Terri's Tales

A Perfect Saturday

2012-01-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got had the wonderful opportunity to go snow shoeing in Grand Teton National Park.It takes us about 2 hours (in good conditions to get there). As we started to get into the high country the sites got prettier and prettier.The mountains ahead looked to pretty with their dusting of new snow, I just had to take a photo through the windshield as my Greg was driving.

It didn't take long for the roads to get pretty bad but the scenery kept getting better and better.

Looking through the side window at the trees was a treat.

A friendly moose welcomed us as the visitor's center.

Starting up the Taggart Lake trail you pass over a bridge. You can hear the stream under the snow, but can't see much water. The "Grand" encourages you to keep trudging on.

Once you get over the ridge, the view is amazing. I doubt if there could be another snowshoe trail any more amazing than this one is. Sorry about the deep blue sky. I had my polarizer dialed in a bit strong.

You have to stop often to admire the scenery.

Taking a little break at the destination is always nice.... Hard to believe there is a lake under there.

Once we were finished we got to enjoy a beautiful sunset. I've never seen such golden highlights on the mountains.

2012-01-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

I guess it's time to get back to my blog. I have been so negligent. It's such a cold, windy, and nasty day, it seems like a good time to post something.Now that the holiday rush is over, I am going to start doing Special Days again. It's easiest for me to remember if I go from youngest to oldest, so today was Jaycie's turn. We just ran errands and went out to lunch, but she was such a trooper. Her strong will and determination crack me up. She reminds me so much of Melissa at that age. You can't talk her into anything. It has to be her idea.We went to TJ Max. I was looking for a few different items and Jaycie was very patient. Then we went to the children's section. We found a little princess game for a few dollars and she wanted that for her special day treat. Then I saw some coats that were on sale for $10. I tried to get her to try on a coat. I thought that for that inexpensive price, if we could find one that was cute and would fit her, I would pick it up. She would not hear of it. I tried to tell her that even if we found a coat to buy, she could still have the princess game, but no all she could say was, "Maybe next year." Oh well, they probably weren't that cute anyway!!Then it was off to Chick Fil A for lunch.

I didn't realize that they have a little playground in there. It is only for children 3 and under so I definitely won't be taking the older kids there. But Jaycie loved it!!

She went up into the little car in the ceiling and wouldn't come down!! I was afraid I was going to have to climb up there and make her come down. But when I told her I was leaving, she finally came down and even gave me what she called a "smooch".

The rest of the toys were a big hit!!

The funhouse type mirror was something she really got a kick out of....

The following photo reminded me of my potty training disaster experience with Jaden several years ago. Jaycie is currently in that stage and it made me a little nervous.

Get ready Jade!! You are next!!!

I am so blessed

2011-05-27T10:23:00.003-06:00

Wonderful Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T16:54:00.002-06:00

We had such a good weekend. On Saturday we needed to pick up something at the Hall’s house and we got there just in time to see the girls finishing up their Easter eggs.

Jaycie was having fun throwing the eggs after they were finished!!

That night we got to see Harlee perform in her dance recital. She was so focused on watching her teacher and doing everything just right!!

After Easter Dinner on Sunday, all the kids played baseball. It was so heavenly sitting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather and the family!!

What a great weekend.

Feeling Very Grateful....

2011-03-16T14:41:00.003-06:00

It's a gloomy, drizzly day. It's one of those depressing kind of days. But, as I was driving to work today I kept thinking how grateful I am for a normal, quiet kind of day. I bet that there are millions of people in Japan who would love to have a normal day. I don't think I will be complaining about the weather anytime soon.

I went to the grocery store and felt so grateful to be able to buy whatever I wanted, after seeing the video clips of stores in Japan with emply shelves. I feel very grateful for all the little things today.

26 great years!!

2011-03-02T06:28:00.002-07:00

Twenty six years ago was a red letter day in my life!! Our precious Heather was born. She has always brought us so much joy. Now it is fun watching her as a mother. Hope she feels how much everyone loves her today.

Maybe we had a little TOO much fun!!

2011-02-13T20:45:00.004-07:00

Today Amber spoke in Sacrament Meeting in her ward. She did a fabulous job!! I was hoping to stay and hear Jenny give her Relief Society lesson. But, Brighton was sick and it didn't seem too wise to send him to Primary to expose the other kids. Amber needs a chance to get out of the house more than I do, so I volunteered to take Brighton home with me so Amber could stay for Relief Society and Sunday School.

Now I have always had the theory that if a child gets to miss church, it shouldn't be too much fun for him/her at home. But, it is Valentine's Day tomorrow so Brighton and I just HAD to make some Valentine's cookies.

He had fun making the cookies. I let him help me smooth out the flour on the cutting board, which was a pretty big mess. He loved that. Then when I let him help me do the dishes and play in the water it was getting even more fun.

You can see by the droopy eyes that he wasn't feeling too well.

Then I had a memory of a LONG time ago. I remembered a day when I was helping Grandma Dorothy do the dishes and she let me blow bubbles in the sink using a drinking straw. I always vowed that I would do that as a Grandma someday. I don't think I ever let my own kids do it......mom's are like that I guess.

That may have been a bit over the top for too much fun while missing church!!

Two Little Princesses

2011-02-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

Good thing we have little princesses in our lives to make February a little more tolerable. Harlee and Jaycie both had birthdays this week. It was so much fun for me to see how Heather and Beau worked so hard to make their birthdays special. What fabulous parents they are. Jaycie’s Princess Party and Harlee’s Pinkalicious Party were both so much fun.

I love you, Harlee and Jaycie!!

Life is Good

2011-01-21T13:31:00.001-07:00

I’m so grateful for a loving family who helps you out when you need it. Jenn and Mike were so good to me today!! I’ve been dizzy for nearly a week now with a sinus infection. Mike had his nurse give me a good shot of steroids and I’m feeling better already!! Jenn drove me up to his clinic so I didn’t have to drive while dizzy. I have to admit, it was almost fun going to the doctor when it was to see Mike!!

Another thing I am grateful for…..

2010-12-05T06:42:00.001-07:00

I am so grateful that my girls are such wonderful mothers……Yesterday I got to see Jade, Harlee, and Jaycie. They are such happy children as are the Vest boys. I’m so grateful that they are so loved and cared for. I love you girls. I know that being a mom to these little ones is so demanding and such hard work. You are doing an amazing job!!

Christmastime is here….

2010-12-04T07:21:00.001-07:00

I’ve had a fun time preparing for Christmas this week. Thank heavens for Internet shopping because I’ve been able to do a lot of it sitting at my computer, which is a lot more fun to me than getting out to the stores.

There have been two things I’ve enjoyed so much. First is the Christmas music. What would Christmas be without all the beautiful music? Then I enjoyed listening to an interview on LDS conversations. It was with Gary Ceran, a man who has faced more heartache in his life than I can comprehend. His testimony has touched my heart and uplifted me more than I can say. After all he has been through he still says that the Lord is smarter than him and the Lord loves him. He totally trusts that through all the heartache God was in charge and knew what was best for his family. It is amazing. If you get a chance to listen to it, you won’t be sorry.

I’m grateful I could help out Amber this week. She is doing so well and will soon be able to do everything she wants and needs to do. The boys are so much fun. We had a great time out in the snow a couple of days ago. We built a little snowman that Brigham loved.

Jaden and Brighton had fun wresting in the snow.

I sure am glad that they love to come to my house. Next May it will be Heather’s girls’ turn!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T06:13:00.002-07:00

I woke up at 5 a.m. and figured I was awake for the day. I guess early rising is something that happens as you get older.....

As I sit here early and alone it's a nice time to think of all I am grateful for. It would take volumes to list all my blessings. But here are a few that quickly come to mind.

Of course, the first two HUGE blessings I think of are my family and my testimony. They both go hand in hand. How much more my family means to me because I know of the significance of families and I know that we are meant to be together forever. This week as we added one more little baby into our family I just felt as if I had always known her.

One of the biggest blessings of the past year is Dad's surgery and his recovery from his heart problems. I am so grateful that he is still here with us. Both of my parents are the best and I could never express how much I love them.

Another huge blessing was going on a trip to Alaska with Greg's family for Rose's 90th Birthday. What a fun time we had with all of them. We will cherish those memories forever.

I am so grateful for Melissa. She has grown into the most beautiful, strong woman. Her faith always inspires me. She chooses the most amazing friends.

I am grateful for Sister Thomas' talk in the spring broadcast of Stake Conference. It inspired me to get going on my scripture study again. Doing that has brought me great joy. I finished the Book of Mormon and am now studying the Doctrine and Covemants. I've had a renewal of my testimony of both of those books.

I am so grateful that Greg and I have so much fun together. We went snowshoeing several times last winter....to Harriman State Park, to Jackson Lake, and to Taggart Lake. We went to Yellowstone Park in the spring to see the wildlife. We went to Teton Park for an overnight stay. We hiked the Palisades Lake hike in both the spring and fall. We also hiked at Big Elk Creek. We hiked the Coffeepot Trail. We hiked in the Tetons with Melissa. We went to southern Utah with Brenda and Steve. We hiked the Hidden Lakes Trail at Redfish. We also took the Vest boys to Teton Park and Yellowstone. We enjoyed our Redfish Lake Vacation very much. It has been a fun year. I'm sure I missed some activities.

I was grateful for the Razor Ride that I went on with Mike and Jenny in the Frank Church Wilderness area. It was amazing and I sure hope to be able to do it again.

I am so grateful for all the things we were able to accomplish here at home. Painting the outside of the house was a huge project for Greg. I tried painting one weekend and broke out in a rash. The allergy specialist at the University of Utah must be right about my allergy to paint. So, poor Greg had to do most of the work alone. The kids did chip in and help a couple of times which gave us a much needed boost.

How grateful I am for my sweetheart, Greg. I could never say enough good things about him. He is the most unselfish person I know. How I love him.

My little grandchildren bring me so much joy. The Special Days that I was able to have with each of them is something I cherish. My biggest fear is that they are growing up so fast and I am getting so many of them now that I can't spend as much one on one time with them as I would like. But I do my best and try to help out by watching them whenever the kids ask.

I am grateful that we have been able to keep going at work. The economy has certainly changed things there, but my boss has been able to figure out how to bid the jobs to keep us busy. I so much enjoy my work there. I'm grateful for the little bit of added income I am able to bring to our family. I am grateful for my association with good people at work.

I could go on and on. Of course, things are not all rosy. But, it's so nice to try to focus on the good. President Monson had so much wisdom when he counseled us to do that. You could be very scared all the time in this crazy world. But focusing on the good really helps to put things into perspective. For all who read this...I love you and hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving and are able to count your blessings as well.

PS.....How could I forget sweet Ziggy.

A Beautiful Day

2010-11-23T13:57:00.001-07:00

Today's blizzard has been a bad one. Even though I hate driving in the snow, I had to get to the hospital to see Amber and Rylee. When I got there at 8:00 this morning, Jason was already there. I didn't expect him to be there so early. He is so in love with little Rylee. It's really fun to watch. Shortly after I got there the nurse came to take Rylee to see the pediatrician. So I took off and went to work.

