New Family Portrait 2010

Our kids decided that for Father's Day they would pay for us all to have family portraits taken. So, with Greg and his family still here it was a perfect opportunity. Jenn King, Will's wife was our photographer and had us meet her at a beautiful part in Orange.
This big tree provided the first spot.

Then we went over to this step hill to all teeter for the next set of shots. It was very precarious. Aren't these stairs a great spot for a picture? Cheese . . . close up time!
The whole fam . . . then just us with all eleven of our grandchildren

Another great spot!
It's pretty hard to get everyone to be serious in a picture,

there's always someone goofing around.
Steve and Jenny Stockard with Weston, Kylie, Wade and Payton
Dustin and Julie Boling with new baby Parker
Greg and Jessica Wilson with Dylan and Adam

Kevin and Brandi Romberg with Dane, Abby, Ella and Ema

And here's just one of the many silly ones!

We have a pretty great family circle if I do say so myself.
It was a fantastic afternoon which we followed up with a trip to Cafe Rio for dinner.

A Long Time Coming

Anyone who has had to wait for blessings to be fulfilled, or has had to watch someone they love wait, knows that it can be very painful indeed. Knowing the joy that awaited all of my kids as they grew and became parents themselves I was so anxious to see those blessing fulfilled. It has been so wonderful to watch all of them take upon themselves this divine role. Julie our newest mommy has waited longer than the rest but has bloomed so beautifully into this eternal role.

This picture opportunity has been a long time coming but a joy for this grandma to behold and be there for. Oh, the joy!

Parker's Blessing June 2010

As we were all gathering at the Westminster Ward Building, and all of my grandsons were enjoying being with each other again I couldn't help but snap a few pictures. This is the best I could do, seems they weren't very excited about holding still. I totally missed Parker all together.

Well, in this picture I do have them all, silly Wes is goofing off, laying down and that's Dustin holding Parker in the background. I was going to try to get this pose better but, I started getting looks from everyone. You should have seen the looks I got for taking pictures in the Chapel. I didn't see anything wrong with it, it was before the meeting. Such handsome boys!

Dane, having been ordained as a Deacon in May was even able to participate in the ordinance by holding the microphone for the blessing as it was being said.

Parker Dane Boling with Great Aunt Jan

The traditional photo-op after the blessing outside the church
All of the family priesthood holders (that live near by)who joined in the blessing circle. Left to right - Grandpa Gene, Great Grandpa Bill Wilson, Great Uncle John, Daddy Dustin w/Parker, Great Uncle Merrill Baily, Uncle Kevin & Dane, Uncle Steve, Uncle Greg & Cousin/Uncle Jay Shean.

They will all be awesome examples as worthy priesthood holders to Parker, as he grows and matures.

It's quite an ordeal to get that large of a group all together for pictures

Dylan and Wade
Cute Abby

Darling Ella & Ava

Sweet cousins, Payton, Ella, Bailey, Kylie and Weston

Future gymnasts???

Lindsay and Matt's Wedding - June 5

Looking at the pictures I took, you wouldn't know we were at a wedding. Somehow I didn't take any pictures of the ceremony or the bride and groom, only my family. Oh well, I think they are pretty cute.

Some of these pictures are really funny with silly faces, like this one of Dylan with his beautiful mommy.

Weston and Adam really like to play together.
It was a very nicely done ceremony and reception, Greg and Adam waiting for the party to begin.
Cutie Abby with one of the silly faces.

Pretty Ella, stricking a pose.

Wade found something that he can eat. He has terrible food allergies and has to miss out on a lot of the normal food we all eat. Poor baby, he's really good about it and says, "No, I allergic it makes me itchy" So cute!

Uncle John and his grandson, Ben, JD and Jenn's son. He's a cute grandpa too!

Uncle Greg showes he still has the moves with a newborn, holding Parker.

