Reply-To ALL!

Danielle, I think that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays (2nd to thanksgiving) because of the traditions that Grandma has created! I used to love seeing my cousins at Grandma and Grandpa Dunns house every year and see what they were dressed up as. I loved the chili and I loved walking together as a family around the neighborhood.

These past few years I have gone to your house for it because your neighborhood is active just like Grandmas was. I love seeing my nieces and nephews get dressed up and be something different for one night! I especially love that they plan their costumes out for several years in advance!

Sean, its okay that you've slacked knowing that you're on FACEBOOK posting memories on there (ahem, obsessed)! But I still would love to see all that stuff posted on here so those without facebook can share in these memories!

I agree that I think it's good and healthy that family should get together and share time, advice, and experiences. It is sad to me that at times not everyone is able to participate. I have always put family first in my life and feel that everyone else is just the same way, but i have to remember that things that i feel important are not always that way with others. Our immediate family (gordon for me) will always come first, but remember that your siblings and parents are just as important and need to feel loved and wanted too. I hope I share my love with all of you. I am so in love with every single one of my nieces and nephews. I hope that see that from me.

We do need to support each other as much as we can. I know that Gordon and I will need it soon with our new house. All of you have gone through this with your families so now it's our time to experience all the renovations and everything that comes with it.

Jared and Hez! I am so ecstatic that you are adding to your amazing family. I can't wait to meet the little guy (or girl).

peace

Observations

Well, Whitney I apologize that I have not participated lately on the blog. I have had things I could have shared, but just never made the time to put it down in words.

Robin just got back with the two girls from their girls trip they had with all their cousins and sisters and Mom and aunts. They went on a short Mexico cruise and had a blast. I just got all the scoop on everyone that went and what everyone did. It sounds like they had a blast together. I'm glad they planned that and went.

I have also gotten little bits and pieces of the Warner girls trip, and how much fun you guys had as well. I'm sorry Dori and Heather were not able to go also, because they missed out. I'm glad to see things like this going on.

My title says "Observations", so you might ask why? I observed family members enjoying being together in a fun invironment, different than normal life. Its great! Family needs to be this way. We all have things going on in our lives, and always will. We need support from those we love and those that love us back. I'm grateful for two wonderful families that we have together from our marriage. I'm grateful that my children have all these wonderful aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas and extended family that they get to know and experience.

What I hope, is that we can all make sure and be supportive to each other in whatever ways we can. There are lots of ways to support, financial help, giving of time to babysit, preparing a meal, a phone call, a quick text, an entry in the family blog, etc.

Heather and Jared, congratulations! I wish you all the best! You will have challenges, it will change your life as you know it, but you will love the expereinces you will have with this late addition to the family. Your kids will have a great love for him/her.

Thanks to all for the support you have given and continue to give to us. We feel it and appreciate it.

Have a good week!

Sunday Funday

I think this is a great idea.  I was just looking through my pics and decided to post some Halloween stuff.  I was just reminded of how we grew up with our traditions during Halloween, and I love that all of us still think it's a big deal.  Usually, Ashley, Whitney, Mom and Dad, and Great Grandma come to our house for chili and trick-or-treating.  I love hearing that everyone else pretty much does the same thing, which I think go's to show that traditions really do mean something.

Sunday Fun-Day

so my memory this week is of a town called Laax Switzerland. Some people may know already that I went to Italy for three months to study. It was the fall of 2007 that I lived in Milan. Well part of the program was to give students 3 open weekends, this allowed us to go wherever we wanted. Dominic (the ex) was planning on coming out to see me the last week we were there which was also part of an open weekend. So with my passion for snowboarding I decided I wanted to go to Switzerland. I mean come on, what better mountains and snow can you get? So i researched the heck out of the country and found this town called Laax. It took us 2 train rides, a 2 hour bus ride to another bus, and a short walk to the town. 5 hours later we were there. It is the most beautiful town I have ever seen, and the mountains were the biggest Ive ever seen! I mean seriously its the home of the Matterhorn!

My friends came to meet us for a few days and we took advantage of sledding in the gorgeous snow! They didn't have snow clothes so we dressed them in trash bags! Dom and I enjoyed a day up in the Alps, a scenic walk around town, and the Swiss food is to die for!

