Christmas for Activity Day Girls

We showed Mr. Kruger's Christmas, The Nativity and this video for the girls. Along with a musical video called, Where's the Line To See Jesus. We wanted the girls to experience the true meaning of Christmas. It turned out to be a really good activity and the girls could feel the spirit. I'm grateful for Alanna's technical skills so we could project them instead of just using a regular TV. It made it much better for the girls to all see.

Isaac's late birthday

Since we didn't get Isaac a birthday present from us in Sept. we had a little party here for him. They came for dinner of home-made mac and cheese and rainbow cup cakes. Afterward he opened his gifts from us; a road carpet and some matchbox cars. He had fun driving the cars around on the road. Both kids loved watching the train around the Christmas tree.

Thanksgiving

We were able to spend some time with Kim and Alanna for Thanksgiving. We arrived in SLC on Sat. and Dad went to the BYU game with Alanna and Eric. Kim and I were able to spend time together while they were at the game. Matt fixed us a dinner of bagel pizza's for dinner and Eric and Alanna were able to have dinner with us after the game. We stayed with Kim until Mon. night. It was great being there with her and Matt. We were able to go to church with them and spent the evening playing games. On Monday Kim took us on a tour of Nestle. Afterward we went to a late lunch at the Brickoven. YUM! It was nice to see where she works and what she does. Now when she talks to me about work I can picture it. We really enjoyed the tour. Tue. Alanna and I did some shopping as Dad went to the Family History Center. That night we went to dinner at The Texas Roadhouse. YUM! On Tues. Dad went to the FHC again and Alanna and I made pies and the jello salad for Thanksgiving dinner. Matt and Kim came Thur. morning in time for pie for breakfast and we enjoyed making dinner together while the guys watched football. We also made tiles with the cricket and enjoyed crafting together. Dinner was delicious and I'm so thankful for Thanksgiving and the opportunity it gives us to reflect on our many blessings. Friday morning we did our annual Black Friday shopping. We were at Kohls by 2:00 waiting for the 3:00 open time. We also stood in line waiting for Target and Roberts to open. It was cold but fun as we laughed and just spent time together. We were able to save a lot of money by getting up early and braving the cold weather. This is something I enjoy doing with my daughters. I wouldn't go out by myself but it's fun when you have someone to do it with.
Sat. morning we headed back home. We stopped in Snowville for gas. When we were ready to leave the car wouldn't start. After talking to Brandon, Dad bought some jumper cables and we got a jump. Because of the colder weather the battery had been drained and we needed a new one. We stopped at Les Schwab in Boise to get a new one. It took them over 2 hrs. and it was snowing by the time we left. The roads were getting pretty bad as we aproached Ontario, so we decided we would stay there for the night. The roads from Ontario to Pendelton were snow packed and in places black ice. Once we got past Pendelton they were clear and we didn't have any more problems. It was about 6:00 when we got home. We had a great Thanksgiving. The only way it could have been better was if the whole family could have been together.


These are pictures of Kim and Alanna at our hotel room after shopping.

Isaac & Lydia

When Dad went to Arizonia for Brandon's graduation, he brought Lydia home with him. She doesn't like being in her car seat so they thought it would be better for her if she came on the plane with Grandpa. That way they were able to make better time driving home by not having to stop so often. When I picked Dad up at the hotel after riding the Airporter, Lydia was full of smiles and Dad was pretty tired. Lydia was so happy here with us the 3 days we had her before her parents arrived. It was fun having her and we were glad we could help them out that way. Sunday night Dad was so tired that he went to bed at 7:00. Brandon and Heather arrived here Wed. night late. It was great seeing them and Isaac. It's been fun having them closer so we can spend a little more time with them and getting to know Isaac and Lydia better.

An attitude of gratitude

November is the month that we are reminded of the many blessings we have in our life that we need to be thankful for. I love Pres. Monson's reminder every so often of having an "attitude of graditude." Some of the things I am thankful for are:
1. A loving Heavenly Father and elder brother, Jesus Christ and my testimony of them.
2. Gary, who has been my eternal sweetheart for 36 years.
3. Our children and their spouses. We have been so blessed that all are active and have spouses who makes them happy and are good members of the church as well. How did we get so lucky?
4. Our grandchildren.....can't wait for more. We can never have to many.
5. Our home and prosperty. So we can visit our children and not worry that we don't have the money.
6. Our good health....we know it won't last forever. But like my Mom used to say, "anytime she could wake up feeling good, it was a great day."
7. The freedoms we have living in this country. The privledge we have to vote and have a say in political matters.
8. My calling teaching primary and as activity day leader.
9. The leaves changing colors in the fall and the beauty it brings before winter sets in.
10. A blue sky.
11. My siblings,
12. My friends and their example to me.
13. A smile from a stranger.
14. A living prophet that helps us know what to do to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.
15. The knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.
16. My memories of my parents...they keep me going through hard times
17. The blogs, and skype that keeps me in touch with children and grandchildren that are far away.
18. Rainbows and waterfalls, two of my favorite parts of nature

These are just a few of the things that I have to be grateful for. I love Thanksgiving as we prepare to spend time with family. (I wished it was so we could all be together but I know that's impossible.) You are all on my mind and in my heart. I have been so blessed!