After work I decided to stop back in. It was nice because everyone was gone and I got to spend some time with Amber alone. She told me that she had brought a pink blanket that she wanted Rylee to have a photo taken with. She doesn’t feel up to doing any photography yet, so I was happy to do it.

She is such a beautiful little baby. I was holding her and I looked over at Amber. She had tears streaming down her face. I asked her what was the matter and she said, “I am just so happy.” For anyone who is a mother, I know you will understand her feelings. What a good day it has been for me.

Full House

2010-11-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

It has been a long week for me. Getting the stomach flu is never good for me since I have chronic digestive problems. By yesterday afternoon I was getting really discouraged at feeling rotten. But then Melissa came home and Heather’s girls came over and it didn’t take long until I was cheered up again.

I am grateful for my girls……

I Haven't Been Diligent

2010-11-16T19:35:00.002-07:00

My gratitude posts are getting fewer and farther between. Things have been crazy the past while. Besides a lot to do, the flu took its toll on me for a few days. I'm glad to be almost back to normal.

Today when I was coming home from work I saw three missionaries walking down the road. They ranged from very tall to very short and were walking with the tall one by the road, the middle one in the middle and the short one the furthest away. I thought that they looked so cute and a little dorky. Then I thought, "What a miracle it is that the church can get these young men to make such a sacrifice to go on a mission while they are still teenagers!!" It's just another witness to me that the church is true. It's so brilliant to take young men at this age and teach them to sacrifice their own wishes for something better. What a blessing it is in the lives of all of us that they learn this at such a young age.

Then I read something in Logan's letter that just says how I feel about the church.... " I love this church and the gospel it makes so much sense and feels so right." It has always felt so right to me. I'm so grateful for that.

Sometimes Angels Wear Cowboy Hats and Camouflage

2010-11-08T14:47:00.002-07:00

We just returned from a wonderful vacation that we took with two of my favorite people, my sister Brenda and her husband Steve. We are all grandparents now, which means that we can expect to start having those Senior Moments every now and then…..

Greg and I wanted to go to Zion National Park again so we could hike the Zion Narrows (a subject for another blog post). Brenda and Steve wanted to take four wheelers so we could enjoy the wilderness. Mike was so kind and offered to let us take his Razor.

On Saturday morning we drove for about half an hour to a place called the Great American Trail near Kanab which leads into the Escalante/Grand Staircase National Monument. The ranger warned us that this is a wilderness area with no services or cell phone coverage.

Here is a far away view of this area. You can see that there are different levels of mountains, each getting higher in elevation as you go into the area. The Vermillion Cliffs are the red ones in front. This is where we started.

When we got there, Steve asked Greg how much gas he had left from the previous day’s ride. Greg said, “I filled up with gas last night, so I’m full.” Steve got a sick look on his face. His dreaded Senior Moment had happened. He had forgotten to fill up his four wheeler. But, no problem, there was 3/4 tank of gas left. Well we rode a few yards and his gas gauge dropped to 1/2 tank. I’ve never seen such a sick look on his face. Here we had come all this way and hauled these four wheelers out into the wilderness and he didn’t have a full tank.

Well, we chose a route that we thought we could easily accomplish with the amount of gas that he had.

At first we were in the valley….and it was beautiful…..

Then it turned up into the Vermillion Cliffs.

The road got a little “knarly” (as Steve called it) in spots. Of course, those times I was scared to death, but when the road smoothed out, the scenery was gorgeous.

Steve didn’t seem quite his happy self because it was when we got up high that his gas tank started to show 1/4 tank.

We had to devise a route to get back as quick as we could. None of us were too excited about being stranded out here….

Soon we were over the top of the Vermillion Cliffs and could see the white cliffs in the distance……what beauty.

The quick road that we discovered to come back down on was very rough in spots. Sorry I don’t have photos of that. I wasn’t thinking about taking photos at this point. But we made it down. The low dip between the two higher areas is the place where we came down out of the Vermillion Cliffs.

Now we were back on lower ground and only had a few more miles to go. Brenda was navigating using the maps and it looked like we would make it. We were almost there when we reached a gully that had been washed out by a flash flood. Oh no, it would be hard to get across. Being inexperienced riders on a very nice borrowed machine, Greg and I opted to tell Steve that we would not cross it with him and we didn’t want to split up out in the wilderness. He would have to go with us on an alternate route as far as the remaining gas would allow. Of course by now the tank registered empty.

Steve agreed, but said, “Pray for Me!!” We told him that we already had been doing that.

This whole day, we hadn’t seen one other person.

But, wouldn’t you know it. After a little way, we came across a hunter’s camp.

Steve pulled into the camp and told the fellows there his story. They were the most pleasant, smily guys you could meet. They had the strongest southern Utah drawl that I have ever heard. They laughed so hard at Steve’s story and gave us enough gas to get back.

I had wondered how God was going to answer our prayers. It was a wonderful reminder that we are his hands. So many times he answers us with promptings to be in a place where other people can help us, or we can help others. It was very hard for Steve to ask them for help, but he knew that God had answered his prayer and if he didn’t accept that answer he was on his own.

What a great day we had with lots of good lessons learned. I’m sure this will be subject matter for one of Greg’s High Council talks in the future.

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

I’m grateful for generous sons-in-law, wonderful sisters and brothers-in-law, beautiful nature, and angels with cowboy hats and camouflage.

Paradise…..

2010-11-03T20:52:00.001-06:00

This place is so amazing…..I only have one photo. We got here about 4 and have rented all our gear for the river hike tomorrow. We had time for a short walk in Zions before the sun went down. It should be a blast. Hope Brenda can do it. I will try to share a photo or two tomorrow night. This little laptop works great but the screen is too small for much photo work.

Hope everyone at home is doing ok!!

Anticipation

2010-11-02T06:59:00.001-06:00

I’m grateful that we get to go on a trip very soon. It won’t be long and we’ll be hiking in the Virgin Narrows. It was our best outing ever and I can’t wait to do it again.

You can see the people in the middle of the photo….It gives you an idea of the immensity of the canyon….It’s an amazing place.

October 31, 2010

2010-10-31T07:33:00.001-06:00

Hope the little ones had fun last night. The weather was perfect for their trick-or-treating.

The Vest Boys got here early. They made it before dark!! They wanted to be home in time to trick-or-treat in their neighborhood.

Jade was the next to come. He was mostly interested in our animals. He also loved seeing the trick-or-treaters come. I don’t know who was having more fun, Jade or Jenn and Mike watching Jade.

The Hall girls came after their neighborhood trunk-or-treat. They were a bit tired but seemed to be having a great time!!

Harlee loved the little sticker book that I bought for each of the kids.

Jaycie just loved exploring everything and eating candy.

Happy Halloween, kids!!

October 30, 2010

2010-10-30T13:38:00.002-06:00

I’m grateful for such a wonderful kids, Heather and Beau, who organized the 2nd Annual French Family Halloween Party. I am not a costume person, but must admit that the costumes are a LOT of fun.

I have photos of most everyone, except Dr. Mike who was still seeing patients at the office when the photos were taken. I’m so sad I didn’t get a photo of him in his costume when he arrived at the party.

The nice witch had shed her hat and Nemo was too hot as a fish by the time I got this photo. But, Pirate Greg and still going strong.

Please….no comments about the witch below….

Good thing there was a cute little, nice witch to balance out the Old Witch

The two bugs were both adorable…

The cutest little Nemo ever….

The bowling ball and bowling pin were hilarious.

Batman made an appearance. Problem was, he really was scary to Nemo…. Nemo would scream whenever Batman came too close!!

I’m not sure where the twins were hiding out all night because I sure didn’t get many photos of them. But, they were darling cowboys.

The dinner was great and the kids had fun playing pin the hat on the witch.

We sure had fun!!

When you are 3, life is good…..

2010-10-28T16:53:00.003-06:00

Hope no one minds if I make two posts in one day…. I’m so grateful to be a Grandma.

Today I told Amber I would watch the twins while she went to Jaden’s school to help with his Halloween party. Brighton and I have had a little deal for a while, that if he accomplished a goal (which is our secret), he would get a special day with me. Last night he called to tell me that he was ready for our Special Day. It was fine with him if Brigham got to come, too!!

So we picked up Melissa and went to McDonald’s for lunch. Then after Melissa was back at school we went to the U-Pick Pumpkin patch. There was only one problem. It was closed and they didn't appear to have many pumpkins left.

Well, these boys didn’t pout or cry. We just got out to look around as long as we were there. There were others checking out the place, too!! No one was there to sell anything or drive the train. But, it didn’t matter. When you are 3, it doesn’t take much to make you happy.

First of all they gave me about 10 seconds for a photo at the entry display.

Then it was off to check out the straw bale maze.

The we had to check out the inside of the barn….the owners are trusting leaving it all open. It was very cute inside.

There was a wagon inside and, of course, they couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play with it.

Then it was off to explore the train.

Oh my, there’s a cat, we better check it out!!

Now, back to the train.

This is fun, but we still don’t have our pumpkins. Guess it’s off to WalMart…..

Whew!! They have some good ones….

We better load them carefully, so they don’t roll around in the car.

Back to Grandma’s house…..mission accomplished.

October 28, 2010

2010-10-28T07:26:00.002-06:00

Our Son-In-Law Beau loves little children. Usually when we get together with the family you will find Beau off playing with the kids. I understand that he did the same thing when he was younger, with his siblings' kids at his parents' house. I'm so grateful to have 3 sons-in-law who are wonderful fathers. Today I will spotlight my gratitude for Beau. You can tell that his little girls love him.

October 27, 2010

2010-10-27T16:56:00.001-06:00

I hate to exercise……but it feels so good afterwards. I am grateful that World Gym is so close and affordable. We took the summer off, but it feels good to go back. We went last night; then today I met with the trainer for an arms’ workout. My arms are killing me, so I guess he did his job.

October 25, 2010

2010-10-25T19:48:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I saw Greg sitting with his chair turned toward the window, looking out at the back yard. He was just taking in all the fall colors and enjoying them. Our yard is a lot of work….more than we want to do at our age. But, I am grateful for the beauty that is there and the enjoyment that we do get from it.

This morning as I was headed to work it was fun to see the beautiful red leaves on our burning bushes in the front yard. I had to unroll my window and take a quick snapshot with my little camera.

This time of year is so beautiful. I almost feel sad thinking that it won’t last. I keep taking lots of photos. I guess it’s my way of trying to hold onto it. I bet that a week from now, most of the beauty will be gone. This stormy weather is really taking its toll.

October 24, 2010

2010-10-24T19:29:00.002-06:00

We got out the old dress up clothes for the kids to play with tonight. The boys were wondering why we only have girl stuff....

Harlee loved it. I'm grateful for little girls.

October 23, 2010

2010-10-23T17:04:00.001-06:00

I am so grateful for a husband who loves to work. Little Brigham and Brighton come to our house and get out their wagons and work in the yard. They do it every time that they come. In the spring they pick up sticks that have fallen. In the summer they pick up apples. In the fall, they pick up leaves. They just love to work. The other day they spent a couple of hours helping me clean out my flower beds. I think they take after Greg as well as their hard working daddy.

