3 weeks...3 life changers

Life changer #1....AVA JANE!  CJ and I have a GRAND DAUGHTER!!!!!! Holy cow, I still feel like I'm 25!  How did this happen???  My baby had a baby!  Ava is truly beautiful.  She has a (now famous!) head of dark, thick hair.  Her nose is my favorite thing!  She looks JUST LIKE her daddy, but, she has her mommas lips.  She was born on January 30th at 12:53 am.  She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and was 18 inches long.  She is super healthy.  I could just squeeze her, kiss her and tickle her little face all at once...oh yah, I do!  She's like chocolate chip cookies...just can't get enough.

Life changer #2....CJ and I hit the '25 years of marriage' mark!  A quarter of a century I've been with him, and we have an eternity to go!  He planned a dinner at Porcupine Grill with all our family and close friends and it was such a fun event.  Everyone had a great time and it was a gift to spend time with everyone we love, all at one time!  I can't think of any other way we could have spent this momentous occasion that would have been more fun and meaningful.

Life changer #3...Friday, February 21, CJ was quarantined at the Riverton Hospital for 3 hours because he thought he may have been exposed to anthrax...yep, that's right...anthrax.  Only my Chris.  He found out at our anniversary dinner that Rob Brasher had acquired anthrax (topically) from an infected sheep that they shot on Rob's property.  Well, CJ hadn't been feeling real great for about a week and after looking up all "anthrax symptoms" on the internet...he thought, "I might have anthrax in my respiratory system?"  Long story short...He ended up being scrubbed down - in the nude - by 2 E.R. nurses dressed in hazmat suits, again....yes, hazmat suits!  I'm not sure CJ (or anyone I know) will ever have an experience like that again in my lifetime!??!  I mean...anthrax!  Who get's exposed to anthrax...other than terrorist targets???  Fortunately, CJ did NOT have anthrax in his system.  If he did, his case would have evacuated ALL of Riverton Hospital, quarentined all his places of usual existing, he would have made it onto the WORLD NEWS and most assuredly would be dead real soon.  I think it's safe to say...we are so glad CJ did not test positive for anthrax.  Good to know he was just dealing with a bit of the common cold. (CJ made a lot of friends in the ER that night, that's my Chris...everyone loves him.  What a clown!)

I'm tired....
Lisa Lucille ;]

Erna Arlene

My grandma, Erna Arlene Pedersen Jones, was an adorable lady.  She was kind, quiet and an exemplary homemaker.  The very best chocolate chip cookies ever made came from my grandmas kitchen.  Homemade chocolate chip cookies remain my favorite to this very day!  She always stirred up a superior sunday roast dinner and homemade rolls.  My grandma sewed/created almost every single one of my dance costumes.  Her house always smelled like safeguard soap, except in the kitchen and living room where it always smelled like lion house rolls :]

My grandma hardly ever wore pants.  Most often she wore skirts.  I always found this fact curious and admirable...always dressed up for the day.  Until the day she died, at 81 years old, she was blonde.  This continues to strike me as so cute...since no 81 year old lady is a natural blonde.  Keeping it beautified until the very end!  My grandma was also fond of big brimmed hats, so to keep her beautiful pale skin from being destroyed by the sun (a trait I WISH I would have picked up from her...but did not).

Grandma Jones was never a complainer.  She had reason to complain, but never did.  My grandpa was in the FBI and moved her around the country for several years to stay on top of his esteemed job.  My grandma was young with a baby - and stories tell that it wasn't easy, but she always made the best of it.  The FBI life itself was a rough one, always watching her husband leave for work with a gun on his hip.  I think once they moved to East Millcreek, my grandma was able to settle down and slip into a more comfortable life.  Even as a child life gave my grandma a few challenges...but you never heard about that, it wasn't her style.  And my grandma had a LOT of style.  She was a lady.

