SOS Sunshine & Rain

Looking Back - A Short Week-end Get Away ~ in October 2011

2012-02-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

"You can never get to peace and inner security without first acknowledging all of the good things in your life. If you're forever wanting and longing for more without first appreciating things the way they are, you'll stay in discord." ~Doc Childre and Howard Martin, HeartMath Solution

With all the doctor appointments, biopsies, surgeries, more doctors visits and at least 20 trips to the lab for blood work, we both felt a little stressed and needed a break away last week-end. We were going down to Enoch for Charlie and James' Primary Program, so we decided to go a day early and enjoy the mountains there. Ray will be starting his cancer treatments soon, so we decided we should "run away" for the week-end, as it will be some time before we have the opportunity to go again.

Ray found a lovely condo down at Brian Head, at Cedar Breaks Lodge, so we went down Saturday afternoon and spent a very relaxing and peace-filled afternoon and evening there.

Swimming in their beautiful pool was in the plans. . . but we both fell asleep and had a nap instead . . . but we
definitely plan to go back and enjoy that lovely pool.

It is beautiful there in the mountains, so lovely, peaceful and quiet as it is between seasons for them. We toured the small village, a few shops and went back to our room to enjoy a lovely steak dinner (still on the low-iodine diet) and a movie.

Ray at Cedar Breaks Lodge

I am so grateful for this good man in my life. He is lots of fun and as a friend said, "has a demented sort of sense of humor." He is really "punny, " and quick witted. He is kind and gentle, thoughtful and always looking for ways to help others. I love him dearly. He is such a blessing and gift

Sandy - getting some ideas for our bathroom remodel.

of goodness in my life.

Tree House Museum

2012-02-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

"The future of the world is in very small hands."

~ Ellen Galinsky

Saturday, January 28 we went to the Tree House Museum as part of Ashton's birthday celebration. What a terrific place for children and families. There are lots of fun toys to play with like the giant foam and vinyl blocks above. Children can create all kinds of fun things out of this train. There are great cultural exhibits from around the world, with hands on toys, activities and books to read.

Grandma Sandy planting a garden with Ashton and Hunter

The toys are all sturdy, and made for learning "hands on style."

Ashton and Hunter playing in the Farm Area

Ashton and Grandma Sandy milking the cow

Ride 'em, cowboy! Hunter

Ashton building a castle in the King Arthur area.

Along with these great building toys, they also had a "stage" where children could dress up as knights and ladies and perform in a play.

Hunter and Ashton building a house out of legos.

We spent lots of time in the legos section. Other children come and add their blocks and ideas and the house just kept growing and changing.

Ashton and Hunter guarding the sword of Excalibur

The last time Ashton and Hunter went to the museum, they went to see the sword, but alas, it was gone. Ashton wondered, "What lucky little boy had been able to pull out the sword and become King?" They went to play and on their way back, the sword was there again. Ashton went up to try and pull it out and behold, out it came! Brittany said the amazement and joy on his face was delightful to see. So he found out what lucky little boy had become the King!

Ogden Firefighters

Learning about keystones and arches ~ Ashton, Brittany and Hunter

Birthday boy's lunch at The Pizza Factory

Sunshine in January

2012-01-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

"The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there." ~ Monica Baldwin

Two lovely surprises today: a fun letter in the mail from Tiffany and Brett, that made us just laugh! . . . and this lovely Amaryllis from my friend Carol bloomed. Little things that bring such joy!

A Trip to the Firestation

2012-01-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

"People are always asking me how is it that firefighters run into a burning building when everyone else is running out. Courage is the answer." ~ Chief Kennedy in Ladder 49v

Hunter and Ashton ~ trying out the fire truck!

It was Ashton's birthday and Papa Ray had put together some computer equipment for one of the local volunteer firestations, so we all went along to help deliver the goods. They gave Ashton and Hunter the royal tour, and we got to tag along!
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13 is our lucky number too!

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Ashton, Hunter and Chad

The volunteer firefighters who were at the station that day taught us a lot about the trucks, their equipment, the special suits and helmets they wear, and a few things about going into a fire. It was all very interesting.

Little boys dream day

We were impressed by the dedication, commitment, and "fire" in these volunteer fire fighters hearts. They are truly serving our community as they give of their time, their talents, skills and expertise everyday. We salute you and the families that support and help you be there when you need to be.

The new guy at the station put on his full gear. They have to be able to have it all on in 30-60 seconds!

Checking out the ambulance

Hunter and Ashton trying on the firefighters hats - they're heavy!

Chad, Ashton, Hunter and Joe

Thank you for a great tour and a great way to celebrate a little boy's birthday!

And thank you, especially, for your service to our community.

Tribute to a beloved friend

2012-01-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, impossible to forget."

Judy ~we love you and we will miss you!

Judy and I at Ardis'

My dear friend, Judy, finally finished her three year battle with cancer, and has gone to have a joyous reunion in eternity with her loved ones there, but she has left a legacy of love and service that will live on here with her family and friends forever.

Lunch at Bull Pepper's in Payson, November 2011

Delivering comfort pillows to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center

Preparing for Heather's reception

Festival of Trees prep November 2011

Doggie socks for the Gift Shop at Festival of Trees

Flower Power - Hair ribbons for the Women & Children's Center

Ornaments for our Festival of Trees 2011

Making tee-shirt dresses for little girls in Ghana

Delivering tee-shirt dresses to Village of Hope founders

Tying a Quilt for the Humanity Center

Making Nativity Scenes at Super Saturday

One of our many wonderful potluch lunches at Judy's home

Decorating our tree for the Festival of Trees 2010
"Judy loved the Savior and lived her testimony of the gospel each and every day. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. She is such a great example of Christlike living. Judy loved life to the fullest. She was interesting to talk to and so much fun to be around. I will cherish the memories of her friendship, her love, her laughter, her beautiful voice as she sang the hymns she so loved. I watched as she served and attended our We CAN events or YW even when she didn't feel well, but she didn't want to miss a lesson or weekly activity and she always shared her love and testimony of the gospel. in everything she did. What a great woman! What a dear friend, I will miss you greatly, but cherish these past few years of friendship and beautiful memories." ~Love You and Miss You!, Sandy

Giving Thanks

2011-11-30T20:48:00.000-08:00

"Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

grat·i·tude /ˈgrætɪˌtud, -ˌtyud/ [grat-i-tood, -tyood] noun the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

I cherish this lovely card that was made
and sent by a friend with its powerful message

I have been pondering this word, this attitude lately. I find that when I feel grateful to someone or for something, my heart is full of joy. I feel more inclined to think kind things of others and see the best in them and my thoughts are more in sync with doing something kind for someone else. I often say, "Thank you!" But all too often, I fail to send a "thank you," I intend to get that thank you note written and sent to the person who gave an especially inspiring talk at church on Sunday, to the kind neighbors who came to clear the snow from our driveway and walk when my husband was not feeling well, to that thoughtful person who mowed our lawn one afternoon while we were at yet another doctor's appointment, to each of the loving friends who filled our freezer with ready made meals before Ray's last cancer procedure, to the dear friend who just calls to see how my day has been, for the wonderful vegetables left on the doorstep, for the fresh loaves of bread, for the loving children and their wonderful spouses who drop everything to come and be with us during such a stressful time in our lives and come again to help to repair the roof and fix the leaky plumbing in the bathroom and get it ready to be retiled, etc. etc. How can I tell you how grateful I am to each one of you for your thoughtfulness, your love, your concern, your kindness.

I love you dearly and my heart is full and grateful for each one of you. Thank you so very much.

I Know the Scriptures Are True

2011-11-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

"Empower your child by giving him/her a choice and a chance. Let them learn to make their own decisions, when appropriate, and learn to trust their feelings."

~Doc Childre and Sara Paddison

Ashton and Hunter, after church

C and B invited us up to Ashton and Hunter's Primary Program October 23rd and it is my favorite Sunday of the year. One day, afew months ago, Britt called us on the phone and two year old Hunter sang from memory, "Praise to the Man" Wow! We were so impressed and it still makes my heart glad just to think about him singing that beautiful, but lengthy hymn. The children sang many beautiful songs during the program, my favorite is, "If I Listen With My Heart," by Sally DeFord.

"If I had been a little child when Jesus lived on earth,

I would have liked to walk with him and listen to his words.

But as I search the scriptures, I can hear his words of peace,

And if I listen with my heart, I hear the Savior's voice."

MaCaleb is growing fast and starting to get chubby cheeks!

Ashton had a part in the program and he got up and spoke clearly and confidently about the prophet Moses. Then he sat down. Hunter, who was also up sitting by his brother and his mom, started to cry. Well, it turned out that he also had the part memorized and expected that he would also have the opportunity to give his part just like his big brother did. Hunter is not offically Primary age yet, but goes to the 3-year old class because Britt teaches it. So both little boys knew all the songs and their part well. So, after the program, Cory took Hunter up to the podium and let him say his part - and he knew it by heart and did not even hesitate. It was a beautiful program and we were so pleased to be there.

Then on October 30, A & W invited us to join them in Enoch for Charlie and James' Primary Program. It was another delightful Sunday. Charlie got up and delivered his part loud and clear and sang all the songs, it was so fun to watch him. James said his part, "I like to go to Primary," and he knew all the songs, but he said he was "singing them in his head." Anyway it was a lovely Primary program and we so enjoyed it. Afterward, we went over to A & W to visit and have dinner.

Charlie, er, I mean Batman to the rescue

Gigi had brought Halloween costumes for the boys, so they were excited to try them on.

James as "Thomas" and Arianne

Will made a scrumptious dinner of meatloaf, scalloped potatoes and vegetables, and followed it up with caramel apples! We were royally spoiled!

Gr Sandy and Nathanial

Nathanial has really grown and is crawling everywhere and standing up whenever he can. He likes to go "walk-about" whenever someone is willing to hold on and go with him. He will be walking soon!