This weekend, Greg took off a day of vacation to add to his already long weekend. He has accomplished a lot.

Today he is fixing a fence post, that I didn’t even realize was broken.

It has taken him hours to dig out the old post and I didn’t hear one word of complaint from him.

Thanks to him, we have a beautiful yard.

He took me to Costco so I could use my coupons and add to my toilet paper collection.

He took me to Jaden’s first basketball game.

Plus he helped him mom, went to the temple, and went Christmas shopping with me….. the list goes on and on. What a guy!!

October 22, 2010

2010-10-22T21:58:00.000-06:00

The past couple of years have been very interesting to me. It seems that the world is going crazy. The media is constantly bombarding us with bad news, tragedy, disasters, arguing, debates, and evil. Sometimes I just feel like I would like to hide away and ignore it all. But, for some strange reason I can't just walk away from it all. It intrigues me.

Last May, during Stake Conference, Sister Thomas from the General Relief Society Presidency talked about the Book of Mormon. At that time I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. But, I knew it was time to read the Book of Mormon again when I heard her talk. Tomorrow morning I will read the last two chapters. Reading it this time has really hit home to me that all the things that are happening in the world are the things that the writers of the Book of Mormon saw. They did write the book for us. Each time I read it, I love it more. How could I ever express how grateful I am for this wonderful book? It is a powerful thing.

I remember a few years ago attending a conference where Carol Waite told us a story about a woman who had an addiction to shoplifting. During her recovery she learned that if she kept a Book of Mormon in her pocket when she went to a store, she could touch it when she was tempted to steal something and it would give her the strength to resist stealing. Sister Waite challenged us to think that if this book could have such power by just touching it, how much power could it have in our lives if we would read it!!

I hate to finish tomorrow, because reading it this time has been such a sweet experience. But the beautiful thing is.....I can start all over again the next day!!

October 21, 2010

2010-10-21T16:10:00.001-06:00

The gorgeous weather just continues to amaze me. I never remember a fall this pretty before. How grateful I am for it!! I am also grateful that the twins came to visit me today. They loved to help me work in the yard. Sorry, Brighton, your eyes were closed in your picture. But I got one of Brigham working away!!

October 19. 2010

2010-10-19T17:30:00.003-06:00

I am so grateful for such beautiful fall days. I can't believe how green some of the trees still are. My roses are still blooming.

October 18, 2010

2010-10-18T13:44:00.003-06:00

I was just about ready to leave for work this morning when I got a phone call from my boss telling me that he was headed for a golf tournament and he didn't need me to do anything at the office today. I called our other appraiser and he didn't have any work ready for me either. So I took off on a walk with Ziggy. While I was on my walk, I was trying to decide what to do with my morning. I decided that I would love to spend some time with Jade. Whenever we are with a large group he only wants to play with the kids and I haven't had any alone time with him for a while.

So today I am grateful for golf....so I could have a "Special Day" with Jade. He even gave me hugs and kisses so it was a red letter day for sure!!

We went to Toys R Us to get some Christmas present ideas. Of course, we couldn't leave without buying a Special Day treat. He wanted a noisy little fire truck (which I'm sure Jenny will appreciate).

Then it was off to Leo's Place to have lunch with Jenn and play on the toys. He was rubbing his eyes and looking pretty tired, so I think the "Special Day" was just enough to wear him out!!

October 17, 2010

2010-10-17T19:42:00.004-06:00

How could I ever express how grateful I am for my wonderful parents. God knew what he was doing when he sent me to their home.

Last March, I was afraid that Dad might not be around for much longer. The day of his heart surgery, when they couldn't get the bleeding to stop, I was so sad, wondering if we might have to say goodbye for this life. I'm so grateful that it wasn't his time to go, and we get to love and enjoy him for more years. It was his 79th birthday today and everyone gathered to enjoy his special day. It was fun. Thank you so much Mom for all the hard work you put into the dinner.

I'm so glad for the knowledge we have that families are forever. It sounds trite because we have heard it a thousand times, but it is so profound. How do people survive without that truth in their lives? I can't imagine life without my parents, husband, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, sisters, brother, in-laws, and all their children and families. How much they all enrich my life!!

Happy Birthday Dad!! I love you!!

October 16., 2010

2010-10-16T15:46:00.002-06:00

It was such a little thing, but it made me so happy. Greg and I went out for a hamburger for lunch. As we were walking out, Greg saw someone and went to talk to him. This happens almost everywhere we go because he works with so many people. But I soon realized that this was different. It was a 20 something year old young man with Special Olympic medals around his neck. Greg saw him and wanted to go congratulate him. It touched me that Greg would take this opportunity to try to reach out to someone he didn't know when he had so much to do today. It's just like him. He is such a good, nice person.

I am so grateful for my wonderful, amazing husband. I will adore him forever!!

October 15, 2010

2010-10-15T19:42:00.003-06:00

Today Heather got to go on a retreat with the Hall family women. Beau has to work late, so I get to have Harlee and Jaycie here with me. What a great day we've had. Little Jaycie has sort of been a mama's girl lately and hasn't had much to do with me. Well today she has been my little sweetie. It's been so much fun to have her play with me again. I'm grateful for the wonderful day that I've had even if I am exhausted..... It's a good kind of tired.

Jaycie is talking so much now. She loves the dogs. She was also so interested in watching the leaves fall from the big trees. Harlee is really growing up. All day she kept telling me how much she loved being at our house. I think sleep overs will be happening more and more as the kids grow up.

Now I just need to spend some time with Jade..... I haven't seen him this week and I miss him!!

October 14, 2010

2010-10-14T20:30:00.003-06:00

Today Amber called me in the afternoon and said that Brighton cried after his nap today because he wanted to visit Grandma.... Well when I heard that, how could I resist!!

I'm grateful for little boys who love their grandma!!

October 13, 2010

2010-10-13T16:38:00.003-06:00

I have been grateful today to witness a happy news story. The rescue of the trapped Chilean miners has been heartwarming to see. So many of them seemed to rely on their faith. I've loved hearing their stories.

October 11, 2010

2010-10-11T23:34:00.002-06:00

I guess I will make two posts today because at 11:34 p.m. it is still technically Oct 11. But, I couldn't resist..... I am grateful for adorableness. (I know that isn't a word, but no words could describe how cute Jaycie is right now.) Her spunky, independent streak just adds to the cuteness.

October 11, 2010

2010-10-11T15:12:00.001-06:00

I had a nice chat with Angie today. I'm grateful for wonderful sisters. They are all so different, and I love each of them for the fabulous women that they are.

October 10, 2010

2010-10-10T07:37:00.004-06:00

Wow, 10/10/10. It's a noteworthy day. I am going to tell more than one thing today. First of all.....I am so grateful for a little granddaughter who runs to give me hugs and loves when I see her. It always warms my heart. I know that she does the same thing for her other grandma as well. I also know that Margaret reads this, so isn't it just the best to be greeted by Harlee, Margaret?

So I am grateful for Harlee, for so many reasons, which I am sure will get mentioned more as I continue this gratitude posting.

I'm also grateful for a sweet little grandson. Yesterday Amber came over to have me help her make a carseat cover as she continues to get ready for the baby. Jaden was so interested in what she was doing. It was so cute to watch him help her take the pins out as she was sewing. So, I am grateful that Jaden is learning to be such a good helper.

Finally, since I have been around for a lot of years now, I have had many church callings. Of all the callings I've had, the times I've been a Primary teacher have been my favorite callings. I just love working with the little kids. We've had a challenging class this year, but they have grown up so much. I will be very sad when January comes and I have to let them go.

Today we are supposed to come up with our own lesson because Jr Primary isn't practicing the program during class time. They asked us to chose a conference talk and I thought I would do Pres. Monson's talk on gratitude with the kids. I hope it goes well.

So, I am grateful to be a Primary teacher; getting to work with a few children on that level is so rewarding!!

Here's a photo of my class a few weeks ago when we had a lesson on talents. I was supposed to share a talent with them, so I took their picture. Then I tried to do something creative with the post processing.

The Prophet is always right. It is so good to concentrate on what you have rather than what you don't have!! I hope a gratitude attitude becomes a permanent thing for me. Writing this every day helps me concentrate on it!!

October 9, 2010

2010-10-09T10:45:00.003-06:00

Off and on in my life, I have had the desire to do genealogy work. Lately I have been feeling the bug again. I was praying about what I should work on. The other day Brenda was telling me that she was enjoying working on Indexing. I know that Rose is doing it as well. I had the feeling that it was what I should be doing right now. So a couple of days ago I started. It is so enjoyable to do and rewarding. When I start working on it, it is like I feel driven to keep going, that there are people waiting for me to get their names entered in. So today, I am grateful that the church has made indexing so easy and accessible to do at home.

A lot of people must be getting the indexing bug because a message came up on the software saying that they have already done more than they did in 2009 and there are still 3 months left this year. I am happy to do my part.

October 8, 2010

2010-10-08T08:38:00.003-06:00

This morning I am off work. I was enjoying looking at some photos of the kids from October 2008. Where did 2 years go? I am so grateful that I have these photos to enjoy and remember what they were like...... I am also grateful that I have such wonderful tools to help me do these projects.

October 7, 2010

2010-10-07T13:57:00.003-06:00

Ten years ago I started working at Thompson & Associates. It was scary taking on a permanent job after being a stay at home mom for 21 years. But, it has turned out to be a real joy in my life. I couldn't have asked for a nicer person to work for and better working conditions. I have been treated so well by the Thompsons over the years. I hope the job lasts until I am ready to retire.

So, today I am grateful for my wonderful job. By the way, I might have solved a computer problem that has been hanging over our heads at the office for a couple of years today. It was a good day if that is the case!!

October 6, 2010

2010-10-06T07:13:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday, Amber!! How grateful I am for you..... I love that wonderful husband of yours as well.

October 5, 2010

2010-10-05T17:05:00.004-06:00

As I was driving home from work today, I was trying to think of things I am grateful for. Well, this is kind of a dumb one, but I am grateful for the beautiful road project that happened on Sunnyside Road. It has made my travel to and from work so much nicer.

A Gratitude Attitude

2010-10-05T16:54:00.002-06:00

I really want to focus on what President Monson talked about in conference on Sunday. I am going to try to post something I am grateful for nearly every day. I was going to do it on facebook, but think that it might get annoying to my facebook friends if I do it there. This way, if anyone is interested they can read it here. If not, I can look back and read what I have shared.

God has blessed me so much, it shouldn't be hard to find many things to share.

A Special Day

2010-09-30T17:58:00.006-06:00

Today when I was at work I looked up and two of the cutest little girls in the world had come to visit me. It made my morning. We went to lunch and then I invited Harlee to come home with me. What a fun afternoon we had. She wanted to color, and I can't believe what a good little artist she has become. She is also learning to write her letters and knows many of their sounds. She was even able to sound out a few words with a little help.

She is growing up way too fast, but I think I love the age of 3. The kids are old enough at that stage to play on their own a bit. It's really fun to see them all develop. I loved spending time with Harlee today. Can't wait until my next "Special Day".

