Bar J Wranglers, a Continued Christmas Tradition

Once again we decided to treat ourselves to a holiday performance of the Bar J Wranglers, our new Christmas tradition that we started last year.  This year we brought my mom and dad along and had an enjoyable time once again.  Austin was home for a few days and we were glad he could come because it will be a couple of years before he can go with us again.  Mady was in charge of the pictures and she took mostly videos, but here are a few still shots that show how much fun we have!

The whole group on stage.  Babe Humphries, the founder of the Bar J joined them
at this performance.  It was quite a treat. 

We sat in two rows, one right behind the other.  This is Austin catching up with
Grandpa.

An after concert shot with Babe Humphries and his son.
 

Another autograph and phot shoot with the guys. 
 

This is a very fun time for our family!  Lots of laughter, toe tapping and smiles.  I'm glad we were all together for the concert again this year.  What a nice way to start the Christmas season! 

Our Mexican Japanese Hibachi Chef

Some things just stand out in your mind and you never forget them.  Last Thanksgiving weekend after opening Austin's mission call we had our family pictures taken and Doug and I treated the kids to the Samurai 21 Japanese Steak House in St. George, a first for our family.  There were several new things tried this night for each of us.  Sushi was one, although I don't know what  the kids were fussing about because all I ordered was the California rolls which have COOKED crab meat in them, not raw fish.  They all made faces and squirmed around, but they all tried a piece, except Doug of course, who is a meat and potatoes guy.  Now that I think of it I believe Mady passed on the deliciousness as well.  Oh well, more for us I say! 

All of us around the hibachi grill.  We are all smiles because everyone is having STEAK!
There are no chickens in this family!!

Our Japanese Hibachi Chef who is from Mexico.  Very funny!  He really
picked on Cody and Mady.

At the end of all the fancy cooking our Chef tosses a piece of chicken or shrimp in to our mouths.  Most of us caught it, and Austin slid way back against the wall and caught his piece!  Very impressive!  This was a great memory for us and we hope to do it again when we are rich and famous!  ha ha ha!! 

"I Hope They Call Me On a Mission!"

The day after Thanksgiving is BLACK FRIDAY, when all of the stores have really great deals to start off the Christmas shopping.  I normally don't kill myself to get out there and get the bargins, but this time I couldn't resist the deals this year.  I was out at 5:00 that morning making rounds to all the stores and called Doug and Austin about 10:00 to see if they could take me to breakfast while they were in St. George delivering Austins truck bed he was selling.  We met at the Cracker Barrel and were in the middle of our breakfasts when Cody called to tell Austin that he had the next two years of his life in his hands.  HIS MISSION CALL HAD COME AND WE WEREN'T HOME!!!  Suddenly we were nervous, anxious, and Austin couldn't drive he was shaking so badly.  We hurried and texted everyone we knew to meet at one o'clock to open his call. 

I rushed home and Austin and Doug delivered his truck bed, then rushed home.  Because I got their first I got to try and see the letter first. 

Sadly, the letter was hidden by the mission packet and I couldn't see anything.  Darn. 

Dear Elder Beutler, You have been called to serve as a missionary. . . .

The letter signed by President Thomas S. Monson himself.  We were kind of hoping he could go somewhere he hadn't been before, but Austin has a great attitude about going wherever the Lord wanted him to go and is excited to serve in Anaheim, California.  I struggled with it for day or so until I was reading the letter again and realized that the Prophet reviews and signs every letter personally.  He double checks each call to make sure the call is what the Lord wants and I know that this is where Austin needs to go to serve.  I'm grateful he is going to be close enough to send packages and letters and that we can easily go and get him when he finished. We are very proud of Austin and his decision to serve a mission.  He is going to the happiest mission on earth!!  (because Disneyland is in their mission).  He is going to have a great experience.  Congratulations Austin!!

We are all thankful for. . .cell phones?

This year for Thanksgiving we decided to stay home instead of going up to Dayton or over to my Mom and Dads house.  It was just our immediate family for dinner and it was kind of nice, even though I had to do all of the cooking.  Austin came home from Idaho hoping to open his mission call on Wednessday, but it didn't come, so he jumped right in to hanging out with his friends and having them all over for a movie night.  It seems like you cook for days for this one meal and it is over in just a few minutes, but it is always worth the effort. 

We broke out the nice china, crystal goblets for the fancy lime slush, and REAL silver ware for the occasion.  Cody helped me set the table and finish up the cooking before dinner.  I found it very interesting that when we sat down to the meal I spent hours on, this is what I saw:

We are a modern family for sure, everyone has an electronic device that they are occupied with.  Needless to say, the blessing on the food was delayed.    

 

For dinner I made a small turkey breast because everyone voted to have ham instead.  I also made Idaho grown mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing cassarole, sweet potato pie, orange glazed carrots, homemade rolls, jello with whipped cream, and orange jello pudding salad.  I also had pumpkin, apple, and banana cream pies for later.  I think everyone enjoyed the meal and liked the new recipes for the most part.  It is always fun to use the finery I have saved in my hope chest for a long time.  I am grateful to have everyone together and safe, and for all our many other blessings that are to numberless to list.  We are so blessed!      