Anyway, I love watching the children and hearing them sing those beautiful songs. The spirit is always strong as they sing and share their knowledge of the gospel and their love for the Savior. It was many years ago, when I was eight years old, our Primary was asked to sing in Stake Conference. We sang, "I Wonder When He Comes Again," and "I Am a Child of God." It was while we were singing that the spirit first bore witness to me that the Savior lives and loves us. That was the beginning of my testimony. I too, " know the Scriptures are true!"

Tender Mercies

2011-10-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~Maori Proverb

A few weeks ago, as I was headed down the road to meet Ray at yet another Dr. appointment, my heart was heavy and as I went over the hill, I came upon this magnificent field of sunflowers just west of our city office building. It was the ray of sunshine that I needed at that very moment and reminded me of those wonderful tender mercies that are sent our way by a loving Father in Heaven. I didn't have my camera with me that day, but I did today - and the autumn colors were magnificent this morning as I drove down the hill to church with yet another heavy heart, I looked up and felt Heavenly Father's love for me radiating on all the hill sides. It is a most beautiful time of year and we are surrounded by the beauty of His creations.

Brittany, Macaleb and Ashton

Another tender mercy is this handsome new grandson ~ Macaleb Warren

Just behind our home lies a beautiful mountain range and it is only a few miles to drive up the canyon to enjoy the beauty there. It is one of my favorite places and I like to go there whenever my heart needs a lift.

Last week-end Ray and I took a little drive up to what is called "The Devil's Kitchen," it looks like a minature Bryce Canyon, tucked away near Mt. Nebo.

And this huge field of pumpkins just made me smile ~ it reminded me of the bounteous blessings we enjoy every single day, and like the myriads of pumpkins, there are so many I could never count them all.

Singing in the Rain - Sawyer Brown in Concert

2011-08-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

"A thing long expected

takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes."

~ Mark Twain.

Arriving early, to get good seats, we waited for two hours for the concert to begin and the weather was lovely. . . then right before 8 o'clock, the wind began to blow and it sprinkled a little, and we waited a little longer, then it really began to rain . . . everyone who had blankets shared them with those who didn't . . . and we waited a little longer.
Finally, it slowed to a sprinkle again, so they mopped the stage, uncovered the speakers and instruments and 1 1/2 hours past show time - Sawyer Brown was on stage! "My home town's coming in sight, if you think I'm happy your right
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight. . ." And what a great performance! Mark Miller dances as he sings and they all put on a great show!

Their music is so much fun! The audience, clad in blankets, jackets, and trashbags found the music well worth the wait and danced, clapped and sang along.

Gregg "Hobie" Hubbard stealing the show

Mark Miller was literally singing in the rain, he towel dried the microphone many times and as the rain was coming in from the south, you can see in the photo above how wet the back of his shirt was. We went home drenched, but still singing!

Cruise to Eternity - Bears in Camp

2011-07-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

"Life wouldn't be memorable, without a little excitement along the way." ~ Me

My cute Beehives ~ they keep me laughing! I love them, they are so much FUN!

Our YW Girls Camp was at Payson Lakes this year. We had 26 beautiful YW, plus leaders and priesthood~ Our theme was "Cruise to Eternity". We had a beautiful campsite not far from the lake, with plenty of shade, lots of tables and room to cook, and all the tent sites were a little on the sloping side.

The girls made some great t-shirts. With colored permanent markers, you draw dots or designs and drip alcohol over it - it makes the colors bleed and gives a fun designed, tie-dye look.

We had a "Captains Dinner" and everyone dressed up ~ it was strictly a black and white tie affair ~ the girls' ensembles were made from trashbags and duct tape ~ they came up with some ingenous designs and even made some tuxes for the priesthood leaders!

Early the first morning, two of my little Beehives went down to the WC and came back screaming. They had just seen a bear across the parking lot, scattering garbage everywhere. We had followed the camp hosts many warnings, and had put all of our food away, taken treats, toothpaste, deodorant, etc and locked them all in the Scout Trailer in the parking lot, etc . . . but the camp host later told us that he had forgotten to come back and lock the garbage down and the bears were having a great time . . .but not to worry, someone would come up with dogs and chase that bear away. . .

So, we went on a beautiful 5 mile hike - the wildflowers were lovely and the weather pretty near perfect.

Later that day, we cooled off in the lake. While we were at the lake a lady from the campground next to ours told us she had just seen a bear in our camp!

After that, things started happening fairly quickly. The camp host came and asked us about the bear, then said we had two choices, we could pack up and go home ~ or pack up and move up to Blackhawk, if there was room for us up there. The girls did NOT want to go home, ("We're having TOO much fun!") so the host drove up to Blackhawk, procured us a new site and when he came back we were, as instructed, packed up and ready to go. Thank goodness for our great Priesthood leaders who were there to help us ~ Apparently it was in the news several nights running! Apparently, we had not one bear, but two . . .

Our new site was much smaller, but we stilll had a great time. We had a spirit filled "Faith Walk," made necklaces, played games, had some great food, funny skits and finished our last night with a wonderful testimony meeting. I so love these YW ~ they are so much fun to be around, and are filled with love, laughter and life! This IS and has always been, my FAVORITE calling, I love to be serving in YW.

A Few Days in the Garden of Eden ~ 3

2011-07-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

". . . We call upon [people] everywhere to put family first and to identify specific ways to strengthen their individual families.. . In today’s world, where Satan’s aggression against the family is so prevalent, parents must do all they can to fortify and defend their families. . . Brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins can make a powerful difference in the lives of children. Remember that the expression of love and encouragement from an extended family member will often provide the right influence and help a child at a critical time.. . ." ~ Russell M Ballard October 2005

Grace and Sadie ~ a cute Spaniel that adopted us while we were in Eden

Some went golfing, some went house hunting, others stayed and played games and soaked in the hot tub . . . lots of laughter, games, friendly competition, great food , plenty of fun, lasting memories . . . that's what vacation is all about.

Ethan making a great catch and Charlie coming to help

Charlie and Sandy

A little more geocaching at the park ~ Cori, Charlie, Grant, James, Grace and Ashton

Under the Troll Bridge ~ Brittany,Jesse, James, Ashton, Charlie and Grace

Collecting ammo ~ Ashton, Charlie, James and Grace

Splash! ~ James

A splash war across the stream ~ Ashton and Charlie getting a little wet

A little Dance Revolution going on ~ Megan, Brittany, Ray and Jesse

Cori, Arianne, Brittany and Megan

A Few Days in the Garden of Eden ~2

2011-07-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

"You don't choose your family.
They are God's gift to you,
as you are to them."
~Desmond Tutu

Ethan

Our family outings the last few years have included geocaching~ it is fun for all of us and we get to hike and see some great places and the call of "buried treasure" keeps the kids hiking onward and upward! We found three hidden caches on this trail near Pineview Reservoir.

Brittany, Hunter and Ashton

The wildflowers were breath taking !

Grace, Hunter and Ashton ~ happy hikers

The hike overlooks Pineview Reservoir

Cori ~Aha! We FOUND it!

Geocaching is lot of fun ~Especially when you actually find the treasure!

Ashton

Eden and Jesse

All tuckered out

Ashton and Grace

We spent another day at the lake - we had intended going to Pineview, but because of cooler temperatures and threatening storms at Pinewview, we ended up back down at Willard Bay, which was a good choice - the weather there was beautiful, the temperature perfect and the water, GREAT!

Cori and Randy

Grant

Megan and Joshua ~ he wasn't too sure about that cold water

Tickle Bugs . . . Ashton and Grace waking up Papa Ray

Ashton and Grace ~ "Well, we said we were hungry and wanted a BIG Breakfast, hmmm . . "

A few days in the Garden of Eden ~ 1

2011-07-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

"I don't care how poor a man is,

if he has family, he is rich."

~ Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, "Identity Crisis," M*A*S*H

Hunter, Grant, Ashton, Grace and Cory ~ bug hunters

Tuesday we headed up Ogden Canyon to Eden located in a beautiful, peaceful valley. We rented a lovely home there . . . there was plenty of room for all of us and we had a great time~

Grandma Sandy brought some "Bug Hotels" and nets, tweezers, etc and the children got busy looking for insects of all kinds. They found quite a few ~ beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders . . . observed them for a while, fed them, then let them go back home.

"Oh, my goodness, what did you find?" Brittany with Hunter, Charlie and Grace

The beauty that surrounded us, beckoned us outside ~ we went on several bike rides and hikes in the area.

Ethan, Joshua and Megan

Cori, Grace and Grant and Jesse

Sandy and Ray

Ashton and Hunter

Grace and Grant getting buckled in

Joshua and Megan

The new Momma and their babies ~ life couldn't be more beautiful!

Jesse and Eden

Arianne and Nathanial

A Stop at Hill Field Air Force Museum

2011-07-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." ~Elmer Davis

We thank and honor all those who serve our country now and have served throughout our nation's history~

This is a BIG plane! Hunter, Charlie, Grant, Grace and Ashton

The Hill Field Air Force Museum is a great place to visit. It is filled with planes, history, and heroic men and women, who have served our country and fought for our freedom. We stopped by July 5th on our way up to the cabin.

Hunter and Grace trying out the pilot's chair

There are some fun, interactive things for the children to do, but Ray and I would also like to go back sometime, when we can stop and watch all the videos, and take time read the history in detail and learn more about the planes.

Grace and Charlie

James, Ashton, Charlie, Grant, Hunter and Cory ~ watching a presentation

Grandma Sandy with Charlie and Nathanial

Presentation of the flag ~ Charlie, Hunter, Grace, Ashton, Grant and Cory

Grant ~ busting out the moves and the museum is a great place to Break Dance!

We had a great trip through the museum, but on our way back out to the cars, Charlie accidently ran into the tail of a plane and had a huge gash next to his left eye . . . so we made a dash for the emergency room and four stitches.

