Maybe . . . Spring is on it's way!

Can you believe it's the end of February? I'm excited to see spring -- our bulbs are starting to come up through the dirt, the snow is melting, Ernie and I ran my car through Scrubs today and Ernie took the Christmas lights off the roof. All definite signs of spring!

Jana and Kyle and families came over for a last minute barbeque this afternoon. We were hoping Dylan and Emily and Kelsey and Murray would be able to come as well but they already had plans. Hard to plan last minute stuff with everyone. Guess we'll take whoever we can!

We put hamburgers on the barbequer. They tasted so good. I bought the best buns at Allen's today -- they were so fresh and homemade tasting. Anyway -- it all tasted good. My parents happened to stop by right before everyone came over so they stayed and ate with us too. They enjoyed seeing everyone especially the great-grandkids. I'm so glad we have family close by. Wish Daelyn and Shalise and their families were closer.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, MOM!

It's so hard not being close to those we love on holidays. We had so much fun with Ernie's Mom during the Christmas season. She stayed for about two weeks and during that time we could hardly pry her away from the fireplace, warm blanket and her fuzzy slippers. Coming from warm Arizona into snowy Utah is not always the easiest thing to do at that time of year. The snow was beautiful, though.

Mom, you add alot to our family and and we are so grateful that you are a part of our lives. We appreciate all you do for us -- your love and concern, your phone calls, and the fun messages on your voicemail. You add a spark to the group whereever you are. We are all better people for knowing you and being able to associate with you.

We love you and miss you and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

TIME OUT . . . WITH OUR CHILDREN. We have decided to try something new with our children this year around their birthdays. It seems like when we get together as a family, there are so many of us and kids running around, that we really don't get time to visit. So, around either our children's birthday or their spouses, whichever time works best, we will take that couple out to dinner. This way we will get some one-on-one time with each couple during the year. We're excited about this!

Our first one is this weekend. We are going to take Jana (her birthday is Friday, the 6th) and her husband, Dale, out to dinner. They get to pick where they want to go (within reason!). We don't plan on paying for their babysitter, but I do think it will be fun to be able to visit with each other on a one-on-one basis. We don't ever get a chance to do something like this, so we're really looking forward to it. I can't believe she's going to be 37 years old!