spring break

it's been a busy few days....kerry and austin came home on thursday night for a week of wedding planning!  they've been busy....met with the venue people...engagements photos, video, flowers, cake, austin met terry and sharon...we went to dinner with my cousin george which was great...i haven't seen him for years...so it was fun to catch up and reminisce...monday night we went bowling for fhe...luckily, i schooled them!! it's been a fun few days...

disneyworld princess half marathon

the tangled 5k

magic kingdom

princess half

kerry and i flew to florida on friday and met kelly, kristen and kelly's friend linda in orlando...the mission?  to run the disneyworld princess half marathon!  if you remember...in january the girls ran the tinkerbell half in california...so, if you run both races in the same calendar year...you get a medal for running 'coast to coast'...so that's what the girls did...it was a quick but fun trip...friday night we walked all over epcot, probably twice, looking for this pasta party that the race puts on...we found it...they had just closed down!  oh well...dinner was someplace else...saturday morning we got up early to go to the tangled 5k...that was for me...so we all did that...i had to walk it, because while training i wrecked my knee...but, i could walk it...it was all through epcot...again....fun to do...we came back to the hotel, changed and went to the magic kingdom...it was a fun day...kelly had a magic pass (she has an 'in')...it let us get fast passes immediately...so we went on all the rides without waiting...that was fantastic!! we went back to epcot...walked to the end of the park again for dinner...then, a not so early bedtime...the poor girls had to be up at 3 am!! they had to catch a bus to the race...it started at 5:45 am...i didn't go until 7...lucky me...i arrived at about 7:30, just as kelly was finishing...linda was already done...then, kristen came in and then kerry....i'm so proud of all of them...they did a fantastic job...after the race we went back to the hotel and the girls collapsed...slept for a few hours...had a long lunch, then a long plane ride back to california!!! a fun, but quick trip!!!

feb in slc

kerry and austin got engaged!!!
willie, ryan and jacob...celebrating ryan's wedding
kathie, allison, danece and me...girl's days!

it's been a whirlwind lately...the whole month of february in fact...but, all of it's good...i went to slc and alot happened while i was there....the most exciting was that kerry and austin got engaged on february 15th!!! what an exciting night...they are very happy and excited for their june 1st wedding...it will be busy for us the next few months....the next night we had a girl cousins party at our house...that was alot of fun...everyone brought a recipe from pinterest...it was fun to visit and see everyone...friday was ryan and whitney's wedding...that was a great day to celebrate with them...they were so happy...fun to be there...i had willie and kelly and kids, jeff and kelly and kids and kerry there...russ and kristen were in vegas on their own little trip....saturday was whitney's 30th birthday...we celebrated the next day with her...on saturday we went shopping for wedding dresses!!! woo hoo...and she found a gorgeous one...what a beautiful bride kerry will be....sunday and monday was fun with family and friends...lunch, dinner, movies etc...on tuesday the family lefts and the 'girls' came...we had a fun time together...we went up to kamas to that fun restaurant that kathy fryer took me too in the fall...went to park city and shopped around....ate alot! saw some movies...shopped around salt lake...and talked, talked and talked...it was a great time to see my friends...it was a great trip to slc...on friday kerry and i flew to florida...and that's the next post!

tinkerbell 13.1

tinkerbell! here we come!  that was the war cry on saturday!! no, not to disneyland, but to the tinkerbell inagural half marathon!  and, no, it wasn't me that was running! whew! kelly, kerry, kristen, shannon and her sister lindsay were the girls involved...it was fun to see all the hoopla surrounding the race...since it's disney, everyone dresses up and it's so much fun to see what they wear...i saw captain hook (kelly), snow white (kris), tweedle dee and tweedle dum ( kerry and shannon).they looked darling in their 'team sparkle' skirts (kelly and her good friends company)..along with tink, of course, the good fairies, minnie, cruella etc...it was fun.the race started at 5:45 and they ran through the park, the characters were out to cheer them on..they ran through the castle and then eventually through the streets of anaheim,and 13.1 milies later, finishing up by running through california adventure and then the big finish line!!..kelly ran an amazing race...finished before we could get to the finish line...she's a race car out there!  kristen did an amazing job, doing very well in her first race...and kerry and shannon did a great job...kerry had some things going against her...she's had bronchitis all month but only found out of friday...so she didn't train alot...so shannon pushed her along and let her stop to breath along the way...lindsay did great and had a fun time also...fun times to share with the girls...

my dad would be 90!

  my dad, gerald...jiggs to his friends was one of   the most generous people i have ever known, (tom, was the other one)....he gave and gave and taught me that great principle....i was so lucky to have him as a dad...he had the best sense of humor and loved a good joke...he had great knowledge and loved to pass it on (lecture) to us during dinner!! he was smart, loved the game...the game of business...the sport's game....any game...he loved the 'odds' of beating the other side...he coached our wards basketball and softball teams for years and years...and it was almost like a pro team...golf was his passion...and he dressed the part....i remember his bright red pants that he wore...he had huge goals and he pulled it off....he owned the utah jazz, he owned the canyon racquet club, and he owned and built the jeremy ranch among other things...but, i think his greatest achievement was marrying my mom and raising 4 amazing children...which of course, i am one of!! i was blessed to have him in my life...love you forever!! enjoy your birthday golf game with mom and tom!!!