As we were sitting there waiting to be helped, a gentleman sitting next to Charlie in the waiting room told him that he was a mechanic for many years on those airplanes and he had himself bumped into a sharp point and had to have stitches - and he had seen many others do that as well. It made Charlie feel a little better somehow to know even the guys who work on the planes everyday get bumped around a little.

Celebrating Independence in Westpoint

2011-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

"Those who won our independence . . . valued liberty as an end and as a means. They believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty." ~ Louise D Brandeis

Danielle, Allyson, Kourtni, Damien and Mason

Westpoint City puts on a truly great 4th of July celebration. The City Council, the Planning Commission, and hundreds of volunteers work together to make a memorable, fun, family oriented celebration. We sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard to put this celebration together - we enjoyed the whole day.

Waiting for the parade to begin - Kourtni, Damien, Charlie, Ally, Danielle, Randy, Brittany and Ray

First, the races at 6:00 a.m. . . . Cori, Jesse, and Ethan ran in the 5k, Ray,Megan (and Joshua, too) and I walked. The weather was just perfect, still slightly cool and a beautiful morning to be out. There were a few in our family who actually placed in their division! We went home and had breakfast, then headed back at 8:30 to see the parade, a few family celebrities were starring in a float!

Clockwise - Allyson, James, Damien and Mason, Grant, Arianne and Nathanial, and Eden

I loved this photo of the kids on the float ~ Ashton, Sydni, Hunter and Grace throwing candy to the crowd

Planning for the Future~Cory, Jacob, Ashton, Sydni, Hunter and Grace

Our future is in good hands with these great kids~

The best part of the parade ~ cutest kids in the Whole Wide World~ Ashton, Grace, Sydni, Hunter and Grant

Jacob, helping Grandpa Ray polish off the pie from the pie eating contest, Will and Brittany both entered the pizza eating contest and Ray volunteered for the "hot pepper" eating contest

Ray checking out a close one

For the children, there was a climbing wall, bounce houses, slides, booths for face painting, fishing ponds, and a huge play ground. They had contests of all kinds going throughout the day: limbo, dancing, guessing games, Bingo, and lots of eating contests. ~ our bunch volunteered for lots of the eating contests . . .

The guys formed three horse shoe teams ~ Ray and Ethan, Will and Damien and Cori and Cory and they all played well. C & C made it to the finals!

Will observing before he plays and Ethan in the pit

Charlie, up top, Grant, Grace and Ashton leading the train of children on the slide

Our 2010 Babies ~ Nathanial, Mason and Eden

Picnic in the Park, before the Fireworks

Grace~flying the flag, Grant~with a pirate's heart and Kourtni~ Madame Butterly

Grant, Cori, Jesse, Grace and Eden

A great day ~ with a fabulous finish

Westpoint Week-end

2011-07-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

"You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough." ~Joe E. Lewis

Ashton - loves the water! He spent hours playing in the water and the sand.

The whole fun fam (except Tiffany and Brett ~ we missed you!) got together for the 4th of July week-end at Cory and Britt's at Westpoint. We had a great time together. The children loved playing outside together and spent lots of time running and playing in the playroom downstairs. Saturday, we took the waver runners and spent the day at Willard Bay. It is such a great place to boat and play, the water is a nice temperature, the beaches are sandy, there are plenty of places to picnic and enjoy the sun.

Cory, Ray, Sandy and James - a little respite after lunch

James ~ enjoying a peanut butter & jelly pita

Joshua's Blessing Day

2011-07-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

"Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future." ~Gail Lumet Buckley

Mason and Jacob, Sydni, Danielle and Allyson, Damien and Kourtni, Megan, Ethan and Joshua, Hunter, Cory, Brittany, Jesse and Eden, Ashton, Grace, Grant and Cori, Ray, Sandy and Charlie, Will and James, Arianne and Nathanial

Joshua Ethan was blessed on Sunday, July 3rd, so we drove up to Logan early Sunday morning to be there for the 8:30 meeting. Ethan gave him a beautiful blessing and I felt so grateful for a son who honors his priesthood and loves his son and wants the best for him. My heart was full to watch my good husband, sons and son-in-laws, gather round that darling little boy and I felt the power and strength of the priesthood as they formed a circle around Joshua to give him a name and a blessing. I am so grateful for the restoration of the priesthood and the great blessing it is in our lives.

We went to Ethan and Megan's home and had a lovely brunch of pancakes, frittatas, fruit, muffins, and juice. We visited for quite a while, then went over to Steve and Janet's, where the children were able to run and play and enjoy their lovely back yard and we all enjoyed a great Cafe Rio style burrito buffet and desserts later in the afternoon. It was a wonderful day.

Janet had lots of fun things for the children to do - they colored pages and stickers galore!
Kourtni, Grace, Ashton, Cory & Hutner, Brittany and Eden.

The kids love wrestling with Uncle Ethan!

Brittany and Hunter playing ball

Papa Ray holdilng Eden

Arianne feeding Nathanial

Oh, Where Did June Go?

2011-07-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

"Life is like a coin.

You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once."

~Lillian Dickson

Joshua and Megan

Megan and Joshua came down as a surprise for my birthday ~ what a wonderful surprise that was~ the best! Danielle, Jacob, Sydni, Kourtni, Ally and Mason also came over to join us for some dessert ~love all those cute kids! Was a great day!

Mindy, Ray, Irene, Hylan and Mark

We went over to Denver for a few days to see Ray's Mother, Irene. It was delightful to be with her as always. She showed us all the changes in Sheridan, the area where Ray grew up. We drove over to the old Englewood area to get the best "grilled hot dogs in town," we played Zion's check with Mindy and Irene and got to visit with Ray's cousin, Mark and his son, Hylan.

James enjoyed the sunshine

James came to stay with us for a few days while his Mom was packing and preparing to move to Cedar City. We had lots of fun making cookies, playing in the pool, helping Grandma weed the garden, jumping on the trampoline, and reading stories.

Hunter and Ashton - bubble time

Brittany, Cory, Hunter and Ashton came down for a week-end for a friend's wedding reception and to enjoy the Elk Ridge City Celebration.

Ashton,Hunter, Brittany, Cory, James and Ray at the Fireman's Breakfast

Ashton, James and Hunter on the pumper truck

Ashton, on the slide

Hunter, getting creative on the slide

James loved the bounce house and the slides ~ he spent the whole morning going between the two.

A Visit to Little Sahara

2011-06-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

"It is good to realize that if love and peace can prevail on earth, and if we can teach our children to honor nature's gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here forever." ~ Jimmy Carter

Over Memorial Week-end we went out to the sand dunes, a state park, called Little Sahara. The parking lots were packed with RVs and trailers, but we found our own little spot of heaven on a hill and set up some shade and a picnic . . . the weather was perfect and the company superb!

Cory and Ray took out some rockets to the sand dunes, which created lots of fun and gathered quite a crowd of "helpers." Each of the children took turns pushing the button that blasted the rocket off, after we had an official count down, of course, in English, Spanish, etc . . .

Then the race was on to spot the rocket in the sky and run and pick it up when it landed. A now famous Beatle also took his first walk in space, survived the trip and went home to tell his beatle brothers all about his famous ride.

Ashton and Sydni, coming down the sandy slide

We played horseshoes . . . Sandy & Jacob

Sandy and Ray ~ the weather was interesting, hot and sunny one minute, then breezy and cool the next . . .

Ashton and Brittany with a couple of the boys who came and chased rockets with us~ great kids!

Jacob ~ Cool kid in cool stuff

Syd - still beautiful and smiling, as always!

Ashton ~ he just enjoys life, laughs and has fun!

Hunter, after rolling down the hill . . . he had sand in his ears, hair, nose, eyes, mouth and was still just grinning!

The beautiful view on the way home.

Bird Watching this Spring

2011-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

We have enjoyed watching the birds come to our bird feeders this spring~

Lazuli Buntings

Blackheaded Grosbeaks

Mourning Doves

Bullock's Oriole

Not sure yet what these little yellow and red ones are . . .

And a few other "Bird Watchers" as well . . .

A squirrel that is living underneath our trampoline is a frequent visitor . . .

And this stray gray cat keeps showing up . . .

"If you wait long enough, something good will happen . . ."

but I had to shoo him away, I didn't want him to snack on those beautiful birds.

The Little Joys of Life

2011-05-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

"Grandchildren are loving reminders of what we're really here for." ~ Anonymous

Charlie at his last soccer game this season

We so enjoy going to watch the grandchildren when they play sports, or perform in school plays and have special programs, just as we did when our children were growing up. Our closest grandchildren will be moving away shortly to North Dakota, so we will really miss them and going to all of their special events! The last couple of weeks have brought lots of events as schools are winding down and preparing for summer break, so we have savored the moments while we still can.

Sydni - running in the 100m dash at the Hershey's

Sydni took a close second place in her heat, but if the race would have been timed, she would have gone on to the finals, as it was a really fast heat. She did a great job!

Kourtni's Kindergarten Graduation

The Kindergartners entertained us with some delightful music and what they loved best about school. They sang several songs, but my favorite was a song about the ABC's and they signed ASL during the whole song. We loved it when they all threw their caps into the air ~ delightful!

Jacob ~ teaching us about Utah History

Jacob's 4th Grade class performed three different plays in the morning, plays that they had adapted from children's books: "Strudwick, A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing," and "The Perfect Nest," are the two that I remember. Then, after lunch, they presented a Utah History Program that was terrific! They had learned at least ten songs and new them well, as they sang with gusto! In between, they each had several speaking parts teaching us about Utah's History. It was a great program! Kudos to Mrs. I and all her fourth graders for a job well done!

Celebrating Anew

2011-05-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

To understand your parents' love, you must raise children yourself.

~ Chinese Proverb

So what's the fuss all about . . . ME???? Joshau Ethan

Grandpa Steve and Joshua

Megan's Mom hosted a shower for Joshua Saturday and it was lots of fun to visit with their family and friends and of course, cuddle that cute baby! He is growing and changing so quickly! We love you, Joshua!

