Glad you are back Elder Japan!!!!

Jacob Darrell Gremmert arrived back in the United States of America on February 19th, 2010 after serving a two year mission for the LDS church in Sapporo, Japan. Just like when Aaron came home two weeks previous, we all waited anxiously at the airport for his plane to arrive. It was late of course, but that didn't dampen our excitement. It was so fun to see the similarities to Aaron's arrival home. Basically the only thing that was the same was that they both flew into California first. haha! Jacob took his time coming up the escalator to make a grand entrance, while Aaron came up the stairs. Jacob went to Noah first and Aaron to his Mom. Jacob cried. Aaron...not so much. But you know what, it's those differences that we love about them. They were both serving as missionaries for the last two years of their lives, but they have very different stories to tell and very different experiences to remember.

Are you ready for more endless pictures?

I am so proud of Jacob. When we heard that Aaron was going to Australia and Jacob was going to Japan, we all wondered if their mission calls got switched in the mail somehow. Jacob has always been so carefree, so friendly, so Australia. Eventually we figured that maybe he need the structure of the Japanese culture or the seriousness of the people to help curb his "wild" side. haha! But as time went on it was plain to see that Japan needed Jacob as much as Jacob needed Japan. He really took the time to get to know the culture of the people he was teaching and serving. He truly grew to love them and all that they represent.

I'm a picture stealer...

Our friend Jill Pollard and her little boy Holden ended up being on the same flight to Utah that we were on when we went our mini family vacation in January. It was such a great surprise! I loved catching up with Jill and getting to know her Holden better. He is such a sweetheart! Mad loved playing with him because he is a tough boy and doesn't mind that she gets a little physical because he got physical right back. They are perfect for each other. Don't you think? ha!

Madison is trying to let Holden know in no uncertain terms that she is too young to kiss boys...in front of her dad.

I love that we couldn't get them to both look at the camera at the same time. Stinkers! haha!

Derek + Natasha = LOVE (awwww)

My little brother is getting married. What?! I KNOW! He found the girl of his dreams and is diving in head first. I'm so proud of him! And all of this started when he decided to FINALLY go on a date with Natasha Goodwin...

Meet Natasha Goodwin. She is the oldest daughter of Eva's long time hairdresser Ken and his wife Nona. Mom had gotten Derek a gift certificate three years ago to get his haircut by the newly licensed Natasha. He waited over two years to use it and then he waited almost another year to ask her out. I think maybe he needs to get over doing the exact opposite thing his Mom wants him to do...

This picture is from the night they got engaged. Aren't they so stickin' cute? She didn't even know what was coming. Okay she had some idea.

SICK! GET A ROOM! (It's so fun to be able to say that to someone else now. haha!)

The ring

CONGRATULATIONS DEREK AND NATASHA!!!!

I am so grateful that Troy farts...A LOT

Lisa let us borrow a couple of RV's when we went to the production sale at my dad's ranch in Connell. They were so fun!! The day that we picked them up, the guy told us not to lose the keys or lock them into the RV because they were the only set they had. Well he must have been inspired because lock them in the RV we did. Yes, we locked ourselves out of the RV at a rest stop. Maddie was asleep in her carseat and we need to dump the tanks before heading over the mountains, so we left it running and somehow I managed to push the lock button on my way out. I know. Great parents, huh? We lock our sleeping baby in a running RV. Lucky for us, Troy had been REALLY REALLY gassy the night before and I had made him crack a window. The window was never shut, so we had a way in. I spotted a tire along the side of the road, so Troy rolled it over and used it to boost himself through the window...

Elder Australia comes home!!!!!!!!!

My cousin Aaron Ross Gremmert has been in Australia for the last two years serving as a missionary for our church. We are so excited that he is home. We had a huge group at the airport to greet him. Nick and I even made him a really cool welcome home poster.

Mad and Uncle DK

I really love this picture. I just wish Derek had been smiling.

HERE HE COMES!!!

Running up the stairs! How cute is he?!

Rosie got the first hug of course.

Nick was so excited to see him. He just didn't know what to do with himself. ha!

Hugging his Dad.

