Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

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Party, Pizza, Pooped Ramma

Last night Heather & Garrett went to a company Christmas party so Corban & Jayce came to my house to P-A-R-T-Y!!! I had so much fun being with these little boys, they just make me so happy!! We ordered pizza and watched Charlie Browns Christmas and then we made a reindeer. Corban made Dasher because he's fast just like him. And Jayce...........well lets just say Jayce got to the antlers and then tore them off and ran while Grandma chased him around the family room trying to catch him as he ran off with the noses and eyes. Jayce is ready to watch Charlie Brown. He sat still for.......well this picture and that was it! I thought that after his bath he would be tired but I think after splashing me and getting me soaking wet he was re-freshed!

Corban's ready to watch Charlie Browns Christmas but first he was my present. He loved "Pig Pen", he thought he was funny because he was dirty even in the snow. He also felt bad for Charlie Browns Christmas tree, he wanted to help decorate it.

The boys take a time out from playing freeze tag to refuel. I love how Corban gives his little brother a drink, he is so good to Jayce.

Corban puts Dasher on the "Star Trek" tree. It is the only non-Star Trek ornament on that tree. Every year we put up this small tree just for my Trekkie Bart.

Corban shows me Dasher

Last but not least, Jayce gets ready to do a somersault (which he actually did)! He is so funny!!

I had so much fun last night with my grandsons and I can't wait for our next night together!

Gumdrop Tree

On Saturday, Bart and Heather went Christmas shopping together which meant the Corban and Jayce got to play with Ramma!! Yeah!!! We watched Home Alone which is such a fun movie to watch with Corban because when Kevin "boobytraps" his house to catch the bad guys Corban laughs so hard that I can't help but laugh at him. You could just see the little wheels in his head turning with all sorts of ideas.................I just hope he doesn't try any of them on me!!

After the movie we decorated the gumdrop tree. We had so much fun eating......I mean decorating it and I am sure we will need more gumdrops real soon! Corban was so patient trying to teach Jayce how to put them on the tree but Jayce was more concerned on how to eat them off the tree.

I just love these little boys!!!!

Corban & Jayce decorating the gumdrop tree

One for the tree, one for Corban and Jayce
Jayce watches his big brother Corban put the gumdrop on in just the right place

"This gumdrop tree tastes yummy"!

Jayce wants a gumdrop but can't get it off easily so..........

He finds it much easier to get them off with his mouth!

My Best Friend

Heather proudly shows off her new sweatshirt and scripture purse she got for her birthday. Corban and Jayce just want her to open up more birthday presents.

Daddys little girl.
Safety first...........but a lifejacket with a dress???

I met my best friend October 19th 1983. The minute we met I knew she would always be my best friend. One whom I could laugh with, cry with, share lots of secrets, stay up late and watch movies with. I knew that she would be my partner in crime weather it was shopping, eating nachos or chocolate late at night to giving me manicures and pedicures.

My best friend has been my shoulder to cry on when I have lost loved ones, she has made me laugh so hard that I have nearly wet my pants, she has kept my speeding tickets a secret and she has held my hand on so many occasions that I can't begin to count.

There are so many wonderful things I can say about my friend. She is just as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. She loves her family and friends and is always there for them. She is a wonderful wife and the best mother any kid could ask for. She loves her Heavenly Father. She is dependable and she will do her best to do anything for me.

There are so many wonderful things she has done for me over the years but by far the very best thing she has ever done was when she made me a "Ramma" to two beautiful little boys. Nothing can ever compare with this gift and I am so greatful that she has made it possible for me to see my little guys everyday!! I love them so much!!!

As you can tell, my best friend is my daughter Heather!! I just want her to know how much I love and appreciate everything she does. She is truely the best daughter that I could have asked for and I don't know what I did to deserve her.

I am so proud of the person that she has become, the example she is to her family and for the loving daughter that she is.

I love you Heather!!! Forever and For Always!!!!!