Sandy's Dill Vegetable Dip Recipe

1 cup light sour cream

½ cup plain yogurt

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1 teaspoon John’s Steak & Seasoning Spice* or 1 tsp. season salt

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

dash garlic powder.

Mix sour cream, yogurt and mayonnaise. Stir in seasoning spices and herbs and chill for several hours before serving to blend flavors.

Serve with your favorite veges: mini carrots, broccoli spears, celery sticks, green pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, radish roses

*John’s Steak and Seasoning Spice comes from Arco, Idaho

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go

where a prayer has not already been."

~Robert Brault

I was thinking about the myriads of things I have learned from my own mother and the many things my own children have taught me. I was also thinking about many other women who have taught me so much by sharing their talents, their testimony, their love of the gospel. So many people have made such a huge impact on my life and I am greatful to all of you. But today, I am especially grateful for my mother and my children. I am so grateful for all that they have taught me, some lessons were hard learned, others taught by example and love and caring.

My mother taught me the value of hard work. She raised four children, kept up a home and garden in the valley and the same up at the dryfarm in the hills of southeast Idaho. She taught me how to cook (for a crowd), to can, to garden, to take care of a home and family. She shared with me her love and appreciation for the beauty of this world and she has a wonderful talent for capturing that beauty in oil paintings. She taught me to work hard, then have lots of fun. I am grateful for all the fun times we have had (and still do) camping, water skiing, swimming, playing cards and having Easter picnics on the living room floor when the weather was inclement outside. My parents taught me to be a person of honor and integrity. They are wonderful examples of good and honorable people. Thank you! I love you both!

And Mother Irene ~as seen from here, Mothers never get to retire! I so love how you LOVE life , love to laugh, and make us laugh! How you enjoy each moment, care deeply for those around you, and take such a keen interest in everyone you meet. We love your stories, your great sense of humor, your Joie de Vivre!

And my children, you have taught me so many things, I couldn't begin to list them all, but here are a few:

Arianne, you have taught me that Miracles Happen! The Lord hears and answers prayers. He Lives and loves us. You have shown me what tenacity, hard work and never giving up can accomplish. You have taught me to never set limits on what we can do with the Lord's help.

Arianne, Nathanial, James, Will and Charlie

Cori, you have taught me the joy and exuberance of life and living it to the fullest. You have taught me about the importance of forgiving, the power of repentance and trying again, the joy and peace of making a new start. You have shown me how to work hard to make your dreams come true and to cheer others on to victory with enthusiasm and energy!

Jesse, Grant, Cori, Eden and Grace

Brittany, you have taught me the power of following your dreams, and working hard to reach your goal. I have watched you run on, despite painful injuries, to finish the race you have begun. You have taught me the joy of giving your all, the courage to try new things, the wisdom to follow the promptings of the spirit. The challenge and joy in doing difficult things, whether it is jumping from the highest cliff and climbing the steepest rock face or delaying a successful career and choosing to be a full time mother.

Ashton, Cory, Brittany and Hunter

Damien, you have taught me so many things by your kind example of patience, love and forebearing. You have taught me how to give your all to those you love, to sacrifice, to work hard, then to play hard. You have taught me about the sheer joy of enjoying the moment and living life to the fullest. You have taught me the power of priorities and doing what is right, at the right time.

Kourtni, Jacob, Sydni, Allyson, Damien, Mason and Danielle

Ethan, you have taught me to have faith, to trust in the Lord and to know that His plan for us is the best plan of all. You have taught me the importance of the Atonement in our lives, the importance of continual learning, reading, and improving our life each day. You've taught me to take a few moments to enjoy that beautiful sunset, glorious sunrise, children's laughter or breathtaking beauty in our back yard.

Ethan, Megan and Joshua

Tiffany, you have taught me to "give it your best shot" at whatever we do. To only compete against our own self and improve upon what we do, while cheering on all those around us. You've taught me to keep on trying, even when it hurts and is painful. You've taught me to enjoy the rainy days as well as the sunshine and to dance in the rain. You've taught me to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and live life to the fullest.

Brett and Tiffany

Napoleon Bonaparte was asked once, "What would help France the most? He replied, "Mothers."

Giving it Your Best Shot

2011-05-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

I love going to the Hershey Track Meets, it not only brings back great memories of my own children running, smiling and giving it their best shot, but it is delightful to watch all the children out there, doing their best, big grins as they come down the track.

Jacob and his buddies, waiting, bored and ready to get on with the fun part of this day - racing!

Now, I have the great blessing of watching my grandchildren run and give it their all~

Jacob, racing in the 100 m dash

Jacob, going all out in the 200 m

Damien drove 18 hours to watch his son race and to take Sydni to her Daddy-Daughter date . . . what a good man, what a GREAT Dad!

Sydni, Damien and Mason

I learned a good lesson from my daughter Tiffany, a track star in high school and college. After one of her races, when she came in second place, I was afraid she would be terribly dissapointed, but I watched her go up and hug and congratulate the girl who won and she was sincerely happy for her. Talking to her about it afterward, she told me she only competes against herself, and as long as she improves her performance each time and runs a little better, a little faster, then she is happy with her performance. She always liked running with girls who were fast and the top athletes, because it helped her improve her own time. Isn't that a great lesson for life? To push ourselves to be a little better each day, to cheer on everyone else around us at the same time and to learn from the best! I like this quote from Barbara Sher:

"You never feel really bad when you've given something your best shot . You may be disappointed, but you don't blame yourself. But if you haven't given it your best shot, you feel terrible. Because you never really know whether you could have done better... but you do know you could have done more. Win or lose, all-out efforts leave you feeling clean and good about yourself."~Barbara Sher

A Wee Bit of Heaven

2011-05-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

"A wee bit of heaven drifted down from above, a handful of happiness, a heart full of love." ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Going out for a wee stroll . . . Megan made that neat wrap around carrier!

Grand Papa Ray and baby Josh

Grandma Sandy and Joshua ~ life couldn't be sweeter than holding a new baby!

Ethan, Megan and Joshua E~

He Has Risen!

2011-05-01T19:33:00.000-07:00

"He is risen! He is risen!

Tell it out with joyful voice

He has burst his three days' prison

Let the whole wide earth rejoice

Death is conquered; man is free.

Christ has won the victory."

~ Hymns, 199

I love Easter, with all its hope and promise of new life, new joy and eternal tomorrows.

Cori and Jesse and their sweet family, Grace, Grant and Eden were up for Sarah's graduation, Brittany and Cory, Ashton and Hunter came for the Easter week-end, and Arianne and Will, Danielle and the kids were all here for part of the week-end's celebration.

Grant, Hunter, Ashton, Grace Cory and Brittany working on some colorful creations at our Easter Egg dying activity Friday afternoon.

Eden, 8 months old now, is such a sweet baby, she just sat and watched all the fun and quietly retrieved interesting things from the table . . .she is just beginning to crawl . . . and would scoot across the floor to whatever she needed. So cute, I just wanted to keep squeezing her in a big hug.

Ashton and Grace ~ the kids were all so polite, "Could you please pass the pink?" And they waited patiently for their requested color if it was not available, or decided to use a different one. There was not one spill, not even a broken egg ~ except the one Grammie Sandy dropped!

Grant, Cory and Hunter ~ we were just laughing at the cute jokes and funny stories they were telling

Papa Ray reading/singing one of his favorite stories, "This Old Man" to a rapt audience, Grace, Grant and Ashton

We're ready! The weather cancelled our Easter Egg Hunt outside in the yard, but inside works just as well.

Grant, James, Kourtni, Ashton, Hunter, Sydni, Grace, Jacob and Ashton with their baskets and ready to go.

Hunter, James and Grant ~ searching

Ashton~ finding lots of Eggs

Let's see what you've got! Ashton, Grace and Charlie

Sarah came over with her "Dance, Dance Revolution" and everyone got into the action!

We had some great dancers and we all had a great time and got a good work-out!

Grant, Sarah, Jacob, Jesse, Ally, Grace, Danielle, Sydni and Charlie

A New Grand Baby - Numero Catorce

2011-04-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

"God always gives His best

to those who leave the choice with Him." ~ Jim Eliot

Megan and Ethan had a beautiful little boy Friday, April 22. He weighs 7 lbs and is 19" long. We are thrilled and I will always think of him as our miracle grandchild! My heart is filled with gratitude for his safe arrival and the blessing of having another grand son. I can hardly wait to get up there to see him!

Joshua Ethan L

Joshua and Megan - Megan, you look fabulous after hours and hours of labor!

Ethan - joy-filled daddy!

Joshua Ethan ~ a little bit of heaven on earth!

Hugs and Kisses~ Grammie Sandy and Papa Ray

Grizzlies Hockey

2011-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." ~ Marian Wright Edelman

Brittany, Hunter, Cory, Charlie, Jacob and Ashton - waiting for the game to begin

In action

Grizzbee

Arianne, James, Sandy, Jacob, Brittany, Charlie

Brittany and Ashton, cheering the Grizzlies on

Jacob, Sandy, Charlie - and lots of cotton candy!

Hunter

- Aren't grandchildren pure joy?

Birthday Celebrations on Conference Week-end

2011-04-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

"Recognizing that we have a heavenly family helps us understand the eternal nature of our earthly families." Richard J Maynes, Establishing a Christ Centered Home

It was great to see Damien, he drove 16 hours to be home for Danielle's birthday

They have such a lovely family~ Kourtni, Jacob, Sydni, Allyson, Damien, Mason and Danielle

Nathanial and Charlie

We so enjoyed having family here over conference week-end. Arianne, James and Mason came for the week-end. Charlie had Spring Break, so he came on Tuesday and spent the week with us. Charlie and I had lots of fun - he is so observant and has such a keen intellect, it is fascinating to talk to him and he thinks deeply about the world and the people in it. We started reading, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, went for a picnic in the park, played lots of Wii games, went to a Grizzly hockey game, and he helped me with lots of things around the house, like making cakes, strawberry pie, etc.

