Christmas Eve

We had a really fun Christmas this year at Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs. The whole Gibb Family was home for Christmas and the house was crazy but fun.

Kailey adoring her new PJ's.  This is a huge deal for me to finally hit the spot with Kailey liking something that I give her.  Actually I have to give props to Grandma. She is the one that found these PJ's for Kailey.

Sadie was pretty excited about her new PJ's as well.  Can you tell?

Carson getting ready to play the handbells.

Cousins - nothing more fun than spending Christmas with cousins (Jaden, Sadie, and Calli)

Jordan and Bryson

Lily attacking Jordan

 Grandma and Grandpa opening their gifts from the kids.  We had puzzles made of the cabin and a photo collection of all their grandkids.

 I think they liked the gifts.

 Grandma with her newest Grandbabies.
Tyler Gibb (Brandon's 3rd boy)

Grandma and Lucy
(Sonya's 5th child)

And for Christmas Grandma & Grandpa got a really special gift . . . 

Grandbaby #17 Hannah Joy (Justin's 2nd daughter)

Grandma Can You Pull My Tooth?

My mom keeps telling us kids that she really wished one of us had become a dentist. We all think she should have been a dentist as she is the tooth pulling specialist around here. All the Grandkids know that she is the best tooth puller around. She has even pulled out other kids teeth at church.

Just after Grandma Gibb's Funeral JJ came to Grandma and said "Grandma, can you pull my tooth?" Grandma gets a big smile on her face and says "Sure!"

She reaches in to get a good grasp on the tooth and tugs.

Then a little bit better grip is needed so she adjusts her fingers and gives another big tug.

What JJ didn't tell her was that it wasn't really loose enough to come out yet! He just wanted to loose a tooth that day because his cousin had lost one that morning.

As the bystanders cringe, with a death grip around JJ's neck and a face with determination written all over it . . . .

She gives one last hard tug . . . . and out it pops!

Thanks Grandma - once again you've done it. Not even any blood on his white dress shirt!

Grandma Gibb's Funeral

April 27th 2011 one of my favourite people in the world passed on to a better place. I had the opportunity to sit with my Grandma Gibb in the hospital during the last conscious night of her life. She knew she was dying and taught me lots by saying very little as I served her through the night. This is a night that will leave a lasting impression in my mind and my heart.

She taught me about dying - she was not afraid!

She taught me about having a strong testimony of the gospel - she KNEW it was true.

She taught me about eternal families - the greatest thing she hoped for.

She taught me about patience - nobody has more patience than she did.

She taught me to live life to its fullest - we only get one life to live.

As I had the opportunity to speak at her funeral it confirmed to me that she is my mentor and my hero. I want to be just like her.

Until we meet again Grandma - I love you and will miss you!

Great Grandma Weston

On Christmas Eve we spent time in Airdrie with the Weston side of the family. Great Grandma Weston was even there to celebrate with us. She has moved into the Old Folks Home in Cardston but is still getting around real well. While cleaning out her house she was asking if anybody was interested in learning how to play her acordion. I jumped at the chance and inherited this amazing music making machine. (Or as Darcy calls, "the noise making machine") I have been teaching myself how to play it and it has been a lot of fun. I brought it with me Christmas Eve so that Grandma could play it for my kids - to show them how it was really done. We enjoyed listening to her play all kinds of music (with no music in front of her as she plays by ear). She is so talented when it comes to music of any kind. We also enjoyed listening to Grandma play Christmas carols on her old pump organ, which Tracee inherited. There is something special about Christmas music!

My Heirloom Dress

Whenever I wear my new favorite dress I always get a ton of compliments. "Where did you get it? I love the colors! It rocks!" I know the compliments aren't just from people being nice to me because a few Sundays ago I wore it to a choir festival that had choirs from all different religions singing. After the festival they had punch and snacks and 3 ladies that I didn't know came up to me all excited about the dress I was wearing! "That is the coolest dress we have ever seen - it is awesome!"

When I tell people where I got the dress they are always so amazed. I was at my Grandma Gibb's house one day digging through the closet upstairs for my temple dress. I came across this blue dress and fell in love with it. I asked Grandma whos dress it was and she told me it was one that she had made when she was in her mid 30's (the same age as I am right now). She has cleaned out all of her old clothes but this was one dress that she couldn't part with - it was a favorite. She told me to go try it on and it fit perfectly! I asked her if I could have it and she couldn't believe that I would really wear it. Of course I would wear it - it is one of a kind! She was so excited that I wanted to wear her old dress. It's an heirloom for me and I think it is awesome! Grandma wanted to know what people said when I wore it. Every time I wear it I get all kinds of compliments and so I phone Grandma and let her know that everybody loves her dress that is 50 years old. It just goes to show that if you hold on to something long enough it will be popular again!

Grandma Great is really GREAT

My Grandma Gibb is an amazing person. She is somebody who I look up to and hope I can be like in so many ways. I don't know a more loving, kind, patient person who happens to have a LOVE like no other for BASKETBALL. She can shoot the smack with any NBA lover and give you all the up to date stats on any player or any team. Not a game goes by that she hasn't watched from begining to end. She doesn't get to come to Calgary very often so when she decided to come up we were all very excited. We celebrated her 87th birthday while she was here.

The kids thought we should put 87 candles on the cake for Grandma Great but we didn't have 87 candles. Instead we put on 4 (one for each of her children).

Dad, Grandma Gibb (Grandma Great to my children) and Mom!

Among many other talents Grandma is an amazing quilter. She has give each of her grandchildren handmade quilts and has now given her great grandchildren each a quilt made with love. She told my kids that when they snuggle with their quilts they can think of Grandma Great's loving arms wrapped around them! These quilts are her way of giving love to all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren no matter where they live.

Grandma and Sadie.

Grandma and Kailey.

Jordan, Grandma, and Carson.

Grandma you are the greatest!

Cardston Parade

We went down to Cardston for Heritage Days weekend and to watch the parade. It was Grandpa Gibb's 40th Class Reunion and so we decided to go and watch him be in the parade. He did't really want to ride on the float with the rest of his class (he always wants to do something a little different than everybody else) so he decided to follow the float in his Mustang piled with all of his Grandkids. 10 years ago in the parade he rode his new Volkswagon Bug and put ears and a tail on it. His sign said "Mickey's Mouse" because he was known as Mickey Gibb growing up.
This year Mickey's Mustang ripped up the streets burning rubber all over the place! I am sure he will need to replace his tires after their parade ride. All the kids had a great time riding in the parade and throwing candy to the other kids. Of course, they all got candy at the end because Grandpa spoils them rotten!

A Lesson in Buoyancy

So Grandpa wanted to bring the Sea Doo trailer across the lake from the log dump road to the cabin so we can store the Sea Doos at the cabin instead of in town at the marina. It was going to be a long process of floating the dock across the lake (which takes over an hour) and then loading the trailer onto it and then floating it back across the lake. Then we came up with the bright idea of trying to strap the Sea Doos onto the trailer and actually driving the trailer across the lake attached to the Sea Doos. Carson and Kailey willingly volunteered to be the drivers. I decided this would be a great science experiment for Sadie's Boats and Buoyancy science unit so we documented it all.

Kailey (and all of the rest of us including Grandma and Grandpa) are wondering if this is really going to work.

And they're off. It worked like a charm and was so much faster than the whole dock floating process. You can see the trailer under the water.

They sailed off together and it only took about 1/2 hour or so.

The boys (Cody, Jordan, and Weston) think Grandpa is amazing!