I know I said I would update within the week.. and... well.... I guess I'm just a liar! I had full intentions of posting, but you see, everything I could have, or would have, posted... would have all had to do with one thing that I couldn't have posted about - or, once again, a long line of Larson surprises would have been spoiled (always trying to surprise, almost always being spoiled... but never by me, so that's good... although once I did make CJ tell... but that's a whole different story... moving on...). Tuesday the 25th was Kandis' 30th birthday!! The big 3-0!!! So for months Mom and Dad Larson have been planning on the family driving down to Southern Utah and surprising her... and boy was she surprised!... although she did see our cars before she saw us... so it wasn't a TOTAL surprise in the sense that we didn't get to say surprise (yes we did re-enact just like she never knew).. but she cried for 2 days because she just couldn't believe we were all there. Even Andrew and Lisa made it all the way from NC, they DID get to yell surprise because she didn't even expect them when she saw our cars, and they were hiding in her cottage - that's when the waterworks really began for the first time! We sure love you Kander Bear.... hmmmm, ya, I think I like Kandalicious better!!!
Here are some highlights of our trip

Kandis' cottage (yep, this is where she lives)



and some of her animals (actually the property owner's animals that she helps take care of while they're gone)there are several horses and chickens, there are also sheep that the kids got to help her feed the first day we were there.



the cabin we stayed in



Christmas gift exchange (we wont all be together again for Christmas).





We did a homemade Christmas this year. My first sewing project ever was Andrew and Lisa's "ugly" quilt.










It went pretty smoothly. Thankfully my good friend Jessica is a GREAT mentor or I would have been insane. Oh wait... I DID go insane....






I decided to make a flannel quilt for Kandis for her birthday!!! Have you ever seen how much flannel frays?!?!? Well.. it does! And I don't have the greatest skills yet... only my second project!!... but after having to tear apart the seams 4 times and one extra trip for fabric (that didn't actually match) I got it done... and it turned out pretty nice. FULL - O - LOVE!!! (it isn't shredded in the trash so it is FULL of love!!)










AND while I was working on Kandis' love quilt I realized that I/we hadn't made anything for Mom and Dad Larson yet... sooooo...



Sorry Grampy Stevie. We really wanted you to match, so we either had to go masculine for you or feminine for Gammy JoJo... I guess you lost... but thanks for being a trooper!! We love you! (You can just keep the shirt... we wont even be offended)








Gifts from Grammy JoJo (and Grampy Stevie)

Our tour of some of Kandis' favorite places...

slot canyons




A hike up a canyon (Canyon wouldn't let us call them canyons for a while though, that was all kind of confusing... but he got used to it and eventually began to enjoy the BIG mountain canyons)








Native American art


100 hands (do you see the hands wayyy up on the flat part of the canyon wall?)


Native American grainery (this is where they built a cave into the side of the mountain to store their food away so animals couldn't get to it)





We also got to enjoy some time with Kandis at her school. She teaches at a school of 13 kids.. or maybe its 12... anyway... we played kick ball and had a blast... the game ended in a tie. Good timing!!!



Here's the entire group...

and here's the entire family... oh wait... Lisa still has to email me the picture with her in it... we'll see if she ever actually looks at my blog!

But here are the girls... without Lisa again... she IS pregnant you know... she suffers from small bladder syndrome!

and next year there will be one more!!! NO NOT MINE!!! (that would be a miracle wouldn't it!!??) Congratulations Andrew and Lisa!!!!!

We actually went down on the Saturday before Kandis' birthday and came back on her birthday, but everybody stayed for Thanksgiving (no I didn't get to cook this year but I am TRYING to get over it - Aunt Cindy did a great job though, so I cant be too sad). Jessie Bob even had a friend Annie (a.k.a. Annie Banannie) visit, and the kids all adored her... and love their time with Aunt Jessie