This is Arianne and Will's baby,Nathanial - he is filling out and is such a cute little boy!

Damien, Mason and Danielle

Arianne

James is really into "pretending and make-believe" right now and his favorite character, lately, is Peter Rabbit, so we made him a rabbit cake for his birthday

We celebrated James, Danielle's and Arianne's birthday Sunday in between and after conference.

Conference Week-end

2011-04-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

"Hearken . . . and hear the words of a prophet of the Lord." Jacob 5:2

Twice a year we get to "sit at the feet of the prophet and apostles and hear the words of counsel, guidance and hope. We just listened to the 181st General Conference and I so look forward to this week-end and always find myself wishing for just one more day when it is over. I find the talks uplifting, inspired and just what I need to hear. There are so many things in my life I need to work on and improve it sometimes seems overwhelming, but as I listen I know exactly what I need to work on for the next six months. These are a few of the things that stood out in conference this year to me.

The Lord hears and answers our prayers, but those answers often come through other people. "Because the Lord hears their cries and feels your deep compassion for them, He has from the beginning of time provided ways for His disciples to help. He has invited His children to consecrate their time, their means, and themselves to join with Him in serving others." ~ President Henry B Eyring. And from ElderDavid A Bednar, "as we honor our covenants and keep the commandments, as we strive ever more consistently to do good and to become better, we can walk with the confidence that God will guide our steps.
Strengthen the family "The most important way to teach to be is to be the kind of parents to our children that our Father in Heaven is to us. He is the one perfect parent, and He has shared with us His parenting manual—the scriptures." ~Lynn G Robbins
Our trials teach us and refine us in ways that help us the most, "No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”~ Kent F Richards quoting Orson F Whitney
Make whatever sacrifices are necessary to attend the temple -"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings."~ President Thomas S Monson

On Saturday, we were out flying kites with Jacob, Charlie and James in between conference sessions . . . on Sunday, we had over a foot of snow!

Pinewood Derby

2011-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionhip of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in." ~ Rachel Carson

Jacob called to see if he could come up and spend a night, so Grandpa Ray could help him build his car for the Pinewood Derby. I'm pretty sure Ray had just as much fun, if not more than Jacob playing with the cool tools.

After they had shaped and sanded, shaped and sanded some more, and sanded one last time, Jacob got busy and painted it . . . . . .

. . .silver with flames on the side

. . . it looks like a SHARK!

The competition was fierce that night, but Jacob's car did well!

He didn't have the fastest car, but it still did well and he did get the Award for the "Coolest Design!"

Jacob was also in charge of presenting the colors and retiring the colors.

A job well done, Jacob, we're proud of you!

And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

2011-03-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." Aesop

James came to stay with us for a few days and one day, he told me he needed some paper, so he could "write a letter to Santa." He specified it needed to be "Really big paper!" So, I got the old calendar and gave it to him with some washable markers and he, very seriously, wrote and wrote and wrote. He worked at this for quite some time - probably about an hour . . . and had filled at least ten pages with his artwork. When he was done, he was showing me all of his artwork and so I asked him what he was asking Santa for?

He looked at me, a little perplexed and said, "I am not asking him for anything, Grandma, I am writing him a Thank you letter. I want to tell him Thank you for all my toys!" Then he asked me to write that on the letter and to tell Santa that he hopes he can go fishing now!
My heart was touched deeply and I am so grateful for this lovely child who taught me today how to look at life every single day ~ with gratitude and joy! I am supposed to mail this letter to Santa, but I love to look at it everyday.

Sunshine and Rain in St George

2011-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

We went down to the condo last week-end and arrived late Thursday night to find that someone had "hit and run" our living room wall . . . baseboard was off, the sheetrock was cracked and the window looked a little skeewampus . . .outside a couple of bricks were off the wall and laying on the ground.

Since it was after midnight, we called the insurance company and the police the next morning and they both arrived within the hour. We don't know what happened excactly or who did this, but our insurance company was reall great to work with. They had workmen there within minutes and by 3:00 that afternoon, broken studs were repaired, the wall was pushed back into place, new sheetrock was up, perfataped and textured !

Priming, painting and re-bricking was to be finsihed at the first of the week. Ray is such a great handy-man and do-it-yourself kind of man, that I thought, "Oh no, another project and he is so busy right now!" But thank goodness for good insurance, because they took care of it and we were able to enjoy our week-end with Ray's brother, Brad and his wife Teresa.

Brad and Teresa just moved to Page a few months ago, so they are only a couple of hours away from St. George. They drove over for the week-end and we so enjoyed their company! We all went to Kohl's where Brad, Teresa and Ray all got Skecher's Shape Up shoes. Ray really likes his and after watching the video of skinny super models working out, he said, the next time you see him, he will be sporting a new "six-pack!" (Wahoo!) Brad said that Ray got rooked, because he already has a "keg!"

Teresa and I hit the craft stores, while the guys went sight-seeing out near Tuacahn and Snow Canyon. Teresa has inspired me to get busy and get scrapbooking once again . . . I am years behind!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I am so grateful for my good man ~ Thank you Ray, for being a wonderful husband, companion and friend.

So much to be thankful for

2011-01-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude." ~ Dennis Waitley

We're talking turkeky! ~ Grant, Hunter, Grace and Ashton

Great Food - Great Cooks! ~ Tiffany, Jesse, Ashton, Grace, Hunter, Grant

Snuggle Time~ Megan and Eden

Grace and Grant ~ Barbie's spa

The Guys prepare for Black Friday ~ and they all went shopping! Ethan, Cori and Ray

Eden~ almost three months

Ashton and Charlie, Brittany and Ethan
James, Ashton, Jacob, Charlie and Jacob

Back Row: Cori, Eden, Jesse, Grant ~ Ethan and Megan
Middle: Tiffany, Brett, Grace, Jacob
Front: Arianne, James, Sandy, Charlie, Ray, Cory, Hunter, Brittany and Ashton

Eden, Papa Ray, Grant, Grammie Sandy, and Grace

A Handsome New Grandson

2010-11-30T15:22:00.000-08:00

"Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man." ~Rabindranath Tagore

Doesn't that just make you want to yawn?

Mason Ted L

November 19

7 lbs 5 ounces

20 1/2 inches long

Happy Mom and Dad - Damien and Danielle

Happy Sisters - Sydni, Kourtni and Allison

Happiest Big Brother - Jacob

Indian Summer

2010-11-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful, long, warm autumn this year and the leaves stayed on the trees for a long time. This photo was taken November 10, when the leaves were just beginning to fall ~

they were breath-takingly beautiful!

Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

2010-10-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Will spent hours creating his masterpiece ~ and it was the Best of Show!

Saturday, October 23, we had our Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest. It is really fun to see the creative energy that starts flowing. Will spent a couple of hours on his pumpkin . . . he cleaned it out and scraped it until it was just the right thickness . . .

Here's Will's intricate carving

Some of the designs are pure inspiration and others are taken from patterns that come with the carving tools or from the internet.

Brittany and Ethan

Sydni and Jacob ~ this year's judges, thoughtfully contemplating the awards

We give out awards ~ one for every pumpkin . . . most creative, best of show, funniest, etc. Jacob and Sydni judged this year's contest, took their responsiblities very seriously and they did a great job!

Just a few of the 20 pumpkin creations.

Charlie and his Alls Hallow Tree

Charlie ~ "Most Frightful Award"

Charlie and Grandma worked on his pumpkin together. He chose the design, then we both worked on cleaning, marking and carving the pumpkin.

Tiffany and Ray ~ the Pumpkin Seed Chefs

Brett likes baked pumpkin seeds, so Tiffany and Ray decided they would gather the seeds . . . it became a stalwart project . . . with 20 pumpkins, they ended up with tons of seeds, and we were up playing games after 1:00 a.m. just trying to get all those seeds baked . . .Tiffany created different flavors and they were good!

The cutest pumpkins~ Ashton, Hunter, Charlie, Kourtni and Ally

Cory, Ashton, Hunter Brittany

Megan and Ethan

Brett and Tiffany

James, Will, Charlie and Arianne

Sandy and Ray

Scarecrow Festival and Prep for Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

We liked the Scarecrow Family Reunion best ~ doesn't Ray fit right in?

Ray and I went up to the Homestead in Heber for the 2nd Annual Scarecrow Festival. Anyone can enter a scarecrow in the contest, but it was mostly local businesses and different departments from Homestead Resort - a new festival, it has room to grow. But the drive up Provo Canyon was spectacular, the autumn colors are blazing and we enjoyed our Saturday afternoon out last week-end!

Ethan - getting fancy with the dough

Each year we have our Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest - Sydni and Kourtni, Ethan and Megan, Brittany, Cory, Ashton and Hunter all came on Friday and they were all a great help in getting ready and we played games and had a great time.

Cory - getting a good stretch on that dough

I was making crockpot soups (Taco Soup and Chicken and Noodles) and Cory and Ethan decided they wanted to try making handmade noodles the Asian way . . . so they got on the internet and watched several "how-to" videos - it looked so easy! Then they took the pasta dough and started kneading, stretching and twisting . . .an hour later they were exhausted and the dough was still not co-operating. We decided my home-made egg noodle recipe wasn't right for the job, so we got out the pasta press and Ethan finished the noodles. The soup tasted great - it must be all the love that was kneaded in!

Kourtni ~ just relaxing!

Sydni - our Wii Golf Pro!

Sydni and Kourtni came over Friday for a Wii Slumber Party and they were also great little helpers. Sydni is a good little cook and Kourtni is happy to do whatever task is needed.

Ray ~ just touching up the pizza with a few extra ingredients!

A Week-end in Cedar City

2010-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

The week-end of October 8-10, we had an HOA meeting in St. George, but because the condo was booked, we decided to stay in Cedar City at the Fairfield where T works. The Fairfield ending up being over-booked, so we ended up getting a free night at the Holiday Inn next door, then we stayed at the Marriott the next night. When we head south, we always stay in St. George, so it was fun to stay in Cedar City and explore the area and to see Tiffany and Brett!

