you have been able to enjoy our trip also.

GIRLS DAY

2008-03-09T21:44:00.001-07:00

Emily is in town so we decided to have a girls day. The only thing missing that day was Ashley and Cambri. We missed them a lot. Anyway first on the menu was to go get pedicures. When we got there they only had three technicians so the three girls got the pedicures and I got the granddaughters. I think that's a pretty good deal.

Kris, Lorelai, and Brooklyn

Here's the girls being pampered.

Okay Tara is done now Brooklyn thinks it's her turn.

Still waiting.

After the pedicures we went to Tia Rosa's for lunch. We had a great time. Jackie and Brooklyn had to leave us after lunch but the rest of us girls headed to Tempe for some facials. I have had some coupons and a gift certificated for several years that I finally decided to use. It was very nice. My technician also gave me a hand and arm massage. Tara and Emily didn't get that. I guess that was to make up for me not getting a pedicure. We went shopping after the facials. It was a great day for me as a mom and grandma.

FOOD STORAGE

2008-02-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

So I have three goals that I set for myself this year. None of them are easy but I am determined. The first one is to reach my ideal weight by the time I am fifty. The second is to have my food storage done by 12/31/2008 and last but by no means least, to be out of debt except for my house also by 12/31/2008. I WILL SUCCEED. Yesterday I decided in order to have all my food storage I needed to know what I now have. We have a cellar that is about 8x18 in the back yard. This is where I keep all my storage. It is an unruly mess. So yesterday I got up, pulled my hair up into a ponytail and headed down there. What a job. By the time I was finished all my cans were separated in groups, lots of garbage thrown away and a full accounting was done. Well not a complete accounting. I have several buckets of stuff that is very hard to get to, so that will just be surplus. Anyway if anyone wants oatmeal please feel free to drop by, I have plenty. But now I know what to order and what not and it isn't a frightening experience going down to the cellar. It is very exciting because I realized with all I have now that my goal is very realistic and should be easily obtained if I buy things every month.

Only Josh

2008-01-30T12:09:00.001-08:00

Josh bought a love sack a long time ago and has been keeping it in Tylers room. Last weekend Josh moved into an apartment that he could now have his love sack. I couldn't resist taking pictures of him trying to load the lovesack into his car. His love sack is as big as a car. It was such an amusing situation I thought I would share.

He is trying to let as much air out as possible thinking this would help somehow.

As you can see it's one of those large items going into little hole.

And now we start pushing...

and pushing...

some pulling...

this is about 1/3

more pushing...

and pushing...

we're almost there

He got it all in. It is coming out the sunroof and not a whole lot of room for Josh plus he can't see except for straight ahead of him. But what difference does that make as long as nothing is on his right side or in back that might be a problem.

I'M FINALLY TAGGED

2008-01-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

Emily tagged me so here I go

Tag: Your Favorites
book: I'll Love you Forever- this is a childrens book and it makes me cry everytime I read it. My kids think I am really silly.
movie: Lake House and Knights Tale
color: Green
T.V Show: I loved the first few years of Designing Women so it is a real treat for me if I find them on reruns.
guilty pleasure: Real popcorn with butter, Cynthia's carmels, reading on a rainy day
outfit: Anything with jeans and that makes me feel thinner
body part: I have great feet!!!!
kitchen tip: always make plenty because you never know who is going to show up for dinner
life lesson: Enjoy your kids when they are little. Learn good financial habits when you are young.
activity: I love to go camping with all my family. Sunday nights when the kids come over and we play games
food: chinese food, shrimp, buttered cherrios, potato chips in milk, meat loaf, and fried chicken
child raising tip: always follow through with a consequence, don't sweat the small stuff, make your home a place the kids and their friends want to come, everyones welcome.
pet peeve: other drivers speeding up when you turn on your blinker so you can't move over into the other lane, people not being honest
game: hand and foot, killer uno, and 10,000
tattoo (imagined or real): I have tatooed eyeliner
element: Water.
I tag Jeremy and Nicholas

BROOKLYN'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

2008-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Today was Brooklyn's first birthday and we got to go to the Zoo to celebrate. For all of you in Utah, Ohio, and Idaho (he,he, ha, ha,) this is why I live in Arizona. The day was perfect and we had a great time. There were quite a few people there because it was MLK day and everyone was out of school but that's okay it's a big zoo.

