They come and they go.

Heidi and Jeremiah came to visit this weekend.  (Bode's ear and

Laine's forehead say "Past Due" you just can't tell.)

We really enjoyed

the visit.  As usual it is hard to let family go home.  But I think we

are realizing a couple things that make it easier.  

Well one big thing anyway.

We raised them to one day have their own lives.

And that is what they go back to when they leave here.

  They have their own lives and they are busy living them.

What I am trying to say is I wouldn't want

it any other way.  I want my children to have

healthy marriage relationships and a strong

family and a home of their own.  

I have a friend who says that it breaks

her heart every time her children leave but

then she turns back into the house and

sees something she wants to do.  I still

turn back into the house and want to cry.

But just for a minute.

These pictures kill me.  

These little valley children think they are in big snow business.   

 

And then there is Laine, on the floor.  

She has a 4 pound weight and she is exercising.  

See those feet this is hard work.

A couple days in the life of Dylan

I was telling one of my daughters about 

my little neighbor, Dylan, and she said, "he is never going to forget you".

That thought has stuck with me.  I have never had a

child in our neighborhood like me like him.  I used to

joke that I was his girlfriend.  But one day I was telling a

gal in our ward about him and she thought it was so

sweet that he had a "grandmother" next door.  I think she

is right.  And I would much rather be a grandmother to

him than be his girlfriend.  Much easier!

I told him we would make suckers for Valentine's day.

He never let me forget. 

I have a little story about this.  I broke my candy thermometer

at Christmas and had to keep guessing about the candy

and if it was at the right temperature before pouring.

They worked!  I was glad.  Well, the next day here comes

Dylan with something behind his back.  It was a new

candy thermometer.  This boy is only 7 and he doesn't

miss a trick.  How sweet was that? 

 Dylan and friend with leftover suckers.  I don't know what his game in hand is.

 

This is my favorite though.  He is taking violin

lessons at school and this one evening he shows up with the 

violin and his music stand. 

He just sets up and wants to play for me.  

It was good.  He just knows a couple of little songs but plays

them pretty well.  He played them a couple of times for me

and then put everything back in their cases and went home.

Like father like son.

I was looking at some pictures and found this cute one.

(The bottom one)

Pete and his family came up late last summer and helped us with our

roof on the carport.  It is hard and nasty work to take off old

shingles.  We did appreciate the help.  

The bottom picture is Pete's son, Jett.  He helped 

load the trailer with old shingles.  

So darn cute.

An interesting comparison

Before I make my point.  This hand is not supposed to be in my picture.

It is Heidi's hand.  Since forever she sticks her hand or face or foot

in a picture just to ruin it, I swear.  Can you imagine how mad a person

would be if we still used camera with film?

I do have a hand free picture but it would not upload without

turning on it's side.  So pretend the hand isn't there and look at

this interesting comparison.

I bought a couple of Fisher Price doctor kits though

the years and these are "blood pressue" thingys.  The orange

one I bought in the early to mid 80's and the blue one

is a year old.

I'm not trying to say anything but what does it say when the

new one is twice as big as the old one?  You tell me.

If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.

 At Christmas time a ward member stopped by our house to wish us a Merry Christmas.  She was very interested in Boo.  I told her she was a Labradoodle.  "Oh," she says, "if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with."  That is what poodles do she said.  This made perfect sense to us.  The longer we have Boo the more we learn about her.  I have always told everyone that if Boo was in the road and a car stopped and the door was opened she would jump in and that would be that.


She loves grandchildren.  Although, I don't think she looks at them in that category.  They are in the "crumb droppers" category.  When grandkids come through the front door it is going to be a sweet weekend!

She would live at my daughter Heidi's house.  She gets to sleep on Bode's bed.  She wants to sleep with David and I but we just don't do that.  But I am glad that Heidi is ok with that.  She really wants to sleep on a bed with somebody.

