BRANSON, MISSOURI WITH GRANDMA BLUTH & SIBLINGS

LaRee's kids - left to right (top row) Gordon, Barry, Rod, Antoine, Lothaire (bottom row) Jacque, Mom, Antoinette, Curtis - at the end of a wonderful week in Branson!

Mom's (LaRee's) kids began gathering for a week of memories - - thanks to her sweet Christmas gift of a sibling (and spouses) reunion in Branson - planned with her friend Tess (tour guide)! Rick and I and Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Evans flew into Kansas City on US Airways, then Antoine and Shannon got there later that night. The next morning everyone arrived within an hour of each other on different airlines (Lothaire and Connie brought Mom, Rod and Sharon and Uncle Gary and Aunt Lori from Utah, Barry and Jami from Wyoming, Antoinette and Mike from Vegas and Gordon and Marianne brought Curtis and Julia in his jet straight to Branson. The bus ride to Branson was fun - and the ride back to Kansas City was so memorable as each person shared their deepest feelings and updated one another on our children and lives.

I just love my sisters-in-law so much! I wish we'd all taken a picture together, but here is a pic of Sharon and Me! It meant so much to be together again after so much time!

Six of us siblings are over 50 years old - two sisters-in-law had birthdays during the trip (Julia and Connie) and Connie turned 59. Mom's health and long life are a good measure of what we can do! Thank you mom for your sacrifices and love and your efforts to keep us connected! I am so grateful to be a member of this amazing family! I hope Dad was allowed to be with us!

CANCUN, MEXICO - LATE ANNIVERSARY WITH MY HONEY!

Rick gifted me an amazing late Anniversary gift and did it on a budget. We were going to lose a timeshare week (already paid) and we had flight miles, so cash out of our pockets was $10 for the flights! Cancun and it's beautiful turquoise water was the perfect place to rest and to be together! We found the best taco joints and never spent a penny at the resort.

I think we both got caught up on sleep, reading, sunshine and each other after this past year of setting up new businesses, teaching lots of classes, and very little sleep. On top of everything, each day Rick played cards with me (and that is a miracle after 35 years of begging) - plus he offered! That was as good as the trip!

We took a day and drove south to Tulum. This picture is after swimming at the bottom of the cliffs, the most gorgeous white sand and turquoise water in the world! The contrast with the black lava rock and stone temples in the background make it one of the unique placed in the world! We especially like this place with its "Descending God" carvings on each building. The main temple had 3 Gods above the entry - The Powerful God with Emerald Eyes (Elohim), the Descending God upside-down (Jesus Christ) and the Invisible God (The Holy Ghost). This place is a physical verification that Christ came to the Americas - and the Book of Mormon is evidenced historically. (Rick was upset that he had to change in the jungle - and the mosquitos bit his rear end 12 times in the quick-change experience! Yeah for lavender essential oil!

LAKE POWELL FAMILY MEMORIES!

Richard agrees - - life just doesn't get much better than this!

This is the life! Grandma is ready for another book - - and another nap!

Richard and Bailey - - beward Dad and Mom are on their way to SWAMP you!

Jonique and Shane showing their pearly whites!

LAKE POWELL FAMILY MEMORIES!

We loved being in the narrow end of West Canyon, with a 200 foot cliff to shade us, horseshoe pits, amazing sand, 2 fireplaces and more fun that we could ever dream of. Antoinette and her kids, Grandma Bluth, and most of our family were there! We missed those of you who couldn't make it this year! The games went on and on - - the hikes were amazing. Yes, it's heaven on earth!

Thanks Aunt Lena Gean for this cover-up! It sure worked - - and it surely covered-up!

Richard and Shane pulled this log out into the lake and had a log-rolling-balancing contest.

Bailey was the first brave one to swim into this 2-room cave. Grandma Bluth and Ashley headed into it also. The way the narrow walls swirl upward far back into the earth gets a little spooky, especially when you look down and it goes on forever!

