Scott & Sammie

New car

2010-05-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

I just deleted the other pics by accident of our new car. It is a BLAST to drive. I just love it! I have loved driving the 4-Runner for 19 years but WOW what a change. We both love it!

2010-05-02T21:21:00.000-07:00

RJ and Jared were already gone. I got to take Jennifer, Savannah, and Zachery to the airport.

2010-05-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Savannah and I had fun making cupcakes, and eating them too!

2010-05-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

We had an unexpected visit from Jared, Jennifer, and family for the sad occasion of the passing of Jennifer's grandfather. I was planning to go there but they came here instead.
I spent a couple days with RJ and Savannah. We went to the park and the Jelly Belly factory. It was a really busy day. On Saturday we had a fairly warm day. The town pool, newly redone, was reopened. It was chilly with the wind but the kids had a good time I think. Didn't get any pictures of that though.

2010-05-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

It's not the holidays without some family.

2010-05-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Some random pics from Christmas and New Years. Yes, I AM slow to get to this. Was so nice we got to see Luz and Josh who went with us over to Scott and Polly's on Christmas. Jeremy and Lisa came the following week.

Bedroom update

2010-05-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

It seems that we are always in remodel mode, project mode around here. We are STILL working on the bedroom. It's hard when you only have Saturdays to work on it. Life gets in the way too.
Well, we ended up putting in a whole new electrical panel. We had to move electrical, move a wall, insulate, and now we are putting up the sheetrock. It finally looks like a room again.

2010-02-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

Some pics of what we are doing in our bedroom.
The chandelier and sconces for the room.
The ivory headboard that we ordered. It took many hours of online shopping. I'm still deciding on nightstands.

The blue is the bedding I have picked out. The picture of the cream colored room... we are copying what they did for the closet. (Actually I think this is a very pretty room, but I don't want my room beige or cream.)
The panel doors with fabric in the top area along one whole wall. We also ordered a standard french door with 6 panels of obscured glass for the entrance to the bathroom.

Will the real French Blue please Stand up?

2010-02-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Will the real French Blue please Stand up?

2010-02-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

RJ,
There are SO many more pics, I could go on forever. All of my grandchildren are stars, lights, in my life.

I just want you to know that I have enjoyed every minute with you. I love talking to you on the phone and the computer.
You are very special. Have a wonderful birthday.
Love you! Grandma

2010-02-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

At Yellowstone

Getting ready for church

Another trip to Yellowstone

4th of July

At Jelly Belly Factory here in
Fairfield.

2010-02-19T20:45:00.000-08:00

More fun times

At the zoo...

A short layover in Salt Lake that we got to see the family....

what a cute smile.

those blue eyes

A sweet look

2010-02-19T20:37:00.000-08:00

I went to the park with RJ and Jen a number of times and down to the river when they lived in St. Anthony. At the river RJ wanted to play in the water so the puddles in the parking lot helped to satisfy him. I love his Hollywood star look with the sunglasses.

At this park in Rexburg I had to laugh, which wasn't nice because the ducks chased him for his bread. Of course he wasn't much bigger than the ducks.

2010-02-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite moments with RJ. He is sucking the paper off a Tootsie Pop, and loving it. It was pretty funny how hard he was working on it.

2010-02-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

RJ turns 6!
What a feeling it was when RJ was born. I got to be there for his second week here on this Earth. What a sweet family. I got to hold and rock him. I even sang "I am a Child of God" to him. I have such a great connection with RJ. I thought I would share some of my favorite times with this sweet guy.

Phone call with RJ

2010-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

(This is a picture from last Christmas of RJ leaving Cookies and milk out for Santa)

I am way behind and need to blog for Christmas but I didn't want to forget this sweet phone call this morning.
RJ called, he said he missed me and wasn't sure what else to say but then I got him talking about what he's been doing and we talked for 45 minutes. He told me about his new video game, Indiana Jones Legos 2. He got #1 last Christmas. He said he only has one level to beat still but he likes the 2nd game better because they have the "wearhouse" in it. He told me the names of all his new friends at school and at church and that one he knows from both, but he still really misses one friend especially from Idaho. He got a BopIt for Christmas and that toy reminds him of his friend. In school they have an activity that makes reading more fun. It is a 3 word name which I can't quite remember, but one word is Wiggle. They get to dance around when that word is shown, and then they have to stop and read a word. It made me laugh the way he explained it.
He also spent a lot of time telling me the storyline of a number of his favorite books. The Pig that fell out of a book, that was funny, oh and his fave, Ooodles of Noocles. It was cute to hear him get excited about the books. I'm glad he likes them.
I miss him too as I do the others but I talk to RJ so much more. It's fun to be part of their lives. I look forward to doing that more with the younger kids.

2009-12-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We had a great trip despite forgetting to bring all our tickets. We went to Utah for Thanksgiving and then went straight to Anaheim. We didn't realize the mistake until Sunday, the day before we went. We caused a domino effect by our mistake and had a problem every day except Friday at Universal Studios, but everyone was so good to us. Very customer oriented. We are SO glad we stayed at a Disney hotel.
Tuesday we had breakfast at the hotel with the characters. It was really fun.
We rode Pirates a number of times, as well as my favorite, the Tower of Terror, which is different every time you ride it. The lines were pretty short, about 15 min or less for most of the rides. We did a LOT of walking and were grateful on Friday that Universal was fairly small in area. We actually had really good food in the park. It was a bit cool but we braved the Splash Mountain ride because the Brer Rabbit story part of the ride is SO cute but because they had had some technical difficulties when they restarted the ride they speeded it up. It was way to fast, really bumpy, and we got really wet without enjoying the story. But we had planned to go back and change clothes before we went to CA Adventure that day.
The fireworks were wonderful and the castle was so breathtaking. Even Scott thought so. He doesn't like the parades, or waiting for them so I only got to see glimpses of them.
The Aladdin stage show was a favorite of ours last time we went and it is still great. 45 minutes long.
The Haunted Mansion was transformed into the Nightmare Before Christmas. It was really cool. We even went on It's a Small World because they changed most of it to Christmas music, so you don't get so sick of the repetative music.
I was able to use the free internet in our room and got a 4 star hotel on Priceline.com. That was the first time I ever let it choose for me. We got a room at the Hilton for $79. It was a nice room, BUT they charge for everything. Parking $18, Internet cost but I didn't use it.
We stopped to visit Scott's aunt and uncle in Alhambra on Sat am before driving home. It's nice to be back in my own bed, but yulk, gotta go back to work tomorrow.
BTW- I didn't diet at Disneyland, and actually ate lots of yummies. I only gained 1 lb back so I thought I did ok. Back on the diet tomorrow and back to the gym.

Disneyland trip

2009-12-02T22:38:00.001-08:00

I will add some later. We have been to Disneyland, CA Adventure, and San Diego Zoo. Having a great time, despite a few goofups on our part.

New Moon Opening

2009-11-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Last night off we went, several friends, to see New Moon, exactly 1 year after waiting in line for 6 hours for Twilight.
Last night was better because the theater did something really nice. They reserved 2 of the 4 sold out theaters for the midnight showing of New Moon. For an extra $5.00 we got to go inside at 7pm, then at 9 they showed Twilight. And then at midnight to cheers from all they showed New Moon which was longer at 2 1/2 hours. I really enjoyed it. I love the books and the movies do a pretty good job. Nina and I both agreed the 2nd one was better. It was fun and I'm already looking forward to the third movie's release on June 30, 2010!
I love how clean the books are and I was disappointed to see the review in the paper today that criticised the chastity in them. How ridiculous! Don't people want their teens to have something clean to see and read???
Well, I love the books and enjoyed the movies.

Cadence's 5th Birthday

2009-10-25T17:57:00.001-07:00

We attended Cadence's birthday party today. Polly always makes really cute birthday cakes. Cadence loves Webkins animals. We got her a Cocker Spaniel dog. She also got 2 cats and a racoon. I got to try out my new camera.

Scott got to pick a gift for his 5 year anniversary at Tesoro. So he got a pewter luggage tag and he picked out a new camera for me. Yeah!

2009-10-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

Maj-Lis and Donovyn had a good time playing with all the balloons at the party too. Kim and Todd were there too. Kim is doing better but not well yet. She's such a trooper.

Happy Birthday Donovyn

2009-10-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

I made a cupCake for Donovyn's birthday when they came over for our monthly Sunday dinner. It is SO nice to see more of them! Happy Birthday Donovyn!

2009-10-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

Just an update on the shed. Scott has been strengthening the floor and working on the corner trim. I actually don't think it's ugly or an eyesore anymore.

2009-10-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Scott's parents came to visit in Sept. It was wonderful to have them here. I just felt bad that I had to work. Scott took the time off work to spend with them. They got to see Kim in the hospital. Ronna, Gina, and Kalven came on Sunday (apparently I didn't get any pics). Scott, Polly and the girls came on Sat.

I WON!

2009-10-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

I entered a contest last weekend at the opening of a new Osh Hardware store in town. Danielle Hirsch, who is the co-host of the HGTV show Color Splash, was a guest there at their grand opening. I missed meeting her but entered the drawing for a room make-over worth approx $10,000. I got a call at work on Friday from her and I immediately recognized her voice. I couldn't believe it!! I won!!!!

This is sponsored by the store, Sherwin Williams paint, and Danielle. It is not associated with the TV show. They don't do remodeling, so they wont do the bathroom. I still don't have a lot of info yet but the rules state that most of the money is for consult, design, and labor. Only $3,ooo is for products, but WOW, I'm so excited. It must be completed by the end of Feb so it will be soon.
Just don't know which room we're going to do yet.

