Family pics

I have been taking a lot of flack about not updating this blog so I thought I should end the abuse! I know it is February and Thanksgiving was almost three months ago. I don't know what I have been doing to keep so busy, but there must have been something. Jennie has been hounding her old parents about their physical shape. She and Carrie have been worrying about us and wanted us to get In shape. We tried to tell them we were in shape just not in very good shape. We finally agreed to take part in a biggest loser contest. Most of us agreed to put money in a pot to make the contest worth doing. I won't mention those who didn't want to participate! We started sometime In Sept I think and reported our gain or loss weekly on Saturday morning. We had many discussions about points verses calories, good recipes, who's scale was correct,etc. Our goal was to all meet at Cheryl and Jerry's for Thanksgiving and have our weigh off.  When the dust settled, Kim won with Rod second and Stephen third. As a group we lost 173 lbs. Pretty amazing.

On Sunday after Thanksgiving we all attended the Stephenville Ward to listen to our oldest grandson, Mason speak in Sacrament Meeting before leaving on his mission to the Philippines. The bishop also had Cheryl talk and be in charge of the musical number so she had Amy,Carrie and Jennie sing with her. They all did an excellent job.

This is our missionary, Elder Mason James Taylor.  His parents said goodbye to him in Texas and let him fly home with us to Utah.  We helped him finish his shopping and took him to the MTC December 8th.  I have given Cheryl the word.  Never again.  She will have to make some other arrangement for Daniel.  I threatened to just send him with Gramps, but I gave in and went along.  It is much better than when we took Michael, but it is still hard.  He is doing really well so far.  The Phillippines won't be the same when he is finished! 

Just for friends that haven't seen "the kids" as we all call them for a while.  They have all grown up into wonderful people.   Daniel, Brandon, Jerry, Mason, Cheryl, Aleisha and Kendall. 

The Myers

Reese, Cameron, Carrie, Sean, Carson and Tyson

Carrie and Sean drove twenty hours with four kids. Now that is pure love on their part because then they had to drive back which is even harder.

 Easton and his favorite person, Amy.  He wouldn't let go of her hand the entire time we were in Texas. She is the best aunt ever.  She makes sure all the kids get her attention and they love her for it.

Niklas, Michael, Carlie and Zachary 

Until a couple of weeks ago, they lived down the road from Cheryl in Keller, Texas.  They are in the process of  moving to Greenville, South Carolina.  I am excited to plan a trip back to visit. 

Conner, Allie, Chase and Easton Cannon

Jennie took most of the pictures I am posting.  She has started a photography business.  There is a link on the right.  I don't know why I don't have a Cannon family pic, but this one of the kids if wonderful. 

Luke and Sara. 

Our Texas trip was during Sara's finals  so they decided to stay home.  I think the real reason was she really hates Texas!  It makes her allergies flare up and she spends the whole trip on the couch with  full sinuses.  We missed them but her final results were worth it.   Only one more semester!  Hurrah!

Kyjah   and   Creighton

The Parents

Stephen and Kim

They had only been home from a summer with Apx Alarm just a few weeks and just couldn't face driving back to Texas with the babies so they stayed home.   Couldn't blame them but we missed them.  

I hestitated putting this one on, but decided if the rest had to be here, I guess we did too.  This was taken in  October so we are a lot thinner now!   

Just one more plug for jenniecannonphotography.blogspot.com      

Kind of hard to say it, but "Go Wasatch!"

You have to love the look on Carson's face.  He has discovered, much to his father's delight, that he loves football.  Sara had a heavy week at school, so she asked us to come up to help out.  Carson and Cameron both had football games that week so I was excited  to watch.  It was rainy and cold for Carson's game onTuesday, but Luke and I braved it and met up with Sara to watch Carson be a football star. His team lost, but he gave it his best.  The true test was the smelly, dirty hug I got afterward.    I hope the youtube video link below works.  Turn up the volume so you can hear Sean yelling.  It is fun!

Carson #3

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiIGlCAAOBE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Cameron's game was Wednesday in Heber.  Luke and I had just stopped for gas before heading up the canyon when it started to rain.  Carrie called  to tell us that it was raining horizontally and really hard.  She told us she would stay home if it were her so we decided to go back to Springville.  Darn, it stopped raining of course by the time the game started.  We should have gone.   I don't have a picture of Cameron to share, but I am going to put the youtube video of his game so you can watch him.  He is number 67.  He told me he found out the secret of football.  If you do the hitting first it doesn't hurt so much!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afYWZB4sSmE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEx_L3YArzY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If these videos don't work, call Sean.  He can tell you where to find them on Youtube.

Aleisha has done it again!

Because BYU does not have a December graduation, Aleisha did the "walking thing" Saturday, August 14th. She has one more semester to finish in order to get the actual diploma. For a girl who got kicked out of pre-school because the teacher could not handle her drama, she has done all right! She left high school a year early with college credit and finished a semester before she turned 21. She will have a Bachelor of Art in Philosophy with minors in Logic and Spanish. She spent Spring semester 2010 in Madrid, Spain.
When Aleisha came to school, everyone set her up with a laptop, kitchen and bedroom things, some new and some from my garage stash. Since then she has been able to take care of herself.  Aleisha has worked at the HFAC  (Harris Fine Arts Center)  since she was a Freshman.  She is now  a manager of the stage crew. I know there is another name for it, but she does the hiring interviews, the schedules and that kind of thing for the student stage crew.  She drives big trucks, and goes up in the catwalks but she doesn't tell me about it. She worked and still was able to finish her BA in three years with a good gpa.  She is so tight she squeeks and is a unrepentant moocher, but she has been able to pay for just about everything herself.  We are proud of her.
Aleisha has certainly set the bar high for the rest of the grandchildren. They will have to work to outdo her. Mason has already followed her lead and has been accepted to BYU, but has deferred until after his mission.  Oh, yes.  He does have a mission  call.  That should have been a separate post. I am so behind.  He is going to the Phillipines leaving December 8th. 

  Ralph and Patty Taylor, Aleisha's grandparents from Idaho and Aunt Leanna came to celebrate with her as they always do when she has a milestone event.

Gr

Gramps and Grams
If I could get that Gr to go away I would but nothing works...hum  It could be the typer...?

The Parents: who actually got to fly  instead of drive for 20 hours.  The rest of the family were busy.  Mason is in Mississippi with Steve installing alarms to make money for his mission, Daniel was at Philmont Scout Ranch, Kendall and Brandon were at Band Camp two a days . (Really true!)

Cousins
Back Row: Allie Cannon, Carson Myers, Aleisha holding Conner (Q) Cannon and Cameron Myers
Front Row: Tyson Myers, Luke Nielson, Easton Cannon, Reese Myers and Chase Cannon
There are eight more of these wonderful little people.  Zachary and Niklas Ogden, Creigh and Kyjah Ogden and  Mason, Daniel and Kendall Taylor and Brandon Hunter. That should make 18. 

She fits right in with her mom and the aunts. They are all beautiful, talented women!x
Jennie, Amy, Aleisha, Cheryl, Carrie and Sara
I can say that because I am their mom and I am not afraid of them!

Jennie took these pictures. You can see them all at http://picasaweb.google.com/ogdenretrenchmentsociety