It's the little things.....

2010-09-19T08:02:00.007-06:00

When it comes to being a grandma, it's watching the little things that bring so much joy....

Like

Watching Jade enjoy his birthday presents.

Or seeing his birthday candle blowing technique.

Having Harlee show me what she learned in dancing lessons.

Or just seeing the sparkle in Jaycie's eyes....and watching her newly developed spunkiness (is that a word?).

Now, what can I say about the Vest boys.....They always make me laugh. It's so different from the life I had as a mom with four girls. When I saw these photos, I thought of the three monkeys.....hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.

How I love these little ones. Each is so unique and precious to me. Thank you, girls, for giving me this wonderful gift.

I love Saturdays....

2010-09-12T08:05:00.008-06:00

Greg and I try to do something fun almost every Saturday. Once in a while we decide that doing things at home have to be the priority, but after spending so much of our life working around the house, we've decided that having fun together is more important that a perfectly clean house and manicured yard.

Yesterday we went to Big Elk Creek up by Palisades lake. Here are some of the reasons why I enjoyed my day so much.

We got to see the most amazing view of Conant Valley. The entire valley was full of fog except for this one little part right as you go down the hill.

The fog was lifting off of Palisades lake and it was quite spectacular.

Ziggy is fun to take....he loves the water.

We saw the first snowfall of the season...(not so sure that was a good thing).

The scenery was fantastic.

We got to eat lunch by the Creek....just imagine listening to the water as you eat.

And the four best things are....

It was fun being together.....the leaves are starting to change, which is beautiful....we got some exercise.....and where else can you see hiking goats!!

A Blast from the Past

2010-08-24T12:36:00.007-06:00

Years ago, when my girls were little I was the canning queen. Every summer and fall I canned hundreds of jars of applesauce, beans, tomatoes, peaches, pears, grape juice, spaghetti sauce, and pie filling. I think I even once canned potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes together for a soup base.

Then things changed.....I started doing my crafting business and was busy making Christmas items from summer till December. There was just no time for canning.

Then things changed even more.....all my kids grew up.

Well this year our apple trees were loaded. The past few years we have just tried to give the apples away and threw away all the rest that fell off the tree. This year I decided to not be so wasteful. Actually, Heather wanted to make some applesauce and I decided to make a batch myself to practice.

Our Yellow Transparent tree has lots of beautiful, sour apples, with no worms (we had them sprayed this year).

The birds are getting a lot of them, so I knew it was time to start picking. After washing all the apples, it was time to boil them.

The fun (but messy) part is using the Victorio Strainer. It hadn't been out of it's box for around 20 years or so.

Into the jars and out to the Camp Chef in the garage for the hot water bath... This is different from the "old days" when I did it on my stove indoors. It is kind of a pain transporting the jars to and from the house, but it keeps the house so much cooler and cleaner to do it outside.

Finally, the job is finished. It was fun, free (since I had all the supplies), and tastes yummy. I enjoyed doing it so much I decided to purchase some more jars so I could make another batch. Too bad I gave away most of my jars years ago.

I forgot how rewarding canning is. You really get a sense of accomplishment from it!!

Summer

2010-07-25T07:43:00.004-06:00

It seems that when you live in Idaho, you live for the summer and fall. The weather in the spring is sometimes nice, but more often than not is disappointing. The problem with summer is that we try to cram so many activities into the few nice weeks. All winter we talk about what we want to do the next summer.

Of course, this year, the Alaska trip was the biggest event we were planning for. But we also had a lot of local hiking that we wanted to do.

For a long time, we've talked about hiking back up to the Bench Lakes near Redfish Lake. But, it never seemed like we were able to make the time to go there and do it. This summer part of the family went to Redfish earlier than we are going, and we wanted to see them, so we went over this weekend. Thankfully Angie let us put our tent in her camping spot. It was fun to visit with family and take the beautiful hike.

Greg and I have so much fun together on these outings. I'm not a very fast hiker, and he is very patient. So, it makes for a nice combination. We both love solitude and beautiful scenery. It's something we've really enjoyed since becoming empty nesters....(well most of the year empty nesters).

It doesn't hurt when you have destinations like these.

Looking down on the beach area of Redfish Lake

The view from the trail

The two lakes we visited

A Most Unusual Store

2010-07-06T16:40:00.014-06:00

Yesterday Greg and I were in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and stopped at the Haagen Dazs shop for an ice cream cone. It was kind of chilly so we sat on the window ledge of a store next door that had the sun shining on the front of the building.

Greg finished his ice cream and stood up to look in the window of the store that we were sitting in front of. He told me to look. It was a tyrannosaurus skull. On the card next to the skull it said, "Yes, it is real". So we stepped inside the store.

I saw a beautiful purple geode. I said, "Greg, come look at this, it costs $10,000."

Then I saw a neat stone that was full of ancient turtle fossils.

I was shocked to see that the price tag said $97,000.

Then we saw another geode that was very cool, but I can't remember how much it cost.....I'm sure it was a lot.

By it was a fossil of a fish from the Jurassic Period that cost $130,000.

By this time I was getting really amazed at the value of these items.

Around the corner was a beautifully presented flower fossil.

I'll let you see the price tag of it for yourself.

Well when we left the store we decided to see the price of the dinosaur skull. It wasn't easily visible when we first saw it.

It was a shocking $375,000. Don't think I will be making any purchases in that store soon. But the items sure were fun to look at.

A Beautiful Testimony

2010-05-28T07:52:00.003-06:00

If you double click on the video, it will open in You Tube where you can see the video without the right side being cut off.

A New Resolve....

2010-05-23T13:00:00.002-06:00

I have been struggling with reading the D&C for the past year. I would do good for a while, then fall away. But, after Stake Conference last Sunday, I decided that I would put away the D&C for a while and begin the Book of Mormon again. I have only read the first 14 chapters, but have been deeply touched with the power of the book. Today I read 1 Nephi 14 and received the strongest impression that Nephi did see our day. The Great and Abominable Church is fighting the Church of the Lamb of God. We see it every day, everywhere we go. But how comforting it is that even though the Church of the Lamb of God is small in number, we can be armed with righteousness and the power of God.

It's just the same message that the General Authorities were telling us at conference. We don't have to be afraid. We just have to concentrate on arming ourselves with righteousness and letting the power of God work in our lives.

I get so afraid when I listen to the news.....I don't need to be afraid. Nephi saw it all and we know who wins. The things that are happening are disheartening but are certainly not a surprise. I have always known that, but it is so nice to be reminded by someone who lived a long time ago, but saw it all.

Thanks to my girls for reading the Book of Mormon with me. It helps me to stay on track knowing you are reading it, too!!

Yellowstone Park

2010-05-10T13:25:00.003-06:00

Greg and I went to Yellowstone Park on Saturday for a spring drive. It's so much fun to go when the animals are in the valleys. We went last year in May and vowed to go again.

We had fun using the new video camera. I hurried and put a small video together of our day.

Hope you enjoy. If you watch it on You Tube, you can see it in high definition. Just double click on the video and it will open in You Tube. From there you can change the resolution on the bottom of the video window.

Terri

Bubbles

2010-04-27T06:59:00.000-06:00

Learning New Things

2010-04-24T09:52:00.002-06:00

I purchased a new high definition camcorder. Working with the files from it on my computer has been a huge challenge. Sometimes they would make my computer crash. Other times the software I was using would freeze up. It has taken me so many hours of research to find out the best way to use the files. But, you know me, when I have a problem like that I get obsessed with finding a solution. I finally found some software that could convert the files into a usable form. I've made my first movie with the files. The videos from the hike and in the car were taken with my little point and shoot camera. The others came from the camcorder.

Special Days are Great

2010-04-07T14:43:00.009-06:00

I love it when I have some free time and I can have a special day with the grandkids. Usually I take one child alone with me, but with the twins you get the "two for one special"!!

I had to go down to the office to deliver some appraisals. They always love riding on the "elegator" in my building. Since we were downtown, we had to visit the library. The loved seeing the fish in the lobby.

Then each boy got to pick out 5 books. Sorry, Amber, I know it will be a chore for you to keep track of 10 books.

We were having fun looking at the books, when I heard a child running toward our table. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a little blond headed girl in pink. Well, what a surprise, it was Harlee!! What a nice coincidence that Heather would take her girls to the library right when I was there with the twins.

After the library we HAD to go to McDonalds so the boys could play on the slide. Brigham ate his lunch and half of Brighton's. I don't know how those boys stay the same size.....

After lunch it was off to Pet Smart to get Zoey some food and look at the animals in the store. They really wanted to see a snake, but they were all out today.....whew (I hate snakes)!!

All I can say is how much I admire all you moms who spend so much of your life putting kids in and out or carseats. It's exhausting.

At least this Special Day was better than the last one. I was at McDonalds with Jaden and Harlee about 3 or so weeks ago, when Ronda called and said that Dad was being rushed to the hospital with chest pains. I was a little superstitious to go to McDonalds again, but luckily no bad phone calls this time.

(This is an out of focus photo of that day....but I had to share it anyway.) Soon Jade and Jaycie will be big enough to start the special day tradition..... It sure has been fun for me. I love having my little purse camera so I can enjoy these memories over and over.

Families are Forever....

2010-03-26T20:43:00.002-06:00

I am so grateful for my knowledge of that great truth. I had the privilege of growing up in a wonderful family. What joy my parents and siblings have brought to me my entire life. The past couple of weeks, when dad was having problems with RC and was so sad, then when he had his heart problems, made me so heartsick at watching him suffer. You know that these sorts of problems are inevitable as we all age, but nothing can prepare you for the fear you have that one of your parents might die when they are still so full of life.

A large, extended family fasting and praying together is a very powerful thing. Priesthood blessings are just that....a huge blessing in our lives. So much love was expressed for our dear mom and dad. I am grateful to be part of this large, extended family unit, where we all pull together and do what we can to help out.

Dad knows it, too. He told me today that even though we aren't all visiting him a lot of times right now that he knows how concerned we all are about him. I'm glad he feels our love. I'm sure grateful that he was willing to go through with his surgery so that we can enjoy him longer.

Mom seems so relieved today that dad is doing so much better. I don't think any of us can even imagine how hard this week has been for her.

There is a lot of work ahead for all of us. But, with each other, we will make it!!

6 a.m. update

2010-03-24T06:18:00.002-06:00

I got up this morning and couldn't stand it and called the hospital for an update. They said that dad had a good night. He slept more than he has. The bleeding has slowed down, and the KIDNEY FUNCTION NUMBERS ARE IMPROVING!! The nurse said that they aren't where they would like them to be yet, but they are definitely heading in the right direction.

Update 3:52 p.m.

2010-03-23T15:52:00.002-06:00

The bleeding has stopped. Some bloodwork showed a reduced blood amount so they were going to give him another blood transfusion to see if the numbers stabilized. They want to make sure there is no internal bleeding that they can't see. The nurse said that the lower numbers could be a residual effect of the bleeding that he did this morning and they didn't surprise her.