Grand baby #8

Our newest addition to the family tree is Gideon Joel Biggs. It has been great to be here helping out with the other kids. Joshie has become pretty attached to me and only wants me to put him down for bedtime. I've taught him to say, "I love you, Grandma." Mary tells me she's my little princess and I have to agree. Sammy is just so full of life. He's been a great helper for me. Spring is just a natural little mother hen, with all the younger kids. Thomas has been a terrific big brother. I can't believe how well Jen is doing after her c-section. We have been able to go out shopping a little and spend time visiting at night. I'm so grateful for my family and the time I get to spend with each of them.

HALLOWEEN WITH THE BIGGS

Joshie dressed up as a dog and Sammy loved being a pirate.

Spring was a pony fairy from the fairy books she reads and Thomas was a chimney sweeper from Mary Poppins.

Sweet little Mary was my little Princess.

I have been able to spend time with the kids for Halloween while Jen was in the hospital. I took Sammy, Mary and Joshie to story time on Tues. They were able to wear their costumes as they went trick or treating to the different departments. It's only about a 10 minute drive to the library. However on it took me almost an hr. to find my way back home. I finally stopped and asked for directions and was only a couple blocks away. Wed. I took Thomas to school early for choir while Spring stayed and watched the kids for about 10 min. it takes. After the time I had the day before I was kind of worried that I would have a hard time finding my way back. So I told Spring if I was later not to worry and I would take her to school instead of her riding the bus. I had lots better luck that day and found my way back just fine. Later that morning it was Sammy's story time so we headed to the library again for another round of trick or treat for them. I found my way right back with no problem. Sammy said he liked it better the day before because it was like an adventure. It was quite the adventure that day. On Wed. night they had trunk or treat at the church. For story time on Tues. Joshie would not put on his costume so I let him go without it. At the trunk or treat, Joel told him he couldn't get any candy if he didn't wear his costume. On Wed. morning I didn't have any trouble at all getting him to wear his costume.

Washington DC, Arlington and Gettysburg

The bus tour ended back at the same motel in Boston that we started at. We arrived there around 10:00 am. Our flight to Baltimore wasn't until 4:00. So we stayed in the lobby of the motel and played cards with a couple of women who were also on the tour until time to take the shuttle to the airport. We flew from Boston to New York then to Baltimore. The airport was about 1 1/2 hr. drive to our motel so it was about 9:00 p.m. by the time we got to our room. The next morning we took the shuttle from the hotel to Pentagon City, where we caught the Hop on-Hop off bus to tour DC. Our first stop was the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We spent between 2-3 hr. there. I can't believe how someone like Hitler was able to spread his hatred so fast to the people of Germany. It was interesting to see how he was able to force people by violence to not support any Jewish businesses. It was hard seeing the results of the Holocaust and the conditions the Jewish people were forced into. I'm glad we went and were able to see and learn the things we did, however it's not something I want to do again. I do feel it is very important that people remember the Holocaust so it never happens again. We took advantage of visiting several of the many museums while in DC. We also saw the White House. We saw a police escort of a black limo with the flags on the front and several black secret service vehicles as it entered the driveway to the White House. We didn't know who was in the vehicle but it was interesting to see how quickly they moved the people and traffic away from their vehicles as they entered the driveway. The White House museum was also very interesting. We went to the National Archives where we could see the original documents of the Constitution of the United States and other important documents. We spent a couple of hours in the Air & Space Museum as well. The first evening there we rode the bus for the Illumination tour of DC. It started at dark and they drove around all the museums, etc. We went to Union Station and met the train to go back to meet the shuttle to go back to our hotel.
While in DC, we saw the Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials as well as many of the war museums. As we passed the Pentagon, it was interesting to see the spot the terrorist drove the plane into the building. We spent 2 days in DC and could have spent many more to see everything. It is a very interesting city.
Jennifer, Joel and the kids met us to go to Arlington and Gettysburg. We took the bus around Arlington and stopped at Pres. Kennedy's grave and the eternal flame. The bus was also stopped for a funeral procession. So we were able to see the horse drawn carriage as it carried the casket to it's final resting spot. There are about 30-50 funerals a day there and they receive the up most respect and reverence. We continued on the tour to the grave of the Unknown Solider. We watched the changing of the guards twice and was in awe at the experience. I'm so grateful for the men and women who have fought and lost their lives for our freedom, as well as those who have served and continue to serve. The kids were so cute as we watched them try to walk and move like the guards did. The bus continued on to General Lee's home for a tour. He never went back to his home after the Civil War because there was a tax put on it and he never paid it. The government said they would bury their dead in Martha's (Lee's wife) rose garden. That was the beginning of Arlington.
The next day we drove to Gettysburg to see the battlefields of the Civil War. It was a somber experience to realize over 50,000 people lost their lives in that battle. There are monuments for each of the states that were represented in the war as well as the battalions and all the leaders of the armies who had lost their lives. I was amazed that it was as flat as the area was and the size of it. We also saw a video on the Civil War and visited the museum.
This brought the end of our trip as we headed back to the airport the next morning. The trip was great and we learned and experienced so much history of our great country. It was hard to go back home and return to our daily activites.

