Remembering Grandma

My sweet grandma (my mom's mom) passed away last Tues. Oct. 26th at age 92. She was in a nursing home and had really gone downhill in the past year. She'd had macular degeneration for the past several years and could not see anymore. She'd had bladder cancer and had also suffered several strokes. I'm so happy that she's no longer in any pain. What a happy reunion she must be having on the other side with her parents and three siblings who passed on before her. Her funeral was on Sat. and luckily for me, Caleb was home for the weekend (before heading off to Seattle, WA for his next rotation) so he was able to go down to Salt Lake with me for it. It was so beautiful. My sister and I played a flute/violin duet, my mom gave the life sketch, Caleb gave the opening prayer and my dad dedicated her grave.

My sister, Chalise (holding Capri), my mom, and grandpa at the gravesite

Chalise and Capri

(My kind sister-in-law baby-sat my other two kids so we wouldn't have to worry about them and it was such a BIG help! Thanks so much, Kynda!!)

Since my grandma was in the Navy Waves during World War II, the Utah Veterans of Foreign Wars was present at the gravesite to give her a salute with rifles, bugle, and bagpipes.

They presented my grandpa with this flag at the conclusion of the salute

Grandpa

immediate family shot

Caleb, my grandpa, me

my parents with my grandpa

and this is what Capri looked like when we got home!

I have many happy memories of my grandma. She was a wonderful lady with a big heart. She loved to sew and made me many items of clothing while I was growing up, including matching dresses for my sister and me. She was also a painter and inspired in my heart the desire to take art lessons which I did in high school. She loved to play the piano and organ and I remember sitting beside her while she played for me or sang to me. Her homemade bread was famous and I will never forget how fun it was to go to her house and find a "little loaf" just my size waiting for me, fresh from the oven. I love her so much and I'm so grateful I'll get to see her again one day. Until then, goodbye Grandma...

Fall F-U-N

A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law and I took our kids to a super fun Corn Maze out in Shelley. Besides the maze they had some other fun things for kids to do including a kid's maze, a slide, a tractor train, corn shooting, etc. and everything was free once you paid the initial fee to get in.

Here are the cousins about to go down the slide together

"Partners in Crime"

Crew and Davis loved climbing up the slide and then throwing dirt. They were completely covered by the end!

Davis chasing Crew through the 'kiddy maze'

Crew loved riding the tractor train

My kids and I in the maze

Group shot at the beginning

My kids LOVE Caleb's parent's gas stove fireplace that turns on every morning to warm up the house. It's so cute- they will sit by it in their camp chairs and "warm their hands".

Priesie just chillin' in the stroller while we rake leaves

Caleb's parent's yard has a TON of leaves!! I never realized how MANY leaves they have! My kids have had a blast raking them up and then jumping in them.

I found this little four-wheeler at a garage sale for $3! Crew loves it and calls it his "cycle".

Palisades Creek Hike

Last week we were so blessed to be able to spend the WHOLE week with Caleb before he had to leave for his Tucson rotation for the month of Oct. We had a wonderful time with him and we did lots of fun things together--bike rides, picnics, swimming, movies, went to the temple, etc. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of everything, but I did bring the camera the day we went hiking up Palisades Creek. We only made it about three miles or so (since Crew insisted on walking) but it was the absolute perfect day for hiking--not too hot, not too cold and the colors were beautiful! I'd forgotten all about how gorgeous Fall is, having been in the hot land of AZ for the past three years.

This is where we stopped for lunch

Caleb showing off his mad skipping rock skills

Caleb put Crew up in this tree and he wasn't too happy about it as you can see...

King (and Queen) of the Mountain

I heart this picture!

And now we're on our own again...sad day, as Caysja would say. :( During the week it's not so bad but the weekends are no fun without Caleb. We'd gotten so spoiled having him come home from Salt Lake the past three months. Hats off to all the single moms out there! We miss you, lots and lots, Honey!!

P.S. And yes, it WAS too good to be true that Capri was sleeping 8 hours at night, because as soon as Caleb left, that ended. She's now doing about four hour stretches, which isn't terrible, but I prefer the 8 hours!

Capri's first camping trip

I just came across these pics and realized I'd never posted about this trip we took. Oops! Over Labor Day weekend we went camping (well, sort of--we didn't stay the night but drove up and back two days in a row) with Caleb's two brothers and their families at Palisades. It was so beautiful (aside from the WIND- ugh!) and we had a great time. Caysja learned to ride her bike without training wheels! (If I can figure out how, I'll try to post the video of it we took.) Caleb took the kids on lots of motorcycle rides and they loved it! This is what started Crew's recent obsession with "cycle-cycles" as he calls them. He LOVES them and will tell me whenever he sees one or hears one drive by our house. He will go out in the garage and point to Caleb's motorcycle over and over and say " Daddy cycle-cycle" about a billion times!

It was Capri's first camping trip and she was a little angel. We went on a hike and this is what she looked like the whole way.

I forgot what they were cheering about, but I love their expressions!

So cozy

Sitting around the campfire

Too good to be true?

So last night Capri (or Priesie as we've started calling her for short) slept 9 hours straight (9pm-6am)!!! Is that too good to be true or what?!? I'm going to get spoiled here! The two nights before that she slept 8 hours straight so I sure hope it continues. That would be heavenly! I can hardly believe it since she's not even 7 weeks old yet. Maybe she can sense my stress level and that less sleep would really put me over the edge!

A few other things I've noticed: she never spits up--it's wonderful! She loves to be wrapped "baby burrito style" and likes to sleep in her swing at night (she doesn't like to be flat on her back). She has FINALLY started taking a paci and I'm SOOO glad because that really helps her calm down and get to sleep. (I went to Walmart and bought every single kind they had!) She is starting to smile a TON and I love it! Also, her eyes are starting to get very blue. We love her!

We've had the best week! Caleb's Dr. in Salt Lake let him have a whole week off before he has to start his new rotation in Tucson next week so we have been living it up and trying to cram everything we could possibly do with him into these last few days. AND, the weather has been WONDERFUL for once (I think it was 87 yesterday)!! I'm so grateful. Pictures will come soon...

Capri's Blessing

A week ago yesterday we blessed Capri. It was a beautiful day (not even windy for once!) and it was so nice of all our family members to come and support us. Caleb gave her a wonderful blessing and she was perfectly quiet (though wide awake) through it all. Thanks for coming everyone.

Our family

My sister, Chalise, and her husband Steve drove up from Salt Lake to be there. Capri wore the GORGEOUS blessing dress that Chalise made for Caysja's blessing four years ago. It is seriously a work of art! She's amazing!

Three generations

My mom and Capri

'girl shot'

sisters make the best of friends

the kiddos (check out Crew's grumpy face--he'd had it with pictures by this point!)

"Pretty Prisie"

My dad and Capri