Riley, Ashley and Chloe on the tube - - one happy family! Riley is concerned that we don't show his "daughter" the same privileges that we show our other grandchildren! It was fun to swamp them with the jet ski! Too much of a peaceful look, don't you agree?

JONIQUE AND DAD - There is something about being at Lake Powell together that makes me smile - - and the smiles ripple on and on! This is one of my favorite memories every year and I'm not the only one - - because on the drive home Jonique was counting the days until next year's family trip!

AUGUST CELEBRATES RORY AND HEATHER'S BIRTHDAYS!

Best Friends - Eternal Companions - Eternal Family - Happy Birthday to both of you! We love you! That December 13th (Friday) day in the San Diego temple was one of the most beautiful eternal weddings that I have ever attended. It was the beginning of something beautiful and powerful - - and we knew that the children who would come to you would be chosen and special!

These 2 lovebirds celebrate their birthdays this month - - Rory first, then Heather next. This was our last Easter Egg Hunt before they moved to Austin, where Heather found the $100 egg! Now they have much better than that egg, they have Alex (our curly haired almost 2-year old giggler) - - and Aurora on the way (Oct/Nov border)! Aurora will probably be called Rory - - since her dad is now known as Rorick. He laughs when he tells us the scenario at work each time people hear his name and then he goes through a dialogue that his co-workers have memorized as he explains how he got his name. Yes, I chose his name when I was a little girl and I saw a movie with a viking hero that was amazingly brave and handsome. Rorick says that his names serves him well at Charles Schwab since he is the only person in the entire company with that name - - thus always recognized!

Rory (son), we're so proud of the way you are working to provide for your family, the efforts you make to continue your education as you learn leadership skills that will serve those you work with well, the integrity of your heart and of your actions, the way you love your family and the joy you have always brought to us. We're so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed us with you! We miss your jokes (not the yucky ones), your beautiful piano music and we will miss you at Lake Powell! But, in a couple of years when these babies are bigger, then we will all have a family reunion together to build memories for them! Have you stopped wearing those Apache Junction styles and those Hawaiian shirts? We've always thought it's cool how you don't get caught up in brand name labels and the ego stuff!!! You don't hide behind anything - - and are who you are! We love you just for you!

Heather, we could not have chosen a better daughter than you if we had gone worldwide and hand selected! We don't look at you as a daughter in law, but as a daughter - - for you are connected to us eternally through the amazing sealing powers of the temple! You are a wonderful mother and an incredible wife! Rory was certainly blessed when you became more than his best friend - -and became his wife! Always know that you are an angel in our family and we love you so much! On top of it all - - you're gorgeous - - and you're smart - - and we love your calls - - and .. on and on!

MADDAUX'S ONE YEAR BIRTHDAY! FINALLY!

This little guy was so excited when Cam brought him around the corner and he saw a room filled with balloons - - that the gifts and people didn't matter a bit! Maddaux played with balloons non-stop, until by the end of the party the bigger kids had taken them all to the back yard to pop them.

Cam helps him unwrap his gifts so that he can get back to the balloons - - and oh yeah, the huge cupcakes! His car/bike was definately a favorite!

Jones, Bailey and Grandma are on the sidelines watching,

OUR 35TH ANNIVERSARY - IT WAS THE BEST!

35 years ago I could not have dreamed that I would love Rick this much! It's so great to be able to truly enjoy just being together without needs or expectations - - cherishing every experience (whether good or bad) as they have made us who we are today! When we woke up, we went swimming in the amazing Arizona sunshine, talked about how much we love each other, how much we love and adore our kids and grandkids, and decided that this year as our gift, each day we will do at least one thing that will make a difference in the life of one family member.

Then Jonique and Riley came and we all went to the Farmhouse for breakfast (at 11 am). It was amazing, although Jonique only ate 1 pancake. At the Farmhouse that is a sin! Riley helped us with our computers (watch out Rory, he's getting pretty good). Riley and Ashley started their blog, so we checked it out, then saw Rory's. Congratulations Rory on passing your Charles Schwab Management test - - and Heather, on the test confirming it's a baby girl! Yeah!