To be full of Thanks and try to be Giving to others

This year I have been trying to figure out what I am thankful for.  My list was long.


Mike has a job, We have a roof over our heads, food in our fridge, money in the bank, Both autos are in working order, we are healthy (old does not qualify), we love our children and grandchildren and are grateful for their love and support.


We are learning to be grateful for our challenges and quests in life.  We are grateful that we are still learning.


We are thankful for the scriptures, grateful we know how to read,  We are grateful for our new ward, Kolob 6th Ward in Kolob Stake, I think anyway.  We are grateful for Mike's Ipad and all the great apps the church has for it.  We are grateful for the internet, to be able to do indexing to help move the work along.


We are grateful that the Lord blessed us by softening the hearts of those who could show us the way to find Alexis.  Without the Lord's help, we would still not have been able to lay her earthly body to rest.  We are blessed to share the gospel with so many great and wonderful family members and friends.


We are thankful for this year, 2011, the weddings, baby blessings, family gatherings, and funerals.    We are thankful for our move, for the support of those who helped and that it was done safely, without injury.


As this year comes to an end, we want to thank our family for the love and support they have shown to us, in good times and bad.  We want to thank our friends for being there for us when we asked for help or just wanting to talk.


We can't thank others enough, or show our gratitude for the blessings sent our way for even a small portion... No words can express our gratitude.  Signing off now with a heart full of gratitude and charity for those we know and love.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2011

My Sweet Alexis...

September 10, 2011 marks a very bad horrible day...

Alexis went missing... Disappeared off the face of the earth...

No cell phone activity...

Nothing...

Only to find her on day 40 buried in a shallow grave in Morgan County near the banks of the Weber River...

There are no words...

Only an empty sadness...

Seth has really handled this tragic time fairly well.. Very proud of him and how helpful he has been to his mom, by her side, supportive... oh yeah, I forgot ...He is a teenager... so we are not talking perfect,  but nearly you know.....

Our move the 15th of October is nearly over... It was a hard one... I think I say that every time I move... But with the news that Lex was missing... made it even harder.  No concentration ... No drive... No packing early... Just worry... and no sleep...

We need to clean up the backyard and get a few more things from the house... I'd like to get a cleaning crew together the first part of this week so I can get the carpets cleaned on Friday... Cuz Monday is our last day in that house and we still are not done...

So many sent flowers and plants to express their sadness too... So hard to understand this anyway, but harder due to it being our baby girl..

So many people came to the gravesite, far to many to even know who was there.  The media was outside the church in North Ogden, and on the pathway at the cemetery.  

Dylan Moore, Kirk's youngest came from AZ.  Glad that Jessica brought him.  A funeral is hard, but not knowing family is supportive makes it harder still.  Healing and understanding can start to happen as he processes  this tragic loss in his young life.  He lost his only sister...

This seems so senseless to me... This kind of death is so wasteful... It makes me sick when I think about it and her lying in a pile of dirt, tossed out like the trash...

Gotta stop for now... My heart is breaking... My body is shaking... Gonna go hide in my bed...

I'm pretty sure I'm suppose to be something else, so much crisis and stress and I'm still standing... What is wrong with me?  Why am I not flat and nonfunctional?  OK... Maybe why isn't the question... but then I'm so blank I can't think of what the question might be...  I'm still so very sad... a sadness I've never experienced before.

We had 2 dozen balloons to send up for the welcome home party she was having with family as we laid her earthly remains safely to rest.  Chris and Addison were there, now we added Lex too... See family... Together... Forever...

What do you think I'm suppose to learn in my life?

Conference Weekend... Delightful

Starting this before conference starts... will add through out the weekend with bits of wisdom and treats from the General Authorities.. The temps are not to cool... mid high 80's...  Grateful for the cooler temps, and very grateful we are not in winter weather either...

As usual I did not get this done...

Seems like my life exploded on me again and I fell into snail mode... moving so slow...

moved
funeral
funeral
Thanksgiving...

So ya, things kept happening...

Connie is a Grump!!!

and if you don't believe her... Just ask Mike... Who is pleasant and sweet all the time...

OH YEAH!!