Brett told us about a great place to see about 65 miles south of Cedar, Cathedral Gorge State Park.

So, while they were working we drove out and it was interesting. The clay cliffs have been eroded over time and have formed cathedral like spires, with trails, caves and fun places to explore in between.

Later that evening, we went and got pizza and Tiff and Brett came back to the hotel and we watched Auburn play football and visited. Sunday, we drove over to Kanab and up Highway 89 - that is a beautiful drive. Unfortunately, I forgot to put the memory card back into the camera, so all of our photos we took over the week-end do not exist! Duh!

Quilts of Summer

2010-10-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Blankets wrap you in warmth, quilts wrap you in love."

During the summers, I like to spend the mornings outside gardening and afternoons down in the cool basement, quilting. Here are two quilts I made this summer.

Jacob has loved trains since he was a baby and he just moved downstairs to his "own room," so I made him a train quilt for his new room.

This quilt is called, "Sleepy Baby Buggy," and I made it for little Eden.

A New Grand Baby and Arizona Sunshine

2010-10-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Eden Yvette L was given a name and a blessing by her Daddy, and these other good

priesthood holders: Bishop F., Papa Ray, Daddy Cori, Papa Jeff, Uncle Brett and Uncle Cory and a couple of future priesthood holders got into the photo as well, Grant and Ashton.

Proud parents and beautiful little Eden ~ isn't that a lovely name?

Little joys of the morning, coming in to wake us up:Ashton, Grace, Grant and Hunter

I'm going to get you wet! Hunter and Ashton

The new pool ~ so refreshing! Jesse, Jeff, Ashton, Grant, Ray, Thea and Cory

Cannonball special ~ Cori, Brittany and Cory

A little more sunshine ~ Tiffany, Ashton, Grant, Grace and Hunter

Conference Bingo

It was a great trip - great to see family and beautiful little Eden for the first time. It was also really a joy to see extended family that we haven't seen for many years - Thank you Heather, Jamie, Andy and Jesse for coming by! It was wonderful to listen to counsel and testimony from our prophet and apostles - I so look forward to General conference twice a year! One last note, the Arizona heat exhausts me in no time, but it is a great place to visit!

4th of July - Days of Fun

2010-10-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

July 5th we hiked up to Angora Lake. We understood that the lake was right next to the parking lot . . . so we loaded up all the kids and their gear, coolers, picnic baskets, 5-gallon water jugs, kayaks, a canoe and all of our swimming gear . . . and we hiked and hiked and hiked. In reality it is a mere one mile (is that all???) hike up hill all the way, but beautiful, I might add. It I must confess the guys took the heavy loads . . . It is a beautiful lake and we so enjoyed the day.

Cori, Brittany and Ethan ~ contemplating the jump

Cliff jumping ~ it was about 70 feet high. As we all watched from shore, with our breath held and hearts thumping, I was asked where my children got their bravado . . . definitely from their father, I am pure chicken at heart!

Brittany leads the way and takes the first leap with Ethan and Cory watching

Ethan goes next ~ yes, those are boats down in the water . . .

And Cori take a running leap

Ethan and Cory playing the farm game

We so enjoyed our week at Lake Tahoe ~ the rest of the week we played lots of games, hiked, swam in the pools, sun-tanned, and the guys treated all of us ladies to a massage ~ pure Heaven!

We decided to try out some of the resort activities ~ Brittany, Megan, Ethan, Sandy and Ashton playing Bingo

Lunch at Fire and Ice ~ delicious!

Ethan and Brittany visiting at Fire and Ice

Hunter, Grant, Cori, Jesse, Sydni, Grace, Jacob, Cory,Brittany, Sandy at Rainbow Trail

Ray and Sydni at Rainbow Trail

Just waiting . . . Grace, Sandy, Ethan, Megan, Cory and Brittany

4th of July in Tahoe - celebrating Independence

2010-10-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

"The best things in life are not free but priceless." ~ Benjamin Lichtenberg

Jacob, Sandy and Grace playing 'Red Light, Green Light'

July 3rd we went to an Independence Day breakfast celebration in Gardnerville. Jesse's father was the guest speaker and I was impressed with his positive outlook towards our nation and the gratitude expressed for the great freedoms we enjoy. He reminded us that Heavenly Father blessed us with these priceless freedoms that we have and that He is ultimately in charge.

Jacob at the top of Burnside Falls

After the breakfast, we hiked up to Burnside Falls with Jesse's family.

Brittany, Hunter and Ashton ~ playing Pooh Sticks at Burnside Creek

Grant, Cori, Gracie and Jesse

Ethan ~ cooling off

Cory, Hunter, Brittany, Ray, Sandy, Ashton, Megan, Ethan, Cori, Jacob, Grant, Grace, Jesse, Sydni

Hunter, Cory, Ashton and Brittany

Picnic at Hertiage Park

Sunday, July 4th we attended church and the choir sang a lovely Patriotic medley. After church we went to Hertiage Park to hear Sarah play in the Carson Valley Pops Orchestra. They played beloved Patriiotic favorites as well as some fun music from the American West.

Grace, Thea, Sydni and Grant enjoying their Patriotic Popsicles

Jesse, Marla and Jeff

Later that evening, we went down to Lake Tahoe and procured at spot on the beach in prepration for the fireworks, which were spectacular!

Gracie, Ethan, Megan, Brittany, Hunter, Cory picnic on the beach

4th of July in Tahoe - let's acccelerate!

2010-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the beautiful Marriott resort in Tahoe July 2nd. A car show quickly captured the guy's interest and we saw some amazing cars.

The Lamborghini caught Jacob's eye.

Grace brings the frosted mugs of root beer, hamburgers, and fries . . . those were the good ol' days!

Grace and Sydni trying out the camper

Grandpa Ray with his favorite bugs ~ Grace and Sydni and the Volkswagen, of course

Grace, Sydni, Jesse, Ashton, Brittany, Hunter and Sandy

The ladies were ready to go get some dinner . . .

Grandma Sandy, Sydni, Britt, Ashton and Grace ~ busy making our Star Spangled Wavers and Fire Cracker Crowns.

Ready to celebrate! Ashton, Sydni, Grace and Jacob

4th of July in Tahoe - on our way

2010-09-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million." ~Walt Streightiff

Jacob and Sydni in front of the pioneer home at Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park

We had a family get together in Lake Tahoe over the 4th of July. We were fortunate to be able to have Jacob and Sydni come over with us. They are interesting and fun to be with and great little travelers, most of the time!

Sydni, Sandy and Jacob in Lehman Caves

We had a great time looking at the stalactites, stalacmites, drapery, shields, the organ pipes and popcorn - the cave is filled with beautiful works of art built over centuries by mother nature.

Sandy and Ray

Ray has always wanted a rusty car in the front yard - This great old one is piloted by a horse's skeleton.

Sydni, Sandy and Jacob

A monument to the amazing pioneers who crossed this desert.

Sydni and Jacob at Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Site

Not far from Ely on Highway 50 aptly dubbed, "the world's loneliest road,", is a small stop worth making. Hickison Petroglyphs are an easy mile walk around and the petroglyphs are dated back nearly 10,000 years.

Called to Serve at Camp Koholowo

2010-09-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

"Auserwahlt zu Dienen"

A year ago, I was called to serve in Young Women again and as always, it is my very favorite calling. I love being with these beautiful young women who are intelligent, talented, faithful and true. They have strong testimonies of the gospel, they love the Lord and know who they are. They are a delight to be with, to teach and to serve.

This spring, our Young Women received a "mission call" to Germany. This year, our Stake Girls Camp theme was "Called to Serve." Each ward was called to serve in a different country around the world. We were asked to learn, "Called to Serve," in the language of the country we are serving, so we learned to sing it in German, "Auserwahlt zu dienen."

Here most of our girls are preparing to sing at one of the flag ceremonies. We were blessed to be able to have all 28 of our girls at camp with us plus a couple of young women whose families have moved out of the ward also came to camp with us and we loved having them! Our girls are amazing young women, they are kind, caring and supportive of each other. They laughed and played together. We had a missionary schedule at camp. We got up each morning at 6:30 a.m. (well, most of us, anyway) We excercised and studied the scriptures, then dressed and went to breakfast. We had seminars with some return missionaries, who taught us how to use Preach My Gospel and apply it to our lives today. The spirit was strong and we learned so much.

We worked hard and played hard. The young women dressed up our YW President for the Miss Koholowo pageant.

Swap was the favorite card game - with this many around the table, you had to be quick and alrert!

Cooking up some dinner

We didn't get much sleep, but we had a LOT of fun! We had a beautiful testimony meeting the last night and the spirit was so strong. The consensus seemed to be that this was the BEST Girls Camp ever!

A Beautiful New Grand Daughter!

2010-09-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Grant and Grace with new baby sister, Eden

Eden Yvette was born earlier this week - arriving at 7 lbs 4 oz and nearly 20 inches long!

We can't wait to hold her and welcome her to earth!

North to Alaska - Festival and Renaissance Fair

2010-09-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of the many beautiful pieces of art at the craft fair.

Our last few days in Alaska were spent visiting family and seeing things around Anchorage. We went to the Anchorage Arts and Crafts Fair and the Anchorage Museum.

Dad and I enjoying some of the displays at the Anchorage Art and Craft Fair

Because we only had a few hours at the museum, we focused on art,Alaskan History and the building of the Alaskan Pipeline.

Suzette and Tori took us up to Flat Top - where there are great views of the bay and the city

Janice, Sue,Judy, Danny and Emily at a bawdy pirate show at the Renaissance Fair. Emily had to go up front, where everyone sang Happy Birthday to her ~ even though it wasn't really her birthday.

Emily, Judy, Sandy, Janice and Sue

The Anchorage Temple

We had a wonderful time with Mom and Dad, Janice, Sue and all of Janice's family. It was with a heart full of gratitude and love that we flew back home.

