Through the years

Valentines Day

2012-02-14T16:55:00.001-08:00

comes around SO fast each year

yesterday Van started out his weekly email with these words "So again for the 20th time in my life I am without a lady on valentines day...but at least I have an excuse this time!" sounds like he is part of our goodman family

today...I did that thing I have done for a big majority of the Valentines Days through the years...it's a Valentine tradition in Ephraim (where I grew up) and we (my sisters, friends and I) became pretty darn good at dropping off (a little something to someone we wanted to be Valentines with) at the door and hiding...so today...in keeping with that time honored tradition

I door bell ditched Valentine surprises for Livy and Sophie

and this is the cutest little heart...upside down hand prints

that she signed for us...It's a keeper!!

I tried to at Gibson and Everlee's but he wasn't home (after my 2nd attempt) and Everlee was sleeping so my traditional doorbell ditching Valentine gifting didn't work for them this year but it did last year check it out here 2011 and here for the year before 2010

TO MY 4 SWEET little GRANDKIDS!!!

2012-02-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

are both part of the same adventure/journey!

It, death, is on my mind lately

___well___

it always is since there always seems to be someone I know, dying

*I just heard that our friend Ron died instantly, a mountain bike accident, he broke his neck *Jim's old partner had a heart attack and died last week

*a friend from college had a heart attack and died while hiking Mt. Timp, he had promised his granddaughters he'd take them hiking if they read so many books last summer and while on that promised hike, he had a heart attack and died

*my cousins son David, shot and killed himself a few days ago

*my neighbor's younger sister died last week...she had just talked to her in the morning but in the afternoon she had a stroke and died

we are surrounded with death stories through the years___I have always said that everyone has a birth story and everyone will have a death story___some are easier to talk about and share___but the bottom line is

ain't none of us are going to make it out of here alive!

just so grateful we know that all is well on the other side of the veil and there is nothing to fear___we know and love so many people who have moved on that it'll be wonderful/exciting, to see them again!!!

I'm sending love and sympathies to those who are sorrowing

reposting this about some of my favorites on the other side

THIN OR THICK

2012-02-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

skinned

I always wanted to have thicker skin but not if I was a pink grapefruit

the thin skinned is from our grove the thick was purchased at Superstition Ranch Market

not analyzing just posting a cool picture also posted on Instagram comparing grapefruits that Jodi juiced yesterday

thick or thin

IT IS GOOD STUFF!!!

SHOPPING WITH JODI

2012-02-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

is an experience!

she was thrilled because of this sale at Last Chance

usually there's a limit of 3 of the same items...shoes, dresses, etc... but

today you could get 10 dresses

soooo. . . Jodi loaded up with a little help from her mom I got 4 for her She came out with some darn good stuff!!!

Before going to Last Chance I introduced her to my favorite consignment store, Regal Rags and she is now a fan...everything was 75% off there too and there was no limit so she got several great deals as well as the sweetest ring and necklace...jewelery was 50% off but still a steal!!!

At Last Chance we were ushered out of the dress section by a ornery security guard seemed like he followed me around and USHERED me out of the shoes, the mens section, and then the dress section better keep your feet BACK OFF THE CARPET of the section they are restocking or you get yelled at and then he kept saying t "when they open up the section there will be no running, pushing or shoving or grabbing or fighting or you will be escorted from the store" or something like that! I kept thinking of Tonya when she would hang out nonchalantly in the shoe section on the other side of the section being restocked and reach through and get the shoes she wanted...tricky!!

it was a long l o n g L O N G wait and he kept saying that they were "bringing in more dresses . . ."

Jodi and this girl made friends as they stood waiting and decided to trade spots so they that they'd be closer and could make a mad dash to the dresses they had their eyes on...

She did well and loved it of course

...these were my special find...

size 5 Tom's for Sophie...I got Livy some red ones last time I was there thanks to Julie Weed who had her eyes out for me

Then off for lunch and Jodi introduced me to Haji Babas...Middle Eastern foods...down town Tempe

she had eaten there alot through the years and did the ordering...medley of olives, tabbouleh, hummus, pickles, pita bread that wasn't authentic...wish we could get some of the barbari or Sangak I had a kabob sandwitch and she had her favorite Chicken something, then for desert we had Almond Baklava and I bought some of my favorite Iranian candy, GAZ, a divinity pistachio nougat . . . hadn't had that for 45 years

this was the packaged Gaz but it was kind of hard and looked old so when I found this

at 45 cents a piece I went for it...FRESH and YUMMY...better than I remember it

now to find and try out some of the other Persian restaurants and markets in the Valley

JOURNEY WITH JOY

2012-02-07T11:50:00.001-08:00

is my sister Marie's emailing signature, Deb told us over 12 years ago when she got us all started (at least that was when she got me started) with emailing that we each needed a signature she was/is so fun so that's exactly what we did! "Journey with joy" has always been Marie's, mine was and still is "in sunshine and in shade shade." I can't remember what Leone's original one was but after Deb's death she latched onto this one "I hope you dance as there's a special and endearing meaning in that song to us Van Epps and Peterson girls!!

Today I read this wonderful journey with joy...I hope you dance in sunshine and in shade STORY on my cute niece's blog I copied and pasted so THANKS Cindy and Adrianne her cute mom who played a big part in our own Journey a couple of years ago!

for this! When I started reading it I was kind of offended because it was like Italy was better than Holland we've been to both and loved them both but our ancestry is from Holland so it is special to us :)

LIFE'S JOURNEY. . . not better just different . . .I LOVE THIS

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

and thanks to the author Emily Perl Kingsley...what a lovely way to look at it . . .

heart shaped boiled eggs

2012-02-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

for VALENTINES DAY breakfast or anytime of the year SO CUTE

just wish that someone at my house liked boiled eggs

Jim likes deviled eggs...maybe they would work ?!!

here is the tuitorial

"IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD"

2012-02-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

were the words Jim used as he began his remarks today at Fast and Testimony meeting

. . . it is a beautiful day in our neighborhood . . .