It came from the lady we got her from.  She told us Boo likes to sleep with you.  We know that is true because the first night we had her we put it to a test and said, "come up" and she just came on up.  No....we said, "just kidding get off". 

 

But we did let her up on Christmas morning.  It just seemed the right thing to do.

 

She loves everyone who stops by.  They all seem to be good sports and will pet her.  I know they are just humoring me.

And then there is our neighbor, Deedo.  She will watch Boo sometimes when we leave for a day or two.  She always takes her for a walk.  There's no living with Boo when we come home. 

Is it Spring yet?

I love winter until I don't. I've hit don't.
We have a storm coming this weekend (believe it
when you see it, of course) and I have lost
the anticipation glow. Normally I get that
"prepare" feeling and I love it. But it is
getting late in the winter season.

I am buying seeds and walking around
the yard trying to tell if my bushes and
trees survived the cold. I think they have
except for the peach tree I know half
of it is dead.

I still love a wood fire but I am
tired of getting wood to put on it.

I love my winter clothes....much more
than summer clothes. but there comes
a point when layering needs to go.
And that time is now.

I love winter foods....soups, stews, breads
and an endless number of sweet baked things.
But I am ready to go outside and walk
or run some of that good food off.

Winter is quiet. I like the quiet until
I need some chirping from birds.
That sweet talking renews my spirits.

I love not having to take care of
the yard in the winter. But now I
just want some green. Even if
green is more work than black and white...
and gray.

I love my home and making it
cozy and warm and welcoming.
But now it is time to be free to
go outside and walk wherever I
want.

I am just ready to love spring!

PF Flyers

When David was 7 years old his mom bought him a pair of
PF flyer tennis shoes. (I think it broke the bank...really)
David had seen a commercial on TV about the shoes and
it went like this: a boy is riding a bike and a kid is running
in his PF flyers. The PF flyer boy outruns the bike.

David was so impressed with that commercial. I am
sure it influenced his mom in the purchase. Been there....
done that.

Well, he put on his new shoes and waited for his dad to come
home from work. When he saw him walking down the
street David ran to meet him and challenged him to a
race. He knew he would outrun his dad. On your marks,
get set, go. Dad wins.

This didn't discourage David. He took things up a
notch and went behind the shed where there was
a piece of drywall baking in the sun.
the gypsum had started to breakdown and
a fine white powder lay next to the panel. David
had an idea in his head that the powder on
the bottom of his PF flyers would be the
missing element to beating his dad.

He went back out and called to his dad to
race again. His dad came and they took
off.

David lost.
And he lost confidence in his PF flyers.
And he learned a good lesson in false advertizing.

Although this is David's story I would
like to get into his dad's mind.
All the years I knew his dad he laughed
easy. I wonder if he laughed at his little
boy. I know he had to think it was funny.
And I think it made him love his son
even more. And maybe even wish he
was a little boy again when
believing was everything.

David just reminded me of this story the
other day.  Can't remember why.  But I
thought of it this afternoon because he
had a few hours off today and chose to drive
to Taylor to pay his folks a visit. 

He stops by the cemetery from time to time.
He loves his parents.  I have never heard him
speak badly about them.  He knew their
faults.  Hey...they knew his.  But all things
were accepted.  They are still important
in his life.  I have heard it said that even
if your parents have passed away you
can make them proud of you.  I am sure
he has.



Elder Merrill,Greeny

                                                   Today my husband, David,
                                                  conducted Sacrament meeting.

 Since it is Fast Sunday he was first to share his testimony. 

He told this story.

When he was 19 he was called to serve a mission

 in the Manitoba-Minnesota

mission.  Since today is Superbowl Sunday and since

 he was awake at

3:00 am last night he thought about leaving for his mission. 

 His farewell was on Superbowl Sunday 1973.

(Dolphin 14-Vikings 7) 

He left the next morning for SLC.

During the day they encounted a blizzard. 

