After Paris, Andee flew to Pisa and met up with me. I flew over a few days before the rest of the family, so Andee and I could have a little last minute fling. Kind of bachelorette party thing I guess. Since she is getting married in a few months, and traveling will be nil for a while. It sucks to grow up and have to be on your own. Especially when Dad and Mom have such great flying benefits. So we flew into Pisa, hopped a train to Cinque Terra and hiked for 2 days this 7 mile stretch of 5 villages that you could only reach by train or hiking. It was an incredible time for us both. So very beautiful that the pictures do it no justice. You had to be there hiking along the ridge with the ocean below, the mountains above, the wind, saltwater smell, and sweat. Yes it was hot at times, and the next minute we would be in a rain down pour.

   The villages were so dang cute, with little walkways around the housing areas, quaint little shops and restaurants. Then when you were ready to hike to the next village, you had to find the little signs that headed you off through some farmers land, and up the next mountain. We hiked up and down mountains and it was so fun to see the next village off in the distance and get closer and closer. I really loved this area. If you ever go, I would highly recommend staying in one of the bed and breakfasts in a village along the coast. We stayed in a village a couple miles away, which we had to catch the train to. It was fun to see more country side, but the villages would be a high recommendation for accommodations.

  After hiking Cinque Terra, we caught a train to Venice (by the way, we got a the wrong train, a 1st class train, and we should of been on the poor mans train)  and spent a day shopping and sight seeing. I LOVE Venice. I want to go back so bad and spend some more time there. We actually spent a lot of time shopping for some Venice lace that we wanted to make Andee's wedding dress out of. But NO luck. We did buy some hankies, and other lace items. We had to hurry back to the airport and catch a flight to Ireland that night, so off we went after a full day of hurry, hurry, hurry to see as much as we could.

Pisa, Cinque Terra & Venice Click picture to see album

After Andee visited Ukraine with Andrew, he flew back to the states, but Andee was to meet the rest of the family in Ireland in less than a week. So we decided to have her just stay in Europe, instead of getting all the jet lag. 1st she went to Paris and stayed with her family there for 2 days. How fun to revisit them. In all their years of hosting students, only 2 have come back to visit. And Andee was one of them. I guess most just don't get the opportunity to travel like we do. We are very blessed.

To start off the summer of 2009 Andee and Andrew headed to his mission in Donetsk Ukraine. It has always been a dream of Andee's to visit the mission of the man she marries....well...she got to go before they even got married.

Click picture to enlarge

Slacker

So I know I've been a slacker, but here's a few reasons why...

Remember when you were 15?

Look who's behind the wheel !!

Spring Break

Spring Break started with a enjoyable weekend listening to General Conference, with a missionary that used to serve in our area and his companions coming to our house to watch it on TV. Also a missionary that had returned home to Canada, but was back in town to attend conference. It was so good to see all of them.

Then came Monday morning and Mom, Ciera, and Bridger packed a couple swim suits and headed for the airport. We had Hawaii in mind, but didn't really care, as long as we ended up on a beach some where.

Maui was the winner.

Next we went back to Bountiful for 1 day, and then headed to St. George to go to the Arts Festival, and spend Easter weekend with Grannie and Papa.

While at the Art Festival, Barbara got to reminisce and visit her 6th grade school center.

This is were I went to 6th grade, and my teacher was Mr. Starr

Then we were off to get ready for our Easter picnic

Andee made 'BUNNY CAKE' with YUMMY Grannie's carrot cake.

They all colored easter eggs

Then waited to see what the silly Bunny would bring them in the morning !!!!

For a little R & R we did a little 4wheelin, fishin, and learning to drive a stick shift....

hahahaha now that was funny !!!

And Bridger got to enjoy a JoYFull afternoon shopping with his female family members.

All in all....we had a very busy and enjoyable

Spring Break this year

Do you want to be a "Flower Girl"?

Wedding planning is so fun....so far.. we've been surfing the web alot looking for ideas... and this is the best. With peacocks being a little bit favored....
Flower girl anyone????

WOW.. It Happened...Wedding bells will ring !

OHHHHH MYYYYY HECKKKKK

It happened... I got older, (even though that is not really the point here).

Andee and Andrew got engaged

We are so EXCITED, I mean after almost 5 years of dating, it's official. The bells will ring.

Oh my...there are lots of things on my mind right now.

It's my little girl, turned into such a beautiful woman. And what a great addition she is bringing into our family. We love Andrew. They make an amazingly darling couple, and have tons of fun together.

Here's some of the outline of the big question being ask.

Andrew came to Del and I last Friday, February 27th and ask for our permission to marry Andee. Of course, Yes, and after our conversation, we promised not to say anything to anyone until he ask her. So I have had a week of tears of joy in the shower by myself. I really am excited, but am overcome with emotions.

