Christmas Party

Zach was a little confused at first. He though Jessica's legs were his mother's.

The spread.

Talent show... (sorry Craig I missed you.)

Grandpa waiting for Santa!

This year we did the white elephant with just the Grandkids. We didn't have the story printed out so Preston ad libbed it. It was pretty funny.

Then the Great Grandkids opened theirs.

Once again GG's through a GREAT party!

Thanksgiving

Well the Stapley's came in a little late on the whole evening so I'm sure the feast was amazing as ever and there was fun to be had. (Someone else will have to fill in the other details). When we showed up though everyone seemed to be having fun. We had fun chatting with all. The pies then came out, which were SO yummy. A few played some games of Sequence. Which was when the men started to hang the lights, and of course the only thing I took pictures of. So next holiday I will be quicker with the camera.

We truly do have a lot to be thankful for! I'm so glad that our whole family is so close and it is always fun to see everyone. We sure do love Grandma and Grandpa!

Thanks for the great Thanksgiving!

Grandma and Grandpa Greats Birthday

We went to surprise Grandma and Grandpa on their Birthday with a visit! Happy Birthday Grandma and Grandpa! The kids sure had fun at our visit, we are love you both!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD AND MOM!

YOU HAD A BIRTHDAY, SHOUT HOORAY! WE'RE GOING TO SING FOR YOU TODAY. ONE YEAR OLDER AND WISER, TOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

(ok, it's not original, but it's heartfelt)

Bry and Nat

Bryan and Natalie Hatch are doing Great!! The Lord is really blessing us BIG TIME!! We are trying to do everything right and be grateful for all our blessing. We really are enjoying life! So Bryan has been working so hard at University of Phoenix and we are praying that all his hard work will pay off come Dec. when we find out if he gets a raise!!! He has ONE more class at school and then HE will have his Bachelors in Business Marketing!! YAY!!!! So that means that he will graduate on NOV. 7 less than a month away!! I can't believe this day is almost here! I am so Pleased with him and ALL he does. And I -Natalie am trying to get my craft on like Hillary. Sounds like we need to get together. I am currently the 2nd Counselor in the Relief Society in our ward and it's fun Planning the (NON) Enrichment activities that we have. LOTs of work but fun! I also am trying to teach myself to sew. Ha ha It's working ok but I need help. I need to call Linda or my mom or if there is anyone else who could help please call me!!! Well we LOVE Grandma and Grandpa Brooksby and hope all is well.

Update - Hillary

Well yes I have been slacking with this blog, we are not dead, and we still love Grandma and Grandpa very much. Here is a little update from us...

We are loving being in our new house. We are pretty much settled in for sure now. We are loving the neighborhood and we like our ward a lot. I've been trying to meet the neighbors slowly taking cookie over to each one around the street to get to know them. It seems like it should be the other way around but I decided to be more out going and not wait around for people to be my friend. Its been working out well doing it this way too, so I'm glad for my attitude change! Preston has already spoken in church and is now the ward chorister. I don't know how I've flown under the radar in the ward but I have. It has been a bit of a challenge sitting by myself through the first part of the meeting, because Preston's on the stand. Sacrament is more of a challenge with the two kids and being "in tune" but we will get better at that. Kya, as usual, loves nursery and is excited every week to go, it's just trying to get her to sit through Sacrament Meeting. When the Sacrament is finished and the Decans are going back to sit with their family Kya always says in a loud voice, "Yay, Nursery!" Every week we have to explain that there are still speakers, songs, and one more prayer left. I am glad that we do have some good kids, they really do pretty good.

I have been being pretty crafty lately. I think it's got a little to do with trying to find a place for all of our stuff in our new found space, which is just a bit smaller than the last place. I have to get creative in storing things and I actually have been enjoying doing so. I've been trying to be a bit more organized with the space I do have which is nice. I'm slowly getting my walls decorated now, it is fun to have picture on the walls again. I didn't hang a thing in our big house knowing we wouldn't be staying and all.

Kya is truly a little girl, she is so smart and comprehends everything! She still loves her nails painted and has to have a bracelet on all the time. She has an imagination, she can make things up and play for a long time. They both love to be outside with our chicken and turtle.

Baden is a super happy, fast little guy! He get where ever he wants really fast. You can tell that he can't wait to be running around with his big sister. He is always happy and so super sweet. He is determined and gets frustrated if he can't do what he has set out to do. He's got 7 teeth now and more on the way.

Preston is still working really hard. Now I know why he says he wishes that he lived back in the day that you lived on a farm and you got payed base on how hard you work. Because it doesn't always work that way now. We have faith that we are in the Lords hands and he will do with us what is best. We are doing what is right and trying our best.