 They were driving a 4 door

Datsun sedan.  The carborator kept freezing up

 which made them need to stop and let

things warm up before they went on.  David was

driving and he finally put the car in 1st gear

 and drove it about 40 miles an hour and this

 kept it going until the storm passed.

The mission home was across the street

to the north of the Salt Lake

Temple.  David was there for a week. 

One of those 7 days was spent in the Temple. 

 They all went up to the Solemn Assembly Hall

where President Harold B. Lee spoke to them.

The Solemn Assembly Hall makes

up the entire top floor of the temple.

When the week came to an end he flew out with 2 or 3
other Elders headed to the same mission. 
The mission president, Pres. Peel and his wife met them at

the Airport in Minneapolis.  It was below 0 weather. 

They drove to the mission home where they were treated to a very nice dinner.  The missionaries companions began to come and pick up the new missionaries.  David's missionary companion didn't show for hours.  When he finally came through the door David thought he was 9 feet tall and weighed 400 pounds and he was loud.  His name was Elder Kolwalis.  He packed up David and they left.

They got on the freeway and the car ran out of gas.  Elder Kolwalis said, "oh, oh, do you have any money?"  David had a little.  So he got out of the car  and off the freeway in the sub 0 weather and
found a house.  He knocked on the door and asked if he could make a phone call.  He thought the
people thought he was crazy but they let him make a call.  He called a wrecker who brought out 5 gallons of gas.  It cost $25.  That was alot of money in 1973.

David had been instructed to buy his bedding and coat when he got there.  No need to take more luggage than needed on the plane.  So his companion drove him to a Target (which he had never heard of...they were only in the east at this time).  He bought green sheets there.  (He can't remember where he got the coat.)

They went to the apartment and got ready for bed.  David put his green sheets on his bed and colapsed.  He woke up the next morning and went into the bathroom and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.  He was green from head to toe.  It came off in the shower.   

They got ready for the first day of tracting.  David had a flannel board, which was part of the tools used in teaching lessons.  He dropped it and the plastic case around it shattered in the cold.

Elder Kolwalis was David's trainer.  David didn't like anyone telling him what to do.  He was beginning to wonder what he had gotten himself into.  After 3 miserable weeks of frustration he knelt down late one night and prayed to know what to do.  He said he received a feeling of peace.  He felt then that he could go on and he committed to move forward. 

That was a pivotal moment that he feels made all the difference for the rest of his life to this point.  Everything good that has come into his life came because of the moment of commitment.  Life is made up of small and simple things that make us into who we are.  The ones early on really seem to make the biggest impact.

Did you say 6 years?

Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday.

 Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

The Impressive Clergyman, Princess Bride

Happy Anniversary, Heidi and Jeremiah

Marriage has less beauty but more

safety than the single life.

It is full of sorrows and full of joys.

It lies under more burdens but is

supported by all

the strength of love.

and those

burdens are delightful.

xoxoxo

Good Old days

I thought it would be interesting to check the price

of gas in Salt River Canyon every time we went through.

It wasn't as interesting as I had hoped.

You can't buy gas (or make a potty stop) anymore

in the canyon.  I usually don't need gas but

I have really missed the restroom.

I haven't seen gas this price since

I don't know when,.

The point of this collection of pictures was to show

that people are fun.  "Let's stop and change the

price of gas."  But evidently it wasn't that fun to do.

Caught in the act.  These are my friends Carol and

Leslee.  They felt sorry for me because the price

of gas was the same on our trip down to Tucson

and the trip back.  So they changed it for me.

This was the best price I saw in the 4 months

I took pictures.  Too good to be true.

This guy really gets around!

When Jill and her children were here for Christmas

we ran into a celebrity.  He was traveling with a couple

from Illinois.  He is cute. We both stopped at this lookout in Salt River

Canyon about the same time.  When they got out of

their car they had him.  I thought it was so funny and

I asked if I could take his picture.  And then they asked

if I would take one of him and them.

And then there was his guy.  I am sure he has grown

accustomed to getting dinner from people that

stop.  He is cute, too.