Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was with Gavin's mom. It was really yummy. Bradi has perfected her noodle making, and Katie's rolls were so good! Katie is really good at making the perfect bread dough. One of these days I will get good at it too! Other than Carlee dumping everyone's drinks (gotta love the age...) it was a really nice day.

They have "pet" squirrels. Landon really got a kick out of holding and feeding it. The girls had to get a picture together, because of all the hours we put into making the dinner so good. :) I am thankful for Thanksgiving to help me remember all I am blessed with. I have so much to be grateful for.

Warrior Football Tournament

 Because our football team did so well during the regular season, the coaches decided to enter them into a football tournament in Mesquite. It was in November so I had brought blankets, coats, sweatshirts... to keep warm. Needless to say the weather was beautiful the first day I took my shoes off and had wished I had worn Capri's. The next morning our game was at 9:00 am thinking the weather would be about the same all I brought was a few sweatshirts for the morning chill. Boy was I wrong, the wind was blowing and it was freezing! Good thing we won, so sitting out in the cold was worth it! ;)

Check out that trophy! Who needs a Grandfather Clock in a home, when you have that?! Also, check out those Uni's they looked really sharp, and played really sharp too! 

It was a fun weekend. It looks like I was having a good time, doesn't it? Who knows what we are laughing about. This is what I get for blogging about something that happened 3 months ago! I do remember the food at the Eureka Cafe was good. We went there both days after the games. Trust me to only remember the food, I am crazy like that. :)

Good Job WARRIORS!

Love those boys.

Baby Ballet

{Nov. 14th, 2011}

 

This year I have been able to watch Addie through the outside windows at dance . I have loved being able to see what she is doing unlike last year. When we were able to actually hear the music and see her dance at the same time, it made it so fun! Addie did great on her showoff day, she smiled and danced her little heart out. It made all of us smile, because of how happy she was. She loves dance, the tights are another story. They hurt and squish her, but we manage to get them on every week.  Miss Sheila is so cute with her baby ballerina's. Dance day is a highlight of Addie's week. Lots of fun!!

Football Champs!!

The last couple weeks of the football season were crazy. For starters Grandpa's Funeral was the first week of the playoff's, so I never really thought about football that week, Landon and Gavin made it to the practices on top of the viewing and funeral. When we got to the game, I was sitting in the stands and kind of panicked! I thought a my gosh... if we don't win, we're done. Luckily we won! It was a good day!

Then it was time to prepare for the Championship. That week the boys had dinner after practice every night! Fun! We had some unbelievable parents on the team, everyone supported the boys and participated throughout the whole year! Landon even got a sign in our yard that said "A Warrior Lives Here!" So cute! :)

The big day came, and we conquered! It was a great game, our boys seemed really nervous at first. Finally in the second half they came alive and played like we knew they could. We beat Dixie 25-12, winning the 3rd Grade Tackle Football Championship!

Then it was time to celebrate!!

Fun memories! Gavin was stoked to finally have that golden football! He put a lot of effort into the season and it was so fun to see him finally holding it.

Warrior Nation. So many great supporters.

Then the bus.... Oh how they loved the bus! "The Show Goes On" was thumping, and the boys were screaming! Good Times!! I Love Landon's #1 sign hanging out the window. These boys worked so hard, they deserved those trophies.

As I think back on the 2011 Football season, I think of hard work, discipline, respect, sweat, blood, and tears.  All was left on the football field and we came away victorious. 

Now all we have are the memories, but they are very very sweet. It was a year we won't forget.

We are proud to be Warriors. 

**Thank you Hayley Bradshaw for the good photos.** The not so good ones, are mine. ;)

Grandpa Frei

I have been putting off this blog post for a long time now... well about 3 months. I don't know if I am just hoping that if I don't blog about it he will come back because I am not ready to face the reality that he isn't, or if my heart has just been to broken to write about it? As I put these pictures together, my heart is heavy. Landon Hafen Frei was a great man, the last of that dying breed you could say. He was a  farmer, rancher, husband, father, brother to name a few, but to us he was a Grandpa and a dang good one!

Grandpa was always there for us, I know he loved us and that means so much.