. . . everyday is . . .

we have the best neighborhood, the best ward, the best life as we live it each and every day trying to live well...surrounded by these great folks and feeling their love and encouragement!!!

this was the ward family picture that was taken Christmas Day right after church, not everyone, but the majority of the good people we count as friends and ward family!!!

we do have hard things happen here...a sweet sister, who had been visiting her grandchildren, in our neighborhood was shoot and killed several years ago by a couple of gang members...one of Willie's friends had just dropped off a Christmas goody plate to him and she saw these guys and had a bad feeling and her mom told her to just keep driving...a few minutes later Sister C. was killed right their at that same spot...last summer a young man shot and killed himself in our retention basin...there's sad things that go on here and we've had a few robberies through the years, esp. on Sundays when the majority of us are at Church and some vandalism but mostly it is good and beautiful stuff

GOD BLESS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

GOD BLESS AMERICA

GOD BLESS EVERYONE'S NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGHOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD!!

"I like their Ali better than ours!"

2012-02-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

is a quote from Marie and I agreed...

WHAT A GREAT GUY that we were introduced to in the Bright Blue Beads and then found out more info about his earlier life in

another book by the author of

here is an earlier posting

I really enjoyed this one too although I just don't have the heart to ask my book club to read this one and I only have one copy...it came with a letter from the author to an Iranian friend of hers and I lucked out getting that copy...wish I had the history of that but also a hand written note on the inside cover from her Maxine Adams Miller...I have been searching for info on her history for next months book club but as yet...nothing! it was passed around to my sisters and folks before I read it and we all learned alot that helps us understand better the Iranian psyho and about how it felt coming to the USA from another culture...I wonder if Mohammed would have had similar feelings in his era...I sure learned alot!

ANOTHER GIRLS NIGHT

2012-02-02T22:28:00.001-08:00

. . . we are having alot of girls outings lately . . .

Tamara's tutorial on pressure canning chicken by the way I used mine for Sundays Hawaiian Haystacks YUMMY!! I took my daughters for a Massage Therapy Extravaganza and then went again the next week with my sisters for another Massage Therapy Extravaganza

I think that VEGNO at Kneading Feet would be a huge hit (well, maybe not for Cindy (referencing her experience for her mom's birthday) but they don't have enough lounge chairs for our group and then tonight was Quincy's Valentine Craft Night way on the other side of the Valley...now we know what Quincy and Cindy have to go through when we have the gatherings on this side of town...It was a good time...everyone except Jodi who went to her own girls night with friends. and Tonya, Whitney, etc..... busy visiting, crafting and eating...everyone had cute new Valentine Decor to take home...and great ideas after a tour of Quincy's

beautiful house

this one fell through but

we did these cute hearts...the red one is glittered !

Tamara did one like this for me....so darn cute...THANKS Tee!!

and these clip boards...with a huge assortment of cute paper choices to imbellish...wish I had taken pictures of the different selections...

but I did get a few shots of these

Janee, Cindy and Rita

Jamie and Leone

Marie and our Hostess Extraordinare Quincy

Quincy again with Mandy

Tamara, Annie and Tamra

I like hanging out with these

clever, cute and crafty ladies!

I should have gotten pictures of the great munchies that Quincy put together for the gathering...my favorites were the yummy open faced veggie sandwiches but the heart decorated chocolate dipped strawberries. plus the raspberry topped creamed filled heart shaped treats were really enjoyed too!!!

Sumo just asked," What are you doing next week for your girls night?? " FUNNY!!! we aren't meeting again until March and Jodi's will be in charge ...

another blast from the past

2012-01-29T12:37:00.000-08:00

dad found this *picture of us sisters back in July of 1967 just as we were leaving for our Yungus Adventure

here

in a previous post

we went on a Catholic supply truck that was delivering supplies to the convent in the small village of Cor0ico and to get there we had to travel on "the most dangerous road in the world"... the Yungus Road pictures at bottom of blog page in Bolivia on the outskirts of the Amazon Jungle.

We still can't believe that our dad allowed, all of his daughters, to go on this 5 day adventure...notice how we carried our gear...in pillow cases...we traveled light in those days!

the era of and babushkas and keds

We returned to LaPaz filthy & covered with buy bites

*I don't think that I had ever seen this picture so it really was a blast from the past !

to the cabin and back

2012-01-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

just one night

just enough time to check on things, let Jim get a couple of things done

spend some time with Rita and the girls

and get back in town for our ward conference

even the drive up is relaxing to Jim as he contemplates what he needs to do this trip to keep busy and work, non stop!

