Tis The Season

Twas the night before Christmas...

The twice baked potatoes, bacon water chestnuts, PJ elf, puzzles, and stories. A surprise phone call from Erica lets the kids know they are going to have a new niece or nephew. We have lots of fun, even if it seem like were missing someone all night.

Christmas morning, 7:30? It's about time. Tara gets to go first because she never gets to. Every one opens presents one at a time. The house is quiet and orderly. We have a wonderful Christmas, lots of love, lots of gratitude, just not lots of kids.

I'm so grateful for the birth of Christ, so grateful for what that means to me in my life. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good life.

Turkey Triathlon

Swimming!

Biking!

Running!

In the past few months Jen and Jessica have been getting ready to do the Turkey Triathlon, Steven thought it sounded like fun so pretty soon he was talking Jeremy into racing with him. Jeremy is in pretty good shape since he just finished cross-country. I was a little nervous about the swimming, I'm not sure how much swimming Steve or Jeremy had done. The race is eight lengths of the pool, a five mile bike ride, and running a mile and a half. Eric and I had so much fun watching the race and thought everyone did so good. Steven was only passed by one person and that was Jeremy. As Jeremy passed he thought he heard his brother call him a punk! When every thing was over Jeremy won over all and Steven came in third for the men, forth over all. (a girl beat him) I'm just saying. Jen and Jessica had a super race, I'm pretty proud of all of them.

TRICK or TREAT!

It was so fun to have Matt, Jenny, Trace, and Maddie come visit us for Halloween. They sure made cute Jack O' Lanterns! Trace even pick out pumpkins for his family, notice he has the big one. Trace drew his face and his dad helped carve it out.

I'm glad I have Jeremy home still. He'll carve pumpkins with me. Maddie's pumpkin is cute and little just like her. She even shared a few smarties with her Jack O' Lantern. She was pretty scared of the pumpkin guts.

Look at the cute dragon and dinosaur that showed up just in time to go Trick or Treating. It was so much fun to have my kids and grand kids home for Halloween.

Our Fall Weekend

Saturday afternoon during Conference we drove up Cedar Mountain to see what we could see while listening to words of wisdom from our leaders. Steven and Jessica had come to spend the weekend with us, so it was nice to get away and spend time with them. Cedar Mountain has always been one of my most favorite places, but as you know the last few years has been hard on the old gal. We still found her beauty as we drove her back roads we felt like we was visiting an old friend. Of course she is an old friend, for years we took children to her sturdy log. There it was again our trusty log. Soon we had perched Jessica up on it for the first time.

Our family picture has dwindled to just the three of us, Eric, me, and Jeremy.

Sunday between sessions we ran to the reservoir to cook our lunch, tin foil dinners. As you can see Kenni and Latara came home late on Saturdays to be with us. We had such a good time just spending some time together.

Cross Country

I'm so pleased with Jeremy. He has been running Cross Country for a couple of years now. I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures of him. This is from his race yesterday in LaVerkin. Jeremy came in eighth. Jeremy had a great race even though it was hot, right around a hundred degrees. Good job Bear! It was so fun to have Grandma Darrington, Aunt Maridee, cousins, and sisters there to watch.

Happy Fall

This is for you Erica. I love the way Fall and Halloween feels.

I Want you to Know

It's Sunday and I feel like I've been so blessed to feel my Heavenly Fathers spirit with me today. I know he loves us. I know that his son Jesus Christ loves us and died for us. I know that through him and by him we can be forgiven of things in our lives. I also know and have felt his healing power in my own personal life. I've felt his arm of strength when I'm not sure what to do, how to feel, or scared and disappointed. Always I know of his love for me, LaDawna. He knows all that I am good and bad, and that he still cheers for me to come unto him. My life is full of joy and happiness. First the blessing of a great man that loves me. If it wasn't for any other reason than that I would know that I had a loving Heavenly Father. My love and joy is multiplied with every baby I was able to have. With every new daughter and son that married into our family. Endless joy has been given to me as I've watch both a grandson and a granddaughter come into this world. This is for you I want you to know that I know these things with everything that I am. I hope each of you know in your hearts and minds that you have been blessed with that same love and strength.
With all my love always,
Mom

I love being a Grandma!