So this started on Thursday of this week... Mike has been sneezing

Lesson... Be or Do

We had a lesson today in Relief Society and it was really good.  Mike and I had a discussion before church and after church.  Mike taught the High Priest Quorum lesson and I went to the RS lesson....  Out of the May Conference Issue 2 talks were to be used as the lesson.

One was by Elder Lynn G Robbins, 

"What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be?" 

pg 103.  

This talk had many concepts and issues.  I will quote many parts of this talk, he said it so well, why try to re do what was done well...

"To be and to do are inseparable.  As interdependent doctrines they reinforce and promote each other.  Faith inspires one to pray, for example, and prayer in turn strengthens one's faith."


"The do without the be -HYPOCRISY- portrays a false image to others, while be without do portrays a false image to oneself."


We see this in others, because it's easier to see the speck of dirt in another eye than to see the huge tree sticking out of our own eye.  Or another example Elder Robbins used was the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy: "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye pay tithe - something they did - of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and faith" (Matthew 23:23).  Or in other words, they failed to be what they should have been."


He used a few other examples to teach us:

• Entering the waters of baptism is something we do.  The be that must precede it is faith in Jesus Christ and a mighty change of heart.
•  Partaking of the sacrament is something we do.  Being worthy to partake of the sacrament is a weightier and much more important matter.
•  Ordination to the priesthood is an act, or do.  The weightier matter, however is power in the priesthood, which is based 'upon the principles of righteousness' (D&C 121:36) or be.

 Elder Robbins continues with: "Most of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish.  But people rarely have to be lists.  Why?  To do's are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done.  To be, however, is never done.  He used an example of taking his wife out to dinner, which is the to do... But being a good husband is not an event, it needs to be part of my nature - my character, or who I am."


I can see these events in my life... and I have never been filled... or satisfied.  Because the void wasn't a void to be filled with an event,  it was a void that I needed to develop in my nature, or the who I am part of the do/be.  


Wish I had that tip of wisdom in my life/marriage like 30 yrs ago... HaHa... Things would have less complicated... but I am stubborn and slow to learn and be taught.


I will amend this as I finish putting my thoughts together... So Later...

Changes in our Nest...

It's official.  We have new roommates for the next 8 months while Esmeralda finishes up her MA at Provo College, she should be done by Feb. 2012.  John won't be finished til late summer of 2012.

Al has moved out of state.  He is doing well.  Loves where he is at.  Close to fishing and mountains.  The winters will be cold.  But he will love it.  He has a great roommate who is a good game player.  So, I won't worry about him... Yeah!!  He is pretty healthy right now as long as he stays on his meds. 

The new renters are John and his new wife, Es and her 2 little girls.  Kiana is 4 yrs and Kabrie is 7 months.  Kiana is pronounced Key On a  like Anna with an O sound.  Kabrie is pronounced Kay Brie, brie like the cheese.  They has made this house noisy again, but that is fine. 

Mike and I are going to help them with daycare cuz they go to school at night.  The little ones are in bed and asleep usually when they get home and they are able to do homework.  They are both looking for jobs, so if you know of any part time in this end of the valley... email them OK.

 We love our Ward, Spanish Fields 1st Ward.  Neither of us know the name of our stake.  Which is kinda funny cuz the stake pres lives in our ward.  Guess that is our new goal... learn the name of our stake.

We've had a ton of rain this summer.  It's been an odd year... starting in Dec with the blizzard.  Hopefully this year will be normal for us.  The construction on the freeways have made winter road travel deadly.

Square Foot Gardening

WOW...

 For only an 8X4 this plot is rocking.  I need to thank our landlord for allowing me to kill some lawn.  It's not deep... but it's mighty.  We had snow the 1st of June so I bought well developed tomatoes...  about $9 a piece.  Well worth it cuz I'm getting tomatoes... Yeah!!  The beans are bush and very close to each other... Just budding and growing and we are eating and eating. 

Neither Mike or I are tired
of fresh green beans yet. 
Yum!!
















We've gotten a few crooked neck squash ... this is small...


This is the biggest zucchini so far.  I haven't let them grow cuz I don't want 3 feet of BIG zucchini... The radishes went to seed, Al didn't pick them when they were good... He wanted them BIG... haha not in our garden space.  Oh well... it's all good.

