Last month as I mentioned Les and I slipped away to St. George for a quick get away and break from the hassle and stress of work and church. The Golden Girls were performing for the pre-show of Thriller at Tuacahn, the theater out on the red rocks. We had never been there before but vow to go back again. It was a lot of fun. We got up the morning before the performance and took a beautiful little scenic drive to Pine Valley. A little community tucked away off the beaten path, nestled in the middle of the Pine Valley Mountains.
It was so beautiful and so quiet. It would be a wonderful place to live. We stopped and talked to a gentle man along side of the road and asked him about the weather there. We asked if they got much snow and he said a little but it was much milder then our winters in Utah but not as hot as the summers in St. George. He called it their own private little Jackson hole but probably a lot cheaper to live there, and not as touristy. There was a beautiful little chapel there.
Logs from the deep gorge west Pine Valley were harvested in 1867 and hauled to this side by ox team for the construction of the Pine Valley Chapel. Thought to be designed like an upside down ship by Ebenezer Bryce, this chapel was dedicated in 1868. It is one of the largest continuously operated chapels in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Wood for the Salt Lake Tabernacle organ pipes was taken from large yellow pines here in Pine Valley. The trees were cut into 30 ft lenghts, sawed into lumber at the saw mill in Pine Valley and hauled by wagon to Salt Lake City where they were fashioned into organ pipes.
Isn't it a beautiful chapel and so well kept. From here we went to the red rock canyon
One thing that Les and I both love about Utah is that you have mountainous as well as desert areas in Utah.
Look at the Lava Rock, you find a little of everything in this area.
Next stop was the Mountain Meadow Massacre grave site memorial. It's so hard to believe that the Mormons actually massacred all those men, women and children. Especially the women and children, and after what they had been through themselves. My Great, Great, Great Grandfather William Holt Haslem was the rider who road to tell Brigham Young of the people from California and ask what they should do. It was a grueling ride of 60+ hours to Salt lake. President Young told them to leave the settlers alone and try to promote good feelings with them. By the time my grandfather had returned they had already killed the settlers, it was to late.
This is a photo of Les standing in front of the monument for the people who lost their lives in the Massacre. It was put their by the families of those people and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Les and I left there and went and bought a book on the Mountain Meadow Massacre to see if we could understand why the saints would do such a thing. They don't really know, many people speculate but no one knows for sure why this tragic incident took place.
Then it was back to St George where we meet up with Les's sister Susie and her two daughters Laura and Sarah and little Abbie Laura's little girl. We had a lot of fun together. They were able to get tickets to Thriller as well. This is me in my costume at the dress rehersal for "The Monster Mash." I ended up wearing something close but different since this costume was a little to tight.
This is some of the ladies from the my dance group. We all started in the same class at the same time.
We're really pretty scary wouldn't you say? These pictures were take at dress rehersal where I could get others to take the photos and take some myself, I don't really have any from Tuacah. Sarah took some but she has never emailed them to me.
Also in October we were lucky enough to be able to have Jeramy and Hayden here with us for my sister Janets funeral. Jeramy found a cheap flight at the last minute and was able to fly out to be with us and Hayden got to fly free. You can amagine what Isaac, Jaron and Brynlee had to say about that! Hmmmm.
Keagan and Lily really enjoyed having Hayden to play with since we don't have a little one around much any more.
Wow, I'm behind again. Here it is the last of February and I'm just putting on the January birthdays. 
Tandy celebrated her 14th birthday January 12th...this was a photo from last years birthday. I don't have a recent picture. Tandy is a shy energetic sweet young lady who loves school, friends, video or WII games and her horse. Tandy is wearing the top in the photo above with the top that goes over it, along with the the whole gang:-)
And Tristen was 9 years old on the 27th of January. This was also a photo from last years birthday party. Tristen is all boy and enjoys doing boy stuff, sports, video and Wii games, bugging his big sister, and doing things with his Dad, school and friends. Happy Birthday Tandy and Tristen!
My sister Nancy celebrated her "29th" :-) birthday on the 16th of January. Happy Birthday Sis. 
And last but not least, Les celebrated his "56"th birthday with his family down in Vegas this year. Happy Birthday Les. I know, you don't have to say it, there is a striking resemblance between Les and his Dad.
Jake explaining what he's about to do. 
The project was a great success with the class and Jake as well. It appears learning is much more fun in this day and age then it was back when I was Jakes age. Kudo's to Ashlyn and Dave from being hands on parents, active in their childrens education.
I WILL truly miss the people I work with, but I WON'T miss getting up at 5:30 each morning and traveling to work on the sometimes snowy roads. I WON'T miss sitting at a desk for 8 hrs a day taking calls from people who feel it is my fault that their insurance didn't pay as much as they were expecting, because they have a deductible or co-insurance they have to pay. I WILL miss the kind people who are 
Katherine one of my best friends, Natalie and Kristy.
My Boss John McBride who was the greatest to work for. He never bossed.
The three amigo's, Tina, Katherine and myself. 
My Mom and sisters came to wish me well, Bonnie, Deb, Mom, Nancy and me in the back. Thanks to everyone who made my day such a great one:-)
Off our deck.
Here's Lily, Jake, Sam, Chris and Ben showing some of what they got for Christmas.
Keagan, Tandy and Tristin.
This is a Christmas Ornament I just had to share with you. Jeramy made this when he was in the nursery in primary years ago. It's one of my favorite ornaments. Ashlyn always looks for it to be on the tree as well. I wish they would have made one for all my children. Maybe I will have to get creative and make one for all of them with pictures of them at that age. Anyway heres wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2009.
Pops shoveling the snow.
This is Boston, my sister Deb's little grandson, Mandy and Dave's little boy,taking the first swat at the pinata.
This is Parker, Bonnie's little grand son and Nic and Carrie's little boy, and Jackson, Harmony and Jason's little boy, and Bonnie and Mark's other grand son.
This is Nancy's grand son Chase, Holly and Gene's son.
This is Nancy's grand son Beau, Dustin and Carol's little boy, and Janet's grand son Rocco.
Candy anyone? Parker, Chase, Lily and Cruz.
Keagan and Beau 
Amber and Erika, Dustie and Carol's girls.
The 3 musketeers.
The week end before Jakes birthday we picked him up and he went to dinner with Nana and Papa. His favorite thing is a good burger so we went to an old fashion Malt Shop where they had a juke box and served a great burger. After dinner we went shopping for his present and then Jake had a sleep over and we watched the video Walle. This is Jake doing what he loves to do at Nana and Papa's, that is to play Play Station ll. On the 29th it was our littiest member of the family, Hayden's birthday. Jer and Bec decided not to peek when Bec was pregnant with him and Isaac had us all convinced that Hayden was going to be a sister. Because Isaac is such a spiritual little guy we all thought he knew. "Surprise!" Hayden is definately allllll boy!
This happy little guy just makes us smile! He looks exactly like his brothers and sister did when they were a baby, its like they were all cut out of the same cookie cutter mold. Rebecca said he is now in the Terrific Two's, she said thinking positive can't hurt.
Isn't he the most adorable thing you've ever seen. This is a picture of Hayden when he and his Dad were here for my sisters funeral. Happy Birthday to our two great November birthday boys.
