OUR HOME ALWAYS LOOKS BETTER AFTER OUR FAMILY VISITS US! WE ARE BLESSED WITH VERY TALENTED SON-IN-LAWS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I thought I would share some pictures with you of some improvements in our home. It seems like our family helps us so much in making our home attractive.....

Part of JJ and Tasha's Christmas to us was finishing up the base board's in our bathroom. He also put in new vent covers. It looks wonderful. JJ was actually not feeling good the day he finished the bathroom but he wanted to finish this project up. We really appreciated what he did. It's wonderful to have such talented son-in-laws!!

The Torgesen's and Ladner's also bought us a new energy efficient door. JJ and Jeff put it in and it looks wonderful. Hopefully, I can show you the finished door in a picture........

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END!

WE HAVE HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME WITH TASHA, JJ AND COLDON. THIS IS THEIR LAST NIGHT WITH US AND THEY LEAVE IN THE EARLY MORNING FOR HOME.

THE TIME HAS GONE SO FAST IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS ARE OVER. WE'VE HAD A GREAT TIME AND ENJOYED ALL OUR TRADITIONS.

WE ENJOYED ALL OUR FAMILY TRADITIONS DURING THE 11 DAYS THAT THEY WERE HERE.

MAKING MAGIC COOKIE BARS

ORDERING PIZZA

LIMO RIDE

WATCHING CHRISTMAS CAROL MOVIE, ETC.

THINGS DON'T CHANGE MUCH AROUND HERE WHEN IT COMES TO TRADITIONS. HOWEVER, THIS WILL BE OUR LAST LIMO RIDE SINCE THEY HAVE GONE UP TO $120 AN HOUR AND THE LAST HOUR YOU CAN RIDE THE LIMO IS 6:OO P.M. THIS MADE IT INCONVENIENT AS WELL AS EXPENSIVE.

HOWEVER, JEFF AND TAMI SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO START A NEW TRADITION. THAT IS TO TAKE US TO THE DOUBLE TREE BUFFET FOR CHRISTMAS. WE BEGAN IT THIS YEAR AND IT WAS SO FUN AND DELICIOUS.

TASHA IS HELPING ME LEARN HOW TO BLOG BETTER. INSTEAD OF POSTING SO MUCH I WANTED TO DO MY BLOG AND ONLY HAVE ONE POST. I'M STILL LEARNING SO MUCH ABOUT THE COMPUTER AND IT HAS BEEN WONDERFUL TO HAVE JJ AND TASHA ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL AS SHOW ME BETTER WAYS OF COMMUNICATING ON MY BLOG.

SOME FUN PICTURES FROM G.J.

 
 
 
 

COLDON LOVES GRANDMA'S DECORATIONS!

HE IS FASCINATED WITH ALL THE FUN THINGS THAT ARE OUT. COLDON'S SO FUN TO WATCH AND HE'S A VERY BUSY BOY......

 
 
 
 

SUCH A BUSY WEEK...........

WE'VE GONE SHOPPING, BAKED COOKIES, WENT TO DON'S COMPANY DINNER, VISITED WITH SANTA, HAD OUR WARD DINNER, WENT TO BETHLEHEM REVISITED, GOT TASHA'S CHRISTMAS CARDS DONE, WATCHED MOVIES AND GONE OUT TO DINNER. WHAT A FUN WEEK!

THE LADNER'S HAVE ARRIVED FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

I GOT TO THE AIRPORT 20 MINUTES EARLY AND THERE THEY WERE WAITING FOR ME. I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW FAST THEY GOT TO GRAND JUNCTION FROM DENVER. THEIR FLIGHTS WERE GOOD AND THE WEATHER CO-OPERATED. IT WAS SO FUN TO HAVE THEM HERE. WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT SPENDING CHRISTMAS WITH THEM.
 

WHAT AN ADORABLE LITTLE BOY COLDON IS. IT'S SO FUN TO SEE HIM WALKING.

 
 

EVERYONE LOVED SEEING THEM WHEN THEY GOT OFF WORK.

 
 
 

MY SPECIAL FRIEND JEANETTE!

 
 

I MET JEANETTE AT THE POOL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE BEGAN TALKING ONE DAY AND SHE TOLD ME HER STORY.

