A fun day at Gardner Village......

HOLLY HAD A BIRTHDAY...

WE CELEBRATED IT AT "GARDNER VILLAGE" IN SLC.

WE ATE AT "ARCHIBALD'S" RESTAURANT

LUNCH WAS DELICIOUS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HOLLY!!

WE VISITED OUR FAVORITE STORES:

THIS WAS NIKKI AND CARLY'S FAVORITE SPOT!

LOTS OF FUN MATERIAL FOR FUTURE PROJECTS.

THIS WAS HOLLY AND MY FAVORITE STORE.

CAN YOU NOT SEE WHY?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS OF THE DAY WAS THIS LITTLE BABY AT THE RESTAURANT SUCKING ON THIS DILL PICKLE LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW.

PRICELESS....

GOING TO THE VILLAGE IS A TRADTION WE STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO.

WE MISSED PRISCILA AND ROBIN....NEXT YEAR?

I PURCHACED 4 BIRDS FOR MY TREE....

I TOLD HOLLY TO ONLY LET ME BUY 2.......

BUT SHE FAILED ME........

INCLUDED IN THIS PICTURE IS THE ONE

CARLY AND MARTIN GOT ME ON THEIR HONEYMOON AS WELL.

I JUST LOVE THESE BIRDS....WEIRD I KNOW....

HERE'S A SHOUT OUT TO HOLLYS BIRTHDAY!!

I'M GLAD YOU WERE BORN.....

ALOHA!!!!!!

NOVEMBER MEANS CHRISTIAN TURNS 5

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTIAN!!

Christian is 5 tomorrow [8th]

Although rumor has it that he has been celebrating

since Saturday and is very confused.

And yes....that is a "Rice Crispy Cake"

as Nikki made him a "Rocket Cake" for his party on Saturday

and this is all she had left to muster up...

which I thought was quite ingenious myself.

Does anyone remember the "Popcorn Cakes"

that Grandma Anabelle used to make on everyone's birthday?

Here is Christian and the other munchkins.....

awaiting mischief and a slice of that rice crispy cake...

It was a great dinner and celebration for Christian.

Happy Day....tomorrow....

on your Birthday Christian...

really..... it really is your Birthday....

tomorrow...

Honest.

Hugs from Grandma tomorrow....

and always.

MAC'S BIRTHDAY....AND AIR PLANES

Mac had a Birthday this last week.

We celebrated it while they were here for the Wedding.

He loves cheesecake and so that is what we made him.

I love this picture of Sam and John.

We went to the Air force Museum while Mac and Priscila were here.

It was rainy but we still had fun.

except for Lili....love this picture:

Happy Birthday Mac!!

Booooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

IT'S WAS A GOWLING EVENT!!!!!!

THERE WAS A WITCH!

AND A WOLF!!! GRRRRRR....

AND A LITTLE BLURRY DRACULA...

"I'M GOING TO DRINK YOUR BLOOD........"

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE [SOME WOULD SAY "SCARY" SIDE]

THERE WAS A CLOWN...

AND A HOME MADE MOUSE [MINI VERSION]

AND OF COURSE...A GRANDMA!!

AND A 13 YEAR OLD BOY WHO HAS SEEN THE MAGIC FLOAT AWAY..

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO BE A 13 YR OLD BOY

WHO IS SUPPOSED TO NOT LIKE KID STUFF ANY MORE

AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE TOUGH!!!

The Annual Halloween Parade had to be cancelled due to rain.

But we did get those pictures under the Pine Tree.

We then enjoyed traditional Ham and Cauliflower soup in Bread bowls

with fresh french bread, apple juice and donuts for dessert.

We watched old "Halloween Movies" Nik had put together and then.....

.....some serious traditional "Pumpkin carving"

The little ones joined in:

We had a new welcome addition this year....Martin

We carved and painted and here is a look at the

FINISHED PRODUCTS!

Emma and Lindsey's "Painted Pumpkins"

Christian's "Midnight" Pumpkin.

Farrah put about 40 coats on this pumpkin.

She was very "engaged" in her project.

Finally....the "finished" carved pumpkins all lit up...

We were a few "Pumpkins" short of a MAC and NATE ...

as we missed their carving talents and their families here at the Wilson's.

