Look Who's 39!

Yep, it's our Ernest.....love this picture!

Here we all are waiting for the burgers that Jeannie brought over for

Ernest to grill on his Weber!

After the festivities Charlie and Jeannie's girls tease their Grandma! That's Ivy, Reagan, and Jocelyn. Must be Reagan's new thing because she gave me this "face" when she first came over!

She is so fun!

Trunk of Treat

Our Baybrook Ward Annual Trunk or Treat was so fun for our grandkids this year. Just look at their costumes!!

Christian, Sandra, and Evy. We thought Sandra looked like Holly Cuevas when we saw her from a distance, but then up close we decided she's a dead ringer for Brook White (from last years American Idol.....and yes we watched! Go David Archuleta!)

Reagan, Jeannie, Ivy, Chuck, and Jocelyn. Jeannie made all their costumes!!!

Our Brood after the costume parade and waiting for dinner to begin.

I had to include this picture of Chuck and Adam Barnes with their Star Wars costumes. I can't wait to see them dress up one Halloween as OB One and Sith Lord with their light sabers and reinacting the epic duel scene!

George Lucas Could Have Used These Kids!!!

You know those foam alphabet tile mats that have the punch out alphabet letters that you just hate to put back together after the kids have punched out the letters and pictures?

Our grandkids have discovered great new uses for these foam squares that lock together! They have made go-carts, boxes, and an assortment of fences and cars but this is their newest invention. That's right!!! Being the true Star Wars fans that we are......meet the "Square Head" storm troopers!!!!

Surgery the Cathy Way!

I made it back to town this week after spending 2 weeks tending and loving on our kids in Bountiful. Cathy managed to recoup fast enough to be up and around a couple of days before I left. So here are some pictures of Cathy's ordeal!

hmmmmm..........didn't realize I caught her smiling after surgery! Must be because she's glad to see me!

Okay...so the smile is bigger three days later when she's just about ready to go home. Must be because she loves that family of hers so much. Notice her walking buddy. I need one of those to help me over the threshold at church (see previous post!).

Well....I had other photos from the trip but I thought I would just take the time to tell all of you

how to do surgery the Cathy way...

1. Call Mom (me!) less than a week before you are to go in so Mom can panic thinking she can't find any low airfares to get to the hospital in time.

2. Make sure there is a Tropical Storm on the way to Mom's house so she can call on her son-in-law's secret weapon at the airline's main office to get her out a day earlier so she can miss all the cancellations that are going to occur after she's made the reservation (Thank you Ming)!

3. Decide the night before surgery to go running with a friend so you'll be good and rested for your early morning appearance at the hospital (Cathy, what were you thinking?) Honestly, I think that Cathy running all over the mountains every week helped her heal faster than I ever could!

4. Scare everyone by developing a hematoma and then getting dizzy and throwing up everyday after the surgery for a few days.

5. Rent tons of "Gilmore Girls" Dvd's so that when you get home from your ordeal in the hospital you can laugh your head off with your Mom by your side laughing her guts out too! (Good for the stitches!)

6. Keep a list of all meds taken so that when you have to wake up every morning around 4 am with "REAL PAIN" you'll remember which pill you really need to take and at what time you can really take it!

7. And finally.........smile often, reminesce endlessly about life, love, happiness, and family...and then fall asleep in mid sentence as soon as the meds take effect, with Mom sitting there holding your hand. My favorite moments!!!!!

The Quiet Week That Ended with a Big Splat!

Usually life around here is bouncing around all over the place but this week, we spent quiet down time together and enjoyed the company of our kids and grandkids. Jeannie came over to work on diapers a couple of days and we gals later in the week got together for a girls night out!

Our quiet week ended today with a big splat as I launched myself through the opened front door of the Church this morning and ended up on all fours in the foyer! Yep, there I was sprawled out for all to see....I didn't really trip, my foot just didn't pick up when my brain told it to so naturally I kept moving forward without it......Jenny and Chuk stood there stunned. Karen Nelson arrived immediately after my tumble and got down with me to keep me calm.....not that I was going nuts, but gee it hurt! I tried to get up but couldn't and it looked like Chuk and Jenny weren't going get me up.

