Doug and Betty Jo: 2008

Christmas 2008 at the Bakes in CA!

This year we spent Christmas with Larisa, Jared, Kyser and Emmett in Elk Grove, CA, by Sacramento! We stayed at a Fairfield Inn in the evenings near by and were able to add some additional fun times as swimming and having a sleep over with Grammie and Bumpa with Kyser! We also feasted on delicious meals, played logos and more logos, walked, played at the park, read books, did puzzles, saw a movie, played kid games with the kids, did the nativity with a nativity set, made a nativity Christmas cake (thanks Liz for the idea) went shopping, had a scrumptious traditional ham Christmas dinner and had a great meal with Jared and Larisa at the Texas Road House! We loved the late night (well, not really late - we were all very tired by 9pm at night) chats and being together. Jared was able to have Christmas Eve afternoon, all of Christmas and Friday and Saturday off so it was like a mini vacation for the family! Thank you for the wonderful times, for putting up with us, for the beautiful memories and for having such a wonderful family!

This is the Bake family - Kyser, Jared, Larisa and Emmett! They are a happy, fun loving and energetic family!

Santa leaves a letter to Kyser saying he loved the cake, but couldn't finish it, but Rudolph ate almost all of his apple! Thanks for the goodies, Ky!

The stockings are hung with care!

Christmas is ready at the Bake's home!

Emmett needs a snack before he opens his presents!

Jared and Larisa prepare a delicious Christmas morning breakfast!

Kyser, Jared and Larisa are ready to open Santa's gifts!

Emmett wants to know where his presents went!

Larisa modeling her coordinated outfit she received from Mom and Dad!

Emmett wants to be a Red Sox player when he grows up!

By the time Christmas was over, Bumpa and Ky needed a little rest in the big bean bag chair!

Christmas Exchange 2008 in Utah!

We got the UT families together and the grandchildren were able to open their gifts from Grammie and Bumpa a little early since we would be in CA for Christmas. We met at Rod and Amy's home, Amy baked us delicious brownies and we had a very fun time together!

Lauren models her "Belle" costume being the little princess she is!

Ethan thinks its pretty cool to have a new game for his XBox 360!!

Amy helping twin Andrew with his learning Bear!

Rod helping twin Zac open his learning Puppy!

Chloe is a little Mommy all the way with her baby!

Chloe loved her own "little twin babies"!

Mason liked his Star Wars Game!

Hannah opening her Disney Monopoly Game!

Grammie gets to play Grandma!

Jared and Larisa flew Grammie to Elk Grove to spend two days with the boys while they flew to Southern Cal for their big Company party! It's an annual affair and Grammie sure loved to accommodate them and spend a little time with Ky and Emmett!

Grammie loves to be with Emmett and Kyser!

Emmett liked to play tunes for Grammie!

Kyser sure loves his Mommie!

Grammie and Kyser had so much fun!

Emmett saying hi to Grammie and showing how he loves to climb at seven months!

Oh, Oh, Kyser with his hands on the goodies!

Thanksgiving 2008!

Since our children were with their in-laws for Thanksgiving this year, Doug and I drove to Coral Springs (about 5 minutes North of St. George) and stayed at Coral Springs Resort Area through my brokerage, Century 21. We had a wonderful break enjoying our Thanksgiving Feast at the Lodge at Zion's National Park. It was a rainy weekend in St. George, but the park had a Harry Potter kind of eerie, mystical quality to it - it was really fun!

What a great TD break!

Condo Gathering Area

Condo Eating Area

Condo Kitchen

One bedroom Suite.

Coral Springs Condo where we stayed.

Cheers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

View from Zions Nat Park Lodge where we had Thanksgiving Dinner!

Birth of Lewis Lance McKinlay

Lewis Lance McKinlay was born on November 15th and weighed in 9 pounds 8 ounces being 21 1/2" long. We wonder if they measured Lewis correctly at birth because at one month he measured at 22 1/2" long and weighed 10 pounds. He is an adorable - so loving and alert and his Mommy and Daddy are very, very happy as well as his Grammie and Bumpa, Aunts, Uncles and all his 16 cousins!!

Lewis Lance McKinlay says hello to his Mommy and Daddy!

Mommy Deanna and Baby after birth!

Daddy is sooo proud of his new little son!

Brothers Clint and Lance hold new Baby Lewis!

Daddy Lance, Baby Lewis and Mommy Deanna - great work!

Isn't Lewis the cutest?

Lewis's first outing to the Beach!

Grammie and Bumpa just love little Lewis Lance!

Grammie, Bumpa, Lewis and Lance having fun!

Bumpa, Lance, Lewis, Deanna and Grammie

Lewis and Bumpa bonding!

Baby Lewis Lance sleeps so peacefully..

Only the most beautiful flowers for Baby Lewis from Paul Hastings Law Firm!

Baby Lewis with Daddy

Lance, Deanna and Lewis hiding!

Asenath Louise Passey McKinlay's Funeral

It's difficult to write about Mother because she was so beautiful and loving and perfect in many, many ways. Perhaps, we remember her most because of her unconditional love and that is the quality most of us are striving to emulate in our lives. What an angel she was - we can hardly wait to be with her again...