Merry Christmas 2011 & All the Grandkids !

We had all the grandkids picture taken while we were in South Dakota for Thanksgiving weekend. We figured we couldn't really do a whole family picture without Todd, but all the Grandkids were there so we did that ! I LoVe it ! Aren't they each so adorable ???????? We just love them all so much !!!!!!!! Please notice the teddy bear who is there in memory of our sweet baby Easton--isn't that just such a great idea ?
We got these two poses and were lucky to get them ! We knew it would be a challenge with kids ages 6, 5, 4, 3, 1, and two babies ! The babies ended up being pretty easy compared to our 15 month old Eme who just could not sit still. Good thing Erika & Mark have taught her the sign language for "sit" cause that is the only way she would go sit down at all and then only for a split second. They all enjoyed being together so much !

Thanksgiving in South Dakota !

We all drove to South Dakota for Thanksgiving weekend and had the greatest time ! We drove in one car with Ryan & Jaimee and their kids (cozy!) and Erika and Mark drove down from Nauvoo. This is the first time all our kids have been in one place for over TWO years !! We missed Todd, who is deployed to Afghanistan, and our baby Easton. Above L to R: Ryan, Jaimee, Asher, Jack, and Jenni
We had fun just hangin' out, playing games, swimming, made a fun advent calendar craft, midnight black friday shopping with the girls, visiting Mt. Rushmore, and eating leftovers. Above L to R: Erika, Mark, Cameron, Dave, and Gay
The kids had a blast being all together for the first time ever ! Above L to R: Carter, Chase, Emelyne, Kayla, and Rylee

Veterans Day - We salute our troops!

This picture is of Todd & the guys on his deployment to Afghanistan currently. We are so proud of Todd and Jen and their little family and the sacrifice they are making to protect our country. Thanks to all our Veterans for their sacrifices that make it so that we can live free and feel safe every day !
This picture is from Todd's previous deployment to Iraq in 2010.

World War 1 Monument Rededication @ Ogden Cemetary

Dave and I are honored to serve on the Weber County Heritage Foundation Board which sponsored this event. We really do LoVe Ogden !

"Gold Star Drive Ogden City Cemetary (follow Maddison Ave. into the cemetary)
For ninety years the monument fell into gradual disrepair. Cannons disappeared, concrete monoliths decayed over time, and the individual plaques in front of the trees were damaged or missing entirely due to run-ins with lawnmowers and snowplows . . . In early 2011, The Weber County Heritage Foundation and Golden Hours Senior Center Veteran's Group began the research to restore the monuments . . . Today we honor the sacrifice of these Veterans as well as the sacrifice of all of those who serve our nation. We have not forgotten. We will never forget."

Halloween here and in South Dakota !

We enjoyed celebrating Halloween with Ryan & Jaimee a little early with a Pumpkin carving party ! We are so glad they live so close to us !!! Carter was a Vampire (wearing the cape I made for Ryan when he was little) and Rylee was a Princess Dancer, and Asher was a cute little Pumpkin ! (See their blog ryanjaimeelloyd.blogspot.com for a fun contest of "who's who" with all their little pumpkin babies !)
Then we headed to South Dakota in our motor home to be with Jen and her kids for Halloween. We had a fun time "Trunk or Treating" with Kayla, the Princess, Jack the Dragon, and Chase the Knight ! We were also able to go to Chase's school for the "Pumpkin Run" ! (They take all the kids in their costumes out onto a big grassy area and they follow the PE teacher, dressed as a Pumpkin, of course, on a "run" ! Super fun, great idea ! Then they served them all oranges when they were done !
Another highlight of the trip was the amazing fact that we got my parents to go with us ! This is a picture of them at Mt Rushmore ! We think they had a great time, despite the fact that we had to drive home in a very bad snow storm ! They loved seeing Jen and the kids and their new home and spending time with them !

Our Road Trip to Rapid City & Nauvoo !

(above)
Storybook Island Park then (1997)

Jen, Cam, Erika, Ryan


Storybook Island Park now (2011)
Chase, Kayla, Dave

We drove with Jen & her kids back to South Dakota and spent a few days with them doing some projects around their new home, and also doing some fun stuff . . . we got to see Chase off to his first day of Kindergarten, visit Crazy Horse, the Needles Highway, & Storybook Island Park. We hadn't been to this area since 1997 with our own kids (13 yrs. earlier) but made some great memories there. We are excited Jen and her family are ONLY 10 hours away ! Todd has deployed to Afghanistan until the end of January. We are so proud of them !

Chillin' in the river . . .

Chase's first day of Kindergarten

From there, we drove to Nauvoo to celebrate Eme's FIRST Birthday and spend some time with Erika and Mark. What a darling, fun, active little girl she is. She started walking just before her birthday. It was so fun to spend time with them, and all the other "grandparents" that were there too ! We also got to experience the Nauvoo Grape Festival, but have yet to get our hands (mouths) on one of those Funel Cakes ! We did some fun antique shopping while were there too.

Emelyne's FIRST Birthday ! Soooo BIG !

Antique High Chair from Carthage, Illinois where Eme was born !

Had to get this antique high chair for my house after I saw how cute Eme looked sitting in it !

Asher & Easton's Arrival

Our 7th & 8th Grandchildren (twin boys) joined Ryan & Jaimee's little family with both joy, and heartbreak at the same time. Little Asher was born healthy and strong (4 lbs. 13 oz.), but baby Easton had passed away. This has been a difficult time for our family, but we also have felt the Lord's blessings, tender mercies, and strength through this experience. . . . .

Easton Carl

Asher Darwin

Ogden East Stake Pioneer Trek

Dave & I served as Ma & Pa on our Stake Trek @ Martins Cove, Wyoming. Above is our way cool family flag design that Cameron created and silk screened for our families' handcart. He also made a flag for each member of our Trek family ! Thanks so much, Cam ! You are amazing !

These pictures pretty much sum up the Trek for us--yes, that is our family a ways ahead of us, where they always were. They were awesome youth who "carried on" in spite of having the slowest Ma & Pa ever ! We felt very blessed to have this 3 day experience of walking over 35 miles and remembering our pioneer ancestors, and were helped to "Finish Strong" (slow, but strong) in so many ways !

Jack Donald (baby Jack) is here ! (FINALLY!) Grandchild #6 !

Baby Jack FINALLY arrived weighing in at a whopping 7 lbs. 13 oz. breaking the Lloyd family birth weight record ! After threatening to come at just 29 weeks, Jen was put on strict bed rest and I (Gay) spent the next 10 weeks living with their little family in Abilene, Texas. What an adorable little guy he is ! WELL worth the wait !