Grandparenthood is a great thing!

The halloween party!

Here is the group shot. Buma's as the bad witch and the good witch, Casadays as an umpa lumpa and willy wonka, Us as mr and mrs potato head, Landgrens as the square dancers, Morgans as Hippies, Wards as Dalmation dog and Cruella Deville, Fishers as Gypsies.

We made such a cute couple don't you think?

And yet we still didn't win.

Bob in a dress as the good witch from wicked took it hands down.

The south beach diet

Okay so here is a little update as to what has been happening. Curt and I were inspired by Lori O to go on the South beach diet. The first two weeks were aweful! Yes Lori I was cursing your name. But now we have moved on to phase two and well we feel human again. At this point Curt has lost about 11 lbs. I have lost 9. So I am really feeling good about things. My pants actually fit again and the dreaded muffin top is beginning to diminish! The kids laugh as we eat whole wheat soft shelled tacos but I get to laugh when I get on the scale.
The other thing we have done is sold all our bedroom furniture even the twin beds we have been using for the past couple of months...I fondly call our room the ghetto room. Curt is painting it and we are sleeping in the guest room...which by the way is quite nice. We will soon be getting our new bedroom furniture and we will graduate from the ghetto! I am really excited.
We have had some awesome vacations this summer. I will post some pictures of the latest one to bear lake! It was great fun! I want to go back! Now I get to take Alyssa for shots to go to Jr. High and get her registered. She is sooo excited. Life just can't get any better don't you think?

Family photos

We had these taken right before David left.

Chace and Curt enjoying the swap meet! Such a great look dont you think? Chace and Amy

Amy and Breann

Amy, Gayle, and Chace

Cousins at the fireworks! Such a fun day. We enjoyed Scott and Vals pool and a fun barbeque too.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Swine flu effects the MTC

Okay so for all of you who haven't heard the Swine flu has had its effects on our family. David is not able to leave the MTC until next week sometime. He was scheduled to leave for Texas on Wed but the MTC is keeping all the missionaries there to make sure none of them have the swine flu before they leave. 3 missionaries are possitive. David is not sick! Just sick at heart because he wanted to be in the mission field on Wed. Oh well. So if you want send him a condolence letter I am sure he would love that.

Trip to Denver

We went to Denver this weekend to see Chris and Kristy. Chris just graduated from college and we went to celebrate! This is a picture of Chris and Kristy's new home! It is wonderful!

Chris and Kristy in front of their house.

This was the trip there. Breann and Alyssa slept most of the way. Which is why they were up so late at Chris and Kristy's house that night. Sorry.

Thanks for a lovely weekend. Thanks for graduating and giving a an excuse to come out. Thanks to the Craigs for letting us crash there and for some amazing breakfast. However Curt now thinks that is how breakfast should be all the time...

Yea! I got an e-mail from Davie! All is great!

David goes to the MTC

May 13th Taking David to the MTC. The great and dreadful day. We stopped for lunch at Jason's Deli but David wasn't able to eat much. Breann and Alyssa enjoying their last minutes with Davie David mom and Dad...You just have to love that boy!

Amy and Chace took time off to come with as well.

The famous walk to put the luggage down.

Last group photo in front of the MTC sign.

I think he was really excited to get this over with! The goodbyes are sooo hard.

It's official. My son is now a full time missionary. I could not be prouder as a mother. My heart aches that he won't call my phone almost daily and say, "Hi mom it's your favorite child. How's it goin? What are you doin? Okay well I am just in between classes and thought I would call my favorite mom. Love you." So let the count down begin! Go Buddy and serve with all your heart and part of mine!

I love you son!

He is a handsome missionary isn't he?

David's mission shower

David had a great time at his mission shower at the Hunt home. Here his is practicing his door approach with Grandma and Grandpa Willardson. Briggs is his companion. He was a little distracting. Here he is arrested for impersonating a Texan.

A mighty fine Stead don't you think?

We had quite a crowd there to wish him the best!

A special family that I will always appreciate! Thank you all for a great time! I love my family!

David's mission photo session

David pointing to Texas! I never knew I had such a photogenic son! Isn't he cute?

He came home with this hair cut and I almost cryed right then. He is looking the part and I know we have little time left.

I have 10 pans of enchiladas made for the farewell. I hope people are coming to eat them!

I think he just realized his mother can't come with him....ha ha love you buddy!

On facebook

Okay so I joined the world of facebook recently. It has been great. I have been able to talk to friends that I haven't seen in years. I know some of you think this is a teenager site but lots of old people like me are on it. It has been really fun. So if you are a member add me as a friend. I am under Gayle Mansell Willardson

Pantry food storage recipes

I am looking for recipes that can be made from canned items that I can buy and put in my food storage rotation. We have had a huge emphisis on food storage and my stake RS president suggested that we get 15 or more recipes that your family likes. These recipes need to be made from items that you can store. So if any of you have a favorite or two let me know. Maybe we can do a section on the recipe blog for using food storage. What do you think?

Alyssa, Karlyen, and Breann after a great recital

Karlyen is their teacher and we think she is great. Notice all the trophies and awards for a great job done.

My grand baby waving hello!

Is this not the cutest ultrasound? Kristy and Chris are only 11 weeks along and this baby is already excited to meet everyone! Her or his grandma and grandpa can hardly wait to meet him or her too!

Amy & Chace Graduate from BYU!

