Happy B-day Karen!

About the picture: Taken at our yearly trip to SunValley this past July 2008. Karen and Al and 10 of their 11 grandchildren. This picture went out to many of Al and Karen's family and friends this past Christmas as his Christmas card. We (the kids) gave all this picture as a gift and the fun memories held in this picture are priceless an innumerable.

I started this blog February of 2008. I missed Karen's B-day and I have been looking forward to this day ever since. After her passing, I still looked forward to this day. Its finally hear and as usual, here are a few the things we love about Karen and remember about her.

1. Her Chicken Broccoli Casserole (oh, so yummy)
2. Her frugality
3. Her blue nightgown (when Dave was little)
4. Her presence at home (just knowing she was there)
5. Her concern for others
6. Her support with whatever we wanted to do
7. Her zeal for genealogy work
8. "Bring me the change" (when Dave was young)
9. Her fear of driving in the winter, even when the roads were not bad
10. Her raspberry jello (YUM!)
11. Her love for the gospel
12. Her blue eyes
13. Her sugar cookies
14. Making rolls with her on Thanksgiving and totally failing, we laughed about it.
15. She always showed interest in my running and was encouraging
16. Her friendship
17. Her quiet example
18. Giong to IKEA and getting meatballs or a little toy for one of the kids
19. Going to Gymnastics together
20. I remember bumping into her to the beat of the music at Gymnastics, then she would give me a smirk and say "oh stop"
21. Waddling with her to and from the car where ever we would go. We had to walk in sync and hope we would take each other down.
22. Going to eat was always fun. BUT going to Rodizio, a Brazilian Restaurant, was always so funny. She couldn't help but use every spanish word she knew and every time she did we would laugh.
23. Drving with her on the White Rim. When we had to make a tight curve or go up a scary hill she would say "Ah Chubankey". Loved her funny phrases.
24. She was 'crafty' and always made a birthsampler for all the grandkids. Treasured and displayed proudly in our home.
25. Knowing that I could call her at any time just to chat.

Some of what the kids remember

1. She always said "I suppose"
2. She made yummy cakes
3. The Oso's (bears) that she gave Leah
4. Going to Einstein with her
5. Going to IKEA and eating there
6. I remember her with Jesus (Mylo said this one)
7. Going to IKEA and getting a little Kitty (Mylo)
8. When she said "why are we whispering" (Karen, the kids and I were at her house and we were whispering for no reason and it was really funny... you had to be there)
9. She always let us borrow movies
10. When she got upset that Mishi got her ears peirced

We miss Karen, mom, grandma and friend. But we know that we will see her again. To celebrate her today, we are going to have cinnamon cake (one of her favorites that I made) and for dinner we were going to have our last meal we had with her BUT we decided to go to Training Table, one of her favorite places to eat. We are also going to send her balloons, this was Leah's idea and I think its a great one. She is still a huge part in our lives. Her example still is very influencial in our daily lives and it is the daily little things we miss most about her. We are fortunate to have known her and blessed to be part of her family along with Al's. She wasn't one to express herself very much but we know how much she loved us. May we meet again!

LOVE YOU & MISS YOU!!!