I'm glad we kept the kids duplos from back in their era...a favorite cabin toy!

although there wasn't much snow it was cold

Livy loved it

but not Sophie!!!

the next morning while her sister was catching up on sleep that she missed out on during the night Sophie entertained herself by setting up a meal for her dolly

and sharing her cookie

etc. . .

just overnight

just enough time to check on things, let Jim get a couple of things done

spend some time with Rita and the girls

and get back in town for our ward conference

Man it is cold up there!!! glad that I can come home and thaw out...altho that heater gets things toasty real fast esp. with the two amazing wood burning stove pumping out the heat...so glad that we took that road trip and got those stoves...

here's Jim popping corn over the coals...what a goodgrandpa!!!

such a beautiful trip along that ribbon of highway

LOVE IS SPOKEN HERE

2012-01-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

is the title of an old Primary song

and I sewed a crafty wall hanging with those words on it when the kids were young...
It isn't something I would display now but I wish that I could find it, and make it better..

another great message/song is

it's that time of year when LOVE IS EVERYWHERE
loved these two pictures!!!

as Valentine merchandise is up for sale and I am one that has jumped on that band wagon through the years and this year I have decorated earlier than usual...I have already got all the stuff out to show that I am a fan of Valentines/LOVE!!
I have been decorating for Valentines Day since I was a school teacher and it has continued through the years...it is an extra fun holiday with lots of memories that I have posted about before here and here and here

and since it is the month of friendship and not just for lovers/romance I'll repost my tribute to friends here and the last couple of years Valentines Day here and this years here
and this is a Valentines Favorite that I have to repost but with all of this retoric I just want to tell my family and friends that

now and forever!

A MASSAGE

2012-01-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

we finally got around to a sister outing and it was our annual sister massage . . . back to Kneading Feet . . . we'd like to do this monthly but should make it a quarterly outing at least . . . I am sure that either my sisters or my daughters would be on board for this type of outing AOAP as often as possible I had Crystal again, Marie had Stephen again...Jodi had him the other night and Leone had Tina again...Tamara had Tina the other night, I didn't see the girl who gave Rita her massage at our girls night and I can't remember her name . . . I would like to try a different giver of the massage n0t that Crystal isn't wonderful I don't know how she could have done any better but I would just like to see if there is a difference!!! and I think that there may be other franchises in the Valley . . .

I wonder if my sisters in law would like to go get massages in March...we could go with the excuse to celebrate our mine, Nedra and Cindy's birthdays...through the years we'd, us 4 couples, would go out for dinner with the Goodman folks, now with Harry gone and Rita's not up for much, that won't be happening so maybe the girls could do a massage trip...I will be following up on that come March...

glad I live in AZ.

2012-01-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

esp. when I see things like this
but it does bring back memories
ALOT of MEMORIES!!!

new quotes

2012-01-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

Marie and I have been sharing quotes that we like through the years and I have a pretty good collection of them...here are a few more...
this is the best place for me to save them

"I'm not weird, I'm limited edition".
this goes along with our favorite using of the word "interesting" rather than the word "weird"
"the bad news is time flies, the good new is you're the pilot".
"Make today ridiculously amazing".
"We'll be friends til we're old and senile - then we'll be new friends".
"Choose to shine".

THANKS MARIE!!!

a daily doing

2012-01-21T21:53:00.000-08:00

after a long day of work Jim went over to his mom's to visit...he does this most days and always reads a chapter from the Book of Mormon to her......Our Stake Pres. challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon again this year and Jim wants his mom to be apart of this challenge....I went with him today and Maria was just fixing supper and she brought us each in a YUMMY authentic Mexican taco...

HE'S SUCH A GOOD SON!!!

2012-01-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

2 girls nights this week
and I think another is in the works for Leone, Marie and I
Kneading Feet
Rod Works
and
Joes Farm Grill
our birthdays are coming up and I think that we need a dry run
DUTCH TREAT!!
wonder what my sisters are doing tomorrow???

Groups of friends

2012-01-18T13:36:00.001-08:00

have become so abundant through the years that often I have a hard time remembering which specific era

were in

s o 0 0 0 . . . . .

they keep running into each other in my memory!

all I know is that they are all special and appreciated...and I love the memories and the reconnecting!!!
It's that time of year...FRIENDSHIP DAY is coming on the 14th so I just decided to list the groups that I remember before that gets away from me too

Ephraim early days, before leaving to travel the world
Karaj Social Life and TAS (Tehran American School) Days
Ephraim and MHS Manti High after our return from our initial travels
Snow College
Bolivia summer
Utah State University
Brawley, Calif....1st, 2nd & 3rd years
BYU summer schools 1st and 2nd Riviera and Park Plaza
Summer of job searching in SLC and Murruy areas
year in Bancroft Idaho
Arizona Single Days...Tempe and Mesa...Stradlings Mill Works, Taft Elementary, etc....
Married years: LaCasita Trailer life, building our Home era, Farming years, Dairy Queening it, years of Jim's soft ball teams, Country Comp., and The Oasis, Mountain Home Life and the mountain neighbors excluding the skunks!!! and then there is our different wards through the years with dear friends coming into our lives and hearts from eachLehi 2nd, 1st, 4th 6th 5th, 10th and Harris Park and all the great peeps in our Mesa North and Lehi Stake and Clay Springs...
FB group friends that I have become quite fond of from the TAS groups and most of them were there several/many years after us and the reuniting of friends from the various eras mentioned...
So MANY FRIENDS and too hard to keep track of esp. with my aging memory but even when there is no connection/contact for years we just seem to pick up where we left off...

SO THIS IS MY SHOUT OUT TO GOOD

may they be forever!!!

Tamara headed up our Van Epps girls night

2012-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

and MAN OH MAN does she hostess a good gathering!!!!

cute chickS young and older

yummy treats
good conversation
pressure canning skills shared
and
we each took home a jar of Tamara's bottled chicken

I LOVE THESE GATHERINGS
and another one is coming up in a couple of weeks at Quincy's...
that will be 3 months in a row...we are on a roll...wonder what March will bring??
Jodi or Tamra???!?

in need of some major relaxation

2012-01-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

and it has been along time coming

when Jodi graduated from Law School I told the girls that I wanted to take them to Kneading Feet...Marie had taken Leone and I there for our birthdays last year and I knew it was just what we needed as we were ALL in need of a major massage, head to toe...Tee had just had a baby, she and Rita are full time 24/7 mama's of my 4 rambunctious grandkids...but Jodi was studying for the Bar...and life just kept flying by...birthdays came and went...
I kept telling them to give me a date and I'd get appts. . . . .
. . . well . . .