My beautiful girls with their babies. I think Jenny was out chasing her baby around trying to keep him safe from the little lake that was nearby.

Happy new mommy Julie!

Always beautiful Brandi.

I sure am one lucky Grandma!

April 6th, What a Beautiful Day to Welcome Our Newest Grandson

Our beautiful Julie has waited a long time for this wonderful experience.

Today she became a mommy.

She had her weekly appointment with her OB doc. yesterday and she was told that she was very ready to have her baby, (she could have told the Dr. that!) But of course if nothing happened to go in on Friday if she wanted to get things started for real. So she went back to work and put in her full day, until 5 p.m.

As all first time mommies can attest, we really don't know what to expect and when things do start to happen we wonder if it's really labor. She felt some discomfort all afternoon which she passed off as resulting from her doctor's examination, but they had a normal evening. She called me at about 12:30 asking me some questions about how she was feeling. After her initial explanation and questions I said, "that sounds like real labor, you better go to the hospital!" She called her Dr. and she said, "Go to the hospital." She was so worried about it being false labor but they decide to err on the side of caution and got there by about 1 a.m.

She is so tough, she actually walked into the hospital, went up the elevator and got checked in to find she was indeed in labor and dilated to 8 centimeters. Her first question was, "can I still have my epidural?" Dustin called us to report in and tell us she was really in labor and we were on our way. By the time we got in to see them she had indeed received her epidural meds. was way more comfortable, and dilated to 10! By now it was only about 3 a.m.

We found her resting comfortably and we visited with them and took some pictures until about 4:15 when she was feeling the need to push. The nurse excused us to the hallway and instructed her on how to push. Then she came and told us we could wait in the waiting room but that it probably wouldn't be very long because she was a really good pusher!!! That proved to be the case because she said it only took four contractions more to give birth. What a champ!

Here's what all the fuss is about . . .

Parker Dane Boling

7 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long

born at 4:55 a.m. on April 6, 2010

He shares his birthday with our Savior Jesus Christ, how wonderful is that?

She did such a wonderful job, only a few pushes and there he was.

What a difference a few hours makes, now they are a party of three!

Did I Say How Cute She Looks?

We Wilson's tend to shy away for the camera, so you can imagine how hard this was to get her to pose for a full body shot . . . but we tried to assure her that she will appreciate these pictures someday!
She looks so very darling pregnant

More of her beautiful gifts

What a fun way to fill the time as she awaites the birth of their

Sweet Baby Boy Boling!!!

Our Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree is pretty much the same every year; but I really love it! It is a collection of ornaments that go all the way back to our first year. Of course we have gotten rid of some here and there and it's only the ones that have special meaning that make the cut and get to hang around forever.

Our tree is one of family love and traditions. When our children were young, every now and then we'd add decorations that were made at cub scouts, or by their primary teachers, containing photographs. These were the beginning of the tradition that we are now really enjoying. As we added grand children we started putting little frames with their pictures in them on the tree as ornaments.
I've gone back and added more of my children as they were growing up too.
I love it, it brings so much more to the tree to me.

I know it's not trendy and it's always pretty much the same every year but I love it!

It only takes me about 4 hours to put all of the decorations on in just the right places. That after setting it up and making sure the lights are all working. Gene pretty much takes care of that part for me.

And yes it is an artificial tree. We have gone that route for many years. I was always so worried about the real tree catching on fire, it was hard to enjoy it. I think I got that worry/fear from my mom, but seeing them go up in flames when lighted on fire after Christmas is over every year, made my fear into a paranoia. Then about 25 years ago, I was visiting teaching a sister the day after Thanksgiving and her tree was up. Now when we were growing up we always had to wait until at least Dec. 15th to get our Christmas tree and the same with the Wilson family. The thought of having a Christmas tree up as long as I wanted and not the fire worry, sold me!!! Ever since then we have had an artificial tree, I love that too, for so many reasons.

Now on to decorating the rest of the house!