Sisters Trip

It was a really great trip. It was really fun to just laugh again with all of you. I really enjoyed everyones company. Thank you whitney for your nice words....it was really sweet. Although I dont really know what you mean about I love my family as much as I love how I look....I didnt really know how to interpret that!?! I am grateful I have such wonderful sisters and sister in laws. I really feel like I can talk to you all about anything, and that you will always give me advice when I need it. It has been interesting being the youngest and watch everyone go through their life stages before me so I can learn from all of you and find the good and the bad and implicate it into my life. You all are examples to me in some way or another and even though I never say it I love each one of you!

sisters {my friends}

as you may know, we had our 2nd annual girls weekend in Scottsdale Arizona this last weekend. Last year Danielle had the idea to have a girls weekend because her and Jon were given a free weekend stay at time share hotel if they walked the tour. Great idea right? So she invited all the girls in the family, Robin, Heather, Dori, me, Ashley, Jillian, and Jeny Monson (cousin). We had a great time getting to know each other better without kids and husbands as distractions.

so this year Jillian thought that we should continue the tradition. Her baby was due at the end of February so we planned to do it in Scottsdale about a month after her due date. This gave us a chance to see the new baby and have Jill close enough to home so she could be there.

We invited everyone again and extended the invitation to the cousins, Amie and Katie, and the cousin in-laws. Since Amie is now in Arizona she decided to join in on the tradition. So weekend total was: Danielle, Whitney, Ashley, Jillian, Robin (for a part), Amie, and Jeny.

I was saddened the night before to get the news that Heather was not going to make it. She has her personal reasons for not being able to come and although I found myself upset, I realize that things come up and sometimes "girls weekends" are not a priority in life. We all missed her tremendously.

We had also invited Dori but she said no. Not really sure why but we wish she wouldve joined in.

But all in all it was fun to just get away from the element we are all used to on a day to day basis. I feel grateful to be able to spend that kind of time with my sisters. Most of you know that the Warner kids are extremely opinionated and competitive in their words to each other and to others. So being together with my sisters can get very energetic and loud. We find that we can really talk to each other about how we truly feel and this weekend was a perfect example of that. We said things to each other that may seem hurtful or judgemental, but in essence we say things and ask things out of love for each other. I feel like we have all grown closer to each other through these discussions and observations of each others lives.

I feel close to my brothers but it is not the same as being close to a sister. I love each one of them so much for many different reasons.

Danielle is the example and matriarch of the sisters. She is nonchalant in her every day doings and makes having 5 children and a husband a piece of cake. She is very smart although she can be a little absent minded at times. She has worked her butt off to be in the best shape of her life which gives me the confidence that i can do the same.

Ashley is very quite most of the time, but she is the most passionate of us all about the things she loves. It makes one wonder why we can't be the same way. She LOVES her job and she is amazing at it. She LOVES her family more then life itself but finds it hard sometimes to show it. She makes me laugh with her snide remarks and "whatever" attitude. Ashley will listen and never judge, she is a best friend.

Jillian is the funniest one of all. Her ability to "do voices" makes me laugh so hard that I wish I could be her! She cares just as much about her family as she does about how she looks, and I don't say that out of shallowness. Her style is unique and bold. She has so much potential with her style ideas, I don't think she even knows what to do with it. But someday you will see her name on items in Target! Jillian is an amazing mother.

I love you all so very much.

Happy Anniversary

This is the official day when it all started. Catherine Louise Dunn married David Allen Warner. They have been married for 44 years. They are such a great example of a successful married couple which is saying a lot nowadays. My parents mean so much to me words cannot even express. Although they have 7 children and 21 grandchildren, they manage to have a personal relationship with each one of us. They have taught me so much in my life and have been wonderful examples to me I am proud to call them my parents.

I love you both so much and wish you a Happy Anniversary!

{Sunday Fun-Day}

so its been almost three weeks of silence. How can 14 of us have absolutely nothing to say? well ive come up with a way that we will all be able to participate without feeling like we dont have anything to say. its called "Sunday Fun-day!" the object of the game is to post a few pictures from your computer that are from the past. They can be from 20 years ago or one year ago. Talk about the memory and experience you had. Try to make them about family. for example, I wouldn't post something about me and my friends going out to dinner one night, but i would post something like a trip we took over the summer!

sound good? pleased participate and PLEASE post "reply posts" to everyone else's even if it's a few words.

My memory is of Newport from 2006. This was the second year (I think) that mom and dad got the beach house down there. I love this family vacation we get to take each year because it brings us all together for a week. Even though the dads aren't there the entire time the grand kids have soooo much fun with each other and the girls can relax and enjoy a break from their homes.



Look how young and cute Jensen was! and this was the year that Mitchel really kicked butt boogie boarding. Jillian was pregnant with her first and she looked so cute in her bikini. She had her baby shower at the cheesecake factory with all the girls! The boys went to surf camp and the little girls loved playing dolls everyday!