Thunderbird Falls

We went on Friday and did the Thunderbird Falls hike with Sassy's parents and Luke.  The kids did pretty good although they were getting tired when we were headed back.  Here are a few of the picture.

It was absolutely stunning.  It's hard to be in a place as beautiful as this and believe that there are people that don't believe in God.  We are so thankful for the opportunity we had to be here!

Family time in Whittier

Aaron's parents are here so we went down to Whittier to do a day glacier cruise.  It was super cold but it was a lot of fun.  Here are a few cute pictures.  A mass post will be coming soon.  I don't have much time now.  I've been quilting, canning and sewing.  So, watch for my catch up!

Rest In Peace

We have had to say goodbye to two very important pieces in our home this week.

#1 - Nate busted our digital camera. (Hence, no pictures this post) He is one expensive kid! I am SICK SICK SICK of him pushing buttons. He is obsessed which is why I thought he..

#2 - Crashed our hard drive - I was sure it was Nate's fault that our computer was broken. He is constantly pushing buttons and turning things off and on. I can't even count the number of times he has to put his nose in a corner because he is on the computer. We started locking our computer and turning the screen off. He figured out how to shut it down even though it was locked. (He would turn the monitor off and on.) He is VERY lucky that the Geek Squad reassured me that it wasn't Nate's fault. Thankfully, we have a warranty on the computer that is still active, so it won't cost us anything to get a new hard drive. We just have to wait for HP to send us the recovery discs (which we have to order) and take it into the Geek Squad. I have never been so thankful that we got the extended warranty.

Other News:

• Kennie celebrated his 6th birthday on the 24th. Mom, Justin Hannah (the girl he still wants to marry) and Kennie all went to the Dayton Dragons game. (Pictures will follow when we have a computer we can upload them to!) A fun time was had by all. We missed you dad!!
• Maggie got her first 2 teeth. They popped through on the bottom on the 23rd. She has been extra cranky and slept more than normal the last few days. And OH that nose! Constant stream. Drives her mama crazy.
  
• Aaron worked a TON this week. He will work his last call as a resident on Monday (Mondays are his overnight calls.) How crappy that his last call has to be a 30 hour shift! He has a really cool attending so it's not as bad as it could be.
• We have discovered that Justin is allergic to cats. He went to play with a friend for a couple of hours, and came back with 1 eye swollen shut, 1 eye watering and swollen and his nose a steady stream. It took a couple of days for him to get over it (Even with Zyrtec!)
• Sassy is trying to get everything organized for the move in a few months. That keeps her pretty busy. Plus, with it being so warm, the kids have been playing in the back quite a bit and she has been able to scrapbook in the afternoon while Maggie is asleep.
  

It's amazing how the time is flying by. 3 weeks and Grandma & Grandpa Burnside will be here. Then Grandma & Grandpa Lewis are coming then we will be driving to Utah! Before we know it, we will be in Alaska, in our house (which I still haven't found) and the kids will be in school.

We are so blessed in our lives. Thank you for being a part of it!

(Thank you Johnny & Shelby for letting us use your camera and your laptop!!)

A tribute to an AWESOME man

I'm now just getting a chance to sit down and tell you a little about this amazing man. Aaron's Grandpa passed away November 18th. He was surrounded by his family. We were able to attend the funeral and it was beautiful. I learned so much during the funeral. I would like to share a little bit about him that I learned.

He had been on his mission for 1 week when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was able to finish his mission. After returning home, he joined the Army and went to Germany. He served on the frount lines during hte Battle of the Bulge. During his time in Germany, he was also awarded the Silver Star.

He was a man of integrity, honesty, humor, love, hard work, devotion and a great example of what the gospel is all about. During Taps at the graveside, I couldn't hold back my tears. I cried for the man I knew. I cried for the man my children will only know through stories and pictures. I cried for the heartache of my mother-in-law. I cried knowing that one day (hopefully many days and years in the future) I would be in the same spot as grandma. Emotion overcame me.

All of his direct decendants and all but 7 of the spouses & chidlren of the direct descendants were there. It was an honor to be a part of it all. It was so fun spending the time with family and being able to feel of the love in the room, no matter which room we were in. Enjoy some of the pictures of these wonderful people!!

22 grandchildren

Do you recognize this man? I sure don't!!

Mark with Maggie (she was done with the bow!)

The Whole Lewis Family

The Aaron Lewis Family

Comfort from daddy since mommy was a mess.

Waiting for the graveside service to start.

At Attention!