Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow

Isn't that beautiful. Oh the things the Lord has made. I am truly amazed.

Snow Ball Fight. I think the coat might work better if it was on.

Jabba the Hut Snowman.

This was the beginning of the snow.

Today it started snowing at 12:30 this afternoon and it hasn't stopped. It is amazing, I have lived here my whole life and have never seen snow like this. I love it, my kids have been playing in it for hours. I love to see everything cover in white it just makes everything beautiful. It makes everyone happy too nobody was arguing all the kids were just happy and having fun. I love the snow. I love hot chocolate and marshmallows and cozying up in blankets.

Best Friends

Tracey Wray, Tiffanie Gonzales, and Shelli Stewart

My Kindred Spirits and Bosom Friends

Today was a great day for me. I got to spend some time with my two best friends, Tracey and Shelli Groft. We have been best friends since we were little girls and are still to this day. So I guess one thing I can say that I have been truly blessed with is those two people. Shelli lives in North Carolina and I haven't seen her in six years, I miss her so much. Tracey lives closer in Cedar City, Utah so I see her every few months but I still miss her. But the great thing about having kindred spirit best friends is no matter how far apart you are when you are together it seems like you have never been apart. Today we went to lunch at Mimi's and laughed and cryed, it was so good to be with them. I really don't know what my life would have been like without them in it. I am so thankful I have them in my life. After lunch we went back to their parents house and just hung out and planned a trip for us next year. One thing that we really realized is you have to make the time to spend with people that you love. Everyone has busy lives but if you don't take the time to make memories they just aren't going to happen. Here are some pictures of my bosom friends and kindred spirits. Tracey and Shelli

Family Pictures

I love this picture. I know I am a little biased but I have a beautiful family. Wow thats lots of kids and four were missing.

A couple of weeks ago after Jerads farewell we did family pictures so I just wanted to share them. The last time we did pictures was seven years ago, I was nine months pregnant with Mariyah. There have been alot of grandkids added since then. I love pictures and every moment of caos if worth it. Thanks Dad and Lorraine for getting them done.

Jerad's Farewell

Future Missionaries!

Today was my little brother Jerad's mission farewell. He got called to the Detroit Michigan mission, he reports the the MTC on Dec. 10th 2008. I am so happy for Jerad and his decision to serve the Lord for two years. I can't believe he is already nineteen, man I am old. I close my eyes and see him still as the cute little red headed monster (thats one of the names we used to call him). I am so proud of him and his example he is setting for his nephews and nieces. He has alot of them that look up to him. I am so blessed to have the family that I do, its not perfect but we all truly love each other. His farewell was this morning at 9 a.m. in Logandale and in true Gonzales fashion we were late, but hey we weren't the only ones. Jerad did such a good job in his talk he is going to be a great missionary. He has alot of older brothers that set a great example for him, and parents that taught him the gospel. I love you Jerad and I will miss you but I know that these next two years will be the best two years of your life. After his farewell we all went to Dad and Lorraine's and ate lots of food, of course. And you know the cowboys game was on so all of the boys and my kids were plastered to the TV. I love just sitting and watching all the kids being mischievious, they all have so much fun together. Family is a great blessing.

Family Thanksgiving Nov. 21st 08

Saturday we had our family Thanksgiving, we have my dad's side of the family on the saturday before so everyone can make it. We always have it at one of the chapels because our family is so big and it just keeps getting bigger. I love this time of year, we have lots of reasons to get together as a family. Everytime our family is together it just makes me so happy, I really love my family and being around them. We don't get to be together all that often, life happens and everyone is raising families of their own. So when we do get together I cherish that time, I think that is one of the biggest reasons I love this time of year. Well I want to say I think Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday I think it prepares us for the Christmas season and hopefully making us all stop and really recognize the things we are blessed with on a daily basis. I am so thankful first for my Savior and his restored gospel I really don't know where I would be without it. I am so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who placed us in families. That leads me to my family, extended and immediate. I cannot say enough how thankful I am for them I am truly blessed. I am so thankful for an eternal marriage and family. I am thankful for this free country that I live in and for the military who help to keep us free. I really could go on and on about the things I am thankful for but I will stop. I will just say to all that read this blog, cherish the things you are thankful for. Stop and recognize the things you are thankful for and let those you love know how much you love them.

Brandy's Wedding

So I am doing a few post tonight because I was waiting on pictures from my sisters wedding. If you are wondering why I had to wait well I asked Mckenzie when we left to St. George to bring my camera and not to forget the battery. Well yes you guessed it she forgot the battery, so anyway we used my Dad's camera and I got the pictures yesterday. November 8th we went to St. George for my sister Brandy's wedding. The day started out a little hecktic but it was fun. I took the kids to the St.George temple before and took a few pictures (with Nicole's camera) and we hung out at the temple for a little while. That temple is still my favorite, I have really great memories of going their as a youth. Then after that we went to eat at the Chuck A Rama, its a buffet and the kids love going there the food is pretty good and they have homemade rolls. Yummmy! After that we went to where Brandy was having her wedding, it was alot of fun and its always nice to spend time with family. I am so happy for my sister she has waited a long time for that day, I wish her all the best. Here are a few pics.

