Happy Birthday Johnny Boy!!!

Happy Birthday John!!! Today is my brother in law John's birthday. He is married to my younger sister Sarah. I had the privilege of meeting John from the beginning! We all went to USU together and it was fun to get to know him before everyone else! John is a very charitable and fun loving guy! He is always doing something for someone and he would do anything for anyone! And really has done so much for me and even strangers! I learned this early on and I am so thankful for all that he does for me! While he and Sarah were dating he would often take my car and wash it for me! I think he was trying to butter me up so that I would approve of him and I tell you what it worked.....he is an amazing car washer!!! When I can get him to do it I love it!!! He takes such care and does a great job! My car has never looked so good! Working along side John is fun! I have learned a lot from him in his enthusiasm for service.....he truly has that one down!!

John isn't only good at washing cars though....he is becoming a great electrician! He is working hard in his apprenticeship and has excelled in his classes and in his learning. He has done a great job in his profession and works super hard to provide for his family. I know that John works hard and I know that Sarah appreciates it so that she can stay home with the girls! And boy are those girls cute! John is really great with them! He takes his turn in caring for them and yet at the same time lets me take them away from him often!

I always feel so comfortable around John. He makes me laugh and cares about me as a person. He isn't afraid to hug us and is always showing us that he loves us! I appreciate that so much! I love getting a hug from John!!! He makes my days more than he knows! He teases us girls often as a brother would but he loves us for sure and I know that cause he shows us and tells us! And he is super good with the nieces and nephews. They all love him and want to be around him!

I am thankful to have John in our family. He has added something that we all needed! He makes Sarah happy which of course is the most important!! John is an incredible person! Hope your day is grand!!

Happy Birthday Johnny Boy---Love you!!!!

Pumpkin Patch.....

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mother!!! She is a great example and support to me! I love her dearly and am thankful to have her as my mom! She is a very talented woman. She has always had some hobby that she is working on. She has mastered tole painting, quilting, doll making, sewing just about anything, decorating, gardening, and just about anything else that makes our house a home. I love going to her house and admiring her masterpieces. Her roses are gorgeous and are cared for in love. Just as all things in her life are. You can feel her love for her family in what she does to make her home beautiful. I admire my mom for going back to school to get her Master's Degree when we were younger. She worked hard and diligently to get the degree that she knew would help her in her job as a teacher at SLCC. It was a proud day for all of us to watch as she received something that she had worked so hard for!!

Mom loves to read---something that I am glad that she passed on to me! We always went to the library growing up collecting books to read and furthering our knowledge. Mom has never stopped learning and continues to expand her vast knowledge. She can usually be found with a mystery novel in her hands! Or some kind of word game---which she excels at! But more important she has the scriptures open often and applys them to her life. She was a very diligent writer to me while I was on my mission. She offered many words of advice and shared humorous events for me that uplifted me in the times that were difficult. She works hard at whatever she puts her mind! She is working hard on family history--connecting our family for eternity is a great blessing she is bringing to many people!

Mom has always supported Dad in his church callings. I know that many times it was a sacrifice for her to have him gone so much...but she taught us all great lessons of showing her Faith in what the Lord was requiring of her and her family. She made sure that we were taken care of so that Dad could serve to the best of his ability. When she was able to go along with him you could see her testimony radiate as she served alongside her husband.

I had the great opportunity to spend many a Thurs with Mom and Grandma Ann at Brighton Gardens. When it was her turn to check on her mother she was always there, sharing a meal, making her place ready for the holidays, and visiting with her kids and grand kids. What an example she was to me in caring for her mother and in years past her father. I enjoyed our visits greatly and learned a lot about my mother and her relationship with her own mother.

Not only did Mom care for her own parents but she sacrificed a lot to care for Grandpa Emerson. She took him in after surgeries to be cared for in her home and drove him all over the valley when Dad was needing to be at work. I know that it was a sacrifice for her but she did it out of love and I know that Dad as well as Grandpa were most appreciative. She has shown this same care for Dad in his recent diagnosis of diabetes. She has studied and researched all she could to see what changes needed to be made in their diet so that he could overcome this. She has worked hard in helping him to loose weight and eat better and they have both been most successful! I am proud of her hard work!!! And they both look great!!!

Mom I am glad that I am your daughter and that I have the chance to be your friend. I enjoy spending time with you and talking with you! I love shopping with you, crafting with you, and discussing the gospel with you. I love and appreciate you!!!

Have a very Happy Birthday~~~your deserve it!!

Technical Difficulties...

Apparently my blog background has expired......UGH!!! I hate changing!! So until I can find something I like this is what you get!

Why I LOVE being an aunt......

Enough said!!!! Love these kids more than they know! This is what this life is all about!!!

Labor Day Weekend!!!