 

Happy Birthday Cody!

What do you get to do when you are fourteen that you didn't get to do when you were thirteen? That is what Cody wanted to know as he turned fourteen on the twentieth of November. It is not much of a difference, he decided, except he was ordained a Teacher in the Priesthood and can now go with the teachers on Tuesday nights, and he can go to the Stake Dances with Mady and his friends, and he can have girls and boys over for night games and parties. He is very excited to turn fourteen.  Happy Birthday Cody!

We had a small family party for him on Tuesday night with my Mom and Dad.  We had cake and ice cream and presents.   

He got a new western shirt and wranglers, a gun stock for his shotgun, and CAT socks and safety glass and a hat.  He was very happy with his gifts and had a really good birthday. 

Mady's first REAL date. . . Sadie Hawkins

On Saturday, the 17th of November Mady had her first "real" date.  (I guess her dad wasn't a "real boy", or so she says).  Her first date was to the girls choice dance, Sadie Hawkins, and Mady and her friends went as a group.  Mady asked Kyson Spendlove, whom she had to chase and put a tag around his neck per the rules of Sadie Hawkins.  She accomplished that on the first day of the chase and was so proud of herself! 
 She and her friends met on Satruday for the "day date" (a custom that has evolved from only going to the dance at night, to spending all day together playing games or four wheeling, or whatever.) with another group and had a "Minute to Win It" marathon.  Bobette Green and I planned the games and tried to make them as messy as possible. 

They did contests like picking gummy bears out of a pan full of whipped cream, pudding and other stuff; they ate lunch with their hands tied together, they shot elastic bands at toilet paper until it broke; sat on balloons filled with shaving cream until they burst;  put shaving cream on their shower capped heads and threw Cheetoes at each other, and other fun games like that.  It was very messy, but everyone had a great time. 

Mady and Kyson after the "cheese head" minute to win it game.
 

For dinner they went to Kelly Labarrons' Grandparents house and had a dutch oven dinner, then went to the dance together.  Mady had a very fun time dancing and laughing and having a great time with all of her friends. 

Mady and Kyson Spendlove

Kyson Spendlove, Mady, Trevor Halowell , Shelby Copeland,  Jenny Gowans, Justin Byce,
Kelly LaBaron, Talon Demille.              

Sweet Sixteen and Super Excited!!

Happy Birthday to Mady, who turned 16 on November 15, 2012.  She has been looking forward to this day for a long time.  Not only does she turn 16, but she also can get her drivers license and date.  She had her first date on her birthday with her Dad.  Doug and I decided a few years ago that we wanted to be our kids' first dates, so Doug called Mady up on her phone and "officially" asked her out and planned a fun time after school that Thursday. He picked her up from school and took her to Fiesta Fun Center in St. George where they played miniature golf and drove the go-carts.  She got quite a surprise on the go-carts when she tried to cut her Dad off around a curve and Doug hit her and spun her in a 360, getting her stuck into the side railing.  It kind of scared her, but later they had a good laugh about it. 

Mady said she didn't like playing miniature golf very much because it was slow and boring, so they only did it one time, with her cheating the hole way through.  She and her Dad went to the Cracker Barrel for dinner after Fiesta Fun, and had a very yummy combination meals, then came home for ice cream and cake with us in a small family party later that night.  My Dad came over to celebrate with us, because his birthday was the next day so we let them celebrate together.  Mady is getting very comfortable with her Grandpa Winn, and got a few good teases in when they were getting ready to blow out the cake. 

Mady is telling Grandpa that he can blow out one candle, because he is so old, and she will get the rest.  He surprised us all by blowing them all out faster than I've ever seen candles blown out on a cake.  I didn't even have enough time to set up for a picture.  They had a great time bantering back and forth. I think Mady was a little bit disappointed because she was expecting a big surprise party when she got back, because some of her friends had mentioned it in passing.  When she got back to just us and a few presents, she put on a brave face, but I could tell she was wondering where all her friends were. 

Funny thing, the next night was Friday night and her friends actually DID have a surprise party planned for her.  She went away with some girlfriends to make shirts for the SADIES dance which was on Saturday (her second date), and we hurried and got ready for the 20 kids coming over.  She had no idea anything was happening until she got home to walk downstairs and happened to see a bunch of cars parked in the back when she was on her way downstairs.  I had to nearly PUSH her down the stairs to get her to go and everyone yelled SURPRISE!!!  They played WII dance 4 and ate lots of food and had a really great time. 

I'm glad to report that she wasn't disappointed this time.   They all gave her presents that mostly consisted of food, and laughed and danced and was goofy for most of the night.  I appreciate Abby Londrie and Chelsie Cahoon for putting the party together for her.  What a great birthday! 
Happy Sweet Sixteen Mady!!!