As you can see Brooklyn has the best seat in the house.

See the hippo in the background.

Always lots of fun with Grandpa.

Just wanting to be a big girl.

Oh yeah we're cool.

I got a few smiles this time.

Tonight we went out to Nicholas and Jackies for the official birthday celebration. Both sides of the family were there plus lots of friends. Brooklyn has five older cousins and they were very excited about helping Brooklyn with her cake and presents.

Very cute hat but Brooklyn not particularly thrilled with it.

Jackie made her cake. It was very cute. She said Brooklyn picked it out herself.

You mean I get this whole thing?

Uncle Brandon enjoying the festivities.

Mommy and Daddy gave me this great rocking horse.

Brooklyn got plenty of toys and clothes for her birthday. I think all and all it was a very special day for a very special little girl.

Tyler Wrestling

2008-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

Tyler had a wrestling meet tonight so I decided to get some pictures. He had a tournament last weekend in Tucson and I took about 40 pictures but somehow I made them all disappear. He wrestled three matches last weekend and won all three. Tonight he also won continuing his undefeated record. I know the pictures aren't great but it is a little difficult getting good pictures when they are constantly moving.

2007

2007-12-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

So today is the last day of 2007. I am reflecting back and it has been quite a year. It has been a good year in so many ways but it has also been probably one of the most difficult years of my life. I have grown a lot. I have shed many tears both of joy and sorrow. So I thought I would do a quick recap.
January 21st was the first day that I shed both tears of joy and tears of sorrow. My second grandchild was born, Brooklyn, and my grandmother died. I was able to spend the morning with my grandmother, just the two of us. I bathed her, dressed her, and just talked to her. She didn't respond but that was okay. We were able to go to the hospital to see Brooklyn and while we were there it started snowing. Not a normal thing for Arizona. Our house actually got a fine layer of snow. Quite an eventful day. Tara and I flew up to Utah for the funeral. A few hours after we arrived there Nicholas called me and asked me if I knew that my husband was on his way to the hospital. Apparently he was thrown off a horse. He broke his sternam, some ribs, and 7 processes off his spinal cord. It was very difficult for me to stay in Utah while my husband was in the hospital in Arizoana. He has never quite recovered from the accident and I am guessing he never will. Needless to say as soon as I got home we sold the horse. We have bought two other since but they are great.
I spent many hours at work this year. I am very blessed to have a job that pays well and lets me work as many hours as I want. Kay was finishing up his last year of his masters degree so I was supporting the family. I know now after this experience why the Lord wants the moms to stay home. I wasn't a very good working mom. I'm sorry to say that I became a not very nice person.
In March Nicholas and Jackie blessed Brooklyn. Jeremy and Ashley came down and Emily and Preston came down. In one day we found out that we were going to have another grandchild and a new son-in-law. Emily was pregnant and Tara engaged. Wow what a day. We are definitely growing.
So the wedding plans were on full steam ahead. Tara had definite ideas about what she wanted. We were able to find a wedding dress that weekend so Emily was able to be there. Tara always likes to be different so the dress was ivory with a dark red sash. She looked beautiful.
Nicholas graduated from University of Phoenix with Bachelors in Business management and has started his MBA.
The next couple of months mainly consisted of work and wedding plans. On my birthday Tyler and I went on a trail ride with the horses. I was looking so forward to it. Tylers horse was being very uncooperative that day which is very abnormal because she is usually great. He just couldn't get her to settle down. He finally had lost all patience and so I told him to switch me horses. Well that wasn't such a good idea. After about five minutes the horse started rearing and about that time the saddle broke so off the horse went the saddle and of course since I was in the saddle I went off also. I landed in gravel and cactus. I thought I broke my hip. Fortunately I didn't. We figured out the saddle was digging into the horse and that is why she was being so bad. She has not given us any grief yet. I was sore for a couple of days but no big deal. Tyler and I have gone on many rides since and they are always enjoyable.
So it was time for the wedding. It was a lot of work but Tara and Brandon were both happy so it was all worth it. I made dinner for 120 people. We had Chicken Cordon Bleu, Garlic mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and rolls. It was perfect and since I made it myself, very reasonable. The day went off without a hitch and I was thrilled to have it over with. Threee weeks later on June 30th our first grandson was born to Jeremy and Ashley. Kay and I drove up a couple of days later and spent some time with them. Being a grandparent is the greatest.