North to Alaska - Whittier

2010-07-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Brittany - riding "bear"back at Dreamers Woods

Cory has some great plans for this office chair

We drove back to Anchorage Friday. On the way up the Kenai Peninsula, we stopped to see some wood carvings that were amazing. Eric Berson is the sculptor and Dreamers Woods is the name of his business. We met Eric, his wife and children. They were very nice and Eric told us the story of how he started his business.

I really liked the Welcome Bears and Mooses that he had done, but knew there was no way I could ever get it back home. After viewing all the fun carvings, I went back to the RV to wait for everyone else. We were all back, except Brittany and Cory, and they kept going back and forth between some carvings. Finally, I opened my door and yelled, “just get it, you won’t regret it!” Well, they made their purchase, then when they got back into the RV, everyone started singing “Happy Birthday!” to me - they all gave me a cute card and the Welcome Bear that I so liked! I was so embarrassed that I had “hollared” out! What a surprise and I have to laugh every time I see that Bear on our front porch. . . . Brittany and Cory hauled the heavy thing back in Britt’s backpack! That was an incredible thing to do !!!

Last views of the Kenai Peninsula

We went over to Whittier on the way back. Whittier is a very small, isolated town (Did I say small? The town population is 182!.) The only way to get there is through a 2 1/4 mile long tunnel, which was built during WWII, or go by ship. The railroad owns all the land there, so everyone who lives there rents an apartment in two high rise buildings. I wondered what the young people do there - you would need to ski (and be in really good shape as it is quite a climb up the mountain).

We bought some great fudge there, and walked around the shops and marveled at living in a town so small and so very isolated. We spoke to a young woman, who had grown up there and she explained their school was combined grades 1 through 12. She said it was fun growing up there and had a great attitude!

Dad and I looking out on Prince William Sound

We watched some native people fishing in the ocean from the rocks on the water break, toured the docks and shopping area. Ray insisted that there was a lot more to the town . . . but we drove around and walked around - it is very small.

The shop that we really wanted to go into, Log Cabin Gifts, was unfortunately closed, but she had a lot of fun and interesting things around the outside of the cabin.

One of the many beautiful waterfalls and snowfields in Whittier

Larry, Venna, Sandy, Ray, Cory and Brittany at the Whittier Glacier

Glacial Ice Sculpture

Brittany and a hunk of glacial ice

We stopped to view the Whittier Glacier, which is beautiful. There were so many interesting “ice sculptures” floating in the water. Some other people who had stopped, had seen some bear droppings on the trail around the lake, but that didn’t deter Brittany and Cory - they ran down and brought back a hunk of glacial ice.

We thought this glacial ice sculpture looked like a whale!

North to Alaska - Homer and Halibut

2010-07-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

We drove back to Anchorage, then on down to the Kenai Peninsula. Jim had arranged a halibut fishing trip with one of his buddies, who has a fishing business. We stayed at Uncle Stowell's cabin again. It was nice to have a little time to relax and visit that evening.

Chef Ray cooking up a tofu souffle???

Brittany pulling in a nice trout off the dock, Cory and Ray

Ray, Dad, Britt, Cory, Jim and Jay all got up at 4:30 a.m. to head back down to Nilnilchik to go halibut fishing out in the ocean. . .Meanwhile, Mom and I got to sleep in. At 10:00, we headed down to Homer with Uncle Stowell. It was a beautiful drive.

The Tea Cup House - on Mad Hatter Lane?

Homer is a fun little town, with lots of quirky shops that would have been lots of fun to look through.

The Salty Dawg Saloon - isn't it great?

Ships moored in the harbour

We saw tons of ships in the port and lots of fun shops that Mom and I would have liked to peak in, but we both felt we needed to get back.

Land's End Resort & Restaurant

We stopped at the very end of the spit at a lovely restaurant called Land’s End Resort to eat lunch. We all had a shrimp basket and I thought it was delicious! The design of the whole restaurant was a nautical theme and it was delightful to look at everything. We had such a lovely day, thanks Uncle Stowell!

When we got back, the fisherman had returned. They had caught their limit in just a few hours and even though it was a windy, rainy day out on the ocean, they all had a great time.

The Captain

The Ship

and the mottley crew . . .

Jim, Larry, Jay

Cory & Brittany

Ray - looking a little under the weather

Brittany - first bite . . . will she get it in?

All the fisherman placed bets in a pot - first one to catch and, biggest catch would split the $

Brittany - first catch and she wins the pot!

Cory caught so many cod ~ he became "The Codfather!"

Ray brings one in

Dad with his catch

Quite a catch! Ray, Cory, Brittany, Larry, Jim and Jay

Dad has wanted to do this for so long . . . I am thrilled that we were all able to go to Alaska and share this adventure!

North to Alaska - Iditarod, Musk Ox Farm, Matanuska Glacier

2010-07-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

In Wasilla, we stopped at the Iditarod Headquarters and Museum. We saw a short movie on the Iditarod race and looked at photos of the Iditarod winners over the years.Dorothy G. Page, a resident of Wasilla recognized the importance of an awareness of the use of sled dogs as working animals and of the Iditarod Trail and the important part it played in Alaska’s colorful history. She presented the possibility of a race over the Iditarod Trail to an enthusiastic Joe Redington, Sr., a musher from the Knik area.

Most of us had wanted to take a ride on a dog sled behind the team, but after we arrived and saw the buggy being pulled by the team and the 30 second ride around a small loop in the trees, we all decided to pass, except Ray. It was Joe Reddington’s son who was the musher on Ray’s little trip through the woods. I was really surprised at the size of the dogs. I expected large huskies, but the dogs were all very thin and smaller than I expected. I suppose since they had been shorn for summer, they looked smaller, but because they run such long distance, I suppose just like long distance runners they can never eat enough to make up for the energy they expend in running. The dogs would get so excited when they knew they were going to be able to run and pull the buggy. There was a heap of howling going on!

We then headed up the Glenn Highway. We stopped at the Musk Ox Farm, where Brittany wanted to go on a tour. She got to pet some baby Musk Ox and picked up some of their soft wool from the ground, called qiviut. The rest of us looked at them through the fence. The scarves and hats the natives knit from qiviut are so light and soft, but apparently very warm. Unfortunately, they were out of my price range. $225.00 for a scarf . . . a bit pricey, but they looked lovely.

Some of the amazing scenery on the Glenn Highway

Back: Ray, Larry,Venna, Cory Front: Sandy, Brittany overlooking the Matanuska River

Matanuska Glacier ~27 miles long and 4 miles wide,

the largest glacier accessible by auto in the U.S.

We drove up to the Matanuska Glacier in the Mat-su Valley. Everything in Alaska seemed a bit pricey, so we shouldn’t have been surprised at the $20.00 per person charge to hike over to the glacier!

There were several hundred yards of glacial morraine that we had to hike over to get to the glacier, - it looked like a walk at Craters of the Moon in southeastern Idahovery gray and bleak looking.

Cory, Sandy, Brittany ~ Matanuska Glacier

Once we got on to the actual glacier, it was beautiful to see. The ice is packed so hard, yet there are fissures and crevasses that go so deep you cannot see the bottom. In one area, a stream of water shot down into the abyss and just disappeared. The glacier itself was so varied, huge crevasses, swirling streams disappearing into deep holes, huge boulders, lots of sand and gravel.

Sandy and Ray at what we call the Blue Eye of the glacier

We saw some beautiful shapes in the ice and hiked over to a lake within the glacier.

Mom and Dad stayed back at the RV, so Brittany and Cory actually were able to get a 24" piece of ice to come off and Cory carried it back in my jacket so Mom and Dad could see it. Mom stood on it and we took a picture of her standing on the glacier. She was so delightful!

Mom standing on the glacier!

North to Alaska - Big Lake

2010-07-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Jim gave us a really bad time because none of us had brought swimming suits or shorts, but we expected all of Alaska to still be snowy - it is still spring in May, right? Who would believe when we left the Kenai Peninsula that we would go from this . . . . to this just a short drive away?

Just an hour or so north of Anchorage lies a lovely valley, nestled with shallow lakes. The J family has a lovely cabin property on Big lake and they assured us that the ice just left two weeks ago . . . and the water wouldn't be THAT cold! Well, because the lake is only about 25 feet deep, it wasn't very cold - in fact, it was a lovely temperature. We had a great time skiing, swimming, jet skiing, tubing, tanning and of course, eating.

Wahoo!!! I haven't been skiing for five years and I can still get up on the slalom!

"Celebrate, good times, c'mon!"

Brittany showing off for everyone on the dock as she drops a ski

These Girls Rule! Tiffany slaloms too!

Jim was manning the boat all day for us and his friends, and his children' friends and . . . hey, where did all these people come from??? . . .More and more just kept showing up and he was a gracious host to all.

Brett and Tiff playing on the jet ski

Catching a few Rays?

Tiff, Brett, Brittany & Cory ~ getting a little air

Somebody started counting how many times the boys had fallen off compared to how many time the girls had . . . and from then on, the competition got fierce!

. . . then a little more . . . Tiffany and Jonathan

Jonathan, Brittany and Cory

Jay-Bird, the esteemed tubing champion, tries his best to unload Tiffany and Brittany

What a great couple of days at Big Lake - we loved it!

North to Alaska - A Visit to Crazy Sue's

2010-07-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Suzette, Mom and Tiffany

Dude ~ what a great pup!

Okay - so everyone kept talking about this great place in Soldatna that had an eclectic mix of second-hand and new clothes, touristy souvenirs, and fun bric-a-brac. But they warned us, it is hard to buy things there. On occasion, when they have gone up to purchase an outifit, they were told that it was no longer for sale . . . or the price had changed from $5.00 to $500.00. We had to go browse a bit and did we have a great time -- the evening gowns were spectacular! Some would make great Halloween costumes! She just had a lot of fun, quirky dresses, hats, gloves, shoes, etc. Then she had her dog "sing" for us . . . that was quite an unforgettable shopping experience, and we want to go back again - it was a terrific place!