IT FINALLY HAPPENED

I took my girls to Kneading Feet today and it was all and more than I had remembered

I'm keeping this place in mind
Marie has taken Jim there and he's ready to go again
I think that I will take my Jim there and hopefully the girls liked it and will go back, AGAIN
Oregano's was great too!!
don't they look relaxed??? I SURE WAS!!!

2012-01-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

TOGETHER AGAIN

after more than 20 some years our old Primary Pres. got together for lunch today

we were going to Sweet Cakes downtown Mesa but Julie asked if we'd ever been to Thai Cuisine and it was right next door so we called Lisa to meet us there...she'd been there before
and

here we are older and hopefully wiser
it was good...esp. the visiting!!!

There is alot of history with these girls...it was an interesting Pres. back in those days...we had a huge Primary...we all had little kids which made for wild planning/preparation meetings...we were all pregnant together...Cathy was pregnant with Jennifer, Lisa was pregnant with Dana, Julie was pregnant with Carly and I lost my baby...Julie and I went to the same Dr. and . . . those were hard times/memories...I went back and read some journal entries (blog post entires would be easier to find and read) before going to lunch today . . .

I love these ladies...they are some of my favorite people!!!

why I don't ski

2012-01-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm a Utah girl but never really loved the cold!!!
my folks never went skiing
nor my friends when I was young
then we moved to Iran during the 60's but this

world renowned ski resort wasn't established but "it was just ‎200 rials for a full day ($3?), put the ticket sticker on the poles, remember that??" copied from one of my TAS FB friends that was there in the 70's
and it looks pretty great now

too late for Dizin
and
when I tried skiing once during my single days at Sunrise in AZ. I fell getting off the lift and sprained my ankle...had to walk down the mountain in those cumbersome ski boots
so
whenever our group went skiing I stayed in the lodge drinking hot chocolate by the fire and IT WAS FUN and toasty warm
Leone took my kids skiing with them a few times when they were young
but I stayed with the younger ones at her cabin
thus...
Van is the only one of our kids who really love it and he does
HE LOVES SNOW BOARDING

I LOVE MONDAYS

2012-01-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

mainly because we get to hear from Van
and once in awhile he sends some of these

they have found that they can save alot of time by taking "SHORT CUTS" through the woods as they go from address to address searching for contacts...they have a garmin and most importantly THe Spirit as their navigator...

these weights were given to them by some HEFTY Elders who didn't ever use them so I think that Van and Elder Miller are putting in some good time exercising every morning as is part of their missionary schedule...Van calls this their GYM

looks like they get some good exercise on P Day too...often soccer, basketball and he even requested his baseball glove so I'm sure that they are playing some ball with investigators too

He always says that it is a blast...so much fun...every single day!

these last few pictures we got today...he's a district leader and I am assuming that these elders are in his district...

MONDAY MONDAY...I LOVE THAT DAY!!!

I WISH IT WOULD SNOW

2012-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

because that is the time we can get the kids up to the cabin and we need alot of muscle
to lift Jodi's couch and love seat upstairs...
so
think snow

it's been awhile since we were all up there together...maybe we can get Sterling up there too to put in our alarm security system and that guy has alot of muscle

2 weddings and a funeral

2012-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

seems like there is
no rest for the Bishop
we came back early from the cabin again to make it to a funeral that Jim is conducting this morning...and then a wedding open house tonight and I just found out that one of our dear friend's daughter was married on Thus...alot of life going on this week and I know it will continue next...
LIFE...you gotta love it!

the GOOD the BAD and the STINKY

2012-01-12T20:51:00.000-08:00

I was so leery, apprehensive about coming up to the cabin...an errie feeling...thinking that there would be alot more stuff gone, etc...that I wouldn't ever be able to come up here by myself or even with just girls again but things weren't bad...I think when we get the alarm system in I will feel alot better about it . . .
Jim is leaning on the idea that we "probably misplaced" the items (heating blanket extraordinaire and the pistol...THEY ARE GONE!!!) He ALWAYS leans on the positive side

BuT. . .we know the blanket has been gone since Oct. and we only recently discovered the missing gun (and probably wouldn't have for several more months if those skunks hadn't shown up and stunk up our place) so it was probably taken in Oct. too!!! Nothing else seems to be missing ?? but who knows for sure about that ?? but we went ahead and re keyed and we are getting a security system installed S00N hopefully!!!

as for reporting the robbery...probably won't happen as it has been too long

and

as for the skunks...the barrier under the house in the crawl space hasn't been compromised :) interesting word...where did that come from ?!! and it looks like that those stinky guys haven't returned but the smell lingers but minimal or it was until I vacuumed and stirred up the scent that had settled

and
the good thing

we have a new BLACK fridge and new black stove and almost a microwave ...