This is the one and only bell pepper... and so far no jalapeno's ... they were not so grande when they got planted and I'm thinking they are not getting enough sun... Oh well... some days are winners and some are just whiners...

 

 The beans are close but seem to be having a great time in the sunshine and the rain...

 The tomatoes are loaded... they are just wanting to be picked and gobbled... R U Game???

 It's not much... but fresh vegies are delightful...

I've gotta run and get those beans snapped and in a pot...

Mike ate all the tomatoes while I was up here blogging...

dah...

guess I will have to peek again to see if any are still out on the vines...





TaTa!!!

EMPTY NESTERS???

Mike and I just realized we are home alone and it's not just for a day or two... John is staying with 'friends' closer to school and Al is out of state.  This is the first time since we were married, 40 years ago, we have no room mates. 

I'm going a bit crazy with so much quiet... I'm not complaining about the quiet, just so not used to it... I have had a nap, watched a tv program by myself with the remote... walked to the mailbox, dah... it's so odd...  I take Rusty with me to run errands.  hehehe

We have found, that when we are not stretched so far... we kinda like each other.  It's also been funny to sit and look at each other and wonder what to do next?? 

Now, we know this is a forever thing, with John still in school and Al not stable in his own place, but for now this is heaven.

We eat simply.  We have so few dishes, I have run the dishwasher 2x this week... not 2x today.  Our fridge is almost empty.  We are slowly going thru the food and stuff.  Our freezers are nearly empty.  Both of us want to get it whittled down and then clean it out before we get new things.  It helps we are putting all our money into bills and rent so we don't have much left over anyway. 

We haven't had to run to the store for anything.  Mike is the only one who drinks milk, but I use it to cook.  My yogurt is still ok and our fresh fruits and veggies are soon out... But until Monday, I think we are good to go. 

Sigh... if we had money to spare this would be more fun... More like a vacation, but it's not to be right now.  We are trying to get our bills in line to buy a house next June.  With a goal, I'm pretty good to stop the spending. 

Well.... so much for this entry.  No pictures... Unless you want to see the little girls of John's girlfriend... hehehe They really are cute, 3 yrs and 6 mos.  and both their names start with a K. 

Gramma's and Girls Camp

running and jumping into the water

OK... So Holly was assistant camp director... Davis is still in the Bishopric.  That leaves 5 children to go somewhere with someone. 

 

let's do it again

TaDa... I am the someone and my house is the somewhere.  Here I had the help from Al, John and of course Mike.  

We tried to keep them busy, but remember we have so many different age groups to deal with that Tanner kinda got the short end of the stick.

Let's get on the floating wood

We went to the cement pond mid week and took the whole shebang... the van was so full of stuff, I wasn't sure we'd have room for the kids.  The wagon was more for us than them to help us move things to and fro.  

The wind came up and blew the umbrella all the way down to the bathrooms.  We thought for a moment that our summer fun was going to be spoiled by torrential rain.  The weather man was able to hold off until we got home.  Yippee!!

putting his head in the water

Shaking off the water

Of all the things we brought, we didn't bring things to dig with... dah... it is a 'beach'.  The older 3 were fairly safe in the water, they had swim lessons all last year.  

But Mr. Bennett on the other hand is still only 2 and loves the water.  No he is not water safe.  I loved the shot of him getting his head in the water.  Matt told him to put his head in the water for a quick swim lesson.  So in his infinite wisdom, he bent over and put his hair in the water.  It worked for him...

fun floating wood

I was very appreiative for Al coming to fish and fill in the gaps as needed.  When one of us got tired, another would step in to give me a break.  I didn't get any naps, but I survived as well as did the kiddos...

gramma you cut off my head!

Warren is a pill, he cries if you leave him, if he is tired, if he is hungry, just bored even... It was 90 degrees f. at 10 am. and putting a baby in that sun is deadly... 

hey I like it out here

 

so he and I sat under the shade and just watched.  I don't know if he was praying, but I was praying continually that no one would need my help... sigh... I was very grateful that I did not need to go into the water in my jeans and t-shirt.  

Our Heavenly Father watches over us and blesses us all the time.  I am very grateful for that.  

