November 2010 Family Night

November 2010 Family Night at Grandpa and Grandma Ray's House Rachel Birtcher and her friend....I can't remember her name.

I know I am going to spell her name wrong Kyla, so sorry. This is Bonnie Rogers and Aeryn Pew. (Leia's and Kyla's daughters.) The are the funniest cousins when they are together. They yell and scream and follow each other around.

I could not get a good picture of Emma Ray, she kept moving everytime I tried to get her picture.

This is a little out of order, Makynzi Mae Green and Peter Rogers were born about 2 weeks apart. Madison Ray wanted to get into the picture with the babies.

Makynzi and Peter

Hmmm.. I will try to name every one in the picture starting with Scott Ray and moving backward. There is Scott, I don't know who is sitting on the floor next to Donovan, Donovan Doras, Andrew Jackson, David Jackson, Annette Birtcher is at the piano, Beth Ray, Darrell Ray, Lynn Glidewell, Sarah Ray and then Rachel Ray is sitting by her.

Micheal Pew is holding Tyson Pew, Ashley Ray, Mom, Dianne Price, and Mark Ray is sitting by the wall. Becca is hlding Makynzi and Danielle is sitting behind her. I think the boys sitting in front of Becca are Jackon Carroll, Sammy Ray and Joshua Ray....I think.... I am putting last names because if I can't even tell who everyone is a month later, how am I going to remember a year later?????

Darrell, Beth and Brogen Ray. (Sorry if I spelled his name wrong Beth.)

Rachel, Sarah and Daniel Ray. I think Sarah had come down from BYU to attend a friends wedding.

Scott and granddaughter Aeryn Pew.

David Ray, Rachel, Dan and Sarah and Lynn walking into the picture.

Kyla, Micheal and Tyson Pew

Mom is holding Emma and Dianne was here doing her projects...by the way Logan how did you like the fish quilt? I couldn't blog that earlier because Logan was getting the quilt for Christmas. Mom made the pattern and Dianne sewed the fish together. It is a cool quilt. I wish I had a picture.

Danielle, Donovan and Makynzi.

Madison, Mom and Dianne.

Since Dad has been in his wheel chair, he rarely goes into the living room. He parks his chair in the hallway and we try to talk loud enough that he hears us.....I'm sure he just smile and hears .....wawawawwwwwwwaaa..

Cameron is trying to get Millie.

David is holding Makynzi, Andrew, Grandma Ray, Dianne and Madison.

Natalie Carroll, Syney Jackson and Nicolee Birtcher. I think Mom's grandkids have spent as much time in her tree as they have downstairs.

Mom and Madison

After family night Annette started playing the piano, Rachel joined with her violin, and David was singning.

I can't remember what they were singing/playing. I think it was O Holy Night. ??

Waiting for family night to start. Dianne, Becca, Dad, Dj, Melissa and Cameron.

Melissa and Madison...she was putting on lip gloss...Madison is so fun. Cameron isn't to far away from mom.

Madison Ray

Andrew and Makynzi

Steven Birtcher and Donovan. Donovan thinks Steven is the coolest person.

The girls downstairs before family night.....Rachel, her friend, Nicolee and Jordon.

November 2010 Family Night

I know, I know, I have not done well as posting on my blog....who knows, maybe the New Year will change things. Probably not, but sometime I never know.

Scott had Mom and Dad write their testimonies and recorded them reading them. I tried to copy and paste the word document into the blog, but I guess I cannot do that. Here are Mom and Dad's testimonies that were read that day.

Mom- Grandma Ray

This is mom, Ina Ray. I want to bear my testimony. First, I want to tell how much I love each and everyone of you, how much I love Grandpa, my children, and how much I am thankful for them. I know that God lives and that He hears and answers my prayers. He loves me. I know that Jesus Christ is His Son, the Savior of the world. I know that He is my Redeemer. He has purchased me with His blood. He wants me to be happy and I love Him.

I know Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son in the Sacred Grove. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon and under the direction of Jesus Christ he restored the church, and I know that we have a living prophet today, President Monson who receives revelation from God.

I know that if we live the commandments we can return and live with Him, with our Heavenly Father. I know that because Jesus Christ died for me, I can repent, and worship Him. In the Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Dad- Grandpa Ray

This is Grandpa, Dewey Ray, bearing my testimony. I just want you to know that I know the Gospel is true, that Heavenly Father lives, that He loves us. He loves us so much that He permitted His dear Son to suffer and die on the cross so that we wouldn't have to suffer for our sins. Provided this beautiful world for us to live and enjoy life and gain a body. Thankful for the Savior and for His life and His willingness to suffer in our behalf. That if we repented we would not have to suffer the pains of our sins and to be free from them.

I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that because of his desire to know the truth in asking Heavenly Father, the gospel was restored that we might have this knowledge again and that the prophets that followed him are prophets of God. President Monson is our prophet today and if we follow him, everything will be OK.

We have trials and tribulations in life but if we put our faith in Heavenly Father everything will work out fine. I'm thankful for my good parents that taught me to love the gospel and our Heavenly Father and to work and to pray. Prayer has been a great part of my live and a great blessing and the Lord has answered my prayers many, many times and still does, and blesses my family.

I'm thankful for a good family have the...love the Lord and keep His commandments and teach their children to love the Lord and keep His commandments. Thankful for my good wife and her great faith and the good life we've had because of her and the temple marriage and the opportunity for our family to be together forever. This makes the gospel worthwhile and makes all the bumps and things in life easy to take and to overcome and to enjoy life.