Day 6 & 7

We left North Conway, New Hampshire and traveled to Portland, Maine. When we first arrived there we took a ferry cruise around the city of Portland. There's a restaurant there that's called $3.00 Deweys. The building has been there since the early days but was not always a restaurant. It was a bar and the saying was $1.00 lookey, $2.00 touchy, and $3.00 Dewey. They kept the name when it was changed to a restaurant. We all got a laugh out of it.

As we left Portland we drove past George W. Bush Sr. compound.

From George W Bush compound

We could only get a picture from the bus, for security the bus can't stop there.
We then drove to Kennebunkport for out last night. We had a beautiful motel and a great lobster dinner.

Day 5

We started out the day by stopping at a Country Store. We arrived at 8:00am and the store didn't open until 9:00. Our tour guide had made arrangements with the owners of the store to let us shop for an hour before it opened. It was fun to browse around. They had anything from clothes, to food, to toys, to cosmetics, soaps and lotions to anything you can imagine or need. It reminded me a lot of Smith and Edwards in Brigham (excluding the army surplus stuff). They had a lot of the candy, etc. that Dad and I had when we were younger that we thought were no longer available. Such as Blackjack gum, (taste like black licorice), Fizzies (a tablet that you drop in water and it fizzes the water and makes it taste carbonated, we got root beer flavored) and Bosco (chocolate syrup). It was a fun store to just browse and reminisce. Before long it was time to load the bus and head to Plymouth Notch, Vermont to President Calvin Coolidge's house.

Plymouth Notch is the birthplace and boyhood home of Pres. Coolidge, the 30th Pres. of the US. The village hasn't changed much since the early 20th century. The homes, etc. have been carefully preserved and many of the furnishings are original.
When Pres. Harding (Calvin Coolidge was VP at that time) died unexpectedly, Pres. Coolidge was visiting his family. His father knowing how important it was to give him the oath of the office as soon as possible administered it to him at 2:47a.m. on Aug. 3, 1923. Since he was a notary public he had the authority to do it. Years later he was asked "How did you know you could administer the presidential oath to your own son?", in which he replied, "I didn't know that I couldn't."
We then rode to Woodstock, New Hampshire which is described as "the prettiest small town in America".

Day 4, Berkshire Mountains of Mass and Stratton, Vermont

Norman Rockwell is known for his painting on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post magazines. The museum has a copy of every cover he painted. We looked at the ones that were painted for the month we were born. Because of copy right rules we couldn't take photos of them. He was also known for his Four Freedoms paintings. Which represents Freedom of Speech, Freedom from Fear, Freedom from Want and Freedom of Worship. Each of his artwork tells a story of America.

We then headed through the Green Mountains to where we would be spending the night in Stratton, Vermont. We stopped at the Battle at Green Mountain Monument. We took the elevator to the top. The Green Mountain Boys were Vermont's militia, for more info look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Mountain_Boys It was a beautiful view from up there.
Our motel for the night was a condo at a ski resort. We walked around the resort in the morning before we boarded the bus. It was a beautiful area.

Day 3, Newport, Rhode Island and Mystic Seaport, Connecticut

On the third day we went to Newport, Rhode Island, the sailing capital of the world, Where Gary's aunt Peg met us and drove us around Newport a bit as we visited with her. We were able to get out and take a picture of the St. Mary's Church where Pres. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier were married. It had been opened but by the time we got there it was closed so we couldn't go inside.
We also went to Mystic Seaport, Conn. to the nation's leading maritime museum. We enjoyed walking through the town and seeing the ships. Gary's cousin, Chris and his wife Candy and his other cousin Matt, met us at out hotel and we went to dinner together. The restaurant was very expensive. We each got a small bowl of chowder and I had scallops which consisted of 3 small scallops and a little rice under it. Gary had Tuna and it was very small as well. Our part of the dinner was almost $80. The company was great and we enjoyed getting to know them better. This was the first time I had met them and Gary's Aunt Peg. Later they took us to downtown Mystic.
Earlier in the day we were able to tour "The Breakers", the Vanderbilt's summer cottage. This Italian Renaissance style palace has 70 rooms and is the grandest of all the Newport estates. It's amazing to see the amount of money that was invested in building this home. Since the Vanderbilt's were the wealthest family there no one could build a castle that was more impressive than theirs or they would have been shunned by the "400 club." We couldn't take pictures so we bought a few postcards to show how beautiful it was. Most of these mansions are no longer being used because they are so expensive to keep up. Some are being maintained by the Historical Society.

Day 2, Martha's Vineyard

Our second day we took a ferry to Martha's Vineyard Island. It was about an hour ride. The ferry was a lot smaller than the ones we have here and not nearly as nice.
During the early 1800's the people would have a religious camp on the Island every year. People would come from all around to it. It started out being just a couple days long then went to a week long and eventually longer. Since people had to bring all their food, tents etc. it was a sacrifice for them. Eventually the people started to buy small lots to put a 3 sided tent on and leave it from year to year. As time went on they started to build pre-fabed cottages from Sears. It was about the time that the scroll saws were invented so they could personalize their cottages. There are only about 250 cottages and 50 of them have been winterized and only 10 families stay there year round. These cottages have been handed down through their family for generations. They are only 500 sq. ft. and one sold last for $1,000,000. There's one on the market this year for $500,000. Some of the families bought more than one lot and added several homes together for a larger home. They have an outdoor tabernacle that they use for the religious camp once a year. There are several celebrities that live on the Island and it's very expensive to live there.
The light house was one of many that we saw while on our trip. They are different than the ones on the west coast. They are smaller and you can just walk to them and not have to hike down to them.
The last picture is a sign outside of an ice cream shop, showing lobster ice cream. I didn't even want to try it. I like ice cream and lobster but I don't think they would go together.

