Sunday after church, Tony and I went over to Mom and Dad Norton's home to have dinner with Deb and Diane, Robin and Danae. We had a lot of leftover's from the big bash on Saturday so we enjoyed having a meal with them before they took off for Utah.

Got some nice family shots before they left. It was good to see them again.

Here's the family! I love them all so much (but particularly the one in the middle)!! lol

Stillman and Michelle and the boys showed up just as they were getting ready to leave so we had them take the family picture and then we got one with them.

After our Utah family left for home and as the day progressed, Deedra and Curtis came over, and then Tammy. Chris and Katelynn came a wee bit later and then Colby and Christa. We all enjoyed eating left overs (several times throughout the evening) and we played several rousing games of UNO. It was a fun night!

We left around 8:30. I had to cut Tony's hair before bed and he had to pack up. We didn't get to bed till midnight so it was a full day and we were both dead tired!

This Monday (the 23rd) came way to quickly! Tony and I loaded up his things and then went to I HOP for breakfast before heading to the airport. We were met by Mom and Dad and Krista and Nephi!

Krista took a picture of the 4 of us.

I asked a young lady who was sitting by us if she would take a picture of the six of us!

It was a lot harder saying goodbye this time. I was more emotional than last March but I will be OK. I sure love and appreciate Tony so much! Besides having all the fun of going to California and visiting with family and friends and going to movies and eating out and having parties, he helped me with a lot of yard work while he was here. I hope he gets rested up in Baghdad before he has to fly into Mosul to start work! He's gonna need it!

After saying goodbye, I headed for the Veterans Cemetery on Hill road for the grave side portion of Keith Robinson's funeral. Tony and I home taught him and his family.

He had served in the Navy. We wanted to attend his funeral but it was at 10AM this morning and we didn't know if we would have time with Tony having to report in two hours early and all.

As it was, we probably could have made it but we played it safe and left for the airport at 10:30.

The service was so nice. They had a man playing taps as well as Amazing Grace on the bagpipes and it was hard not to cry!

The sight was very nice and the cemetery is beautiful. Art had spoken at the funeral and Bob Haverfield gave the prayer at the service to dedicate the grave.

This is Kim, her mother Glenda (wife of Keith) and their good friend from Pocatello.

After leaving the cemetery, I came home to clean my house, do my laundry and mow my lawn. (Trying to take my mind off my hubby leaving) It has been a wonderful two weeks and now I've got to get back to reality. Back to work tomorrow morning so better get to bed.

(Tony called me from Georgia tonight. Just getting ready to board for the long flight to Dubai

THE LAST WHORAH ......... UNTIL JAN.

Tony's last week home ~ and we made every minute count.

My parents left on Wednesday morning and made it home safe and sound! They had a bit of a delay due to construction and some rain on Lolo pass so got home a little later than expected ....
but we are grateful for their safe trip and the wonderful visit we had with them.
They did discover that their portable CD player was stolen from their car (while sitting in our driveway) so they stopped in Weiser and bought a new one so they would have something to listen to going home. We've since talked to the neighbors on both sides of us and found out that they have BOTH had things stolen recently. One from the house and the other from the car!
GOTTA MAKE SURE THINGS ARE BUTTONED DOWN TIGHT. DANG THIEVES!
Thanks for coming Mom and Dad ..... we love you!

After the folks left, Tony and I drove to Boise and had a good visit with Phillip and then went to Tucano's for dinner. He had a birthday card from them and so he ate free!

We stopped and saw Stillman and Michelle & boys on our way home. (Stillman had all kinds of "Football News" for Tony) He wasn't far from his laptop ..... staying up on all the BYU going independent news!

We made plans to go out Friday night with Tammy & Chris, Melissa and Nate and Stillman and Michelle while at their home.

Thursday was spent resting and visiting with some neighbors. We also made some food preparation and plans for Art and Lynn's BIG 60th wedding anniversary party.

Friday and Saturday morning we were VERY BUSY around the yard. Tony (bless his heart) helped me clean out the garden .....(ashamed to say it got the better of me this year and was basically a home to a gopher and a pile of weeds!) He rototilled Saturday morning and we also cleaned all the weeds out from behind ours and the neighbors fence. Then Tony used round up all around the place.

Friday night we went to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"...... as it turned out, it was just Stillman and Michelle, Tammy and Tony and myself. Melissa and Nate decided to go golfing and Chris went Home teaching. They missed a GREAT movie! We all thoroughly enjoyed it!!

SATURDAY AT THE PARTY ............

THE PARK BEFORE!

THE PARK AFTER ............

We didn't get a specific head count but we figured we had around 70 people there.

Michelle took a picture of Art and Lynn and had it displayed on the table. It turned out really well! Michelle is getting a pretty good business going. We're proud of her!

The Lovely Couple! Married 60 years now! (Well almost! Their actual anniversary is September 14th but they wanted to celebrate it while Tony was home) awhhhhhhh !