Mikeala Soccer

A couple of her battle scars.

I had to snap pictures quick because she wouldn't let me take pictures.

Mikeala had soccer tryouts for the high school today. Tryouts started on saturday and finished today and she made the JV team. She was so excited, she has worked hard in intramurals and it paid off. I am so glad she made the team she loves to play soccer and I love watching her. She was so worried before tryouts but I told her to do her best and don't worry about it. I have to say about all my kids they are all pretty athletic thanks to their dad and they all always give 110% when they practice and play. Dad always says "Go big of go home." I picked her up from tryouts and she was beat up, she had road rash on both elbows and knees and her hips. She was playing Goalie and dove alot.

Aarika's Eighteenth Birthday

Aarika at one year old, isn't she adorable.Now at eighteen not much has changed she is still adorable.

Forest Fire.

Well she made it, for a while I didn't think she would but she did. Yes Aarika is 18 finally she says, I say man we are officially old Michael. I am happy for her it is a milestone in ones life, I remember my eighteenth birthday I was a freshman in college Yikes!!! To her dad and I she is still a little girl, but as she reminds us often she is not. This is the time in your childs life that you wish you could just rewind because its happened so fast. We are really excited for her but to think that in less that a year she will be gone away to school is a little sad. Its wonderful to watch the changes in our kids lives and the growth. I am so thankful for her she has been a light in my life. Michael and I took her out shopping and to dinner at MiMis we had a lot of fun. Then we came home and had cake with the rest of the kids and Uncle Jerad and some of Aarika's friends. After that Aarika, Mckenzie, Stephanie, Jerad and Daniel went to see a movie. It was a great day. I love you Aarika thanks for being who you are.

Halloween pictures of the ones that dressed up.

The Pirate, Ghost and Dorothy.

Here are the pictures of the kids that dressed up.

Gonzales Kids!!!!

HALLOWEEN!!!!!!

No Mom I'm not scared.

She had so much fun on that thing.

I love them soooooo much!!!!!! Even when they don't smile for the camera.

Mikeala always the clown of the family.

Well today was Halloween one of my favorite holidays. I love the fall even though today it didn't really feel like fall because it was 88 degrees outside, but I'm sure it will change soon. Today the kids didn't have any school so we got up and got ready for the day and they spent part of the day with their dear old mom. Dad had to work so they were stuck with me. I told my big kids if they wanted to do something with their friends tonight they had to hang out with me today. (Sometimes you have to make ulitmatums.) Anyway we went to lunch at Chili's with my gift card, I won second place in the chili cookoff last night at the elementary school. After that we went to the pumpkin patch, (not a real one but as close as we get). They have different rides and things for the kids, it was alot of fun. After that I dropped off the ones that were going with friends and then Austen and Mariyah hung out with me and Mikeala and I took them trick or treating. They had alot of fun, its still fun to go but a part of me wished all the kids were with me. But I guess that's what happens when you get old, or your kids get old. After we were done trick or treating I took Austen out to his aunt and uncles house to spend the night with his cousing Dallan, he was really excited to go. I love this time of year, I love the colors and the way it smells outside in the morning and even though life is busy I think people are happier. It just makes me wish it could last all year. Well I hope you all had a great Halloween, we all sure did.

Aarika and McKenzie Homecoming 08'

Two of my beautiful girls.

What would we do without sisters.

Today was homecoming and I got up at about 8:00 a.m. and got ready because of course the girls didn't have their shoes yet. So we went shoe shopping this morning and got home at about noon and thats when the hair started. I started with Aarika's and then McKenzie's and then Stephanie's and finally Jennifer. It took me five and a half hours to do all their hair. Lots and lots of hair. It was a long day today but it was worth it, these are the things as a mother that I cherish. They were once so small and now they are so grown up. To much for me, I wish they were little again. I feel like when me kids were small all I could think about was I can't wait for them to be big and now I wish they were small again. When people used to tell me "oh they grow up so fast" I never thought I would get out of the stage of my life of being pregnant of nursing a baby. When I was in that stage I thought it would never end but then one day you wake up and its all over and you say where did the time go. Its fun to see the stages of their lives but I don't think I am quite ready to let go and let Aarika go to college next fall. It kind of makes me sad actually it makes me very sad but I am also happy for her to move on to the next stage in her life. It will take me a while to get used to and then McKenzie will be going. Yikes it seems like they were just playing dress up and playing in their little kitchen. Little piece of advice to all of you who are in the pregnant or nursing stage with little ones, enjoy it. Even the days where you just want to quit your job, just stop and take a breath and enjoy them. Well enjoy the pictures.