Wasn't the best!

We are in San Diego, actually, stuck right now here, since our plane to Nashville Tennessee was cancelled due to 12" of rainfall in the last 24 hrs! The airport is flooded and shut down.

A handful of crew and technical people were going out a day early, flying straight from the San Diego SUV trip to Nashville. There was only 1 day in between and Chad and I decided to go straight out. I was hoping to sight see actually in Nashville on Monday. But not now as all might be under water!

We have heard that the chapel where we are to perform is flooded as well. I have not heard if that leg of the trip is cancelled yet or not. And we are just waiting to see if the Nashville airport opens tomorrow. If it does not then the whole trip will be cancelled as there would be no way to get the whole choir there. They are just taking it one day at a time. The rest of the performances are Cincinnati, OH, Lexington & Louisville KY.

But the plan right now is this - and it's a crazy one! Chad will fly home to work. I will continue to travel with 8 other men (Eric Johnson, Lloyd Benson, Luke Stay, and technical guys, Scott, Rueben and 2 other new ones.) We are flying to Atlanta where the tour bus will pick us up and then sleep on the bus (it has beds) during the night to Nashville. This is all just a bit out of my comfort zone! I am so use to Chad being there and taking care of things for me. And sometimes I get so scatter brained and forget things. He always goes and gets things for me.

I saw a girl today at the airport - oh, maybe about 20ish years old. I could tell she was starting to cry. She was on the phone texting. I went over to her, we had made eye contact and just asked if I could help her. She said that her friends who were suppose to pick her up were not there and she couldn't get hold of them. I felt so sorry for her and there wasn't really anything I could do. I just gave her my phone number and said to call if she needed. Sometimes I feel just like that especially when I am in unfamiliar circumstances.

So....I am just going to take a huge a breath and, well, jump in!

But this is how Chad's trip has been. His flight to San Diego was cancelled due to high winds. He was able to get on a later flight but they lost his luggage. Found it several hours later. Then went to rent a car. He stopped at Denny's restaurant for a club sandwich. The next day he worked to load in the equipment and by the time they were through he had stomach cramps, throwing up and well, didn't leave the toilet. 24 hrs later he was feeling a bit better but didn't dare perform since he couldn't go very long between bathroom runs. He decided not to perform the last day in San Diego just in case it wasn't food poisoning and he didn't want others to feel uncomfortable with him being there. You know how we hate for sick people to come around us.
Then the car we rented had a crack in the windshield so he had to battle that problem. And now, this flight cancelled! Crazy.

Elder L. Tom Perry

Well, what a delightful weekend. Our stake had the opportunity of Elder L. Tom Perry coming to visit and train the leadership. After a 4 hour training with the priesthood leadership, he went over to the Savior of the World production to watch their rehearsal. I was the lucky one who got to photograph him shaking hands and talking with the cast members. Later that night, he spoke to the Young Single Adults so we went to that fireside since Chad is in the Bishopric of the YSA .

Being in the stake Relief Society we were given the assignment to feed the Stake Presidency, their wives and Elder Perry lunch. Late Saturday night after the fireside, I had a call from a member of the stake presidency requesting that I bring my camera to take pictures with Elder Perry. He invited us to bring our families to meet with him. It was so much fun to take the pictures. I loved it. I was just grateful for the opportunity.

After the stake conference, Elder Perry stayed for probably 45 minutes just shaking the members hands. It wa great to be in the presence of an apostle and feel the spirit that he brings.

Then and Now

Thought this was nice of my father. I think the first pictures was taken after high school, around that time. The second picture I took of him when I was in my intermediate photography class at CSN about 5 years ago. I needed to do a high key assignment, white on white. This was my very first thought was to use him in his temple suite - white hair, white suite, white background!

Easter Saturday 2010

The house was crowded. The noisy level was high. The kids were happily playing. The women were in the kitchen preparing the food. It was all good.

The Kennedy family gets together on Satuday before Easter for dinner and our annual egg roll, and the kids easter egg hunt.

We ate dinner and the men left for Priesthood session. Sesily and the girls hid the eggs for the kids hunt. The bags were darling that Sesily and Bree made to collect the eggs in.

I tried to gather all the kids for a picture before the hunt but didn't have too much luck. Here is a cute one of Cohen and Ella.

On the hunt!

Ella.

Cohen.

Amara.

Llayton.

Kennedy.

Kate Sunstrum.

Johnny and Tom Sumstrum.

Grandma Kennedy with Bree & Nicole....Kate, Llayton, Kennedy.

Grandma Kennedy & Llayton.

Sesily and Amara.

Zachary Allen.

Doug & Zach

She's going in for the kiss. Check out her eyes, closed! She's ready!

It was so windy outside that we moced the egg roll inside. Bree won this year.

I went over to Greenspun Jr High school with my parents and we put out over 100 eggs all over the grassy field area. After the priesthood session was over, our little familee had an adult night egg hunt. Everyone had a flashlight and then hunted for eggs. Inside 10 eggs were a piece of paper with a letter. If they got a letter then they were able to pick an envelope with a prize in. This year the prizes were gift cards - mainly to restuarants. Walmart gift card was the big winner - WHOA!

After conference on Sunday, our familee had easter dinner.

Lana helped the kids make resurrection rolls.

We miss Ken, Meg and Bennett especially when we have familee gatherings. Looking forward to summer when they will be here.

Out for a ride with Papa

That dune buggy has been a popular item at our house! Cute pictures of Chad with the kids!

Little Miss Mari

Look who is now 6 months old! Little Miss Mari (I call her that.) She is just precious! It was a rough start at the beginning with acid reflux and colic. She was unhappy and so were her parents. After a few different formula's, she is now on soy milk, she is a much more content baby. Oh, she is darling. It is fun when I get her all alone. Most of the babies nurse so they aren't very far from their mom's for very long. She put herself to sleep after she is fed. She is a sweet little thing. I think she looks like Cohen but most others say she looks like Ella. I just love her!

Pumpkin Patch

Close to our house is a pumpkin patch. I love taking the kids to do their pictures in their costumes. The owners of the patch are always so kind and are happy to let us do this. Some of the extended family came, the Flynn's, Kennedy's and my parents.

When Cohen and Ella came up to me, they shocked me. Cohen looked so different with his dread lock and scarf and Ella, well, she just looked beautiful with her hat on. I really do think each one of the grandbabies are just so 'pretty'! I adore their little faces!

Cohen, Ella, Amara....

Cohen, Ella, Amara, Llayton, Kennedy, Zachary....

Sesily & Ella....

Halloween treats....