They were lucky enough to have THREE cakes made for them. Tammy made the 1st one (on the left) and it was beautiful! Hers was decorated with real flowers. The other two were made by Pam ( Art and Lynn's niece) Pam decorates cakes for a store she works at.

Some of the guests starting to eat. Honestly, I don't know several of them so your going to have to put a name to the face ....(unless your on my side of the family .... lol then your guess is as good as mine!)

I know several in this picture and Debbie would kill me if she saw this shot! (She's Jacks wife and Jack is Art's brother)

Stillman, Michelle, Colby and Nephi .... I'm sure their talking about FOOTBALL!

Wana bet? lol

Nate and Alivia and Sally. Congrat's to Sally. She's gonna have a baby!

The grand kids heading off for the playground!

Glenn (Tony's cousin and his Aunt Debbie as well as his sister Debbie in the black)

Our shrinking Krista and Uncle Jack and Aunt Debbie. (Art's brother & his wife)

Lynn's sister Ada Karen and her husband Melvin and her sister Joyce with her husband Bob and
Aunt Thelma (between Bob and Joyce)

Garrett, Curtis and Deedra.

Nephi and his daddy Colby!

Joyce & Bob Haverfields daughter Heidi Neider and Ken Norton (Tony's brother) and his daughter Emmy Sue.

The Norton girls from Utah! They ALL have a ton of hair ..... it's so NOT FAIR!!

Erica, (Sally, not from Utah but expecting her 1st) Alexis and Natasha. Darling girls. Dan is the newly married son in law to Daryl and Karla. He married MacKenzie. (not pictured)

Diane (one of the twins) and Art. Art was telling us how he met Lynn when they were kids!

It was a fun gathering! The weather was overcast and perfect! We hoped it would be like that and it was.

Tony and his nephew Andrew and his wife Ashley! We were all packing up to leave at this point and saying our goodbyes.

It was a gooooood party!

WISH YOU ALL COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!~

TONY'S TIME HOME SO FAR ~

Well, as you all know from my last post ..... Tony got home on Monday the 9th ........

My parents drove over from Missoula on Tuesday ( which is marvelous to me since dad will be 90 in November and mom is 88) ...............

Tony and I were in Boise the night they arrived so they called and I directed them to the house and they rested while Tony and I took in a movie with Colby and Krista and Curtis and Deedra.

Wednesday, we all rested and then I had Art and Lynn and Bob and Joyce over for dinner (shish kebabs) so they could visit with the folks before we took off for sunny California! (I already posted a picture of the folks in my last post)

Thursday morning we got up early and were on the road by 6 AM or shortly thereafter! We knew we were in for a long drive and wanted to get an early start.

Tony did all the driving except for about an hour when I spelled him off so he could nap a bit.

Here we are just pulling into the outskirts of Sacramento .......... only about an hour to go! Yehaw!

Awhhhhh, we arrive! Got into Manteca about 3:30 in the afternoon! We went to my brother's house 1st and he took us to the Hampton Inn and we checked into our room. It was super!

Dad and Dave sitting on the hide a bed while mom and Tony and I were putting a few things away.

After checking in, we went back to Dave and Janet's and had dinner and visited. Dave barbecued tri tip and it was to die for!!! Mmmmmmmmm good.

This is my nephew Matt and his girlfriend Malanea. (not sure if that's how ya spell her name) but she was a sweetheart. (Way to go Matt)

We hung around at the house and got a tour of the place. I'm ashamed to say that Dave and Janet have lived in the house in Manteca for 19 years and this is the 1st time I've ever been there. They have a lovely home and they sure made us all feel welcome!

Later in the evening, Dave cranked up the air conditioner and Tony had to get some blankets from the car to keep from freezing! After enduring 130 degrees in Mosul ..... his blood is pretty thin and he gets colder easier than the rest of us! lol

He's still catching up from all the travel and passed out in the recliner!

I was going to toss almonds in his mouth for entertainment but thought better of it!

Around 7PM or so, Traci and Jason and the kids showed up and we all visited until 10 PM or so and then headed for the hotel to get some sleep.

The hotel had a GREAT continental breakfast so the next morning we went down to eat. My brother Rick and his family had driven in Thursday night too but arrived late so we didn't see them till breakfast. My two brothers, Rick and Dave!

This is a picture of most of us that were there by now. Traci and a couple of the kids had gone up to the room to dress for the pool party and Janet and Melanie and Malanea were still at home.

The staff at the hotel were awesome and one of the cooks took our picture for us!

THE 1ST POOL PARTY!
Here's Andrew getting rubbed up with sunscreen. His mother put a plastic bag on his cast (which soon filled with water) so it was finally taken off and he still swam! It was a fiberglass cast so it held up really well!

Isabel enjoying the pool ~ Such a pretty little fish!