Jim bought the old ones on Craig's list and there was something wrong with all of them and we got these liquidation sales items, GREAT PRICES because they have a little scratch or dent
we'd be putting them on soon anyway

MAN OH MAN ARE THEY NICE

nothing like the good along with the bad too bad that there has to be
the stench still hanging around in the air and in the laundry room and work room

we are not alone

2012-01-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I am finding out that there are alot of cabins/homes that have had skunk problems as well as home invasions through the years . . . but
that misery l0ves c0mpany philosophy doesn't really make me feel any better!!! not until we get the skunk smell eliminated as well as the skunks and the cabin secured!!!...I guess it is just part of it...so
WE ARE STILL DEALING WITH IT
going back up in the morning to see what we can do and then
DO IT!
but gotta get back on Sat. morning for a funeral that Jim's conducting and a wedding reception that night

we've been robbed

2012-01-09T16:12:00.001-08:00

and I think that is alot more upsetting than being skunked!!!
I've kind of been suspecting it doors open that were closed when we left, drawers open with a little something hanging out, a squished centipede on our bathroom floor and then not being able to find things for the last few trips to the cabin but haven't voiced it...then Jim said it today...
we have not been able to find our wonderful new last years Christmas present to me electric heated blanket the last few visits man oh man I depend on that blanket to keep me warm in that cold I have checked at home too but had no reason to bring it home but it is no where to be found
also...Jim's new gun that he just bought this last fall is gone I wonder if we need to report this?? ...he looked for it...right where he had put it the other night with the skunk dilemma...GONE
...I am sure that there is more stuff missing most of which we will never know about...
but with the Sunday robberies here in our neighborhood while we are at Church...these robberies at our 2nd home...they just kind of hit us hard!!!

we now not only need to deal with the skunks and their stink but also these invasions...
new locks, keys, hopefully cameras, an alarm system and a more unobvious place to hide ?? our outside key
NOT MUCH/ANY FUN!!!
I guess we will just have to be vigilant just like we do with the scorpions...trap, relocate and use ammonia to repel so they don't return well, the scorps get toarched...my sister says to put anti freeze in tuna and kill them, it's is the only way...maybe we will just have to learn to live together peaceably...wonder if those skunks will be willing to be destunk...a good trade off for use of our vents, etc......

never to old to learn something new

2012-01-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

it seems like as we go through the years we learn alot about stuff that we really never wanted even know about let alone learn about but alas...it has happened, we are needing to learn about yet another unpleasant experience...THE SKUNK...
we have had periodic exposer to skunks through the years, seeing them in our yard, in the pipes under our walkway/driveway, Van and Jackson catching one and twirling it around in the long handled swimming pool basket before it got loose and sprayed Rodeo, but now...it is a battle and Jim is just the one to do it the battle of the bulge...that is one big skunk that Jim and Almost Willie and Miss Kittie saw...and if it and it's friends are in our vicinity...
THEY ARE SOON TO BE GONE...
WE HOPE!!!!!

this isn't a picture of "our" skunk...I have never seen it...just smelled it...
and anyway, I am sure there are more than one

I can probably be considered an skunk expert...well...at least an expert if time considered thinking and reading and smelling and worrying about them count check it out here
here are a few of the things I have found out

Few animals will cause homeowners as much grief as a skunk. this I can testify too!!! While they do little actual physical damage to property, their odor can permeate a home like nothing else can.THAT'S A FACT!!! Knowing how to properly capture and remove them safely is very important. and how to repel them so that they don't return!!! Failure to act correctly can result in an unfortunate incident. I'm getting plenty of tomato juice for Jim to soak in if that time arises!!

Sometimes people make the mistake of trying to block the skunk's entrance hole and thereby inadvertently imprison the skunks under the deck or porch. OR IN THE VENT!! If unable to dig back out, the skunks die, resulting in an even stronger odor when their carcasses decay. I SO HOPE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN for alot of reasons!!!

and
offspring are on their own by early fall if that's the case those aren't babies in our vent. Few skunks live more than a year or two.I hope our skunks and I don't mean that in an endearing way!!!

Skunks can become a nuisance in urban and suburban areas TRUE so so TRUE!!! The best long-term solution to managing skunk problems is prevention.! too late now but I will be incorporating "prevention measures" soon Areas that are kept clean are less attractive to skunks. OUR PLACe IS CLeAN Remove all sources of debris from the yard where skunks could find shelter or food (rocks, junk, stacked lumber, brush piles, etc.). should have worked on the under side/crawl space before all of the debris clean up on our 3 acres!! Pet food should not be left outside. we have no pets at the cabin and we NEVER leave food out well, once at the beginning of our cabining experience a couple of years ago we left a big bag of garbage dirty diapers, etc., out on the porch and it had a hole and alot of garbage was strewn around It is best stored in a container that excludes rodents and insects. ! Seal holes in building foundations with hardware cloth. something we will be working on with vigor for the next few visits...Where skunk activity is extreme, hardware cloth should be buried 12 to 18 inches underground. gotta get some of that hardware cloth SOON
Skunks are wild animals and, under most circumstances, should be left to themselves. wish that was the case but those spraying in our vents will not be left to themselves Occasionally, they can become a nuisance warranting management action. we will become adept at this--->MaNaGeMeNt<--- Nuisance skunks are most often live trapped and relocated or euthanized. relocation is our plan far away into the forest away from other cabins This is most often done by a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. who ever that is...we will be getting well acquainted!! Homeowners can also live trap skunks, going to give this a try...well, Jim will with my support from a distance! but they may get more than they bargained for. that is why I will be at a distance...at least 10 feet and preferably behind closed doors but that probably won't matter as I have already smelled the smell close up!!! Before taking any action, it is best for private citizens to consult their local Arizona Game and Fish office or Animal Control Officer. I will see what Jim has to say about this cause he is his own man and likes to take care of things himself!!!

