Wow!  I don't know if any of you have missed me but I sure have missed you!  Since last I posted we packed up and left Ohio, moved to Utah, weathered a kidney stone, reconnected with family all over the West, moved across town, sent Brandon off to the Navy, and I started a new job.  Those are just the highlight!

Blogger has changed a lot since my last post so I am going to begin my renewed blogging by uploading pictures for my mom.  My favorite aunt died Dec. 30th.  I love her a lot and will miss her even more.  She is my last direct relation to my dad and I felt that finality when I was there.  It inspired me to take pictures of my cousins and make sure I was in some of the shots.  This isn't my prettiest post but I look forward to catching up and refining my blogging.

 Dinner at the church.

 Becky's Granddaughter

Beth Nesbitt hidden behind Myrtle, Christina, Jon, and Myrtle's son.

Cheryl and their oldest girl.  So beautiful!

Becky

Greg and Dave

Beth and kids...such a great shot!

Cousins!

The only two girl cousins!  We are special.

The flowers I sent. 

All the flowers.

Myrtle with her son and daughter in law.

April Showers



April was one of the wetest on Ohio record.  So, of course, our sump pump picked the wetest day, of the wetest month, of the wetest year to give  up the ghost.

There was about 14" of water covering our entire basement.  Brandon was the first one home and immediately went to work hauling it out in buckets.

But as fast as he and Brady could haul 5 gallon buckets up our stairs and out into the grass, the water was pouring in from the sump pump drain!

With the help of amazing friends in our ward--people from Ohio "deal" with this sort of thing, we obtained a HUGE pump and it was literally pumped out in about 25 min.  The very next day, a wonderful ward member installed-not one, but TWO new pumps.  One works without electricity because...well, you know.

Lexie's baptism!

 Even though Lexie turned 8 in January, she waited patiently for

Easter weekend to celebrate her birthday.

 She wanted her whole family there when her dad baptized her.

 Even though Grandparents couldn't make it for Lexie's special day, she was able to wear the same dress that Alyssa did for her baptism in 2000.  It was custom made by Grandma Nancy.

 The usual suspects were present for the big day.

 No one told me to wear white!  ;(

 The after shot.  Wearing her special new Easter dress, a sweater that was mine

when I was a girl, and a scarf purchased for her on the steps

of the Vatican.  Isn't she beautiful?

 After the baptism, Lexie and her friends adjourned to the cultural hall for...

 gourmet cupcakes made by Alyssa and me.  Yes, we are a bit too addicted to the Food Network.

 But you gotta admit, they do look amazing! 

 It was really fun for Lexie to have her friends there to support her,

 and give presents of course!

 All in all, it was a pretty amazing day and she said it was TOTALLY worth the wait!

I love, love, love this picture.

Easter 2011

This spring brought a lot of fun with decorating sugar cookies.  We all got way into the act of decorating and eating.  ;)

  Easter brings our annual egg coloring madness.

 Yes Alyssa, there is an Easter Bunny.  I know, CRAZY huh?!

 Brandon has a future as an egg artist. 

 My cute little pinata; I was looking forward to killing the chicken.  Gary tried in vain to save him.

 There is a reason that Lexie's basket is bigger than she is; that kid made a haul!

 I am sooooo happy that my big kids still love the "little kid" holidays and all the activities that go with them.  I hope our family never grows out of all the Easter trappings.

 I do need to try to convince Brandon that we do not eat the Easter Eggs! 

 I think it took 2 hours to find all the eggs. 

 Some people get a little bored and decide that harrassing their mother seemed like more fun.

Brady is the "numbers guy".  He makes sure that all the real and all the plastic eggs are found and that they are evenly divided. 

In the end...the chicken got what was comin' to him.  But, true to form, his dismembered little body is still in the trunk of Gary's car.  Bwahahahah. ... . yea so we had a creepy little twist--it seems like it may become a new tradition.  ;)