I couldn't figure out how to copy a picture to show you of Danielle but she does have a website
www.daniellehirsch.com/

Saturday, Yippee!

2009-10-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

I went thru my closet all morning eliminating all the clothes that don't fit anymore. It was hard some of the time. I have some pretty clothes, but they've gotta go. It is SO nice to wear fitted clothes! Then I did the usual, laundry, cleaning, etc. Scott worked on the shed. It was warm and really muggy for here. I love the sun though. We had some really heavy rain on Monday, almost 5 inches! The street outside our office flooded over completely, up to the bottom of car doors. Somewhere in town a lady drove into a creek thinking it was a flooded road. She got towed out and was ok.
Tonight we went to the ward Harvest Party which was a chili cook-off and square dancing. We had a great turnout with 20 chilies. I made low-fat chicken chili. I have never cooked with poblano, and jalapeno chilies. It actually came out more mild than I expected. Of course Scott said it wasn't really chili, but that's ok. I liked it and so did some other people. They had someone making balloon animals for the kids, a doughnut bobbing contest for the kids and they had a square dancing group come teach us to dance. That was really fun. Scott said it was ok. He did it and seemed to like it, but I loved it. It was just plain fun. One of the best ward parties I've ever been to.
I have joined the ward choir, even though I hate standing up front. Linda Pederson is our new director and she is great. She really teaches it to us. I actually look forward to going to practice. Scott has been going for some time now already.
We got our reservations for Disneyland. We are going the week after Thanksgiving, driving straight there from St. George, Utah. We have a city pass that includes a 3-day park hopper pass for Disneyland and California Adventure parks, 1 day at Universal Studios, and 1 day at Seaworld and either the San Diego Zoo or the Wild Animal Park (we haven't decided what we're doing in SD yet. I really wanted to go to Universal. I'm really excited. Can't wait!

This and That

2009-10-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

I've been concentrating on practicing my watercolor painting techniques. Not very good at it! I'm still working on my diet. I haven't made it to the gym 5 days a week for awhile. Seems like I keep missing a day or two. But I've gotten lots of compliments.
Scott is trying to finish the trim on the shed. He painted the door the other day.
We are planning our trip to Disneyland the week after Thanksgiving. We are going to drive straight there from St. George. We are going to stay in one of the Disney Hotels and go for 3 days. We even have reservations for dinner at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. We have both always wanted to do that. We are getting whats called a City Pass that includes admission to Universal Studios, Sea World, and San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park. So the 4th day we will drive to San Diego for the day. Friday we will check out of our hotel and drive up to Universal Studios and then spend the night there and drive home on Saturday.
Can't wait. We both love Disneyland. We are especially looking forward to seeing all the Christmas decorations and lighting. That is why we are going in December. It should be a fairly quiet week there too.

Kim is home from the hospital finally. She is still having pain in her legs, but she isn't swollen and she's getting around better. She seems in better spirits.

Congrats to Jared and Jen who bought a house! It's really wonderful inside and out. So happy for them!

Glen & Lucille visit

2009-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Scott's parent's arrived Wed afternoon to visit for a week. They like to read and it's a nice time for them to relax cuz Dad still works at upholstering mostly full time and of course Mom spends her time cleaning, cooking, and taking care of Dad. She's always busy. So, this is nice for them. They were last here 6 years ago. Last time they were here we spent some time in Old Sacramento with Ronna (who was pregnant at the time), and Kim. I'll have to check the pictures. I can't remember who else was there that day. This time they asked for a stay at home and visit with family time. So Ronna, Gina, and Kalven came Saturday at noon and stayed til about 6. We had a nice time. Kalven is a busy kid and got a bit bored but he did ok. He is always smiling. We haven't seen them since last Thanksgiving.
Scott and his parents went to San Francisco Friday to visit Kim, who is STILL in the hospital. Scott said she is a little improved, that her knees were feeling a little better. He also felt her coloring was the best in months. I only wish they could figure out what it is.
We will have Scott, Polly, and the girls here this afternoon after church.
Good to have family around.

Update on my weight loss goal

2009-09-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

Jen noted on her blog that she wants to lose 10 lbs. by Christmas and challenged
others to do the same and put it on their blog so we can all be accountable.
I have avoided it up til my birthday because I feel it's bragging. I didn't want
anyone to feel bad. I have many friends that are overweight.
But people have been finally noticing enough to comment on how I look. I have
lost 40 lbs and 3 sizes since the end of March. Wow! I wasn't sure it was possible.
I still have a bit more to lose but I feel great about the way I look and the way I
feel. I do feel younger and it is easier to get up and down. I have more energy and I am even beginning to miss exercise when I miss a day or two at the gym, something I NEVER thought I'd say!
So, for you young un's out there, you CAN do it! Make your hubbies take the kids for a
bit so you can get out if you need to.
Good luck and thanks for your support.

Kim

2009-09-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

Just to update you all. Kim is in the hospital again (9/8/09). She had joint pain in her knees so bad she could hardly walk. The doctors weren't very attentive considering all she has been through since last November. We visited her and she was in pretty good spirits but I know she feels discouraged by this long illness.
Well, she finally had a visit from a doctor (North Bay Hospital) after 2 days there. He feels that with the new symptoms that she may have autoimmune disease, not autoimmune hepatitis that they have been trying to treat lately. So they sent her to San Francisco for more intense testing, AGAIN. Poor thing has been poked and proded more than she can count. I haven't heard today if there are any results.
I just wanted you to all know.
PLEASE PRAY FOR HER!
She asked Scott for a second blessing 2 nights ago, so he and Chris Pederson went to the hospital to give her a Priesthood blessing.
Will try to keep you posted. She has her phone with her if you would like to call and chat.

Turning 50

2009-08-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, today is my birthday, no big deal. I don't feel any different, except that I have a cold today. Don't feel too good, oh well.
Actually the thing that made this not so bad is that I have been dieting (Jenny Craig) and going to the gym nearly every weekday since March 27. I have been gaining weight steadily for years and complaining about it, but doing nothing. In January, my goal was 50 (lbs) less by 50 (age). I even wrote a sticky note and put it on the fridge. I still didn't do anything. But I did think about it all the time. I was frustrated with myself all the time, trying to hide it with clothes. I think the thing that finally did it was my size 12 clothes were so tight I really needed to go up a size, again! Yulk. I was like my mom, my different sizes of clothes. My co-worker, Dawn, had told me how good the food is at Jenny Craig. I already had a membership at the gym but I was so sporadic about going. I would spend the whole day coming up with reasons not to go at night, like got to go shopping, get gas, do laundry, etc, etc.
I had thought about going early but I just didn't think I had the time since I have long hair and it takes so much time to wash, dry, and style it. I even considered cutting my hair, but I found when my hair was short it was more effort to style it.
I don't know but one day I just made the decision to do it. I didn't ask Scott permission to spend the money. I just needed to do something!!
So I called and made an appointment for that day after work at JC and decided I would get up and go to the gym every morning at 5. I went to JC. Their program is really great. I liked how that when you get halfway to your goal they start weaning you from their food to making your own meals. They emphasize veggies, fruit, eating a well balanced meal, and learning to limit your portions. And I do like their food too.
So I started the next day and have been at it since then. July has been the only month that I have slacked off and stagnated a little but I have lost over 33lbs!
So I didn't reach my 50 less by 50 but Wow I feel SO much better. I notice how much easier it is to get out of bed without my big stomach. I can cross my legs again, silly but great.
I went shopping this past week for pants (which I swore I wouldn't do until I reached my goal, but I couldn't find any size 8's in my shed). It was the first time in YEARS that I enjoyed shopping for clothes. That makes it all worthwhile!!!!! I am not where I want to be but I felt great. I even bought a pair of stretch 6 pants that are a bit tight but still fit. Amazing.
I feel healthier. I have fruit around all the time. I'm rarely hungry. And I am committed to not going back.
I found that it takes mostly a mental commitment to do this, more than anything.
I'm not trying to boast or make anyone feel bad. I feel much more empathetic to people overweight than I used to. I just wanted to share my success. It makes turning 5o not so bad. I only wish I could afford to get rid of some of the wrinkles.

Jared and Jen off to Virginia

2009-08-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We got a surprise when Jared told us that he had been asked by B&W in Virginia for his resume. The lab in Idaho had him do a lot of traveling. He has been to Belgium, Tennessee I think, and Virginia too, working on this project. He has been overseeing the project and in Virginia they are more on the manufacturing side of things. So he has accepted a new position there which will add to his resume and allow him to get a more hands on use of his mechanical engineering degree. The company gave them a great moving package. They packed and moved them, shipped their cars, and will help to sell their home and house them until they buy a home in Virginia. They have a year to complete that.
So they planned a trip to CA in between jobs. They were only here for 3 days but that was great. Zach is so smiley! He is so quick to lite up his face. What a cutie! And RJ, ever my hugger and sweetie. And Savannah, the beauty! Wow, her 3 year old pics are amazing. She has the most beautiful natural curls in her hair. She is so cute and loves to smile too. She jabbers away sometimes in an unknown language, such a ham. They are all so different and so special. Oh, how I will miss them!!!!!! Virginia is a lot further. We wont see them 2 or 3 times a year like we have been.
I offered to have Jen's family come over Sunday so we could share time together (yes, I was being selfish!!!). It was so nice. I was sad that Kim forgot about it and went to San Jose to be with her mom, but Josh did come! He went to a concert in Concord Sat night and got a room. So he came up Sunday after church and spent the afternoon with us. (Luz went home to Argentina for a semester of college). It was so good to see him.
Jen's parents, brothers, and grandparents came too. It was a bunch but really it was enjoyable. Geniel and I get along really well.
Later after they were gone we played a game of Farkel with Jared, Jen and RJ. Savannah had crashed.
I had to work Monday but Jared and Jen spent time with her grandparents and packed up. They sadly said goodbye Monday evening and drove to Sacramento. They had to be there all day Tuesday so their truck could get picked up for the move. Then Wed. they flew to Virginia. I got a call that night from RJ and Savannah. RJ was so excited that he starts kindergarten soon. They had to be there for orientation the next day. They arrived late, lost 3 hours, had 2 wired kids after being cooped up in planes all day, and had to be up early the next day. I talked to Jen and she wasn't sure how that was going to happen. The kids were jumping all over and jabbering in the background.
Well, we wish them all the best. Pray that they'll be able to sell their home for a decent price in this terrible economy. We will miss them but are SO grateful for family, love, and the internet with Skype, the free camera phone online! The blogs help too to keep us feeling a part of their lives.
We love you!!

