Six

I was tagged by Robyn... I think. I recently started commenting on her blog, and she chose to tag "Nikki". I think she means me. :)
For this tag: Go into your picture files, open the 6th folder, 6th picture:

This is a blurry picture of my brother in law Tim and his oldest daughter Amaya at a family photo shoot. (Feb 2007.) Reminds me how long it has been since we've seen most of the Garrick family in person. Very sad that we are so far away. I am glad though that another one of Greg's brothers, Rick, his wife Kristin and their kids Danny and Jewel will be in New York this summer!! Sure they'll be 4 hours away from us, but we can make that drive to spend some time with them! Also hoping Greg's sister Shannon and family can tag along with Grammie G in May for Kobe's baptism weekend!
Ok, so the rules of this tag state that I have to tag 6 people....
I choose Angie B, Angie M, Wendy, Beth, Shannon, and Abby

Holly By Golly

One of my most favorite people in the world is

celebrating her birthday today-

my sister Holly. (10th grade)

Last year to celebrate her day I wrote 34 things I know and love about Holly. I could just add one more to the previous list, but I can think of too many to choose just one.

Excuse me if there are some repeats from last year. I'm trying not looking back to see what I already said.

MORE THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT HOLLY

1Holly makes everyone laugh... usually to tears... even herself.

2 She doesn't mind when people laugh at something she did or said because she laughs along with everyone.

3 Even after a funny moment has passed it will stick in her head and she will laugh about it later as if it just happened. This bothers her, but everyone loves it about her.

4 Holly can strike up a conversation with anyone. I wish I could do that.

5 She once let my friend Stephanie dress her up as an elderly lady and we took her to Meijer (the grocery store) so she could play the part in public.

6 She's been to the beach in a swimsuit and crutches.

7 She likes to sleep with LOTS of blankets on her, and a fan blowing at the same time.

8 We talk on the phone at least 4 times a week... sometimes 4 times a day!

9 Our conversations are usually long and done while running errands or doing chores.

10 She is an aspiring professional photographer. she's been 'hired' by many people to take their pictures, but won't take money because she doesn't feel like she's good enough yet (but she is)

11 Hopefully she will open for business soon (**snap**)

12 She's very excited about the photography class she's about to take from blogger Candice Stringham.

13 She enjoys The Bachelor- especially this season. I think it's the one show that she watches faithfully that I don't.

14 She has 3 great kids who are so smart, funny, and independent.

15 She's been married to Nathan f0r almost 13 years. They were married in the Chicago LDS temple. They were supposed to be married on May 10, but realized on the evening of the 9th that they hadn't gotten an Illinois Wedding license yet. A nice temple worker rushed them down to the county clerk's office, but it had just closed. You need to have it for 24 hours BEFORE getting married. They were finally married on May 11th.

16 She researches and understands a lot about medical conditions.

17 She recently discovered that she loves Disney World and Mickey Mouse.

18 She can be cynical... She kind of wonders if Walt Disney had some sinister marketing plan in mind when he created Disney land/World. She wonders if his primary motive for creating places where you feel so good and happy that you can't help but return again and again was purely to make him uber wealthy.

19 She is very laid back and low maintenance.

20 She is a trusted friend and confidant to many women and teenage girls.

21 She lets me come to her house and rearrange it all.

22 She makes any day fun.

23 She will not join Facebook because she doesn't want to be found.

24 One day we had so much fun painting the kitchen in her first house. We were Trading Spaces fanatics back then and were so happy one of us owned a house that could be painted. I think we had 5 kids all together by then and Jillie was probably just barely 6 years old. We had them all behind the child gate as we painted away all day turning the kitchen yellow with stamped navy blue stars.

25 We have been mistaken for twins. She once looked in her rear view mirror and smiled at me in the back seat, except then she realized it wasn't me she was looking at- it was her own reflection.

26 My Jillie probably looks more like her than like me.

27 She is frugal... she actually returned something to Goodwill once because she felt it was over priced.

28 She has been known to stand in for Santa as the need arises.

29 She has a passion for cursive handwriting being taught in school. When their school district decided to make teaching cursive optional, and she realized her 5th grader couldn't read his own grandma's handwriting, she made her voice heard throughout the system!

