FaMilLy PicTuREs 2008

Pictures of 2008-Lake Powell

A very happy & tired family

The whole gang.....it was so much fun!

Katelyn, Melissa and Austin....

Alex, Austin and Tyler.....GQ.....maybe.....

The Happy Tubers...

Look out Jordan.....

Favorite thing....jumping off the houseboat!

Bombs away Austy....

Erin loves the boat!

Favorite Times in 2008

Manae and Sisa celebrated 50 years on a 125 mile bike ride!

Smiling after we finished the Poky Tri in August

Erin having some fun at the Fiesta

Enjoying the Fiesta in Mexico

Ben and Grandma Seppi in Mexico

Blessings of 2008

Today will be my last post of 2008. Tomorrow we leave for New Orleans to go to the Sugar Bowl. Utah is playing Alabama. We won't return until the 3rd so the next time I post will be the new year. As I reflect on the blessings of this year, I am so grateful. We have seen Heavenly Father's hand in our lives so many times. He is there ALWAYS.....if we do not feel Him it is because we have moved, not Him. The gospel is at the center of every thing we do and is the reason for every good thing in our lives. We hope and pray that we can give more to the Savior this year, be more like him in how we treat others, and serve him as we serve others.

Elder T Martin is HOME!

Elder Travis Martin returned home Friday December 19 after serving a faithful mission to Mexico. Austin and I went out to the airport to welcome him home. His plane was 1 1/2 hour late due to weather but it was worth the wait. It was priceless to watch him walk into the airport and throw his arms around his mom and weep. The words came to my mind, "Well, done thy good and faithful servant." When Austin and I greeted him, he gave me a hug and then looked at Austin and said, "Who is this?" Austin has grown about 8 inches since he left. He has such a wonderful spirit about him........missions are the BEST!

Christmas Phone Call

Griff eating with a member family who loves the missionaries!

Griff with Elder Acosta and one of the families he loves!

Like father, like son....shoes worn out in Missionary Service!

Griff and the office Elders enjoying the Christmas packages!

Griff called us the day after Christmas. He told us he would call at 8 a.m. our time. I heard the phone ring at 7 and knew it was him. I told him that Austin and dad were playing basketball. He said that he had so much to do....he had to talk soon. So I told him to call back in 15 minutes and that I would round up the troops. Miraculously we got it accomplished! Everyone was here to talk to him. Even Kira made a little noise for him to hear. He had to take some calls from his cell phone from the missionaries and so we could hear him talking to them in Spanish. It was so fun. He is so happy and is so absorbed in the culture and the work that he is doing. He has been so faithful......such a blessing in his life and ours! Time has sure flown. He will be home on Feb. 26. It will be here in no time.....we are very excited!

OOPS!

Friday, the day after Christmas, Rhonda, Caitlin and I jumped into Bill's truck to make some returns in town. We started down Pocatello Creek and were just about to the interstate when we heard a big THUD. I thought for an instant that we had a flat tire and was waiting for the thump, thump of the tire but all I heard was the loudest scrapping noise. All of a sudden I looked up and Caitlin yelled, "There goes the tire." The back left hand wheel had fallen off of the truck. The wheel was heading for the interstate intersection. We were laughing so hard. I said, "Caitlin go get the tire" and Rhonda said,"I hope it stops for the light!" It did stop and Caitlin got it and rolled it back. I was laughing so hard that I had a hard time telling Bill what happened. A policeman came and had to direct traffic while we waited for Les Shwab to come rescue us. It was an experience none of us will soon forget.

Christmas Day 2008

We had a very White Christmas! The snows came, the winds blew and we were drifted in. Kirstin, Ben and Kira spent the night with us along with Rhonda and Grandma Seppi. The little ones didn't get up until 6:45 for which I was very grateful since I didn't get to bed until 1:30. This year I let them tear into their Santa presents but made them open the other presents from family and friends individually. No one, including Bill, was very happy with me but it made Christmas morning last 2 hours instead of 1/2 hour. Everyone enjoyed their gifts. We are so blessed everyday with the gifts of love, friendship, family, the gospel and so many other things. Christmas lasts all year long. I hope this year we can be more like the Savior everyday and pattern our lives after His.

