Birthday Hike

Because I was gone from Tucson on my actual birthday I celebrated with my friends when I got back. On January 9th 2010 a group of us started for Picacho, including Tim and Rosa who came down to Tucson for the weekend. We didn't get far from our meeting spot when we found that we couldn't get on the I10 because a semi-truck had been cut in two by a train. It was crazy! Thankfully no one was hurt- just empty yogurt cups! A few of us backed out and headed to Tangerine, while the rest tried backtracking to Orange Grove. We found out later that there was already an accident on the free-way which caused the back-up and the truck to be stopped on the tracks, apparently a cop waved him on and then he couldn't move, anyway so the cars that tried to go back to Orange Grove got stuck in even worse traffic. We on the other hand had an adventure off-roading it to get to Tangerine.

Tim, Rosa, Tom, and I met Scott at the peak and started up without everyone, Tim and Rosa had to go then or not at all. So we got to the top and enjoyed the scenery (It is amazing - you are on top of highest point for miles, all around you there is flat valley floors leading up to other mountains). Tim and Rosa left after an hour or so, and we were joined by the others.

The first group (bottom right picture) Tom, me, Rosa, Tim and Scott.
The Big group (Top left picture) Standing: Scott S., Tom F., Jessica K., Greg C., Danielle H., Shaun H., Me, David I., Sitting: Nikki L., Holly S., Ben I., and Bryce A.
After enjoying the view for a while longer and taking a lot of pictures we hiked back down, using the cables and poles provided!
Once back at the bottom and in our cars we headed back to Tucson and hit up Ihop for pancakes. The waiters even brought me ice cream and sang happy birthday and let me blow out a lighter because they didn't have candles I guess- which was fun but not as much as when I got to Deanna's house and she and Stephanie had made a cake for me! It was so cute and I got to blow out the candles and get sung to again. Cake and games ended a great day thanks to my friends and family!

Perfect birthday for me because this morning Tim, Rosa and I had cereal for breakfast, then did some shopping and had French Toast for lunch. With the crapes that I had for dinner I had breakfast for ALL THREE MEALS!!! And I love breakfast foods!

Happy New Year!

After the temple Rachel and I spent a quite night at Tim and Rosa's and then went to Tucson to bring in the New Year at a Disco Dance for the institute!

Happy New Year to you all!

Temples

December 29, 2009 I went through the Snowflake, Arizona Temple. It was the most amazing experience, I really don't understand very much of what happened, but I am going back as often as I can. Dad and Aunt Louise were there, Beth was my escort, Jon and Kristi, Daniel and Amanda, Kori (Ben and Scott stayed home with sick children), Tim and Rosa all came! I really don't know of how to put the experience into words but I can tell you how much love I felt, from my family and from Heavenly Father!

After a huge lunch with the family we all got ready for another day at the temple, this time, December 30th, Daniel and Amanda took Jozie through the Mesa, Arizona Temple and were sealed for time and all eternity! I was able to go in to the sealing. It was a beautiful experience, the sealer talked about big huge miracles that the Lord has given us, like when the church made and dedicated over 50 temples in 3 years. However, it is amazing that we are given miracles just as big and important in little Jozie.

Gingerbread Extravaganza!

So this year we had a Gingerbread Extravaganza Challenge, Rachel and Sarah both cooked it up and got really into it. We made rules and sent an invitation. I had an idea to team up with Ian and make the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. Rachel wanted to do a huge project so we teamed up.

All of the kids got a cookie to decorate.


Tim and Rosa made a house along with Rachel and Elise. We made an antenna for dad.

Sarah made the world with the south pole, very well done. In fact what she had to do was really difficult and it took a lot of time and planning.

Rachel is the genius that came up with the Crookston Castle idea, together we made it a reality, I must say that at times I was ready to condemn gingerbread to outer darkness, but when it came to decorating it was my favorite thing to do.
Of all the gingerbread that we drenched ourselves in my favorite was the individual cookies for the kids, making whatever popped into their head into a cookie. It was so much FUN!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was great! It started early, as Sarah and I met in Mesa on Tuesday December 22, and despite storm warnings we headed up to the mountains. We couldn't go through Payson because Jon was stuck there and had to go around. We drove through Globe and hit snow and 30 miles an hour forty miles out of Show Low. It was slick and slow but it was worth it when we got to snuggle into blankets and wake up to snow, drink dad's orange/apple cider and not go anywhere!
We spent the next few days getting ready for Christmas, plus sledding with Jon and his family.
Tim, Rosa and Jon and his family came for Christmas Eve dinner. We had turkey, ham, rolls, and pie. We got a late start on the potatoes so didn't have them for dinner but leftovers. We did make sure we had deviled eggs because we missed them at Thanksgiving when we forgot to add them to the menu.