Day 1 of New England Bus Tour

We arrived in Boston at our hotel about 11:00 am, and decided to take the subway to Boston to see some of the sights. They have what is called The Freedom Trail, which is a red brick trail through town that leads to all the sights that have to do with the American Revolutionary War. We walked to the USS Consitution which is a battle ship that was used in the war of 1812. It is still an active commissioned war ship. It took us about 2 hours to walk to it as we stopped along the way to see other sights. It was about 80 degrees and the humidity was high. We were both pretty hot and sweaty when we got there. We were going to go to Bunker Hill but that was even farther so we decided not to. We ended up taking a taxi back to our motel. It cost us $25.00 for a 10 minute ride. (expensive) We also saw Paul Revere's home and The Old North Church along the way. We also saw them on the first day of the tour.

The box seats in the church is a part of the building that the members would purchase for their family. The closer the box is to the pupit the more they cost. They would then decorate it with their best furnishings to impress others. Those who couldn't afford a box would have to sit in the balcony. Their Sunday services went on all day. The preacher was considered the best by how long he could preach.
The Old North Church is where Robert Newman, lit the lanterns to let the Federalist know which way the British were coming.

The Colonial Inn is in Concord and was where the Federlist would hide their ammunition. The British started to burn it down and that's what caused the first battle at the North Bridge. The Inn was used as a hospital during the war.

We then went to Plymouth where we saw the "Monument of the Founding Fathers." This was very impressive. It is a statue of the Lady of Faith. It has four sides each representing, Liberty, Education, Law-Justice and Peace, and Morality.
We also saw Plymouth Rock which is not very big. It's been moved a few times and each time pieces have chipped off. It's not even certain the the Pilgrams actually landed at Plymouth Rock.

My Life in a Jar #15

What church callings have you had? Which one did you enjoy the most?
I figured it's way past time that I do another post on My Life in a Jar. I have held callings in every organization except for Sunday School. My favorite is Young Women's and Primary. In YW's I have served in every area except for an advisor. I especially like the Mia-maids. It's an age that if a teenager is going to rebel, they usually do it between 14-16. They are also beginning to realize that they will soon be in control of their lives, they can see that graduation isn't to far off. They start contemplating what they want to do for the rest of their lives. They are to young to drive and date. But boys are very important to them. They have a hard time understanding the importance of rules and that rules really do set you free. They are still eager to try new things and not afraid to have fun.
I have probably served in Primary the most. I think being Primary Pres. was the most fulfilling because it was a time I had to get to know all the children. It was also the most frustrating when teachers just wouldn't show up. I love teaching, especially Sr. Primary. Currently I am a teacher and Activity Day leader. Which I love. I call it watered down YW. The girls love anything we plan and it's fun to see their excitement as they learn something new. I love the things children say and their innocents. I have served as a Cub Scout den leader many times and felt the same way with the boys. It's a lot more fun serving as a den leader to the boys than teaching them in Primary. You can just have fun with them and not have to constantly telling them to be quiet.
In Relief Society I have served as a counselor, Pres. and on the Enrichment committee.
It is the most difficult organization for me to serve in. I feel very inadequate among so many women. The 4 years I served as Pres. were difficult because I could really never make plans because things could change so fast, if a special need would arise. It also made me depend on the Lord because I truly didn't have the answers. One thing I have learned is that no matter where you serve you learn to love those you serve.

Today's surprise

Dad had a meeting in Port Angelas this afternoon so we decided that I'd take Thomas and Spring to the Callum County Fair while Dad was at his meeting. They both got to ride a few rides and then we looked at the exhibits. Thomas liked watching the electric train that was set up, until he noticed a place he could build with Legos. He built a vehicle that could go on land, water and even fly. Spring saw the pony rides and I couldn't resist letting her ride one. The look on her face made it worth the $5.00. She was in Heaven when she got to ride Jack. I was surprised that they let her ride for about 5-7 minutes. We looked at all the animals and there were 4 barns full of horses and she had to look at each one. The owner of a minature horse had taken the horse out and let Spring pet it. She talked to the kids about joing 4H to learn about animals and how to care for them. Spring can tell you all about what she said. SHE WAS IN HER GLORY!!!!!
Thomas loved watching a lady shear a sheep. She said normally it only takes her 15 min. to shear one but this was taking longer because she was only going to do half so people could see the sheep with one side where the wool hadn't been sheared and the other side short. He also saw a mother pig that had 14 piglets. The pigs were born on the 11th and he could reach through the pen and touch them. They were really cute.
I asked them if they wanted an elephant ear for a snack. Thomas looked at me kind of weird and said no. I convinced him to see what it was and to try it. As we were all enjoying it I found out that Thomas thought I meant a real elephant ear when I first asked him. We got a chuckle out of that. The fair was small but a lot of fun for the kids. Spring said it waas even better than the ferry ride and Seattle.