On Sunday, October 30th 2011 we lost him. He had been to Sacrament Meeting at Church, came home checked on Grandma and then decided he didn't feel well. Vicki found him after she got home from Church. She was going down to read them the article that was put in the paper that very day about their 75th Wedding Anniversary. The next few hours are a blur... we went to the hospital where we found out he had a brain aneurism. It's crazy to say we were shocked that a 95 year old man was going to die, but we were. He was so healthy and strong. His heart was the last organ to stop, it just wouldn't stop beating. That I am sure is a testament to his garden full of fruits and vegetables. The vegetables he ate everyday of his life, the ones I will be eating a lot more of. :) He passed with his family surrounding him, and I know he was welcomed on the other side with open arms. 

I had never seen Gavin so sad. He was like a walking zombie. He was not really with us mentally those first few days. Grandpa Frei was everything to him. He had taught him so much. From the time he was a little boy he spent pretty much every minute he could with Grandpa. Fixing water lines, riding for cows, sleeping at the Dutchman ranch, pruning peach trees, picking squash were some of Gavin's fondest memories with his Grandpa. He was able to speak at the funeral and did an amazing job.

 Grandpa has left a legacy for each of us to follow. I hope to work a little harder and endure to the end because that is exactly what he did. Look at this posterity, something he was very proud of.

There is a big hole left in our hearts with Grandpa being gone. He is missed. I know the day I see him again will be very sweet. Love you Grandpa.

**Thank you Bradi for the Pictures. They are Priceless.**

Halloween

Halloween seemed to be a week long event at our house this year! Here's the recap...

It started with Addie's preschool party on Thursday. I was ambitions this year and made her a Tinker Bell costume, it was easy and I think it turned out pretty cute! I was able to help at the preschool party, the only problem was this is all the pictures I took. Not sure where my brain was!

Friday night we had a Bunko Halloween Party! Linzee went ALL out! It was so fun and everyone dressed up cute! Great Night!

Sunday Night we had planned a big pumpkin carve at Grandpa Dennis' house. Bradi had even planned a big spook alley in the basement and lots of fun games! Plans changed quickly when Grandpa Landon died earlier in the day, we did continue on with pumpkin carving because the kids were so excited about it. I was in a fog, these are the only pictures I took. I didn't even take a picture of their finished pumpkins. It just didn't seem to matter anymore what their pumpkin looked like. Your perspective changes when a close family member dies suddenly. You realize it doesn't matter what the pumpkin look like, all that matters is that we were spending time together.

The school parade was the first time the boys got to get into their costumes. They were excited!  I loved their costumes this year! There is just something totally funny about boys dressing up in cheerleading uniforms. Gavin was having a really hard day on Halloween. I told him if anything could cheer him up it was seeing the boys as cheerleaders! He came to the parade and got his mind off losing his Grandpa for just a minute. How can you not smile seeing those wigs and pink cheeks! :)

I had signed up to help during Landon's class party. Thank goodness Malea lives next door and helped me with the girls. She is a saint! I had the kids make Banana Ghosts. They turned out really cute and the kids loved making and eating them!

It was finally time for Trick or Treating! This kids were stoked!

Grandma Gai even got into Halloween this year! She was a pregnant old lady... Carlee cried the first time she saw her! Ha! Addie's first stop was to Malea's. She was a little nervous to Trick or Treat, but she got the hang of it real fast. Who doesn't love taking candy from people?!

Landon met his friends and I never saw him again all night. He had a blast and so did the rest of us, considering our heavy hearts. All in all Halloween was great.

Giants Football

Preston has had an awesome season of Flag Football. His little team has finally figured it out and has had a winning season! Preston loves playing defense, he loves pulling flags and...

...intercepting the ball!!

He also does great on offense, here he is just after he scored a touchdown. Think he is proud of himself?! I know I am! :) 

Preston is a one of a kind, he is fun loving, easy going and nice to everyone. He is the tender heart of our family and is always watching out for those in need. Lately he always seems to be listening to that little voice inside him telling him if it's right or wrong. In fact, I just got a note from his teacher that said, he has made huge strides in listening and concentrating at school. I know Preston isn't perfect by any means, but he is trying hard to do his chores, keep up on his homework and even practice his piano! As his mom I couldn't be prouder of the football player and little boy he has become! Way to go Pres!