Skunks are also highly susceptible to rabies infection. we are pretty sure our residence skunks are healthy and happy but they will be relocated soon...real soon I HOPE!!! Early stages of a rabies infection may not have observable symptoms. However, in the final stages of the disease, skunks may seem tame or listless,show signs of excessive salivation, become unusually aggressive or nervous, wander about during the daytime, and show little fear of humans. the skunk Jim saw wasn't displaying any of these symptoms People should avoid skunks that are displaying these symptoms and report them to local animal control or other law enforcement authorities.
I really just wanted to avoid all skunks but they have invaded our space so now Jim will be taking care of them...I THINK THAT WE WILL BE HEADING UP TO THE CABIN AGAIN...REAL SOON...AND HOPEFULLY THAT SMELL HAS DIMINISHED...somewhat!!!
and besides all of this...WE THINK THAT SOMEONE HAS BEEN IN OUR CABIN AND ROBBED US A GUN AND OUR HEATED BLANKET...WE ARE CHANGING OUR LOCKS AND THE LOCATION OF OUR OUTSIDE KEY!!!! I ALSO WANT TO GET A CAMERA IN THERE!!!

...this stinks and it really creeps me out...
alot worse than the skunks!!!

sandwitches on a stick

2012-01-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

looks like a little something different

here
I think that my grandkids might like to try these

we got sKuNkS

2012-01-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

now we know what was in our cabin vents here

we know because of the stench!!!!

it's 3 am and we have been hearing the scratching/shuffling sounds in the vents...this time in our bedroom...then some fighting, growling, squealling sounds and then the stench

now the question is how to get rid of them

?!!?

I want to pack up and go back to the Valley but Jim turned off the heater so that the smell wouldn't keep being blown into the cabin and he now is outside ready to battle those guys...crawling on hands and knees under the house in the crawl space searching for the entrance--->bites, rabies, spraying<---while I'm hovering/cowering in the cabin hoping that he will be OK...he's

spreading flour so hopefully we'll see tracks tomorrow, determine numbers, direction of travel, where they are entering?? it takes alot of detective work and here it is 4:15 and we have yet to sleep...tomorrow will be a long day!

it's 5 am and still no sleep, it's cold in here

and

it stinks BAD!!!!
I think that they have let loose on the spraying at least 3 times...

business and pleasure

2012-01-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

TRIP

this week end

Payson, Heber, OUR MOUNTAIN HOME, and a long road trip through Clay Springs, Snowflake, Holbrook and on to Window Rock (St. Michaels) so that Jim could check on one of their offices...Darlene and Ondrayah...our two Navajo workers were so happy to see him and talk business for an hour in between the 12 clients coming and going Navajo is such an interesting language and then we were off...back to OUR CABIN...alot of traveling...300 miles from here to Window Rock and the 290 mile round trip from our home to the cabin so it's like going to the cabin and back home and then to the cabin again and back home...

we've got a nice blaze in the wood burning stove and a night to recoup before the final stretch home tomorrow...gotta get back for church on Sunday...

Jim's the bishop and I've go my primary class

not hard to figure out my favorite part of the week end!!!

ARGO

2012-01-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

new movie I am looking forward to seeing
release date is Sept. 14th so I have along wait but here is the story line (scroll down)

So, what is Argo? It’s an adaptation of a 2007 article that appeared in “Wired” called “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran”. It tells the story of six American Embassy Workers who escaped from captivity and went into hiding in Tehran for months during the Iran Hostage Crisis. In order to get into the country and get the escapees out, the CIA created a fake film crew for a fake science fiction film that was supposedly going into Iran to do some location scouting. The film was supposedly called Argo, and they went as far as to come up with a script, concept art, and promotional ads that ran in “Variety”. Goodman will be playing John Chambers, a real life makeup artist who won an Oscar for his work on Planet of the Apes, and who was brought in to help sell the whole ruse. George Clooney is producing and Chris Terrio will be adapting the article into screenplay. On both the levels of being an exciting sounding thriller, and a real treat for movie geeks, this seems like it could be an awesome film. I always love it when Goodman is paired up with good directors, and Affleck is proving to be just that.

Anyone else excited by this news?

2012-01-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

"Sayeh ye shoma kam, nashavad . . .
may your shadow never become less "
I love this great quote from The Bright Blue Beads
...meaning standing in your shadow brings protection...
...I am hopeful your influence is always near...
the Iranian language is pretty colorful!!!

I found 3 of these books on Amazon and got them for my sisters for Christmas along with a sting of blue donkey beads found in our moms jewlrey box to "ward off the evil eye"...there was only one book cover so I took it to Americopy and made copies...IT WAS A HIT...we all loved reading this book as did our folks...and another quote and this one is from Marie "I like their Ali better than ours!"" so true so true!!!!

WAY TO START OUT and continue THE NEW YEAR

2012-01-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

"Whenever we speak something, either good or bad, we are giving life to what we are saying..You got to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go... You will produce what you say...Where God gives vision, He always gives provision..."

and

"Learn to bless your future, not curse it...(Say) This is going to be a great day. The faith of God is surrounding me...Today is a new day... If you can change your words, you can change your world...If you train yourself to only speak victory and blessings, ....God will open doors no man can shut."

I got these from an Iranian facebook friend...quotes by Joel Osteen

I LIKE IT!!!

I even put it on the fridge...hope it makes a difference this new year!!!

