Called To Serve!!!

Last Oct. Conference the age of young women to serve missions was changed from 21 to 19. From the time that happen Annie kept asking me if I thought she should serve a mission.  I told her that it was between her and the Lord.  About a month ago she and I were driving in the car when she turned to me and said " Mom I am going to have to go on a mission! I have fought against it but I know it is what the Lord wants me to do so I am going to have to go!"  I began to cry both happy and sad tears.  I am so so happy that Annie has chosen to do what the Lord wants her to do.  I am sad because I will miss her so much.  It's kind  of bittersweet.  Once the decision was made all the preparations started and yesterday in the mail her call came.  She is holding it in the pictures below with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, the whole family. 

Opening the call.

Reading the call.

Annie has been called to serve in the Tahiti Papeete Mission and leaves in July.  We are all so excited for her!  She will be an awesome missionary.  I think I would really like to pick her up from her mission when she finishes!  That would be so fun.  Now all of our children will have served missions.  I think that is a little unusual since 4 of our five children are girls.  The picture below is random of my 6 and 4 year old granddaughters playing in the snow in our front yard.  We have had so much snow this winter and we are so ready for Spring so snow snow go away come again another day.  Like next winter!   

Valentines 2013 and Kids Just Want to Have Fun

Valentines was a fun day.  Alyse, Annie, and I got to have lunch together and we loved the divine heart sugar cookies we had for desert.

 

The three little cuties below couldn't wait to see what cupid had brought them. 

A big thanks to my sweetheart who took me out for a nice dinner and to cute Annie who gave me some of my favorite cherry chocolates and a beautiful necklace for Valentines.  Fun day!! 

All the kids below just want to have fun.  My second oldest grandson is doing wrestling at his Jr. High and never having watched wrestling before I have enjoyed watching him and learning more about it.

I have also loved watching my oldest grandson play basketball both on his school team and with Jr. Jass.

Every Wed. when my two youngest grandsons come to spend the day its like having a party with all 5 kids below.  This day they were really into ring around the rosies.

They all fall down.

Grand-kids are the best!

Happy Birthday Lizie Lou

As hard as it is to believe the little cutie below just turned six years old.  Below is a picture of Eliza with the Birthday poster her kindergarten class made for her.

Me with the Birthday girl.

Eliza with her mom and sisters.

We had a fun little family party on her real birthday with those that live in our household.

Then on Sunday we had a combined birthday party / Valentine party with the whole family.

Eliza with her Valentine Birthday cake.  She loved it.

Grandma and Eliza.

All the family celebrating with her.  She got to wear the birthday hat.

We wish her a very happy year.  I'm so glad we have so many birthdays in our family and get to have parties so often.

Super-fun Superbowl!!!

We had a super-fun Superbowl party!  Last year my oldest daughter had hosted it at her house.  This year we decided to have it at our house.  I really couldn't care less who won it this year but since we are closer to San Francisco I was cheering for the 49er's . All my kids and grandkids were cheering for the Ravens. What made it so fun was being together and all that good food.  The commercials are as fun or sometimes even more fun to watch than the game.   Not all my family could be there but we sure had fun with the ones that could.  April and two of her girls were sick so they were banned to the basement.  We missed them and felt sorry they were missing out on all the fun.  I haven't taken pictures of food since Thanksgiving but the spread below deserved  a picture.  To make things fun we had a bake off contest.  Below is a picture of the yummy deserts.  The grand prize went to my oldest granddaughter for the chocolate caramel pretzels.  Annie took first place for her strawberry trifle. (It was my favorite.)  She also made chocolate covered strawberries and some yummy cookies filled with both milk, semisweet, and white chocolate chips with reeses pieces  chips and m and m's.  A tie for 2nd place went to my son in law Jarom for his oreo truffles and my oldest daughter for her Symphony candy bar brownies.  She also made a delicious  chocolate bundt cake. 

Then there was the real food.  We had ham, turkey, and chicken salad dollar sandwiches, pulled barbecued chicken sandwiches, baked beans, 7 layer dip and chips, artichoke dip and chips, two cheese dips and crackers,  breaded mushrooms, meatballs, a veggie tray, chips and dip,and a big tossed salad.  I tried to taste everything and I make my self so sick.  But it all tasted so good! 

The drinks minus the chocolate milk requested by my oldest grandson.

This little cutie enjoyed tasting everything she could. I wore red for the team I was cheering for. 

The beginning

 of the game.

Later in the game.

When they got bored they played their own game.

We also had a contest to see who could predict the final score.  That was fun too.  Thanks everyone for your help.  It was a super fun party!