HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCK

ON MAY 24TH. This is what I woke up to this morning. I had to check the calendar again. Yep, it's Rock's birthday. Usually by now I'm wearing my flip-flops. Today I'll wear my boots. And dumb me, I make this mistake every year, I put my geraniums out last week. They're dead this morning. Rock turns 61 today. He is the most healthy and hard-working man in the world. He is also a very sweet husband, always asking me what he can do for me. Last night after I climbed into bed I decided I was too cold. He got out of bed and went upstairs to get me another blanket. Then I decided I was too hot and needed the window opened a crack. He got out of bed and opened the window. Then I decided he had opened it too much. He got out of bed and fixed it the way I wanted it. Then he made sure I was tucked in good before he got to go back to bed. Gosh just writing this I sound to myself like such a Diva, but honestly this is what Rock is like.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCK! Look how handsome he is! What a cute guy! If I were a nice wife i would take him to see Iron Man II. But I'm not that nice. Maybe Jordan will go with him? I think he will celebrate today by going to work.

WOMENS CONFERENCE

Me and all my sisters at Women's Conference April 29th 2010. (Pictured with Sister Allred of the RS General Board). It was so nice of them to come!

BEN AND LISA ENGAGMENT PICTURES

Lisa has been like part of our family for a few years now. Finally Ben has convinced her to make a commitment to the Ballstaedt name and stay in our family for good. We are very blessed to have her! The big event happens on April 17th! Isn't she a doll? Isn't Ben just so handsome! What a darling couple! There are more pictures on their website.

I PROMISED - SO IT'S SETH'S TURN

SETH turned 30 years old last month.

I cry when I look at his darling baby pictures, they just grow up too fast and now I'm old.

He has two beautiful daughters, one looks like her mom and one looks like her dad.

Can you see where Sienna gets her good looks?

Sometimes Ben and Seth liked to jump off their beds and dressers when they were little and it resulted in some stitches.

What heartbreak it was to see beautiful curly hair on a guy who grew up to be bald!

After his first haircut, the beautiful curls were gone. Our cute little Seth turned into a real boy.And he did a lot of boy stuff....he was pretty good at football, piano, and other things. He was honored as all-state in Football his senior year
He served a mission in Brazil, came home and married Cairen. Started a Painting company. Graduated from BYU, graduated from law school
We are so proud of him and we love him and his cute little family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

My youngest son and my youngest daughter celebrated birthdays this month.

It was a milestone for Seth, he turned 30! Yikes.

Erin turned 24.

She has been the baby of the family for 24 years, and now she is the mother to two beautiful children.

She always thought she got bossed around too much, but I dug up some pictures to prove how much she was the center of attention!

(Seth you're next, I just haven't found the pictures yet)Can you see Stone and Leah here?

Such a sweet little girl

Always entertaining her siblings!

Seth was such a cute protective brother of her -

Amber would even go to jail for her if necessary......

the center of attention in every family photo

Two years old, and I wasn't gray yet

She was always first in line to see what Santa Claus brought

Always got teased by her siblings

Always worried that she was doing everything well! She wanted to be just as great as her older brothers and sisters

Always beautiful!

We love you Erin!

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Christmas Eve - We love our family!

I didn't have my camera rolling, so these pictures are borrowed from Lisa! Thanks Lisa. The regular chaos of Christmas Eve and opening the presents.

All of us hanging out on the couch

Passing out presents

opening their new quilts

lots of horse play

Trying out her new quilt

Holding the new babies

Looking forward to a new family being created

Getting a good shot for his mom

Grandpa and his funny game of throwing out money to the kids

You can't always get a smile from Ryder, he only wants his mom

River trying to anticipate where the money will fall

New Pajama bottoms for the big boys - (missing the other 6 boys in the picture)

Well, I made them open the quilts one at a time. These little boys probably don't care much about the pink ones.

I am not sure what game this was but look at the cute girls and cute grandpa

Lisa likes to take shots of J.J. (or Stone) (Jordan Junior) He loves Lisa

We couldn't decide who would be Samuel the Lamanite in the Christmas story, so we had three, they are up on the wall prophesying

Ben has decided Leah is his new little buddy

Sienna is so shy, she just doesn't see us enough to remember us. Ben likes to tease her a little

Cute daddy daughter shot

MISSIONS, BOOKS, AND TRIVIA

My Brother Randy, (not pictured) is a wonderful sweet guy. He has always been very thoughtful, reflective, and caring.

He is also a talented artist and writer.

He is also the Bishop of his ward which meets in a building that he designed as the architect.

He and his wife Bev have 3 beautiful girls and one handsome son.

This week they officially become empty Nester's.

The two older girls are married so they left home already, but this month they send a daughter to Poland on a mission, and their son to Argentina on a mission. This is RJ at his farewell. (Notice in the background the adoring girls - I don't know them).
Here is Lindsey, Susanne with her husband Nathan. Lindsey's husband was still visiting his family in Seattle for the Christmas holiday.
Sister Angela with her Uncle.

Not pictured are all the adoring young men that were there. (All I can say about them is....well, I better not say what I was thinking, just something about them being loosers if they haven't caught this darling smart amazing girl yet...)

(Sorry about the picture quality - a cell phone picture in a church doesn't take glamour shots so well).

Lindsay with her mom Bev

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MISSION ANGELA AND RJ!

We will miss you!

In other trivia - some books to recommend -

I just finished reading the first 3 books of the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" sweet, fun, fast read with some fun twists and turns. Much better than the movie. I especially enjoyed the second book of the series because it reminded me of the many years working in YW and the similar challenges of that age group of girls. It made me want to do a "Traveling Quilt" with my friends. (JK - I don't really have any friends.)

Also, 3 books by Lois Lowery - "The Giver", "Gathering Blue", and "The Messenger". These are youth books, so you can read all three in one day. The first book is something you will never forget. The second one was good, but the third one will make you cry and get goose bumps and wonder at the imagery as if it were maybe really written by C.S. Lewis.