Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to the 2 greatest mothers in the world. We love you both. Thanks for being so supportive and loving.

Easter Sunday

Grandma Ferrell bought the girls matching Easter dresses this year. She even made them matching flowers to wear in their hair. They looked so cute. Peyton informed me that she no longer wanted to have matching dresses with her sisters because she was too old for that now. I knew this day would come but it makes me sad because that means she is growing up.
This is the best picture I could get of Lexi because she didn't want to stand still for the picture.

Hailey was all ready to pose for an individual picture.

Peyton opted out of an individual picture as a protest to having to wear matching dresses. So sad.

Easter Saturday

In my family we always had the Easter Bunny come on Saturday so that we could celebrate the real meaning of Easter on Sunday so I have continued that tradition in my family. The girls found their hidden Easter baskets on Saturday morning and enjoyed the little treats inside.
Later that day we got together with my family at a park and had dinner and an Easter egg hunt. Alexis loved finding the eggs.

Hailey enjoyed finding her share of candy filled eggs.

Even Summer got involved in the hunt even though she thinks she is too old to do it.

But Peyton didn't participate in the hunt because she had caught a butterfly and didn't want to let it go in order to get her eggs.

Alexis had way too much candy that day and threw it all up during the night. We found her like this a lot of the time at the park.

Uncle Scottie was so nice and pushed Hailey on the swing when no one else wanted to do it.

What a fun day it was.

Easter Egg Dying and Easter Pageant

On the Friday before Easter the girls had a day off from school so we decided to dye Easter eggs. Peyton invited her friend Jordon to come along and help us.
My mom always comes and does this with us (as long as we are living in the same state) and joined us again this year. My girls always ask me when we are going to dye Easter eggs and the next question they ask is if Grandma Cardon is going to come.

Later that day we went to the Mesa, Arizona temple for the Easter Pageant. We got there 3 hours before it started so we could get good seats. It was pretty crowded by the time we got there but we still managed to get decent seats. There is a lot of waiting involved with this event so we brought lots of food and treats to keep the kids happy. My sister Christin and her family came with us and my sister-in-law Amber met up with us a little later.

About an hour before the show starts the cast comes out and walks around and mingles with the crowd. They also bring out some of the animals that are part of it and the kids can pet them. Here is a 3 day old sheep that the girls just loved petting.

Here the girls are waiting for it to start.

Their smiles are cute but this is how they were really acting until it started.

The pageant was as wonderful as it always is and I was so grateful that we were able to go. It reminded us all of why we really celebrate Easter and brought such a great Spirit into our lives.

Grandpa Gaisford Funeral Weekend- The burial

We weren't able to go to the cemetery on the same day as my Grandpa's funeral because it is not open on weekends so we went on Monday. My Grandfather served in the military so he was buried in a national cemetery and was given a proper military burial service that was so neat to watch.
They placed an American Flag over his casket and saluted it.

A bugler played taps and they had a 21-gun salute.

They folded the flag.

And handed it to my Uncle Hal who is the oldest child.

Here are my parents and all of my siblings and my sister-in-law Michelle. We were so lucky that all of us could be there.

After the burial service we all headed over to the Mexican food restaurant my Grandparents and their children have been going to for the past 50 years, Jordan's.

It was so fun to be in a place my grandparents loved so much and just talk about our family memories. The owner's son came in and told us all how much he loved the Gaisford family and how much they will miss Harold.

All of my Aunts and Uncles were there along with many of my cousins. The food was delicious and the company was even better.

After lunch we drove by my Grandparent's old house in Phoenix. My mom grew up in this house and my grandparents lived here until 1995 when they moved to Gilbert. I loved this house and have so many wonderful memories there. When they sold it I was so sad and wished that I had the money to buy it (I was 16 at the time). It still looks the same from the outside and is just as beautiful as I remembered it to be.

When we got back to Gilbert we all met back up at Val Vista Lakes swimming pool and enjoyed swimming together.

My girls had a great time swimming with their first and second cousins.

My brother's son Drew enjoyed the nice warm weather in Arizona (he lives in Utah) and loved playing in the water.

The adults enjoyed lounging by the pool and talking.

The whole funeral weekend was just fantastic. I really love my family and all of my extended family and I was so grateful to be able to spend time with them. I am hoping that we will still see each other even though both of my grandparents have passed on. They have definitely left a great legacy behind.

Grandpa Gaisford's Funeral

My Grandpa's funeral was such a great celebration of his life. All of my family was able to be there along with every single one of my cousins except for Geoff who lives in Denmark. We had a great time talking about what a great man my Grandpa was and remembering all of the good times we had with him.
My mom and I with my 3 favorite girls.

My cousin Laura was one of my very best friends growing up and I was so happy to be able to spend time with her because she lives in Connecticut so I don't get to see her often.

More of my cousins (and their children) at the funeral.

My brothers Scott and Andrew along with my cousins Mike and Steven carrying the casket.

After the funeral we went swimming with some of my cousins and just had a great time. Later that evening my sisters and I went to my Aunt's house in Phoenix and hung out talking till late into the night with my cousins. It was so much fun. It was a great ending to a wonderful day.

Grandpa Gaisford Funeral Weekend- The Secret Garden

On the morning of my Grandpa's funeral I decided that I really wanted to take pictures of my girls in my Grandpa's backyard. Growing up my Grandpa lived in a beautiful home in Phoenix that had a huge front yard and backyard. He had the most beautiful flowers, trees, and grass and I always called it my secret garden. They moved to Gilbert when I was in High School and he built another beautiful secret garden in his backyard. He wasn't able to take care of his yard the past couple of years but the roses were in bloom and it looked beautiful to me.
Here we are in front of the gate to his garden. I love the cute Garden Tours sign.

The girls in front of some of his beautiful roses. My Grandma loved roses so my Grandpa always planted them for her.

In the middle of his yard is a water fountain that use to have cute rubber ducks in it. When Peyton was younger she loved to come over and play with the water and ducks.

I would love to have a secret garden of my own when I have a house. I am really going to miss my Grandpa's garden but I am so glad that I still have it in my memory and in some pictures.

Grandpa Gaisford Funeral Weekend- Park Fun

My whole family was in town for my Grandpa's funeral so we decided to enjoy our time together. We spent a lot of time at the park playing with cousins and the girls loved it.
Lexi loved playing in the sand with Taylor, Jacob, and Dean.

My brother Andrew and his son Drew drove all the way from Utah to celebrate my Grandpa's life.

Peyton and Kate love playing together.

My mom enjoyed having all of her grandkids around and took some time to push Lexi in the swing.

Kate and Peyton love to swing like this. I remember doing this as a kid.

Jacob loves playing with the little kids. He is such a sweetheart and Julia and Lexi just love him.

My mom, my sisters, and my soon to be sister-in-law. We are missing my sister-in-law Michelle who hadn't arrived yet.

Once again Megan is a big hit with the kids. They love playing Ninjas with her.