Fun with Thomas and Spring

Thomas and Spring flew out to spend about 10 days with us. They arrived on Sunday after a 5 hr. plane ride. They were all smiles as we picked them up. Since there's a3 hr. time difference we thought they would be ready for bed really early but they weren't. Spring fell asleep on my lap about 7:00 while our home teachers were here. She said she fell asleep even before the lesson. Thomas on the other hand had a hard time falling to sleep. Finally after a warm bath he fell asleep about 10:00 and was awake again at 3:00. He had a hard time falling back asleep. Monday night he was ready for bed by 9:00 and slept really good. They are both on our time schedule now.
On Monday Thomas went shooting with Gary while I took Spring shopping for her birthday present (late)and some fabric to make curtins for their basement and kitchen. They have both had fun learning to sew on the machine. Spring has finished all 3 curtains for the basement and Thomas wants to make the kitchen curtains.
Tues. we took the ferry to Seattle. It was such a beautiful day that we spent most of the time outside enjoying the ride. Spring loved watching a man throw bread crumbs in the air as seagulls caught it. It was so fun to see them get excited over simple little things. They loved watching the cars load and unload the ferry. We then walked to the Aquarium where they saw lots of fish and had fun taking pictures of their favorie ones. They loved the ocutpus and the seals. We got lunch on the way back to the ferry, Thomas got a foot long from Subway and he ate it all, Spring got a hppy meal from McDonalds. She was excited about it because the toy was a little pet shop pet.
We were home for about an hr. when we went to the waterfront park to have sandwiches for dinner. Grandpa taught them how to skip rocks and they were both able to do it. They had fun playing in the water and Thomas went in almost chest high. We played monkey in the middle and catch. The weather was so nice that we stayed there until 8:30. We played a few hands of "It came to pass", before bedtime. Spring kept forgetting to draw a card before she discarded, so we would call her Grandpa. We were giggling pretty hard. Spring summed up the day by saying, "It was the best day ever."
Wed. we made rainbow cupcakes for me to take to activity days. Spring and I ran a few errands while Thomas stayed home and played the Wii. They started makeing journal covers and learned to sew by hand. Then Spring went with me to Activity Days where we played "A minute to win it" games and had pizza and cupcakes. Thomas and Dad went on base bowling and bowled 3 games. It was a fun day. We have a surprise for them tomorrow and you'll all have to wait to find out what it is. We are sure enjoying their visit. Thanks Jen and Joel for letting them come.

Rose City Corvette Classic

I went to Oregon to visit my brother, Curt, and to see the Rose City Corvette Classic last weekend. I entered my car in the Show-N-Shine but didn't win a trophy. We got T-shirts from the event as well as a goody-bag of freebees and we won one of the raffle prizes. Curt and I got a chance to ride along in cars doing the autocross at Portland International Raceway. I rode in an '88 and he rode in a C-6 of a former co-worker. We had to wear helmets in the cars and if we hadn't I would've had a few bumps and bruises and headaches as I was bumped around inside the car around the track pretty hard. I got two runs and Curt got one run around the track and both of us had a terrific time.

Pedicure

Yesterday Alanna and I went to the mall and had a pedicure. It was GREAT! The chair had a message for our backs and was very relaxing. They soaked our feet, massaged our feet and lower legs and one of the best part was wrapping our legs and feet in a hot towel. I was so relaxed that I could have fallen asleep. I love having my feet messaged. Alanna had a flower painted on her big toenail and asked if I was going to. So I actually went out of my comfort zone and had flowers painted on as well. The lady doing my feet asked if I wanted a manicure, I declined since it cost so much and they really don't last long. It was a fun hour of pampering ourselves.

Taffy Pull

Alanna and I decided to try to make taffy. I had tried several years ago here and it didn't turn out because it's to humid. We found this recipe and decided to give it a try. We made strawberry and orange flavored. It turned out really good. So I think when Thomas and Spring comes to visit we will have to have a taffy pull.

Coulee Dam

Over Father's Day weekend we went to Eastern WA. to Coulee Dam. It was a beautiful sunny day as we drove there. Eastern Wa. is a lot different than here. It's pretty flat and no trees. Theory has it that an ice berg broke in Canada due to the force of a lake in Montana backing up against it and it caused a huge river of water that ran through Eastern Wa. down to the Columbia river and out to the ocean. That is what caused the deep ruts in the landscape. There are many lakes and rivers where a lot of people were fishing. As we were driving we thought about Matt and how he would enjoy fishing there. From what we heard fishing is really good there. When we first got to the dam the water was flowing over the side and it was really pretty. We went on a tour of the dam and was quite surprised that we couldn't take a purse or any other type of bag. Including a camera bag. A camera was OK but no bag. We had to go through security just like at the airport. On the tour we found out that Coulee dam produces enough power to supple most of the United States. It then made sense as to why they had such tight security. Just as the tour started they had gotten word that the water spilling over the dam had been closed off. Most of the time the water isn't spilling over, so we were lucky to see it. However when we drove by it, we didn't know that so we didn't get a picture of it. At 10:00pm they have a laser light show over the dam. Just before it started they opened the gates again and the water started spilling over. It wasn't as magnificent as it had been earlier when we first saw it. The laser show was interesting to as they told the story of Coulee Dam with lights. Pres. Roosevelt had it built to help put men back to work during the depression.

