I HAVE GOT TO GET BUSY AND CATCH UP!!!

TOM, KRISTA, AND SWEET GRANDKIDS MOVE IN FOR A MONTH

The same day Chell and I got back from Texas, Krista and her family moved in with us for a month. They moved in on April 1st and Tom had a job interview in Greeley, Colo. on the 6th. He got the job and started a couple weeks later. Krista and the kids stayed with us until the first weekend in May and then they left to join him. It sure was fun having them here for a month, but not too fun having them leave!! :( I'm grateful Tom was able to get a job, since the bad economy has made it a lot harder. Just wish it could have been closer to home. I absolutely HATE having my family so far from me!! I miss them all so much!


It was so fun having our grandkids living here this Easter!

Crew's first Easter. He is such a doll!

Conor helping Tom make crescent rolls for our Easter dinner

Kya feeding her little brother. How cute!

Krista and I took the kids to the park

Krista and Crew at the park

Uncle Jeff always holds a baby when they are here. A few more months and he'll have one of his own! Yeah!

What a precious face!

Our sweet little Crew liked Grammy's fabric
Kya helped Grammy water the lilac bushes
She also helped Papa clean the 4-wheelers

BACK TO TEXAS!

Pratt had to fly to Tucson the end of March, to do some recruiting for the mine. Kortney had to work and so she was unable to go with him, so Kindy had this great idea that all of us girl's should fly out to stay with Kort. Kindy is all about flying everywhere now cause Nate works at the airport and they fly free! Krista and Tom were packing to move in with us since they had to be out of their house by the 1st of April, so she wasn't able to go with us (we were sad!). Chell and I drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico to catch a plane to Dallas. Kindy was going to be our tour guide and show us where to go to meet up with Kortney, but there was a slight problem. It was snowing so hard in Denver that they couldn't fly out!! So there we were at the DWF airport, not quite sure just what to do. We waited there a long time since Kort couldn't leave to get us until she was off work, then we headed out to try and get to Union Station to meet her. We caught a bus and then another bus took us to a train depot that I thought was Union Station, until I looked up and saw a sign that showed an arrow pointing to Union Station! The train had just pulled away!!
Kort came and rescued us (Thank Heaven's for her GPS, or she may never have found us!). Kindy thought she may be able to fly in the morning, so we got a motel room by the airport and stayed since it takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to Kort's house from there. Kindy and Briley FINALLY got in late the next night because there was a tornado watch in Dallas and they were delayed again!! We stayed another night in our motel and finally got to Kortney's house the next day. It turned out to be a really fun trip though.

Chell standing at the train depot where we should have caught the train!

My Auntie Kort sure was happy to see me!

Grammy and I both had on red, white and blue clothes for church.

Kort took us to a lake where they like to go.


Chell, Kindy, Kort and Rhew.


Mommy and daughter, I love this picture!


Chell and Briley

Our sweet baby!

We went to Louisiana to shop at the Boardwalk.

Thanks Aunt Kort for the fun time, we love you!

Conor's 7th birthday and Jordan's wedding in Utah

Conor's birthday was March 6th, the day before Jordan's wedding. Krista threw him a little party for whoever was at Mel's house at the time. It was fun to have so many cousins there.

Jordan and Carter's reception was so nice.It's always so fun to get together as family whenever we get a chance!

Ster and Mel greeting the guests

Carter, Jordan, me and Craig

Awnaliese, Daniel and sweet baby Caprilee Rose

Raysh

Candler and Chance

Barrett, Aunt Jen, Kya and Conor

Conlee, Awnaliese and Caprilee


Ashly, Braden (Rosemary's husband), Rosemary and Landon


Rosemary and Olivia Rose

Lance and Suzy

On our way to Utah and on our way home, they were working on the road way out in the middle of nowhere. They put up this temporary traffic light, it cracked me up so I had to put it on my blog! Something most people probably won't ever see, I never dreamed I would!!!

OUR TRIP TO TEXAS

Craig and I took a trip to see Kort and Pratt in Texas in February. We stopped to see my sister Jen's beautiful new home in Oklahoma on our way there. Pratt and Kort came up to meet us there and to see Jen and her family and new home too. It was so good to see all of them. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of her home while we were there, but I've never been real good at remembering to take pictures of everything. I did take my camera to the church when we went with them to sacrament meeting in a town about 20 miles south of where they live. The whole family spoke on missionary work which was such a treat for us to be able to listen to. They all did an "excellant" job. I love you all so much, thanks for the way you blessed our lives that Sunday!
We had a 4 1/2 hour drive ahead of us, so we followed Kort and Pratt to their house. It was a fun week even though they had to work, we were still able to have some good times together. They took us to Texas Roadhouse for dinner, where I had to say to heck with "weight watchers''!! It was so delicious. Thanks for the good time "ya'll"! We love and miss you both.
Don't look so happy Pratt!
Mike, Jen, Hunter, Jena, Megan, Tara, and her friend Tanner

Pratt and Kort got a new bed while we were there

Kort took a fruit tray to her friend Ashley's baby shower, that we went to. Lots of fun!

Could you squeeze a little tighter dear?!

MCDOWELL FAMILY CAME TO VISIT

Krista and Tom came with their sweet family to spend a week with us in February. It was so fun to have them here. We just cherish every time we get to be with them. We have such precious grandkids and we love them sooooooo much! We love you too Tom and Krista!!

Papa and Crew
Kya and Conor making crafts
Cute precious Crew!

Sweet "Mama" Krista and Crew at the park
Lunch at the park
Conor and Kya pushing aunt Chell

Big brother Conor with little brother Crew

Conor loves to help Papa reload bullets

Our favorite place to be is with our grandkids!

Our two New Year's Surprises!

Pratt and Kortney flew to Denver to spend Christmas with Nate and Kindy and their sweet new baby girl Briley. She was born December 5, 2008. Sounds like they had a fun week together. The day after Christmas, Nate and Kindy took them back to the airport to catch their plane back home and then without us knowing anything about it, they headed our way and surprised us with a visit. I was upstairs on the computer, Tom had gone to play basketball with some guys at the church and Craig, Krista and the kids were in the familyroom. A knock came at the door about 9:oo p.m. Krista jumped up to answer it thinking Tom had been locked out. She opened the door and found a baby in a carseat with a blanket covering her. She recognized the blanket as one Chell had made for Briley and got so excited! She brought her into the house telling us it was Briley, and of course Nate and Kindy came up the steps behind her. They said they wish they would have had their videocam going when Krista came to the door, cause she was so excited! She has waited so long for a neice or nephew to be born on our side of the family and was sad she would have to wait a while to see Briley. We were all so happy they came and stayed until Monday. We called Jeff and Chell to let them know they were here and even though they were already in bed, they didn't waste any time getting here! It was great to have them all here, and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if Pratt and Kortney would have come too.

January 14, 2009 Jeff and Chell dropped by our house with a little gift bag for us. I pulled out this onesy with really good news written on the front of it! We have waited 8 years for this, and we are so EXCITED!! The baby is due September 21. Congrats Jeff and Chell! We love getting more grandbabies!