Brock lends a helping hand

Every Tuesday and Thursday I get online and read the Price Sun Advocate so I can catch up on hometown "gossip". Anyway, I got on the web site today and as I am reading the front page I see a picture of a very handsome young man with an article about the Student Body from Carbon High School. The picture that is on the front page is none other then my little Brock J.!!!

Brock is in the Student Government and this year they collected over 2,200 pounds of food to donate to the Carbon County Food Bank. Great job Brock!!! He is such an awesome kid and good-lookin too!!!

I'm so proud of all my nephews and nieces and now you can just see another reason why!!

Silly Photos

During the Thanksgiving holiday while Sam and Matt were here, they were trying to do some homework and Corban kept chatting with Aunt Sam. So, Aunt Sam put her homework aside and showed Corban all the silly things her computer could do. Corban thought this was really neat and could have spent hours playing but Uncle Matt made Aunt Sam finish her homework but not before she captured some silly photos!!

Thanks Sam for letting me borrow / steal these pictures from your blog. You are such a good Aunt and the boys really do love you!!

Sam, Matt, Corban & Jayce

Who do these kids look like..........their Moms or Dads?

"Kiss" -- Sam, Corban and Ramma making crazy faces

" Alien Corban". Corban said he looked like an Alien from the planet "Zorbador". By the way, Corban can tell you all about this planet........His planet!

~Thanksgiving 2009~

Our Thanksgiving started out late Wednesday night when Sam and I picked up Jonas and Matt from the airport at 11:30 p.m. It was so great to see my two boys coming down the escalator! I missed them both and was so happy to get hugs!! Airport greetings are the best!!! I was anxious to hear about their travel escapades and as usual Jonas never surprises me with the things he does or says. Matt began telling us how some girl sat by Jonas and he turned on the charm..........he fed her a line and she fell for it hook, line and sinker. He told her he was in film school and has done some independent films at Sundance, he drives a viper and had a lifted Dodge truck etc. etc. By the end of the flight they had exchanged phone numbers. She has already sent him a few texts and a picture of herself. Only Jonas!! We had such a nice Thanksgiving dinner and we are so blessed to have our family together! We do miss our Utah, Wyoming, Colorado families and our friends from all over and we are so greatful for each of you.

This year I made "Thankful Turkey's". I asked everyone in our family what they were thankful for and then I decorated cookies with what they said. It was so fun to hear what they were thankful for and some of their responses were quite funny. Everyone was thankful for family, friends, health, church and then the other responses were candy, hair straightners, Brewster the dog, Chan the cat, pictures, even education. The very best was Corban response his Ramma and Rampa!! It's so nice to be loved by our little guys!
Sam and Corban enjoy some appitizers before dinner. Us girls made "doubled eggs", veggies & dip, cheese tray, chips and salsa, beer bread, spinich dip............. It's a good thing we had snacks because the boys played in a turkey bowl before dinner and when they got home they were HUNGRY!!

Corban helping his Ramma make the cresent rolls. This has been our tradition since he could stand on a chair. It so much fun and Corban can roll a mean cresent!!

Corban rolls the dough by himself. He loves making "pizza"!

I love to set the table with my china, stemware and silverware. I really don't like washing them all by hand!!

Pictures before we eat...........just hurry and smile!

Corban and Jonas had to rest and watch cartoons after dinner. They were stuffed little turkeys!!

Jayce relaxes by doing some "honey do's"!

This Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family!! I love each one of them and I am so proud of all they do. I want this holiday to last longer but the boys and Sam need to get back to school, Bart and Garrett to work and Heather, Corban, Jayce and myself need to start our Christmas shopping!!!

