Thanksgiving Celebrations

We celebrated Thanksgiving three different times, which was a treat.  :)

First, we went to Grandma Allen's care center, then Grandma Rose's, and finally to Promontory with all the Rose extended family.

We drove the motorhome to Promontory and it was wonderful.  Charlie came along and loved that he got to be with the family.  Poor guy - he's really taken second fiddle to Henry.

It was so nice to kick off the holiday season with so much extended family around.  I love them all so much - both sides.

 Grandma looked so pretty with her hair fixed and her pearls on.  Henry was a little charmer, as usual.

 Ah, these Grandma pictures are so precious to me.  They're all aging so much and I want to capture and enjoy every single moment with them.  I hope my kids always know how very blessed they are to have their great-grandmas so present in their lives.

 Chloe looked so pretty perched up on that horse.
Uncle Scott took the kids on a Rhino ride, horseback riding, you name it, they did it.  It was a lot of fun for the kids.
Brigham and Uncle B became fast friends this time, too.  B was asking him about his (very, very, embarrassingly awful) beat up sneakers.  He eventually gave Brigham a dollar to buy new ones.  They had a great time together.  Brigham went home and wrote him a thank you note and sent it off.  B wrote back and they're pen pals now.  :)
On the way out, I helped the kids make bonnets and head dresses.  It was a fun little time killer.  You can see the head dresses in the pictures above.  I didn't grab one of Lily's bonnet, but it turned out pretty clever and cute.

I actually made this for Caroline's blessing luncheon, but it's Thanksgiving themed, so into this post it goes.  Turned out pretty darn cute!

Halloween

 Rounding out the busy month of October -- Halloween!  I continue to just love this holiday.  Chloe was a witch this year (she loved that wig, even though it gave her fits pretty much all day), Lily was a karate kid (and stayed very much in character most of the day), Brigham was a Mormon missionary (he came up with it all on his own - LOVE!), and Cannon was a cowboy (I could not get enough of his adorableness all day.  It made my hear hurt he was so darling).

Henry was a cutie little tiger.  Stanton was Superman and I was Raggedy Ann.  It was a very fun day. 
Henry, Cannon, and I spent most of the day at the school for class parties.  Brigham's teacher called in the morning and asked if the head room mom had contacted me about a party.  She hadn't.  So, I gathered up a few quick games and crafts and ran over to his class (thankfully, I had already gotten my costume and makeup on).  The kids were awesome and had so much fun - I couldn't believe how good they were with just one mom and their teacher doing the whole thing.  I'm so grateful Mrs. Skidmore called me - it would have been a shame to not have a party for the kids.  I've since taken over head room mom duties in his class.  The other moms have been very helpful since that happened.   (Funny story - this was the first time we room moms had met one another.  I saw one of them a few weeks later and she had no idea who I was.  We later figured out it was because she'd only ever seen me in Raggedy Ann makeup.  How's that for a first impression?!)

I'm also the head room mom in Chloe's class.  The other moms were awesome helps here.  We decorated cookies, pumpkin bowled, made necklaces, and learned the Thriller dance.  The kids especially loved that part.  (just for reference, there is a video of that in iPhoto).

I'm just a regular room mom in Lily's class, so I didn't have to do anything besides show up at her party.  It was really cute, but Henry had had it by then.  I was no help at all.  It was still fun to be in class with Lil, though. 

A couple of days before, we went to the carnival at Grandma Allen's care center.  The kids loved the cupcakes and cake walk and seeing Grandma.  Here is Henry in his adorable costume.  It was warm and cozy for him.
Also, Stanton won a scooter at the corn maze around this same time.  (See what I mean?  He's the luckiest guy I know!).  It was a fun surprise.  He didn't get to ride it much before the weather turned cold, but it will be fun in the summer.

 We had our second year in a row of absolutely amazing weather for trick or treating.  We ate a fun dinner (though not as festive as last year's because I was at the school all day) and then headed out.  Stanton handed out candy while I took the kids out.  The girls lasted forever - till 8:30 or so.  Everyone opted to keep their 5 favorite candies and trade the rest in for a prize.  They were more than happy with their trade.  I always give them the option and I've been pleasantly surprised that they choose to trade in their candy.  It's nice to not have wrappers everywhere and a minimum of chocolate ground into the carpet for the following days.