By this time the crowd was growing and I realized I had become a spectacle so I sent the troops out to look for Ernest who soon after arrived to take charge, get me up and moved to the couch. No lasting trauma, but thank goodness for my friends who helped to doctor me up. I spent the remainder of the meetings being escorted around by Chuk, who would not let me wear my shoes. That caused quite a few raised eyebrows and a lot of comments. When word of my smackdown started getting around to everyone......I just told them I was staging a sit in!.......sigh........I really need to work on my entrance!!!

Here is our Jocelyn smiling for the camera..... And here are our girls, Reagan, Jeannie, Ivy, and Jocelyn. Jeannie is just back from girls camp and loving being with her girls again!
Reagan decided to pull up a stool and take over the salad makings for dinner. This is a first time for her to join in the kitchen with me. Usually the girls want to make cookies!

Ivy has discovered her two bottom teeth and the tongue just keeps coming out to "feel" them!

And here is Chuk, kicking back to read his Church News and spend a quiet Sunday afternoon with me as I nurse my leg. Yes, I am thankful for my blessings.

Cultural Activity at the Kub Home!

So this is a Sunday afternoon, after the family meal with the Chan's and the Kubs, we are all kicking back and just enjoying each others company, but oh! The kiddos decide to provide their own entertainment because the adults are so into each other visiting.....but you know that Grandma and Papa always know what's up with the grandkids and loving every minute of it!!

Couldn't leave out this precious picture of Aunt Jenny with Evy (both sleeping) after a very tiring outing this week! ...just a trip to Target and to Motherhood to help Sandra find some maternity clothes was all it took!

Sandra' Birthday

Yesterday was Sandra's Birthday and we celebrated by going to Perry's to Eat. Today we had the entire family over and had a great time visiting and eating cake! Ernest got this HUGE cake from the Cake Lady, almond cake with raspberry filing and buttercream icing plus chocolate dipped strawberries. Yummy!

Here is Sandra holding her niece, Ivy, with Ernest by her side!

Reagan (left) and Jocelyn (right) celebrating with cousins Evy (bottom left) and Christian, with their sister Ivy (bottom right).

More Utah Pics!

Hello all....Here are more Utah pics of our trip. Enjoy!

And BTW those of you who don't know it, our Cathy and Chad have created a blog this week so go check them out (check out family blogs on the left menu bars).

The Race!!

Here are some still pictures of the grandkids as we were filming some of our movie, "The Race" on our latest trip to Utah!

Sarah, Zac, and Ellie!!

Michael helping Chuk get the shot set up!! Crew and runners waiting in the wings with Christy!

A fun moment after feeding the masses!

Well, there is more to come but that will have to wait until next post!

Grandma Day!

I had a great time with the girls this week although it was sad that Jeannie was sick. I actually got to keep Ivy for a day.......4 little girls......I had lots of help from Jen too. Here are some pictures from our activities that day. We did sidewalk drawing, watered flowers, watched movies, picked flowers (weeds!! hehehehe) and played hopscotch. I love seeing how well the girls get along with each other. What a great group of cousins they are!

The Grandgirls Birthday Smash!

Last night we had an awesome party celebrating Reagan and Jocelyn's birthdays together. Of course, this was all planned by the party MOM....Jeannie of course! First we ate with the family and friend crowd at Chick-fil-A's at the mall........ate a very icing birthday cake/cupcake and opened presents. THEN....me and the kids did a human chain to Build-A-Bear where the everyone got to pick out an animal, name it, make promises, wash, and then dress them. I think by the time we were done, everyone was happy and ready for home! Check out these cool pictures!

Here are the birthday girls blowing out their candles.

Can you tell the kids from the animals?

"Gardening the Plants!"

Yep....that's what Jocelyn wanted to do today, garden the plants...so we went outside with Evy and Reagan in tow and planted the petunias and assylium in the yard. Aren't we all so cute?

The Easter Egg Hunt!

Our Easter Egg Hunters!

Papa and Ivy

Couldn't resist putting a picture of Papa on the blog holding our newest granddaughter, Ivy. She is so cute and looks a lot like her Dad, at this point. Jeannie and Ivy are doing great and I'm sure our son, Charlie, is happy they have recuperated from their difficult birth. We are just so happy to have Ivy here and Jeannie doing well!