December 2015: The Arrival of Elijah Hobbs!

We were so grateful to make it back safe and sound after going through such treacherous weather conditions in Utah and Colorado. As soon as we got into New Mexico, the skies were clear and the roads were beautiful! On our way home, our 9th grandchild was also born! Sam and Kiley had their second baby boy on December 23rd and named him Elijah Kevin Hobbs. Eli looks more like Sam, and Joey looks more like Kiley. He is so soft and sweet!

Sam and Kiley had us over for dinner at their UNM Married Student Housing apartment on Christmas eve, so we got to see baby Eli for the first time. What a beautiful and healthy baby he is! How wonderful for Joey to have a little brother!

We really enjoyed the delicious pasta and garlic bread that Sam prepared. We also enjoyed watching the kids open their Christmas gifts from us after the meal.

On Christmas morning, we FaceTimed Jacob's family and Jared's family opening their Christmas gifts from us. Then Mike and I were invited to Jessica and Sebastian's house for breakfast, and we got to watch them open our gifts along with Seb's parents, his sister Sethrina, and her husband Josh Stoddard. It was a fun and busy morning.

Elijah Kevin Hobbs is about 1 week old in all these photos

Papa Sam with baby Elijah

Beautiful Kiley with baby #2

Elijah's family

Sam and Kiley with their boys

So adorable! What will these two look like years from now?

Finally got to iron on the 9th grandchild's name (Elijah) on his Christmas stocking!

Cute little Beau and Hannah playing on mommy and daddy's bed in late December

On New Year's Eve, the Dunlap's invited the whole family for a pizza party at
 their house. Beau, Tyler, and Elise play together in the boys' play room. 
Sam and Kiley weren't able to come because their family was sick.

When it was real quiet, we caught the kids listening to Hudson "reading" them books

Love these precious grandchildren! Beau and Elise are precious together,
and Hudson is very patient with the younger ones--they flock around him.

The hall bathroom mess while we were using it after we tore out the master bathroom 

Mike needed to convert the plumbing from two sinks to one larger sink in the master 

Mike used a sledge hammer to bust our old cast iron tub into pieces!

Ta-da! After the area was cleaned, I took the sledge hammer and busted out the old tile

Mike gets some expert advice about the bathtub plumbing from our friend Rob

Mike did all the plumbing AND electrical upgrades in both bathrooms
He also tore out a lot of wall board in the walls and ceilings 

SO GLAD all this mess is behind us!

The pretty granite in the hall bathroom before the final cuts were made

The new master vanity cabinets with the granite and sink installed

Our master vanity all done, and we love it!

Our hall vanity all done, and we love it too!

The fun jewelry cabinet/wall mirror that Mike got me for Christmas
He installed it behind our bedroom door

December 2015: Trip to Salt Lake--Part 3

It was a long day of waiting until the banquet was over. I missed all the speeches by both sides of the bride and groom's family, but luckily, Mike recorded the whole thing for me! It was great to watch the footage, especially when Gordon and Taylor spoke. They are both very good, faithful individuals, and they will be great together! It was wonderful to see so many of the Lemmon family together. They are special and dear to us.

Taylor's grandparents

Hal and Mary Jane Lemmon--Gordon's grandparents from S. California

Gordon's youngest brother, Evan, enjoying his food and family

Jennifer and Chris Loch and their family attempting to get their photo taken
down in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Temple Square

Cute little Isadora Loch

Abigail, Abraham, and Isadora

Beautiful Abigail Loch

Candid shots of Chris and Jennifer Loch

My sweet granddaughter, Elise (feeling pretty tired)

Nighttime shot of the Church Office Building 

The lights and the snow were beautiful on Temple Square

Postcard perfect view of the Salt Lake Temple

Inside the gorgeous Joseph Smith Memorial Building

My dear, sweet Shauna and son Jacob--they were fun to have along!

I love you guys and your precious Tyler and Elise too!!!

On the way back to New Mexico, we hit some really bad weather in Utah and Colorado
The visibility was awful, and the roads were slick and icy. We were averaging 25 mph!

Check out this semi-truck that slid off the road in Colorado

And near Cortez CO, there were 15 cars and 6 semi-trucks piled up with no way around them.After hours of being stuck in that traffic jam, we finally turned around and found an alternate route to NM. Due to the weather, instead of 12 hours, it took us 16 hours to return home!