Carmel-vacation from my vacation

2009-08-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks after my trip to Idaho Scott and I had a rare Friday off together. We decided a week before to go to Carmel. We went one other time and didn't have a good experience so I was determined this would be better. I spent several evenings trying to find a place to stay on the internet. Carmel and Monterey are not cheap! Wednesday night I was getting a bit concerned. I finally decided to bite the bullet and spend a bit more. I found a quaint inn in Carmel. We got it for a deal but it was still expensive but Wow, it was nice.
While I was working on the internet Scott had Tim Shelton and some other friends come over and finally install our new armoir/TV cabinet in the room. We spent hours putting all the electronic equipment back together. It is so beautiful. I love it.
We drove to Carmel Friday morning and found our room to be just wonderful. It was actually 2 rooms, a bedroom with a huge kingsize bed with a fluffy white down comforter. The bedding was exquisite. There was a stone fireplace in each room. The other room had a daybed with lots of pillows. I prefer a couch for watching TV but the daybed was pretty comfy. The huge bathroom had gaudy tile but a jetted tub. What a nice place. They have a patio with tables and umbrellas so you can enjoy their nice continental breakfast outside. They also have small finger foods and wine in the afternoon.
It was a short 2 blocks to the main tourist area of Carmel. Carmel is so quaint. I just love it. We missed breakfast on Sat. so we asked where to go. They steered us the best place! I had cheese blintzes, which are like crepes with ricotta cheese inside and a raspberry glaze on top. I even had hot chocolate. It was chilly and we sat outside under the heaters. Since I've been dieting since March, this was really rich food for me. I enjoyed, or rather savored, every bite, but I suffered a bit later. My stomach hurt for awhile. We wandered around town and Scott even indulged me by looking in shops that I like. They had 2 shops filled with french decorating ideas, that I just love. Our plan was to see the sunset on the beach and we did walk all the way down to the beach despite the fog. It was cold and foggy so we didn't stay long. The beach is not Scott's favorite thing.
We had planned on a certain place to eat dinner but they were full for the evening, apparently you need to make reservations ahead. Well, we were happily disappointed because the place we ended up at was absolutely wonderful. The waiter was standing outside the door trying to get people to come in. He was French and so friendly. We found out later that he is a college grad trying to make it as an artist, sculptor I think. The fish was wow! And the salad was unusual greens with melted goat cheese. Even Scott loved it. Two outstanding meals in one day!
We went back to our room and enjoyed watching TV. I think we brought the DVDs "24" and finished the season.
Sunday we went to church at a Seaside ward which was one of the most friendly wards we have ever attended. The Sunday School lesson was great. Learned something new. It was so nice
to have time away from home and relax. We had a great time!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-08-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I'm so bad about updating my blog. I'm going to try to do better, even if it's only a journal entry with no pics.
I need to do June, with my wonderful trip to Idaho. I flew to Boise, ID on June 20th and spent 5 days with Jeremy, Lisa, Makale (3), and Abigail, my new little granddaughter. Makale and I played with playdough and I watched him draw endless circles on the easel. Those 2 activities seemed to be his favorites at the time. Abigail loves to smile. She was adorable. Jeremy and I had a good talk on the way to his house from the airport. It was so nice to spend some time with him. Lisa is a sweet hostess, especially with all the company she had been having. Thanks!
I took Makale to the park. They have a large park with a big pond and nice playground. He had a good time and I enjoyed being outside.
Jeremy and Lisa took Abigail and flew to N. Carolina for a conference for Jeremy's work on Thurs. They were gone until Monday, so I loaded up the car, (much thanks to Lisa for packing items for Makale), with Makale and Pearl, their dog, and my computer slash DVD player for Makale in the back seat. I think the drive from Boise to Idaho Falls is about 4 1/2 hours. It took us about 6 1/2 hours. My computer kept freezing up almost exactly every 40 minutes. I had to find an offramp and pull over. Several times I had to restart the computer, which a 5 minute ordeal. So I lost almost 10 minutes every time. But Makale was an Angel! He was SO good in his carseat and the dog, What dog? Pearl never made a peep in her crate! I was totally amazed.
I stopped in American Falls, I think, for lunch and asked for directions to the nearest park so Makale could play and I could walk the dog. Well 2 different times I was given directions to the park on the river but after 40 minutes of driving around, totally frustrated, we continued down the road. I found a truckstop which had a large dirt parking lot and weeds so I was able to let Pearl and Makale out. It was a LONG drive! And when I got just a couple miles outside of Idaho Falls they were laying gravel on the road and had it down to one lane. You had to drive on the new gravel for several miles at about 20-30 miles an hour. So tedious, and so close to home. Oh, how I wished I knew how to get there on sidestreets.
Well, we did finally arrive to spend 4 days with Jared and Jen and their family. Zachery, their new baby, was so cute. He slept a bit but I did get to spend time with him too. Jared and Jen had recently acquired a large trampoline (Jeremy and Lisa got a small one too!). They kids had a great time playing together on the tramp. Makale loves to be outside. RJ and Savannah have a stage in RJ's bedroom, although Savannah doesn't need a stage to ham it up. She sings and dances. Oh how I wish I could understand what she's singing. She's so serious. What an actress. RJ loves the stage too.
I love spending time the the grandchildren. Oh how sweet, innocent, and precious they are.
It was a busy fun trip.
On Monday I packed up the car and off we went back to Boise. This time went a bit faster, thankfully. I rigged a way to get the computer up front when it froze up so I could get the movie going again. Aren't movies a wonderful way to keep kids busy in the car!
I got to spend a little more time with Abigail before I left for home on Tuesday.
Phew! Love them dearly, but 10 days was exhausting!

Cadence's Pre-School Graduation

2009-06-30T13:04:00.000-07:00

Scott and I attended the pre-school graduation for Cadence in Davis. She starts kindergarten just like RJ and Kalven this year.
The children sang a really cute song. I wish I had gotten the whole thing on video. Then the director told something about each child and gave them a diploma. It was a really fun event. We were there with Scott Jr, Polly, and Polly's dad.

SURPRISE VISIT!!!!

2009-05-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a present! I was just cleaning up about noon from painting the shed trim in the backyard when in walks, who but RJ! and then Savannah!
They decided Thursday night to drive to CA for the weekend. Wow. They spent yesterday with Jared's dad and then drove here today.
Jared dropped Jen off at her grandparents and brought the kids here. After lunch Jared went and joined Jen and Zach. RJ and Savannah and I played with legos and the kitchen. Scott showed RJ how to play one of Scott's favorite computer games, which RJ loves to do.
What a wonderful day. Sure didn't expect to get to see them again so soon!!!!

2009-05-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

As I said in my post about our trip to Idaho I mentioned that we visited our "newest" granchild. Well, that was Sunday. On our way home from Idaho we got a call. Abigail was born on Tuesday afternoon. Adorable of course. Congrats to Jeremy, Lisa, and Makale. So glad that all went well and everyone is healthy and safe.
I will get to see them on June 20th.

Painting rocks

2009-05-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

After playing in the sand the kids painted rocks. I was surprised that Savannah actually tried to completely cover her rocks. I didn't get a picture of RJ's when he was done. He painted a ladybug, a worm, and a rainbow. I also took a picture of Jennifer's giant gorgeous tulips!!

GIANT Jaw Breakers

2009-05-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Savannah and RJ had a great time enjoying a very small amount of their giant jaw breakers! Yellow and blue everywhere!!!

Trip to Utah and Idaho

2009-05-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Scott and I headed off to Utah for the 2nd reunion of his group of friends from church from after he returned from his mission. Many of them have remained in contact for all these years. Honestly I wasn't really looking forward to it but I had a really nice time. There were other spouses there that felt the same so we enjoyed being together. Debbie, whose parents actually live here in Fairfield in our church congregation (called a ward), I have met before. She found this wonderful 3 story house in Park City, Utah, right at the bottom of the ski slopes. We climbed the hill right behind the house and took a walk among the trees on the slopes together. We also walked down, way down, many steps the two blocks down to the main street where all the shops are. I was really glad we got a room on the first floor! The house was great. The weather was warm and pleasant. It was fun meeting everyone, especially Russ, who was Scott's roomate and best friend. In fact we may get to spend some time with them in Disneyland in December. I got to spend some time working on my computer genealogy too and Debbie and Jeanine got me to sign up for Facebook. I thought that's what a blog was for. I am disappointed though that I still haven't been able to contact my best friend from high school.
We had left Fairfield on Thurs at noon and stayed in Nevada. We both got up and got to exercise in the hotels gym which was nice. Then we drove the rest of the way to Park City arriving around 3:30 Friday. We were there until after church on Sunday. We drove from there to Iona, Idaho to see Jared and Jen and family, including our newest (at the time) grandchild, Zachery (6 weeks). He is adorable of course. (That reminds me of Pat Wight. She ALWAYS said that each successive grandchild was the SMARTEST ever!)
We spent Sunday evening and all day Monday with them. Zachery seemed constantly hungry! He is so sweet. He is certainly a combination of both RJ and Savannah in looks.
I played with the other 2 in the sand box for hours. They painted rocks and we had a water balloon fight too. It was almost a record breaking warm day in Iona. Savannah had her swim suit on. They practically made a swimming pool out of the sand box. They had a great time.