New Moon

Heather, Sam, me and the little boys went to see the movie New Moon this afternoon!! First, we started out by having lunch at the Olive Garden (where else is there to eat if Heather is with you), then we went to the movies. Corban was so excited to see the movie because it had ware wolves in it and that's all he cared about. Well, he ended up falling asleep until just 3 minutes before the part with the wolves. He was sitting on my lap and when the wolves jump Corban jumped! It was kind of funny but then I thought I better cover his eyes so he doesn't get scared but he did not want to have them covered. He was glued to the screen the rest of the movie. There's a part in there where one of the vampires tells Bella to take his hand and Corban said out loud "don't hold his hand, don't do it!". It was funny!! I think he is hooked. Jayce slept all the way through it until about 3 minutes from the ending so we were able to watch the movie. It was sooooooo good, I can't wait until June 30th when the next one comes out. After the movie we went to the mall and did a little Christmas shopping. It was so fun to spend the afternoon with my two girls and my two little guys!!! I'm so LUCKY!!!!!

Trick or Treat

The doorbell rang.................and this is what greeted me!! At first I was scared but then I realized it was Halloween and these two cute little guys were Corban, The Vampire who wants to suck your blood and Jayce, Frankenstein who just really wanted to eat his candy right away! I love these two little boys so much!! They have been to 3 parties and now they are Trick or Treating. You can bet that I loaded them up with lots and lots of candy and pop, you know, just in case they don't have enought treats!!

I just love Halloween!!!!

Goodbye Trapper

Today was a very sad day for the Hyita household. Our family pet member Trapper who has been with us for 15 years was unexpectedly taken from us. :( We got Trapper as a puppy while we lived in Casper Wyoming and he has been our lovable, loyal pet since then. He was the best dog ever and held a special place in each of our hearts!

We have so many fun memories with our Trapper, like our trips to Lake Powell. If the kids were in the water playing and screaming Trapper thought they might be drowning so he would jump in and save them. It seems like he would always find the one dead fish on shore and be sure to roll around on it just so we could smell how pretty he was, or when we would all get in the boat and Trapper would be the last one in and then he would shake and get us all wet!! He loved going places with us and was always such a good traveler!! He loved jumping in the camper and traveling from Washington state to Utah. While Bart would be loading the camper Trapper would lay inside the doorway to make sure we wouldn't leave him behind! He even flew across country to Pennsylvania and when we got him off the plane everyone in the airport wanted to pet him

He loved playing football and baseball with the boys . The boys would hit the ball and Trapper would go fetch it and bring it back to them. He loved running and chasing the kids all over the yard playing tag, hide and go seek or even jumping on the trampoline.

He was our protector! He once cornered a possum and a few years back he even got the best of a raccoon. One day while we lived in Washington, we woke up and Trapper was at the back french doors looking in with a face full of porcupine quills.

He loved to sit, shake & speak. The little kids loved it when he would "speak" and when our nephew Dakota was little he would make his Mom call so Trapper could speak to him on the phone. I don't think there was anyone who didn't love Trapper!!

He became Corban's "boy" and you could always find the two of them in a hug or playing fetch and there were lots of times when Trapper was Peter Pan or Captain Hook, a bear or a horse. They became good buddies!!

I know that he loved each one of the kids and Bart as much as we all love him!!! He will be deeply missed and thought of often!

When we had his funeral today Matt said it best in his prayer, "we are so grateful and lucky to have had Trapper as a member of our family". We love you Trapper and miss you already!!

Heather, Jonas, Trapper & Matthew
Corban & his "boy" Trapper as Peter Pan

Trapper, our faithful and loving family member of 15 years

Happy Birthday Jonas

Happy Birthday Jonas!!

Today is Jonas' 24th birthday!! I can't believe my little boy has grown so fast into a incrediable young man! It just seems like yesterday that he was my sweet little baby that I held in my arms. I remember just holding him and watching him breathe, of course he had bronchinal pneumonia twice before he was 4 weeks old. That was such a scary time but little did I know there would be other scary times ahead. Like when he ran away and I couldn't find him (yes he was hiding in the linen closet--little stink bug!) or when he would fall and scrape his elbows and knees. When he was trying to be a dare devil and jumped from the trampoline to the tricky bars at his Grandma and Grandpa Branch's house and broke his arm. Then there was the time he broke his collar bone during a football game. When he started school. When he got his drivers license. I can't count the many times he called me and told me he was in a car accident and then say "just kidding"---again little stink bug!! I could probably go on and on........