FALLING

2011-12-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

I have been doing plenty of it and it's pretty scary because I am not really that old yet although I am prepared here , here , here , here , here , here and here
my latest fall was yesterday...I had been doing my morning constitutional...sitting a little too long I guess cause my legs went to sleep...when I leaned over to get up my knees have been giving me trouble lately I didn't stand, I fell, really I fell forward like a bullet my head ramming into the wall ahead of me...I think I might have passed out but I just sat there on the floor, bare behind, until my legs awakened and I slowly checked everything I AM SORE TODAY head, wrists both, toes on my left foot I think that they bent in the fall my knees, both, neck, elbows, head, etc......
the beginning of " The Falls" at least the first one I remember was maybe 6 or 7 years ago I was at our RS Progressive Dinner...Leslie W. had called to see if we could go together, we walked over to Dawn E., for the appetizers, Leslie passed out, the paramedics were called, I stayed with her until Dave showed up just as the ambulance was taking her to the hospital and he told me jokingly "a fine dinner companion you turned out to be" anyway then it was over to Kalene K. for the main coarse our Progressive Dinners are always amazing and then to Roxane U. for the finally dessert and program...I left early and while briskly walking through Dawn's front yard, I tripped on a sprinkler head, fell face first on to the cement walk way, turned over and layed there for awhile waiting for someone to help me get up no...I wasn't waiting for some attention!!!...receiving none, I gradually got up and slowly walked home with what I thought was a broken nose but for sure broken glasses
the next significant fall was 5 years ago when we were decorating for Rita and Sumo's reception...I fell face first again seems like it is always face first!!! on the rock steps onto Jim's weight bars where I again did some damage to my face...no broken teeth or nose but I sported a black eye in the wedding pictures and for the next couple of weeks,
the next one was a year ago at the annual White Elephant gathering at Leone's...as I was carrying a load of stuff out to my car at the end of the evening, surrounded with lots of other family partiers, I tripped on some kind of a obstruction in the brick walkway by their driveway...anyway...weeks of soreness in my entire body but the interesting thing...no one and there were lots of people who witnessed the fall and helped me get up and gather all the paraphernalia...inquired about me the next day/days...not my husband, my parents, kids, sisters, NO ONE!!!
and then yesterday the Fall I described above..
so when Marie posted this picture and sentiment on Facebook...very very appropriate!!!

"Inside every older person is a younger person--wondering what the hell happened."
~ Cora Harvey Armstrong

Yep!!

JUST WONDERING

2011-12-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

if the kids made it up to the cabin alright...then I saw this on Jodi's friend Tecla's post

"This is Jodi's family "cabin" in northern Arizona. I guess they define "cabin" a little differently down here in AZ. :) —"

gotta love Facebook...that is often how I find out that my kids are doing alright!!!

Jodi and Tecla are cramming alot into the next several days with hiking including the Grand Canyon...as this is her first time in AZ., etc and Luke took a group of his friends up to the cabin for the week end too...still wondering about Luke but maybe I will check his facebook :)

12 months down

2011-12-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

12 to go
today is Van's half way point
I'm off to the Orange Patch to get a box of navels sent off to him
looking forward to next CHRISTMAS!!

Family Photograph

2011-12-27T08:50:00.000-08:00

our Ward Family that is and it's our 1st ward family photo

taken by Nancy Green I need to learn how to get it enlarged ?!!

and here is one she took of the photographer...
....I'll post the shot that Noel got when it becomes available....

...love the family...
a great group!

we got "0", no, zelch, nada pictures from our kids for Christmas this year

2011-12-26T09:47:00.000-08:00

so I am glad that I had them take this one of me with all the grandkids during the holidays
just wish that Grandpa would have been in it with us!!!!!!!

but
I did get a digital photo frame thanks Tee so I hope that the kids will help install/download/upload whatever needs to be done so that I can have ongoing pictures available of these cuties!!!

good quotes copied off of a FBer named Maridee who I randomly checked into...I'VE ALWAYS LOVED A GOOD QUOTE

2011-12-26T08:27:00.001-08:00

The woods would be very silent if no birds sang except the best.
-Yiddish Proverb

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.
-Adams (American cartoonist)

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-Maya Angelou

If you find that thing you love, it doesn't necessarily matter whether you do it well or not, you just need to do it.
-Stanley Tucci

A kind deed a day, like little drops of rain, Makes a mighty ocean and a gracious nation.
-Lin Hsiu Nei

I am made of all that I have seen.
-Henri Matisse

We live in the atmosphere of our thoughts and feelings. Our minds and hearts go where our voices send them. So, we should be choosy about what we say--and sing--to ourselves, and to one another.
-Kailash Bruder

Children have more need of models than of critics.
-Joseph Joubert

The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Before venturing out to change the world, pace your own house thrice."
-Chinese proverb

Be gentle and patient with people. Everyone's bruised.
-Katie Lambert

Let your conscience be your guide.
-Jiminy Cricket

Children grow into the intellectual life around them.
-L.S. Vygotsky

Too much experience in a field may restrict creativity because you know so well how things should be done that you are unable to escape to come up with new ideas. -Edward de Bono (food for thought)

If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are heated, it will cool you. If you are sad, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you.”
-unknown

Walking is man's best medicine.
-Hippocrates

It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
-Paulo Coelho

Do little things with great love.
-St. Therese of Liseaux

The artist is not a different kind of person, but every person is a different kind of artist.
- Eric Gill

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.
-Chinese Proverb

"What Constitutes Success"

He has achieved success who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
who has gained the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.
- Bessie Stanley (1905)

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
-Thoreau

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.
- Rick Warren

BEAUTIFUL WINTER SCENES

2011-12-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

but
here at our place it looks like Autumn

wish we could spend more time in the mountains!!!