She said that dad's pain seemed to be improving and he was resting. Thanks all for your love and concern. Mom is home cooking and puttering around the house which seems to be good therapy for her. Mom will visit dad again at 5 p.m. If I get an update after that visit, I'll post it here.

Update 3/23 2:16 p.m.

2010-03-23T14:15:00.002-06:00

Grandpa has improved in the last little while. The bleeding has slowed down and the doctor thinks that it is clotting now. The nurses have said that Grandpa does better with no visitors. So, Grandma can go in for about 10 minutes at a time. Other than that, they want Grandpa to try to sleep. We all know how social he is and if someone is there he will try to talk.

Grandma is going home to rest. Ronda and Steve are going golfing and Brenda and Angie are going back to work. I will call the hospital in an hour or so to get an update and will post it here.

By the way, RC should be fine. They are reducing his steroids. They think that too much prednisone is causing the bleeding.

Update 3/23 9:13 a.m.

2010-03-23T09:12:00.000-06:00

Ronda talked to the nurse this morning. Dad is still bleeding more than he should be. They had to bring the doctor in during the night and they gave him two units of blood. They are not sure why he is bleeding this much. It could be from the cancer that he has, or they could have nicked another artery during the surgery. If it hasn't slowed down by noon, they will run some tests to try and determine the cause of the bleeding. There is a possibility that he could require more surgery to find or fix the problem.

Ronda said to pray that Dad's blood clots soon. Also pray for Grandma. She is having a hard time watching Grandpa suffer.

Update 3/23 7:55 a.m.

2010-03-23T07:55:00.002-06:00

I just talked to Grandma. She said that Grandpa was really miserable when she saw him last night. He said that until he gets better he doesn't want any visitors. She is going to see him again this morning. When I have an update, I'll let you know.

Also, RC still is not doing well again. Ralph is taking him to the vet this morning. But, we are not going to tell Grandpa about that. If he asks, Grandma is going to tell him that he is doing about the same.

Keep praying. Things are going to be tough for Grandpa and Grandma for a while....

Surgery Scheduled

2010-03-18T11:34:00.002-06:00

Dad's surgery is scheduled for 7 a.m. on Monday morning. It is supposed to take about 5 hours. We are going to have a family fast this weekend. Many of us are going to fast starting on Saturday and ending at Rob's luncheon on Sunday.

I love you all. I know that Dad has had a lot of visitors and is feeling the love from so many family members. It is a huge blessing to be a part of such a close knit, loving family.

Grandpa Bob

2010-03-16T13:43:00.003-06:00

I think all of us were worried about Grandpa last week when RC was so sick. We all know that his health is very bad. Well our fears were realized. He is in the hospital with chest pain. It doesn't look like it is a heart attack. They are running more tests and I'll post here as soon as we know anything.

Keep praying.....

Update....2:06. They are admitting Grandpa. He will be having a procedure in the heart Cath Lab. Not sure when. I'll post more when I know.

Update 4:47....Still waiting for the Angiogram. If it is a new blockage another stint will be put in. If it is more scar tissue at the site of the previous stint, then Grandpa has to decide if he wants to attempt bipass surgery. The doctor said that it might not be technically possible to do bipass surgery. The diameter of the artery could be too small. If that is the case, Dr. Chambers will do his best to open it back up. Grandpa is very nervous, as you can imagine. He doesn't want surgery, but the doctor said that if it is possible to do it, then it would be his best option.

It's March.....Hooray!!

2010-03-07T07:52:00.015-07:00

We made it through January and February. Spring will soon be here. The winter actually has been pretty nice this year, except that I got the flu a couple of weeks ago....then it turned into a sinus infection. But, I am feeling much better now, which is great!! Didn't get the flu shot this year. Guess I should have.

The other night I told Amber that she should go skiing with Jason so Jaden could have another time on the slopes. I kept the twins. It is always an adventure when they are around. Since the skiers would be late getting home, I volunteered to keep the boys all night. It was great until 5:15 when they got up ready to play!!

Melissa was having some computer problems. She brought it home to me to look at. It was full of Malware and viruses. I had never had to deal with that kind of problem before...but thanks to google, I was able to find some fixes for the problems she was having. It took a lot of hours, but seems to have worked. I just love solving those types of problems.

Luckily the computer was fixed by early Saturday morning. Greg is feeling very stressed out from work. They are having their big yearly audit at work. He had to work on Friday and Sunday, so Saturday was his only day to get some rest. He wanted to go snowshoe in Teton Park. I'm so glad he wanted to go there because we had a fabulous time and some great exercise.

Here is what it looked like from the trail head. Out hike would take us over the hills in the middle of the photo and we would end up at Taggart Lake.

Standing on a bridge, we could hear the stream underneath the snow. It was so beautiful there. Wish the photo had sound.

We definitely dressed too warmly and quickly started shedding coats, hats, gloves...

The lake is still frozen over, but was a nice place to stop and put my feet up.

I could even find evidence that spring really will get here. The snow is melting.

We wanted to hike the loop, so coming up out of the lake was a big hill.....But we made it with no problems. Working out at the gym definitely has strengthened my legs.

Late in the afternoon, the light shining on the mountains turned really pretty and most of the clouds burned off. It was spectacular. I could have just stayed there for hours looking at the beauty of it all.

Then as we were coming down, it clouded up again. One last stop on the bridge before heading home.

It was a perfect day.

Winter

2010-02-19T11:37:00.006-07:00

This winter has been a pretty good one for us. I have been faithfully going to the gym, which has helped me so much. I have the flu right now, but hopefully it won't last too long. We've been lucky and have avoided a lot of the junk that has been going around.

We are accomplishing some home improvement projects. Greg made some wonderful drawers to go inside of my cabinets. Things are so much more organized now. I love them. We are putting in new countertops and tile backsplash soon. We opted to go with Formica since our cabinets are 23 years old. They are in great shape and look fine, but I couldn't see putting expensive counter tops on cabinets that are that old. We have ordered our edging strips and as soon as they come Greg will install them. They make some very beautiful Formica now, so I am really excited about it.

We painted our laundry room last week. I wanted to do a tan color (the same that is in the kitchen, living room, and family room). But, Greg and Melissa talked me into doing something more bold. We chose a blue color. At first, I hated it, but now it has grown on me and I actually really like it. Once I got some pictures and things on the wall, I think it looks really nice.

I still have two rooms I want to paint before spring. Then we are going to do a huge project and repaint the outside of the house. We will certainly change the color to some sort of brown or tan. I can't wait to have that project underway!!

Of course, the highlight of our lives is our family. Melissa is doing so well in school. She makes us so happy!! The kids and grandkids are such a joy as well. We've had a great time celebrating birthdays and Valentine's Day. I love them all so much.

I Got a Scolding

2010-02-06T15:06:00.009-07:00

Melissa scolded me today at being lax at blogging. Seems like I have been getting more and more behind on reading and posting. I'll admit, I have been bad about it. I guess I've spent too much time on Facebook connecting with people I haven't seen for a long time.

Anyway, the highlight of my winter has been the snowshoe trips we've taken. I blogged about our first trip already. The very next Saturday we took Ronda and Melissa to the same place and had a great time. I enjoyed it just as much the second time and I think that Ronda and Melissa had fun as well.

Last Saturday Greg and I went to Teton Park. We drove all the way up to Colter Bay to snowshoe along the lake. It is not an area that very many people use. You can see from the tracks that not many have been here. It's so interesting to me that we have this treasure so close and not many ever see it. We only saw four people on our three hour trek.

We made it to Heron Pond. Of course, all the lakes are frozen over now.

You would think that being out in the high country in January would be cold, but I always get too hot. Snowshoeing is hard work, plus I have some pretty warm gear. Look at Greg.....he doesn't look cold, does he? Just a fleece jacket that is unzipped to let him cool down.

After we finished on the shoeshoes we drove around to the main area that people enjoy in Teton Park in the winter to take some photos. It was gorgeous. Who would have thought that I would love the outdoors so much at this age. We didn't get out nearly enough when the kids were growing up, but now that we have the freedom to do more things, it is the activity that we nearly always choose. God certainly created a beautiful world for us to enjoy.

Of course spending time with my grandkids is always the highlight of my life and I've had a lot of time with each of them lately. That will have to be the subject of my next post!!

Faith is Required to Endure

2010-01-14T07:34:00.004-07:00

How do people survive this life without faith? I'll never understand it. I love this quote by Neal A. Maxwell in the January Ensign.

"One's life...cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free....

"Therefore, how can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, 'Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy!'...

"Real faith...is required to endure this necessary but painful developmental process."

January 2010 Ensign page 48

(Added January 15).....I just read the entire original talk by Elder Maxwell. It is one of the best things I have ever read about faith. I plan on reading it again and again for inspiration on ways to improve my own faith.

The talk is titled "Lest Ye Be Wearied and Faint in Your Minds" and is in the May 1991 Ensign. I found it easily by searching by that title on LDS.org.

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-10T11:39:00.003-07:00

Yesterday Greg and I dusted off the old snowshoes and headed to Harriman State Park. It's one of our favorite winter activities. It was a perfect day to be outdoors....not too sunny, not too cloudy, not windy, not too cold.....just perfect.

Walking along the banks of the Snake River and watching the swans is so relaxing and peaceful, (until you run into a large group of BYU-I freshmen who are being oriented to the area). Oh well, I guess you can't have everything. At least we got there in the afternoon when the last group was just finishing up. They took 600 students there earlier in the day.

If you have opportunity to go to Harriman in the winter, I would say, go for it!!

Right as we were hiking out, the sun came out and really made everything look beautiful.

Excellence

2009-12-30T17:49:00.004-07:00

It has been a long time since I posted on my blog. I could tell all of you about my darling grandchildren, the wonderful time we had at Christmas, what I got for Christmas, or the fact that I have been exercising at the gym again for a few weeks now. But, I won't. My kids have done a great job and telling about all the wonderful things we have done together.

I want to tell you about something that I thought was really great. Yesterday we went to the home of a man named Frank Fogerty. He goes to church with my boss, so Brent was able to find out about Frank's open house. Frank has a cute building on his property that he has turned into a home for his model train collection. It is amazing. Every detail is so perfect. You could spend hours looking at all the little buildings and people. I just loved going there and seeing it. Seeing something this excellent always inspires me to want to do better at the things I love to do. I hope you enjoy a few glimpses of Frank's excellent creation!!

So much going on....

2009-11-19T15:05:00.008-07:00

Earlier this month we went on a trip with Brenda and Steve. I will blog about that next time. It was a fantastic trip, but I don't have all my photos ready from it yet.

The past couple of weeks I've got to spend a lot of time with my precious grandkids. We've had a lot of "special days" and outings. How I love each and every one of these little cuties. Even the babies know who I am now, and it's fun to be greeted with their smiles.

When we went to Utah I picked up a new little pocket sized camera that I had been hearing a lot about. It is supposed to do the best photos in low light of any point and shoot type of camera. It seems to work really well....not as good as my DSLR, but then again, I can't keep the DSLR in my purse. If I took it into McDonalds or WalMart people would stare at me, but not with my new little toy. So, I'm having a blast with it.

Little Jaycie still loves to stare at people's faces. I just wonder what she is thinking when she is looking at me.

