Babysitting Aniston today

Baby Annie is getting so big she's such a precious little girl!!  She is crawling really well and all over the house.  She stands up too, she will be walking soon!!  Her mommy Tasha walked early she was only about nine an half to10 months old when she started walking.  

Tasha called and asked if I would babysit Anniston and Winston today while she does hair. We got home late from the cabin last night and this morning I headed out to the Thomas family.

Baby Anniston, she love her baby doll

Memorial weekend.

Craig on our Rhino with Landon and Flint's two grandson Braxton and Briggs

Another season for 2015 cold and rainy weekend.  We were few in numbers this year. Micheal & Landon came with us.

Bear Lake Ward, Michael, Craig, Landon Memorial Day Weekend.

My Helpful Husband

Craig came out yesterday while I was there helping the Chaudhry family, he fixed their law mower, it wasn't working he got that working and then Michael & Craig mowed the lawn. It was going on three weeks because we have had so much rain the grass was really long. They then worked on the white van that's been sitting since fall they were able to get it started and then they power washed and cleaned it up.  My dear husband is so handy in fixing things, I don't know what we would do without him.  I sure love and appreciate him and all the things he does in our family

Helping the Chaudhry family

 The past two weeks I've been going out to Shannon's and trying to help her finish up her house.  They have got to get it up on the market. Shannon's has so many health issues that her time is limited in her energy and what she can do.  It's more than one person can do!! We finished up the basement last week and got things looking good down there. Michael's room nice and clean. I still need to finish touching up the trim and the doors but it looks better than it was.  This week I went out three days trying to help her clean and De-junk things, we cleaned the garage, got all the clutter out of her kitchen from her working projects and tidied up the boys rooms and then we started tackling her room she has so much stuff piled in there, we had to sort and clear it out, so today I'm going out to try to help her start painting her bedroom and bathroom and then we should be done!! Still need to paint the front door & the base to make the front door like good.  She has a window that needs to be repaired, needs to get somebody out for that and the siding on the house but we should go ahead and get the house listed on the market, hopefully by the 1st of June.  This is been a lot of work for both of us but we've accomplished more than we thought we'd be able to.

Challenges of Motherhood

Natasha posted this darling picture of her and her three kids on Facebook telling about how hard it is to be a mother and she sometimes just wants to give up but then yet there's twice the good that comes from the position of being a mother, her children do bring her great joy despite the challenges!! I love this picture !!

Natasha with her three little ones.  Aniston, Lincoln & Winniston

Baby Aniston is getting so big

Craig and I enjoyed holding Aniston during the preschool program yesterday she's such a cute little baby girl We love her very much, she's crawling all around and starting to stand up now.  She's 10 months old now the months have gone by so fast!!

Craig & Aniston Faye

Lincoln's preschool graduation

Craig & Lincoln at his pre-school graduation

Grandma Debbie & Lincoln

May 20th Wednesday at noon we attended Lincoln's preschool graduation he is so cute. He was so fun to watch singing his songs, he knew all the words and actions he's got to be such a big boy were so proud of him he's such a handsome little guy!

Mothers Day 2015

We had fun gathering for dessert on Sunday evening Shar and her family Tasha and her family came by,

                                                         Bridger took this cute picture of us.
                                        Tasha holding her daughter Annie, Mama Debbie and Sharlena
  We were few in numbers this year..  Towner in California, Shannon and her family were all sick this year.  The Burbidge family were in Oregan this year.  We did have a nice time hanging out in our back yard.  It was a lovely day.  My daughter's are all such beautiful girls and wonderful mothers to their own children.

Proud of my Husband

Craig has been the president elect for the Utah Health underwriters Association this past year.  They had their annual state convention yesterday He was in charge of planning and putting it together he did such a great job I'm so proud of him.   He scheduled some speakers to come in from California and he did a really good job, enjoyed listening to the speakers.      

