Fun weekend--LOTS of pictures!

I had a really fun weekend this weekend, so thought it was time to do another blog post. But warning--there are lots of pictures in this one! I guess since I get teased all the time about taking so many pictures, I'd better live up to my reputation. So, here goes.

For the last two years Emilee has been on the "float committee" for their ward. When she first got the calling, we thought it was a joke. But I guess all the wards in Lehi make mini floats for the Lehi parade in June. We went with her last year and it was really fun. This year she was the chairperson, so it was a little more pressure for her.

The theme this year was, "If I could I would," and her committee chose, "Live a Bugs Life." They spent weeks and weeks every Saturday (and lots of weekdays at the end), putting together an amazing float. Friday night was the mini float parade, and then Saturday was the grand parade. We knew that on Friday night was when they would be judged. Last year, their float got third place (out of about 20-30 floats). This year she was really hoping to place again. We had so much fun marching on Friday night. Besides the decorated float, they had a bunch of kids from their ward marching, and had them all dressed up as bees or bug catchers. Those on the committee (and Jan and I, as honorary members), dressed up as lady bugs. Here are a few pictures from Friday night (I'll show pictures of the float in a minute):

On Friday after the parade, we went back to Dan and Ems house, and hoped that they would call and let her know she had placed. I was in the house, and suddenly heard screaming outside, and it turned out that they had won Sweepstakes, which is the highest prize. We were so excited! Ems found out later that all three judges had picked her float, both for the detail of the float, and the participation of all the kids. I was so glad for her, after all the work she has gone to for the last few months.

We went and marched again on Saturday, and it was really fun--especially getting to go first among all of the small floats. Here are some pictures:

(I love emma in her cute little lady bug costume!)

And here is the float. It was so cute--she had little insects that had built a house out of a mushroom, using all kinds of "human" things. I'll let her put more detail about it on her blog (I'm already stealing her thunder by posting about it before she has the pictures...hope she doesn't mind).

I love the "bees" pulling the float.

We had quite a few people holding up "10's" It was fun to hear all the comments about how cute the float was.

Emma and her little friend McKensie sat on the float and were so cute and good!

We saw Mom and Dad, Dave and Melissa, and Steve and Chelle who came to watch. After the parade, Dad walked down to visit and I got this cute picture of him holding Matthew.

After the parade we had Camden's 1st birthday party. We alwasy do big celebrations for 1st birthdays in our family. It was such a fun party! Dan and Ems let Ad and Stace use one of the big blow up slides from the rental center, and the kids LOVED it. We had all 19 kids there, so it was great to have something to entertain them. It did get really hot, so my inventive dad and brothers put a huge tarp over it to keep it cool (which is why some of the later pictures have a blue tint to them). I love how they went in groups. It's so fun to have so many little kiddies!

They all gathered around Camden to watch him open presents. Look at all those kids! We just have so many little ones. Camden seemed to like his presents!

Kate lost a tooth during the party, so I had to take a picture of her with her tooth. She's getting so beautiful! Those boys will have to watch out when she gets older!

And, of course, I had to do some pictures of the birthday boy with his cake...

Isn't he a cute little dude? I can't believe he's one year old already. It will be a few more years before we have another one year party, since we don't have any more little ones right now. Hopefully soon there will be an announcement! :)

I just had to end with two pictures from Saturday night. I went back over to Dan and Ems house for a few hours. They were out in the garden with the kids, and this is what Matthew looked like. I love that he was eating dirt, and he looks so cute standing there with his shovel.

Finally, there was a beautiful sunset to end the day. I love sunsets!

It was just a fun weekend. We actually all got together again tonight for Lizzie's birthday celebration, but I haven't had time to download those pictures yet. We'll have another family get together tomorrow night to help with Mom's gardens, and then on Saturday for the 4th of July, so watch for more pictures. Now, I'm going to bed!

Happy Birthday, Lizzie Beth!!

Well, it's that time again. I really should try to post about day to day things once in awhile. One of my work friends said recently, "Your blog is getting to be just a tribute to your nieces and nephews." She's right--but I am just so busy that I hardly ever have time to post any more. Obviously, that is why I am doing this at 12:30 in the morning--because I never miss a birthday without a post on their actual day. So I had to get one done for Lizzie on her 5th birthday, and I will be crazy busy tomorrow, and won't have time to even think about getting it done. Come to think of it, since it's 12:30, today is her birthday. So, happy birthday, Lizzie! This post is dedicated to you.

I got to be at the hospital when Lizzie was born, but, unfortunately, like her two other sisters, she had to go to NICU after she was born. Thankfully she wasn’t there for that long, but I hated having to see her hooked up. I love this picture, though, of her profile. She was such a doll already.