I got to tend Jade the other day for a few hours. He is just the most pleasant little guy. He jabbers and carries on quite the conversation with all these little sounds that he makes. It sounds like he is saying words, but they don't make any sense at all.

He and I went to WalMart. He loved a little ladybug book. I tried to get him to get the monkey book instead, because I thought it seemed more like a book for a little boy, but he threw it on the floor and grabbed for the ladybug book. So, the ladybug book it was!!

Heather had to take Jaycie for her 9 month checkup. I thought it would be fun to take Harlee on her "special day" rather than have Heather take her to the doctor's office around all the sick kids. We had fun picking out books at WalMart (she chose a princess book, of course) and eating hamburgers at Burger King. I don't know if my waistline is going survive these "special days"!!

We also bought Mickey Mouse cheese cutouts, Little Pony, Toy Story, and Smilie Face fruitsnacks, and M&M's.

We offered Jaden a reward for something he was trying to do at school. The reward was an ice-cream outing. We had the twins with us, too!! It was messy, but fun.

Today Amber needed to go to preschool with Jaden for a field trip. I asked mom if she wanted to go to lunch with me and the twins to celebrate her good news on her biopsy (hooray!!). We took them to McDonalds and Hastings. Hastings has a little train table that is a lot of fun....similar to one the twins have at home.

They loved playing on the BIG toy at the McDonald's by Sam's Club. They both climbed to the top and Brigham went down the slide, but Brighton didn't dare so he climbed back down.

The highlight of the day for the boys was going to the car wash.....

Anyway, right now my life revolves around 6 little people that I love more than words can express. Next week Melissa will be home and I can enjoy her, too!! I'm looking forward to that.

Leaves, babies, drywall, family, and the newspaper...

2009-10-25T17:06:00.006-06:00

My week has been an interesting one. First of all, it's been a bit tough. I've had a major sick stomach and the doctor thinks that the antibiotics I took for my sinuses have caused all the good bacteria to be killed the some bad bacteria to have taken over. I'm being tested and will find out the results in a few days. I've had no energy to accomplish anything, but I did have fun taking photos of the kids playing in the leaves.

On Monday, I watched Amber's kids for a while. They wanted to go out and play in the leaves. The photos turned out fun. I liked one of Jaden and thought it looked like something that they print in the newspaper so I sent it to the Post Register. I didn't think any more about it....until today.

On Wednesday, I watched Heather's girls for a while, so we headed out to the leaf patch again. Then on Friday, we had Jade play. It was fun watching all of them enjoy the fall experience.

Besides that, we've had the restoration company working on putting new drywall in the basement. Hopefully we can paint this week. It will be nice to get it all fixed.

Last night we had a fun time. Barbara and Rebekah are here visiting, and we had a family dinner with them. Kathy came up and all our kids, except for the Vests were here.

First Annual French Family Halloween Party

2009-10-10T08:44:00.006-06:00

Heather and Beau invited all of us to a Halloween Party at their home. We had a blast. I'm sure it will become a family tradition. They sure put on a great party with costumes, decorations, great food, fun games, a treasure hunt for the kids.... It was perfect.

In attendance were a princess, two cowboys, Tony Stewart, a monkey, a strawberry, Juan Valdez, the Easter Bunny, two Bonneville Basketball players, Daisy the dog, Handy Manny, Go Diego Go, and Dora the Explorer. Diego won the prize for the best costume, which was designed by yours truly....!! Diego and Dora had a surprise for the monkey, strawberry, cowboys, princess, and Tony Stewart in the magic backpack and rescue bag. A ghost left a treat for the kids in the clothes dryer of all places!! I can't wait to see what happens next year.

I think that Beau's family has activities like this and the traditions are spilling over into our family, so thank you Hall family for being so great... I know you read these Margaret.

Lakefront Property

2009-10-04T07:56:00.004-06:00

Jenny called me the other day and said, "I hear you got lakefront property." I guess that is a good way to put it. On Thursday, when I got off work I was excited and looking forward to a nice quiet conference weekend. On Friday morning I had plans to go to Rexburg with the girls to see Melissa and buy some food storage at Broulim's case goods sale. I got my Broulim's list together and went downstairs to the storage room for a final check to make sure I didn't already have enough of the items I had selected.

As I left the storage room I noticed a wet spot on the carpet in the family room. I thought, "Oh no, Zoey has gone potty in the house." I walked to inspect the spot and my feet sloshed. I realized that the entire carpet was soaked. I went back to the old Toy Room, which is now just additional storage and opened the door. There was about 1" of water on the floor. I checked out Melissa's room. It was soaked as well. So about 800 square feet of our basement was full of water. Needless to say, my quiet, restful weekend plans were gone.

I tried to call Greg, but no answer. I knew how to turn off the water in the house. I did that and then started moving stuff into the dry area of the house. It was too late to call the insurance company. They were closed for the day. Besides that, for some reason I thought that homeowners insurance didn't cover for this type of water damage.

When Greg got home, I broke him the bad news. We immediately got to work on vacuuming up water. Beau and Heather came by to show us their new car and Beau helped us vaccum as well. We took many, many shop vacs full of water out of that basement.

After we started vacuuming, we realized that there was still a lot of water coming in. So we figured that the water break was between the street and our house, not inside the house or the water faucets on the outside. Greg got that shut off and that shortly stopped the water flow.

The next morning I called the insurance and they said that as long as the break was on our property they would pay for cleanup and restoration. They suggested that I call Servicemaster which I immediately did.

Servicemaster has been great to work with. Right now we have 20 large fans and a big dehumidifier in the basement. The carpet pads have all been thrown away and sheetrock has been removed from the wet walls. We are in for quite a bit of work to get this back where it was before the flood.

Greg has almost got the leak fixed. We need one more part from the plumbing supply store which he will get in the morning. Then we can fill back in the huge hole that he dug. I think he did have fun with the backhoe!!

What a weekend. But it will all turn out good. It could have been much worse. I don't go into the basement that often and this could have been undiscovered for days. Also, if it would have happened in the winter, that would be terrible. So we are counting our blessings and are praying that the insurance comes through. I'm sure our bill from Servicemaster will be very large. The guy yesterday said that he thinks the rental on each fan is $70 a day and we have 20 of them. I'm impressed with the scientific nature of their work. They monitor the moisture level in a whole bunch of spots. They have very expensive digital equipment that records everything. Right now our basement is 87 degrees with 35% humidity. (The guy just came and measured everything and told us the current situation.) Except for one little spot everything should be dry by tomorrow morning and they will remove the equipment.

Another Day at a Farm

2009-09-25T21:18:00.008-06:00

Last weekend we spent our time with Gary and Julie on their beautiful farm. Today we went to see the Hall Family Farm. They just built a new milking barn that is pretty impressive. Jerry took time out of his busy day to give us a tour.

The kids loved feeding the calves. Jaden especially seemed to enjoy it. He's at a great age for this sort of activity. The calves are quite active and don't hold very still while they eat, so it's quite a job to keep the bottles in their mouths. Jaden had to work at it for a few minutes, but was then able to do it by himself.

How grateful we are to the Hall Family for all that they do for us. Thanks for letting us come and experience a bit of your life with you!!

Visiting Gary and Julie

2009-09-21T12:33:00.005-06:00

Greg's brother, Gary, lives in such a beautiful place. They have a large farm in the Palouse area of northern Idaho. The ground is not flat there. There are either rolling hills of farmland or higher hills of lush timberland. Gary and Julie built a new house a couple of years ago, and we were anxious to see it.

Of course, I knew it would be beautiful. Julie is incredibly talented in decorating. She is also very talented at cooking and entertaining. We were treated to some delicious meals.

It is a long drive to their home--about 8 to 10 hours depending on which route you take. But, it was certainly worth the trip. We loved every minute of it.

Gary and Julie took us sight seeing on Saturday, which was fun. Coeur d'Alene is beautiful.

Gary and Julie's new house has a most beautiful view of their farmland. The first sunset shot was taken right from their back deck. Inside the house is perfectly decorated. Sorry, these indoor photos aren't the best.

Rejuvination

2009-09-11T20:16:00.003-06:00

It seems that lately I've had a bit more free time.....(could it be I got released from my Relief Society calling?)

It has been a time for me to take a deep breath and relax a bit. I have really been enjoying working on genealogy again. I think that the new family search is going to be amazing. Greg's sister let me log in on her account until our stake gets authorized to use it. I even went to the genealogy library for a class. I hope to take many more there. They have a very nice computer lab for their classes. Working on the genealogy is something that has been eating away at me lately. We recently had a lesson on it in Relief Society. One of our ladies is a missionary at the Family History center and she said that only 2% of the members actually work on their family history. When I heard that I knew that I had better do my part to bring that number up!!

I also am enjoying teaching primary. I can't believe how in depth the lessons are for 9 year olds. I have to study hard to prepare. This week the lesson is on Baptisms for the Dead. They are learning what vicarious and proxy mean.....I don't think I knew that when I was 9!! They are also learning that the baptismal fonts in the temples are in the basement to symbolize being buried. I was worried about not learning as much being in Primary, but preparing these lessons are going to teach me so much. There are many scriptures for me to study each week in preparation.

Greg and I have been talking about getting new bikes for a while. On Labor Day we took the plunge. I got one of those retro type bikes that allow you to sit more upright. I think I will love it. I have been out on it every day this week.

Today we took them over to Grand Teton National Park to try them out on the new bike trail that was opened there this year. The path is about 8 miles long....from Moose to Jenny Lake. It is very nice and we had a blast. I didn't know if I could make it for 16 miles...but I did!!

Here are a few photos showing the trail. Grand Teton National Park is my favorite place. Greg and I have had so many wonderful days together there. How blessed we are that we can go there for day trips. We love the outdoors but camping and sitting around a campground just isn't what we enjoy. We like to be active and enjoy really beautiful places, so this works out just perfectly for us. I think we have been there so many times that our car could go there on autopilot. The new bike trail will certainly be an activity that we will do again. If anyone is interested, if you ride your bike from the visitor's center, they are not charging admission to bicyclists going past the entrance gate. So, you can bicycle in for free right now. I guess it's only temporary, though, so you might want to call the park and check should you decide to try it.

A Great Day

2009-08-31T14:08:00.009-06:00

The recovery from my surgery is going great. On Saturday I felt well enough to hike. We got up at 3:30 a.m. and drove to Teton Park to catch the 7:00 a.m. hikers shuttle across Jenny Lake.

When we got to the Jenny Lake parking lot and started to walk to the shuttle, Melissa saw something moving in the water a hundred yards or so to our left. She wasn't sure what it was, but the telltale hump told me immediately what it was.....a GRIZZLY BEAR!! Happily that was the only bear that we saw that day. He was headed in the opposite direction from us and only caused us a few seconds of excitement.

Cascade Canyon is a gorgeous area. The first 1.2 miles is pretty steep, but after that it is a mild incline with about an 1,100 foot overall elevation gain to the fork in the trail that we hiked to.

Here we are at Hidden Falls which is near the beginning of the hike.

