Thanksgiving 2009

We had the opportunity this year to go to St. George for Thanksgiving and celebrate Willard style! It was so much fun!  There were so many fun activities and things that we experienced for the first time together.  So, that said there are a zillion pictures to scroll through.

Thanksgiving Feast

 
While all of that is going on, the kids have a lot of time to play & catch up with their cousins, we are talking 1st, 2nd & some 3rd cousins too.  Grandpa & Grandma Willard have such a big family that you can imagine all the kids there.  This was the first year without them since their passing.  It was fun to hear stories about them that night that their kids told.  They have left an amazing legacy!

Then we ate & it was good!

The next day was full of fun family activities, a new adventure and traditions.
The Park 

Dinosaurs 
Grandpa & Grandma took the girls to see the dinosaur track in St. George while we were there.  The girls LOVE dinosaurs still & though they would have LOVED to keep on coloring & drawing dinosaurs all afternoon, they did enjoy seeing those tracks and digging for fossils.  Thanks Grandpa & Grandma, Jeff & I thought it was pretty cool too.

This picture just makes me laugh thinking about it.  While Brady was digging with the girls Jillian found this "fossil" and will the most serious of tones & faces said to me & grandma, "I think, I think, I think, I think I found a dinosaur toe nail mommy!"  HILARIOUS!!!  I can see where it may look like a dinosaur toe nail.

Temple Lighting Ceremony
That night for an activity we met at the St. George Temple for their Christmas Lighting Ceremony.  We met up with Jeff's parents right after they turned on the lights.  We missed the devotional they had, but it was still fun to walk around as a family and take in the beauty & begin the holiday season with what it is all about.

Why is it SO hard to get a good, smiley picture these days with all 3 of them?  I mean, I am asking for good, not great!!  =)

That just about wrapped up our Willard family reunion.  That night though we did enjoy a delicious Canoli dinner made by Uncle Bob & Aunt Karen & family, yummy!!  It was a fabulous weekend.  Here are some last Misc. pics from the weekend.



Uncle Brady & Jilly

Jilly with Uncle Chad & Aunt Lauren

Those Willards sure know how to have fun! 

 

4th of July w/ Grandpa & Grandma 2009

We decided to hop on an open flight and fly down to California last minute and spend the 4th of July with Jeff's parents. Boy are we glad we did, we had a great time. So many pictures in this post for a less than 48 hour trip. We had such a great time and captured so many fun moments with Grandpa & Grandma!


Early Saturday morning we went to the ward breakfast.

The next activity I can't hardly explain well enough. The kids (fathers/grandfathers included in that category) made rockets and then they would launch them from PVC pipe which was filled with air from a compressor to launch them. It was a riot to watch these men, I mean boys, take it so seriously and try to get the highest flier. Good thing the girls had grandpa on their side, after all he is a movie effects guy, we couldn't lose with him on their side. The girls loved it!
My little rocket launchers.


Jacqueline was very proud of how high she & grandpa's rocket would launch. It was one of the highest, probably the highest, until...the Priest group boys got involved and boy did those rockets fly. They were all silver & they flew. Jacqueline, my quiet, thinker & planner walked over to her grandpa and told him she wanted to make a "silver rocket with a nose" She is no dummy, she thought that this would make it go higher & reclaim her spot as one of the highest fliers. She would say to me every so often after a few rockets launched here and there, "Mommy, mine is still the highest huh?" I would assure her it was, until one of the priest boys rockets took to the skies. She wasn't going to have it, she wanted hers to fly just as high & grandpa was suckered into helping her again.

The proud Creators!! It didn't fly as high, but she was proud of it & loved the new look.



Picking berries is something the girls enjoy when we are at Grandpa & Grandma's. Though maybe only half make it back to the house to show us & to share. Then they sure don't last long after that. They are sure yummy!


The kids stayed cool that afternoon by having Grandpa & Jeff spray them with the sprinklers. Now how fun is that? Harrison seemed to enjoy himself as well. I can't wait for the day when he can fight back. His sister took advantage this year.





Harrison enjoy his 1st popsicle while at Grandpa & Grandma's. I should say he DEVOURED his popsicle and just loved every lick and bite he could get out of that thing. It was quite entertaining to watch.

Jilly loved hers too!

We spent the evening at the church on the back lawn waiting for the big show. The girls loved running around and playing. There was music, games, lots of people and we had a perfect spot.


Simi Valley had a fabulous fireworks show. I would go as far to say that it is one of the best I have seen in a long time. There is a man in Jeff's parents' ward that sets the show to music, American music of course & it was great. It added a lot to the show. They were a beautiful display of fireworks.

Thanks Mom & Dad for the great day! We had a great time and are so glad we came down for the day. We LOVED spending the holiday with you.