                                                       My husband saying the closing remarks

Jacob Noriegas 5th birthday

We were finally able to give Jacob his birthday present for his fifth birthday which was April 13th this year.  With Craig having the shingles we have not been able to get together to wish him a happy birthday. Sunday we gave him a birthday card with $25 in cash, he was so excited he loved his birthday card!!  He is the cutest little grandson, so loving and full of hugs.

Mother's Day

Sunday evening Tasha, Bridger and her three kids and Sharlena and her four kids came over to have dessert with us to celebrate Mother's Day.  We missed the rest of the family. Shannon and some of the boys were sick with the stomach bug, Stacy and Chad moved to California this past week and Trisha and Buck were in Oregon so we were fewer numbers gathering this year.  I love all my girls so very much they are each such wonderful mothers to their own children I'm so proud of each and everyone of them

Utah State health convention today

So proud of my husband today he is the president elect for the Utah Health underwriters Association for this next year.   He was in charge of helping to put together the state convention held today at Little America downtown Salt Lake.  He invited speakers from California to speak this morning and wanted me to be there. I also scheduled a singer for the opening national anthem Eric Michels, he sang  at some of my pageants, he did a great job this morning.  We had to get up early at 5:30 in order to be downtown by seven I'm a little tired, I just got home, I left early so that I could work at the temple tonight,  so proud of my husband he has done a great job putting this together.

My Family History Work

I have been working on my family history any chance I get. I spent all day yesterday and the day before working on things.   I'm trying to merge and clean up the files in family tree and scan and load my research notes and get things on family tree that I've collected over the years. It has been discouraging because much of the temple work I'm finding is being repeated again, so many of my ancestors that I personally submitted to the Jordan River Temple in 1992 and over the years working have been redone again there's so much duplication that goes on... it's frustrating!!  I spent a lot of time on one family name getting it ready for the temple and then to see it duplicated again it's like why do I  bother?  I do feel I need to keep going,  I can't quit. I have to work through the obstacles.  Family history work has greatly enhance with the access of computers, they are great but they are challenging to.  I'm trying to keep up with all the new programs that come up.  Family tree is a new one and it's slowly coming together, there are lots of little bugs in it but it is improving over time.  I talked to Brother Green last night who works at the church Department of Family History and he said just to be patient, in the year 2016 things will smooth out.

Yay the weight slowly coming off

I weighed this morning 161.6 I haven't seen that since the end of February I was losing weight then I got sick, the weight bounced back up so it's taking me over six weeks to get it back down. I'm starting to feel a little better getting that extra 10+ pounds off.  I'm going to jump for joy when I get in the 150s I haven't seen that for over two years.  Keep going, Keep going!!

Baby Farrah is so cute

                                           We are going to miss our little baby Farrah

Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Craig with baby Farrah

She is such a cute little baby, she's six months old now and is going to be crawling very soon.We'll have to go to California to visit them there.

The Towners are leaving town today

Granpa and Granma with Jude and Yael

  Their moving to California for the summer season.  We are going to miss the kids they are so darling.  Stacy said they're keeping their home here so she'll be back for some visits during the summer she's probably coming home around the Fourth of July weekend.

The Family History bug

 The past two weeks I have been working on my family history whenever I can.  I have so much work that needs to be done trying to get all my family records on my personal Paf files onto the new family tree and ancestry.com which has been a lot of work.  I have a long ways to go still.   I'm also scanning all the pictures and research notes that I have onto the websites. I just have to go through all my family records again and see where I left off.  I'm finding new things along the way as well it's exciting learning about my ancestors. I'm  trying to crack the Thomas Bailes family line I've been stuck on that for over 40 years.  There is always lots to do... I just keep plugging along!!

Stayed home yesterday

I need to get back out to Shannon's and help her finish up her painting she has got to get her house up for sale on the market.  She had a doctors appointment yesterday and I just needed to stay home and do some housework it felt good to get some things put away and cleaned. I also cleaned my closet. I switched out my winter clothes to my summer clothes it feel so much better to have it all neat and tidy.  Stacy picked me up yesterday and I took her to the car dealership to get her car. We then traded cars.  She had our car for a few days while her car was at the dealership for repairs.  They are planning on packing up today and moving tomorrow. Chad flew in from California late last night, he been out of town all last week.  We're going to miss those little Towner grandkids they are so darling!!