Driving miss Gayle crazy

So I take Breann to lunch today for her birthday and she decides she wants to drive back to school because she still has about 18 hours of driving to get in before she gets her licence. We pull up to the school and I get out to walk around to the drivers side of the car. It is then I notice Breann getting out and the car is moving forward. She realizes then that she didn't put the car in park and is hopping along side the car until she gets in and stops it and puts it in park. Yes raising teenagers is fun. Yes I would do it again. Yes we love it when the learn to drive....excuse my rambling but I hear the power of possitive thinking is helpful. Have a great day and smile!

Help! I need ideas! David has invited a bunch...of friends to his farewell. Between them and this wonderful family that come to support us I need idea's of something to serve after! Any ideas?

Do I look old enough to be a grandma

Well if I look old enough or not Curt and I are going to be grandparents about Nov 10th! We are so excited we can hardly wait. All the fun of spoiling grandchildren and none of the responsibility! Kristy and Chris are expecting! So go check out their blog to see the announcement!
Life is great! I feel so blessed and lucky.
Thanks Chris and Kristy for this wonderful blessing. I know you will both be great parents.

Cruisin fun

Is this not the picture of relaxation or what. Curt and I went on a fun southern Caribbean cruise last week and had a picture perfect time! We had to take this shot from pretty far away as this is a french island and well....topless is in fashion. Pretty scary!

In front of our boat after a great time out. We did a lot of snorkeling and two dives!

Curt and one of our friends Dave Pearson.

Don't you love the towel. Every night we came back to something like this. It was fun!

We were really glad that Curt put his shirt on since the first day his chest looked like a lobster.

One year

March 11th. It has been one year since my mom died. I miss her more in ways now than I did in the beginning and less in some. I find myself thinking about her at odd times. I think how much she would have enjoyed being with us as David went to the temple last night for the first time. Yet I know she was there. I felt her as I drove home. I felt her arms around me as she said the same thing she often said to us. "You are doing a great job with your kids" and I replied out loud...as I was driving alone in my car... "It's not me that is doing a great job. Its my kids that are doing a great job!" I am just honored to be part of their lives. I went today to the grave and left some gerber daisys. I so wish I could hand them to her personally. I know she would love them. I have a lot of regrets today of the things I didn't do when she was alive. It seems I understand her better now than I did then. She was an honorable women who always...at all cost...put her children first. I feel like an ungrateful child. I didn't realize how much she sacrificed for us until now and I am sure I don't even know that half of it. I think its better that way too. I don't think I could take the guilt. Sometimes my children do things or say things that remind me of her. I love that they have some of her qualities. So today I am taking the day to be sad and to mourn "my personal pitty party" Though I know that some of you are having your own as well. I am not quite sure how to get myself out of this except that I do have a great life with a wonderful husband and children. So if you are reading this think of someone you love and do something for them while you can...gerber daisys are nice...

David's farewell

Well for any of you that think in might be fun to come to Utah for Davids farewell, It will be May 10th. Yes that is mothers day. He will be speaking at 2:50. we will have food after. I know you aren't supposed to do the big farewell have food and a party thing but if people are here from out of town to wish my son well....the least I can do is feed you! So let me know if you think yo u can make it!

David gets his call

David is very nervous before opening the call.

Here he is reading his call to.....Houston Texas! We are so proud of him. We know that there are many people there that he will have the chance to teach! Way to go David for being worthy to serve the Lord in this way! By the way his mom is really excited and ready to go shopping to get him prepared! Houston are you ready?

Before the mission call

So Davids call came yesterday and he is coming home tonight. Kristy is driving here from Denver and Amy and Chace are coming up too and from what David tells me half of provo is coming to watch the event as well. I thought as a mother who has already sent one missionary off I would let you all know my feelings. I am so proud of my son for chosing this! I wouldn't want him any other place...however I don't know quite how to discribe the feelings of dread in knowing I wont be answering the phone to his voice saying Hi mom, its your favorite son!...and lately he has been saying Your favorite child...he is working it! Anyway those calls brighten my day! I guess I know how hard this is going to be having gone through it once with Amy. Now before you all comment back about my being selfish and the how the Lord needs him and be excited about the growth he will have and think of how great it will be not paying his car insurance..(my personal favorite) ...I know! Its funny, with Amys call I couldn't wait for her to open it. With Davids he can take as long as he wants. Then I can just sit here in denial longer.
When David was about 7 he came home from Primary one day very quiet and obviously in deep thought. I watched him walk around thinking hard and not looking too happy about what he was thinking. He finally came to me and asked, "Do moms go with their sons when they go on missions?" I explained that no they didn't. David looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Then I don't want to go on a mission." I told him not to worry about it because when he was 19 he wont want me to go on his mission with him. I told him this story as I took him to BYU this year. I asked him if he still wanted me to go with him on his mission. Just as I thought he doesn't. He thought it would be weird introducing me to his investigators. I told him I would be happy to stay home and just cook and clean for him...I better be careful though he might change his mind. So as the fate of my son lies in an envelope on his bed I do have to say, Thank you God for giving me this young man to raise. He has brought me so much joy and comfort! He makes me laugh and comforts me when I am in pain. He has been a blast to raise. I am so proud of him and his choices. So I now give him back to you for 2 years. A small price to pay for allowing me to have him for a lifetime! I love you David and I couldn't be happier for the choice you have made to go on a mission.

The boys will play