Glenda's Last Day

I was fortunate enough to work Glenda's very last shift with her before she called it quits and started enjoying life as a retiree. She had worked at The Pediatric Center with Dr. Groberg for something like 30 years and was an excellent nurse! When I first started there and was still adjusting to my new role as a provider, she always had great advice and seemed to know exactly what I should do. I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with her. Good luck with retirement!!

Ice Skating

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

My Grandma Jones

My Grandma Jones passed away on December 7, 2017 after a long, painful battle with End Stage Renal Disease. I was fortunate to get to spend a lot of extra time with her in her last few months and felt like I really got to know her. We had many heartfelt conversations and I realized many things about her and about her life that I didn't before. 

She handled her illness with grace and with minimal complaint. There were days that she was so sick she couldn't get out of bed, but she always encouraged us to visit- even if she could only talk for a few minutes. 

She really valued time with her family, and made everyone feel special and important. I remember one day she noticed Addi was having an especially hard day. She made a fuss over her and really turned the day around for her. Afterward she asked if there was anything she could do to help her, and told me that she would always try to make her grandkids and great-grandkids feel extra special. She attended every baptism, birthday party and family dinner she was able to, and I'm grateful that my kids had a close relationship with her too!

We loved her very much and will miss her, but we are thankful she is no longer in pain. She was also reunited with a brother that passed away in his 20's and with her parents. I'm happy for her!!And I can't wait until we get to have our own reunion!

 

Uncle Craig drew this picture for the headstone. It is a view of the ranch from the front gate. Its beautiful and absolutely perfect!
 

Reeser

We got to babysit Reeser while her family went on vacation. We were the lucky ones! We love her so much and she kept us fully entertained!

Deleta Skating

Skating at Deleta for Rylee Bug's birthday party. Dave is always the awkward one :)

Pediatric Center Official!

Grandpa in the Phillipines

I recently had the opportunity to put together a memory book for my Grandpa & Grandma Jones. I went through all of their photos (some of them as far back as their childhoods), diplomas, newspaper articles, etc. and scanned them into a hardbound book. This photo, however, was somehow missed. It's grandpa on the beach in the Phillipines during his time in the military. Very handsome grandpa I have!

LadyBug Grandpa's 90th Birthday!

Halloween

Mal 

Evie and Mal

Evie

Pediatric Center coworkers

Units of Inquiry Project Night

 Ancient Egypt (Liv)

Irish Potato Famine (Addi)

DISNEYWORLD!!

 DISNEYWORLD 2017

We were SO excited to get to go back to Disneyworld again. The
very first Disney trip we ever did as a family was to Disneyworld, and it was fun to go back and revisit. So much has changed since that first visit almost 8 years ago! 

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

 

 

We went to a local seafood restaurant for dinner and there was an amazing balloon animal artist there. He asked me what I would like, and listed off a bunch of random animals and people. When he said Channing Tatum, I jokingly said "I wish!" He made it happen! 

Liv requested french fries, of all things ...

 and Addi wanted Mal from the Descendants.

 We were all very impressed with his balloon skills, as
well as the corny jokes he entertained us with.

We also did a little shopping at Disney Springs. This was outside of the LEGO store.

 MAGIC KINGDOM

 The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

 

 

 Small World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ANIMAL KINGDOM

The main reason we decided to fly all the way to Florida, versus a quick flight to California, was to see the new "Pandora" and ride the Avatar rides in Animal Kingdom. We arrived at the park an hour before it opened because we knew the lines for Pandora would be crazy long. SO glad we got there early. It was insanely busy!!

 

 Dave, waiting in line outside the entrance of Pandora, still 30 minutes before the park opened!

 SO worth it! Pandora was amazing! The Avatar "Flight of Passage" ride was incredible!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls found a new favorite ride this trip...Expedition Everest!! They probably rode the roller coaster at least 15 times, and most of those were as single riders. They went through so  many times, that one of the workers finally asked if they would like to ride together for one time.They were able to ride together and it made their whole day :)

Kilamanjaro Safaris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 EPCOT
 None of us had been to Epcot before, and we all really enjoyed it! Addi especially loved the little passport they gave you at the entrance. It came with stickers to be placed on the passport as each country was visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

 We were so excited to be able to spend a part of our day with some of our good friends from our days in North Carolina. Diana and Thomas were there on a one-on-one vacation and happened to be at Universal the same day we were! Always fun to catch up with them!

 

 Butterbeer is a must!

 

 

 

On board the Hogwart's Express!

 

 Platform 9 3/4!

 

 

 

Down time at the hotel waterpark

 Liv ended up getting sick after spending the first day at Universal. Too many 3D rides I think! The next day she stayed at the hotel with Dave for a day at the waterpark, and Addi and I were able to spend a second day at Universal together.

 

 

 

 

 

We had a really great time on our family vacation and really didn't want to come home. Can't wait for the next vacation...location to be determined!