Trace spent the weekend with me! we had so much fun. It might be because Latara didn't stick around (Trace likes me more if Latara isn't around) Grandpa and I went to Saddie and Levi's Talk like a pirate party and took Trace with us. Trace makes me laugh he is so much fun. Right before he went home he wanted pictures of everyone pulling faces, so here we are.

Our Summer Project

So Eric and I have always said some day were going to do something with the sleep room or screen room which ever name you knew it by. To me it was the catch all for everything that didn't need to be inside, rakes, shovels, sleds, outside chairs, lawn food and other miscellaneous items. Really it is the little screen room out back that Eric's Grandma Pickering slept in during the summer. I'd looked at some windows but other than that we didn't have a clue as to where to begin. So one night I asked Royd what we needed, This was the beginning of a quick summer project. Royd was all over that. He had the tools, the know how and for that matter some of the building supplies. It turned out so nice. Now we have another place to put our family when they come home.

BEFORE

AFTER

I think it is so cute, when you sleep out there you feel like your sleeping out side only no bugs! Eric and I take our Sunday afternoon naps out there.

Royd was so much help and such a good sport, Thanks Royd I love it.

This will be so much cheaper!

So as everyone knows my hair is soooo gray. I'm too young to just let it go, so I've been at the Mercy of my hair stylist. First of all, I want you to know how much I love the girl that colors my hair, and she has always did it for a big discount. I go gray pretty fast and I stay gray for a long time because of the money thing. Well this last week I colored my hair by myself. Natalie was going to help me, but I put it off until she was back to work so I was on my own. I was thrilled when I purchased my hair color because it was about a forth of the cost of what I'd had to pay to have it done. I'm thinking this is going to be a bargain. Well that was before I started. The first dilemma was I found myself with one glove on and one glove off, thus one hand was stained a soft brown color that didn't match the other hand. Then I discovered my t shirt was covered with the same before noted brown color. Also the bathroom rug has a nice set of same color drips running through the middle of it. I found my hair darker than I had expected, but the color was even. As I inspected the new image looking back at me from my mirror I noticed I had little splatters of brown now decorating my bathroom walls, mirror and shower curtain. This had turned into an adventure. I'm not sure I was the winner.

Just a drink of water!

I love summer. I love being outside. I love my garden. I just wanted to remember this simple pleasure of summer. The other day while I was out with my friends, the flowers. I was so thirsty I looked down at that hose with all that water spilling out and thought why not? I don't know why I even had to think about it, maybe it's because we grow up and we see things like the water has to run through that rubber hose. Or maybe we've gotten where we just drink water from a bottle. Maybe all the water in our house has been filtered. What ever the case, I put the hose up to my mouth and felt the cool clean water rush past my lips, I loved it. No kidding I had forgotten the simple joy of drinking out of a hose. I said to myself as I brushed the excess water from my face with the back of my hand, "I'm not ever going to forget how much I love to drink out of the hose!"

Oh what do you do in the Summer time?

Summer while not over with is showing signs of coming to an end. I love summer and have enjoyed this summer as much or more than other summers. I loved spending time on the mountain with family and friends. I spent a Saturday afternoon at Ely watching the boys race. Loved having the kids home for the 24th of July. Shared a few days with my mother and all my sisters visiting Mom's brother and sisters. Then this last week Trace spent the week with us and we went to Veyo pool everyday. "That was pretty fun" as Trace would say.

Even though there is a story in every adventure I'll just keep it short. I do want to remember, how much love I feel for my kids, how much I love being part of my sisters and mothers life, how nice it is to know your Uncles and Aunts, the joy and nervousness I feel when watching my kids race, and the sound of Trace laughter echoing off the water. I dont want to forget that I'm blessed, that all this and more brings joy and happiness to my life.

