5 Course Dinner Celebration

Bill & Cookies 20th Anniversary

& Bills 68th Birthday Dinner

This month we Cookie and Bill celebrate their 20th Anniversary and Billyum turns 68th. It was just over a year ago that Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 colon and liver cancer. I remember the day Bill was diagnosed Cookie shed tears of fear that they would not make it to their 20th anniversary. That has stuck in my mind ever sense. So this last year he has fought like hell to beat the bloody disease and before we knew it their 20th was approaching. A 20th anniversary is a celebration for anyone. Making it that far in this day and age is tough. However having the year they had making it to this anniversary and Bill reaching another birthday was more than enough reason to come together and celebrate.

They always do things for everyone else, so I decided it was our turn to do something for them. They are foodies. My whole life they have showed me their love through food. Cookie has always taught me to cook with my heart... So for this occasion I decided to show them love through their language and I cooked for them. I was SO nervous but I knew this would mean the most. I planned a 5 course meal and visioned the table set up. My sweet friend supplied me with all the dish and tableware, my sisters and mom all chipped in financially and together we pulled off a night to remember. I planned everything out to a T. I prepped anything I could before hand and timed what needed to go when. Everyone helped stir, cook and plate. We had Cookie and Bill leave the house for two hours while we did all this. I wanted it to be a surprise. I also decided to just do adults because Bills chemo had been rough on him so I thought a relaxing evening was best! 

They came home and everything was set up! It was such a neat moment. They were so appreciative and emotional. We started with the bread, then everyone was seated and we had a delicious 5 course meal. I didn't get to sit down until the end but it was so worth it. My dream was for them to feel so intensely loved and I believe we accomplished that! 

His fight with cancer has put so many things in perspective. 

He still continues to teach me things even though I'm an adult

Accept what comes, find the right perspective and fight like hell when needed

(the photographer in me wanted to take all these fabulous pictures of the table and food but a 5 course meal for 11 adults was keeping me pretty busy so my awesome sister picked up my phone and took some pictures so we'd have something to remember this by:)

A little weekend away in Southern Utah

The last weekend in August we went down to Southern Utah so I could attend my 10 year High School Reunion from Hurricane High School. For some reason I took almost no pictures the whole weekend including at the reunion:( I was a little nervous to go but I'm so glad I did. I saw some really good friends there and I even got to catch up with my high school sweetheart, who now looking back totally prepared me for Seth:) For a lot of people that might have been weird for them but fortunately Tony and I have stayed good friends and have nothing but love and respect for each other! He has a beautiful family and do I. It was so fun catching up with him and all my other friends that were apart of the best two years I had in HS. As I've mentioned in posts a long time ago, I was bullied pretty bad in HS but my experience as a whole was not centered around just that. I had great friends that I made so many memories with and it was so fun seeing so many of them!

Then Sunday we I decided to try and make my mom a early birthday treat. Triple layers mint oreo something or other. One of my first pinterest FAILS! It didn't taste bad but it looked NOTHING like the picture! Dumb brownies! ;)

Cookie and Bill were at their condo in St. George for the weekend so they came over and visited Sunday evening. Mason LOVES time with his grandpa Bill:) 

First Ponytail for Miss Shay

Little Miss Shay is taking her time growing hair. She rocked the mullet for quite sometime:)  Last month we were finally able to get a little ponytail on top. She thought she was so cute... she was right:) 

Shay has been such a sweet addition to our little family. We have the feeling she might have very well completed it.

She adds such a softness, such peace. She has all of us wrapped around her little finger! We adore her!

A weekend with Family

A couple weekends ago Seth and I went to spend sometime with my sisters. We started off by going to the gun range with Cassie then I went to a movie with my other sister Jamie (where the theater had leather reclining chairs. I'm pretty sure we liked those more than the movie:) and Seth and Cassie went you her kids soccer games! Then I went and shot Cassie's family pictures. Finding a location took some time but it ended up a blast! I got stuck in a sticker field with flip flops on and my niece Rylee and my nephew brage came to my rescue and cassie left me behind:) It was such a fun night! We had a sleepover that night with ten of us in a three bedroom place! My and Ry stayed up waaaaay too late playing legos:) The next morning we met my dad at Sill's cafe. A family run business that we grew up going to when we were little. It was a tradition that my dad would do with us on his weekends. We then went over to his house so the kids could ride and see the horses. Its still so new to do things with my dad. It's been almost five years since we interacted. My children are just getting to know him now. It's been nice. He's a good grandpa. I've slowly let down certain walls and let things happen while still keeping the walls I need up and it's been good. I've missed him. It was a fun day with him.