You go up a steep area to end up above Hidden Falls. Then you come out into this beautiful U-Shaped valley with steep peaks rising up about a mile on either side of you. It is glorious. Cascade Creek flows all along the hike with intermittent ponds formed by the creek along the way. This is our third trip into the canyon and we've seen moose in the ponds each time.

Here are a few scenes from along the trail.

There are deep dark forested areas that are very peaceful and beautiful.

The ponds are gorgeous with clear water and pretty reflections.

The boulder fields are very dramatic and beautiful as well with lots of green colored moss growing on the rocks.

4.5 miles from where we started you come to a fork in the trail. How I wish I were young and in good shape so I could go further. Maybe someday I'll be able to make it to Lake Solitude. I hear that it is gorgeous. But, it may take an overnight backpacking trip for me to be able to make it that far and back.

Instead we decided to enjoy our lunch on a rock overlooking a beautiful cascading waterfall. I wish I could put the sound of the water here for you to enjoy.....

After lunch we turned around to go the 4.5 miles back to the west boat ramp. I sure am glad they have the ferry to cut 2 miles off the hike each way.

On our way back a little chipmunk found some of the trail mix that Melissa accidently dropped. Obviously, he is very used to humans.

On the way home we discovered a very dangerous thing.....the location of the Hagan Daz ice cream store in Jackson Hole.

If you ever want to take this hike....give us a call....we would love to be tour guides for a day!!

Fun Summer Times

2009-08-27T08:58:00.007-06:00

Summer always goes by too fast. We try to cram a lot of activity into those three months. Last Saturday was no exception. The girls were running in the Mesa Falls race. It is always so much fun to go and watch them run. This year the four oldest grandkids were old enough to realize what their moms were doing. They had fun cheering for them. They also had fun checking out caterpillars on the road.

Big Judds for lunch was a big hit.

After lunch, Greg and I took off for Virginia City. We hadn't been there for years and I wanted to see what it is like now. It's really a lot of fun. We spent a lot of time in Virginia City before we went to Nevada City (1.5 miles away). I wish we would have gone to Nevada City sooner because there is a living history museum there but it was closing soon and we didn't have time to visit it. I definitely want to go back. You should go on the weekends because that is when they have different things going on in the living history museum as well as the steam locomotive running between Virginia City and Nevada City.

Here are a few photos from the outing so you can see if you might be interested in going there. There are several restaurants and a nightly melodrama. We had taken a picnic and didn't have time to stay for the melodrama. I bet it is fun.

More Redfish Memories

2009-08-12T11:04:00.002-06:00

The girls did such a great job telling their favorite Redfish Memories. Here are some that I can think of.

1. Having the twins ride their tricycles over to our camp site every morning to say hello.
2. Playing in the sand with Jade.
3. Taking Jaden to the store so he could buy a present for all the little kids. We had fun picking out a toy for each of them.
4. Watching Jaycie look at everyone's faces. She would just stare at the face of each person who held her.
5. Having a nice Sunday evening visit with Jenn and Mike outside their trailer.
6. Watching Harlee and Jaden dance at the Lodge concert.
7. Watching the bright pink sunset on Sunday night.
8. Watching all my sons-in-law being fantastic fathers.
9. Getting to know Lindsie and Chennelle better. What fun they were to have at camp.
10. Of course, the one foot standing competition was hilarious. It was fun seeing all the different techniques and the competitive spirit of all the contestants even though it was such a silly thing to be good at.
11. It was fun playing "Go Fish" with the grandkids.
12. Having popcorn from the Curtises new popcorn popper.
13. Seeing Jaden's face when he got to have a tour of the Sheriff's boat.
14. Getting all of Harlee's loves and hugs and listening to her sing. Even though she had a rough time sleeping at night, she was so pleasant and fun during the day.
15. Having Greg be so kind about doing things for me so I could follow the doctor's orders.
16. Walking along the creek with Greg and Zoey in the morning.
17. Watching Madagasgar with Harlee and Jaden.
18. I could go on and on........

Good News

2009-08-06T15:45:00.006-06:00

I saw the doctor today and he said that my surgery is healing up perfectly. My nose still has a lot of swelling which is causing my headaches, but the doctor thinks that they will be going away soon.

I am so glad that the surgery is behind me even if it did mean that I couldn't do a lot of the things that I normally like to do at Redfish. Even with the restrictions, I had a great time.

I was able to do some reading there of some wonderful books. They are the Refiner's Fire series by Lynn Austin. I would recommend them for anyone who loves historical fiction. They are some of the best Civil War books I've read. The author does a great job of developing her characters. Phoebe (the tall, homely woman who joined the northern army as a male soldier) might just be my favorite character ever in a novel.

I also had a great time watching the kids play. Boy did they ever love that cold water!! They reminded me of Melissa, who used to play in the lake until her lips were completely blue.

As always, the company was the best and the food was great. The weather cooperated fairly well except for a couple of days that were a little hot. No one was hurt and nothing broke down, so all in all, it was a great year at the lake!!

I needed a smile today

2009-07-24T15:41:00.003-06:00

This gave it to me...... This couple is gaining Internet stardom with their wedding processional. You've probably already seen it, but if you haven't, enjoy!!

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Unusual Summer

2009-07-20T06:59:00.002-06:00

This has not been one of my best summers. In May I started getting dizzy. Some days it was worse than others. It's a helpless feeling when you are dizzy. I could tell that the problem was in my ears and sinuses. I called the ear, nose, and throat specialist that I had seen in the past and got an appointment, but it was two months before I could get in.

I went to my general doctor and he ordered a CT scan of my sinuses so I would be prepared when I saw the ENT. I got a call from the ENT office. The doctor needed a longer appointment to discuss the CT scan with me. I knew that must mean trouble....

I finally was able to see the doctor on July 9. I did have multiple physiological problems that needed to be fixed....deviated septum, extra sinus, and extra air pocket. There were many areas of my head that were inflammed.

So last Friday, I had the surgery. It hasn't been that bad....it's not fun, but not horrible either. I am just so grateful for all the love, support, and help that has been given to me. I've had wonderful meals prepared, beautiful flowers and plants broght to me, many visits and phone calls, and the sacrament was brought to me at home yesterday. Greg and Melissa have been wonderful to make sure that everything is taken care of.

Now I am just waiting for things to heal. Thursday I see the doctor and hope to get the splints out of my nose. They've been the worst part. I wonder if I will be able to smell things once this heals..... After 30 years of not being able to smell anything, it would be crazy to have that sense back again. At least now I know why I haven't been able to smell. The doctor didn't want to do too much work around the area that controls smell because it is a more risky place to make changes. I'm glad he was conservative in his approach. So I'll just have to wait and see.

This isn't exactly how I planned to spend my summer, but hopefully fall will be great!!

I just want all of you to know how much I love you. I hope that this surgery does the trick and I have more energy and strength to serve each of you.

My Favorite Place

2009-06-22T09:15:00.005-06:00

OK, I know that Redfish Lake should be my favorite place, but it's just not anymore. I love spending time with the family there, but I think that Grand Teton National Park is the most beautiful place close to Idaho Falls. We go there so often, but I never get tired of it and am always so inspired by the beauty. We just love to get into the thick of things and hike into the mountains to explore the beauty. Saturday we had the joy of spending a day there again. Since we've had so much rain, the area is especially green and the air especially clear.

We are crazy, but we got up at 3 a.m. to be there for sunrise. There is nothing more beautiful than watching the sun come up on the mountains. Everything just takes on a glow as the sun hits it.

It's fun to visit with the other photographers who are there at sunrise. It's amazing how many there usually are. I bet that there were close to 20 of us at the barn.

The rivers, streams, and waterfalls are incredible.

What fun we have hiking in this glorious place. When you get close to the mountains the vegetation is so lush. There are even ferns. It's almost rainforest like.

On the way home, we ran into a traffic jam because of a motorcycle accident. I sure hope everyone involved is ok. It wasn't bad sitting there for an hour because we got to watch the storms rolling through the mountains....listening to the thunder and watching the lightening was fun.

I wish I could go every week. I can't wait until the grandkids are old enough to go with us....OK, I can wait, I don't want them to grow up any faster than they are, but it will be a joy when they can hike with us. Hope they will want to.

If you ever want a tour, give us a call. We would love to take you with us. We know lots of fantastic, neat little places to explore.

Simple Pleasures

2009-06-11T06:35:00.003-06:00

I had a friend tell me once that I am a simple person. I took it as a compliment because she meant it that way. It really doesn't take a lot to make me happy. One of the things I enjoy most is growing flowers. I have quite a few in my yard, and every day I inspect all of them to see now they are doing. For some reason, growing food has never been as rewarding to me as growing flowers.

A friend that I met on A photography forum a few years ago has sent me some iris starts from her ranch in Washington.they are especially beautiful right now. I just wish they bloomed longer.

Storms and Weather Expert

2009-06-08T19:45:00.003-06:00

Friday was a relatively nice day for most of the day. But things can change quickly around here. I was outside watering my flowers when I saw the following sight. Needless to say, I didn't need to finish watering. It was quite a storm. I love watching storms move through. I guess that's something I learned from Greg, The weather channel will probably never be my favorite, though. I guess I'm glad he likes it because I can always ask him what the weather is supposed to be. He will know. He also always knows what phase the moon is in and what time the sun will rise and set. I learned, from him, to enjoy storms.

So many blessings

2009-05-31T21:51:00.008-06:00

We had a little campfire/swim party last night with the grandkids. What a joy all 6 of them are to us. Today Greg and I were talking about how sad it is to us that the kids are all growing up so fast. It seems we don't have nearly enough time to spend with them one on one. Hopefully they will still know of the love we have for them with the time that we do get to spend with each of them.

In order of birth.....

It is a joy to watch Jaden fighting dragons with a stick, tying a tree up with a rope, helping to comfort his brothers, or swimming. He is a darling four year old.

The twins just get cuter every day. They are such little Vest babies. More and more they look like Jason and his siblings, which is great because they are such a good looking family. Brighton is the one who likes to be loved and cuddled by me. Brigham seems to cling to his mom more. But he is warming up to us more and more all the time. They make me smile!!

Then there is little Harlee.....what a character!! She is always singing. She makes us laugh all the time. I love the way her daddy interacts with her.

She loves to snuggle with Greg and I, and we enjoy every minute of it. It brings back memories of our own little girls so many years ago.

Jade brings us so much joy. He has such a happy, curious nature and bright eyes. How could you not love such a beautiful little boy. It's fun to watch Jenn and Mike enjoy him so much.

Finally, little Jaycie.....she is so happy and contented. Life must be so good for her. Her personality is to be determined, but so far she seems so much like her mom to me.

How we love them all!!

It Brings Back Memories

2009-05-29T07:50:00.003-06:00

When our girls were little, they loved playing in the water almost more than anything. We always bought season's passes to the Ammon Pool. Nearly every day they would go swimming. Of course, when they were little the backyard pool was a huge hit.

A while ago I took Harlee under the crawl space with me to find some old toys. She must have seen our wading pool down there. Yesterday Heather called and said that Harlee had asked if she could come swim in "Grandma Terri's Pool". Of course I had to get it out for her. It didn't have long to warm up but Harlee didn't mind the cold water. It reminded me of the "Old Days"!!

