Rollercoaster of emotions!

Surprise, surprise, surprise!!!!! I just received a phone call from my youngest brother in Alabama making sure I would save a date for him!

He and the girl he has been dating for five years have announced their engagement! They plan to marry on South Beach in Florida in July and have invited everyone to join them on a Bahamas cruise the day following their wedding.

I am happy for them both!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

(More details to come)

What a great woman

On Sunday night I learned of my grandmother's passing.

During my father's senior year of highschool, his mother moved out of state and encouraged him to follow. Unwilling to leave his friends and the chance to be Student Body President, my dad decided to stay in Utah. Arrangements were made with a trusted family in the neighborhood and my father moved in. They welcomed him in their home and treated him as one of their own.

As a little girl I remember going to visit my "cousins" and "grandparents" at their respective homes. My "grandma" had the BEST backyard a child could ask for; lots of green grass to run around on, a tree that seemed to touch the sky... tire swing included, and a raspberry patch that seemed endless!

Unfortunately, as the years passed these cherished visits were fewer until we saw erach other only for weddings or a random encounter at the local Costco. What wonderful people!!!!

I had promised to stop by so my own children could also experience their generousity and create memories in the same backyard. Life slipped too quickly..... and it saddens me to think my children will have to wait to meet Grandma Barbara.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-mcmullin-kemp&pid=138706691

DING! Holidays are done!

What a busy time of year! And we survived!!



First, we celebrated B's birthday. She wanted nothing but Snow White--- EVERYTHING! We did our best to accommodate.

Next we celebrated Christmas with my parents and most of my family. It was a more quiet year than we've had for a while but it allowed us to contemplate the true meaning of the season and also, to be grateful we are still together as a family!


After all my parents have done for us during these last six months especially, we wanted to thank them in a special way with the gift we gave for Christmas. We thought about tickets to see a show, a gift card to their favorite restaurant, etc. But that didn't seem to be enough.

Our family thought about the things for which we were most grateful; all of them were things we could do with our five senses. This was the KEY!

We put together a basket full of things we can enjoy together as a family.... I didn't get a picture of everything we put in the basket, but this is what it included:


Hearing: A Testimony born in a song (CD~ Centered in Christ)

Taste: A favorite Treat ( Chocolate covered nuts for Dad and Hickory Farms mints for mom)

Sight: A photo book of loved ones ( a book created with family pics using mypublisher.com)

Smell: A favorite scent in a candle

Touch: The warmth of an embrace (A special quilt a neighbor friend helped me with)




The quilt had a four block patch with a solid patch and represented things from my childhood. It had a few photos and the center block read: A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart.

I am so grateful my friend was patient (unbelievably so) with me while putting this together during the holiday parties and busy schedules we both kept. (THANKS SANDI!!!!)



I forgot to take our camera to our Christmas celebrations (DOH!) so we only have pictures from our little family Christmas morning.




We did have fun.... so much so that B keeps asking when we can go to the next Christmas party!



We're excited for the new year and have lots of goals we hope to accomplish.


We hope your holidays were enjoyed just as much as we enjoyed ours!!!