I have felt close to my grandma the last couple months and I think it's due to the fact that my grandma loved to write.  She had journals everywhere.  She wrote poetry, that sometimes made it to the newspapers and even won her some awards and recognition.  I love to journal, type and write lists...I'm sure this comes, somehow, from my grandma.  I have so many journals and notepads with lists and ideas scribbled throughout them.  I can't help but appreciate my grandma a little more considering we both appreciated writing, in one way or another.  So, I thank my grandma for her whispered gift of writing...I didn't realize I received it until recently.  I love knowing my grandma is still around in my life and recognized by my heart and spirit.

"Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete." -Marcy DeMaree.  I don't know who Marcy DeMaree is, but she nailed it right on the head with that quote!

My adorable grandma, Erna Arlene Pedersen Jones
with her handsome man and my grandpa
Ralph Harvard Jones
They are absolutely fantastic...
I mean, LOOK at them!

My 52 weeks of gratitude challenge this week was to express my gratitude for a particular family member...I am grateful for the influence and love of my grandma, Erna Arlene Pedersen Jones.

Bright, Happy and Sunshiny Day!
Lisa Lucille

Family!

Family.....

Sadie (aka Twist) and Savion

Oh how lovely
Sadie and Caitlyn

SO grateful for Kyle

One can not live without a dog.
...ok, well, I can't

My family is small.  I chose to only have 2 children.  I chose to have a couple dogs.  I'm grateful for my choices.  I'm grateful for my family and the additions being made to it!  Pretty soon I'll be a gram gram, that's a crazy thought.  I still feel like I'm living it up in my early 30's, being all sassy and shitty...but in reality, time is moving on and so is my little family.  I LOVE it!!!!!  I'm grateful the time has come for 'grandparentdom' and that I am healthy enough and young enough to enjoy it!  I absolutely LOVE living...and HOW could I live without my family?  I couldn't...just simply could not.

Handsome Man!

CJ...I could not have a family of my own without this guy!  I'm grateful for him. Being married and sealed to this man was the best decision I've ever made.  We will always be together...like, FOREVER!  CJ and I are one in purpose...life, family, friendship, up's, down's....all of it.  We are united and grateful for all that we have - but mostly our family, we love our family.

Sunshine and Happy Days!
Lisa Lucille

PS - I think family consists of the people who love us.  They are not always related.  I love those people too...they are my family.

I know my truth!

In the movie Couples Retreat, Vince Vaughns character (after being "bit" by a shark) says, "I know my truth."  I laugh every time!  But, since I am the cheesiest of cheesy people...I like to find a deeper meaning in every phrase, song lyric, quote and so on.  That being said, there is epic meaning in the phrase "I know my truth!"  I use it a lot to drum up a laugh OR explain, "what I know I just know, period, the end."  This movie phrase is my favorite (next to "You don't know my life!" from the movie Baby Momma - which has equally epic meaning for me!).  I use it often, because it ends all stupidity in thoughts, words and random arguments.  I know my truth...smile commenced.

my 'i know my truth' face
...so shut up.

When I use the word "truth" it doesn't stem from it's opposite - "lie".  Truth, for me, means honesty from the inside out.  I have NEVER been very honest with who I actually am, the person my Father in Heaven made me to be.  I'm a pro at degrading my looks, talents, good works, body image and general personality.  About 3 weeks ago my brain screamed "I'VE HAD IT!"  I listened.  My heart then reminded me, "Your spirit was made perfectly by a perfect being."  I knew, without doubt, someone was trying to tell me something.  It was one of those moments your jaw literally drops and your eyes fly open.  This never happens to me, because...truthfully speaking, I'm generally to stubborn to listen to what my 'inside' has to say.  Long story short, my life has changed.  I can look in the mirror without distain, I can laugh whole heartedly at myself, I feel a closer connection to my Heavenly Father and I show love more freely...because I'm not afraid!  My physical body was created by two of the most adorable people I know - my mom and dad.  So I've got to be a little adorable...right?  My physical body is only a house for my spirit, my spirit was made by God and I know he made it perfectly.  So, I'm feeling pretty good about my situation AND everyone else too!  It's always a work in progress, but I like work now!

my baby holding pic's of her baby!

