Apple Basket Season

It's that time of year for our Apple Basket Deliveries for my office. We delivered boxes of Apples for a few years, then decided to spice it up alittle so I took the apples out of the boxes and added an apple cutter, caramel, peanut butter, marshmellow cream and put them in a basket cellophane them and added a big pretty bow. We did that for the past 5 years and then last year we received an apple basket exactly like that, so we switched it up this year.
I found the cutest idea off of a friend's blog (Thanks Lacie) for the cute Mason jar with Almonds, Choc. Raisins & Fruit Mix- chocolates, hot chocolate and a mug with our name on it. It was a hit!!!

I made 63 baskets, with the help of some of our team members.
Merry Christmas!!!!

Gingerbread Houses

Cecilee and Sydnee's gingerbread house
Trevor and Cambria's Gingerbread House

This year we decided to do Gingerbread Houses with just our family, considering all of the things going on in my family with the funeral, my dad's healing process, etc. So I bought 2 different gingerbread houses and paired my kids up and let them go to town. They are all so different with their ideas. Cambria wanted cute, Trevor wanted a dead animal in his front yard, Cecilee wanted P-nut people and Sydnee didn't know what she wanted.

Happy Birthday to my Best Friend

I love this man more than anything in this world. He has helped me become the woman that I am today. He helps me to believe in myself and to help me love myself and see the beauty in myself. Our lovestory is like "Johnny Lingo" he took this low self-esteem girl who believed she was ugly and helped her see her beauty inside and believe in herself. That's what made her beautiful, was what was inside.

I always ask him, what were you thinking in liking me and thinking I was beautiful, because I did not see it.

I love the way I feel around him, I love his big strong arms around me, making me feel safe. I love how we fit to each other like a puzzle. I love the priesthood holder that he is, and the father that he is to our children. I love him so much and I feel so honored to be chosen by him, to share our lives together for eternity.

Happy Birthday Bry!!!!

13 Dancers, 2 Nights, 1 CAUSE!!!!!

Tia's amazing at what she has done with her dance company, KALAMITY. She has always had a dream to use her dance talent as a service for others and she came up, last year, with a benefit concert for one of her dancers that had cancer. Well, this year she wanted to find another cause and do the same thing for them. All money collected those two nights would go to the cause, and her cause this year was the Slack Family. They have a blog: http://www.dylanandrileyslack.blogspot.com/ so check it out and you will see their story and exactly why Tia chose them as her cause to dance.

She dedicated the last year to this family and everything taught, practiced, rehearsed, etc. went towards these 2 nights for them, and it showed. Her and her dancers were incredible. I feel so honored to have my daughter, Cambria dancing with her. She has taught her so much and her dancing skills have improved so much. Tia's passion is totally portrayed in her dancing. Both evenings were a HIT and by the last night they had raised, $3,750.00 for the family in 3 hours, just by dancing. She is incredible and I am so proud of her.

Tia and her younger dancers. How lucky are they to be taught by the BEST!!!!

Tia and KALAMITY!!!! Check out their blog: www.kalamitydance.blogspot.com

Little Riley came on stage for the finale.

Tia and Riley. Tia danced until every ounce of swear poured out of her.

Riley showing off her moves.

Riley with all of the dancers who danced for her that night!!!!

All of the dancers in our family: Tayvia, Raya, Cambria, Kiana, Jaden

My little Thug!!!!

KALAMITY with Riley and her mom.

My growing BOY!!!

Everytime we come around people that haven't seen Trevor in a few months they are blown away at how tall he has gotten. He is almost as tall as my dad, which means he's coming up to the 6 foot marker. He loves to tease his uncle Joe who isn't very tall, but is about 5'8", which is about what all my brothers are. Trevor is taller than all of them. He is also taller than Bryan, who is 5'10".

Very close in the future, these little guys will be as tall as Trevor.
Major, Teancum and Hannemann

My mom loves to hug her giant Grandson. She always says," I can't believe how big Trevor is getting." My dad is 6'3" and Trevor is slowing catching up to him.

This picture was taken on November 28th, 2010

The Whole Family!!!!

