Sunday, December 30, 2007

We Had a Merry Christmas





We had a great Christmas. There was lots of snow for sledding and shoveling. There we tons of presents under the tree. The best part was having David and Tara and the girls, DaNae and Ben and Ella, and Dori and Brent, Gavin and Grace staying with us.

We got a family Wii which was a hit and played lots of other games. We swam at the indoor water park, went to movies, jump and bounce and the kids museum. I have bruises and ball marks from playing racquetball with David, but we had great fun. It was really sad to see David and his family leave for SLC yesterday.
Here are some pictures of Christmas Eve dinner,the tree and baby grace, and the kids waiting on the stairs to open presents. I'll try to put in a video clip of sledding.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Slumber Party at Grandma's House




Saturday night Dorianne and Brent went out to dinner with friends, so we asked Gavin over for a Polar Express slumber party. Gavin and I started by making a snap together ginger bread house. It was cool and easy to do. Gavin liked gluing on the little pieces best. Then we watched the polar express movie on our new 52" LCD TV. We had popcorn and snacks and lots of fun. Gavin's little bed is now down in the basement and he wouldn't sleep down there, so guess he was in bed with us. He woke us up in the middle of the night and it took us awhile to get him back to sleep. This morning we went in the hot tub, had pancakes for breakfast and then went to church together. He really likes to hang with the old folks. I only with some of the other grandchildren were around so they could hang with us too. Gettin' ready for Christmas.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Snow has Melted



We had some big snow storms last week and Saturday and Sunday, but the weather warmed up and the Chinook winds have melted it all. Today it was in the 50's. They say more snow is coming. I just hope it is not more rain.


We're getting ready for Christmas. Debbie is getting all the packages ready. She is getting the last of them in the mail tomorrow.


Last night for family home evening we went to the stake center on 29th to the Christmas Creche exhibit. Every year the get more displays and more beautiful nativity sets. This year they had a children's room and Gavin had fun coloring a nativity set, doing a cutout and attaching clothes pins to them. It was cute. Then we all had our picture taken. It was a good evening, but Gavin left his picture in the restaurant where we ate dinner later and wanted to go back to get it. Luckily Brent took pictures and can print another one off.


Looking forward to the holidays. I'll take some pictures of our tree and the Christmas lights.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Last Day in Paradise


Last day in Puerto Vallarta, we are leaving tonight. We had a fun Thanksgiving. We went into town and ate our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at PiPi's. Then we walked down the Malecon. They were having a big mass in the amplitheater, complete with a large mariachi band. Great music. Then we went across the street to the plaza and they had folk dancers performing there. It was pretty entertaining.
Ben and DaNae and Ella left this afternoon. It was sad to leave them. Ella is such a doll and a happy baby. Mom and I are alone again for the day. So we are going to la playa for a siesta before we head to the airport. Que le vaya bien.




Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Lazy Tuesday



Easy day today. Last night the girls went to the spa for massages, then we played two deck hearts until Midnight. Today we had breakfast at the buffet and Gordon and Di and the kids had their last swims and we took some pictures. Mom cried when they left. She loves all of her children so much. They are all special. Mom is feeling better today.

Tonight we went to a new resturant, El Estudio. It is just past the sun market at the marina. It was very good and cheap. A couple from Ogden told us about it. The owner is an artist and displays his paintings and his wife runs the resturant. We may hit it for Thanksgiving. Their specialty is cocconut shrimp.

Got to run and play games. They are waiting for me. Dad

Monday, November 19, 2007

Beautiful Monday Morning




Hi all. It's a sunny Monday morning. We have our towells out by the shallow pool and the big white balls. Going to enjoy the last day here for Denton and Krystee. Our family is getting smaller here. It was crowded last night, but good to be all together. We played double deck hearts and Dianna won. We're down to one room now.

We took a couple of pictures with Ella this morning while getting our spots. Post more later.



Sunday, November 18, 2007

Sunny Sunday





Yesterday we played in the ocean and made sand castles at the beach. The kids really had fun. Parker says he wants to move to Arizona and go to high school with Kelmen. Mom and I were taking Sadie and Kelmen out in the waves. We were out pretty far and still standing up when a big wave broke on us and knocked us all down and Mom lost here sunglasses. Kelmen and Sadie wanted out after that.

Today we had our own little church service and it went well with a combination of talks, songs and kids activities. Drew and his family left today for Phoenix. Kelmen didn't want to leave and it was sad to see them go. We really had fun with them this week.

Last night we went to eat at a Mexican resturant in Paradise Village Mall. Mom threw up all night and has a headache and fever now. We all ate the same food, so it is probably the food. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow. Everyone else is feeling well.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Another day in paradise, 88 and sunny.





