David is 4!

Four years ago today, I became a Grandma!  It was the best day ever!  Who knew being a Grandma could be so much FUN.  And what an amazing thing it was to be able to be there when he was born.  In cold, frozen Provo, Utah!  He was beautiful and we were all so happy to get him here!

 Little David has been such a joy in our family and we LOVE it when he comes to visit!  And helps me make cookies!  We cannot believe he is already four...he loves preschool and is a big helper to his mommy and daddy and a wonderful big brother to Jacob.  We love you David!  Happy Birthday!  Wish we could be in Georgia helping you celebrate!  Eat a piece of birthday cake for Grandma!

Collecting Spoons...

I collect spoons.  My friends and family know that.  So as they travel, they often bring me back a spoon from some fun location they have been too.  And yes, a few of them I have bought myself as I have traveled through the years.  Dave suggested that I "catalog" the spoons.  Where they are from and who gave them to me.  That could be a bit of a challenge,  but most of them I think I could remember pretty well.  I think.

 As you can see, I have many, many spoons.  In fact, I had to buy a second rack!  My very FIRST spoon was a little thing, and it was a pin that you could wear.  My dad bought it for me, and it was either from Atlantic City, New Jersey or the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center (I was at both places with our family).  But sadly, I can't remember where it was from, I have not looked at it in a long time.  Then as I went to take these pictures, I could not see it on my rack.  It has ALWAYS been there.  Right up on top, and it sat up high because of the pin on the back.  It is not there!  I am so sad to think how I could have lost it.  I looked everywhere.  In my jewelery boxes, on my dresser, anywhere it could possibly be.  Nowhere.  You cannot imagine how sad this makes me. 

We moved into this house almost 8 years ago (really?  Wow...it seems like yesterday!) and as we just moved from a house down the street, we just pulled things off the wall and put them in our car and brought them here.  I cannot remember if I took all the spoons off the rack and put them in a box...but I surely would have just put them all back on the rack when I hung it on the wall.  Oh I am sad...but in the meantime, I do have all these other lovely spoons given to me by family and friends.  I will have to make a list of them and perhaps take some more up close pictures of them, hopefully not to bore anyone but for my own record and enjoyment.  I can see that I also need to polish some of the sterling silver ones...and dust the rack.  But that will be another day.  When I am not so sad about the loss of one special spoon.  

Starting 2012 off with a birthday!

Happy Birthday Clark!  I cannot believe this little munchkin turned 24!  Clark has always been such a fun part of our family.  I love to hear him laugh!  He's always been a tonka truck and can take anything that comes his way.  He is also our Superman.  We love you Clark!  Jan. 3rd is his special day...

His birthday dinner request was stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut.  Done!  We added our favorite rootbeer...

...and Clark's favorite ice cream...Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough...Yum!

Ashley joined us straight from work...she is trying to hold up the 2 and the 4 fingers for Clark, but the pic turned out blurry...

We gave Clark our Lord of the Rings extended version DVD's...he's a big fan.  He was happy with it! 

He also got a funny card and cold hard cash...that's what they all want and need isn't it?

We had fun celebrating his birthday (Dad, Joel, and Mario were also with us - not sure why I don't have pics of them!).  Clark works hard and plays hard.  He is a wonderful son and we are thrilled to have him as part of our family!  Love you Clark!  Happy Birthday!

And he's off...

Not quite four days after Christmas, Clif was ready to head to Idaho.  We can't believe the time has finally arrived, but it has!  He got his car all loaded up the night before he left. It was packed FULL.  He could not have taken another passenger if he wanted to!  We hope he had everything he needed in there, but are grateful there is a postal service and we can ship anything he might have forgotten.  We are excited for his new adventure to begin as a college student at BYU-Idaho!  He will stop in Salt Lake and stay with my little brother Eric for a couple of days, and then drive on over to his apartment in Rexburg.  It is right across the street from the temple and he will have 5 other roommates.  Should be interesting!  He will be a Chemistry major, still planning on doing the pharmacy school down the road...

God speed our fine young son!  We love you and will miss you, but are excited for all the new doors that will be opening for you in Idaho!

Sweater, shorts, and slippers...traveling attire for the young single adult...

And now that he is moving on...I have transformed "his" room into the "spare room" or shall we say, craft central for me!  Dave and Joel moved our old computer desk in and now I can FINALLY leave my sewing machine and cricut machine out all the time!  I don't have to lug them in and out of the hall closet anymore!  When Amanda comes to visit she will help me paint and decorate...for now, we will keep the bright blue walls even though some of my pictures don't really match it.  I also moved the exercise bike in there and will NOT be using it for a clothes rack in my bedroom anymore.  I am going to pedal it!  I can't wait to get all my card making, scrapbooking, sewing projects organized!  We did keep the bed in there so it can be a "guest" room too.  And when Clif comes home during semesters, he will still have a place to sleep.

 .   

Here are the shelves, we left Clif's things on the top two...the rest of his things are packed away neatly in the closet...someone tell me how to organize that big bin of rubber stamos!!  This is going to be a fun room...2012 is looking to be a fun and productive year!

Merry Christmas 2011!

Merry Christmas!  We had a lovely Christmas day.  A first ever for being so late to open gifts!  We had church at 9 and the kids didn't come over until after 11.  We opened gifts and then had a nice Christmas dinner.  We later web-cammed with the Georgia kids and it was just a lovely day! 

