PRINCESS AURORA COMES HOME!

Hi Family! Now you can see her sweet little face! She is beautiful, perfect and sweet as she can be! Notice how great Heather looks! She kept herself so healthy and in good shape that she feels better now than she did pregnant! She said the C-Section isn't even comparable to the pain that was in her hips!

This is a rare moment with Alex not "velcro-ed" to Rory. Rory has been very busy feeding, dressing, bathing and playing with Alex - and it looks like Alex is his new best friend! Alex usually looks the other way when Aurora is near, but this evening he came near to her, reaching his hand out - - and almost - - almost - touched her! That was a big step forward!

I got to hold her for a long time - she just slept and made cute noises, but I wanted to memorize her features and feel her sweet little spirit. She is so fresh from Heaven that I wanted to download all that she is hearing, feeling and knowing. It's as amazing to be a grandma as it is to be a mom!

PRECIOUS NEW GRANDDAUGHTER - AURORA LYNN

Happy Halloween - - but even a Happier Gurney Family - - when Aurora Lynn arrived today! Rory, Heather and Alex welcomed their little princess into the world and it has been with great anticipation! She is beautiful and perfect in every way! Alex clung to his dad in the hospital, the binkie was a comfort, and he is still trying to figure this all out - - but he did reach towards his new sister one time!

I was so thrilled to get to come to Austin on Monday and to spend the week in their home. It has been such a beautiful experience to be with them, to see what awesome parents they are, and to feel the love that is in their home. They love Austin, and their brick home is so comfortable and perfect for their needs. Rory loves his work - - and each day when he arrives home Alex and him have a long play session while Heather gets dinner on the table. May I add, the house smells of wonderful food when Rory walks in the door! Aurora will learn to be a good cook from her mom!

Alex is so full of life, so capable and so coordinated! I have loved playing with him and enjoying the awesome weather and parks that are near their home! Their nightime routine is sweet - - as they both prepare Alex for bed, Rory reads a story and Heather says a prayer. It's brings parents great joy and peace when they see their children choosing greatness and love!

Rory and Heather make Alex's last day as KING a special one by carving a pumpkin. Actually, I think he'll always be a king - - and Aurora will be a queen!

Thank you with all my heart for inviting me to share this sacred, precious time with you!

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!