Christmas

Christmas Eve.....family, friends, food, and a special visit from 'you know who!'

Christmas Day was filled with gifts, more food, toys...the next day brought Willie and Kelly and family for a whole week!!!

The cousins played...there was running, screaming, laughing...we went to the beach with our gorgeous weather...we went to the zoo...we went to Catalina...we saw the old Mullin house on Catalina...went a on sub ride...played in the sand and water....

the holidays were fantastic!!! I got to see all my special loved ones...couldn't ask for a better Christmas!!

pre christmas festivities

russ and kristen had a fun 'ugly' sweater party last night...there were goodies, lots of ugly sweaters, white elephant gifts...firecrackers....a great time...i'm decorated to the hilt...just need to make food for santa tonight...merry christmas to all!!!

thanksgiving

holiday in utah:

slc...a little snow...some clouds...some beautiful days

family...playing with the grandkids...talking to them...enjoying being with them

friends...hanging out with my buddies...always alot of fun

t-day....alot of work...but, soooo worth it!

movies....shopping....relaxing....

a great getaway!

house project

(the before...i guess i only take pictures of my house when it's decorated)
(the actual work)
(finished)

i've had a huge project going on since last may....and it's done!!! i'm soooo tired from all that work....just kidding...i didn't do much of anything, except watch!! but, we changed the outside of the house...from a little cottage style house...to a classic Mediterranean house...i love it...it was a long summer...all my guests, visitors and neighbors had to deal with dust, noise, hammering, jack hammers, huge messes...what else? just about everything...trucks, sand, and more noise...but, it turned out fantastic! thank you, thank you..mike and all your great subs...we covered the front walk way and turned it into a little covered porch...with a front gate...the biggest thing we did was take out the step up into the house and step down...took out a couple of walls and made the entry just open...changed the driveway to pavers...put new windows and doors in...built a new barbecue area...it turned into a bit more of a project than i thought...at the end of may when i asked mike if it would be done in july for the wedding...he gave a startled look...like you're crazy!! and i was...so, here it's end of oct...and we're done!!! yippee! i'm thrilled with the outcome...the only thing is...i'll miss my friends...all the work men that have been hanging out...maybe they'll come by and say hi!!

utah fun

last weekend i was in utah for nick and shayla's wedding...what a fun time! we got together with so many friends...i love these weddings 'cause we get to see everyone! the best part is my family all made the trip to the wedding also! so, my project before they came was to make a couple of little playrooms in the basement...they were a huge hit! the kids had fun playing dress-ups...playing in the little tent...playing with the little kitchen...they loved it! guess i need to make one down at home...all in all it was a great week...

hard to beat

it's hard to beat a day like this...
park city boutique...best find...kathy's chocolate...
kamas....best restaurant...high mountain drugstore..
it's award winning hamburgers and malts...and fun stuff they sell...
heber city...fantastic art show...beautiful paintings, sculpture and ceramics...
gorgeous mountains to drive through...picture perfect day...
fantastic friend to be with...
loved the day!!!

make it work....

so, i ordered some patio furniture online, for my front porch...didn't realize it would come in a box and that i would be putting it together...it wasn't too bad, except for a few of the holes that were not lined up....hmmm, that took some work, to get them to work...but, finally...finished product!! doesn't look too bad...

flew the coop and where did i land??

slc....lunches, kids, family, friends, dinners, shopping, hot, beauty, mountains, relax...
colorado....family, fun, mountains, bikes, rivers, gondolas, hikes, green, beauty, cool, dinners, exploring, rain, swimming, stories....
slc....more lunches, more friends, more family, birthdays, visits,more kids, hot summer days and nights, movies, more of everything.....
what a way to fly the coop.....

flying the coop

this summer was crazy with people at our house....all the rooms were full...lots of action going on at all times...it was really fun...but, as you know, all good things come to an end...russ and kristen moved into their new house...they are getting settled into real life (that actually happens in two weeks when school starts), kerry moved back to utah for school...she was excited to go see her friends, although most of them seemed to have shown up once or twice this summer...shem left on his trip...met up with andrea....nick and shayla left the week before...so, i'm down to sophie, sadie and gracie...i'm an empty nester...which is sort of weird...so we'll see how it goes...since they flew the nest, maybe i should also! where should i go????

birthdays!

from june until august we have 7 birthdays in our family....so we get to have alot of fun parties....this week was willie's 31st birthday and today is kerry's 22nd birthday!!! hip hip hooray!! my kids are the greatest and i'm so lucky to have them in my family....willie is such a fantastic man...he is smart, funny, handsome, a great husband and wonderful dad..

kerry is so beautiful...she is artistic, a fashionista, so

much fun to be with...she is full of life at all

times...it's a party when you're with her....i am so

blessed to have such a great family...we have a

great time together...i want them both to know

how proud i am of both of them....love you guys...