UP UP and Away!

What a fun thing to do! I got to ride in a Hot air Balloon! Thank you Nick and Erica! We went to the balloon fest in Panguitch the last weekend in June. On Saturday morning early we went out and helped set up the balloon Wild Thing. When they took her up I was in the basket. This was such a fun thing for me I had a awesome ride, flying higher than all the balloons that were there that morning. The morning was still and quiet. We hardly drifted at all, but the view was unreal. Latara and Koy went up in another balloon that they had helped with. When everything was done Nick, Erica and Jeremy had not gotten to go for rides. They went up the next day. Eric went with them. I felt like this was a chance in a life time.

Happy Birthday to you!

Today is my Birthday and I've spent most of the day hoping that Steven was having a good day. When I turned 26 I received the neatest Birthday present I could have ever wished for, Steven Tyler Pickering! So Steven Happy Birthday! I love you so much and hope you are having a great day. Thanks for being mine. I sure love you. MOM

Hiking Cave Lake

I love my family! We had so much fun this last Monday. We spent the day at a little place called Cave Lake. The day started off cloudy and cool, but by the time we were ready to play it was perfect. The lake was the perfect place to skip a few rocks. Everyone tried a few. Trace thought the big ones did the best, at least they made the best splash! We cooked some hot dogs, had chips, fruit salad, and ate a pan of brownies.
After we let our food settle we were off on our hike. Now at the time I didn't think a thing about our choice of hikes. That thought won't come to me until the middle of the night when I can't sleep. When the thought of dragging Maddie and Trace up and across the side of a steep mountain wakes me up. Even though I laid awake contemplating the "what ifs" I still come to the same conclusion, I'd do it again.
We hiked up the side of the mountain to a small cave at the top. The cave wasn't much of a cave, just a dent in the mountain. As we made our way down We realised just how steep this hike was. Knocking rocks down, sliding on our bums, and trying to stay right side up as we worked our way to the bottom.
We just needed to work our way around the edge of the lake and we'd be back on flat ground. OK, so I lost my balance and fell in the lake! It was so funny, I'm sure I looked hilarious as I fell. Arms flying around like they'd do me some good. The lake was so cold it took my breath away! As I turn around I look up into the faces of my adoring children and this is more or less what I see. Jenny, trying so hard not to laugh, but waiting to bust up just as soon as she can get the OK. Eric, he took a "I'll wait and see if she needs anything approach". Erica, was actually coming to my rescue. Nick, was looking at Erica to see if she might end up with my same fate. Trace was concerned and a little scared for me. He just wanted me to get dry clothes on. I glance toward Matt and Latara just in time to see them both set down on there butts laughing. I glance back at Steven and Jessica, It was just in time to see Steve shaking his head slowly back and forth as if to say no. Really I'm sure what he meant was only you'd fall in the lake mom! I put them all out there misery when I bust out a laugh that echoed off the side of the mountain.
As we headed back I could tell as we passed the people fishing that they had seen (or heard) the whole thing

Erica's story click here

Kenni K 2010

Congradulations! My little Kenni is getting all grown up. I've looked the other way, put my thumb on her, made her report if plans change, and all the other things I could think of to keep Kenni just my little girl. Now here it is right in my face "look mom I'm big enough to graduate!" I wouldn't want it any other way, but dang my house is going to be quiet!

Your just so little!

Kenni I love you. Thanks for being such a good girl. I hope life is ready for you. I know your ready for everything life has for you. Remember you are loved!

Another Year Older!

Well all I can say is "Happy Birthday to all of you!" Since Maddie's Birthday we have had one celebration after another. Trace turned 3 on April 15th, Eric on April 17th, Latara turned 21 on April 18th, Koy had a birthday and turned 15, Jeremy turned sweet 16 on the 30th. Shaynae had a birthday on the 5th of May and is 17. Today Kenni turns 18







Thanks Aunt Marvene for the group cake and sign! Kenni was sick of me trying to get a good picture.