Here is a picture of Jan and I standing by her isolette (is that what it’s called?) in NICU. We couldn't hold her, but at least I could touch her head.

I love this picture. It is when she was a month old, with Cousin Brianna, who was born three months earlier. We had four babies born in 2004, and it was so fun!

This one is in August 2004, with Grandma holding our three newest babies. By this time, Cousin Truman had just been born, so we had three babies within four months. It was so fun!

Okay, I just had to put this one in. One night Janelle and I were sitting talking at our table. Lizzie looked so tired, and I said, "I bet she's going to fall asleep." So I took a picture, and kept my camera at the ready. . .

Sure enough, she started falling asleep--but I love how she is valiantly trying to stay awake here.

Looks like she finally lost the battle. Isn't she cute!

Here she is in December, again with Cousins Bri and Tru. This was right before Annika, our fourth 2004 baby, was born.

I love this one of her, with Mom in February 2005. She has such beautiful blue eyes!

Okay, I couldn't pass this one up. I love the corn all over her face. I think we were at Chuck a rama. What a cutie!

Here she is on June 19, 2006, on her second birthday, with big sister Kate.

Lizzie has more personality than almost anyone I know. Here she is showing some of that personality in November 2005. I love how the hat totally doesn't match with the dress, but she pulls it off beautifully!

Here's another picture showing her cute personality. Love the bandana. At least it matches this time!

Here she is at Cousin Emma's birthday party in 2006. Isn't she so cute! I love her smile and scrunched up nose in this one.

This one takes the cake. This was at our family pictures last fall. The photographer just couldn't get over how cute Lizzie was. She kept doing all kinds of poses for her. This was my favorite. She knows she's darling!

And finally (since it's almost 1:00 in the morning), here is a picture of Lizzie with me and her two sisters at my Grandma's funeral in March. We didn't plan to match, but it sure turned out cute!

I'm so grateful for my Lizzie Beth, and how sweet she is. I get to see her tomorrow on her birthday--we are going to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House together. It will be so fun!

Now, I'm going to bed!

Happy Birthday, Cam-D!

I know, I know. It's been way too long since I posted. I've just been so busy the last few weeks. Work is really crazy right now, and when I get home, I don't often feel like getting back onto the computer. But, today is a special day, so it was worth it to stay up a little later last night to get this post ready.

Today is Camden's first birthday! I can't believe he is already one year old! He is our youngest nephew--which means we've had babies born every year since 2001, until this year. Sad, huh? I keep telling my brothers and sisters to have some more, but no luck yet. Hopefully someday I'll be able to add to the tally of grandchildren. But until then, I'm so grateful for these little ones, who bring so much joy into my life!

Here I am with Camden the day he was born. He looked just like his brothers and sisters when he was born--so darling!

Here he is with Mommy and Aunt Karla on the 4th of July--exactly one month old.

And here he is with Mommy a few months later. Look at those big eyes! I think he has the biggest and most expressive eyes of all of his siblings.

I love the look on his face in this picture--he's starting to get a little more inquisitive!

He just does so many cute expressions, and always those huge eyes! His first two siblings had brown eyes, but he and his big brother Brayden ended up with blue. And doesn't Stace look cute in this picture? I love the way she is smiling at him.

Here I am holding him and Jenni (who was sad about something). I think this was at Thanksgiving last year (I put the pictures in last night and am typing the rest of this entry on my laptop on the bus, so I can't look at the dates on the pictures).

Here he is with Aunt Jan and cousin Mieka in January, at cousin Matthew's first birthday. Every picture I see of him, I just can't get over those beautiful eyes! (And doesn't Mieks look cute with those red bows? Oh, and of course, Jan loooks great too, but she's not a niece or nephew, so I guess I don't have to mention that necessarily--but I will). :)

I love this one. I'm not sure what he was eating, but it must have been chocolate something. So cute!

I know I put this picture on Brayden's birthday post, but I had to put it on Camden's as well. I love the look on his face. He's not too sure about a kiss from his big brother...

I love this one from a month or so ago, when we visited Adam and Stace. After we ate, Stace gave him a bath in the sink, and he loved it. I just had to snap a picture. What a cutie!

And finally, the last one, from our family birthday party last week. I love that he's sucking his thumb--just like big sister Bri. And once again, those big blue eyes. It looks like he might have brown hair though--you'll have to check back at his two year old birthday post to find out for sure! Oh, and check out Stace's blog here, to see him taking his first steps. What a big boy! http://stacesplace.blogspot.com/2009/06/biggest-boy.html

I'm so grateful for all of my sweet nieces and nephews, and love to watch them growing up and becoming such good little boys and girls. They are such a blessing in my life! Happy birthday to our youngest little one (for now), little Camden!!