She's Not a Teenager Anymore!! Happy Birthday Annie

As of yesterday I have no children that are teenagers anymore.  My baby turned twenty!! It is unbelievable to me how fast time goes by.  Below is the birthday girl with her red velvet birthday bundt cake.  Annie has turned into such a beautiful young woman inside and out.  I love her and am very proud of her!

The family gathered  to celebrate with her at a breakfast birthday party.  It was so fun!

A big thank you to Kim for manning the frying pans.  The food was yummy.

Me with my birthday girl.

The whole family.

After the party was over I took Annie to lunch at Brio. We are in the restaurant in the picture below.

After lunch we did some shopping and then got some desert at Trio.We had such a fun time together! The scale was not my friend this morning when I weighed after all the good birthday food but it was worth it.  I will start my diet again in the New Year.  Then last night to finish off her birthday her good friends gave her another birthday party.  She had so much fun with her good friends and with all the kids that came that she doesn't see very often.  She thought it was the best birthday she had ever had.  So happy 20th Annie!  You started off the next decade in style.

Progressive Dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day 2012

We have had such a fun past 3 days.  Sunday after a wonderful 3 hours of church which I enjoyed every minute of celebrating the birth and life of our Savior we had our 4th progressive dinner with the family.  We started  at Alyse and Jarom's apartment.  It was decorated so cute and festive.  A big thank you for hosting all of us! Below is a picture of me with my daughters.

The kitchen is tiny but the food was yummy.

Then it was on to the main course and a brownie, peppermint ice cream with hot fudge desert.  

After dinner we played a fun candy bar game where you can steal some one else' s if they have what you want.

Then some of the little ones provided us with some fun entertainment and songs.

On Christmas Eve those of the family who could came for our traditional lunch of pizza benders and some games and visiting.

Christmas morning the 3 little girls below couldn't wait to open presents!

This big girl was pretty excited to open presents too!

Late morning the rest of the family arrived and we took our picture on the stairs with all the kids.

Then there was more gift opening, hugging, and thank yous going on.

There was some playing in the snow (yes we had a white Christmas)

...and some little snow man building going on.

Me and Annie

Kim and I

My oldest daughters family

My sons family.  They are ready for the Super Bowl if the Broncos are in it.

Aprils family.

Alyse and Jarom

Me with my grandkids.

After a delicious Christmas dinner there was some visiting going on so when I walked in the kitchen and found everyone who was at the table on their cell phones I had to get a picture because it made me laugh.

Me with my kids.

I enjoyed Christmas so much!! It was such a happy day. Thank you to my family for thoughtful gifts and more important the gift of time! I love being with all of you!  Merry Christmas everyone.

Holiday Happenings

The Christmas season always seems to go way too fast!  Here are a few of the things we have been up to over the last few weeks.  First Alyse, Annie, and I made our annual visit to see the elves at Gardner Village.  Below are just a few of the fun pictures we took with them.  A sad note is that some Grinch kind of person stole some of their elves.  Who would do that?  We hope they will decide to return them! 

Annie and Alyse attended the Christmas party at their work.  Annie really wanted to win the Christmas sweater contest so she borrowed one of mine and dressed it up with tinsel, lights and snowmen ornaments.  She did make it into the top ten but did not win.  How could that be?  Below are Annie and Alyse in their Christmas finery. 

 

A really special, wonderful event that Kim and I attended with some dear friends was the Christmas concert at the conference center.  We had dinner at the Lion House, then wandered through City Creek Center enjoying the decorations, and fountain show.  Then we walked around Temple Sq. and enjoyed the lights.  Then it was off to the amazing concert.  What a fun evening! Above are the lights, and below is City Creek. 

Last Sat. we attended our ward party up at Camp Tracy.  It is always a beautiful setting! Below are three of my grandchildren and Alyse enjoying the yummy breakfast.

 Below are two granddaughters decorating their gingerbread men. 

Seeing Santa.  April had to be in the picture so Kaitlyn wouldn't scream.

Me with two of my older grandchildren. So glad they could come.

Alyse and Jarom.

Me with my granddaughers.

My sweetheart and me.

Me with my two daughters that were able to come.

It was such a fun party!  Later in the day we made it to the movie The Hobbit and that was fun too.  Happy Holidays everyone!