Visit with Wally

The first part of June, Wally and Gwen came up along with my cousin Billie and her husband Paul. They arrived on Friday late afternoon and on Sat. we went on the ferry to Seattle to drop them off for the Alaskan Cruise. The following Sat. Gary and I picked them up and we went to the Space Needle for a late lunch and looked around that area for a while. They wanted to see the temple so we drove to Bellevue and walked around the temple grounds and visited. Wally especially enjoyed it since Gary drove and he could sit back and relax. They spent Sat. night with us and we had a fun time playing Hand and Foot. (yes, that's right! Even Dad enjoyed it.) They play a little differently than we do. They don't play out of turn so the game is much slower and Dad could keep up. We enjoyed visiting and hated to see them leave on Sun. morning.

Reflecting over the past year

It was one year ago on June 2nd. that Mom passed away. In a lot of ways it's been a difficult year for me. I have missed her so much. There have been many days that I have just wanted to pick up the phone and call her. How I wished I could hear her "chipper hello" just one more time. There are so many things that will trigger a memory of her and then the tears come. Every time I see a group of Red Hat ladies, a white haired lady, or even going to Ikea and thinking about how much Mom enjoyed going there to just look. People say that time heals the hurt but I'm really not sure that's true. I am just grateful for the relationship I had with her and the times we spent together. She has taught me that no matter how old I get I still need my Mother. I have learned to enjoy the little things in life a little bit more. To treasure the times I have with my family and to remind them how important family really is. She was so happy to have all her children there with her at the end and so proud of each of us. I think that is a dream of every Mother. I look forward to the day I will see her and Dad again. But for now I'll cherish the memories and try to pass on the lessons I have learned from her, so her legacy can live on.

Grandchildren

Our Grandchildren are such a blessing in our lives. We were lucky to have them all here in April for a few days so we could get a picture of them all together. I know these times are going to be less and less, with everyone living in different states. So I treasure the time we had this spring with them.
Thomas: 9 years old is our oldest grandchild. He is very intelligent and loves cub scouts and playing the piano. In fact he is a gifted pianist. He is a very good oldest brother for the rest of his siblings. He also loves to organize and is a very good helper for his parents.
Spring: Is 6 and will be 7 in July. She also loves playing the piano and does very well in school. She loves to read and often reads stories to her younger siblings. She loves animals and is very good with their dog Scout. She loves having her nails done. She has a great sense of humor and loves to tease.
Sammy:Is 4 and has the biggest smile. He loves life and is very interested in learning new things. He gets delighted about everyday simple things. He has a love for life at a young age and gets excited over small things.
Mary:Is 3 and has a quiet nature, but can stand her ground when it's important to her. She loves her baby dolls, especially changing their clothes. She will change Joshie's diapers by herself, to help out.
Joshie: Will be 2 in September. He is very independent and follows along with the older kids. He thinks he is just as big as they are and can do what ever they are doing. He has a happy personality and loves playing with the other kids.
Isaac:Will be 2 in September. He is easy going and loves to chatter. He is a good big brother to his baby sister and likes to give her rides in the doll stroller. He also loves being outside helping Dad work on the car.
Lydia: IS 5 months old and a little chunk. She doesn't like being on her tummy but loves to have Isaac play with her.
Each of them have their own personalities and add so much to their families. I know as a Grandmother I can never have too many Grandchildren. I also believe that children can never have too many Grandmas.

Gary's Pacemaker

We arrived at the hospital shortly before 9 AM. It wasn't long until they called Dad in to get him ready for surgery. They took him up to surgery just before 10 and it was around noon when they came and got me. They were supposed to bring him back to where they preped him for recovery but instead they just took him up to his room. Bob Jones came shortly after to visit with him. Dad was hungry since he hadn't eaten anything since last night so was excited to order his lunch. Every thing went really well and he's promised that he will feel better and have more energy. (it will be harder for me to keep up with him now).

Spring Cleaning or Moving

In the process of getting the house ready to be put on the market to sell, I have been cleaning our closets. Look close this may be the only time you actually see my closets clean. And at the rate I'm going we may be ready to list it...by, lets see...next year.

Up date on birds

There are 3 birds in the nest. There are times when we can see all three of them with their heads up and their mouths open. Now that they are getting a little bigger we can usually only see 2 at a time. They still have some fuzz on the tops of their heads. It won't be long before the Mother bird teaches them to fly. She stays close by and is very protective of them. Yesterday I was in the back yard weeding and the mother bird was sitting on a limb of the pine tree watching me. If I went toward the nest she would fly right toward me. It's been fun watching them. I know the pictures aren't the best but hopefully you can spot the birds in the nest.

This says it all

The birds are back!

There's been a nest in the Rhodendrum bush outside the computer room for the last couple years. About a week ago I noticed egg shells on the deck, and sure enough the birds are back. There's a nest of baby Robins. It's been fun watching the Mother bird come and go with worms to feed the babies. Today we could see one of the baby birds peeking up from the nest waiting for the mommy to come back and feed it. It's fun in the morning hearing the birds start to churp bright and early. I wonder if the chirping is coming from the birds in the nest. It's a sign that spring and summer really are coming after the long gray winter. Hopefully you can see the bird in the nest. The mommy bird stays away longer if we are watching to much.