It was a super fun holiday.  I love seeing what the kids choose for costumes each year. 

Presents from China

My parents went on a 2 week trip to China to visit Matt & Sara.  They came down to our house when they got home - with gifts in tow, of course!  This insane top, a jack ladder (what my dad is doing in the picture), and Chinese fans.  They were beautiful.  They also gave me a really pretty jewelry box.  It was so fun to have them home.

Various Items - Old Stuff

These pics are old, but a good little glimpse into what life looked like this summer and early fall.

 Stanton has pretty much had to pull all of Chloe's teeth (not ALL of them -- what I mean is that none of her teeth are coming loose on their own, so he's having to pull them along the way.  She was my latest teether - her first teeth didn't come till she was 14 months old - and this is just the continuation of that.  As you can see in the big picture, her new tooth was already most of the way in without the baby tooth being even slightly loose).  Also, she looked so grown up one Sunday for church, I just had to snap a picture (also notice that one of her sleeves has lost the elastic....and I have done not one thing about it - including, but not limited to - fixing it, pulling the elastic out of the other sleeve, or not letting her wear it anymore.  Who has time to worry about silly things like mismatched sleeves???).
Last pic in this collage shows what is an hourly occurrence in the Allen household.  Handstands, hand walking, back handsprings, walk-overs, splits, you name it, it's done.  Henry is usually safe?

 Brigham has since gotten new glasses, thank goodness.  These are way to small!  Oh, I think he's wearing the new ones in the LEGO pictures.  By the way, the LEGO phenom has made its way to our home.  All the time.  Wowza - those are tiny pieces and there are a lot of them.  But they make kids smart, for sure....

 Cannon the Adorable.  He's practicing to be a dentist when he grows up.  I love that little guy.

 Lil.  She continues to be the sunshine and the rainy day.  She's growing up so much and I really hope she'll stop yelling soon (ahem.....well.....yes, I know she's learned it from me, but......)

 Random Pig Picture!  This was at my dad's company's 24th of July party in Idaho.  They had a roasted pig in all its glory.  The kids were....well, not impressed.  Ha!  Also, cute picture of my mom and Stanton.

Sweet Grandma Allen.  The kids love visiting her.

Grandma Barbara

Sweet Grandma Barbara passed away on June 12th.  It had been several months coming, but the last couple of weeks were particularly telling.  She stopped eating and was very agitated.  Her breathing was labored and she slowly got weaker and weaker.
It was one of those experiences where you welcome death because you know how miserable they've become in their mortal bodies, yet there is sadness that accompanies death.  We all miss her and love her dearly.
Dave spent hours and hours transcribing the life histories she had written on a few different occasions.  She was a neat woman.  She told the good and the bad, but she dwelt in detail on the positive.  She had a difficult adult life.  Her marriage was much less than ideal.  Her family was estranged from one another.  She could have had every excuse to be bitter and hard, but her love of the Gospel and her testimony of eternal families carried her through all of the hard times.  It was amazing to read her history and how she dwelt on the many good things that her life offered.
 We were so lucky to live close to Grandma during these twilight years of her life.  Our children have solid memories of her and a lot of love.  We were able to spend a lot of time with her and I'm so thankful for that -- especially because I'm not as close, geographically, to my own grandparents.  I feel like this is a way to stay connected to them - to lift where I stand and spend time with the grandparents I can spend time with.

Grandma's funeral was wonderful.  Her children came together in love and celebrated her life.  Only grandchildren spoke and sang at her funeral.  It was amazing.  One of the neatest funerals I've attended.  Fences were mended and love was abundant.  It was a spiritual feast.

I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time with Judy helping her during the week before the funeral.  I went and helped her clean her basement and then Rachel and I helped her choose the flowers for the casket and around it.  It was a bonding experience for us and I will really cherish it.  Judy doesn't often let me help her because she knows my life if full with my own little family.  But, I crave that opportunity and really love being able to serve her in any way.  I have been blessed with goodly parents and parents in law.  I hope they all know how very much I love, respect, and appreciate them.

