HAPPY EASTER

We hope you have a wonderful day with your families. We will be thinking about all of you. We also hope you have lots of candy, colored eggs and all that good stuff!

But most of all we hope you remember the real reason we celebrate Easter! Don't forget to take time and thank our Savior for what he did for us. Don't mean to get preachy, but he is the reason why we can be with those we love who have passed on when we die.

HE IS RISEN

Matthew 27:57-60 Matthew 28:1-2 Matthew 28:5-6

It was hard for me to find a picture of Christ at the Tomb. Most images in google were of Easter Bunnies, Easter Eggs and Easter Candy, but then there were a few Crosses and Death Scenes. His sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross are a very important part of his Divine Calling, but I am glad that we have been taught to dwell on his Resurrection this is why I chose a picture of him at the Tomb, rather than at the Cross.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DRESDEN

I can't believe how time passes so quickly! Didn't I just rock Dresden in my rocking chair only yesterday? Has it been that long since he was just a baby in my arms? Dresden, Happy 7th Birthday! Papa John and I are very proud of you. We feel very blessed to be living right next door to you. We love watching you grow up and turning into a wonderful young man. April 3rd will always be a special day for all of us.

Dresden had a great birthday party with friends earlier in the day on the 4th. Our family got together that evening along with Grandpa De and Grandma Birtha. We all had a great time.

BABY BLESSING

BABY BLESSING

We had so much fun going to California to see our kids!

The time went by way too fast, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

We loved spending time with our Cali family. Mike and Nicole are wonderful parents to three beautiful children, we are so very proud of them! Baby Creed's blessing was very special.

CREED WILLIAM STRONG

FRIDAY

DISNEYLAND!

Meeting our Cali family at Disneyland

The cousins loved playing on the island at Disneyland

Suckers handed out to help keep the grand kids still for a picture

Aunt Shannon and Uncle Larry entertaining the cousins on the tea pot

SATURDAY

Spending time with our Cali family

Cole, running from the waves

Savannah looking for Sand Crabs

Every ones looking for Sand Crabs

SUNDAY

The Strong family after church

Trying to get all the cousins to pose for a picture

Logan, Dresden (holding Creed) & Savannah

A big day for Papa John and Cole

COUSINS

COUSINS ARE THE BEST!

A quick trip to Boise Idaho

Swimmingly Fun!

Collin & Dresden loved Grandpa giving them a ride on his back under the water.

The boys went on a rather long trip with us to Idaho. I had promised Natalie and Jay that I would tend their kids Saturday, the 14th. They had a teachers conference they had to attend. I didn't know that we would be spending that day in Idaho. My Aunt Gloria passed away on Wednesday and the funeral was on Sat. Aunt Gloria was my mom's younger sister. Shannon kept Sydney and Login with her and John and I took the two oldest, Collin and Dresden. We also got to stop by the Boise temple and the new Twin Falls temple.

The funeral was beautiful and we enjoyed being with the family. Jean and Gloria really wanted to be there but couldn't get away, so I was glad that I could go for our side of the family. Aunt Birtha's daughters Marilyn (in the front) and Marie (in the pink) came from Salt Lake. Marie only lives a few miles away, but we haven't seen her in years.......sad, we used to be so close when our mom's were alive. Marilyn lived by us when we lived on Woodchuck Circle. Remember Bobby and his horse Ringo? The others are aunt Gloria's kids. Kathy is next to me then Jim, Karen and Richard. It was so good to see them all. I have some wonderful memories of my cousins.

DRAPER TEMPLE

Our family in Utah all went to the Draper Temple open house. We went at different times, Natalie , Jay and kids went on a day that was very busy and it took them 3 hours. John and I went on a Friday morning and it only took an hour. John and I really enjoyed the tour. The Celestial room was my favorite. Larry also got to work with security in the temple a couple of days so he got to go into more places than the rest of us. Natalie accompanied on the piano in the church building adjacent to the temple a couple of times. This is where people could write their comments or ask questions. (Everyone, members and nonmembers are invited to see inside our temples before they are dedicated) Refreshments were served and pictures and displays were put together so well. Everything about the tour was very organized, but that's how our church is, (a well oiled machine). Johns mom came up this last Friday and I was able to take her to the open house. She was glad she came and I was glad I could take her. The Temple is beautiful inside and out. We are very excited that this will now be our Temple for our area. The dedication is only a couple of weeks away. We were reminded today by our Stake President that after the dedication of the temple our Savior will be there walking those halls. That gives me goose bumps to think about it. We forget that our temples are "built unto the Lord".

Our young men and young women in the church will be participating in a celebration of the Draper temple May 29Th. It will be presented in the Conference Center. I am so grateful that I can be a part of this. I will be working with the youth choir in our stake, just as a helper, not the director, but how fun is that!!! There will be dancing as well. It will be something these kids will always remember!

TAG YOUR IT

TAG I'M IT

5th file - 5th picture

This picture was in my folder that I am suppose to put on my blog. Soupie and Brandt tagged me the other day. I hope I did this right. The picture is of John, Shannon, Logan and myself. This is at John's retirement celebration. The look on his face was a little melancholy.......or was he just thinking "Great, I'm retiring from one job only to start another"! WHAT A MAN!

He was offered a government contract job which he only works about 30 feet away from his old office. I blogged about his retirement a few months ago.

So now I'm tagging: RONNI JEAN

Go to your 3rd file, 3rd picture and put it on your blog. (I'm only asking for the 3rd file because if you are like me I don't have that many files yet)

TAG YOUR IT!

HAPPY BIRTDAY SYDNEY

It was Sydney's 6th Birthday yesterday. Natalie and Jay had to be at Parent Teacher Conferences. They were feeling pretty bad. Papa John and I got to be the benefactors of it. We took Collin, Sydney, Dresden and Logan to McDonalds for dinner and Birthday cake. Aunt Shannon stopped by before she had to go to her community council meeting, as she is the rep for our area. Shannon and I traded kids, Tuesday night she watch all four so John and I could go to a play "Romeo and Juliet" (it was very good, by the way). And last night we had all four which turned out great because they thought it was a Birthday Party for Sydney. Her Party is really going to be this Saturday. Anyway they had fun and I took a minute to reflect on how much I love having my grandchildren in my life. Carlee is my grown-up granddaughter, she is actually in Young Women's now, I hope she will love being in Young Women's. Taylor was so cute the other day when I was getting ready to rock her in the chair for her nap. The blanket I use to wrap her in when I rock her was lying on the bed, she brought it over to me and in her cute little voice said "Here Go Gamma". She was ready for her nap! So cute! Then watching those four kids playing on the playground at McDonalds and getting along so well. And last, but not least my cute Cali Kids I miss them, but John and I are so blessed that our California family want us to come and stay more often. And we will, once Papa really is retired!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY LEIGH