Trip to IOWA

I went out to Iowa to see Shalise and Devin (and Koiya) on a long weekend. It seems like all we have been doing is eating and shopping and then eating and shopping more! We did go to a movie, visited Devin's school and went to their church today. We've had a fun time. Shalise is always good for a good shopping trip -- helped me get some of my Christmas shopping done! Their condo is perfect for them and they are in a great area -- close to the freeway, Jordan Creek Mall, Target, Walmart and the grocery store. Weather has been changing daily -- one day it was cold and rainey, then a warm day and today has been so windy! It's been fun to see their place and how cute it is.

OK - just so you know, Koiya remembered me! She's been cute. Funny, how I have kinda missed being around her and having her greet me when I come home.

I had a gift card for PF Changs that we decided to use. The food was great . . . our waiter wasn't so great. We had a fun time anyway in spite of him!

Devin showed me around DMU (Des Moines University). He took us through the labs and lecture rooms, wellnes center, bookstore and even the mock emergency room. It was really interesting! Quite the school. . .

Shalise and I found this cute little shop and thought we should stop and check it out. Chocolate and gifts . . . it was a fun place to visit.

Washington DC Temple

We went through a session at the Temple last Friday night. We have decided that we really need to pick one day each month and go as a family -- whoever wants to go. We'll have to figure out a good time! We just don't go unless we plan it out. We've missed not going.

Mount Vernon

We just spent a week in Washington D.C. with BryAnn and Greger. Greger had a convention so, of course, we had to go babysit BryAnn so she would stay out of trouble there! We first got to go visit Craig, my brother, in Pennsylvania. We had so much fun seeing his cute family and spending some time with them. He even fixed us one of his famous "Bart McMuffins"!

Back to D.C. to see and experience as much as we possibly could. Holocaust Museum, Capitol, American Indian Museum, Printing and Engraving Museum, Archives, Zoo (to see the pandas!), Library of Congress, The Supreme Court, National Cathedral, Botanical Garden, outside of the White House, Air and Space Museum (downtown and also by the airport), Cemetery to include the changing of the guards and then the Monuments along the Mall. I'm sure there was more . . . I just can't think what else we saw right now! We did alot!

Let me tell you how tough it is to keep up with BryAnn. She is a goer! She is the best tour guide. She would plan everything out in the evening and then the next day -- tell us what we were going to go do. It was great!

We played "May I" every night. I think BryAnn pretty much skunked us on that as well! Of course, we couldn't play until after we had our Baskin-Robins ice cream. We got so we knew the kids at the ice cream store by name! The fact that we made them go through all their quarters every night -- just in case there was a "P" version in there. We brought home probably about $50 worth of coins from Craig, Jon and the various stores we went to.

San Francisco here we come . . . in 2009! We're already planning and thinking about where we can go while we're there!

We should really start a packing/moving company. We helped move my Father last weekend to an assisted living facility. On Friday and Saturday we helped Shalise and Devin pack up their penski truck and clean out their house for their move to Des Moines, Iowa. Tonight we moved my Mother in with Dad. They were really have a hard time being apart. Each worried about the other one. One more day of moving and cleaning out their retirement place should do it!

Here We Are!!!

Well, it seems like everyone these days is starting their own blog, so it was only a matter of time before we joined in the fun. We thought if we wrote down what we did (now that we're getting older) we might actually remember what's happened. Ok, so here's the "411" on the Thornton Family. Ernie and I (Anita) were married last October. He has two kids, Dylan and Kelsey and they are both married. I have 4 kids: Daelyn, Jana, Kyle, Shalise. They are all married as well. I'm working at Stampin' Up and Ernie just started at Sunroc. It's a little crazy to try and get everyone together, but when we do we have a great time! I know that this one is short, but there's a whole lot more to come (pictures too!).