I didn't take many pictures on the day of the funeral, but I did grab this sweet one of the boys during the viewing.

And these at the graveside dedication in Idaho Falls (the funeral was in Hyde Park).

 Actually, Stanton shot these ones.  It was a lovely dedication and it was especially nice to see my mom and Grandma Johnson there.  Grandma knew Grandma Barbara because they raised their families in Idaho Falls and were in the same stake.  Well, and because my Grandma Johnson was on a date with Grandpa Cannon when she met my Grandpa Johnson.  They were all very excited when Stanton and I met and were engaged.  :)

This was a really wonderful day.  The beauty of death at these older ages is that it allows families a chance to be together and reminisce.  We don't get to see the distant family as often as we'd love to, so it was wonderful to spend some time with them.  And I am certain Grandma was overwhelmed with love seeing her family all together enjoying one another.

After the cemetery, we stopped by Grandma's house on Santalima Blvd.  This was the home where Judy and her siblings grew up.

We ended the day by introducing Stanton's entire family to Rupe's Burgers in Blackfoot.  I worked there in high school and loved seeing how much everyone loved it.  We go there pretty much every time we get to Blackfoot and so it was awesome to share it with more people that I love.  :)

A wonderful day celebrating a wonderful life.  We miss Grandma Barbara, but are so thankful she is freed from the mortal body and mind that were holding her captive.  What a joy the resurrection will be  --- reunited with our physical bodies, but those bodies in perfect form - never to separate again.  I'm thankful to the Savior for His love and sacrifice that made that truth possible. 

(The obituary that ran in the Herald Journal)

Barbara Ethel (Smith) Anderson (1924 - 2012)

HYDE PARK, Utah - Barbara Ethel Smith Anderson, 88, died June 12, 2012, in Logan, Utah. She resided in Idaho Falls for most of her adult life. Barbara was born April 10, 1924 in St. Anthony, Idaho, to Clifford Wallace and Elveda Cherry Smith. She married Cannon Christian Anderson on Oct. 17, 1943, in St. Anthony. They were sealed May 31, 1946, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. He died Sept. 19, 2003, in Idaho Falls.
Barbara's school years in St. Anthony were busy and happy. She was the drum majorette for the marching band, played the violin and was a vocal soloist in school performances. With grandparents in Rexburg and West Yellowstone, she learned to love that beautiful country. In December of her senior year in high school, Pearl Harbor was bombed. Barbara supported the war effort by traveling all over the county, often four or five times a week with her state representative singing "God Bless America" to sell war bonds. She used to be called the Kate Smith of Fremont County.
Her husband was drafted six months after their marriage and served in Europe during World War II. He learned to lay carpet on his return and years later they operated a floor covering and drapery business called "Cannons" in Idaho Falls.
Barbara was a very devoted mother, wonderful cook and immaculate housekeeper. She was very involved in church and community service. She taught singing lessons and sang often in church and at weddings, funerals and civic musicals. Her religion has given her strength and been an anchor in her life. She served faithfully in many positions and has given countless hours of service to those in need. Barbara served in the Idaho Falls Temple for many years.
Cannon and Barbara had five children, Linda Beal of West Jordan, Utah, Richard (Andi) Anderson of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Judy (David) Allen of Hyde Park, Utah, David (Jennifer) Anderson of Providence, Utah, and Sue Zan (Lance) Hammerland of Lawrenceville, Ga. She is survived by her brother C. Wayne Smith of Centerville, Utah, 14 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren with three more coming. She was proceeded in death by her brother James M. Smith.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at the Hyde Park Stake Center, 535 E. 200 South in Hyde Park, Utah. There will be a viewing from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the stake center. Interment will be in the Ammon, Idaho, Cemetery, 3601 Schwieder Lane in Idaho Falls.
We are deeply grateful to the staff of Legacy House and Encompass Hospice for the loving and kind care they provided for Barbara.