The rest of the summer was spent mostly working. Tyler was busy preparing for football. He had football camp and practise daily.
Jeremy and Ashley blessed Daxon in September. The Saturday before we had a baby shower for Emily. The day after the blessing we headed for Ohio. Jeremy, Boyd, (Ashley's father), Kay and I, two vehicles, and one moving van left first thing Monday morning. It was acturally quite a nice trip except the first stop we made my purse was stolen. All our money, credit cards, my glasses, camera charger, temple recommend, etc. It was all gone. Kay and I searched and searched and then spent a long time on the phone canceling everything. That definitely takes the wind out of your sails. Besides that we had a great trip. We arrived in Ohio Wednesday night. Jeremy had some fine strapping guys there to unload the truck which they did very quickly. I can't even tell you how great that was. I was pretty tired. The next day we worked real hard unpacking all we could. I got both kids rooms set up so they would be ready. Ashley, her mom, and both kids arrived that night. I think Ashley was grateful beds were set up. We stayed for a couple of more days. On Friday we went up to Kirtland to do some sight seeing. My cousins daughter was there on a mission and she was able to give us a tour. It was very spiritual and a delight to hear and feel Amanda's testimony. Kay and I flew home on Saturday. A week later I flew up to Idaho for a surprise baby shower for Emily. It seems the only suprise was me coming. Prestons mom was there also so it was a great weekend.
Fall brought school and football. If I wasn't at work I was at football games. Tyler started High School at Red Mountain H.S. Kay finished all his classes for his masters. He found out he couldn't start work until he passed his national boards. He studied very diligently and in October he took them. He came home from the test very discouraged and sure that he had failed it. The worst part is it would be six weeks before he found out.
Emily gave birth to Lorelai Madison on Halloween day. She was determined not to but Lorelai got her way. I flew up a couple of days later and was able to be there for a week. I went up to help but Emily was determined that it be a vacation for me. I think I finally convinced her to at least let me make the meals. It was a treat for me to be there. Kay and Janet have a rivalry going about who is the favorite grandparent. I let them fight it out because I know that it is really me.
Football came and went and now it is time for wrestling. This is Tylers real love and strength. He is undefeated as of this writing.
On November 11th Kay and I celebrated our 3oth wedding aniversary. We went up to Sedona just to hang out. We went on a jeep tour and walked among all the shops. That night we had a steak dinner at Kay's favorite restaurant. Tara brought us a great present. I blogged earlier with all the details. Thanksgiving was a nice quiet day. We had all the intown kids for dinner. I got a lot of christmas shopping done that weekend.
the first week of December Kay and I flew up to Idaho for Lorelais blessing. I made her dress which was a treat for me. While up there we found out that Kay passed his test. Such a burden lifted. We had a great weekend.
December brought the normal christmas festivities. I worked as much as possible. Kay started a new job working for a Methadone clinic. His hours are 4:30 in the morning to 12:30 in the afternoon. He is ready for bed when I get home for work. He really likes the job and it will leave the afternoons for him to build up his private practise. Tyler and Kay both got real sick. Tyler wrestled one of his meets with a 101 temperature. Jeremy and Ashley and kids came on the 14th. That was so nice having them there. Cambri is getting so big and Daxon is such a joy. I really miss having them close by.
We did our annual Police toy drive breakfast. Emily, Preston, and Lorelai, came home. We had family pictures done. On Christmas morning all of my children and grandchildren were in one place. Kay and I have been blessed so much. By Christmas night they were all gone.
So that pretty much sums up the year. I am sure I forgot some things but for those of you who hung in and read all this you are probably grateful. I am looking forward to 2008 being a great year. I hope it is for all.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas was exciting this year because I had all of my children and grandchildren there on Christmas morning. Needless to say it was hectic. I realized after I put all these pictures up that I have none of Jackie except the first picture is of her arms. She was sitting right next to me for part of the time and the rest of the time she was in the kitchen preparing food for her families christmas dinner. I will be better next year.