If you want mind blowing, undoubtable truth...watch an ultrasound.  That's a baby, already sucking it's thumb, blinking its eyes, opening it's mouth and rolling around in quiet bliss.  Miracles are absolute, undeniable truth.  My grand baby, swimming in my daughters tummy, is a miracle.   She already looks like her dad - his mouth and nose, most assuredly.  She is camera shy, because she brought her little hands to her face when the technician rolled the ball of jelly up to take a look at her. My Cait was grinning from ear to ear at the beauty of it all.  How LUCKY am I to have been there to experience that.  The truth of it is...I was fascinated and empowered by my own daughters strength. That she is alive and is carrying a baby in her belly is a real miracle.

Kansas...check
Buck down...check
3 degrees...check

CJ goes to Kansas every year to hunt whitetail.  Beautiful deer with yummy meat.  They are yummy because they graze in corn fields and on alfalfa.  Truth...it felt like he was away for a month!  Truth...I felt like it was normal to feel like he'd been gone for a month.  Truth...the night before he got home I thought, "Feeling complacent about CJ being away is NOT something I want to get used to!"  So, I decided right then and there that our 'love story' will never end.  Ups, downs....it doesn't matter, it's a love story and I LOVE every bit of it!  I know my truth FOR SURE when it comes to how much I love my CJ.  No one could put up with me like my Chris does.  No one would care for me like my Chris does.  And absolutely no one could love me as much as my Chris does.  He's home now, and a new chapter in our love story can begin!

Sadie + Otis = love

Truthfully speaking...I know my baby is an adult and can take care of herself!  She has proved that time and time again.  She got a puppy this week.  He is a silver lab and his name is Otis.  As labs are, Otis can be hyper (and he pee's & poop's on my carpet).  However, I think dogs are harder to raise than babies!  So this is a great opportunity for Sadie to be responsible and care for something that breathes and requires water and food to stay alive!  Truth...I'm nervous about this endeavor.  Truth...I know Sadie will do the very best she knows how to keep this cute little puppy happy.  Last one - truth...I'm REALLY glad we decided to wait on remodeling the house.  It's best to have old carpet and old furniture when a puppy comes to live with you.

Cait and Kyle making it a forever family!!!!

On saturday, my Caitlyn and her adorable husband Kyle were sealed in the Oquirhh Temple.  It was SO cold and rainy outside, but inside the temple it was warm, welcoming and bright.  Little Ava was kicking and poking her momma the whole time!  Kyle was a big cry baby...which was so endearing (love ya Wade!).  My Cait, with her gigantic smile and big wide blue eyes, glowed the whole day.  Truth...they are a a family bonded together for eternity now!!  Despite the elements and migraines, this was one of the happiest days we've ever spent together.

This week has been crazy busy and crazy fun and crazy tiring.  My house is a mess, I have 3 piles of laundry just waiting to be folded and put away, I've only cooked one real meal in 7 days, I'm tying to entertain my "sort of on bed rest" Cait, I never see Sadie because she is a dating machine, I've been to the store 3 times (already!) in preparation for Thanksgiving, I have papers to sign and people to meet with all over the valley....however...I know my truth, and the truth is 'if everything wasn't crazy, busy and a little disheveled, it wouldn't be LIFE!'  I am living my life with open arms.  That's the TRUTH!

"Truth is like the sun, you can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away."  Elvis Presley

I love EVERYBODY...that's the truth!

Peace peeps!

Lisa Lucille

so many things happen...when time flies....

Gosh!  So many things happen in a moment, hour, day, week, month.....you get it!  Time really does fly.

Reminders of what's happened in the last year or so....

*a cruise to the caribbean - again, that's #17, not bragging...just saying'
*voice box surgery - didn't last, not complaining...just a good test of will work and what won't!
*Kyle came home from serving in Kosovo for 10 months!  Good soldier boy...xoxoxo
*a new 5th wheel - L O V E...it resides in St. George (hence, so do I from time to time)
*Sadie tried out for Miss Bluffdale and won Miss Photogenic!
*Sadie graduated from Riverton High - and then.....
*Sadie went to Peru - an amazing and selfless service project she involved herself in!