5th Anniversary

2009-05-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Anniversary
May 23rd
Jeremy and Lisa
It's so wonderful to have daughters now!
I don't have any pictures from the wedding. I was trying to just enjoy the day. So this picture is from a couple months later at the DePaola's outdoor wedding.
Love you both!!!!

2009-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

My attempt to make our front yard look a little better. I dug up the Agapanthas plants then I did my best to lay flagstone. That was a joke. It would NOT break where I wanted it to. I tried putting it together like a puzzle before I began breaking pieces. I then planted a ground cover in the cracks between the flagstone. I also planted a Japanese Maple, 3 little shrubs that get a pink flower in the Spring, and daylilies around it. Scott even likes the way it turned out. I really like the way it looks. Hopefully the ground cover will fill in.

2009-04-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Scott and I had a wonderful time at Emily and Matt's wedding. It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny. It was a short and sweet ceremony. They have been together 7 years as of April 27th. We enjoyed seeing many people we haven't seen for awhile.
We were sad that Jared and Jen couldn't come. They were the only cousins not there. We missed Lisa too!
The dinner was great and the evening fun. We enjoyed being able to spend time with Josh & Luz, and Jeremy. Apparently Jeremy lost a bet with his Dad, who loves to wear his kilt to occasions. Jeremy said he didn't think his dad had a kilt that would fit him and wouldn't clash with his shirt. You can see who won. He wasn't too thrilled.
Beautiful bride! and Matt seems very sweet.

If you scroll down past the pictures there is a slideshow of all the pics. Enjoy!

Emily and Matt's wedding

2009-04-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

2009-04-26T08:55:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

2009-04-10T21:17:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

An Easter Message

2009-04-10T20:41:00.001-07:00

Newest Grandchild, Zak, Sent From Heaven

2009-04-06T19:10:00.000-07:00

A new sweet Spirit from our Heavenly Father. He and Mom, Jen, are
healthy and well. What a blessing. So glad you're here Zak.

Love My Sweetheart

2009-02-14T13:34:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Happy Valentine's RJ & Savannah

2009-02-14T13:06:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

2009-02-14T13:00:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

2008-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas afternoon we went over to Scott Jr and Polly's house. We enjoyed visiting with the girls. They had a houseful of friends and family and we had a wonderful prime rib dinner. Maj-lis got an animated parrot that was really cute.

2008-12-25T21:39:00.000-08:00

This was our first Christmas morning with the grandkids waking up here. That was really fun. They got up about 7:50 which was nice. We did all go to bed late the night before. RJ had left a cookie and milk with a note out for Santa. Santa enjoyed the treat and left RJ a note! They opened their stockings and presents from Santa. RJ was happy because he said he got just what he asked for. Jen got a pretty diamond necklace. Savannah loved anything that was Strawberry Shortcake. The one picture of Jared and RJ was when they both got the present that they wanted, the game for Wii- Mario Kart. I guess RJ made sure to tell Santa that Daddy wanted it too. Scott got a laser for his chop saw, but of course I need to send it back. I got the wrong one. He got me a new 32 inch flatscreen TV for my craftroom! We had a nice morning.
Then the missionaries came over to join us for breakfast. I made a french toast casserole, eggs, and bacon. Then Jared and Jen left to go to her parents house and then to her grandparents for dinner. We had an enjoyable morning, only sad thing is not everyone was here.

2008-12-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

I picked up Jared, Jen, RJ, and Savannah from Carmichael the Saturday before Christmas. It has been nice to have them here this year. They haven't come for 2 years. Savannah and RJ have enjoyed playing with the nativity set that I got just for the kids to touch and play with. I hope that they all grow up knowing the reason we celebrate Christmas is to remember the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Christmas Gathering

2008-12-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

I had to decorate much earlier than usual. In fact I had to have it done by the 11th for this Relief Society progressive dinner. That is about the date that I usually start. It was rather stressful, but wow, now I'm done. The tree turned out really pretty this year I think. We had a really nice time together having soup in bread bowls, and a wonderful salad done in Christmas colors. We then went to another home and met with all the ladies that had small gatherings as we did. We talked about ways to keep Christ in our Christmas celebrations. It was fun to share our home with others and to feel the spirit of Christ at this wonderful time.

We look forward to having family with us this year. Merry Christmas to all!

2008-11-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

No pictures yet, just an update.
I have actually been putting up pictures on the walls, FINALLY! I only painted the greatroom a year and a half ago! It wasn't as hard to put holes in the walls since it has been so long since painting. I am excited to decorate for Christmas this year. I have one side of the hallway done and the entryway. I changed the color of the hallway light fixtures too. I painted the ceiling in the greatroom last Sat. I have never been so exhausted after painting. I hurt everywhere. I could really tell I'm getting older. I didn't get it much darker in color but it isn't so stark white. Oh well, it'
s done, not doing it again! The vents and light fixtures are back up too.
Scott has been working away on the shed. He finally has the siding finished. Next is the trim and the roof. I moved the stuff that belongs in the shed back on to the patio so I could paint. Hopefully he will get it done soon. Scott found the shelves he wants for it in Sacramento. We will go pick them up when we get back from St. George for Thanksgiving.
Ronna and Kalven are going with us for the holiday. That will be nice for Scott's parents. They have never seen Kalven.
Well, tonight is the opening of the movie Twightlight. I can't believe I'm doing this but I AM. I am going with about 15 other ladies and girls from our ward to the midnight showing. I am nuts. I have never done anything like this. Scott thinks it's great. I am going to try to take a nap tonight then go over and take turns in line with the girls. Will let you know how the movie was and how I manage at work tomorrow!

update

2008-09-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Scott has been working on building a new shed since I left for Idaho. I am calling it a monstrosity because he decided to make it taller than a regular room so it can have a loft built in it. It started to sprinkle tonight so we had to cover all the contents from the shed that are sitting in the side yard. He has the walls up, next I think the roof trusses go up.
Saturday mornings he hasn't been able to work on it though because we have been asked by the Prophet to get involved in trying to pass the proposition that states that marriage is between a man and a woman. I don't believe that our children should be taught in schools that any kind of family is normal. So we have been going door to door handing out flyers that explain the proposition. Everyone has been very nice, even those people that disagree. We aren't there to argue, just to inform people.
I have been sanding our new door, getting ready to varnish it. I hope to varnish one side tomorrow afternoon. It really is a pretty door. I am anxious to get it done.
We also dropped off the 4-Runner to have the seats recovered. The upholsterer thought he might be able to get the identical fabric but alas, it wasn't to be. But he did suggest that we reuse the fabric down the center of the seats since it was in good shape and matches the door panels. But they just didn't have a good match in fabric so we ended up deciding on leather. I hope that we like it.
Well number 4 receptionist at our office since last November has quit. Sharon decided she just wanted a cushy, easy job, and this just isn't such a thing. So we are getting resumes again. OH Boy! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited that I get to start training all over again.

Saying goodbye

2008-09-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

I did say goodbye to the kids last night, in fact RJ was upset the night before when I reminded him that we had one more day. So last night wasn't so bad. This morning getting up at 5:30 was a drag. I was definitely tired today.
The babysitter showed up right on time which was great. Just as I was getting ready to leave RJ came down the stairs. He heard me talking to Katie. I was surprised. He hugged me and we talked a couple minutes. He didn't cry though. I told him to tell Katie all about our week and he surprised me even more when I asked him to go back to bed. He did and went back up the stairs. Now whether or not he stayed there I don't know.
I will miss them both a ton. I have to say that RJ was an angel almost the entire time. Savannah is so cute and sweet when she's good, but when she wants something her way she can be quite trying. Jen, you are a saint to be so patient with her.
I love you all! Already miss them tons. I just love the hugs and kisses and "I love you Gramma's"!
Travel home was nice, but oh how I appreciated the 70 degree weather in Idaho. When I got home it was about 100 or more. YULK!

Friday-Last day in Idaho

2008-09-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

Last night wasn't fun. An hour after RJ went to bed he woke up crying and complaining that his nose hurt. He was half asleep and cranky. I got him back to bed but he did the same thing an hour later. So I ended up after the 3rd time getting in bed with him. He slept fitfully all night. Not until morning and several more questions did I understand that his sinuses hurt. I found some Saline solution which helped immediately. Dummy, I should have figured that out last night. We both would have gotten a better night's sleep. Savannah had a runny nose today too. My nose has bothered me since I got here from the dry air. Jared called a little later and told me where to find the decongestant. That helped them both.

So today was a more difficult day for them both.

After breakfast and baths we got ready to go to Bear World, near Rexburg. Jared called and talked to the kids just as we were getting ready to leave. It was a quick and easy trip. We drove through the animal park first which is why I wanted to get there early while the animals were still roaming around. That was smart because we drove through again a couple hours later on our way out and it was warmer so the animals were mostly sleeping and a lot harder to see.
The grizzly bear was my favorite. I didn't get a picture of it though.