30 She has visited us so many times that she knows her way around Orchard Park.

31 She loves our grocery store, Wegman's... she bought some of their shopping bags (as if they were souvenirs) last time she was here.

32 She loves vintage fabric and family history items

33 She hand made bags, jewelry, hats, and scarves for many of us on her gift list last year.

34 Our Grandma Nellie had a bell outside the farm house that she would ring when she needed to call Grandpa Cecil down from working in the barn. Holly now has that in her house and she uses it to call her kids upstairs for dinner.

(Visiting Grandma Nellie and Grandpa Cecil on their mission in Nauvoo, IL. Holly is in the center)

35 She loves her sisters and parents and makes us all feel loved and important to her.

Happy Birthday Holly! I know you would rather I got some sleep than stay up late doing this post- but celebrating you is more important than sleep! :)

Perspective... and a good laugh

Just had to post this for anyone who hasn't seen this.  It's hilarious, and just happens to go nicely with my word for the year. :)

Disney World post(s) coming soon- I hope ;)

Winter in Palmyra 1-2-09

On our last full day together we headed off to Palmyra since Derek had never been there before and it's always a good place to visit with the whole family anyway. This was our first time there around Christmastime. Now we've been there in every season. :)

As I pulled up to the Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center I sat in the car staring at this nativity display. I was so confused. All I could think was, "Since when did we start believing in unicorns?!" It took me a few minutes to realize that it was a donkey, I was just at the wrong angle to see both ears. :)

We made a quick stop in the Visitor's Center and Jackson spotted the Christus and ran in the room. The rest of the kids followed. I love that they are attracted to that room and that they wanted to make sure we took a picture of them there.

We headed over to the Smith Family Farm and Sacred Grove. The best part about not visiting the church sites in the summer is that you get more detailed tours and more opportunity to take pictures. Here's the family entering the log home. While it is a replica of the original, it stands exactly in the same spot as the original. I'm so glad our kids get to walk into these places where some of the most sacred events in history took place.

As you walk from the log home to the larger frame house, you can see the Palmyra Temple up on the hill to your left, looking out over the Sacred Grove.

The frame home is the original home that the Smith's built and lived in. I thought it was great to see it decorated for Christmas. Nothing big and spectacular, but simple, humble, and sweet.

{I thought this was such a cute ornament hanging in the window.}

{The hearth in the frame home where Joseph once hid the plates.}

{The kitchen}

{Love the high chair} :)

{The kids listening to the tour in the kitchen/dining area}

{Derek walking from the frame house}

{Hyrum stops for a picture on his walk to the Sacred Grove. By the way, isn't that the cutest hat Holly made for him out of a sweater?! I vote that Holly does a tutorial on her blog about hat making!!}

As we walked toward the Sacred Grove, Jackson decided he didn't want to walk anymore. I carried him for a while to try to catch up with the rest of the group. He's a good 45 lbs, then add snow coats, boots, and walking on a snow- covered dirt path... exhausting!

Once we finally caught up, my dad offered to take over. Poor Papa carried Jackson on his back through the Sacred Grove.

Sunny, Hyrum, Derek

It's even beautiful there in the middle of the winter!

We made one more stop in Palmyra- at the Grandin Building.

Jackson and Hyrum had had about enough as we went through this tour. We spent some time away from the group getting some pictures while the rest learned about how the Book of Mormon was printed.

It was nice to share the day here with the family and especially nice that Derek could finally be in these sacred places (and the rest of us too!)

The next morning they all packed up to return to Michigan- while making a stop in Kirtland on the way- to return in time for Sunny, Derek and Hyrum to catch their plane home to Utah.

I should add that before they all left, my dad took time to replace a GFI outlet in the garage for me. It had been tripping off with all of the Christmas lights and garage fridge plugged in until it finally died. Dad just can't be here without fixing something that he knows needs fixing. One of the many things I love about my dad. :)

I love all of my family and was SO glad to have them ALL here for a little visit. (Wish Nathan could've been here too- always seems like someone is missing!)

Thanks for making the trip!

We LOVED having you here!

Photo Sharing

Here are some cute photos of our kids that Holly took during

our New Years Day photo shoot.

Jackson (4)

Kobe (7)

Reagan (10)

Jillienne (12)

Also have some pictures from Angie B that she took during our Hibachi dinner. They were too cute to not share. I'll move them to the proper post at a later date. :)