*CJ bought me a new 4-RUNNER - it's gorgeous...waaayyyy better than a new pair of shoes!!
*CAITLYN is PREGGERS! - STOP!...Grandma time! (And it's a girl! - Ava Jane)

*a Colorado Springs trip, to visit Cait...in her ghetto digs...
*Tom left for 'duck' training in Canada - miss him....he probably doesn't miss me?
*went on an AMAZING church history tour - 12 days on a bus learning, sight seeing and learning!

Susquehanna River
Wait! John the Baptist was here?!  BOOM baby!

shoppin' the pioneer way
Kirtland OH
She like their hats....

Baptized for the dead...
with my Sadoe...
in the Nauvoo Temple!

*Cait and Kyle moved home - back to Utah....where we LOVE them!

*my IRONMAN finished the Florida race in 10:54:08 - wicked weather and all...he ran his A#% off!

*Kyle and Caitlyn are going through the temple to be sealed for ETERNITY on Nov. 22!  YAY!!!!

That brings me to today.  CJ is in bed with the flu.  Sadie is working.  Cait is home with her dogs and preggers belly.  Ava is swimming happily in her mothers womb.  Kyle is working his little rear end off (he works at the shop).  I am sitting at my kitchen counter (have been for the last 2 hours!) wondering "EXACTLY HOW LONG does it take to update iTunes on my iPhone?!!?" In between the wondering of the iPhone and this exact moment, I have been filling plastic cups full of ice water, warming up chicken noodle soup,  dosing out ibuprofen and taking temperature checks on my sad CJ's forehead.  So...I haven't got a damn thing accomplished today.  It's ok, because my family comes first, and...well...I love them.

This month I will be starting a Random Acts of Kindness project, a Proverbs Project, re-decorating my craft room and, of coarse, journaling...in my 7 (yes, 7) journals.  I journal...so sue me.  The blog will reflect my efforts (whether super lame or freaking awesome...some kind of effort will be made).

The best part of the next week (november 10th) is that my Grandma Gibson will be 90!  My awesome grandma, who, took me to her golf tournaments, bowling tournaments, relief society luncheons, taught me to forever love the smell of PineSol, and body surfed in her 60's....she will be 90!  Forever one of my favorite people and greatest examples!  She's adorable....and supremely feisty.

And....I guess it's pretty cool that my Cait will be turning 22 on the 9th and my cute dad will be turning 67 on the 14th.  I'm sorry Cait and Dad, but 90 trumps both y'all.  Just sayin'...loves!

"Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.  I don't care if I win or lose...I just love playing the game!"

Peace to my peeps....

Lisa Lucille :]

My Mom...

My mom has been one of the most loved examples in my life…and in the lives of MANY others.  She has always done for others before doing for herself.  In fact, the other day my 18 year old daughter asked me, "Has grandma ever done anything just for herself?"  I thought for a minute and then responded, "No."  In reality I'm sure my mom has taken moments for herself to read or take a hot bath or something like that.  However, it's never advertised so you never know? 

In many ways, I turned out just like my mom…but in some ways I did not!  In no order at all, I have shared some photos that remind me of the example my mom has been to me throughout my life, things she has taught me and moments we have shared...

My mom taught me how to make raspberry jam!  I can't eat it from a store bought jar because my mom had homemade jam in the house at all times & it was DELICIOUS!  She did the same with grape juice…juiced it, canned it and stored it!  We would open a jar of grape juice, pour a little sprite in it and 'pouf' we had a fancy drink!

My mom always lived as an example of who I wanted to be when I grew up.
There was no way I wasn't going to get married in the temple.  I never doubted how important my standards and morals were…thanks to my mom.

I blame my mom for all the love I have in my heart for diet coke!   Mom was a TAB drinker.  But, there was always a coke in the fridge.  Eventually, TAB went away and the cans in the fridge turned into diet coke.  That was all I needed. I'm a fan!  I've been drinking it ever since I was 15!

My mom showed me how to be a good wife!  She loves my dad and I have never doubted that.  She knows the meaning of family and has always been a great example of how to keep family close!

My mom taught and showed me, through her amazing talents, the worth and value of little children.  She was always kind to and unconditionally loved all the children she worked with.   This value has rolled over to me and I could not be any more grateful for it!