Finally losing some weight

When Craig and I went on our Mexican trip in January this year I peaked out at 175 lbs.  That is more than what I weighed pregnant with my children.  I have not been happy about gaining so much weight.  By the end of February this year I had dropped down to 161 pounds it was starting to feel a little better getting that extra 14 pounds off,  I got sick the end of February and for some reason while being sick my weight jumped up to about 169 pounds.   I have not been eating much so I don't know why the weight came back on.  I have been very frustrated because the pounds are not coming off.!! This past week I have been trying to watch more of what I'm eating. I have been eating more protein and fish and finally dropped down to 163.4 this morning..  I've just got to keep going!!!  I really want to get back in the 140's again!!  I wanted this weight off by summer,  It is May now!!  I'm behind schedule.  Pray the month of May I can lose 10 lbs,  it has been so hard for me to get below 160 I have struggled with that for over two years now.  I'm going to jump for joy when I finally get below the 160 Mark and in the 150s.  Being consistent with my eating is going to be the trick.

May 4th A beautiful spring day

The weather is really nice and warming up feels good to have spring here. No more winter!! With the warmer weather I needed to switch out my winter clothes to my summer clothes so I have taken the time to clean out my closet,  it's a lot of work but it's looking better. I've collected a lot of winter clothes making a mess before it looks better.  Stacy just called and needs to pick up her car that was being repaired so she's coming to pick me up it will be fun to see the kids and spend a little time with her before she leaves town tomorrow.  I'm really going to miss Stacy and her three darling little kids.

Our Sunday Drive from the Lake

After the party Saturday night Craig wanted to drive up to the lake to check on the sprinkling system we had a broken line that needed to be repaired and he wanted to make sure the sprinklers were all working.  We arrived about 10:30 pm. I was really tired and so was Craig, he still is having a hard time recovering from the shingles, his energy level is very low,  we both went to bed and slept through the night.  We both were so tired on Sunday we just laid around. I worked on some family history and Craig slept. We did mow the lawn and put some round-up on the weeds.  They are growing fast. The sprinklers seem to be working great; it was a quick trip up & back.  We had to come back by 6:30pm for a family gathering at Trisha's again to sing happy birthday to Karlee as a family and to have a goodbye party for Stacy. Her and Chad are moving to California. We are going to miss them.  Chad is working full time in California and has been commuting they need to be together as a family so they decided to move to California.

Our Karlee Burbidge 10th birthday

Granma Debbie & Karlee we went shopping for a new outfit

Trisha decorated so cute for her party.

Happy Birthday Karlee June!!

Our Aubrey Girl

Our Karlee June on her special day 10 yrs old

May 2nd Saturday afternoon I took our Karlee June shopping for a few hours while Trisha got ready for a surprise birthday party for her at their home. Karlee &  I had lunch and then went shopping, we found a few cute summer outfits for her, she is such a fun little granddaughter. I took her home because her mother said she wanted her home they were getting ready to leave Karlee was sad that she was having to go home from our shopping she couldn't understand why her mother wanted her home.  Little did she know that there was a surprise party waiting for her!!  When we arrive she went downstairs and everybody jumped out and said surprise!!   Trisha decorated it so cute, she had a little concession stand with hot dogs and fries and all kinds of treats, fun balloons, it was a darling little party.  Trisha is so creative in putting parties together she has such cute ideas!!

Karlee &Grandma Debbie

Fun Decoration

Craig is Officially Retired

Friday, May 1, 2015 my dear Husband officially retired from the health insurance business. Friday I helped him move things out of his office and took several files to the new office and meet the new agent that will be taking over his clientele.  We have piles of stuff sitting in our garage that we've got to weed out slowly from closing his office,  we've got to clean his office here at home and get rid of stuff  here.  This week he will be busy meeting with his clients and introducing them to the new agent.  Craig wants there to be a smooth transition as much as possible.  We are entering a new stage in our lives the retirement years... I'm actually excited about it!!