After all, this "Wilson Tradition" came out of Mac's Birthday which is tomorrow.

So from our house to Yours......

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

She is gone......all gone......

Yesterday I came home from the BYU game to find this:

She is gone.....all gone.

Miss Princess Farrah...

the ruler of the home...

the Charlie and Lola expert.....

the Disney wanta be....

is gone....

And I am sad.....

After 3 1/2 years of growing and living with us...

Miss Farrah is no longer here...

It is quiet....

No banging on the Piano...

Doug no longer has to give up CNBC to the beloved....

"Charlie and Lola".

No more dry Ramen noodles marking the way upstairs to her domain....

like Hansel and Gretel....

No more sugar and Cinnamon toast, boiled eggs, oatmeal....

No more little knocks on my door at 2 AM only...

for Farrah to crawl in bed with me....

and I am sad.

I Love her...

I Miss her...

But I am happy for her as well as she starts out on her new adventure..

with her new little family.

Carly, Martin, Farrah ....and of course....

daddy.

Her family tree may be different than some...

but she is well loved...and Princess Farrah will rule on....

Just not at Grandma and Grandpa's.....

unless of course...she drops by.

But for now....let me miss her just a little....

Happy Birthday..Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to 2 little munchkins.

Sunday we celebrated Campbell [3] and Farrah's [4] special day!

2 Cakes, 2 Birthday Girls...

One who likes clothes....

One who doesn't.....

Farrah and Campbell blow out their candles after

a rendition of "Christmas Time, Easter Rhyme".

It's all about the cake, ice cream, and

Pooh Bear....

Presents? Who needs presents?

It's just clothes anyway........

HAPPY DAY.

I LOVE YOU BOTH !

Annual Salmon Hike 2010........

Every year I try and hike up so see the

Cocaney Salmon run at Causey reservoir.

This year on this beautiful Saturday morning

I went with Mason and Nik.

This is the canyon the trail is on.

You hike or canoe to the end.

The leaves are starting to turn and

the closer we got there were patches of this.....

....signs that Fall is just around the corner.

This is a view from up on the trail looking down.

If you look close you can see little red spots which are the salmon.

This is what the Salmom eggs look like.

The Salmon swim upstream to the place they were born

and deposit their eggs in the water.

Then they die.

The process starts all over again and every year

you can hike and see them as they finish their life cycle.

We saw some in every stage of spawning.

Some were bright orange/red.

Some were almost gray.

Some were dead.

If you look close here you can see one that is turning gray.

They have no respect for each other

as they poke and run into the weaker ones.

This is an amazing process to see.

Beautiful Cocaney Salmon.

Thanks Nik and Mason for a wonderful Hike.

Interested in seeing the Salmon?

The Hike is an hour in and an hour out.

It starts at the parking lot just outside Causey Estates.

If you don't go this week or this next weekend you will be too late to see them.

Gone Ranchin....In Wyomin

Doug and I just got back from a "Labor Day" vacation to Big Piney Wyoming.

Doug's cousin Brent and wife Jaimie were our Host and Hostess at their cattle ranch.

We went up there with Brenda and Scott.

We all went to school together at Weber High.

We had a great time.

Here are some of the pics from the trip.

[Thanks to Meagan, Jamie's soon to be daughter in law for the Pics]

Brent took us on a tour of his ranch, which is spectacular!

Brent raises grass hay and beef cattle.

I lucked out and got to ride in the "Ranger" which was a little less dusty.

Doug and the rest rode 4 wheelers.

You just can't get the feel for how vast and how beautiful the ranch is.

Every morning we could see Coyote's, Elk, Deer, Fox just looking out

the large windows in Brent and Jaimie's home.

Beaver Ponds

Jaimie and me enjoying the view.

Thru the trees and up the hills.

More views of the ranch....

Looking down on the Pines...

Brent explains the outer borders of the Ranch.

Brent and Jaimie are such wonderful people...

We had a great time and the company was so fun....

Hey, and they let me watch my BYU game on Saturday Night....

what more could you ask for.

Really I was overwhelmed with the views from their home

and also from all over the ranch.

Scott kept us entertained with his "quick whit".....

never a dull moment.

Can not wait to go back....