So they take off to DCA & PHL to visit his brothers. I didn't have a clue when or how he was going to ask her. Just knew I had to keep quiet until the phone call came. Saturday about 1:3o pm. Ciera came walking down the hall and said.."Mom, I need to show you something, but my heart is beating so hard right now". She looked a little emotional. Then she showed us the text/photo Andee had sent her with the ring.

So... now from Andee's timeline....

They were walking down by the National Harbor in DCA. They came upon a bench, and there was a peacock feather (that's a whole other story) on it. Andrew said, "Look, there's a peacock feather on the bench, as they went over to look at it, Andrew got on his knees and proposed.
Meanwhile.... There was a man following them (unknown to Andee that he had been prearranged by Andrew and his brother and sister in law, see Brett & Shelby on Blog links to the right) taking pictures of this whole event. How fun !!!

Andee was a little confused by the man taking pictures, but told Andrew, we need to get that mans name, he has pictures of us getting engaged....how funny...

Boys will be boys ???

BOYS...????????? Will they always be boys?????

Today Bridger went hunting with his friends for each other!

It is an air-soft gun war. I don't understand why, but it is supposedly a fun game where you shoot each other with these air-soft guns and feel the pain for days. I really am freaked out about it, but the other parents don't seem to think it is anything too weird. And dad seems to think it is ok....so off he goes.

He comes home and showes me his war wounds, and then is off to his next adventure.

Now I think this looks like a scary gun.

So I think back of when he was just a little boy, with 2 bigger sisters. There were not alot of boy toys, so he would gather his trucks, swords, and monsters, and push them around in his sisters doll carriage. I guess.... Boys will be boys !

My 100 Year old Grandma

My Grandma Nora is such an amazing lady, and so is my Mom....
I love them both so much !

I want cake and ice cream

When I was younger and I would hear little old ladies say they were going to call their sister's back east or where ever they were and wish them Happy Birthday. I always thought that was sooooo weird. I thought, why don't you just go see them, or have them come see you. You should be having cake and ice cream together. But then I got to be one of those little old ladies and I have to call my sister's and wish them Happy Birthday over the phone. I wish we were still little and could just get together and have cake and ice cream.

Happy Birthday Ellen

We look like orphans :)

Did you know me in High School?

If you knew me in High School you would never, ever expect me to have kids that would be in the "Lime Light". So can you believe all 3 of my kids are very involved in extra curricular activities. Also if you knew me you would never, never, never guess that I would have kids with 4.0 grades. I barely made a 'C' in Under Water Basket Weaving. Andee was a cheerleader in Junior High and all of High School. Ciera is Cheerleader in Junior High, and Bridger is a Student Body Officer. Here is a video of Ciera and Bridger doing a half time dance at a basketball game. It was the Cheerleaders (Ciera) and Student Body Officers (Bridger) combined dance. They actually got along while learning it, and had a good time. Bridger is in a white tee with blue Hawaiian print swim shorts, at the first of the dance he is second from the right side. Ciera comes in with the girls and is on the far right in the orange tank with orange Hawaiian print shorts.

The WAVE Hike

Wow.... No words can describe The "WAVE" hike. So beautiful, that you have to see it yourself. And what a fun day hike. I loved being with my family, they mean so much to me. We had such a good time hiking, talking, being silent, being together, and just taking it all in.
Surfing The "WAVE"


Papa & Andee


Papa & Ciera


Bridger being Bridger and climbing on ledges


Bridger in the "WAVE" bowl


Yes.... can you believe it... Del was there!!!!

The Wave

Click on this photo for more

Happy 2009 New Year

Happy New Year 2009

TIME SQUARE - NYC

A deserved HoT meal after standing in 2degree
temperature for 6 Hours.....

The burgers were HHHHUUUUUUUGE

After our meal....long story short.

A guy stole my credit card when the waiter

took it to the cashier to pay our bill.

I got it back after the bouncer about beat

the crap out of him.

They comped our meal....dang...we should

of ordered more $5.00 cup hot chocolates

Downtown NYC Time Square 2009

We played downtown until about 3am then

caught the subway back to the airport for a 6am

flight back to SLC

When your so TiRed...you can sleep anywhere!

Shhhh....their sleeping

Dinner and A Movie ?

So we always go out for dinner and a movie on New Years eve. This year was no different, except our dinner and a movie was on a 757 flying to NYC to party in Time Square. I was just going to tell the kids to dress warm for our dinner and movie, but decided due to the fact that Andee is so in love and might need to talk it over with Andrew for a bit if she just came up missing on newyears eve, and Ciera had this big teenager party she wanted to attend. Bridger didn't care about anything except getting another meal in his belly. So off we went. Here is a summary of our 6 hours of standing in Time Square to bring in 2009.