Winter Formal 2009

For their day activity the girls got matching shirts for them and their date, Jess put names on the back of hers (so she would remember Dallin’s name I guess).  They met at the Hatches where they were served a delicious breakfast by a couple of dads.

 

Made to order omelets, fruit, and I supplies the cinnamon rolls.

after a few group shots, they were off to the Mall where they played the A-Z game, which consisted of them running through the mall taking pictures of things that started with all the letters of the Alphabet.

 

 

After returning home…having a nap, getting beautified, and then picking up their dates, taking more pictures, they were off to the Loves, for a delicious dinner. 

Looking very festive!

Early Birthday

It's always a struggle to get Arlon gifts... he has no hobbies, he has all the tools he needs, (or that we can afford) he doesn't scrapbook, Clothes...not something he really cares about.  So it really stinks that he has a birthday right at Christmas time, so we have to come up with not one but two gifts within a month.  
    My mom got him some really good (expensive) snow boots one year and gave him one for his birthday and one for Christmas, he seemed to enjoy that.  The girls have given him a wallet, Twice, he still uses the ratty one he has had forever. (Which always reminds me of the white shirt we bought his dad once, which he never wore because the sleeves of his old one had not completely fallen of yet). Any way...the fallback tends to be a gift card to eat out, that way I score dinner somewhere too.  So when Lindsey called a month ago (she is the one always thinking ahead, and looking for deals) and asked if I though Dad would like to see...

I knew they had a winner!!!  He has talked about wanting to go every year, but because we don't plan too many things out in our lives, we never manage to get tickets before they sell out.  And SCORE he will need a date, (he never goes anywhere by himself if he can help it...just ask the girls how many times they got to go to home depot with him)  So she go the other girls to anti up (I hope) and sent the tickets.  I had a slight moment of hesitation, since I had had surgery on the 22nd of November and this was the 8th of December, but no worries, it was great incentive to be up and around!
So off we went, stopping at Monti's La Casa Vieja for Dinner, then of to Celebrity theater.  The seats were good, though meant for people smaller in stature than well fed Americans, and people watching was at its premium, (its always interesting the variety of people that attend functions)


     Tim and Willy started the show out with a bang by opening with a video of them doing Beyounce's "All the single Ladies", defiantly an image burned into my brain of Tim's long nasty legs, but entertaining to my warped brain. 
    The Headliners were "Little Big Town" 

Defiantly some eye candy there...They were excellent, They sing alot of slow pretty songs, so it kept it pretty mixed up with the other entertainment interspersed throughout the evening. They did several skits, my favorite, the visit of the only Jon Gosslin thy could afford (because the actual Jon thinks way to highly of himself) and since I can't stand Jon and Kate, this one was way more enjoyable...

The highlight of the evening for Arlon though was the comic...Tim Hawkins.  When the girls were little Arlon dreamed of being "Raffi", making a living playing silly songs on the guitar... well Tim Hawkins is Raffi all grown up, (and not singing to kids, or singing kids songs), a large part of his comic routine are songs he has changed the words to, making a few composers turn in their graves. 
  The highlight of the evening for me was the song Willy sang at the end.  It was beautiful and brought the Christmas spirit flowing through the room. 
     The biggest bummer of the night were the door prizes...now we didn't expect to win, only Lindsey ever wins...well and the one time Calli stole my prize at the scrapbook convention,...but the big prize of the night was a ticket to Garth Brooks in Las Vegas for Valentines day, and the 70 year old man right behind us won it...and didn't even respond!  He wife finally said "oh that's you dear"  and he kinda grunted, SO DIDN'T deserve the prize, but whatever!  It was a little too far away for good pictures, but here's what I got!

Thanks girls the the best night ever!

November brought a few changes for the Lewis Family...a lack of children at the Thanksgiving table! With Calli and Brendan's family in Kansas, Brenden finishing his last year of Chiropractic School, and Lindsey and Mike's family in Beaver creek, Ohio, Mike having taken a new job, and Lisa and TJ, in Columbus, Ohio, TJ attending OSU law school, and Summer in Rexburg, Idaho, going to BYU Idaho, I thought It might be the year for Arlon, Jessica and I to check out "Denny's" for our Thanksgiving Dinner. As a side note, I had decided to have the lovely procedure women my age are prone too that starts with "H" and ends with I get to lay around for a week or two and have a mini vacation.