We walked through the petting zoo which was one of the best I've ever seen. The goats are fed so they don't attack you so much like other places, but they have many other animals too; a pig, chickens, turkeys, several deer (I don't recall ever petting a deer before), and a moose (behind a fence). The moose was lying down so we didn't get to actually pet it. They also have an illusive turtle which we never found. Mostly RJ just wanted to go get on the rides which is included in the price of admission.(Thanks for the 1/2 off coupon Jen!). That was worth it completely after what I paid for rides at the fair the other day. They could ride as much as they wanted which was fun, until I was ready to leave. Savannah wasn't too happy. They also have 2 pens that house 6 bear cubs. They were adorable and we got to watch them play while we had lunch. And to my delight they had shaved ice snow cones. Yeah! I was so looking forward to that when I came. I finally got one on my last day here. It really has felt like a vacation. I have enjoyed the kids a lot. I have been frustrated at times with Savannah but she is 2, what can you expect?

We got home about 2 and I put Savannah down for a nap and had RJ play quietly since they are both a little sick. I did some straightening up so Jen could come home to a nice clean home. RJ and I played the pig game which is one of my favorites. The Simply Fun games are really great. They are especially nice for the younger kids. A much better selection and easier to play for young kids.

The evening was spent quietly watching Curious George. Savannah was quite unhappy that we weren't watching Strawberry Shortcake again. Sorry Savannah. They got to bed 1/2 hour late because of the movie. Jen called and talked to them. Savannah was so cute. She giggled and laughed and laughed while listening to her Mom. She and RJ were kind of egging each other on.

The only real concern was that we couldn't get a hold of the babysitter that is due tomorrow at 6:30am. I think she will be here though. Jen got a backup just in case though. I feel bad though that she needs her sleep and she is worried about it.

I packed and finally got in bed about 10:30, way too late. Up at 5:30 tomorrow.

Thursday in Idaho-Quieter Day

2008-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well, a busy day really took a toll on Savannah. Last night after only an hour of sleep she woke up screaming. I went up and rocked her back to sleep which only took a few minutes. I was tired too. I talked to Scott who took this week of for vacation time also to rebuild our backyard shed. He has the old one torn down and 2 walls built on the new one.

I woke up at 5:30, UGH, and couldn't go back to sleep. Savannah woke up at 6:30 and cried. I was surprised it didn't wake RJ up. I let her cry and she went back to sleep. I had to get her up at 8:20 to take RJ to school. I had to wake him up too at 7:45. We still had enough time to get a bath (he wet the bed) and have breakfast. He changed his mind about what he wanted to show his classmates today. He found a toy yesterday at the fair which is something he really wanted. It has a compass and 2 magnifying glasses.

When we got back home Savannah and I had breakfast and then into the bath she went. She spent a long time playing. I had to all warm water twice and she was still upset when I did finally get her out. I do expect her to be tired today though. Now she is watching her movie which I figure will help her get some rest.

I forgot to note that yesterday morning RJ had the only what I would call "meltdown" since I got here. It was actually kind of funny cuz his misunderstood. The kids were in the bath and the water was getting cold. RJ complained that it was cold so I asked him to get out first so I could dry him off and get him warm. He instead layed back down so instead I thought I would let him stay in and I took Savannah out to dry her off. RJ totally lost it, was bawling and screaming that he wanted to go first. I kept telling him I was trying to be nice but he would have nothing to do with that. I took Savannah in the bedroom to dress her and then he really got upset, started screaming not to leave him. He thought I was going to leave for the fair. I told him I would never, never leave him alone. He finally calmed down when I got him out and held him. I was a bit concerned that we would have a hard day but as I said in the previous post we had a great day.

We picked up RJ from school and stopped at the post office, no mail. RJ was excited about the book he wrote (2 pages). He is also learning to read from "left to right and top to bottom". We had little pizzas for lunch and about the time they were done Jared and Jen called and wanted to talk to the kids on Skype (the computer). RJ told them about school and the fair yesterday. Savannah showed her new PJs. Tomorrow is Jen's 24 hours of flying and has to get up at 3am. Yuck.
After lunch was naptime for Savannah and since it got a little nicer outside RJ got to ride his jeep. While we were out there Sally came bolting across the front yard to go bark at the dogs across the street. I had to go drag her back and before I could find a way to block the fence, the part that is in the ditch water she got out again so I had to drag her back again, which wasn't easy because she is so low to the ground. So I put her in the mudroom and then hunted up some wood and stakes to rig the fence and I found another hole in the side fence as well that I had to plug up. I guess she has been really lonely.
Then we played Ribbit and OOga. Lisa called while we were playing Sorry. We talked for about 10 minutes. I could hear that cute little Makale in the background.
Savannah slept til almost 4 although it took her awhile to go to sleep. She was still a bit cranky still though. We went out in the backyard to pick tomatoes and play with Sally. They played on the swings and slide for a few minutes before we ended up in the sandbox. We all played together and had a great time. Savannah insisted on lying down in the sand and trying to cover herself with sand. She was wet and it was getting overcast so we went in and took a warm bath. I made tacquitos for dinner. I can't get RJ to eat grapes or watermelon but Savannah loves them. They both had yogurt too though. Then we watched Monsters Inc together and did the regular books, scriptures, and prayer. As I tucked RJ into bed I told him we have one more day together. I should have waited til tomorrow. That made him really sad but we talked about all the things we have done together and how we can talk on the computer after I go home. I also reminded him Mommy will be home too. Hopefully he's not too sad tomorrow.
Savannah had a tough day. I think I messed her up not having a nap yesterday. I think she'll be better tomorrow. Love them both. I can't believe it's almost over already. I will miss them but look forward to being home in my own bed. I just wish we lived closer to all the grandkids.

2008-09-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday at the Eastern Idaho State Fair

2008-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a long day. RJ was up early and I for some stupid reason couldn't sleep very well last night. But I was surprised that I didn't get tired or frustrated today.
Savannah slept in which was good since I figured she wouldn't get a nap since we were headed to the fair. It was cloudy at 7:30 so I was a bit concerned. I checked the weather for Blackfoot. It said it would get to 70 but I still wasn't sure how to dress for the morning. But by the time we took baths and had breakfast and got all packed it was nearly 11 when we left or was that the time we got there. I'm not sure. The GPS was great and I had used the map of the fair on their website. It took me to the back parking lot by the petting zoo which was perfect, saved us a ton of walking! We went in the petting zoo first. The kids loved the goats especially the tiny baby ones. They had donkeys, llamas, rabbits, chickens, and puppies. It's not quite like a normal petting zoo where you actually mingle with the animals. You get to pet and feed them through the fence. It only cost $5 to get in and they had several things for kids that were free which gave us plenty to do for a long time. The science area had shells, magnets, Kinex building blocks, snakes, tree frogs, lizards, and a fun giant bubble maker. We ended up back there at the end of the day to watch a half hour science show.
Next to that was a play area which had bowling, basketball (RJ actually got a basket too!), a sand box with lots of shovels and funnels and other toys. They had spinning boxes that hold paper to use markers on. Savannah was covered in magic marker. They also had a ring toss, bean bag toss and ball toss into a face. They also had giant wood blocks, plastic blocks, and PVC pipe pieces to build with. There was also a chalk board, but the favorite thing of all was a bicycle that was connected to a fan that faced up to the sky. Covering the fan was a grate. On the sides were several bubble bottles and many wands. You would put the wands on top of the grate with bubble solution and then when the person on the bike would pedal the fan would turn causing the wind to make many bubbles. They loved it. We spent forever in there and it was all free.
Then we went down through the tunnel to the carnival side. Of course this side was more expensive. I bought $20 of tickets which only gave RJ 4 rides I think and Savannah 2. She was too small to go on most of them and I couldn't go on all of them. That was the only time besides sitting at the end of the science show that she got upset. I let them both play 2 games that had a prize for sure. They got to pick a ducky out of the pond. RJ got 2 and Savannah got 1 because you got 3 picks for $5. RJ got a small and large toy so he ended up with 2 mediums instead and Savannah got one too. Then we played the fishing game. You had to snag a frog when it opened it's mouth. We got our moneys worth there cuz it took Savannah and I several minutes to manage to snag one. RJ was really quick though, much better than Grandma.
Then we had a thoroughly nutritious lunch, yeah right, this was a carnival! Ok, Grandma forgot to pack the PBJs, but we did have grapes and granola bars. So for lunch we had corn dogs on a stick. Then RJ wanted popcorn so we walked down the food area and lo and behold we found FREE popcorn at the stand that was trying to sell newspaper subscriptions. That was cool! So they each got their own little bag half full which was great.
Then we headed back over to the kids side and played in the play area again until it was almost time for the science show. I was absolutely amazed at how well both of them did today. Savannah was a bit tired of sitting at the show but she was fine when I pulled out the goldfish to eat. Then we headed back to the van, which was so close, how nice. Of course I forgot to stop at the bathroom and as soon as we got in the car RJ had to go, so did I. So on the way out of town we stopped at the Maverick store.
Then we headed to the Mall on the way home. Thank-you for the GPS and the DVD player. How wonderful. And having the movie helped RJ stay awake, so did Savannah. So we picked up the adorable pictures of Savannah and then went to the play area in the mall. I couldn't believe they still had energy but we spent quite awhile there. I wish they had had such great free things when my kids were little. It was getting on to 7pm already! Wow, so we had to get home and to bed so RJ can get up for school.
We stopped at Arbys and took home some dinner. I got the kids chicken nuggets, which I am sick of and I got a roast beef sandwich. We took it home so we could have something nutritious with it, cottage cheese. It turned out they ate the cottage cheese and hardly any chicken but they had just finished off the grapes on the way home from Arby's.
We had books, scriptures (we finished Alma 14), and prayer, brushed our teeth and off to bed. Poor RJ started complaining at dinner that his knees hurt from all the walking. Still they were so good today. I never planned to be there so long.
We had a great day.