After dinner we did a Nativity reenactment! It is always one of my favorite times of the season. I loved Melissa and Tim in this one, Melissa just got her stuffed horse (from me - trying to buy her affection - but when I asked her if she loved me she pointed to her horse and said I love it) she is horse crazy and wouldn't put it down so we used it as the Baby (a little sacrilegious but it was all done out of love!). Jon and Kristi left to have a small family Christmas the next day at their own house.
Rachel came in from Utah late after having to work a part day, and we all settled down for a quiet Christmas!

We were so blessed this Christmas, I got part of the computer that I'm writing this on, the other part I'm paying back. Tim and Rosa gave each other their gifts stuffed in cereal and cracker boxes and wrapped, we thought it was hilarious and so we took a picture, they really didn't get Raisin Bran. Dad got a tv and Tim helped install it.
The day after Christmas or as I like to call it: My Birthday, people started to come. Beth and Scott from California, Daniel and Amanda from Queencreek, Ben and Kori from Utah. We had the cup rope again, always a sign that we are all together!


Puzzles and Christmas seem to be starting to link themselves together. We did lots of puzzles, well I can't say "we" I think I put one piece in on the tree puzzle and that was it. So I'm not so much a puzzle person, not when I have anything else to do, but I did help feed the addiction, by buying a puzzle for Dad and Aunt Louise that was a picture of the family.

Once everyone was there, we had lots of noise and lots of kids. We always have lots of food, eating together is a huge production, but worth every minute! The babies made it a really fun year, lots of giggles and snuggling.

It was a perfect time of just being together!

Sledding is always a big hit! Beth's boys are convinced that Arizona is where you go to see snow, because a large percentage of the time that they have actually come, there has been snow. Kai wasn't a fan of his gloves and would take them off, only to find that he was even less of a fan of wet cold hands. William and Mackenzie had contests to see who could go the fastest, they would jump on lie flat and go strait down the hill. Daniel started a game of jumping over them. Calvin started a game of surfing down the hill and soon had a following, including Tim.

Triathlon Relay!

So some time in October I was talking to some friends, one (holly) had recently done a triathlon and the other (Jessica) was getting ready to do one. I didn't need any convincing, I was all in. For a month or so I tried to get ready, Aunt Louise was down in Tucson when I was first starting to get ready and when I told her about it and my plans to get my old bike down from the mountain, she took me over to Walmart and we got this beautiful new teal Schwinn hybrid. I love it! I rode it to School almost every day, taking it on rides after all around Oro Valley. I found a new freedom that running didn't give, that is until it got a flat, then I found that there are advantages to running ( you don't need anything but shoes). Swimming proved to be the biggest problem. I swam until it got too cold in the HOA pool in our neighborhood.
I picked a different Triathlon than Jessica, hers was too soon. Holly and I decided on the Anthem Holiday classic. It was December 5th, but even as the time got closer for that it was fairly expensive and I wasn't getting as much done for it as hoped so, Holly and I decided to make it into a relay. Meta became our swimmer!
Our day came and we packed into Holly's car, bike and all and drove to Anthem. Meta was first, I was next and Holly brought it home! It was a blast! We made it into a party and enjoyed every minute. We didn't win but we came in in good time.

December in Tucson

December was a great month. Almost all of my friends had birthdays in November and December so we were always going to and throwing parties!

We also had fun making Christmas cookies! We made tons! Grandpa got to taste test them when I got home, I don't know what I would do without my official tester!

Besides birthdays we had a lot of parties, what can I say; "We Like to Party!"

Thanksgiving!

Before I left Tucson I made dinner for Grandpa's birthday. I asked him what he wanted and in the end he chose Yorkshire pudding, Waldorf salad, homemade rolls and pumpkin pie (sugar-free no less). We had a great time and Grandpa even blew out the candles. Happy 83rd!!!

I caught a ride up to Show Low with Aunt Louise, I stayed there for the weekend before heading to Colorado with her and Dad. During that time I got to spend time with Jon and his family, and we got a whole family and individual pictures taken. I was a lot of fun and some of my favorite pictures of the year were taken then. The one of Mel laying in the leaves, and Jaden throwing them around are on the top of my list.

We made it to Colorado, stopping at the arch and a random state park in New Mexico. We spent a few days getting ready for everyone and then on Wednesday night Rachel, Sarah and her friend Matt got there, followed by Tim and Rosa flying in.

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun! We baked for days! Jacob and Evan loved to be right there helping and it was fun just hanging out together. We also celebrated Rosa's birthday, making it a fun feasting and celebrating extended weekend.

Sarah found time to cut our hair! Thank you Sarah!

We also found time to do a lot of photo shoots! Tim and Rosa, David and his family, and Rachel, Sarah and I. We got a lot of updating done.

Highlight of the trip is when "Santa" came to visit. Jacob answered the door and couldn't stop laughing! He just doubled over with hoots of laughter. Evan wasn't such a big fan. Everyone got a turn to sit with Santa, even Dad, who's picture didn't turn up until it'd been through photo shop.