So there is something... I know there was quite a few of you that got together for something special last Thursday but no one posted about that, hint hint Kent!

Wassup?

So wassup wid dis blog? No one in the family does or writes things anymore? Everyone too busy writing meaningless drivel on Facebook to update their blogs? Jan and I would like to know what's going on with everyone. Please write something!

Love to all.

Thanks, Dad and Mom

I just want to write a short note of thanks to my parents. Thank you for being dedicated to each other over all the years. Thank you for doing the hard things. Thank you for caring enough about each other and us, your children and posterity, to want us to be sealed in the temple. I reflect on that experience quite often, even though it was over 50 years ago. Thank you for staying active in the church when it would have been so EASY to drift away into complacency. Thank you for your example of selfless service, even anonymous service. I have seen many of the quite, undetected acts of service you have given to others, and it has made me want to be a better man, myself. I have even started giving candy bars to people I home teach. Thank you for teaching your posterity right and wrong, and for being examples of love, kindness, dedication, work, and steadfastness. Thank you for all the love you show your posterity. I am so thankful that my grandchildren know you. My kids only knew two of their great-grandparents, and I feel so blessed that my grandkids know you.

Thanks, Mom and Dad. Speaking for my clan: We Love You!

Family Pictures

Thanks Karen for taking them!

Fourth Party Pictures!

I know others took pictures please feel free to share!

You sure know how to throw a party G-ma and G-pa! Thanks for all the fun!

July 4th PARTY

We had a wonderful 4^th of July party with everyone in our family here. Stan, Karen and kids were here also. Family pictures were taken by Karen, and the whole thing was busy and fun. Swimming was extremely popular for it was 109 degrees out side. Julia’s snow cone machine was kept very busy also. We again sat on the front lawn and watch the fire works over at the country club—while the little kids paraded around with their glow in the dark necklace’s and bracelets shining. Otter pops and home made ice cream help to keep us cool.

Love to all. VerDon, Mom or Grandma

Memory - Hillary

While Jessica and I sat by the pool at the Memorial Day party, I was remembering some of the things we did when we were kids. We used to come swim (A LOT) at Grandma and Grandpa "B's" house. If the diving board was use a lot a collection of water would pool up in the HOT bricks. We would always sit in the warm, usually dirty water and pretend that it was a bath.
Sometimes we were able to play with gallon jugs. We would fill them up and set them on the HOT brick the entire time we were swimming and then when it was time to get out and we were all cold we would pour the whole gallon of warm water over us.
Other times Grandpa would let us have one of the 5 gallon buckets which we would play with in the pool. We would turn it upside down filled with air and then push it under the water while one of us was underneath breathing under water!
We had lots of fun times at Grandma and Grandpa B's. Of course there was the Victorian hair styles, the candy bar game, making wave pools, putting dive rings around our ankles pretending to be mermaids, and lots of other fun games in the pool. Then afer we got out of the pool we would ALWAYS get a treat. It seems like we spent almost everyday there and I'm glad we did.

Conference Sunday

I know this is a little belated but here is the party that we had at Grandpa and Grandma's Conference weekend. We ate first (of course) and then had fun chatting and playing games.

Everyone had a lot of fun playing games. First "Sets" and then "Fact or Crap."

We sure had a ton of fun, thanks for the party!

SLEEPOVER at the Brooksby's

Bryan and Natalie Hatch decided we haven't lived unless we had a sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa Brooksby's house. So we went over there Friday March 27,2009 and spent the night. We made them our favorite Taco Soup which we all enjoyed for Dinner. Then we showed them some of our pictures from our Argentina trip. We talked and laughed and played some games. We taught them to play the card game "golf" and Grandma beat us all. Way to go grandma!! Then we played rummy and that was a lot of fun. We stayed up till late and it was a Blast!!! Then in the morning Bryan and I made homemade Biscuits and Gravy and it was delish!!!! We talked some more and even go some of it on tape. Grandma and Grandpa tell some fun Stories. They have lived incredible lives and we are so glad that we get to be a part of their lives. We love these two very much and are so happy to be FAMILY. Thanks for the sleepover we will have to do that another time.
Sorry boys these SASSY Ladies are already taken (by Bryan and Carl)

Beautiful Flowers for a BEAUTIFUL Lady!!!

We brought these flowers for Grandma

March 28,2009 Saturday

Bryan, Natalie, Grandma and Grandpa the morning after our sleep over.

Grandma and her latest bird house. It's a pretty fancy one.