Ashton Fall

Taft on Halloween

Taft fall

and more halloween

more halloween

The grandkids for Halloween and fall

welcome to digital scrapbooking

I am new at this so just want to see if I can make a post with my new tools

my past week

Well, I helped Teresa out watching the baby during a little of Youth Conference. I drove my pilot with kids up to Lake Tejas on Thursday and then we had 5 girls and Sister Bodie stay here during the entire youth conference. Taft was a trooper through the whole thing. It rained a lot on Thursday so the outside activities were pretty wet. Then Lake Tejas was clear with a little bit of overcast skies. I was supposed to work every day last week but they only needed me on Monday. So I was free to do some of the youth conference things. Teresa used my camera to take candids of the youth. I was on call Friday night and was called out at 10:30 and stayed all night. I slept most of the day Saturday. Mike and I did a little yard work and ate at home that night. He went to Tennesee for a camp on Wednesday through Friday. He pulled in the garage on Friday night and I got in the car to go out on call. We said HI and BYE. Then he went to the Bishop's storehouse in Houston all day Saturday. Things should calm down a little this week. I was off yesterday and today and babysat Taft while Teresa is working. I should work the rest of the week and I'm on call Mon Wed Fri and Sun nights. Anyway, I want to take some pics today so I will post them later.

Melissa Shower and Taft blessing

So when I got home from CA after a lot of delays in flights, I worked two days and then on Friday evening Melissa and Justin came in for a weekend visit. We had a baby shower for her at Teresa's house.It was very nice and she got lots of nice things to prepare for her little boy who will be Grant Michael. That evening we went to Tokyo to eat and had a nice time. On Sunday, we blessed Taft at their house and had a gumbo dinner afterwards for the Hartman's and the Simpson's. We had a good time. Melissa and Justin left on Monday morning. I kept Taft Monday morning before going to work 12:30 to 9:00 PM. I haven't worked any other day this week like I was supposed to. I hope it picks up soon.

On to California

So on July 2nd we flew to CA to see those kids and grandkids. Jared picked us up at the airport and we got an In and Out burger. We got there in the evening and spent a little time with the kids before going to bed. Jared had the next few days off. We went swimming the next day after going to Target to get me a bathing suit since I forgot mine. On Friday it was the 4th so we went to the ward breakfast at the park and then swimming later in the afternoon and had a cookout and fireworks at Bonnie and Dave's. The kids had a grand time with that. On, Saturday we went to see Grandpa Simpson in Canoga Park. Heidi and Tim were able to stop by on their way home from a tournament. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins and picking lemons from Grandpa's tree then making lemonade. We went to lunch at Tommie's burger. We stopped on the way down in Valencia so Kim could do some shopping at the mall for clothes for the kids. On Sunday, Ashton was blessed. We had a nice lunch afterward at Jared and Kim's house. Mike flew back to TX on Tuesday and I stayed a week longer. We continued to play, swim and shop during that week. Kim got some cleaning done and I think it was good just to have another adult to corral the kids. It was fun and hard to come home.

On to June

The second week in June was the Portie reunion. Melissa and Justin came and they were also able to see Taft for the first time. Ilene and her daughter Brook and my brother Ed came down for the reunion. We had a great visit. They both had some bulldozing done on their land and we had a good time watching. A few days after the reuion, Kristina left for AZ and on that Wednesday, Mike and I left for Utah. He attended a camp in SLC at the UofU. I went to Spencer and Kim's, then he came down on Friday night. They blessed Solomon on the Sunday following. We had a very nice visit with them. Solomon is soooooooo cute and is really growing. He was born April 9th. We had a big nice dinner afterward. Kim made Chili, I made rolls and Kristi made a yummy chicken pasta salad. We experimented with cake balls too. They were yummy as well. Kim and Spencer have a very nice new (to them) home and have just finished their basement. It is really nice and has a great media room. We enjoyed a good movie The Flyboys.

well, it's been soooooooooo long

I'm going to attempt to catch up on my blogging. I've taken hundreds of pics in the last two months. We have been to Utah and California and seen lots of grandkids. I'll start with May.
Kristina came home on Mother's Day and had breast reduction surgery on the 14th. Her surgery went fine and she was home about five weeks to recover. I worked some and helped her out as she could not lift her arms above her shoulders for several weeks. She had a drain on each side for a few days. She read alot and watched movies and tv. She went back to Mesa around the 16th of June. For Memorial Day she and I went with Mike to a Basketball camp. Actually we just rode with him to Dallas and we visited Melissa and Justin. We picked up some peaches in Fairfield on the way. We had yummy peach cobblers for Memorial Day. Mike ended up getting a new Honda Accord an selling his to Kristina. She will sell hers after she returns to Mesa. (already done). He got a white one of course. It really is nice. We enjoyed having Kristina home for a little while.

Mother's Day

Wow! somewhere in my youth or childhood as Julie Andrews once said, I must have done something good. What a wonderful mother's day for me. I was able to talk to all my children and grandchildren.(even heard Solomon burp in the background). Melissa wrote a wonderful tribute to her mothers and grandmothers on her blog if you haven't read it. It made me cry just when I was getting ready for bed. My mother did most of the cooking for dinner, as I was picking up Kristina at the airport in the morning. Taft got to go to Sacrament Meeting. I got a pedicure on Saturday and Mike took me out to dinner. Melissa and Justin sent me flowers at the first of the week and I enjoyed them all week long. So what I meant by my first sentece is, I have some great children and grandchildren and don't know what I did to deserve them. I am very blessed and grateful. I am sooooooooooooo glad I can be a mother and I get more and more joy from it each day. Thank-you to my mother for helping me be the mother that I am and my grandmothers too. I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out my Slide Show!

We've been married 34 wonderful years

Yesterday, Mike and I celebrated our 34th anniversary. Actually we celebrated on Saturday. Of course we started the day with a full day of yard work and chores. Then we got cleaned up and went to visit Taft in the nicu. We didn't get to hold him, but we sure did enjoy just looking at him. He is soooooooooooooo cute and sweet. He's trying really hard to get home. Then we went to the Texas Roadhouse and had a nice dinner. We had steak and baked potatoes and vegatables, rolls, and I had grilled shrimp and Mike had rattlesnake bites. He surprised himself with ordering them since they were called anything to do with snakes. Those who know how much he hates snakes will appreciate that. They were good though and he enjoyed them. We made a run to Wal-Mart, Kroger and to get gas. Then we came home and I watched a movie that I thought he would enjoy too but he didn't. So that was Saturday. Then on Sunday, we went to church and I left early to go with Teresa and Eric to see Taft. He is doing better still. This evening was "Evening of Music" at the Dan Packard home. The YSA's had that for FHE tonight. It was fantastic. So that was our Anniversary story. We are grateful for each one that we get to have and hope there will many more.

Taft in the NICU

Well, it's the third day in the NICU for baby Taft. He is improving daily and is on a nasal cannula with 2 Liters of O2. They are giving him pedialite today and then if he tolerates that he will start formula tonight. He was awake some this afternoon while we visited him and we got to hold him and snuggle him and kiss his forehead. He is really sweet and cuddly even with the wires and tubes. Can't wait to get him home.

Surprise

Well, we had a surprise party for Mike. He was 14. All who came, had a really good time. Eric grilled some zummo links and we had chips and veggies and dip,cake, lemonade, and nuts. Johnny Ross roasted Mike and did a good job. Jon Healy won the look alike contest. Many friends came and Mike was soooooooo appreciative.