What a fun weekend!! This whole last week I did a lot of things with my family---we had some good laughs!!! We moved Brooke and her family at the beginning of the week and helped prepare for the blessing of Tessie Quinn. On Friday night I went and got a pedicure with Sarah--it was fun to get away just the 2 of us like old time before her kids!! :) It was fun and very relaxing.....although we went to a new place and I love the regular one much better!!! I then helped her clean her house a bit and played with the girls! Audrie was cute as can be, I had picked up Tessie since she was crying and got her to fall asleep. I put her back in her bed and after 20 minutes or so she started crying, Audrie kept saying Rae Rae she wants you---she needs to hold you (her way of saying she needs to be held)! And so for the rest of the night we stayed on the bed cuddling......just the 3 of us! What fun!

Saturday I spent with Mom and Laura. We went to some of our favorite shops and had lunch at Zuppas! It was my first time and I now know why everyone keeps telling me that I need to go!! It was YUMMY!!! Ending with yogurt @ the Yogurt Stop---also VERY YUMMY!! Sunday we had the blessing of Tessie Quinn. It was a wonderful blessing and day spent with family. It was fun to visit the Holladay 3rd ward and relish in so many memories of years growing up!!! And we had a great lunch after with friends and family!

Monday was more fun with the girls! Mandy, Sarah, Mom and I went shopping. It was an adventure for sure!!! We thought with 4 adults and 3 kids (one being a few weeks old) we would be okay! Boy were we ever wrong!!! Lilly and Audrie gave us a run for our money......and I really mean RUN!!!! We chased them all over the stores and had to keep them held hostage in the carts! They feed off of each other in so many ways that it was funny but frustrating to watch them! At one point during lunch they were dancing all around the restaurant saying to each other, "Go Lilly!, Go Lilly!, Go Audrie!, Go Audrie!" It was super funny and EVERYONE was watching! But they weren't running away so we let them have fun! We hit the Yogurt Stop again!

I love spending time with my sisters and Mom. It was fun to laugh and cry together! It gets harded to do so as they have more kids but I am willing to make sacrifices to spend time with them. I laugh a lot and come away feeling very loved each time we are together. They are constant in my life and offer light and joy that I need. I can ALWAYS count on them when I need something.....but most of all they love me no matter what! Thanks for the fun times girls!!! We need to do it again soon!!!!

Happy Birthday Lilly!!!!!

Eating her yogurt!

Happy Birthday Lillian Elizabeth Parry!!! Today is my little niece Lilly's birthday! I tried really hard to get her here on my birthday but it just didn't quite work that way!! Even before she arrived here into our family I knew she would be special---she has proven that time and time again! Oh this little girl is amazing! She was born with some health problems and has been a trooper the last 4 years as she has had a few surgeries and one of her ears is a little ear. She loves to talk about her belly button that the doctor made for her and her little ear. She is confident in who she is already----which is a good thing!

For the first few years of her life my mom tended her part time while her parents worked and it was fun to run home while I was living there to see her. I hated to miss her and had to see her at least every day or so. She makes you laugh at EVERYTHING she says! I don't know where she has gotten all her brains from but she is smart as a whip and has an imagination gone wild! I love tending her and playing what she has thought of! I am always laughing hard when I am there. She never disappoints in her creativeness! The other day I was tending her and her room was a mess making it hard to play in there. I told her that we needed to clean up a few things so that we could play better. She said it is so boring to clean! I explained that if we picked up a few things we could play a lot better. Her response to me was, "I want to do something exhilarating!!!" When I looked at her with a question in my eye how she knew that word (as I am sure her parents don't use it on a daily basis!) She says, "It means fun and exciting!" When I questioned her parents how she knew the word they had no clue! Maybe she reads the dictionary!! I wouldn't be surprised if she did either!

She loves to eat yogurt! Rarely can she be found without a cup of key lime pie yogurt in hand! And she loves sweets! I knew I liked her! She has a hard time eating much else but junk food......but she is skinny so she can get away with it! Just the other day we were having dinner and she asked her parents if something was junk food---they have been reading Bernstein Bears books to help her with a few things. And she is trying to be better! She plays well with all kids no matter their age. She is usually the center of attention at most family functions because she has some act or another that she has to show us. Many times we don't have anything else planned but dinner and watching Lilly! Oh what a joy she is to be around!

Lilly was named after my grandmother's sister and my mother. And it has been fun to learn more about her and see that they have some similarities. One of which is love. You can feel the love that Lilly has for many people. She is usually willing to give a big hug to you and make you laugh! She has such a calming spirit about her......she brings such a great peace into our family. She has made a huge difference in all of our lives!

She loves to read books.....she gets this from her mother! She is always trying to get you to read one more book to her before bed!! I know that she will excel in school because of this love. She has such aspirations for future. She wants to be an artist, a doctor, a painter and on and on. Every day it is something different. And I have no doubt that she will become something great!

Lilly I am super proud of you and all that you do! What a great blessing you are in my life and a great addition to this family!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! May the coming year be great! Love you lots!!!

Love that smile!!!