Buenos dias from the Grand Mayan. We're ready for another day in the sun. Yesterday we played tennis. Mom and I took Carson and Ella on a long walk in the strollers. We walked down the beach to the Mayan Palace, then along the golf course where they are remodeling it. Some of the natives were fishing in the pond on number 14 the short par three and getting some nice fish by netting them.
We spent the rest of the day around the pools with the kids. The weather is beautiful and no sunburns yet. It has been 88 and sunny everyday. Ben is coming in tonight and tomorrow we are playing golf again.
Last night for dinner we went the La Laguna resturante. It was good and the kids had fun seeing all the little turtles in the lagoon. We wish you were all here with us.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hola from Puerta Vallarta







Sorry it has taken me so long to write from Mexico. We've been busy having lots of fun and sun.

Deb and I came in on Saturday. We were the only ones here so we went to Fajita Republic for dinner and had a quiet night since we started on a 5am flight.

Sunday we went to church early. At 9am the back row was filled with gringos, the natives came about 9:10. It was fun although we didn't understand much. We then walked down to the main drag and had breakfast and got supplies at Mega. We had stuff to stock all three rooms with essentials. Filled up a taxi going back to the Grand Mayan. The others then came in Sunday afternoon. The rooms are very nice, but a tip and Mom crying still couldn't get us right together.
We did have a fun slumber party with the grandkids in are room that night, I told them all stories.

We are on one end of a hall and Drew on the other with Gordon and Di two floors up. The only consession is we are all in the same building.
Monday we had the breakfast buffet and played in the pools all morning. The kids really like the wave pools and the inner tubes. The tubes are free now, didn't need to bring any. Oh well..
Yesterday the boys played golf. The are redesigning the course by Jack Nickolas. So we play the front and three on the back three times. It was fun though. Drew was the best with me 2nd. Denton and Gordon also played well. Kelmen would tee off with us then hit it up the green. He has a great little swing.

Last night we went into PV and had dinner at Pipi's. It was lots of fun. We took one of the local buses back to Wal-Mart and the kids had a blast as the but sped down the narrow cobblestone streets. Drew had them yelling arriba arriba.

I'd better close now and add some pictures.


Friday, November 9, 2007

Fire in the Street


Last Friday night Debbie and I were sound asleep at about midnight when I heard a big bang and saw an orange light on the ceiling. I had to wake Deborah up to look out the window and a fireball was on the street right in front of our house. I called 911 and headed outside. A small SUV was up in flames at least 20 feet in the air. The fire engines came and I watched them put out the fire right from my curb. We never got the whole story, but a couple of teenage girls and a boy were supposedly up four wheeling and when they came down the car caught on fire. Probably a broken fuel line.


Bring back any 4 wheelin memories DaNae?

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween



We're hangin' out with the Danni's tonight. No spaghetti for dinner. Ordered pizza and we'll play some settlers. The girls made me go to a chick flick today, Dan's real life. To slow for men, but some funny parts. Not many trick or treaters tonight. Heading home in the AM. Glad to head home to the slow traffic and not so many freeways. I'm getting old I guess. Or make that I am old.

Monday, October 29, 2007

LA is Lovely







We're at ASTRO our radiation oncology big meeting in LA this week.
The fires are mostly contained and the air is better. The weather here is nice and warm.

Mom and I have been hitting the party circuit. Saturday night we hit the Impac party at the old hotel Figueroa. Last night Danny and Danielle went with us. We first hit the Phillips party at the Peterson Auto Museum. It was fun to see the old cars. Then on to the big Varian Party. Somewhere between 3500 and 4000 people were there. It was in Hollywood at the highlands which is right by the Gorman Chinese theater and right in the middle of hollyweird.

It was fun, but crowded. I tooks some pictures, but will have to add them later.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Ella's First Steps

We had a great Sunday dinner today. Halibut from my fishing trip, rice, rolls, salad, artichoke dip by Dori and brussel sprouts.



After dinner the home teachers came, then practiced having Ella walking. Here is a quick video of her attempts. She is doing pretty darn good. She'll be off on her own soon.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Costume Show





Its Friday night at the old casa. We had tamales and pollo sopa. Gavin wanted to put on an after dinner costume show and use his new batman jammies Grandma bought him today. So we all dressed up, sang songs and told scary halloween stories.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

My first blog





Its getting to be a family thing, so I will not be undone. I am a man of few words so my posts will be short and sweet. My favorite things are my family, my wife of 37 years and are almost 12 grandkids. I love golf, raquetball, fishing, football and horsehoes. I am wearing down at work and looking forward to cutting back or retirement. Well this is a good start. Keep you all posted.