Miller Family Christmas Party

2007-12-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

Each year the Miller extended family has a Christmas Party. Most of the time it is at our house but after last year we figured out the we had outgrown everyone's house. So we me kicking and screaming we had it at a church. It was actually not to bad. There was not the hominess that I like but there was plenty of room and a lot less stress for me. I think there was more for Kathleen because she had to set up the church. I had all Kay's siblings and mom bring soup. Tara and I brought rolls and then we had all the grown grandkids bring a special christmas treat. This worked out really well, we had quite a nice assortment of goodies. Greg even brought homemade eggnog. I was a little nervous about that because I had only had homemade eggnog once before and it was nasty, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted Gregs. It was delicious. After dinner we had a talent show. It was interesting and diverse. Kathleens family did the nativity, we sang Silent Night, Martha's family played a couple of games, Nyles family did an undescribable show of their knowledge of Spanish and Laura read a beautiful Christmas story. After the talent show Santa arrived with presents for all the grandchildren. They all got to sit on Santas lap from newborn to 18 years old. Buddy took pictures which will be posted later. Santa got a little enthusiastic with Morgan who had just had hernia surgery which caused Morgan to spend the rest of the party in severe pain on the couch. Santa is very sorry. The night was a huge success and I was glad when it was all over. A sad note to the night. On the way home from the party I received news that my step brother Scott had died that day very unexpectedly. He is my age which means he still had lots of life to go. We know he is in a better place but has left a hole in the hearts of those who loved him.

My Invitation to the Christmas Party.

Our family singing Silent Night. Tara was at the piano so she was not shown in the picture.

Lorelai Blessing

2007-12-30T10:17:00.001-08:00

So I know that I have been very derelict in my duties as far as blogging is concerned and I am a full month behind. I will repent and try to do better. I am home sick today and since I can not sleep I will wile away the hours blogging. At least as long as I can sit up. These pictures are from Lorelai's blessing. Kay and I and Janet and Ken were able to be there. It was very nice. I was able to make her dress which is always a treat. Janet provided her shoes and socks which were very cute. The shoes had bows on the bottom which I thought were a great idea.

Emily, Lorelai, and Preston

Ken, Emily, Lorelai, Preston, and Janet

Kris, Emily, Lorelai, Preston, and Kay

Do I need to keep putting down names or do you have it?

Proud Grandpas

This used to be Gizmo before the groomer got a hold of him. It is very sad. It was really hard to get this picture because most of the time he walks around with his head held down in embarrassment. I assured him he was among those who loved him.

There is nothing sweeter

Family Pictures

2007-12-29T22:59:00.001-08:00

Just before Christmas we had family pictures done. Here are some previews.

30 YEARS AND COUNTING

2007-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

So yesterday was our 30th wedding aniversary. We drove up to Sedona and went on a Jeep tour to see all the beautiful red rocks and mountains and then we just bummed around town for awhile. My camera battery died as soon as we got there so I have no pictures to document this grand occasion. We had a steak dinner at our favorite steakhouse and then when we got home Tara and Brandon brought over a scrapbook that had all my children's, children-in-law (I hate that term) and grandchildren, even my new little Lorelai. Everyone old enough to write and even a couple that weren't, wrote us a very nice letter. It was the greatest gift. It really put a great ending to the day. Kay doesn't wear his wedding ring because he said it gets to beat up with all the manual labor he does. So I gave him a Tungsten wedding ring last night. It was too small so I will have to fix that problem but after that he will have his ring. Thanks kids for the book, it was perfect. And thanks Kay for a great 30 years.