Aaron (23 next week) is the oldest of five boys. Jacob (21) will be coming home on Friday from his two year mission in Japan. Seth (19) is serving his two year mission in New York. He is serving a ASL mission and is having a great time teaching the gospel to deaf individuals. Eli (16) is a junior in H.S. He just got his license which totally freaks me out. After he got his permit, he loved to remind me that I was old enough to be the licensed driver in the car with him. Very funny Eli. And then we have Noah. Noah is two and a total ham. He and Maddie are BFF. He is so sweet to his "baby Maddie". Aaron has always been such a great example to his brothers. He is a very hard worker and incredibly intelligent. He graduated from the U of W at 19 with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science. He has always been so willing to help out my parents when they have needed someone to care for Nick. But I really believe that the service he has given over the last two years trumps all of that. He has set the bar high and I'm really looking forward to watching his brothers follow in his footsteps. He really has become such an amazing man.

Madison meet Kaiden. Kaiden this is Madison.

Troy's cousin Dani and her husband Levi decided to make a trip up to Seattle last weekend. We were so excited because we hadn't met their baby Kaiden yet (who is already 4 months old!). We had such a great visit. Madison loved Kaiden. A little too much for Kaiden's liking at times, but I think she will learn to love it later. We decided that as they grown up Kaiden is going to be the one that brings Mad back to reality. She is such a calm baby!

At first all she wanted to do was bite on Kaiden's wipes holder...

that is until she discovered that she could kiss all over Kaiden.


Poor Kaiden thought that if she laid on the floor Maddie would give her some space.
Boy was she wrong. hahahaha! I just love this picture. Madison would not stop crawling on Kaiden. She just loved her that much.

Oh sweet kisses

BB Cattle Production Sale

My parents have recently become owners of a cattle ranch in Connell, Washington. They co-own it with Joe Bennett. Joe's dad Bill Bennett has been in ranching his whole life and has gotten quite a reputation in the Hereford (a breed of cattle) world of superior genetics when it comes to cattle. Bill and his wife Norma decided to retire this year and Joe needed a new partner. My parents were honored to be approached by the Bennett family and have had such a great time learning the ranching business.

Every year in February, BB Cattle has what is called a Production Sale. Our cattle are not sold to feedlots. They are sold to other ranches for breeding. The sale is actually an auction held at the ranch. They added an online option this year. So you could purchase BB cattle from the comfort of your own home. Or just watch the whole thing like Ryan and his kids did in Kentucky. We had a retirement party for Bill and Norma the night before the sale. It ended up being the who's who of the Hereford world. It was really fun to see a bunch of people that had worked with my dad over the years and all the ranchers,executives, etc that had known Bill and Norma for the 50+ years they had been raising Herefords. We found out that night that Bill has registered the most Herefords ever in the American Hereford Associations database.

My sister Lisa let us use a couple of RV's from their fleet for the weekend. They own a Alaska tourism business and they rent RV's out in the summer to people who want to drive around Alaska. Can I just tell you that I want one now? Do you even know how much I loved sitting in the back knitting or making sandwiches all while we were driving down the road??? LOVED IT!!

Getting ready to leave for Connell

Troy loved driving around on his tractor. Sorry some of the pictures are poor quality because I didn't always have the camera and would have to use my cellphone.

A few of the bulls
This baby calf had been born the day before a little premature. He was so weak that we had to help him stand up.

Mad loved watching her daddy ride around and scrape the pens and the driveway on the tractor.

Not the greatest picture of Troy, but it's pretty much the only one of me that night so too bad for him. This was at the retirement party.

So many cowboys... So little time... hahahaha!

My Dad's boss Craig Huffines is the President of the American Hereford Association. And of course my Mom. Can you believe how skinny she has gotten? I know!

My Dad and Norma. Someday I want to grow up to be Norma.

Derek and his new Fiancee Natasha (I'll blog about that soon!!). That is a terrible picture of Natasha. I promise I will get a picture on here that does her justice.

Gosh they are cute!

This was taken on our way home at a place called Judy's in Royal City. We have always wanted to stop there because there was a sign out front that said Judy's Great Food. I wouldn't say it was great, but it was good. haha!

I didn't get any pictures of the sale because I was in the RV with Nick J most of the actual sale. He was having seizures that day and missed the whole thing. Poor kid. He is doing a lot better now.