What a woman wants

I was able to go to Utah and spend a few days with Alanna and Kim. I was able to go shopping with Alanna and spent a day in her classroom. I also went to the volleyball games she had on Sat. It was fun to see her teach and coach. I went shopping with Kim and helped her start a quilt made from ties for Matt. I enjoyed being with each of my daughters.
On Thur. Karen flew out and we spent Thur. through Sat. at a motel. We went to "What a Woman Wants." It had all kinds of booths where people were selling things that women would want. We had a really good time looking and shopping. My two favorite booths were where they were selling purses and Happy Feet. The purses are unique in that you buy one purse and the shells of the purse are magnetic, so you can change them. The happy feet are sole inserts that have gel in them. They made my feet feel so good, that may first comment was, "I've died and gone to heaven." Karen bought her and Scott a pair, Kim also bought her some since she's on her feet all day at work. We also went to Ti Pan, shopping. We had a fun time laughing at the purses there and enjoyed looking at the dishes and home decor. We went to the Quilted Bear, where we got ideas for things to make. It was a great time with Karen, Kim and Alanna. It was so nice of Matt and Eric to let their wives spend time away from home to be with me and to let me invade their homes to visit.

Spring Break or Winter Freeze?

Jen, Joel and the kids were able to come and visit for Spring break. For two weeks before they came the weather was beautiful and warm. That all changed the week they were here. It went from rain, high winds, colder than normal temperature, hail and then to snow. In spite if Mother Nature not knowing it's springtime and giving us spring type weather we had a great time with them here. We did crafts, visited, played games and just enjoyed being together. Kim and Matt arrived on Friday morning. It's been great having them here as well. The kids made their own homemade pizzas one night for dinner and loved it. Sammy wanted to make cookies with just me. So we made oatmeal raisin cookies on Sun. He loved the one on one attention and so did I. The cookies turned out great. Gary took Thomas shooting and they both had a great time. Thomas and Spring went with their Dad and grandpa to play mini golf, where Spring go a hole in one. Jen and I took the kids and went to IKEA shopping. Something we both enjoyed. The kids were able to play in their play area (except for Joshie) so they had fun as well. We played a game of kick ball with the big excerise ball and had fun until it got to cold to be outside. I'm so grateful that they chose to come up for spring break and spend their time with us. We all had a great time and look forward to the next time we can be together.

My Life in a Jar #14

What were your Father's best traits, his worst? What traits do you have in common?
The traits that I admired most in my Dad was how hard he worked. No matter what he was doing he worked hard and put all his efforts into it. This sometimes backfired because I know there were times in his life that he felt no one else could do the job as well as he could. This caused him to think he had to spend 16 hrs. a day at the cheese factory making sure everything was working the way it he felt it needed to. He worked long hours and rearly took time off. He was always on call and would get called out to the plant a lot through the night. After he retired he worked hard and spent many hours working on his yard. This was something he loved doing and it brought him such satisfaction as he'd plant and care for his garden and yard. He had some of the most beautiful Rose bushes and his home grown tomatoes were always a special treat I looked forward to when we would be able to visit in the fall.
No matter where Dad had to be at any given time, he was always early. He would never enter a meeting etc. late. He would skip the appointment rather than be late. This is something he expected of others as well. If someone said they would show up at a certain time they had better be there or he would be really upset with them.
My Dad had a tender spot for children and they could feel his calming nature. Children would flock to him. He could talk and relate to children much easier than he did adults. He had a quiet nature which children loved.
My Dad was also some what controlling when it came to my Mother. Especially as he got older and his health started to deteriorate. If Mom wanted to go some place without him he would make it difficult for her to do so. So the last few years of his life I was not able to spend much alone time with my Mom (like shopping etc.) because it was easier for her to just stay home with him. In hind sight I really think he was afraid to be alone when he wasn't feeling good.
Dad was always a tease and could come up with the funniest sayings. I'm sure he was always the class clown. Although he was also very quiet and many people didn't know that he was such a tease because only those he was close to saw that side of him.
I guess the traits that I inherited from him are, I hate being late, I love children and I am dedicated when it comes to a job or other responsibilities.

My Birthday

Dad got me a Lee Middleton Doll for my birthday. I picked out a few that I liked and he chose this one. I think he is really cute. I know all along you all thought that the stork brought the babies but it's really the UPS man.

Lydia's blessing and a week with Isaac

We were able to fly to AZ. for Lydia's blessing. Dad and Brandon were able to go to two spring training games. Karen and I were able to shop and just spend time together. Brandon did a great job with blessing Lydia. Karen, Scott, Noah, Kevin and Katy were able to come. It was great having them come and be a part of Lydia's blessing. After church we went to Heather's parents house and had a luncheon of Buffalo burgers, potato salad and beans. We enjoyed the lunch and visiting with everyone. Later that night we took Isaac with us to Karen and Scott's house since we had decided we would bring him back with us for a week before Heather flew into town. He was so good on the plane, he slept for all but the last 15 min. Then he liked looking out the window. The captain said Seattle's weather was about 40 degrees and partly cloudy. When we landed it was SNOWING! Not something fun to come home to.
Isaac has been so good and fun to have. I wished we could have the opportunity to have each of our grandchildren for a week at a time. I'm looking forward to Jen and Joel coming with their children in a couple of weeks and being able to spoil and spend time with them.