Tuesday in Idaho

2008-09-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

We went to bed on time since today was a school day for RJ but of course he slept in later today. He has been getting up about 7:15 but today it was about 7:40. I had already had my shower so he got in the tub with just Nemo the washcloth instead of all the toys after having his pancake that I reheated from dinner the other night. He got dressed in some warm clothes cuz the house was really cool today. He probably could have worn short sleeves cuz his teacher's house was warmer when I picked him up.
Savannah ate her pancake while RJ was in the tub and she took her bath after we got back from taking RJ to preschool. Putting her hair in pigtails went much easier today. Yeah! She and I had a good time alone today. We played with the electronic Leap Frog word game that is on the fridge. She doesn't understand it as well as RJ but she liked the ABC song. She pushed her dolly around in the stroller awhile and kept saying "goodbye" and waving. One time she went upstairs and came down fully armed to work in a beauty salon. I got a picture of that. How cute. The time flew today. I only let her watch Strawberry Shortcake for a little while before we played. She wasn't happy about that but got over it.
Sally has been difficult the last 2 days. I changed the battery in her bark collar but it doesn't seem to be working. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong. I keep having to put her in the mudroom for awhile and then let her out again.
RJ had fun at school. He learned about the days of the week and writing from left to right and top to bottom. The schoolroom is really colorful and cute. I got there to pick him up just before they finished for the day. They sang a song and then had a cheer. RJ got to bring home the blue bag (show and tell). He gets to take something to school to talk about. He can give clues to have the other children guess. He chose the smallest toy he has I think, Remy, the rat from the movie Rattatouille. The idea of sharing is for language skills. He was quite excited and told Mom and Dad all about it on the phone later while Savannah was napping.
After lunch of hot dogs, jello, and grapes they ran and played. A few minutes later we sat down to read before Savannah took a nap.
RJ wanted to play a game again and I chose Ribbit. That is a great game for his age. Very cute. After playing according to the rules he wanted to play his own version. He is quite creative and continues to change and make up rules along the way. Before it ended Mom and Dad called. He was anxious to talk to them today. He told them all about school and the toys he got yesterday at the store.
After the game we turned on a movie so I could lay on the couch. I had a headache. RJ really wanted me to watch with him but he was pretty good about letting me rest.
While I was waiting for Savannah to wake up a young woman came to the door carrying a little toddler boy looking for his home. She found him walking down the street. Apparently she is new to the neighborhood and I couldn't find the ward directory. I was going to call Wendy. Just then the woman next door came out with another younger woman. The boy was hers and she hadn't noticed him gone. Very strange.
After Savannah's nap they watched a little more tv while I looked up the info on the internet for the fair and Bear World. Then we headed to the library. RJ was really sad because we couldn't check out any books. Jen and I both didn't think about the library card. At least I couldn't remember talking about it. I couldn't sign up for a card because I had to have a piece of mail with my name on it. Oh well. We went to the park behind the library and had a great time. RJ sang a song he learned in preschool, one I hadn't heard before.
5 little apples on the tree, they look juicy as can be.
Along swooped a crow to have some lunch, and he ate one. crunch, crunch, crunch.
It's something like that, very, very, cute.
I pushed them on the swings and they went down the slide and played with a boy named Spencer. Savannah found a chunk of concrete ( a rock to her) and she and RJ kept taking and hiding it from each other. We were there for over an hour and a half. Then we stopped to pick up the mail. His movie was there and of course Savannah wanted it which turned out ok because low and behold RJ got his OWN mail, a postcard from France from Daddy. He had me read it to him right away. That made his day. Thanks Dad.
Home again and of course they wanted to watch the movie. They were tuckered out from running and playing so that was ok. They layed on the floor and covered up with blankies. It was really cool in the house today, enough that I had a sweatshirt on, even though it was warm outside. It was really nice at the park. So glad the rain is gone. We should have a nice day at the fair tomorrow.
For dinner we had scrambled eggs, jello, and cottage cheese. I am amazed that they will both eat cottage cheese, they even both had seconds.
Then we finished the movie and read books and scriptures. We are reading about Alma and Amulek in prison. Then off to bed. RJ was scared tonight so I left the light on in the toy area so he could go to sleep.
I can't believe how quickly the time is going. It has really been fun.

Monday in Idaho

2008-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

The plan was to go to the fair today but the forecast was for scattered thunder storms. I was surprised RJ wasn't upset at the change in plans. He woke up at 7:15 and climbed in bed with me. I could have slept another half hour but oh well. A few minutes later he asked if he could play on the computer which I let him do. I laid in bed another half hour and then got up to shower. Savannah woke up just as I was drying off. Good timing. She slept in. She of course wanted to watch Strawberry Shortcake and have her strawberry cereal in front of the tv. She has only eaten in front of the tv once before. RJ had a great time playing on the computer. I cleaned while they entertained themselves. It was cloudy all morning but after lunch it got a bit clearer and the sun came out. I was wondering if we should have gone to the fair. The kids talked to Mom and Dad in Belgium on the phone. RJ wasn't really happy about talking on the phone. When he is involved in something he wants nothing to do with the phone. He and I were playing a clue game. We placed cards around the room and gave each other clues to find them. He is good at making stuff up to play.
The timing wasn't the best but we went to the grocery store after that. I tried to go earlier but the kids were busy having fun. So it was really about Savannah's nap time but we went anyway. Fred Meyer's has a play area where you check in the children and you get to shop for an hour without them. They went right in. I felt hurried though and I even missed being paged twice. Poor RJ had to go potty (I did take him right before) and he had to hold it till I heard the 3rd page. As I was waiting in the checkout line I got paged again. Savannah was tired and crying, well actually screaming. Apparently she wasn't playing nice because she was tired. I tried to go back and get in line but she wasn't about to leave RJ so he had to come out with me too. She calmed down enough to get in line. Of course on the way to the car it was pouring rain again! What fun!
Back home I put Savannah down and let her sleep and hour or so even though it was so late. I got her some new PJs which she wanted to put on immediately but we waited til after her nap. I bought them for winter (the ones with feet in them), but actually they came in handy tonight because it was cool in the house because of the weather. I did buy RJ an outfit too but not jammies. He was so funny today. Several times he kept hopping around saying "It's my lucky day" for no reason at all.
Later he asked me to show him today on the calendar. I had to flip to September and show him today, Monday. Then he asked me to show him what day I am leaving. He was so sad, but I reminded him that he will see Mommy that day and we still have 4 days to go.
We watched his new movie, had dinner, and the usual books, scriptures, and prayer which was Savannah's turn.
RJ was a little scared tonight of the shadows in his room so I showed him how to make some funny shadow animals with his hands. That helped. Savannah was crying so I went back in to her room cuz she kept calling for me. I hugged her and covered her up again and she calmed down. She is so cute. I had to put her in a timeout for the first time tonight. She wanted the real remote and threw a fit on the floor. I left her there and she just kept on screaming. After sitting on the stairs for her timeout she was much better. Whenever you scold her for something afterwards she always says "Sorry Gamma".
I can't believe it's half over already. I haven't been as tired as I expected to be. I do enjoy them a lot and so glad I can do this.

I survived Sacrament meeting with 2 children!!!

2008-09-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't get a very good night's sleep obviously. RJ and I laid in bed awhile and then he got up and played on the computer while I laid there awhile. I got up to take my shower before Savannah got up though. Then I put her and RJ in the bath while I got ready. I had used the hot water, shame on me, so I had to heat up several pitchers of water. Jen's hot water pot came in real handy. I was able to put Savannah's hair in pig tails the other day but today they gave me fits. I must have spent nearly half an hour and in the end the part was still WAY off center. I never had girls. This is a new experience for me. They were crooked but cute all the same. I was hot and sweaty by the end. Should have taken my shower later! I gave the kids a choice in what to wear to church. RJ chose the grey pants and blue shirt. Of course Savannah wanted the pink dress. I do really like her periwinkle dress too. We had lunch before dressing of course. I honestly thought about skipping sacrament because I was so tired from lack of sleep but I know that's where I'm supposed to be and the kids need to go regularly to learn how to act. So off we went.
RJ walked right in and sat in the 3rd pew from the back. I'm sure that the elderly women on the other end of the row weren't too happy. RJ had the fun of the row. It would have been better to have him hemmed in a little more. He complained he was tired the minute we got there. (I know how you felt RJ!). So he was lying on the pew and under the pew. I tried to keep him near me and parallel with the pew but that was hard. I actually had Savannah on my lap the whole time. I was hoping I could rock her to sleep. Nope. She didn't actually try to get down until the last 10 minutes of church. I had to take her out at the end of the sacrament cuz she got loud, which was odd because she did great with the water, it was the bread that she wanted more of. It must have been at the end of sacrament the sister sitting alone right in front of us had moved. I guess she was annoyed. Oh well. It really makes you look at things differently when you have squirmy children. The meeting ran over and the closing prayer WAS really long just as RJ said in a normal tone of voice! Cute. He was right. I am not sure how but I SURVIVED SACRAMENT! I figure that is the hardest part of the whole week.
So off to nursery we went. Savannah went right in and waved goodbye. RJ went to his class and I talked to Wendy, Jennifer's visiting teacher. She noticed I survived sacrament. She was very nice and showed me the way to Sunday School. Two people introduced themselves. It was a nice lesson on the plan of salvation but it was extremely warm in the room. After I went to observe Sharing Time in Primary. It probably wasn't the best idea because twice RJ came back to me. I had to talk to him to get him to go back to his class. The highlight of Primary was the kids got to pop a balloon in singing time. They thought that was great. Primary ran over too so it was 5 after when I got Savannah out of nursery. (I did get pulled out of SS to change her)
The last half hour of Primary the older boys in front of me were totally distracted by the storm brewing outside. It was pouring when we went out to the car. I got disoriented and turned the wrong way (I always have a bad sense of direction.) I ended up on the highway. It was hard to find a way to turn around because the speed limit was 65 and it was raining so hard. I had to go a couple miles before I turned around. I was scared I wouldn't be able to find the right street to turn back onto but I did thankfully. The kids were already sound asleep at that point. RJ was out cold. I put Savannah in her bed and RJ on mine.
A few minutes later I realized I hadn't turned on my phone. Of course with it being 9 hours later in Europe it was late for Jared and Jen. They had just called so I called them back. They said I needed to get RJ up right away. I tried unsuccessfully. It reminded me of Jared when he was small. I really tried but he was out. Savannah woke up a half hour later so I put her on the bed to wake RJ up. She pushed and pulled and pulled until he did wake up. He was upset at first but she got him laughing. It was really cute to see them together.
We had dinner and I decided on a nice quiet evening so we watched The Incredibles which I had never seen. That was nice. We just all sat together and had a relaxing time.
We did our normal bedtime stuff and I watched part of the movie Harvey after talking to Scott on the phone as I have every night.

