Visit from Jonas' Mom!

I surprised Jonas with an early Christmas present this year:  a visit from his mom!

It was such a wonderful time, and she hadn't been here for over 3 years, so major catching up and sight seeing to do.  We went to the aquarium.

I love this picture!

Shay was so cute, he took a notebook and wrote down everything he saw.  It was his idea.

Grandma Dorothy loved touching the sting rays!  But she was also very skeptical.

Another night we took her to see the live nativity at Liberty Park, called Echoes of Christmas.  If you have never been to this, put it on your list for next year...amazing!!

That same night we took her to walk around Temple Square.  Don't let this picture fool you, the woman was freezing!! We didn't get to see too much because, well, she was freezing!

I love this picture of the kids kneeling by the water.

The kids had never spent so much time with their grandma.  They totally fell in love with her.  She spoiled them, but also taught them good life lessons.  She was perfect.

Another day we walked around the grounds of LaCaille.  I hadn't been there since Junior High!  It was beautiful and had lot's of fun picture taking places.

She was absolutely enamored of the mountains!  She wanted to take a zillion pictures of them, especially on the freeway when we were driving.  She kept asking me to pull over!  I would say "I can't pull over here!"

It was so funny.

Having her here, it was just what our family needed.  I really didn't know how much good it would do for us until she was here.  I was able to get to know my mother-in-law in a way that I had never before.  Besides, she cooked up a storm and did so much for us around the house, I got to eat so many amazing things!

For example, check out the menu for the one Sunday dinner that she made for the whole family:

Red Beans and Rice

Spicy Corn Bread

Pot Roast

Gumbo

Potato Salad

Sweet Potatoes

Crazy yummy huh?  She was really disappointed when she realized that our 12 people were not even going to eat it all in one sitting!

Oh, and she came to church with us too.  It was so funny, she almost started clapping after the musical number in Sacrament meeting.  She was so embarrased.

I am really looking forward to her next visit, which she assures me will be in the summer.  (When it is warm)