Thanksgiving

This was our 10th year in a row to spend Thanksgiving on the beach in Destin! The weather couldn't have been better!

We coooked up our usual feast, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Fruit Salad, Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Rolls and Banana Cream Pie for dessert! We all felt extremely guilty when we saw what Hunter ate for his Thanksgiving Day dinner (see his blog). It was awfully quiet without our friends the Nielsens and the Bridges there this year and of course, without Hunter :(

We went out for some Black Friday shopping, but this is at like 2:00 am instead of our usual 5:00 am. I'm not sure we enjoyed it as much staying up all night and being SO darn tired! But we still got some good deals.

I need to photo shop Hunter's face next to Rich's. It just doesn't look right in a family photo without him- but we still enjoyed our trip.

All About Savannah

Well, there is something to be said for being the baby of the family. Yes, you get all the attention, especially when you're the only kid left at home. If you want to know what's going on with Hunter (Elder Stewart), you need to check out his mission blog- link to the right! He gives us great stories and pictures every week to post there. If you want to know what's going on with Bree, you need to check out her blog- link to the right! She's working hard at school and having fun, too :) I am super proud of all three of my children!! Since Sav is here, most of our activities have been revolving around her. She finished playing soccer with her club team by playing in a tournament in Baton Rouge. They played some super tough teams so they didn't come out on top, but it was great practice before high school tryouts which are happening this week. More details to come on that.

We have been busy with church activities and just had a Multi-stake Halloween Youth Dance. Savannah dressed up like a kid on Toddlers & Tiaras. She is complete with her ni-ni and pageant crack. (You have to have seen this show to know what I'm talking about- it's so horrible you just can't look away!) She is pictured here with her friend Sarah (the gangsta). They are holding glow-in-the-dark rats (I know, very random).

I Heart New York

I really, really, really do LOVE New York!! My step father, Wayne, invited us to go on an awesome trip to NYC last weekend and we had an AWESOME time! (Thanks Wayne!!) Here are a few of the highlights:

We got there around noon on Friday, grabbed some lunch and took the subway to Chelsea Market. This picture is inside the market that used to be used for meat packing. Very interesting looking and some neat stores and restaurants. Rich is creeping in the background! We actually started doing this thing where we would see people taking pics of each other and Wayne would say "Do you want me to take it of all of you?" Of course, they say yes and then we would go creep in the background and make goofy faces. I know we're stupid, but we really cracked ourselves up :) Anyway, we went to this park called High Line that is built up above the city in an old railway station. Pretty cool.


Then. . . . the theatre going began!! Friday night we saw Brooke Shields in The Adams Family (she was a good actress, singing wasn't all that-the show in general was kinda dumb), Saturday night we saw Spiderman: Turn off the Dark (the set and special effects were AMAZING-acting and music just so-so), Sunday afternoon we saw Harry Potter in How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (who knew he could act, sing AND dance?!- he was GREAT and this show was my overall favorite of the bunch!) and Sunday night we saw Rock of Ages (kind of like going to an 80's concert- lots of fun!) The picture above shows us with Wayne, my mom, his son Mark, his wife Abby and some friends of Wayne's that live there, The Peders.

Well we ran into this building while walking around Lincoln Center! It was actually opened and we went into the lobby. It was kinda cool because we got an email from Hunter while we were there so we sat in the lobby and read it out loud. We could go up to the third floor where there is a chapel and classrooms, etc. just like ours in Louisiana and I guess the temple is on the top three floors. Pretty cool.

Rich and I walked around Chinatown, Soho, Noho, and Greenwich Village and on our last day, Monday, the four of us took these pedicabs on a tour around Central Park. It was an excellent way to end our trip! We really saw soooo much and had a wonderful time.

It's Soccer Time!

Savannah decided to play some club soccer again this fall. It's been pretty nice for Rich- he can sit back and relax without the pressures of coaching! She is playing with girls from her high school team so they can get a little more practice together before their season starts and get in shape. Sav has been playing awesome! She scored in her last game :)

They basically are only playing in two tournaments and some scrimmages. Very low key, just the way she wants it. Their first tourney didn't go so well, but her next one is in a couple weeks, so we'll see how that goes. Then her school team starts up at the end of October.