We enjoy Chad Carpenter's Tundra cartoons - - - I am surprised Ray didn't buy this tee-shirt!

North to Alaska - Clamming

2010-07-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Tiffany, Brett and Dad ~ booted up, clam guns ready

Suzette and Tori sporting their high-fashion clam diggers

Saturday, Jim and Uncle Stowell took us all clamming down at the beach near Deep Creek campground south of Ninilchik. We loaded up with clamming boots, spades, clam guns, buckets, four-wheelers and our cameras.

Uncle Stowell, Aunt Sue & Jim ~ our teachers and supervisors

We headed south on the Sterling Highway for a Razor Clam dig. It was tons of fun, and we found lots of clams. It is harder than I expected, once you find a dimple in the sand, you place your clam gun over the dimple and push the gun down deep into the sand, then cover the small holes in the handle with your fingers and pull with all your might.

Brittany, giving it her all!

You can watch the water in the surrounding sand literally being sucked out along with the sand as you lift the sand up and let it drop in a pile on the beach. Your clamming partner, then looks through the sand to see if you got your clam, if not, you dig again, until you have found him.

Finally, Sandy - a big one!

We found some good six inch clams and even a few butterfly clams, we also found lots of purple starfish along the shore. The clams all went into a bucket of water and after we had a couple of these full, we headed back to the vehicles.

A group project ~that must have been one big clam! Shrek, Ray, Tori, Brittany, Aunt Sue, Cory

and in the background: Jim , Suzette, Larry, and Jay

Check out this sand crab~ Brett

Along the cliffs behind the beach, eagles perched on the rocks, the cliff edge, and the trees, scores of them, just waiting. The fishermen clean their halibut and other catch down the beach from where we were clamming and the eagles wait for the entrails to be thrown out. Yearlings are all brown, it is after they are four to five years old and mature, they gain the white head and tail. They are so huge and it was just exciting to watch them soaring out over the ocean.

Happy Clammers, after the Happy Wok

Cory, Brittany, Shrek (Jonathan), Tori, Brett, Tiffany, Sue, Sandy, Ray, Larry, Front: Suzette and Jay

In the honor of the J family tradition, we stopped at the Happy Wok restaurant and had Chinese for lunch.

Uncle Stowell teaching us how to clean the crabs ~ it was an assembly line group effort: Brittany, Uncle Stowell, Dad (Larry) and Ray

That night, Suzette fixed us clam fritters and fried clams for dinner. Jim grilled some ribs, chicken and bratwurst - quite a feast! Yumm! They were so good! And we felt so spoiled! Our Anchorage family went over and above the extra-ordinary hosting us - they did amazing things!

Visiting around the pot-belly stove on the deck: Judy, Janice, Venna, Matchko, Jim, Stowell

That night after midnight, after the sensible ones went to bed, everyone else went fishing off the dock in the Kenai River, then after that they decided to go fishing at a nearby lake and they caught quite a few nice looking fish!

North to Alaska - Kenai Fjords

2010-07-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, we left Anchorage and drove down the Seward Highway, “Highway 1,” (they joke about the fact there are only two highways in Alaska, Highway 1 and Highway 2) to Seward, where Suzette and Janice had procured tickets for all of us to go on a Kenai Fjords tour. The drive down was so beautiful. The mountains are covered with aspen, pine, birch and are lush and green. There was still a lot of snow and many lakes and rivers. It was a beautiful drive.

Cory & Britt ~ Welcome to Seward

We arrived in Seward a little early, so we all split up and went to see some of the souvenir shops. At 11:00, we departed onboard the Tenaina cruise ship.

Machko, Aunt Janice, Aunt Sue, Larry & Venna on board the Tanaina

Mom, Dad, Janice, Sue, Judy and her mother-in-law, Machko procured a table and seating on the second floor inside the ship, but Brittany and I went outside to the bow of the ship. Tiffany, Brett, Ray and Cory joined us there and we had a great view!

Ray & Sandy ~ the Tanaina

We first saw an otter floating on his back there in Resurrection Bay and he looked so content, just floating on the water, watching us as we watched him.

Next we saw a Golden Eagle, then a mountain goat and her newborn kid, grazing on a nearly vertical rock face. The guide commented that they were actually quite safe there, especially because the bears would not venture on a cliff that steep.

We went into a bay, where we saw some amazing caves and arches in the cliffs as well as a few seals.

They took us to Fox Island, where we had lunch of salmon and prime rib.

Two Orcas

Back on board we headed over to a bay, where we saw two pods of orca whale. We learned that a pod of orca families are headed by a grandmother, and three to four generations of the family swim and stay together. Each pod has their own unique set of calls. The captain of the ship put a microphone down into the water and we could actually here them communicating with each other. We also saw a humpback whale on this trip.

Dall's Porpoise racing the Tataina

On our way back, several Dall’s porpoises started racing back and forth under the bow of the ship. It was delightful to watch them and they were so fast! They apparently swim almost as fast as the orca, which swims at 30 mph. On the way back to Seward, we saw a couple of brown bear on the mountainside. What a lovely day it was! The weather was cool, and a little cloudy, but it wasn’t cold. It was lovely to be out in the wind out on deck.

The J's delightful Kenai River Shack

After the cruise, we drove up to Soldotna, where Uncle Stowell and his family have a cabin right on the Kenai River, called the “J’s Kenai River Shack.” The cabin is a delightful array of rooms, porches, trailers all added to a central living area. Uncle Stowell was there to greet us and it was so good to see him. It has been forty years since I have seen him.

Uncle Stowell with two of his beautiful grandaughters, Jessica and Tori

Jim had told us he was going to treat us to some stuffed salmon that night. And it was a treat!

Sue, Tiffany, Janice, Mom, Danny ~ enjoying Chef Jim's stuffed Kenai salmon

You can literally fish off the porch.

Ray and what everyone up north calls a "minnow"

They have a potbelly cast iron stove there on the deck and we spent many hours sitting around its warmth, visiting and just enjoying the magnificent view.

Larry, Venna, Stowell & Sue visiting on the porch

North to Alaska - Day 2

2010-06-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning, Aunt Janice took us on a tour over to the Turnagain arm of the bay, where you can sometimes see buluga whale when the tide is in. We were amazed at the many beautiful waterfall cascading down the sides of the mountain and all the lush green vegetation. We did not see any whales, however. The tide was out and there are miles and miles of sand and bars. We were told that people do not go out on the sand because the water level is so high that it acts similar to quick sand and when you get mired into the sand, it is very difficult to get out and the tides come up so quickly that a few people have died before they could get them out. There are warning signs all over the beaches at this area .

We drove out to Elmendorf Air Force Base and around downtown Anchorage. There are about 300,00 people living in Anchorage and about 700,000 in Alaska all together.

Larry, Venna, Janice, Sue and Sandy at the Sour Dough Mining Company

Brett and Tiffany ~ enjoying the soft ice cream at the Sour Dough Mining Co

For lunch we went to the Sour Dough Mining Company Restaurant, which is a replica of an old mill house and enjoyed a great meal with Mom, Dad, Tiffany, Brett Janice, Sue, Ray and I.

Ray at Wild Berry Park. It was hard not to whip an index finger through this fountain! Yes, it is real chocolate!

Afterwards, we walked across the street to the Wild Berry Park, which had all kinds of Alaskan souvenirs, foods, jewelry, etc as well as candy samples, lots of clothing, etc.

Our Alaskan home

Then we went to pick up the RV at Great Alaskan Holidays - - - and we were on our way! Ray motored us downtown to the Ulu Factory, where Brett wanted to see how the Ulu knives were made. We drove back to Janice & Suzette’s home. Jim, my cousin, who is just a couple of years younger than I came over and it was so great to see him. He looks much like his father, Stowell, and we so enjoyed his delightful sense of humor, and entertaining conversation.

We had dinner, then drove over to Jim’s home where we parked the RV for the evening. Jim has four children and has coached all of them in hockey and soccer. He built this great rink in his back yard. It also has a great tree house with a twirly slide exit on the side.

Tiffany and Brett were designated to go get Brittany and Cory that night from the airport. (I felt bad because we all came in at different times and we were all going out at different times, which meant a lot of trips to the airport and inconvenient hours.) Mom and Dad slept in the motor home, Ray and I were given Jay bird’s bed and Brittany and Cory went downstairs to what Cory fondly referred to as the "sweet man cave" after they arrived.

North to Alaska Day 1

2010-06-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Mom & Dad - in Alaska at last!

In January, my parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary! Quite an achievement and we are happy for them and extremely grateful for them. In lieu of the usual family/town gathering, they wanted to go to Alaska to celebrate. On May 26th, we met them at the Salt Lake Airport and we were on our way. Flying in to Anchorage, we were awestruck at the multitude of mountains and lakes. The mountains are very pointed and sharp and went as far as our eyes could see. Snowcapped, they seemed to go on endlessly. Since we live right next to some beautiful mountains, I was surprised that I should be so overwhelmed at the sight of these mountains, which I presume were the Chugach Range, lying southeast of Anchorage. Dad was sitting by the window and was looking out most of the trip. He asked the steward where we were, so after that, the steward would come and update us every little while. I enjoyed visiting with Mom, watching a movie and doing a little reading.

Sandy, Mom, Dad, Janice & Sue ~ around 9:00 p.m.

We arrived in Anchorage, where Aunt Janice and Aunt Sue picked us up at the airport. Dad’s sister, Janice has lived in Alaska for over forty years now. Her whole family loved the state so much, they have all settled there and most of their children have stayed as well. It is so beautiful, I can understand why you would want to stay. We had dinner and visited, went outside to the backyard and visited. I was amazed because I knew we had been out for quite some time, but the sun never seemed to change positions. It still felt like 7:30 p.m. . . . yet it was 11:30 p.m.! We really enjoyed the novelty of no darkness. It simply did not get dark. And it was so easy to stay up into the wee hours without even realizing it.