A Beautiful Place

2009-05-25T17:55:00.010-06:00

Last week Greg and I had a fantastic time. We have been wanting to go to Capitol Reef National Park for a while now. We had plans to visit it last year, but then found so many fun things to see in Escalante that we didn't make it all the way to Capitol Reef.

So last Monday we left way before dawn on our grand adventure. The photography forum that I am a part of has people who have been everywhere. I asked the group where we should stay to visit the park. Everyone who had been there said that we should stay in the park at Fruita. Well, the only place you can stay at Fruita is at the campground. I called the campground and they assured me that there would be showers we could use in the town that is about 5 miles away. So we decided that if there were restaurants we could eat dinner at and showers to use, we would camp at the campground.

What a great decision that was. Fruita is the headquarters for the park so we were close to the visitor's center and all the main attractions of the park. We were within walking distance of the old pioneer buildings and could hike right from the campground. It was a beautiful campground with grass and lots of trees. We hiked to our heart's content and went on three gorgeous drives. To really see the park you have to go on some dirt roads. We had a blast exploring.

Capitol Reef is just as fantastic as Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Escalante, and Zion. Our favorite activity was a hike to Cassidy Arch. It wasn't a long hike, but we climbed over 1300 feet in a couple of miles. It was strenuous, but we both made it and loved every minute of it.

Cassidy Arch

The landscape along the trail

The Castle

There's not much water in the park so when you find a waterfall, you have to take a photo of it!! We did camp at the Fremont River, so that was nice.

Besides the early Indians, Mormon pioneers were the first modern people to settle in the area. Their old buildings and artifacts are a central feature of the park. I can't imagine how hard their life was. They lived along the river and grew fruit orchards, but they kept getting washed out by flash floods, so they gave up on living there. The park has kept their old orchards going and if you visit there in the summer you can pick all the fruit you can eat.

Here is a pioneer registry carved on a canyon wall. The canyon where this was carved was the path they took to get through the reef. Now it is just a hiking trail. I can't imagine trying to drive through there.... If you look above the trees you can see the names that are in the second photo really small on the wall. The ground shows what the area was like that they drove through to get out of the reef.

Thirteen people were in the family who lived in this house. There was only room for two children and the parents to sleep in the house, the rest slept in the cave.....can you imagine....it snows there in the winter. We think we are picked on if we don't have air conditioning.

There's lots more to tell, but it will have to be later..... I hope you get to see the park for yourself someday if you haven't done so already. I wouldn't take little kids there, though. To see it you have to either hike or drive a lot. Not a great combination for little ones.

A Perfect Day

2009-05-13T17:40:00.006-06:00

Last week Stan told us that Ashlee and Dru had a great time at Yellowstone Park seeing lots of wildlife. So, Saturday, Greg and I decided to go. We had a fabulous day. We saw 4 grizzlies, 1 black bear, a coyote, fox, antelope, and of course, elk, eagles, and moose. There was a surprise around every turn. Besides the wildlife, the scenery was fantastic. It was a clear day with light puffy clouds.....just perfect.

Coming home we had the fun experience of getting into a traffic jam with a buffalo herd. They were not about to let cars deter them from walking in the road.

Lucky day....

2009-05-01T06:15:00.002-06:00

The little grandkids hate having their photos taken with the studio equipment. Yesterday Amber came over to help me set it up so I could take a missionary photo of Logan. Becuase the boys were excited that Logan was getting his picture taken, they wanted to do it to. Jaden cooperated extremely well. The twins sat on the stools for a couple of minutes and cooperated. It was a miracle. Later Heather came by and I asked if I could keep Harlee for a while. I even got her to sit on the stool for a minute. She hates having her photo taken more than any of the others. But we tried to play some games like turn around backward and spin around and surprise grandma!! It worked.

Of course, Logan looked extremely handsome in his missionary suit. It made me happy to be able to do this for him. What a great young man he is. I've always been so impressed with his goodness. He is just an A-1 young man.

I have to share this one as well....Greg loves being a grandpa. Harlee was being really cute with him last night.

It seems like only yesterday

2009-04-27T06:20:00.003-06:00

On Saturday we did some chores around the house. We have a tree in our front yard that has some bushes under it. One of the bushes had died and two of the others were looking pretty bad. Greg decided to take them out. We were standing there looking at the tree. The trunk of the tree is huge. I looked at Greg and said, "How did that tree get so big?" He said, "It seems like only yesterday that we planted it." How fast the years have gone.

Last night I was feeling really sad. I got an e-mail from the American Family Association. It's a group I like to read because they are standing up for values that I believe in. The e-mail was explaining how PepsiCo has become a huge supporter of gay marriage and is pumping lots of money into groups that are promoting it. AFA was asking it's supporters to boycot PepsiCo products which include Pepsi, Quaker Oats, and Frito Lay. These are just common everyday things. The church has not asked us to boycot anyone so I probably won't do that. But, I just sat there sad thinking about all the changes that have happened to our world in my lifetime and especially since we planted that tree and have lived in this house. What happened to the America that I love???? Whenever I see a flag now, I almost start crying. I was so lucky to grow up in such an innocent time. You didn't have to be afraid to turn on the TV. Now if you turn it on all you hear are attacks on people who are standing up for traditional values. I almost cannot believe how fast things are spiriling out of control.

I think the time is here that we will certainly stand out as being different. I also think that we will be made fun of and mocked by many. We aren't mainstream Americans any more.

Thank heavens we have our prophets and apostles who tell us to keep up hope and to press on, that everything will be ok because God is in charge. I often wonder how God feels when he sees what is happening. He loves everyone and must shed so many tears himself over the conditions here.

All I can say is I hope these little ones are very strong and that their parents can shield them from all the craziness for as long as possible.

Four years in a row....

2009-04-23T14:46:00.003-06:00

For the past few years we've gone to Grand Teton National Park in April for a bicycle ride. They open up the main road in the park to non-motorized travel for the entire month. We love getting out in the beauty of the mountains and enjoying the peace and quiet of the park with no cars. This year Amber, Jason, and the boys went with us. I'm sure glad I didn't have to tote one of the bike trailers. It was a very beautiful today. Watch the video and you are in for a treat seeing one of the travelers.

Life at Our House

2009-04-20T07:06:00.003-06:00

Life at our house is so much fun when the kids come over. There is never a dull moment. A while ago they started a game where the couch was the boat and Greg would pull them out of the water to get away from a monster. It's become a ritual.

Ok, I'm bragging......

2009-04-16T10:04:00.003-06:00

But about my daughter, not myself!! I'm so proud of Melissa. This past year she has held down a job as well as gone to school. She just got her grades for the winter semester and she got all A's....not even one A-!! She qualifies for a full tuition scholarship next year.

It's fun having her home. She is working at Town and Country Gardens this summer. I hope she will learn a lot so she can teach me how to be a better gardener.

Congratulations, Melissa!!!

Picture Tag

2009-04-14T18:51:00.004-06:00

Picture Tag

1.Go to your documents/pictures

2. Go to your 6th file

3. Go to your 6th picture

4. Post it, and blog about it

5. Tag 6 people to do the same

6. Name your picture

True Harry Potter Fans

Melissa grew up on the Harry Potter books. I don't know how many times she has read them. When the final book came out she had a great time with her friends attending a Harry Potter Party.

I'm going to tag Liz Curtis, Chennelle Curtis, Brenda Curtis, Debbie Raymond, Kayla Ehnat, and Jenny Harris. Sorry if you've already done this before.

Tears

2009-04-09T21:47:00.008-06:00

Heather and Beau have lived with us for 10 weeks. What an eventful time we've had. We celebrated Beau's Birthday, Harlee's Birthday, and Heather's Birthday. We got to enjoy Jaycie's birth and first 9 weeks of life. We enjoyed having visitors from the Hall family come to see the new little one. We had a baby blessing and all the celebration of that. We watched Heather and Beau agonize over a house purchasing decision. We've been amazed at Beau's great attitude about his new job and adjusting to that.

It hasn't all been easy. When you are used to just two of you living in a quiet house that doesn't get messed up all that often, and eating simple meals, adjusting to having 6 people with all the laundry, toys, cooking, cleaning, tending and such is a bit tiring, not to mention keeping up with 2 small children. But we all did great and had a lot of laughs and good times along the way. This last week with the impending separation,lack of scheduling and communication from the title company, and all the work of moving has almost pushed us to the brink. But, I'm sure we will laugh about it soon.

Some of my favorite memories of the time have been watching Beau give Jaycie her bath, seeing what a fantastic mother Heather is, eating breakfast with Harlee (in fact every meal with Harlee is an adventure), and watching Beau hold Jaycie for hours. He never eats dinner with two hands because he is so anxious to hold the baby as soon as he gets home. Harlee and I have had a great time watching Dora the Explorer together. I hope she still comes over to sit on my lap and watch it with me. Listening to Beau and Harlee sing the Aladdin song together was a real treat. I will never forget the Family Night Parades. Harlee reminding me to pray at every meal really touched my heart.

Now the good news--they got a really nice house and it's not very far away. I plan on still watching Dora with Harlee and eating Cocoa Krispies with her once in a while. Hopefully I will be there to tend the kids once in a while and still get the chance to put on jammies and change a few diapers.

I wonder how Harlee likes her new bed tonight...... Sure wish I could see her in it..... I've shed a few tears today. Some of happiness for the return of peace and quiet, and many of sadness for the loss of the day to day wonderful times we've had. A lot of the fun will be gone from our house

I guess it's just Zoey and Me again in the daytime, which is no substitute for Heather, Harlee, and Jaycie. I will also miss Beau in the evenings. Of course, Greg and Melissa are pretty fun to spend time with too, so life it good!! It's fun to have Melissa home for the summer.

I want to copy Chennelle, too.

2009-04-07T22:04:00.003-06:00

Only it's late so I will only mention one thing today.

I've been looking through some old photos of our trips to Redfish. It has reminded me of how much I love our family.

I'm grateful for nieces and nephews who are so strong in the gospel and are great examples to me. I firmly believe that each generation of LDS families get better and better. All of you are so good and I love you very much. You inspire me to be a better person.

Precious memory

2009-04-05T16:29:00.002-06:00

Jaden slept over at our house last night. Amber brought the boys over when the guys went to the Priesthood Session. When he got here he told me that he wanted to have a special day soon. He brought his pajamas so we decided to let him stay all night. What a sweet boy he is. He snuggled up to me and watched Beauty and the Beast for the first time.

This morning when Harlee got up she was so excited to see Jaden. They snuggled on the couch and were hugging each other. It was so cute. They have a special little bond.

Wonderful Antique

2009-04-01T20:27:00.004-06:00

Beau's mom owns this wonderful old baby scale. Their family has used it to weigh the babies, but we thought that it would be so much fun to use it as a photography prop. Margaret loaned it to us a few weeks ago but we just got around to putting Jaycie on it today. Isn't it precious. I hope she will let me borrow it again!!

We also got some fun photos of Jaycie on her blessing day. It was such a special day. She is a precious addition to our family.