With as many scary times we have had there have been many more times of laughter and fun. Times when we have shared secrets, proud moments of success and accomplishements and watching him grow into a awesome person.

The very best though is when I get hugs.........big hugs! Hugs that say I am still your little boy and will always be. Hugs that say I'm ok Mom don't worry or ones for no reason what so ever!!!

We are so blessed to have Jonas in our family!! He has so many qualities about him that make him stand out where ever or whoever he is with. He has the ability to make people laugh, he is a generous person, he has a very big kind heart. He LOVES his nephews Corban and Jayce. I could go on and on but I will say this..........................

Happy Bithday Jonas!! "I love you forever, I love you for always as long as I'm living my baby you'll be!" ~Mom

On Top Of The World

A few weeks ago Val called Corban and asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he said he wanted Uncle Jeff to take him up on the real mountains and hunt an elk. So, Aunt Val made Corbans birthday wish come true!! Heather, the boys and myself flew into Utah last Saturday and on Sunday morning Uncle Jeff, Aunt Val, Dakota, Delaney, Aunt Sue, Uncle Jim, Brock, Great Ramma & Rampa "Ranch", Aunt Laurie and Uncle Jonas (that was all, I hope) and us all went up above East Carbon to Bruins where Jeff has his hunting camp.

On the way up, Corban got to see several herds of antelope which made the beginning of the hunt awesome!! We then took the switch backs (lots of them) and a steep, steep climb to get to the top of Bruins. Jeff stopped at a view point so we could look down (way down) to the valley below. It was so beautiful!! Words cannot describe the beauty of God's creation!!

We arrived at "Camp Hilton" where the scenery was just as beautiful. Uncle Jeff has camp set up so nice!! We ate lunch and then Corban wanted to "hunt" so Uncle Jeff had Jonas, Brock and Dakota place a recording of a hurt bunny on the hillside and after about 5 minutes he had successfully called in a pack of coyote. We just sat, watched and listened to the coyotes try to find the bunny. Dakota forgot to put the recording on continue replay so after about 30 minutes the coyotes began to rock out on Val's ipod music!!

Then Uncle Jeff took a few "chosen hunters" which did not include me, Jayce, the Ram-parents, Aunt Sue, Uncle Jim or Aunt Laurie (something about us being noisy) out to bugle in some elk. So this is how the story I heard goes.

Uncle Jeff took the "chosen" to a "secret location" and after Jonas carried Corban up and down a hill side, Brock stepping in a fresh cow pie and sliding a bit, Heather & Delaney trying to keep up and be quiet and Dakota and Brock chit, chatting in "whispers", they arrived at a spot and Jeff began his call. It wasn't long that a big elk came in........within 30 yards. Corban was so quiet and just watched as the elk just looked at them. After a few minutes it ran off and the chosen moved to another location. Unlce Jeff worked his magic once again and bugled in lots of big elk!! Corban kept telling Uncle Jonas to go back to the truck and get his pump gun so he could shoot the elk. He was a little upset when he was told they could only watch the elk and not shoot them but he was so excited to see "real elk" in the "real forest" that it was ok.

The chosen said they could hear other elk bugling and running through the trees and some were even hitting horns. Corban was so quiet and amazed and he said that "this was the best day ever!!"

When he got back to camp he told the rest of us the whole story and showed us how each elk looked at him and how they were bugling back at Uncle Jeff!! It was so fun to see the total excitment in his eyes and hear him tell us everything!

We then started our ride back down the switch backs and off the steep, steep mountain to home where we tucked a sleeping Corban into bed where I am sure he was dreaming of "the best day ever" with elk, coyotes, antelope and Uncle Jeff!