Thankful for this choice land we live in, it is a choice land and the freedoms we enjoy are very important and I've always tried to vote for people that would uphold our Constitution that we might be able to enjoy the blessings of our Heavenly Father and keep our freedoms.

Thankful for the scriptures that give us a basis to know what our Heavenly Father wants us to do and helps to know the path we should follow and gives us examples and things to help us to know the importance of the gospel. The tree of life that tells us how sweet the fruits of the Gospel are, and these happen when we love one another and love our Heavenly Father.

I'm thankful for my good children and their good lives and the happiness they've brought me and to my family. Grateful for this testimony of the Gospel and I know that the Book of Mormon is a special record of our Heavenly Father to strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is was translated by the gift and power of God through the prophet Joesph Smith that it's a great book that I've loved ever since I was a little and first read it out loud to my parents.

I pray the Lord will bless and watch over and protect my family where ever they are and be with them and bless them with love and harmony and the work they need in life to provide for their families. I am thankful for your good mother and her good life and the great life it has been for me. I do this humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Grandma Ray's Kitchen Table

My Mom has had the same kitchen table for as long as I can remember. It is the only table I remember. The table has had one upgrade--new legs. I can remember kicking the legs of the table out so they would be straight. The legs have also changed colors throughout the years. I often think about how many different projects, quilts, meals, babies, people (Steven), and food stuffs have been on the table. This picture is the before picture from the November Family Night. We all brought treats to share. Some of the more memorable things that I remember on the table are a cow and Steven. Steven was hit by a car coming home from church on Sunday. I remember him lying on the table and Dr. Ewart (?) coming over and taking care of him. I think he was about 7. He was hit right in front of the fire station on Lindsay Road so he had help really fast.

Next was the cow, or the parts of the cow. I remember walking into the kitchen with a mountain of meat on the table. We had to help Mom package and label the meat. I can't remember if this was the time that we ground our own hamburger too. I do remember cutting up the cow on Uncle Irving's carport...ewww, it was gross.

Dianne came to visit for about a week and had a few "projects" to complete. I couldn't take a picture of the complete project----Christmas present for.. I better not say. Mom's table has something on it for the next week.

Sydney and Rachel are having fun watching Grandma and Dianne I think here they were still trying to figure out how to make the "figure" on the project.....I should just write what it is because in 5 years I won't remember what she made.

DJ would bring Kynzi to visit while Dianne was here.

At the same time Dianne was trying to do her projects, David was working on his Christmas invitations---he made a million of them. These are the little holly-berry things we glued on the green wreaths. Becca spent 3 days cutting pieces out for the invitations.

As you can see, Dianne is hard at work doing "her" projects....just kidding....she sewed for 7 days strait. Mom and Dianne are on one side of the table, David and Becca on the other.

Moms table looked like this the whole week. It was funny to come in and see how they were progressing on all the parts they were cutting out.

Last Saturday we had over 120 jars of Pomegranate Jelly on the table. Oh, I almost forgot about all the Rook, O'Heck, Rage, Dice, Phase 10, Canasta, Hearts, Pictunary, and a million other new "Christmas" games played on Mom's kitchen table.

Family Pictures 2010

It is that time of year again...... I begged Becca to take our family pictures again. Sydney wanted purple. So here is our Jackson Family Pics 2010. Michelle, David, Jessica, Donovan, Brandon, Makynzi, Danielle, Andrew, and Sydney at the Mesa Temple grounds.

Kynzi was about done here.

Becca made this picture black and white. The entire time we were taking pictures Becca was trying to get Makynzi to smile at her.

The temple has Christmas lights ready to be turned on after Thanksgiving. Jessica has a picture with Isaiah, I will have to blog that one later.

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of Donovan. He is just happy sitting in the green, green grass.Brandon and Donovan in the tree. Isn't this what you do on the temple grounds on Sunday afternoon?

Andrew at 18!! In 5 more months he will be 19. It is weird to think next year we will have to photo shop him in the family pictures. (Mission)

I love my grandchildren. Look how cute Donovan and Makynzi are!!

Green Family. Brandon, DJ, Donovan and Mak. I think Makynzi has as many names as DJ does. Brandon calls her Macaroni....he better be careful...it might stick.

I alwas ask Sydney if she likes being the last one at home. She always rolls her eyes like she had a choice or something. :)

Jackson Family 2010.

Honey Taffy

David wanted to learn how to pull honey taffy. I have tried to learn how and I am still not as good as Mom. I don't know how she pulls it perfect every time.

I told mom she had to smile in the camera. This is actually a video, but Sydney's Flip software lets me take still pictures from the video. I have to admit, I think the Flip is now mine.

I don't know if Mom really likes pulling taffy but I know she likes to tell the story about how her Dad (Daddy) (Grandpa Scott) loved honey taffy and he was the one who pulled it. I'm sure Mom must have helped because she is an expert. I only remember Grandpa Scott handing out Popsicles on Sundays. He never pulled taffy when I knew him.

This is one tradition I want to keep. I always start to early and the taffy is so hot it burns my hands.

Sundays are the only time I pull taffy because I have Mom to let me know when the "hard ball" is ready. Sometimes my honey taffy is soft, sometimes very soft, and sometimes to hard. It doesn't seem to matter.....by the time I get finished cutting the long strings it has vanished.

Honey Taffy

1 c. honey

1 c. sugar

boil over medium/high heat unit a hard ball

take off heat and add:

1 T. butter

1/2 t. baking soda

pour onto a buttered pan to cool before pulling.