The kids spent most of the day outside with their new sleds playing in the snow. The snow was so deep that Josh and Erin climbed up on our deck off of our bedroom and jumped into the drifts. It was the prettiest Christmas ever!

Christmas Eve

We had our traditional Christmas Eve with Grandpa and Mindy and all of the McNabb's. It is something we all look forward to......good food, good company and a house full of laughter and joy. After we eat, Mindy passes the grandchildren their presents and then Grandpa shouts,"Get ready, get set, GO" and it is mayhem with everyone tearing into their presents. The girls already know theirs since they went shopping with Grandpa and Mindy the Saturday after Thanksgiving to pick out their dresses. The boys know they will also get clothes but it is still very exciting. Then the grandchildren and great-grandchildren gather in the living room for the annual Christmas picture. We wouldn't change a thing and it just wouldn't be Christmas without it!

Merry Christmas

It is the "MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR"! The anticipation, the planning,the parites, the excitment, the music......it is all part of this wonderful time of the year. Jordan spent the three days before Christmas behind the tree holding his present just waiting for the moment he could open it. He knew what it was....Lego set 7744....and didn't let any of us forget it. I will miss his "Merry Christmas" that he said to me at least 10 times a day.

Erin had her dance recital the Saturday before Christmas. She did so well. Grandpa and Mindy, Roma Hurley and the family came to watch her. She is amazing....

One of Erin's best friends is Noel Chapman. She lives right next door to Rhonda. They spend alot of time playing American Girl Dolls and just having fun. They even got their ears pierced together this fall. Noel was there watching her little sister dance and Erin.

One day when Kirstin was at our home working, we had some fun with Kira. She had her santa hat on and only her diaper because she had had an accident in her other clothes and they were in the washer. She is the cutest "santa budda" around. Oh how we love her...

WE ARE SO BLESSED!

Thanks giving with Grandma McNabb.

Are we ready to eat yet ??????

Bill and his mom, Joy, share a special Thanksgiving moment. We LOVE you Grandma!

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone.... We had such a fun one. Grandma Seppi came along with Kurt, Ann , Jessica, David and Peter. We ate, visited and just had a wonderful time together. I can't begin to list all the blessings that we have been given this year. Every good thing in our life is because of our Heavenly Father and his love for us. Griffin is having an awesome mission and learning so much, we have a beautiful new baby girl in our family, we have loving immediate and extended family......life couldn't be better. We are so GRATEFUL and recognize where these blessings come from. It is so appropriate that Thanksgiving....a time for gratitude for our blessings in followed by Christmas, the celebrating of the greatest gift ever given...our Savior Jesus Christ. We are THANKFUL!

Catching Up!!!!!!!

Ryan, Kylie and Katelyn look very serious about the result of the game!

Austin was fielding some questions about the big game in the press area....practicing for a later date.....

Our BYU friends joined us on the field afterwards for some celebrating??? We love Bjorn and Kris! Ryan, Caitlin, Austin, Bjorn, Kris and I share a "HAPPY" moment together!

I thought that a blog would keep me more organized about writing about our family happenings....but as you can see, I am behind. It is time for a little catching up....Let's go back to November 22, 2008. It was a beautiful fall day....we were in Salt Lake City for the UTAH vs BYU football game. Bill, Austin, Caitlin, Ryan, Ean, Dylan and I went together. We met Whitney, Roxanne and David Jackson along with my brother Kurt, Ann, Jessica, David and Peter there. Griffin had requested that Whitney wear a Utah shirt since she is a student at BYU and was sitting in the Utah section. I don't think that David was excited about cheering for Utah but he didn't have much of a choice! Utah won big.....It was so much fun. That means a 12-0 season and a BCS bowl. We are so happy for Kyle and his family. We went out after the game and celebrated with them. It was Kyle's birthday the day before so we celebrated that, too. What an awesome present.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!