Cook'n it up!

sierra planned an amazing cook family party...

(brace yourselves, this could be the longest post of your life)

but not just any party.

it was an ugly sweater party!!!

please look....

dad and marianne...

andy...

 he secretly like his sweater and told me he went to town in it that day.

(from the left)...kassie, mike, kristy and ty

rev, cat, jill, jose, andy, gusta and sway

kass, tynlei and marianne

 sierra (the host) and dad (again)

  grandma and grandpa

 (you know we look good)

and then along came the food...

 (i bet you are watering in your mouth right about now)

and the games...

sierra had all the kidos go on the back porch to color on a poster for our grandma great (who wasn't able to come) and we had our selves a couples game (aka, the newly wed game)

sierra... the host

i can't remember all the questions, but one of the ones she asked the ladies was "what's one habit you can't stand that your man does?" (or something to that effect) 

and then she asked us gals. and i said "when ryan doesn't dry his hands after he washes them"

ryan was giggling to himself at this time, and we could all guess that that wasn't the answer he wrote down.

what he thought the answer was, when he forgets to flush!

HOW COULD I FORGET THAT ONE?? 

  first kid game was the unwrapping gift relay.

and there was a box wrapped inside a box wrapped inside another box.

(harmless little flea. i'll put that flea inside a box and then i'll put that box inside of another box and i'll mail that box to myself... and when it arives!... i'll smash it with a hamer!!! (name that movie))

the kids totally had a blast.

the rules were that you had to put one arm behind your back and you would have to run over to the wrapped gift and rip a piece of wrapping paper off and then run back and tag a teammate until you reach the inside where the prizes were.

fantastic job guys!

here is the poster they made for grandma great....

 it's beautiful you guys!!! i bet grandma great just loves it.

hey sway, nice sweater you got there... you wear it ever so nicely.

FINAL GAME!!!!

(i'll have you know this partay lasted over 7 hours)

guess what game we played last but not least.....

50 bandaids.  (sierra made this one up, it's pretty self explanatory)

 dizzy mummy...

elephant march...

baboom...

 penny hose...

i promise this next picture isn't what it appears to be...

(kristy almost won, but her sleeve got caught and the panty hose wouldn't come off)

stick balls.... (yes that's really the name, you can't make this crap up)

 see the marble stick to the double sided tape....?

hanky panky...

WARNING:

what you are about to see may be extremely funny looking, but very dangerous. 

please do not try attempt this stunt at home.

(it really did get scary at the end when it was too tight too pull of their heads and had to resort to scissors that my dad could barely fit under the rubber bands, sway got light headed and saw spots for a while) 

 

egg roll... 

(yeah, yeah.. i know they are not eggs, but you see, eggs don't roll on carpet)

 skittle sort...?

(i can't remember the real names of ALL the games)

ping pong plop...

cotton ball and jelly...

 i'm not sure he needed this much vaseline...

 scary cherry...

face the cookie...

 guess you can see who won this one

junk in the trunk...

(love this picture of kassie! lean back.. lean back)

 

ryan was the winner of every game you see here.

and he even won the gingerbread house making competition at my grandma and grandpa jone's.

sheesh.

i mean.. good job baby!

:)

it was a lovely weekend.

thank you sierra and cook clan for the good laughs, great food and just the grand ole time.

(wish you were here charlie, daegan, foston, boogie and mino! we all missed you!)

this only took me 3 and a half hours to post, you had better read every word.

xoxo

warm and fuzzy feelings...

even though christmas time is a cold time of year, i always feel really warm inside when its on my mind. i think of hot chocolate, long sleeves, socks, mittens, hats, warm blankets, wood fires and snuggling. don't forget christmas music. i enjoyed singing christmas songs today in church. it really helps me remember the true meaning.

i hope you all have very merry christmas.

sunday

i am so grateful for this day.

today was fast and testimony meeting. i will admit i was really distracted at first. babies crying and talking and laughing and ryan whispered in my ear when i told him i could smell bad breath, that it smelt like babies and pickles. or something to that effect. it made me laugh. 

everyone's testimony was so strong. i get so emotional when the spirit touches not only mine, but everyone's heart in the room. the childrens innocent words were simple and sweet. i didn't think i would make it through the meeting without shedding a tear.

teaching primary can be hard sometimes. but the kids in our class i have grown to love. they can be rowdy and crazy sometimes, but i love how they know the teaching of Jesus. i love how they know the stories that i have prepared so hard for to teach them.

i have so much on my mind, and i am sorry if it comes out jumbled. i had a dream last night of a person that i used to know and trust and poor my heart to. i felt like a part of their family at the time. i have been missing them. all of them. we didn't end on good terms, because of hurt feelings and such. i have forgiven all the things that were said and done, but not until today have i felt such guilt and sorrow over the loss of my old friends. i should have done more to keep them close. i should have been more like Christ. i should have worked harder to please them. i have guilt of some of the things i said because of my selfish pain towards them. i wish i knew how to turn back time and fix some of the things i said or did. i want to be kind to everyone and love others like Christ did and does still today. i want to be a better person. i want to be forgiven of any and every wrong doing. i have had these thoughts with me all morning.

i have had the spirit with me. fighting for tears all day.

bishop asked ryan and i to meet him after church in his office.

i was nervous, as i always get.

i received a new calling. and i couldn't fight back the tears any longer. i was so elated to receive this wonderful new opportunity. he told me they had prayed, and sometimes people are called for a specific calling for a reason. i do feel this calling will better me. help me grow as a person and daughter of god.

i have a testimony of this great gospel, that it is true. very dear to my heart. i am grateful for the atonement, that i am able to repent of any wrong i do. i know that we have a prophet today to help shed the light on the path Heavenly Father would want us to follow. i have a testimony of prayer that it is always answered, if you are listening at the right time. i am so grateful i don't have to walk this earth alone. i have a wonderful man that i was blessed with in my life. that carries the priesthood worthily, to take me to the temple, and also to be sealed to for time and all eternity. i have the holy ghost to guide me. i have the savior Jesus Christ to look up to and Heavenly Father to help me with any answers i have. they all love me. how wonderful and comforting that is. i am thankful for my membership in this church and that i will have it always.

in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

colored leaves and long sleeves...

i bet you all looked like this eating your thanksgiving feast and yummy pies for dessert!

our thanksgiving weekend was great!

(if you don't count the crazy, stormy, snowy, slick road long drive)

it was so fun to see family.

i'm not sure my title for this post is right. it's still technically fall. right? but man it sure felt like winter! it was snowy, snowy, cold and snowy!

i missed getting pictures of all the beautiful fall colored leaves, because it decided to snow before i had the chance. i guess the title makes me feel a little better.

We went to Ryan's sister's house. she was a grand host.

thanks for letting us stay with you holly and jeff!

 (holly made all of these pies! i think there was a total of 9?)

hope everyone had a fantablulous thanksgiving weekend!