Sav also went to the homecoming dance with some friends. Doesn't she look too cute? :)

Pics that I love

I know I'm their mother, but my kids are so cute! (handsome)

The first night all the family started coming in, we had a bad storm and the electricity was out for about an hour. This photo was actually taken in the pitch dark and Rich was being scary at the door.

Another photo taken in the pitch dark. Sav is scared of the lightning! (Not really)

Bree did A LOT of hair while she was home! But she's still smiling :)

Family :)

We had a great couple of weeks before Hunter left. First, Bree came in town, then Rich's mom and our niece, Chelsi, then my mom and Wayne, the Nielsen's and my dad and Stephanie! It was sooooo great to have everyone here and I appreciated all the support! Wish we had more pics, though. This is Rich's mom, my mom, and Hunter's second mom Linda :)

Me and my dad

My mom and Wayne, chattin' it up with Gary Bowden

The cousins! (Two of the three triplets) Chelsi and Sav

Open House

We had a little get together the Sunday before Hunter left and invited everyone from church to stop by. There really are some AWESOME people in the south!!

All about Hunter

Hunter started his summer with a trip to Houston, then California, then Wisconsin, then Houston again and now he is on a two year trip to Africa! Be sure to check out his Mission Blog. We will be posting his letters and pictures there. You can find it listed on the right under Elder Hunter Stewart :) Hunter turned 19 on July 7th! Yes, I am a couple months behind and trying to make up for it all in one day.

Hunter also took a day trip with Rich to Denham Springs to use a Christmas gift- Tiki Zipline! Crazy kid!

Here's a pic of the last time Hunter was with both of his best friends, Clayton and Mikey before he left.

What a great day! Just ignore my strange posture.

Lazy Days

Our trip to Wisconsin really was the ultimate in being lazy! We spent our time going to plays, going to the drive-in movie, eating out, reading in the hammock, and playing on the lake. And the weather could not have been better! Rich and Bree didn't get to come with us, but we managed to have fun without them. These pics are all on Clark Lake. Thanks Mom & Wayne :)

Oh yeah..... uh huh!

You might have to be from Wisconsin to get the title of this post, or maybe just a guy named Wayne, but we sure had some fun repeating these words while doing all kinds of fun things in Door County. We are acting like kids (like we normally do) at PC Junction. It's a restaurant with a little train that brings you your food and has all these fun toys to play on out back. Note, that is NOT a beer in Hunter's hand, but his favorite cherry soda :) Even though he does look a little tipsy.

Hunter's favorite spot on Clark Lake

This was a really cool rope maze that we all got lost in. I think Hunter was the only one to figure it out! He was definitely the first. I went in circles, Savannah tripped while jumping over a rope and my Mom and Wayne just laughed at us. (just kidding)

On our last night there, we decided to go on a Ghost Tour. We are on a trolley that took us around to different spots in Door County that were haunted, like some houses, a cemetery and a lighthouse. We were lucky to make it back alive!! It really was fun and just a little spooky :)

Busy Summer

It has been a very busy summer and it definitely wasn't long enough!! Savannah was probably the busiest with first girl's camp, then 2 weeks in Utah (1 of those weeks at EFY- especially for youth), 3 days at Youth Conference in Baton Rouge and then a week in Wisconsin! She also managed to squeeze in a driver's ed course and just got her driver's permit :0 - yes, that is my oh, no! face!!! Hunter had a busy summer, too, but he gets his own post (details to come). Below is Savannah and her three friends, Taylor, Ali and Sarah that all went with her to Utah. Thanks to Aunt Jen and Bree, they got to do all kinds of fun things. Thanks girls!!

Here they are driving the roads with Bree.

Rich gets his own picture from his trip to Las Vegas. He spent about a week there for a conference in June and spent some time with his family and out at one of his favorite spots, Red Rock.

Believe it or not, this is the only picture we have from Youth Conference. I take that back, this isn't even the dance from youth conference! This was the "Fancy Pants Dance" we had for several stakes before school started. I guess I was too involved with making sure things happened the way they should that I didn't get any pictures at the conference, but it seemed to be successful and us leaders had a great time, too (of course :))