Since we had everyone here for the weekend of Thanksgiving, we of course needed to have some family pictures. So I set everything up with all of my siblings, and even throughout all of the obstacles that were being thrown at us, we conquered and pictured!!! They turned out pretty good even though the lighting wasn't perfect, but we had everyone and that's all that mattered. I have learned throughout this last month, don't wait until "NEXT TIME" there might not be a next time.

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My kids and grandpa waiting for everyone to get there for the family pictures. We had the pictures at the Rehabilitation Center because dad was still healing from his surgery and really couldn't go anywhere. My adorable parents. Married 43 years and still going strong. ********************************************************

Me and My family: Cecilee, Sydnee, Bryan, Me, Cambria & Trevor

Clay & Julee's Family: Kiana, Keawe, Kali, Tayvia & Ammon Max & Sunshine's Family: Raya & Jaden Joe and Janette's Family
Janessa, Tristan (being held) and JT Irene's Team
Lisia, Hannemann & TeancumAdam & Becca's Family
Avenna, Josh & Devan Tia and Andy's Family
Major & Legend Me and my sisters
(A little FYI: we are all eight years apart) My 4 brothers: Clay, Max, Joe & Adam

All of us with our spouses:

Adam/Becca, Max/Sunshine, Joe/Janette, Tonya/Bryan, Irene, Clay/Julee, Tia/AndyMy parents with all of us, minus the childrenTHE WHOLE AH QUIN FAMILY!!!! ALL 37 of us and 2 more on the way, Becca and Janette.

Funeral of Nana

The Program of Nana's Funeral

It was my Nana's funeral on Friday,December 3rd in Hawaii. My dad couldn't attend because of his surgery and complications & the Dr. was worried about blood clots forming. So we SKYPE'd him into the services. Modern technology is amazing. We had someone set it up in Hawaii and I set it up here, in my dad's room at the Rehabilitation Center. My dad felt like he was right there. The guy was nice enough to take my dad, the computer, to the casket to see his mom and my dad also was the first speaker during the viewing. It was so good to see the family and my dad was able to talk to his uncles, aunts, brother and sister and others. It was hard for me to watch my dad go through this. Who would've known, that my dad wouldn't be able to attend his mother's funeral? WOW!!! My brother, Clay and his wife, Julee went to represent our family. Modern technology made a terrible situation bearable, by allowing my dad to see everything going on a feeling like he was right there. My mom and dad attending the funeral of my Nana through the computer. Modern Technology is amazing.

BLACK FRIDAY!!!

The girls wanted a picture with Britney Spears at Kohl's
Here is our group:
Tayvia, Sunshine, Raya, Cecilee, Cambria, Kiana, Irene, Tia & Sydnee

Outside of Kohl's on our way to the next stores

Taking a food break at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

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I was NOT going to participate in the madness of Black Friday, but I got a phonecall from my daughter Cambria and she and Tia and Cecilee and Kiana were shopping and they wanted us to come meet them. I had the 4 girls that spent the night and they wanted to shop so we took them. We had so much fun meeting and having fun together. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I am glad that we did it, can't say that I will do it again next year, considering the only thing that I bought was cleats and they weren't even on sale.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day was so up in the air this year, we were planning on going to Glendale, UT and spending it with Bryan's parents at their new cabin, but with the storm that came in and was coming in, we decided against it. We then were going to spend it with my family and they were going to go to Golden Corral with all of my brothers and sisters and my mom and dad, but my parents decided to stay in the rehab center so that my dad could be closer to the restroom and not be out in public yet. So then Bryan and I decided to have our own Thanksgiving Dinner with our family while everyone else was still going to go to Golden Corral. Because that is Thanksgiving to me, making a Turkey, Pumpkin Pies, Mashed Potatos, etc. Well, I put the word out to my siblings and offered that they were more than welcome to come to our home for Thanksgiving and they all took me up on it, except for my sisters. They had their own plans.

After we all ate, we decided to take homemake Thanksgiving dinner to mom and dad and have a little Thanksgiving Program with the family at the Coral Desert Rehabilitation. We have so much to be grateful for as a family. It was so good to be together.

Cecilee and I, waiting for the Turkey to be carved.22 people at our table for Thanksgiving Dinner. Our table was so big that we had to take 2 pictures The kids at the Rehab Center visiting Grandpa. Our family visiting Dad