Our church service was wonderful, lots of beautiful music and two talks...a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas as we remembered the birth of our Savior and worshipped Him through word and song.  And also, what a privilege to partake of the Sacrament every week and remember His Atonement and Resurrection and the covenants we have made to always try and be like Him.  I am truly grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and the many, many blessings I enjoy each day through my relationship with Him and the gifts He gives me...like my family...LOVE THEM!  I am grateful for this day to celebrate the birth of the sweet baby Jesus.  I found this picture this year of Mary, it's called "Kissing the face of God." What a beautiful depiction...

And here are our Christmas day pictures...Joel, Clark, Ashley and Dave...mostly done, looking at all the mess...

Everyone seemed happy and enjoyed their presents...

Clif checking out some of his hand/toe warmers we got him for Idaho...

It was great having everyone here!

Ashley and Dave double checking to make sure we didn't miss anything under the tree...(the laundry basket is full of more stuff for Clif's "apartment living" in Idaho...

Joel got a chocolate Monopoly game!  Maybe I would actually play this one with him...ha ha...

Joel's pile of trash was the biggest...guess that means he's the youngest and gets the most stuff, right?

Here's our sweet little Georgia family...so happy we got to chat with them!  Wish we could be closer and share special days more often!!  Aren't those the cutes garndsons ever?  Love you!  They sent us a cute book full of pictures of them...I will enjoy looking at it a lot!

My friend Teri gave us this beautiful puzzle of Santa and the manger scene...It is a painting by Greg Olsen.  We started it on Christmas day and finished it the day after.  It was fun!  We love puzzles and did two more 1000 piece puzzles between Christmas and New Year...Merry Christmas from the McKinney Family!

A quarter of a century...

Happy Birthday to our Clifton David!  Wasn't it just yesterday he was this cute little loveable boy?

And now, on December 20th, Clif turned 25! He is still cute and loveable! 

 He had to work his shift at Target until 7:30 that evening, so we just had cake and ice cream when he got home from work.  Birthdays get more uneventful around here the older you get.  ha ha.  Here he is holding up 2 and 5 fingers to represent his age. It's always been the tradition since they were little to hold up how many fingers as they were old...I guess it continues.  Love it!

We did light the candles and make him blow them out...and it's funfetti cake, his favorite...

Then while Dad dished up the dessert, Clif opened his presents...

Since he would soon be leaving for BYU-Idaho, we got him some important gear for his car...

Real exciting, huh? 

Jumper cables and tire chains!  We did throw in some movie tickets and Ho Ho's for a "little" fun...

And Clark and Ashley brought him a Star Wars M&M machine...cute!  Happy Birthday Clif!  We sure love you and are happy you are part of our family.  We are excited for your BYU adventure and expect to hear many wonderful things from there!

Deck the halls, it's Christmas time!

Ashley came over for goodie baking day...we made some fun things, all our traditional stuff...She did most of it, I only helped a little... 

 She wore her cute little reindeer antlers and ears, very cute and festive!

 Didn't her plates turn out cute?  Her co-workers and friends will be very happy! 

 The rice krispie wreaths were new this year, very cute and tasty too!  I was the official taste tester, very difficult work I will have you know!  Santa cookies, mint brownies, and church windows (which are not on the plates at this point, they were still setting in the fridge!), cake box cookies and wreaths.  Ashley was one busy elf! (er...reindeer...ha ha).

 I FINALLY got the tree decorated.  We took our sweet time getting one this year...I don't want to wait that long again!  (I am ready for a fake tree complete with lights...).  My sweet friend Kelly brought me these cute ornaments she learned how to make on pinterest.  She used her cricut for the cute birds...

 Aren't they darling?  They will have special place on my tree every year...

 I had to decorate the tree by myself this year, so I didn't put as many ortnaments on it as usual.  I knew I would have to take it apart myself too...but I think it looked pretty and I enjoyed sitting by it and watching the twinkling lights every day...

 Another sweet friend brought us this red velvet tree cake.  Thanks Terry!  It was delish!  And looked so pretty too...

 I thought I turned this picture correctly, but I guess not.  Yet another sweet friend (I am sure blessed with sweet friends!) brought me something she made from pinterest also.  These cute little handwarmers you heat in the microwave...and they smell pretty too!  Thanks Donna!  She is my bosom friend and a true kindred spirit...don't know what I'd do without her...

And we are not even to Christmas yet!  Up next, Clif's birthday!!

December is here! (Along with a long-lost Farnsworth niece!)

I cannot believe how fast December got here!  At the first of the month we kicked off the season with our wonderful Stake Relief Society's annual Christmas concert.  It was beautiful as always and Dave and I actually got to usher one of the nights for it.  It was a very fun date night!  Then we also watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional which is always a treat.  December was off to a great start!Next I got to take my friend Ruth (she sits by me at work every day) and her baby Naomi to see Santa!  Naomi did great and so did Santa!  She mostly just stared him down, it was very cute!

 Santa's elves were very cute too, and looked a little familiar! That was a fun time and we thank the Martinez family for their wonderful tradition and sharing it with us!

 Next up was a long lost cousin!  Jenna came from Arizona to visit!  We haven't seen her in oh, so long!  She stayed with Ashley and it was a quick visit, but so fun to see her.

 I took them to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes and they let me snap a few pix.

 Ashley decided to take Jenna up to the snow, as Jenna has never seen snow!  (Unbelievable!)

 Unfortunately we have not had our winter storms yet, so they only found one little patch up by Shaver Lake.  Barely enough to take a picture by!  Ashley's dogs were quite taken with it all and especially with Jenna!  Come visit us again soon!

I was finally able to "deck my halls" and get things semi-ready for Christmas.  I love my Dad's Santa pitcher and mugs, they bring back so many fond memories of Christmases gone by...and my new snowman plate I bought this year, and the light block I made a few years back...a few of the fun things I love to display!  So much more happenings in December...stay tuned!