Can of Sardines

Redemption Blessings

Last night we all attended Glenn Beck's performance of the "Christmas Sweater". Brooke and I read the book (Brooke the speed reader read it in 3 days).
We are SO grateful for the message of the "Christmas Sweater" it is all about redemption and the greatest gift EVER given...the atonement. I would like to personally state how grateful I am for the atonement. For a LOVING, KIND Heavenly Father that sacrificed his son, Jesus Christ, so that I and all can be forgiven for our transgressions. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the ABSOLUTE truth of this book!! I am grateful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am grateful for all those within the church that serve my famiy, for their time and sacrifice! I am grateful for a living Prophet that guides us in these CRAZY times! I am SO grateful for my wonderful parents, for my brothers living and gone, for my incredible friends, for my in-laws that raised such an AWESOME husband and father!!! for my sister-in-laws and their families!! for my greatest blessings... Brynn, Alec, Brooke and Jack!! I am such an imperfect mother... their love, patience, tolerance, forgiveness is more than I sometimes deserve!! I feel absolutely blessed!! and I hope this Holiday Season you do to!

ICE SKATING

On Saturday we went ice skating with the Cushmans!! The pictures speak for themselves... we had a lot of fun!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

BLACK FRIDAY FUN

On Friday we went to the BODIES THE EXHIBITION in Atlanta. It was VERY interesting... if you get a chance to see this DO IT!!! We then went to Mexican Food at rosa mexicano If you ever get a chance to go to this restaurant DON'T DO IT!! $12.00 guacamole, with ONE I repeat ONE avocado??? I repeat DON'T DO IT!!! We had a nice time being together and learning about one of the many incredible gifts our Heavenly Father gave us... OUR BODIES!!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving Preparation starts out with a trip to Austell, GA for AWESOME smoked turkeys . We were introduced to these turkeys by Jenny, my BIKRAM YOGA teacher. We will never go back to regular turkey. Alec and I drove to the Sausage Chalet to pick up our turkeys. We also went to a nice lunch together at J ALEXANDERS.


The kids helped set our Thanksgiving table by looking on YOUTUBE for instructions on how to fold napkins!


As our guests arrived Cushmans and Atwoods they were each given a number/team assignment as either a PILGRIM or an INDIAN then they were given a bag that corresponded with their number. In the bag was a TURKEY dress-up item, as you can see from the pictures... each item varied from eye patches to turkey goggles, turkey bonnets to flowering turkey hats and the grand prize pink turkey gloves worn by dad. All of these items had to be worn during dinner or your team would lose a point.




After we were stuffed from dinner we proceeded to the shooting range where we all took a shot at a turkey target. Brynn shot a 50!!! WAY TO GO BRYNN!!!!




Then it was on to Thanksgiving Trivia and Who's Grateful for that!! Needless to say there was MUCH laughter (to the point of many tears)!!




I GUESS YOU HAD TO BE THERE....WISH YOU WERE!!!!
We then had a dessert bar and watched Get Smart!! We had a great time and are so glad our friends joined us!!! We love you and miss those that were not there!!! You know who you are!!!

Brooke is our writer/poet/artist this is her recipe for a good Thanksgiving!! Give it a try!!

Good-bye my friend....

I never thought it would happen... completely unexpected...my best friend Tamara packed her bags and left Georgia! Who leaves Georgia?... I guess those that can't get Utah out of their system... that's who. I took for granted that Tamara lived two miles away, it's not as if we saw each other daily... but it was always so comforting to know she was there!... you know just in case Mark and I had a silly squabble that Tamara could referee on or "oh my gosh Tamara this mother thing is getting the best of me - can we go to lunch" or "Tamara you drove 350 miles with our car keys in your car can you go delta express them so we can drive home" or "Tam can you bring the girls over, my kids need a boost and want to babysit" the list is actually endless! Life as we knew it here in Georgia has suddenly changed and I am not talking the election! My life has been better because of Tamara, I knew she always had my back, I knew that whatever I was or wasn't she still loved me, that even though I have some BIG quirkiness about me she enjoyed that quirkiness. It was nice to have someone around who knew half of your life...literally. Someone who witnessed the birth of all your children and could tell them about it. I know all of us Georgians blessed by Tamara's influence feel the same, we all have a bit of emptiness, sadness (and again I am NOT talking about the election). I know it will all be okay... thank heavens for Skype, texting and air travel! I really wanted her influence for my kids...you know it "takes a village". I SO appreciated the friendship she cultivated with my kids...what can I say???...WE LOVE YOU TAMARA AND FAMILY!! WE WILL MISS YOU MORE THAN YOU KNOW!!

Men and B B guns

Fun with Poppy and Nanny!!!

Mark's parents have been visiting us for a week and we are SOOOOO happy to have them!!! Today we went to the Coca Cola Factory and tasted a bunch of soda from around the world!! I think we all agree we like those that America offers the best!!
We also ate lunch at a yummy restaurant called LUCKIES

Hippies from the South

Tonight was our church Halloween Trunk-or-Treat!!
We all dressed up and as you can see it looks
like we have lived in the South a little too long!!!

There is NOTHING cute about these critters!!!!!

I Have Been Threatened!!

They begged me not to... and there are parts of the video I can see why they don't want anyone to see... but the beginning is pretty funny!!

Continually Amazed!!!

Shy...Cute...Sweet...Surprising...Brooke!!! We didn't know she had it in her... but the dancing queen has come out!! Those years of dancing have paid off... or have they??? you decide...

What did you do with your Saturday?

Where does time go?

It seems like only yesterday we were making vacuum sounds, trying to calm this little chinker from her colicky first 9 months on this earth!! and now... she is in high school??!!?? Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back in time???

Happy Birthday!!!