Saturday in Idaho

2008-09-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

According to RJ today is Shooby Dooby's birthday ( his stuffed elephant). So we made him a card but we forgot to have a birthday party for him. Sorry Shooby!
Well, I'm a little behind (today is actually Monday). Guess I've been busy.
All morning we just played. We sould have gone to the zoo in the morning but I was waiting for the young man to come mow the backyard. He didn't come til about 2 or 3 though.
We spent time outside swinging and playing too.
During Savannah's nap RJ and I played concentration and a made up version of a card game. We also played Candyland.
After naptime we drove to the zoo. The kids got to talk to Mom and Dad on the phone on the way there. They have been doing really well. A couple times Savannah has said "Mommy trip". So she does understand that they are gone. I was sure that when she didn't get her way with Grandma that she would ask for Mom or Dad but she hasn't. (Don't feel bad Mom). Poor RJ, he calls me Mom half the time and then he does the opposite when he talks to Mom.
The zoo was fun. We didn't get there til 4pm and I was afraid they wouldn't be closing soon. They do close the gate at 5 but they don't actually close til 6 so we had plenty of time. We never found the zebras but we did find the tortoise. RJ's favorite was the tortoise. I think Savannah's favorite thing was sitting on the fake tiger. She kept leaning over and petting it.
After the zoo we went across the street to the park. Savannah is such a daredevil. She went down the slide her size a few times. RJ was off to climb and slide on the bigger slide. The problem with the bigger children's area is that there are no steps to get up. You have to climb the curved monkey bar like ladder. Savannah went up but when it flattened out at the top she would scare me so I helped her. I was afraid she would fall through. She loved the circular slide.
So off to home. The GPS was great. Kind of went the scenic route to get there and a different way home. I decided we would wait til tomorrow for baths for church. I don't remember what we had to eat each day but we have had hotdogs, chicken nuggets, scrambled eggs and oh yeah tonight we had pancakes at RJ's request. That was a good idea.
After books, scriptures, and prayer was bedtime.
I stayed up and watched Harry Potter for awhile then went to bed and read my scriptures and then a chapter or 2 of New Moon (my second time around).
At 1 in the morning I was awakened by what I thought were footsteps upstairs. I waited for RJ to come down but he never did. A minute or 2 went by and of course normal for me I got scared. I had to force myself to go upstairs. I went to Savannah's room since that was the end of the house where I actually heard the noise. (Just a side note there is no glass over the air conditioner in the window so it is always open.) The door to the new room across from Savannah was now open which it wasn't before. I turned on the light and the window was open but the screen was intact. I went in Savannah's room. All was well, the window was closed. We apparently had a huge gust of wind, but at that moment it seemed quiet and still. That is what bothered me. I couldn't hear a reason for the wind sucking open the door. I still don't understand how it sounded like footsteps. So I headed towards RJ's room and he came out of his room at that moment and said "Grandma, I had a bad dream that there were bad men in my room". My sentiments exactly. So he scared me even more. I have never liked noises at night even as an adult!!! So I had RJ come downstairs to go potty and then I had him get in bed with me. At just that same time the power went out. Brother! It flickered on and off a couple times then it stayed on, thankfully.
Needless to say I was awake for over an hour and a half more. My heart was pounding, I am so pathetic! Of course letting RJ sleep with me wasn't the best idea because he moved and kicked, etc. and then he wanted to sleep with me the next night, but mean ole Gramma said no.

Friday in Idaho

2008-08-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

I will post pictures later. Not too sure how to do it on Jen's computer.
RJ and Savannah took a bath while I got ready for the day. I had taken my shower
before they got up. Then we had breakfast. While I did some laundry they colored and played on the computer. RJ had fun printing off the computer "Super Sleuth" stuff, a mask, collar, badge and oath. He is really good at navigating around. Pretty amazing
I couldn't believe Savannah didn't ask to watch Strawberry Shortcake.
Then we went outside to play. I tried to fill in the hole that Sally has been digging. She could easily get in the yard next door. RJ and Savannah really liked writing with chalk on the deck of the playhouse. RJ really likes "twisting" on the swing. Sally really liked the attention.
Then we went in and played a little before lunch. We had tacitos and shared a nectarine. The kids even ate the peel which surprised me. RJ said he really liked the "red part" (the peel). They ate really well at lunch. Then it was off for a nap for Savannah. She was quite unhappy about that! It took a long time. I finally went up and rocked her to sleep. While she napped RJ and I played the game of Life. He played really well. Then he played with the game pieces quietly while I fell asleep on the couch. He kept waking me up though to remind me we were going to Blastoff after Savannah's nap. During Savannah's nap RJ got to talk to Dad. Hopefully I don't have roaming!!
So yes we had planned to go to Blastoff, which they earned by finishing chapter 27 of Mosiah last night. I am amazed at how well they repeat back the words of the scriptures. So despite having a map I turned on the GPS (thank-you Jared and Jen!) and looked up the directions. So off we went. We got there about 4:10 for the 4:00 session. The kids loved it and played really well. Towards the end though I had to remind RJ to play nice with Savannah and not just run away from her. She was getting lonely. Then RJ suggested we go to the dress up area. Savannah loved that. She was delighted with all the purses. Of course she wanted to wear the princess dress, which she did for some time. She cooked in the dress too! She did try on the unicorn outfit for a few seconds and then she decided to be Minnie Mouse. That is a really cute area and what a fun idea for the kids. While we were in there RJ asked if he could play golf. He ended up playing by himself because the child he had been playing with left.
Right at the last minute before we left RJ went down a slide head first and landed on his hand. He hurt his tummy and bent his finger. He had such a sad face.
From there we went to McDonalds. The kids ate so well, in fact they loved the apples with caramel dipping sauce. Savannah even dipped her chicken in it. They both ate every bite. I was also amazed at how well Savannah did drinking her milk out of the bottle they gave them. They played again and had a great time, at least until I had to coax Savannah out. She was not happy.
At home RJ and Savannah played on the WII until 8 and then we had reading time and scripture time before bed. Savannah was quite tired and cranky but we had a fun busy day. Hopefully Mom and Dad are having a great time too.

Thursday in Idaho

2008-08-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well we got up and had breakfast together. Jen tried to show me as much as she could. We took RJ to preschool just around the corner at 8:30 (we were a little late). The other 13 or 14 children were already gathered around the long table. RJ loves preschool. His teacher seems very enthusiastic. I told him to give Mom a big hug and say goodbye because she would be gone when he got home. I think it surprised both of them. They both did great. Don't know that I would have!
Then back home for Jen to finish packing. I tried to write down directions to get to the shuttle pickup area again hoping I can find it again.
Savannah definitely understood Mommy wasn't coming with us. She screamed for a few minutes. She did calm down though which was helpful since I didn't have a clue where I was. I couldn't get the GPS to find the grocery store Fred Meyer and I couldn't figure out where the "home" button was so I typed in the address for home. It took me right past the grocery store! So Savannah and I had an adventure. She wanted to ride in the car grocery cart. She was a perfect angel, never asking for anything. We made it through and I even found the van again! The GPS got me back home too. (I did figure out where the "home" button is later).
We put away the few groceries and Savannah watched Strawberry Shortcake for a few minutes before we went and picked up RJ from preschool. He told me all about his morning. Back home we had lunch, hot dogs "barbequed" in the toaster oven. They both ate really well, even though Savannah had almost a whole banana a half hour before.
Then while Savannah napped RJ and I played several board games. He plays pretty well and we had a good time. After nap they helped clean up the play area and we also played with the toys. We watered the front lawn too.
For dinner we had chicken nugget pieces and grapes. They enjoyed that. We played on the WII for some time and enjoyed reading time, scripture time and prayer. They both went to bed pretty easily.

Drapes are finished

2008-08-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

It took me from April to August to design, pick out fabric, and sew the drapes. I also had to paint the drapery rod to color I wanted it. We also had to customize the length of the rod because it is 12 feet long. To buy one that length would have cost over $500.

They came out a bit more formal than I wanted but I love the fabric. Next time I will pay the money to have them made. It was a ton of work!

2008-04-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Two sweet daughters-in-law, Jennifer and Lisa.

Makale on his horse with Grandma. He's getting sleepy.

This was a surprise, Savannah cried and cried until the ride started. She is usually the daredevil. She was fine on everything after this. Makale was oblivious to the whole scene.

Grandma talked RJ into going on the roller coaster. This was before the ride started. He did NOT like it. He said it was toooooo fast! It went around twice. At the end of the first time he kept saying, stop, stop. I was afraid he would be upset but he seemed ok afterward. He didn't cry, he just had a ghostly face on the first few hills.
Grandma's sorry, RJ!