My childhood memories are sweet.  My mom allowed me to play, took me on adventures and provided me with the freedom I needed to cultivate my own talents and interests.  I was often with friends and cousins, playing and enjoying peanut butter and honey sandwiches at the park or in the back yard.  I remember much laughter and much love!

Me, my brother Ben and my sister Liz were all very close and still are.  My mom had a hard time getting pregnant after having me (which was difficult!).  I was an only child for 6 years.  I remember the joy that came into our home with each one of my siblings.  I had a brother that died when he was 3 weeks old and it threw my mom for a loop.  However, I remember her writing a letter of support to a woman who had also lost an infant…this had a HUGE impact on me and made me realize that we can be strong when sad things are more than likely to happen.

These are all the wonderful people (besides my own little family) that my mom takes care of these days!  My brothers girls, Sam and Alex…My dad…my sisters son, Jonah.  My mom holds this all together.  She loves to take care of her family.  She also takes care of her own mother, and, until recently, took care of her dad too.  She is truly a divine care taker.

My mom has ALWAYS been there for my girls.  If my girls ask my mom to jump, my mom responds "How high?"  She supports my girls continually, always showing up to important (and less important) events.  My mom was always willing to watch my girls if I needed to be somewhere else.  She loves my girls so much and the great thing is…they KNOW it!  

My mom has passed down several great traits to me and my girls.  I feel, the most impressive, is her love and compassion for special needs children and people.  My daughter Sadie has devoted much of her teenage life to serving and loving children and friends with special needs.  My daughter Caitlyn has an extremely tender heart which has enabled her to show love for the "under dog" her whole life.  These are direct attributes from my mother.   How could I NOT be grateful for these sweet gifts my mom has given us? 

Me and my mom at Christmas.  Yes, a superior mom…but most importantly a superior friend!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO MY MOST FANTASTIC MOTHER!

Peace out and hug your mom!

Lisa

here....alone....happy day

My Sadie Potatie started her Senior Year at Riverton High last Monday.  It was so exciting except I was down and sick from my operation.  So I didn't get to fully enjoy the quiet and open scheduled day's that I usually do when school starts!  But today is a new school week and I feel fine, so my enjoyment starts today :]

My Potato...first day of Senior Year!

Sadie is my youngest.  Seeing her march into her Senior year is mind boggling.
I remember walking her into kindergarten and thinking that was a huge step!
Well...it was, and so is this!  Wow time flies :]

Not that I LOVE when my kids go back to school, because I do miss them...but after a long and busy summer it's always a great time for a mom to sit back and breathe.  Memories always come flooding in during the first week of school.  I love the memories I have obtained and am so grateful and happy that I was an ardent scrapbooker when my girls were little!  I pulled out Sadie's kindergarten scrapbook last week and looked at her art projects, class picture, halloween pictures and report cards...what a vacation that was.  However, when CJ found it he was a little mad at me because it only made him cry ;]  I've done the same thing with Caitlyn's scrapbooks from time to time, it's fun to sit back and remember.

My house is now silent and I fully admit that I love it.  Sometimes it's lonely, because I am a younger mom with only 2 children, but the relaxation is nice and the fact that I can do my own laundry whenever I want is pretty awesome too!  And, you can't ignore the beauty of this time of year.  I had a chance to just sit on my porch at 7:45 this morning and feel the breeze.  It wasn't too hot and the road was quiet, so what a blessing.  I love fall mornings....crisp, quiet and breezy.  Now I am going to go walk for a bit.  Exercise...another thing I have a little time to do when the family hits work and school so heavy again! ;]

Peace for today!

messy monday....

Sometimes a little is enough.  I have to believe that.  Although I have a small family, and my girls are grown, much of my time is dedicated to what they need from me.  I know someday they won't need much, so for now I'm grateful I can help out.  The only problem is, this leaves me little time to do big projects.
For example, my kitchen is cluttered but not filthy...If I had a couple of uninterrupted hours I could totally make the whole room sparkle...BUT, I don't always have that much time.  This morning I knew my day would be filled with running errands and preparing for a family reunion.  So, instead of stressing out about my cluttered kitchen, I quickly focused on what really needed to be 'cleaned' right now.  It was my sink!  I took 15 minutes to unload the dishwasher, re-load it with the dirty dishes and then scrub my sink out and make it sparkle.  I felt SO much better and was happy I got SOMETHING done today :]

24 hours, unattended, is all it takes for my sink to get to this point! 