A LITTLE OVER 10 YEARS AGO SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CHIN CANCER AND HAD HER CHIN REMOVED. WHEN THEY CHECKED THE TISSUES, THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY CANCER. SHE TOOK THE DOCTOR TO COURT AND WON. THE NEXT DAY THE JUDGE THREW THE VERDICT OUT. SHE WASN'T COMPENSATED FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGE HE HAD DONE TO HER FACE.

SHE MOVED HERE TO BE WITH HER THREE SISTERS SINCE SHE NEEDED FAMILY SUPPORT.

JEANETTE HAD PLASTIC SURGERY TO BUILD UP HER CHIN LAST YEAR. IT WAS A VERY PAINFUL OPERATION BUT SHE LOOKS GREAT. SHE STILL HAS TO EAT THROUGH A TUBE. JEANETTE LOVES TO COOK BUT CAN NEVER EAT ANYTHING SHE MAKES. I ADMIRE HER SO MUCH AND I'M SO GLAD THAT WE HAVE BECOME CLOSE FRIENDS.

JEANETTE CAME OVER TODAY AND GAVE ME A PICTURE OF HERSELF BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED. THE THOUGHT CAME TO ME THAT SOME DAY JEANETTE WILL LOOK LIKE THIS AGAIN! THAT IS A WONDERFUL THOUGHT. SHE IS A CHRISTIAN WOMAN AND BELIEVES THAT TOO.

JEANETTE HAS A WHITE POODLE NAMED CUDDLES. SHE LIKES TO BRING HIM OVER TO VISIT. WE LOVE OUR DOGS AND THEY MAKE QUITE A PAIR.

 

WE ENJOYED HAVING CLARISSA AND KELLY OVER LAST NIGHT.

DON SHOWED THEM THE DVD PICTURES FROM DON'S FIRESIDE ABOUT GUATEMALA. IT WAS FUN TO HEAR KELLY AND DON TALK ABOUT THEIR WONDERFUL TRIP IN AUGUST. THEN WE PRESENTED KELLY WITH A DVD. I ALSO MADE HIM A FRAME WITH SOME OF THE PICTURES IN IT FROM THEIR TRIP. CLARISSA GOT A LITTLE SHEEP I HAD MADE. WE HAD A FUN EVENING EATING KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN AND THEN SPENDING TIME TOGETHER. 
 

I LOVE SHEEP!

 

THERE WAS A SHEEP FARM ON THE WAY TO THE MALL. THEY SOLD THE PROPERTY AND BUILT A SHOPPING AND BUSINESS CENTER. THERE IS A TRIBUTE TO THE SHEEP FARM IN THE ROUND ABOUT THERE AND WE DECIDED TO TAKE OUR CHRISTMAS CARD PICTURES WITH THE SHEEP.

TAMI WENT WITH US AND TOOK THE PICTURES. IT WAS FUN! I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS OUR CARD BY NOW.

OUR CHRISTMAS CARD WAS A TRIBUTE TO THE SHEEP FARM.

 
 
 

I WANT TO SHARE A DELICIOUS COOKIE RECIPE WITH YOU!

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WE LIKE TO BAKE!

 

CANDY BAR COOKIES

1 CUP SUGAR
1 CUP BROWN SUGAR (FIRMLY PACKED)
1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER
2 TSP. VANILLA
2 EGGS

ADD.....3 CUPS FLOUR
1 TSP. BAKING POWDER
1 TSP. BAKING SODA
1/2 TSP. SALT

PLACE A SMALL AMOUNT OF DOUGH IN YOU HAND AND WRAP IT AROUND THE CANDY BAR. I LIKE TO USE THE SMALL CANDY BARS BUT YOU CAN ALSO MAKE LARGE COOKIES BY USING THE LARGER BARS.

PLACE THE COOKIES ON A COOKIE SHEET.

COOK FOR ABOUT 11 MINUTES (13 MINUTES FOR LARGER COOKIES) IN A 350 DEGREE OVEN.

COOL ON COOKIE RACK UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED.

THESE COOKIES ARE DELICIOUS. THE ONLY PROBLEM, I CAN'T RESIST THEM WITH A GLASS OF MILK....YUM!