Talk on Sunday

I was assigned to give a talk on being a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple of Christ is some one who is learning to think, feel and act as He does. As I read conference talks on this subject I found that to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ requires us to love as He loves. If we truly love Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and our fellowmen with all our heart, soul and mind...all else will fall into place. We will want to keep his commandments and do all that is required to return to live with God again. This is a quote I used that I really think outlines how we can learn to love God and our fellowmen. It's by Marvin J. Ashton.
"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or criticize each other, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting some one's differences, weakness and shortcomings, having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."
I love this quote and hopefully it will help me remember to have more charity in my life and learn to love as the Savior loves us. It's a journey and can't be done over night. It is something we have to continually be working on.

Feeding the missionaries

The missionaries had a Zone Conference at the stake center today. Marilyn Chong was in charge of preparing the food for them. She asked Vera Reynolds and me to help. I was really excited to be able to help out. I missed being available to do things like that during the day when I was working. We made sloppy joes, (which I cried all the time making it, since it reminded me of Mom) salad, chips and a dessert made with saltine crackers. We were told there would be 60-80 when in fact there was over 100. It was such a blessing to be there with the Elders and the Sisters and the spirit they have. After they had all eaten they had us introduce ourselves and they all stood and as a thank-you, sang, "As I Have Loved you." Vera, Marilyn and I were all in tears. The spirit was so strong just hearing them sing. It reminded me of the time we meet Brandon at the mission home in France and the Elders were all singing. I'm grateful for the missionary effort of the church for the YM and YW who sacrifice their time to serve. I'm so grateful to have been able to help feed them and to be around their spirit for a short time.

My Life in a Jar #13

What are your food preferences and how did they come about?
Growing up we ate mostly meat, potatoes and vegetables. Dad didn't like casseroles so we had very few of them. I loved eating fresh vegetables from the garden. There was nothing better than a home grown tomato or cucumber picked right off the vine and eaten with a little salt. (that's something I still miss) Growing up I think my favorite foods were pizza, cream chipped beef on toast and rice. Dad didn't like them and so we didn't have them very often, that's probably why I liked them. I also loved my Dad's homemade soup. He didn't make it very often but took the entire day making it when he did. One of my favorite dished Mom made was Porcupine Meatballs. I have never been able to make them like she could.
Now I like pretty much anything especially if I don't have to cook it. I think either Italian and Mexican foods are my favorite. I like most seafood, especially salmon, shrimp and crab, however I don't like scallops, they are too fishy. When we were in Japan we had dinner the first night I got there at a little place that had the best soup. A lot of the food there I was a little hesitant at trying and some I wouldn't try. Most of what I did eat was OK but I wouldn't necessarily want again.
The food we had in France was all delicious, especially the pastries. (except for the really stinky cheese we brought home with us)
When I was in elementary school one day they served spinach for hot lunch. I tried eating it and gaged. The Principal tried to force me to eat it and since then I have always hated it. Now that I'm older and have tried it fresh I really like it. I have even learned that I like it cooked if it is cooked right and not canned. I still don't like lima beans and liver. They were two things I never made our kids eat. I won't try weird stuff like balut or raw fish.

2009 Scrapbook pages

Dad and I finally finished our scrapbook pages. Here's a sneak preview. We'll be mailing them to you soon.

Christmas

Christmas was real different for us this year. It was the first year that we were alone. None of our Children were able to come home this year. On Christmas Eve we drove around and looked at Christmas lights. Then we came home and watched a movie. At 5:00 am Christmas morning we got a call from Thomas, telling us they were getting the little ones up and we could get on Skype to watch them open presents. It was fun sharing in their excitment so many miles away. A little later Brandon called and we got to watch Isaac open his gifts. We are so thankful that we could be a part of their Christmas's by using Skype. We talked to Alanna and Kim later in the day and was so happy to share in their day as well. We did something we have never done on Christmas before, we went out to dinner. We went to a Christmas Buffet at the Clearwater Casino. We got there 1/2 hr. after it opened and had to wait for over an hr. to get a table. The food was great and we enjoyed out time together.Sunday night Alanna and Eric came over so we could leave bright and early on Monday to head to Jen and Joel's. We left Monday at 6:00am and got there at 11:00pm, driving straight through. We snuck in through the garage and scared Jen. She woke the kids up and we talked to them for a few minutes then back to bed they went. I was surprised they went back to sleep so easily. We had a fun time playing games, visiting and just being together. Tuesday afternoon we exchanged gifts. On Friday night we saw the old year out and the new yeaar in playing games and visitng. On New Years Day the girls went shopping, (mostly just looking) while the guys watched football. Spring has always loved it when I fix her hair with electric curlers. This time Mary didn't want to be left out and loved having her hair done with electric curlers. On Sat. morning Dad and I took Thomas and Saamy to Home Depo to a class they have for children to build something. They made a wooden calendar. It was fun to see their excitment as they worked on it. I was even brave enough to hold the nail while Sammy hammered it in. They were really proud of their projects and were making plans to go again.