MY HALLOWEEN GRANDBABIES

2007-11-04T13:38:00.001-08:00

Here are my Halloween babies

Lorelai making her halloween debut as a newborn.

Nicholas pretending to be Mr. T, Brooklyn, and Jackie

Okay here's my bag, where's the candy.

Ashley, Daxon, and Cambri

Daxon as Woody from "Toy Story"

Cambri as Jessie from "Toy Story"

MEET LORELAI

2007-11-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Boise, Idaho at 3:oo pm on November 3rd to meet my new granddaughter. She is beautiful. This grandmother stuff is great. I haven't got to see much of her eyes yet but what little I have seen they are dark blue. I get to spend a whole week here which I am really looking forward to. Emily acts like she hasn't even had a baby. She is doing great. Preston is great with the baby. Everytime she cries he runs over to see what's wrong. There is a line in the movie "Field of Dreams" where one of the baseball players asks Kevin Costner if this is heaven? That is what I feel like everytime I get to be with my newborn grandkids.

Tyler and Football

2007-11-01T16:18:00.001-07:00

Tyler played football this year for Red Mountain High School. His team had a winning season of 6 and 3. He did very well. He has now started wrestling. He wrestled an All-american college wrestler the other day in practise and was very proud of himself because he lasted over one minute before being pinned.

LORELAI MADISON HOUSE

2007-10-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

My babygirl Emily is a new mommy. Lorelai Madison House was born tonight at 5:58 pm. She was 7 pounds 10 ounces. Lots of brown hair and blue eyes. Mother and Daughter are doing great. Grandmother having a hard time waiting till Saturday to see her. Will post pictures as soon as I get some.

W. STEVEN MARTIN TOY DRIVE

2007-10-28T14:33:00.001-07:00

We have a family tradition that goes back about 18 years. It started out when Kay was a policeman for the City of Mesa. A disc jockey named W. Steven Martin decided that children who are in at risk situations always looked upon policeman as the bad guy. So he started the Police Toy Drive. Every year he gets people to donate new toys and then policeman are able to come get these toys and deliver them to children on their beats who would otherwise not receive Christmas presents. Kay participated in this project. In order to get the best selection of toys we would have to go really early in the morning to stand in line. They would give us a ticket and then we would go to breakfast to wait for the toy warehouse to open. The ware house was right next to a Smitty's grocery store who at that time had a restaurant. Well a couple of years later the restaurant closed so there was no where to eat breakfast. We decided we would make breakfast for all the policeman waiting. We now serve around four hundred policeman each year for breakfast. In the beginning other policeman would help Kay and I but now our children are grown and have pretty much taken over the job. Last year Kay and I just watched. After breakfast we are able to still go shop for families. We then go to the Mesa Police station where the FOP provides wrapping paper and lunch. Even though Kay has retired we still find needy families to give to. It is the greatest thing and I believe Christmas would not be the same without it. Our children find out months in advance when the breakfast is so they can make sure they have the day off. Kay suggested one year we not do it anymore. We almost had a mutiny on our hands. So I guess as long as W. Steven Martin has his toy drive our family will be there to serve breakfast.
Sometimes some of the policeman get a little testy if they have to wait a minute or two for there food so I had these shirts made for each of us.

This is one row of the toy warehouse. It has grown in size each year.

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

2007-10-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

Every year at Christmas time we like to get together and make ginger bread houses. We have made everything from houses, cars, boats, towers, outhouses, etc... When we are all done we create a town on our kitchen counters. It is great, harmless fun.

Did I say harmless fun?

Every year it is the same thing. Someone ends up a human gingerbread decoration.

Halloween

2007-10-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

As Halloween is quickly approaching I find myself once again in a nastalgic frame of mind.