Thanks Uncle Jeff for making his birthday wish come true!!!

On top of Bruins looking down on creation!
Corban getting ready to go find the big elk!!!

The hunting began................poor Corban was the elk that Brock & Dakota shot!!

Sweet Baby Jayce, he couldn't go out to call in the elk so he stayed back at camp and cut firewood!

Jonas & I spending quality time together in the mountains!

Fall is Here!!!

I love, love, love fall!!! I love the crisp, cool air in the evenings and mornings, the mild temptures throughout the day. I love the smells of apples and cinnamon and the baking and eating :) the pumpkin cookies and cakes, apple crisp, pumpkin pies.........!! I love the colors of the leafs as they are turning, football season!, Halloween and Thanksgiving! I really do love fall!!!
I put up some decorations around the house last Friday and I had to put most of them up high above the cupboards because Jayce loves to move things around on me!! :) This year I made the Scarecrow hat that is hanging on my front door. Not to bad for someone who is not creative. I also made the pumpkin a few years back (idea from Relief Society) and I just bought the wheat candle holders this year and added the leafs and acorns around them. When I go out to Utah Valerie is going to take me to a fun boutique to do some more fall shopping!! Yeah!!!

Hissssss

Hisssss.........car!

This past weekend Bart and I took Hissssss ......car to a car show. We had to change plans at the last minute and instead of going to the Flight 93 Memorial show (due to rain) we went to the Waynesburg car show instead. It was so nice for Bart and I to do something together and we had a lot of fun. After the car show we went for a ride and got an ice cream and then went to Mingo Park. We even took our top down for the ride home!!!

Peg's Book Club Review

I just finished reading Nicholas Sparks book "The Last Song" and as usual it was such a good book. Nicholas Sparks says it best on the back cover "the many ways that love can break our hearts....and heal them." I can't wait to share this book with Heather and my sisters!!
They are making a movie of it and it should be out in 2010.............girls night out at the movies!!!

Kaelah goes to Washington D.C.

Kaelah Doporto

Our great-niece Kaelah is in Washington D.C. for the Jr. National Youth Leadership Conference!!! Kaelah was selected to attend this conference because of her academic and leadership qualities. This is such an honor and we are so proud of her!! Meagan says that Kaelah is such an exceptional student. She studies and reads every night and gets high grades and honors in school! She is an example to those around her and excels in all she does in school, church, sports and home. She was chosen by her teachers and principal to be among others who are as outstanding as she is!! Not only is Kaelah smart but she is also beautiful and loving (even to her sister and baby brother), she is a good little friend and most of all she is a wonderful daughter, granddaughter and niece!! So here is a big shout-out-----

"HOORAY for KAELAH!!"

Splash Lagoon

Corban had so much fun riding down the "Big Kahuna" and the "Python"!!! Bart and Garrett had as much fun riding the water slides as well. Corban even got his "Ramma" to go down the Big Kahuna!! He was so cute because he kept telling me "just close your eyes like this so the waterfall won't get in them, then open your eyes because its not scary it's just dark for a little while and then when you come out of the slide we can float around and it won't be scary at all"!! He wanted to stay all day because "its ok if your fingers get wrinkled.... the wrinkles go away! "

Labor"less" Day

We spent the Labor Day holiday in Erie, Pennsylvania with Heather, Garrett and the boys! We went to Lake Erie and watched the sunset on the beach. It was so pretty there. I loved watching the boys play by the water and Jayce crawling in the sand discovering rocks and even tasting the sand to see how it compares to the sand at the Price Museum (it wasn't that good by the look on his face!). We also went to Splash Lagoon where there are lots of different water slides and pools for everyone to play in. When we got to our hotel room there was a birthday cake and balloons waiting for Corban (yes, he celebrated another day!). We had such a good time and can't wait to go there again!