Better!!!  Shiny and ready for more....bring it on!

"Celebrate the little things!"  I just stole this saying from a Peanuts Cartoon.  I think everyone needs to enjoy the little things they accomplish just a little more.  We would all be so much happier!  A baseball player doesn't hit a homer every time he bats.  Sometimes he only gets to first base, and that is progress!  One day my kitchen will be spotless, I know it will!  But for now, I think my clean sink is just awesome - I made it to first base :]

COUSINS!

When I was little I was super close to my cousins.  They were my best friends all the way through high school.  Tonight we held our 5th annual 'cousins reunion' and it was a blast!  The old days were the best!

Some of us....
Me, Ben (my brother), Mark, Stephen, Kathryn, Liz (my sister),
Amy, Kelly, Christine, Brian and Scott (always more like a big brother than a cousin!)

Family...it never goes away, it's always there...ya just can't get rid of it :]  We are all so old now and even our kids are big!  Crazy how fast time flies!!  I love my cousins.

Peace out and smile!!!!!!!!

the last 1 1/2 years....in a nut shell :]

It's been almost a year and a half since any blogging has been attempted.  My life has adjusted quite a bit!  It's amazing how much can happen in the course of a year....

My best friend in the whole world, Axl, passed away on September 30, 2012.  It broke my heart right in half and is still hard from time to time.  One year ago he was given an Excellent Health Report.  The techs at the vet couldn't believe he was 10 years old...they thought he was 6!  Crazy what can form in just a couple months...a basketball size tumor in his stomach.  It was devastating for me, but I made the decision and we put him down.  I stayed with him until after his poor little heart stopped beating.  I cried harder than I had in years. Oh boy I loved that stubborn dog...and I know he loved me right back!  He's buried in back of our barn and I visit him once in a while ;]

However, never fear!  There's always a dog near!  In February of this year, CJ took me to "look at" some chocolate lab PUPPIES.  One thing you should never do...take Miss Lisa to see some puppies.  Yep, there was one I just couldn't take my hands off of - and now we have Tom!  He is polar opposite than Axl...he loves socializing, he WILL drop the ball for you, he never leaves your side and truthfully is already more obedient that Axl ever wanted to be ;]  I bought a plaque after Axl died that says "All you need is Love...and a Dog"  It's so true.  Dogs are the most caring and honest friends you could ever have.  Tom loves to play and swim in the canal and pee all over the house, which is why he is now an outside pup!

IRONMAN Florida 2012....CJ swam it, biked it and ran it!  Then he passed out waiting for me, Kay and Craig to come get him ;]  The highlight of his whole race (to me anyway) was his bike...he biked 112 miles in 5 hours and 15 minutes!  He's amazing!

The race start was on the beach at the base of our hotel!

THE MOST EXCITING thing that happened, was in November.  Our Cait got engaged to Kyle Wainwright!  It was a blessing to sooooo many prayers.  Cait and Kyle are like 2 peas in a pod.  They love each other and are happy.  The got married on March 16th!  It was a party....so much fun!  Kyle is in the army and had to leave to serve in Kosovo just 1 month after they were married.  It's been hard for Cait and Kyle, but they stay connected through Facebook and Skype.  He will return home in February of 2014 and his service will end the following year.  We love Kyle and cant wait for him to return home!

Sadie was involved in 'Special Needs' programs All Year Long!  She loves serving, however she can, in these programs.  She worked so hard at school and in the special needs mutual...she was literally tired ALL THE TIME!  And she finally got her driving permit...license to come next month!

Dancing with Aiden at Best Buddies Ball :]

Sadie also went bear hunting in Canada this May with CJ, Uncle Todd and Dave Openshaw.  She had a blast, but most importantly, shot a bear!  Unfortunately there are no pics of this momentous occasion on this computer yet...but they're great and her bear was 6 ft tall!

