Becca and Devon's Wedding!

We survived the wedding! It was beautiful. I can't think of one thing we'd change, not even the snow that dropped on us in the morning. At the reception the couple danced to Norah Jones, Come Away With Me......so fitting -

Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song.....

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
and I'll never stop loving you....

Okay now I know I'm getting carried away with the mushy stuff but trust me it was so awesome. As a mom it is so comforting to know that your daughter is in good hands, loved and happy. Below are some pictures that my sister Nancy took. We won't have the professional pictures for a couple of weeks. I think these are pretty good though.

The happy couple

They left through a tunnel of waving sparklers.

Not exactly Craig and I at our best but we were sure having a good time. Becca made it clear that she wanted her reception to be fun, more like a party and absolutely NO RECEIVING LINE. I found the idea online to make a photo booth. I bought several fun props at the dollar store and hung a red silk sheet I bought for $2.00 at D.I. and we had an instant photo booth. We just used my camera and downloaded the pictures into a photobucket account so our guests can go there and view and print their own photos. Since my camera doesn't have a trigger, Jaimie and Tyler were the photographers. Thanks for doing a great job guys! It was a great addition to the reception.

Scott and Jaimie

The beautiful bride

Devon thought he and Becca could be twins with this blonde wig, hmmm I don't think so! I just love this picture of Becca. Devon is all personality!

Me and my girls

My Grandkids, they didn't really get the whole photobooth concept. Although they are adorable no matter what!

Me and my girls again

Sisters

Kayla was obsessed with the candy buffet.

The chocolate fountain! Need I saw more? I'll just tell you about my personal favorite. Those little cream puffs, ahh, the blissful sweetness of dipping one of those in a warm liquidy curtain of chocolate! It was seriously like a dream!

The family, backrow left to right, Tyler, Scott, Mike - front row left to right, Nikki, Craig, Rebecca and me (Judy)

This picture was taken behind the professional photographer, outside on the temple steps. Yes that is snow on that black coat. I know this picture is fuzzy and tilted but I like it. Look at those sweet, patient, freezing little girls. They actually smiled for the camera.

The guys!

The Candy Buffet. This is another idea I got online. We had cellophone bags for guests to fill with candy as a favor. There was caramel popcorn and cinnamon sugar pretzels both drizzled with white chocolate that was tinted blue, blue salt water taffy, hershey kisses, hot tamales, red vines, blue candy canes, peppermint puffs, and hershey bars with a custom blue label. It was an awesome idea and the guests seem to like it as they left with a loaded bag.

Tammy gave Becca a Bridal Shower a couple of nights before the wedding. Since Devon and Becca met while working at In and Out, that was the theme. Tammy did a phenomenal job. She served hamburgers with all the trimmings for dinner. The dessert was a cupcake made to look like a hamburger. Honestly it looked so much like a hamburger. She also made french fries out of sugar cookie dough, these looked very real as well. Tammy really out did herself. I have never attended a more put together shower. Thanks so much Tammy! If you'd like her recipes or ideas leave me a message and I'll pass it on to her. The picture above is Becca opening one of her gifts, of course she had to have a scanky nighty, right?

Tammy interviewed and recorded Devon to get answers to some "How well do you know each other" questions. Becca had to guess what his answer was and if she got it wrong had to chew a piece of bubble gum and add a piece for every wrong answer. Lets just say she had a mouthfull of gum by the time it was done. It was so fun!

These are the hamburger and french fry desserts talked about in my previous picture. I wish I had a closer picture.

Ask yourself, could you do it? Something to consider......

Celebrating the last visit to Dialysis! Yeah! The night before the transplant. Amazing how many pictures we have of Scott making this goofy face.

Ask yourself, would I be willing to be an organ donor? If your answer is yes please inform someone! I know I don't often post something serious, but speaking from personal experience, this is a subject worth considering......

This past October represented six years since Craig had a kidney transplant. I am so grateful for my son, actually my two sons (Mike and Scott, a coin toss declarded Scott the donor) that was generous and willing to endure the sacrifice of giving his Dad the precious gift of a healthy kidney. I am also grateful for the unknown donor that lost their life in April of 2005, for telling someone they would be an organ donor, thus giving Craig a healthy pancreas. A healthy pancreas was something Craig hadn't known since he was eleven years old and something that would keep his transplanted kidney strong. It's an awkward feeling waiting for an organ donor, waiting for someone to die so that your loved one can live is an unbelievable experience. Having your son step up and offer to give something that will give his Dad life is also unexplainable, there are no words.

Thanksgiving brings all of these blessings to the front of my mind. I am so blessed. I love my family beyond words. I am so thankful for a God that has a plan for each of us and is there for me personally in my worst of times.

Below is Craig and Scott right before surgery, Scott went first.

Below is Scott as they are wheeling him away to surgery.

It's common for the organ recipient to feel energized and well immediately following the transplant. So Craig was up and eager to visit his hero.
Scott, however was in a great deal of pain.

It's also common for the reverse to happen after a day or two.
It all took a tole on Craig as Scott was feeling much better

This is Scott and his sweet wife Jaimie. What a relief it was to walk into his room and see him returning to his old goofy self. I know that Jaimie was relieved as well.

It wasn't long before Scott was able to go home, Craig however stayed for a few more days and close to the hospital for tests for a couple of weeks. Craig has never experienced a single rejection episode. Scott was a perfect match.

Below is a story I found online. It explains it so well.......

