He's Home!

It is official! He has returned! His two best male buddies were at the airport to greet him. They were best friends all through most of grade school until they left on their separate missions. Thanks Aaron and Josh for making it to the airport to help greet Elder Andrew Jennings return! All of the family was able to go greet Andrew as he stepped off the plane. I think I screamed when I saw him. The whole family is finally together again.

Welcome home! The sign at the bottom says, "Merry Christmas, Lurp." He was so tall and skinny when he left. His nickname was Lurp.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you. It is a wonderful time of year. Last week Tim and I went to 3 Christmas dinners. Yummy! We went to dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial building to have a private dinner with about 32 people we work with in the Stake. Wednesday evening we went to a party at the church with our friends and neighbors. Yesterday we went to Tim's company party for a wonderful lunch. The restaurant we ate at had huge picture windows where we could look out and watch the snow fall all during the dinner. It was so beautiful. Once again, I want to tell all of you Merry Christmas.

Old Fashioned Game

When I was a little girl some cousins who were older and wiser came to visit. We were the poor cousins who lived on a farm and didn't have any fancy toys! Okay, they weren't any richer than we were, but, they seemed like it to me. Anyway, they showed us a new game and I loved it and so I waited until now to show it, not to my children, but, to the grandchildren. Instructions on playing the game are as follows. Pack flour into a sloping measuring cup, or tea cup. Invert it onto a plate and place a penny on top. Each player has a knife and slowly cuts away at the flour. When the penny drops off the stack of flour the person who made the penny drop has to dig the penny out of the flour and away from the flour with their nose! Such a fun game! Take a long look before the noses go into the flour. See how cute and clean they all are!

Grandmothers come up with the craziest games. The girls loved it! And here we go! Kailie shows off her floured face!

Get the penny Kailie! You can do it! Next time someone else will have to get the penny!

Looks like Rylee had to get her nose into the flour to get the penny. Each time the penny dropped into the middle of the flour we all broke out in loud yelling. Danika (the 5 month old baby not pictured here) began crying. It wasn't so funny to her

Lana got involved also. Actually we played until they all got to try digging the penny out. Then when they were through we made them cookies to eat. Just kidding. We threw out the flour.

Ta-da! Proof of digging in the flour...with the noses! Thanks girls for the great entertainment. I loved it. Maybe we can play again later.

Jordan's birthday

Happy Birthday Jordan! It was a great excuse to get together. Tim, Andrew and I are the only ones missing in the picture. I was taking the picture...Tim is at a meeting...Andrew returns on the 22nd of the month. Isn't this a great looking family!? Look closely, the birthday boy is in the center holding a little boy.

Thanksgiving 2009

I have done it again! I forgot to rotate the picture before I put it on my posting. I just want to see if you can turn your head and still look intilligent! Yup! You did it! Danika seems to get lost in the pictures of all the grandkids, so, here she is. Isn't she cute, too?

The evening before Thanksgiving we got together for a pie night! Yummy! Life is short. Eat dessert first. After pie I had all the kids come with me into a bedroom to prepare a little skit. It was a little confusing to the kids at first. I told them what to do and then we went out and performed it. We put the song, "The Friendly Beasts" on the CD player and the children acted out the animals, Mary and displayed some pictures. It was short and sweet. The version of the song we used was with Bryan Stokes Mitchell and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is so beautiful.

Just another picture of the children at the end of the skit. Count these little ones...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. These are 9 of the reason I have much to be grateful for! Their parents and my other children are other reasons for much to be grateful for. Then I have my companion and eternal mate, Tim. Wow!

I really have so much to be grateful for. Each day it seems like I get reminded to be grateful. I have so much.

Today though, I want to remind everyone ANDREW COMES HOME IN 18 DAYS! I am down to pure excitement and tears. Every time I think of him coming home and having all of my children together for the first time in almost 4 years I get a little lump in my throat. Don't get me wrong, I love having sons serve missions for our Savior. But, because of Him, I have a family to love, cherish, be grateful for, and learn from. I just realized I lied. I said I got a little lump. Actually it is a huge lump that pushes up and into my tear ducts. Then my nose runs with my eye trouble.