My fun with My Little Preschool came to an end in May.  Only 2 years...but it was a blast and I will love those kids forever!  They will forget me, but I will never forget them ;]  It's time for me to take some time getting myself back together.  It's been a tough couple years which took its tole on my body and emotional state.  I'm in the process of getting my sinuses figured out, they may need to be operated on?  But I'm for sure getting my tonsils taken out...then maybe I will be able to breathe and be active again?  I'm also aiming to get all my "lady junk" out.  So there may be 2 or 3 surgeries this year?  I hope so...then I'll move forward again!  My constant and love of my life is always there to support and take care of me...I love my CJ.

My Grandpa Gibson passed away on July 1st.  Just a few weeks ago.  I absolutely love my Gramps and the awesome example he has always been.  He loved me, he loved everyone!  I will miss him, but am so grateful he is where old age and illness can't keep him down anymore.  He is truly a man of great honor.

on his 91st BDay in January

Graveside was a tear jerker...gramps served in the US Navy
My man dedicated gramps grave, they were great friends

So...when all is said and done, all is well.  It's good to enjoy life, it's good to also take it one day at a time.  All I need is the love of my family.  They are my most favorite treasure.  I am proud of each one of them!  I'm super grateful to be the wife to a seriously sexy and funny man, my very best friend.  I love being mom to my two crazy and beautiful girls, and I finally have a son who I adore!!  I am a very different person than I was 1 1/2 years ago...but I'm still Lisa and I really don't mind being that :]

family first...always

Peace out...be of good cheer!

sadie went to prom

RIVERTON HIGH SCHOOL PROM

Sadie Potatie

Who's the fairest of them all?  Well, Sadie is tonight ;]

Here she is with her date Jared.  They look absolutely FANTASTIC!
(i wish the piano room looked as good?)

The "Prom Process" started with a scavenger hunt through the school and some flowers (from Jared).  Sadie said YES by placing 5 little piggies in his truck saying...'this little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home.....etc...and ended with This Little Piggy Went OUI OUI OUI all the way home!'  I thought that was clever since she's my little frenchie girl!
Then the shopping started...oh boy.  Yep, we shopped for 5 days total and ended up with the dress she tried on very first!  She added the blue sash and of course is wearing her black cowgirl boots underneath ;]  This girl isn't afraid of her true colors!  The funny thing is...when her sister would go prom dress shopping, it lasted for about 45 minutes.  Walk in...find it...buy it...walk out!  So this drawn out, make 125% sure, process was new to me!  It was obviously worth it in the end...because she looks gorgeous!!
The cutest thing happened when she walked out the door.  Jared's friend, who was driving, saw her and instantly went "WOW!"  He's been a friend of Sadies for years, so I thought it was a cute acknowledgement :]  I think Jared was a little taken back as well???!!!
I don't often brag about my kids...but, I guess, this is just the occasion to do it.

My girls have grown up way to fast...I have loved (just about) every single minute!
lisajp

Grandpa's 90th!

My grandpa turned 90 on January 5th!  It's amazing that I am 41 and still have grandparents living!  My mom put on a big party for many of our extended family members which was at a delicious little italian restaurant.  My grandpa isn't a big fan of being the center of attention...but he really enjoys having family together, so I know he was excited to be there :]

When it was time to share a big toast, with the whole group, this is what he said, "Here's to those that wish us well...all the others can go to hell."  That's my grandpa!  He is one of the very greatest men I've ever known, a fantastic example of patience and love.  He always tells it how it is...no bullshit! ;]  I love that about my grandpa!

Me with my precious grandpa

My favorite picture...my grandma and grandpa are one of the cutest couples I know ;]

Cj and Mamfa (Sam) just being silly and having a good time!

3 generations....Why are mom and grams so photogenic and I'm not?
My mom and grandma are beautiful to me!

Family is FOREVER!  I'm so happy to know that :]  I love my grandparents and am happy that they are still here with us!

"Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative."  Maurice Chevalier

Happy aging...he he he
lisajp :]