The Three Amigo's ! Sophia, Isabel and Caden!

Katie and Andrew waving at me! Andrew LOVED Kate and clung to her like static on silk!

Will showing off his muscles! Will is quite a little character! Very entertaining!

After swimming, we went back to Dave's and had sandwiches made from the leftover tri tip along with salad, chips and salsa, fruit and hot wings! Another great meal! After eating, several of us went to the BASS PRO STORE!

Caden getting a BIG BEAR HUG!

Caden and Grandpa Tony in front of the awesome fish tank and waterfall!

Dave kissing (well almost) the Grizzly!

The eleven of us who went to the Bass Pro Store. (from the left: Rick & Wendy. Kate Tony & me.

Matt & Malanea, Dad & Mom, Caden and Will.

Around 4 in the afternoon, Scott and Jill and kids pulled in and after getting them settled some of the wedding party went to have a rehearsal. After they returned to the hotel we had the rehearsal dinner, Dave and Janet reserved the room where the breakfast was served and Janet had it catered. It was Mexican Food and it was delicious!


OUR 2ND POOL PARTY

The cousins ~ Caden and Clair

Clair coming up outta the water!

Kate behind those awesome goggles!

I kept trying to get them to jump all at once ....... This was the best shot I got!

Pretty cute I thought!

After the kids wore out ..... or was it the parents? Anyway, we took a trip to the Blue Diamond Almond Plaza. Janet's parents own 80 acres of almond trees so we all got a 20% discount on anything we wanted. We all came away with a bag full of almonds! Chocolate covered to every flavor imaginable! We sampled several flavors and then decided on a purchase!

A few of us outside the store.

Then Dave took us to his father in law's orchard! This is a tree with almonds (almost) ready to harvest!

Walker (Janet's father) took the kids on a ride in his "gator" when he went out to irrigate.

This is a picture of the orchard.

Scotlyn and Scott on the ole John Deer tractor!

After eating almonds right off the tree and getting an education on the way the nuts are harvested, we all headed back to town to get ready for the wedding.

Andrew was the ring bearer. He wasn't real keen on the idea of walking down the aisle so Melanie told him he wouldn't get cake until he did it ...... so he did! (He was pretty serious and looked like a little man. He was sooooooo cute!)

Now officially Mr. and Mrs. Berezay ~ Mike and Alissa!

Some of us ~ Jill must have been chasin Scotlyn!

Andrew the ring bearer and the little flower girl!

The best shot of the WHOLE WEDDING~ Andrew kissing the little flower girl! It was so adorable!

Hawkins, Mostyn and Caden ..... must have been toasting the newly married couple! ha ha

Paul, my nephew in the background!

My brother Dave with his friend Jimmy Fryer. Jimmy played for BSU back in 1982.

My little toe head Scotlyn with her BIG BROWN EYES! She was so much fun!

Isabel with her baby brother and her mommy! Beautiful!

Andrew, Will, Hawkins, Caden and Mostyn posing by the water wheel!

Scott and Jill and the kids! Unfortunately, we got a kid in the background .....wish I could photo shop him out!

Me and my man!

Jill and her little clone! I think these two look so much alike! Both are beautiful!

Oh and that's the bride in the back .....duh!

The wedding was lovely but lasted so long! The folks were tired and so was Tony so we left before the cake was cut. We did get to enjoy the kids dancing before we left but it was too dark and my pictures didn't turn out.

Sunday morning we said our goodbyes at breakfast and then went to Sacrament with Scott and Paul before leaving for home!

Not sure what caused it but SEVERAL of the family got Montezuma's Revenge. Mom and Dad and I must have iron stomach's because we were safe but it hit a lot of the other's.

We were about an hour from Winnemucca when Traci and Jason passed us. They had left about 3 hours before we did so we were surprised to see them. Evidently, they spent a fair amount of time in Reno because of the screamin meanies! We told them that we were going to stop at the Flyin J to see my nephew Ryan and his family so they decided to stop too!

Ryan, Tennile, Corban and Jerom were sweet enough to meet us at the gas station so we could see them. It was a short visit but sweet!

We got home Sunday night about 10PM.

Monday we rested and then went to Kuna so Mom and Dad could see Traci's house. (They hadn't seen it since the fire) We paid them a short visit and then went to visit Nate & Melissa and kids!

Ellie and Alivia were enjoying ice cream bars and entertained us with songs and a puppet show.

Such pretty little girls!

Tuesday, we spent the day at the temple. Mom had some names she wanted to get done so we went through a session for that and then left and went to lunch at Chuck A Rama and then back

to do sealings. It was a wonderful day and we enjoyed being able to go while Tony was home.

It's been a busy 10 days so far. We are trying to pack in as much as we can while Tony is here.

Mom and Dad left this morning for Missoula and made it home safe!

We have 4 full days left to fill with activities, family and friend so this will be continued!