A Parable of Grace
It's a sunny autumn day. The light of the morning sun is shining through the windows of an intensive care unit into patient rooms filled with IV stands and ventilators and heart monitors. In one room, the light reveals the jaundiced face of a 45-year-old teacher dying of liver failure. Next door, an ashen-faced 62-year-old grandfather needs a new heart. Three doors down, the light falls on the face of a 27-year-old mother who gasps for breath with ruined lungs. None of them has walked in the light for weeks. They are doing all they can just to live another day. They are waiting for a gift. It is a priceless gift. It is priceless because of what it will give them – new life and health and time with their families – and also because of what it costs – the life of someone else. How do you pray for a new heart when you know that it comes from someone else's death?In another hospital, a family grieves. Someone they love has died and the autumn sunlight is swallowed in darkness. Someone tells them of the possibility of donating their loved one's organs. They say it would be just like their loved one to want to help someone else. They talk about sparing some other family the pain that they are experiencing. So they choose to give the priceless gift to nameless strangers.A 45-year-old teacher receives a liver, a 62-year-old grandfather receives a heart, and a 27-year-old mother receives new lungs. They all pray for a grieving family they may never know.As a hospital chaplain, I have been with all of these people more times than I can count. It is a miracle for those who were dying, and also a miracle for those who give. What a profound and wonderful miracle. What a parable of grace.

— Chaplain Joel De Fehr

For more information regarding organ donation in Utah visit -
https://www.yesutah.org/

Halloween!

Halloween was a blast! Mike and Tammy brought the girls over around 4:00 PM. We made homemade pizza and I have to brag that it was awesome! I made the dough and Kylie helped roll it into circle shapes. I am sad to say I didn't get any pictures of her rolling the dough, I was busy trying to keep the flour under control. After the dough was ready we smeared on the sauce and pepperoni and lots of cheese. They were delicious!

Then it was time to go trick or treating.

Kylie was Cinderella and Kayla was the Little Mermaid. They got the hang of the whole trick or treat thing fast and had fun. I think Kayla enjoyed playing with the flashlight Grandpa bought more than the candy she recieved.

One older teenage boy in our neighborhood dressed up like Santa. Kylie has a fear of Santa and wouldn't go near him or go to a door for candy if he was near it. Although it was very creative, I wouldn't recommend dressing your kid up like Santa, all the other little kids kept saying "Hi Santa" it was funny. I felt a little sorry for him.

Kylie checking out her goodies. She was pretty satified with her assortment of sugar. she is such a doll and so much fun!

Kayla doesn't take a bad picture. Such a beautiful baby!

Sidewalks full of Trick or Treaters,

Lots of little candy eaters,

In their costumes having fun,

Halloween's for everyone.

From door to door the bells are ringing

Knockers, knocking, voices singing,

Children, the old and in between

Celebrating Halloween.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Nancy Carol (Herbert) Kimball

Sunday, October 25th was my mom's birthday. She would have be 74 years old.
I was going through some old family pictures and thought I'd post some of my favorites of her. When I try to picture my mom two things about her come to my mind and stand out,

her natural blonde hair and her beautiful blue eyes.

There was never a question of her love for my Dad.




I think this is in Colorado. I remember this day and what a good sport she was as she nervously sat down in the tube. In this picture you can see the anxious look on Mike's face, I however, had no trouble giving her a big push down that steep hill. I can still hear her screaming then laughing then screaming then laughing as she went flying down that hill. It was such a fun day for me and my two oldest sons, Mike and Scott.


This picture is priceless and needs no explanation.

My Mom with Rebecca and Nikki, my two daughters. Thanksgiving, approximately 1995

My parents with my kids.

Left to right top, Scott, Rebecca, Mike.

Left to right bottom, Grandpa Kimball, Tyler, Grandma Kimball, Nikki.

I'm so glad we took the time to take these pictures!

Left to right, me, my mom and my sister Carol. The same Thanksgiving around 1995. How do you like our look-alike sweatshirts. I made them for us that year, I may still have mine folded up in a closet somewhere.

She was a beautiful baby!

And a beautiful Great Grandma. Here she is with my first grandbaby Tanner.

Before she passed away she stayed at a nursing home because my Dad was unable to care for her at home. On Mother's Day we all went to visit and I snapped this picture of her with 4 of my 5 kids (Scott was away in the Air Force at the time). Left to right, Nikki, Becca, Michael and Tyler. She would light up when any of her family would visit.

She loved her family and we knew it.

You’ll never forget your mother’s face, the sound of her voice, the gentleness of her touch…

they let you know you were loved.

You’ll never forget the stories she told, the traditions she handed down…

they let you know who you are.

You’ll never forget the lessons she taught, the things she stood for…

they are her gift and your legacy.

You’ll never forget, and you’ll always know that you honor her

every day in how you live and who you are.

A Sunday Drive! I love Fall!

We started a tradition a few years ago that on October conference Sunday we take a drive in the mountains to see the fall colors and listen to conference on the radio. So last Sunday Craig, Leon, Nikki and I grabbed some drinks and snacks and of course our cameras and settled in for a beautiful drive. Usually its up Cedar Canyon but this year Leon prompted us to take a drive up to Kolob and go the backway to Cedar City. I am so glad we did, the different colored leaves were so pretty!

Ahhh, Nikki and Craig, so sweet!

It was great to have Leon with us. He shared precious memories of earlier trips he'd taken up there with Norma Jean. Told us about the many trails along the road. He really knew his way around up there.


Two of my favorite people. Nikki and Craig


Below are some scenic pictures Nikki or I took.

The leaves are falling all around,

Red, yellow, orange and brown.

Twirling, swirling to the ground,

Look how many leaves I've found!

Nikki took this picture. This guy was standing in the road and wouldn't move. Pretty brave or stupid, he looked straight into the camera as if he were posing. He doesn't look very happy that we are in his neighborhood!