Over all the week went by quickly... It was hard for me to do breakfast, lunch and dinner plus bottles and baby food... Oh Then it was keeping up with the dishes and laundry.. WOW... I know why we have our children when we are young... Cuz we can't keep it up when we get older.  My body just doesn't move like it used to.

We got them home safe and sound.  There house was trashed after 5 minutes of being home, and our house was trashed due to having 5 more people and those people being kids. 

Dinner in the Mtns.

Our first open air dinner and we didn't get any photos of the food... Dah!!  It was yummy tho. 

 We met Holly and Davis and Mike and Mindy up at Affleck Park in Mnt. Dell area.  A gated campground.  This is our 2nd annual get together with them for dinner.  It's kinda hard on Mike and I to camp in a tent... So we just join them for dinner.

 Dinner is over and we are all in cars going to the fishing hole.  Up the road and tight corners, otherwise called 'hairpins' and finally a few goofy kids later... We were there.



This year we had Al, he is the fish whisperer.  He is so very good to help others catch their fish on his line.  We had the luck of the game warden to visit us and Davis left his license in the Suburban, which had just left to take a potty break with Ady and Holly.

The way down had a few steep places.  The adults went another way.  The kids on the other hand didn't.  Hm

 Matt was having a blast picking on Poppie. He did it well to...

 We brought our own snakes as Bennett called them, he wouldn't have anything to do with them either.  I finally got him to say wurms... but still no touchie...

 Matt was alot of fun on this trip.  Tanner wasn't here, he had scout camp for Friday and Saturday.  He stayed with the Huntsman's.  It gave the other kids a chance to do things they might not do with the older sibling around. 

 

Al, Matt and Mike had a great spot to fish.  It was tough to get to them and tough to get away from them... But the stay was great!!

Mr. Warren was having dinner before fishing to keep him a happy camper.  It didn't work, but it gave him a moment or two of peace.

Mike and his son going down the hill to get to their fishing spot.  Once you got there it was pretty nice. 

Fun Group Shot... I should have been behind Ady, but moving was touch and go.  If you moved to much you would go ... down the hill into the water... no break!

 Mindy and Luke having a good moment.  Babies and camping do not always make for ease or comfort.  Always a new trick up a mom's sleeve to help things go smoothly, and Mindy is learning them all...










The weather was really nice.  It was a mild 82 degrees while the valley floor boasted 100 degrees f.  When the sun went down... 60 was the temp.  I loved it.  Not to cold for me!! 

We had never gone up to that area before.  The fishing was pretty good in the area we were at.  The sitting and kids were not so great due to the depth of the water... but no one fell in. 

I think Bennett was a bit afraid of heights.  He started down and panicked so I went to his side and offered my behind pockets for him to hold onto to get down.  We repeated the motion on the way up and out too..  He wasn't in shoes, they were wet and left at camp to dry out.  He had on clogs and they do not hold well to rocks and sliding dirt.

It was fun.  We got home just about midnight to our lovely beds.... sigh...  and I showered in the morn... was just to tired to function ... sleep wasn't hard to find.

Family Easter Dinner 2011

Since Gramma and Poppie have moved to Spanish Fork it's harder to get all the grand-kids together.  

This is really our first attempt.  

I am very grateful for 

Holly and Davis letting us gather at their home.

We were able to invite all but Dylan who lives in Tempe, AZ.   We were very lucky to get most of them to come.  Seth was brought to the valley by Mike his step-dad.  Belle went skiing with her Grandma Lael.  Alexis didn't make it, but she was going to try.  All in all we have a fun time.  The kids were crazy... we had a few spills... No real blowups... Good decisions seemed to have been made... Hurrah a success...  

Most of the pictures didn't turn out, but thought I'd post a few just to keep me grounded and in brilliant form... (hahaha)

 

 

Life is good...

Spring is here...

Snow is still falling...

my Garden is on hold..

hoping to get it going soon...

 

We missed so many family and friends ... Usually our Easter Dinners are big events with friends and family gather from all around and meet up in our big back yard for a really great hunt and some great food and company with fun visits... I guess that is the hard part of 'down sizing' ... cuz it's just not the same.  

Matt, Seth, Bennett, Tanner, Audree, Adylin

 We will have to come up with another option... Oh well... another day!!