Family Traditions

Sometimes I think we don't have that many family traditions and yet as the years have gone by I have realized that we actually have many.  Here are a couple I thought I would share with you.
GENERAL CONFERENCE:  This is what John Griggs and his family do for the Sunday morning General Conference session.  He loved it so much that he and Amanda decided it was something we should also do.  So for the last four conferences we have all gotten together at Crystal's house for an early morning breakfast of pancakes, a variety of sausage, hash browns, bacon, eggs, orange juice and milk.  Then we have family prayer and watch the morning session.  This conference we all agreed seemed to be "extra" special to us. 

This is how RaLee wakes up every morning!

The other tradition is to get together and dye Easter Eggs Saturday night before Easter Sunday.  It's so fun to watch the kids carefully dye their eggs.  They are so proud of them!

Jayden loved all of the colors...

...but didn't like getting her hands dirty!

But despite her best efforts they were as colorful as her eggs.

She was so proud of her eggs

Trey's favorite holiday is EASTER!  This kid loves everything about Easter!

Wayne takes his egg dying seriously...he's our little artist/perfectionist.

Haven is here from Montana for Easter but will be flying home to her new home in Oregon on Wednesday.

Kaitlen has been so happy to see Haven. 

Payten didn't quite know what to think of the dye.  She couldn't decide if she should drink it, play in it or paint the eggs!

William loves dying eggs! Grandma loves his sweet smile.

RaLee wouldn't miss coloring Easter eggs!

Her eggs were super bright!  She used this really cool neon dye kit.

Then she stood behind Amanda during clean up duty and teased her.  Mandy doesn't know she did this so these pictures will be a surprise to her.  RaLee thinks she's SOooo Funny!

RaLee has a lot of "paybacks" coming her way when it's her turn to be pregnant.  Her three older sisters will have a lot of "getting even" to do!

The best Easter egg of all...

Tonight was bitter sweet.  I loved watching the grandkids and tried to watch each of them a little closer this year in an effort to commit them to memory.  I kept looking at the spot where Sage's high chair would have been and tried to imagine him sitting there coloring his first Easter egg.  Even though we were all together it didn't feel complete without him.  I choked back some tears and just got through the moment.  I did enjoy later in the evening when the adults were alone and we just sat and talked about Sage and the day he passed.  We talked about that glorious day when Sage will be resurrected and placed back in his mother's arms.  This Easter I have spent a lot of time thinking about the sacrifice Christ made for each of us and how grateful I am for the resurrection!

Ready and Waiting For Isabelle Kay

Amanda's appointment on Monday showed that she was not suffering contractions for nothing.  She is 75% effaced, head down and engaged and dilated to a 2.  We are getting pretty excited for the big event.  For those of you that don't know Amanda and John lost their first baby.  When she didn't conceive again they sought help from a fertility specialist.  The expense was difficult/challenging in and of itself but with numerous procedures, shots, medication, and 2 surgeries later they were finally pregnant.  This has been such a wonderful journey getting to watch my daughter grow threw pregancy and have the opportunity to experience it.  So there is a lot of excitement around this little girl and her mommy and daddy are floating on air.

Amanda and John's bags are packed and the camera's are all charged and ready to go! 

Here are some photos from Isabelles room as you can see how excited and prepared these two are for their daughter.

They have a complete year supply of diapers!  They have purchased more since this photo was taken.  Notice all of her clothes in the closet?  I had to tell her to stop buying them and give us folks a chance to buy things for her baby shower.  That was very hard for Amanda to do!

See the pink coat hanging on the end of the changing table?  That is John's favorite piece.  He said it's for those trips home to Utah.  My dad and momma Mary, the great grandparents, bought this for her so they could visit them in Payson.  John said it will work good in Utah too!

Isabelle already needs a bigger closet!  This is all from her baby shower.

More Shower stuff

...and more

This is the dress I crocheted for her.

And the blanket I made her.

An excited Mommy

I had to beg her for this photo...I think she's beautiful!

Happy Parents!

Royal's Accident

Yes that's right Royal had an accident at work today.  He was driving a forklift and a large gate was swinging shut and heading straight for his head/side.  He stuck his left arm out to stop the gate from hitting him in the head.  Some how this 10 foot iron gate ricocheted back and smashed his arm between the forklift and the gate.  So he has a bad break in his left arm.  Yes he is laughing in the picture.  Every since Royal was little he would break out in uncontrolable laughter if he was in pain.  Go figure!  The funny thing is when the Doctors and nurses start laughing because he can't stop laughing!

Just a recap on the last few weeks!

March 19, 2009 - We lost our beautiful Grandson, Sage, to SIDS.

March 21, 2009 - Kaitlen is taken to the ER for a sore shoulder and we learn it is broken. Kaitlen is removed from Jessica and John's home on suspected child abuse charges. TWO doctors confirm there was no abuse and that she has what they call "Soft Clavicles" or soft bones. The paper work at CPS moves very slowly and it looks like Kaitlen will be with us a while. This has been very hard on everyone...especially Kaitlen who wants nothing more than to be with mom and dad.

March 21, 2009 - In the evening Trey and RaLee are jumping on the trampoline and he breaks his right leg just under the knee. He is now wheel chair bound.

March 22, 2009 - Spencer takes Trey and Jayden to urgent care for possible ear infections. The Dr. on duty tell's Spencer Jayden has a heart murmur and can't believe it wasn't diagnosed as an infant. Another Dr. say's she is okay after testing on her heart. What a scare to have especially after Sage's passing.

March 25, 2009 - We lay our sweet little Sage to rest with his Uncle Kenny.

March 30, 2009 - A 15 year old boy takes a home made bomb to school and throws it into a crowd of student before school starts. My daughter, RaLee, was just feet away from being injured but my niece, Marissa, wasn't so lucky. She sustained burns to the back of her neck, shoulders and backs of her arms.

April 2, 2009 - On the two week anniversary of Sage's passing Crystal, Spencer, Trey and Jayden are in a car accident comming home from taking Jayden to the Doctor's to have her heart checked out and then Easter shopping. Crystal breaks her elbow and wrist and seperates her ribs from the sternum.

April 6, 2009 - Royal is in a fork lift accident at work. But bones heal and it could have been worse.

My brother told me, "Sister take all of the mattresses off of the beds and completely pad a room.  Put the entire family inside and wait until the dark cloud passes."  That might not be a bad idea.  I mean really?  I will say through it all none of us have asked, "Why Me?"  instead we say "Why Not Me?"  I can't help but wonder just how bad everyone would have been if so many people, even complete strangers, weren't praying for our family?  He never gives us more than we can handle I'm just thankful we don't have to handle it alone.  Thanks for all of your prayers and

thoughtful words.