I had a lot of fun coming up with different costumes for my many children. Here are just a few pictures I found.
Tara, Nicholas, Josh, and Jeremy

Tyler, Emily, Keara, and Conner

Tyler, Kay, Emily, and Zachary

Tyler and Grandpa Shepherd

Nichoas, Tara, and Jeremy

Nicholas, Jeremy holding Tyler, Jamie, Tara, Joshua, and Emily

Tara

WASN'T IT JUST YESTERDAY

2007-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tara came over yesterday and needed some pictures of her as a toddler. I found this top picture and it started me going down memory lane. The next picture was taken when Tara graduated from Law school. I can't believe how time has gone. It really does seem just like yesterday

Family Home Evening

2007-10-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

So Kay and I decided that we would like to start having Family Home Evening once a month with all our children. We started tonight. Kay read us his favorite book in the whole world. Yes you guessed it. "THERE ARE ROCKS IN MY SOCKS SAID THE OX TO THE FOX." It is a childrens book with a very good message. It was very enjoyable. We talked about gospel principles after that apply. The lesson was short and sweet and followed by peach pie. We missed all our children who were unable to attend.

THERE ARE ROCKS IN MY SOCKS SAID THE OX TO THE FOX

Crepes

2007-10-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

So in my family we have what I thought was "a family favorite",which is crepes. It seemed that everytime I made them all were happy and I would always have to make more. I have fed crepes to wrestling teams, volleyball teams and it seems any special occasion they would be the request. I found out a few months ago that Kay is not a big crepe fan. For years I did not know this. Then today came another shocker. Tara called me just before it was time to come over. She asked me what we were having for dinner. I very excitingly told her crepes ( you see I thought this would be a special surprise). I expected her to shout with glee but instead there was a strange quietness. "Aren't you excited about crepes" I asked. More silence. "Helloooo". Tara then replied, "there is no good way to answer that question". I was stunned. "Don't you like crepes." "They are not something I would ask for." I felt it go straight to my heart. First of all Nicholas and Jackie had decided not to come for dinner and I knew that was one of Nicholas's favorite and now there was Tara who after all these years is just now informing me that she doesn't like them either. I tried really hard not to take it personally. After some healing time I decided to make her and Kay spaghetti. It was the best I could do last minute. So on my Sunday dinner table tonight was crepes and all the fixins', orange juice, and spaghetti. Thank goodness for the boys. They loved the crepes.

General Conference

2007-10-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

This has been an interesting conference for me. I definitely believe most of the talks have been said for me. It seems to me that the theme for this conference has been to be happy and be grateful. I have not been either one of those for a very long time. I am sad a lot and feel a tremendous burden is always on me. I have been focused so much on my burdens I have forgotton to see the joys in my life. I am going to repent and try much harder. I want to apologize to my family for the way I have been the last couple of years. I have been told by more then one member of my family that I am not any fun anymore. That is going to change. Heavenly Father has blessed me so much. You can see that just by reading my blog. How could I possibly not have anything to be happy about. Thank-you Heavenly Father for giving me the opportunity to watch conference and the intelligence to glean from it.

Our Pets

2007-10-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

Since being married to Kay we have had a numerous and interesting number of pets. From birds to fish, goats to cows, chickens to horses and of course dogs and cats and many other things to numerous to mention. At this particular time we have four turtles, a dove, two horses, a cat, and a dog.

On your mark, get set, go!!!

Tyler has become quite the horseman with just a few short lessons.
Here he is riding Star.

Our neighbor Sandy with Star and Winston.

Star is on the left, Winston on the right.

This is Bojangles or as we call him Bo. He is a Cumberland Spaniel. Tyler likes to gel his mohawk and spike it up.

My Other Children

2007-10-06T18:28:00.001-07:00

I didn't actually give birth to these two boys, but I still claim them as mine.

Derek and Kristen

Hailey
Ashlyn and Mommie

Daddy's girls

Brent and Heather

Brent, Heather, and Cody

Now son, let's talk about girls.

Before

After