We made a quick trip to the Provo area to attend the funeral services of Sister Stucki.  What a great lady!!  Mission mom to Grandpa and a wonderful example.  She was 80 yrs. young, teaching the 16 & 17 year olds in Sunday School and keeping everyone else on their toes.  She was going to Church with treats in one hand and lesson materials in the other, slipped on the stairs in her garage, fell and broke her elbow.  The pain and surgery were just too much for her.  There were about 35 missionaries that attended the services from what started out as the Northwestern States Mission and became the Portland, Oregon Mission when the Stucki's presided over the Mission.  A nice tribute, I'd say!!

While we were there we spent time with these cuties and their parents.  It snowed almost the whole time we were there, but the roads were fine so we made a trip to Costco - thanks Carrie - and Build-A-Bear and the Mall.

 Cam is working on a model of a helicopter...there must be 1,000 pieces - We asked him about it on Christmas Day and he almost has it finished....WOW!!

 The trip home was really quite beautiful...this bank of clouds were ahead of us and we wondered what they would hold....

 Yep, pretty much seemed like a blizzard - only for a few miles - and the roads were fine.  kind of neat...

 Time for a ride on the wheelers....

 At the Neff Christmas party---Haylee and Ellie were the cutest angels!!

 Favorites from our Christmas Tree....

 Card by Ellie...

 Reese's ornament...

This was so FUN...these "kids" really put on a great performance.  Very high energy and entertaining.  It went a good two hours and 20-25 minutes.  I think they may have done some extra number at the end of the show because it seemed like they were prompting the band for additional numbers.  The audience was clearly responsive and Donny and Marie responded as well.  Thanks for thinking of this, Nat and Jared!!

Cam was working on his science project and had to make a magnet..This was really fun and for sure---IT WORKED!!

See that paper clip at the end of the nail....

This is such a sad event in our family.  A beautiful young wife and mother taken in such a strange way.  Just wasn't feeling well and went in to rest for a minute and simply passed away.
Grandpa and I weren't going to go to the service because we were at the Temple...but the longer we stayed the more Grandpa felt like he ought to go..and then Grandma decided she wanted to go with him.  The schedule at the Temple was very light and Bro. and Sis. Willis were so kind to fill in for us, so we left and went over to the Church for the Service.  The family did a great job...very uplifting!!  The three oldest children participated and Kris gave a beautiful tribute to Polly.  We haven't been particularly close to Grant and Allison and their family since the kids have grown up, but it was great to see the family come together--Grandpa's cousins were lovely to visit with...It's great to get re-acquainted with family again.

A Queen Creek girl was being bullied at school -- until the Queen Creek High School football team stepped in.

They protected the girl, who was born with a birth defect, from all the bullies. That alone is a great story -- until this past Saturday when the Bulldogs won the state championship.

When Chy Johnson, a sophomore at Queen Creek High, was getting made fun of at school, her mother reached out to the quarterback of the football team.

Carson knew her daughter from some Special Olympics events he volunteered at, and he took matters into his own hands. But instead of bullying the bullies, he and his teammates led by example.

Carson, Tucker and Colton are Chy's boys. They are starting players for the Bulldogs. They began sitting with her at lunch and escorting her through the hallways – and before long a bond was formed.

Chy was at every game, including the championship game last Saturday. They call her their good luck charm – they were undefeated this year.

FOX 10's Anita Roman reports.

Thanksgiving Turkey - getting the ole' bird out of the dutch oven is a pretty big job..usually takes 2 forks, 3-4 spoons, and several "people"...

 Too busy, to take pictures except for the kids table.

 Oh, what a game it was!!!!  Here we are....after spending all day Friday make these awesome signs, we arrived at the game and the folks there said that no signs were allowed...oh, bother!!!  (Look at that awesome bulldog that Uncle Dave drew....)

 Aunt Nat found these great purple t-shirts and she used the gold duck tape to make the letters and the #42...so fun...thanks Aunt Nat..

Here come the Bulldogs!!!  I think this was kind of classy---they walked the entire field like this - as a team..

The Kick-Off ---Tucker #42

 After a hard fought game..... this was exactly what a championship game should be like.  Two very good teams working hard to play a great game--it's just too bad that one team had to loose.

 Proud Dad and Mom

 Younger brother with dreams of his own...

It was "electric!!!!"

 Little Chy in the middle of the team...she is so tiny I was worried that one of "her boys" might bump her, but they are very protective of her....such a sweet story.

 Coach and the trophy...

 Coach and Tucker being interviewed for the TV stations...

 Cousins at the game...(We couldn't figure out why Talya didn't want to wear her t-shirt at the game..Her mom figured it out last night when she asked the kids to get their clothes ready for school.  Talya ran right in and got out her #42 t-shirt to wear...she had wanted to save it and not muss it up so she could wear it today and show her teacher.)

 Tyanne at the Marine's pull-up competition - she won a water bottle and a sticker...

 Our Hero--hee hee--I guess it's o.k. for the Grandparents to brag just a little - maybe since this isn't on face book, Tucker won't see it...he made the last play of the game - a safety- for the 2 points Queen Creek needed to win the game.  The Coach asked him to block the kick--Tucker said, "Yes, Sir."  When the ball was snapped, it went over the kicker's head - he chased the ball and picked it up about the same time that Tucker reached out, wrapped his arms around the kid and guided him out-of-bounds..(it was SWEET) - Boy, howdy, did the west side of the ASU stadium erupt with sheer joy...Maybe Ty won't see this either, but the proud Dad was screamin' like a girl and bawlin' like a baby...oh, we loved it all.

 Grandpa meeting little Chy...what a doll...We thank her mom for giving all of us a wonderful opportunity to refocus and recommit to "being nice.."  This Queen Creek Team and all of us have learned a valuable lesson that we will always remember.

Fun at the Saturday Night Football Game 

Here Come The Queen Creek Bulldogs!!!

The Grandpa's really get "into" the game...

 Happy Birthday, Ty...couldn't find any "Ding Dongs" so we had to have cake covered oreos.....

 And then it got a little chilly...

Onward and Upward!!!  Congrats, Bulldogs!!