Part of the group before the train ride. Geniel and I sat behind them.

2008-04-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Savannah has the most gorgeous curly hair and a sweet face, but
don't let that fool you. She can hold her own with the boys.
You can sure tell she has a brother!
I miss the kids so much when they're gone. It's so sad to think of Jeremy, Lisa, and Makale leaving for Boise too in June. I always hoped to be closer to the grandchildren to spend more time with them.

2008-04-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Savannah does obey when you ask her to say "cheese". She's a ham.

We pushed back into the redwoods for a bit of shade to watch the kids play. It was a good thing that it was hot because Makale loves to throw water. My camera was not around when he had the measuring cup throwing water. Good thing because he and RJ got Grandma really good a couple times. I got RJ back getting him more wet. He was a good sport. Here he is growling to the camera. He wasn't crying like it looked.

Savannah and Makale just one week apart, and almost 2. They played together pretty well considering.

Makale just loves the water. You can see that in his face.

RJ and Makale decided to have a shouting match, and a loud one it was! I don't know who won but I know I lost some hearing!

2008-04-27T17:45:00.001-07:00

Makale and Savannah hugging each other while waiting for the train to start. Jennifer is in town with the kids while Jared is in Belgium again working. We took the kids to Nut Tree amusement park. Lisa and Makale came along. Jennifer's Mom, Geniel and her brother Matthew also were with us. It was a really warm day but enjoyable day.
Makale loved the train although he was ready for a nap so after an hour Lisa and Makale went back to our house to rest up for the pool play later.

Makale and Savannah enjoying the train ride.
RJ and Matthew sat alone up at the front of the train.

Savannah and RJ's favorite ride was this airplane ride. They went on 3 times. I rode the third time with Savannah. Jen had had enough! Savannah giggled on every turn. She just loved it.

RJ and Matthew on one of the 3 turns on the airplanes. RJ loved this!

Matthew was a good sport considering most of these rides were a bit childish for him, but he did take RJ on the bumper cars 3 times too. They had a good time together.

2008-04-05T23:08:00.001-07:00

Two great days! Jeremy and Lisa met at Sacramento State University and both graduated there.

2008-04-05T22:24:00.001-07:00

What a handsome son. This was taken of Jeremy in 2004. I've been looking at old pics. Love ya Bud.

Scandia with the girls

2008-04-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

What cute girls. Maj-lis and Donovyn. We took them to play mini-golf for the very first time. They both got a hole in one, truly by themselves! Wow

2008-04-05T22:07:00.001-07:00

We have tried unsuccessfully to get all 6 of our children together since Scott and I blended our families over 11 years ago. This day in the summer of 2003 we came close, only one missing so we held the picture of Jared and Jen to include him. From the left (back row first) , me, Sammie, Kim, Jeremy & Lisa, Josh Wight, Ronna and Josh Majors, Scott. Front row, Maj-lis and Donovyn our only grandchildren at the time, Polly, and Scott Jr.
We have a great family and love you all!

Finally finished the floor! LOL

2008-03-23T17:14:00.001-07:00

Scott and I have been working diligently the last few weeks to finish putting new molding around all the doors and new baseboards. I had painted and glazed the wood to look like stain with a color close to the color of our floor and the kitchen cabinets. We think it turned out really close. As you can see we are nearly done. I wanted to have the wood that was lying on the great-room floor gone so that it was out of the way.
A funny thing happened when Jeremy and Lisa came over for Easter. They both commented that we had finally finished the floor. I just laughed. We are SO SLOW to get these projects done that we have not had baseboards for quite some time now, but we did finish the actual floor over a year ago. That tells you just how much BETTER it looks now. Much more finished. We are quite happy with the results for a couple of newbies at such a thing.

2008-03-23T17:11:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful ham dinner after our Easter egg hunt. Hopefully we can do it again.

2008-03-23T16:58:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Jeremy. Lisa, and Makale (and Grandma Buckland -not pictured) came to celebrate Easter. Our plans changed a lot over the last week as we were supposed to go to Kim's (Scott's daughter) for a family gathering. Jared, Jen, and family were also supposed to be here but all of them got quite sick. We pray for their quick recovery!!
Makale had a great time with his Easter basket. He received 2 trucks, his favorites, along with a bucket, and some plastic animals inside his eggs. He loves opening them. We would closed them again but when he found they were empty he would throw them away. We left the lawn long just so they would be slightly hidden. He was quite methodical with each one. Dad videotaped the event. I think this is one of the very first times we have ever really used our backyard. It is so noisy from the busy street behind us. I will pull out the blowup pool though for Makale when he comes to visit again in May and June. He loves his pool.

2008-01-01T18:46:00.001-08:00

Oh, yeah Scott was here too!
It was great to see Kim and Todd and have Josh here too.

On the 2nd and a half Day of Christmas...

2008-01-01T18:35:00.001-08:00

About 15 minutes after Scott Jr.'s family left, Mom and Bob arrived. As we were finishing dinner and waiting for the dessert, chocolate souffle to bake Josh surprised us. Kim and Todd had driven all the way to Sacramento to get him. They went on to Todd's family. We got to visit with them when they came back to pick up Josh and take him home later in the evening. Bob was kind of looking like Rudolph there for a bit!

2008-01-01T18:33:00.001-08:00

Donovyn pretending to be sleeping. Cadence likes to pose for the camera too.

Sisters

2008-01-01T18:32:00.001-08:00

2008-01-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

More and more pics. Cadence like most of the kids loves the little red chair.

2008-01-01T18:12:00.001-08:00

It was the year of the cameras. Donovyn just loved the camera she got from Santa. Cadence got one too. They were so cute taking pictures.

2008-01-01T18:04:00.001-08:00

It was fun to be together. Scott's family stayed for over 2 hours.

Scott making repairs to the castle already. Why does everything I get break immediately? Of course Cadence didn't care, she just continued to play.

2008-01-01T18:01:00.001-08:00

Donovyn got things to do as well as clothes and jewelry also.

2008-01-01T17:55:00.001-08:00

Cadence wanted anything that had to do with princesses. So she got a castle with several different princesses.

2008-01-01T17:51:00.001-08:00

Maj-lis got clothes, jewelry and a watercolor pencil art kit for our budding artist.

On the 2nd Day of Christmas

2008-01-01T17:46:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning Scott Jr, Polly, Donovyn, Maj-lis, and Cadence arrived all dressed up. They looked so pretty. Cadence had one of her twin dollies with her she got from Santa. It's name is dolly #2. Scott Jr. kept asking her if she was sure it wasn't dolly #1.

2008-01-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

So Grandpa read to Kalven again, again, and again. It was always "one more Grandpa!".

2008-01-01T17:40:00.001-08:00

Kalven finally gets to open his presents. He loves books and loves to be read to. That is a really good habit Ronna has passed on to him.

On the First Day of Christmas

2008-01-01T17:35:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve was our "first Christmas celebration". We can't seem to get our kids together so instead we get to spend quality time when we do see them. Ronna and Gina came with Kalven which was a surprise because we were told his dad would have him but Ronna talked him into letting her have him since we didn't see him last year at our house.
Here he is so PATIENTLY waiting to open his presents while we finished a conversation.

Celebrating Cadence's Belated Birthday

2008-01-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

We got to see the girls twice in 3 days, the first was 12/22 to give Cadence her belated present (her birthday was in October when we were in Florida) and also Scott Jr. whose birthday was 12/17. Cadence has changed so much since we saw her last. Donovyn had a great time carrying around my camera taking pictures of everything she could.

Thanksgiving 2007

2008-01-01T16:05:00.001-08:00

Our yearly trip to St. George, Utah to visit Scott's family. This year it was just us and Eric's family that came. Stuart had car problems just prior to the week so he couldn't make it. We got to see the newest member of the family Nicole Joy Pearce, born January 07. She is so sweet.

2007-12-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

My Family Found

2007-11-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

I met many of my real aunts and uncles Sunday, November 11 due to the loss of my Dad's brother, Richard, from injuries he sustained in a bad car accident a week before. My aunt Shirley Hamilton and her husband, M.C. came from Oklahoma. Stanley came from Virginia and DeJa and Sandy brought their mother, Virginia from Oregon. They all came to Judy and Wendell's home in Marysville, CA. We missed meeting another sister Eva by just a few minutes. My Dad is from a family of 8 children.
It was absolutely wonderful to meet them all after so many years. They made Scott and me feel so very loved and welcome. They all remembered me from when I was little. Shirley babysat me up until I was about 4. We had a great time getting to know each other. We hope to see them again!

Rachel's Baby Shower

2007-11-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

It was so fun to see Rachel and Emily Wight, as well as their Mom, Donna. Donna's sister and mother were also there. Of course Debra was there too. It was a wonderful reunion. I hadn't seen them, except for Deb, for many years. Rachel's third child, Carmen, is due 1/21/08. She was just adorable. She and her boyfriend just finished moving back into their newly remodeled home. It was absolutely gorgeous!

The Kennedy Space Center

2007-10-31T20:56:00.001-07:00

On Monday we went to the Kennedy
Space Center. It was so cool to actually see the Discovery Shuttle on the lauch pad. It launched the next day. Wish we had decided to see the launch but the crowds would have been hideous.

The used shuttle engine was especially interesting to Scott. That is the platform that is the closest to the launch pad you can go. Across the road was that crawler that carries the Shuttle to the launch pad. The building far away in the picture is much bigger than it appears. It is one of the largest (cubic foot) buildings in the world. That is where they assemble the boosters to the shuttle. The long dark things that look like windows are actually doors that take hours to open in order to get the shuttle out.