Well "Denny's" became a pipe dream when Summer bummed a ride home, and Arlon manned up and took on the traditional family feast! Arlon made up a shopping list and assigned out the dishes. Summer got the string beans...
"Look Mom...I learned to read labels at Collage"

The Evil duo...contemplating their next job...


Jessica made the "funeral" potatoes, Summers finished string beans, and the made from scratch pumpkin pie Arlon whipped up!

Arlon also made arrangements to have the Turkey cooked in the Scott Clouse pit this year. It doesn't make for a pretty golden turkey to carve at the table...but it does result in Delicious fall off the bone meat.

I think a pit may be the future for the Lewis house hold. Arlon spent lots of time planning out how he would set his up!

The Happy Family

Thanksgiving is never complete without the deviled eggs and olives...

Look TJ, Olive Fingers!

Jessica contemplated eating the whole pie.

Summer settled for the whipped cream!

Who will be the new Dr.Mario winner...

could it be the winner of the wish bone pull...

Nope Jessica won the pull but....

Calli won the Mario Championship! It was also Calli's birthday on Thanksgiving, and she gave me the present by bringing Brody to see me. Thanksgiving turned out a lot better than I thought it would. It still wasn't the Family Frolic we usually have, but this year I spent a lot more time thinking about all the things I really was thankful for. I'm thankful for kids that are healthy and successful in the lives they are making for themselves. I am thankful for a husband who steps in and always comes through when he needs too. I am thankful for my health.

I am thankful for daughters that have become friends.

and for daughters that carry on with traditions...even when her mom thinks about cutting back!

I am Thankful for a beautiful home, that we can enjoy the many different Seasons, and all the memories they bring.

Halloween 2009

So another Halloween has come and gone. Jessica, being the mature 16 year old that she is, didn't want to be a hobo, or an ugly witch, or even a princess. (I know summer will just love this picture)

She and her friend Aubrey chose to be flappers. I think Jessica just liked the way the fringe shook when she shimmied her bod.

One of the best parts of Halloween is the decorations...I have always thought that Halloween is the best holiday ever...all the glam, but no presents to buy.

This year I saved one of the big boxes that came with my new bed, and painted a haunted house on it.

The evil little man is my end of the season buy from last year!

a little spider webbing...

a sign to lead the way... and an old friend to guard the entrance...

even one of the first Halloween crafts I ever painted, the door witch...and a spider crawling down the wall...

Frank and his pumpkins guarding the candy bowl...

and Halloween came and went like clockwork. The only thing missing was the grand kids:(

SURPRISE

So we shipped her off to school...got her settled...talked to her daily of the phone, and still, your minding your own business and out of now where...she shows up.

Summer hitched a ride to Arizona, (not a short trip) just to spend the weekend.

She and Jessica took the opportunity to do what they do best...take pictures of themselves...

Play with their horses...

try to look seductive (came out a little pathetic)...
Jump for joy that they have the best Mom...

and morn the loss of having to split up their clothes, leaving them with "NOTHING" to wear!

As my family shrinks, and comes and goes, its moments like this that make me smile.

Homecoming

<
So my last daughter has joined the ranks of school dance history. Jessica as you know from a previous post was asked to homecoming. The theme... "A Night Under The Big Top", whatever happened to "Magic under the Sea", "Time in a Bottle", a circus, seriously...whatever, she went and had a great time.


After the afternoon conference session, he came picked her up and they went and got pedicures...I know, sounds kinda weird...but secretly how many of us girls wish our man would whisk us off to have our toes pampered and painted...and join in the fun! I won't tell you who's toes were blue and who's were pink...Its a secret!
I think this young man is already learning the way to a girls heart! Then he, knowing the way to the parents hearts (or just a good kid) went to Priesthood session, giving Jessica time to primp and curl (or mom to curl).

then picked her up for dinner, the dance and then pie. Jessica only pretended to pin on the boutonniere...all my daughters are wimps and mom ends up doing it.

His mom made her corsage and it was beautiful

Aren't they cute!