Owls

2011-12-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

Tamara requested an owl that matched her decor and I was her secret Santa so the search began

at first it was kind of sketchy
finally a found a little owl that you paint yourself and beings that Tamara loves to paint I got it
then I found a darling and very colorful metal modern art owl and an owl charm necklace that someone had attached to it...one of the wire eyelashes broke off when I tried to detach the necklace and I stuck it in my pocket as I was going to buy it and I didn't want it to get lost
the cute wire and green glittered eye lash of the infamous (as I will never be able to go into that store again without thinking about this experience IF I ever shop there again!!) owl was found a couple of days later in my pocket..I'm not publishing this post until after Christmas in the hope that Tee won't know who her Secret Santa is
I knew that Tee would love it so I was so excited but then when I took it to the register to pay for it another clerk jerk saw it and said that it was hers and she had it on the shelf in the break room...I said that must be another one because this one was on display for sale on the floor...she was accusing me of going into the break room and taking "her" owl...I Was not a very happy shopper at that point!!!
then alot of owls starting showing up, some fancy, some plain but all dArLiNg!!!!
so...being the extraordinary shopper that I am I bought a variety from several different stores and took them home and critiqued them and returned some the next day...hopefully Tee will like what I got her...I kept seeing more but I decided to be done...
I LOVE OWLs too
Jim and I almost hit one as it flew in front of us on our quick trip returning from the cabin...we would have if we had hit it retrieved it and had it stuffed for Tee talk about an owl that would have matched her decor NATURAAALL but then I would have had to admit who I was gifting and that is a NO NO according to the bylaws of Rita's Secret Santa
LOVE THIS SECRET SANTA TRADITION

I want to finish the year with this philosophy

2011-12-25T20:33:00.001-08:00

and then let it be a New Years resolution
"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
this came from

found on Gretchen Rubins Happiness Blog here
& another one
"Enough is abundance to the wise."
— Euripides
I've always loved a good quote!

CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-12-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

the guys put this track together for the kids

it was a hit with the older generation
and the younger

as was the visit with Van...
we did our 3rd annual Secret Santa...always a good time where we learn some interesting/embarrassing facts . . . from a select few . . . .
It came and went so fast as always and it was a good one!
a fun place to be, gathering with family and we did as a ward family too it's Sunday...and we got our 1st ward family photograph...I'll post that soon but until then until that time here
is one I took as we began to gather...GOOD JOB HARRIS PARK WARD FAMILY
next year Van will be home or at least a few days after....can't wait til Christmas comes again!!!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:30:00.000-08:00

only comes once a year

and
through the years we have had alot of memorable ones
here
and this year

what a beautiful and memorable Mary Olivia continues to portray !

Sophie as a darling angel, Gibson as a skeleton who is perfecting the part of refusing to dress as Joseph for the second year in a row

so this year Uncle Willie donned the head gear, while Jimmy did it last year :)

our little angel checking out the story as Grandpa reads from the scriptures

and this little doll can play any part and does it bright eyed and happily !

We gathered early for the Nativity before Jimmy and his family as well as Rita and her family left for the out laws Christmas Eve festivities so we had dinner here with mom and dad and then drove around looking at Christmas lights...

I counted 13 Santa's in this yard as well as snowmen, etc.....

...Jodi did her traditional fire pit gathering...
...another memorable Christmas Eve...

...I STILL LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL DEPICTION OF THE NATIVITY...
I believe there were angles there, assisting Mary, at the birth!

SANTAs

2011-12-20T19:16:00.000-08:00

and the grandkids through the years

OLIVIA

2008

2009

2010

2011
GIBSON

2009

2010

2011

SOPHIE

2010

2011
and EVERLEE's 1st visit with ST. Nick

2011
sometimes one has to kind of warm up to that old Santa...

last year's Christmas Eve we had a visit from the old guy and this year I was planning on the same...I have the costume and Jodi was willing and ready to fill in but it was nixed for fear the kids would know her and it would ruin it...I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL...maybe I will just have to pull in someone off the street...Jim is nixing it too...

BOOKS

2011-12-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

this season I've been spending alot of time at places like this

and I don't even know the name of this particular one but it is an old time Book Store down town Mesa...I just happened to see so I stopped by to brows...
and also Bookmans and Barns and Noble and LDS discount books and Desert Book but no luck finding what I was looking for...Amazon to the rescue...alot of time searching and let me just say that there's joy in the journey...how I love hanging out in book stores...
Bright Blue Beads

for my sisters and the search was long but finally I got 3 only one had the colorful book cover
so I took it into Americopy and made a couple copies hope there was no copyright on the covers but they are so old and out of print I think I am safe...Amazon was the source...I made them each a necklace with several donkey beads that I had confiscated from our mom's jewelry box THANKS MOM!

365 Thank Yous I searched high and low LDS book stores, Target, WalMart, Barns and Noble, Bookmans, etc...for this book but no luck...so back to Amazon and I order 10 for Jim's siblings Christmas and also for the members of the bishopric...I know it is excellent because I gave it to my sisters for their birthdays and Marie loved it and wanted to get a few to give away as gifts. It was highly recommended at our RS Mini Conference by Amy Hardison
Two Old Women is the book for February's Book Club...it's not to be found but Lisa said she would order a few on Amazon and pass them around...gotta love that Amazon!!
Sons of the Great Satan I really enjoyed reading this book...it was my first purchase and read on my new Nook, the language was BAD I had no idea kids really spoke like that so I just kind of skipped over the language when it was on the section with the teen age boys but i had to read it because it was about the revolution in Iran and the kids had gone to TAS and it brought back so many memories and was very very informative!!
The author, Anthony H. Roberts who I don't really know but we have become FB friends because of being TAS alumni, etc... requested a review of his book...so I did my first book review,
VERY ENLIGHTENING!!! As a teenager living in Iran during the 60's I was drawn to this story!!! So many memories were relieved, even a few frightening experiences from my era but nothing like the SONS OF THE GREAT SATAN. THE TITLE'S PERFECT...THE STORY PROFOUND...with the first page I couldn't put it down!! Now I know what it was like during those last years for Americans as well as Iranians... Thank you Anthony Roberts!! Looking foreword to a sequel?!!?
Two Years In Iran...an Ebook that the author made available for free to all the TASers...it's a section from her book Voluntary Nomads and this what my facebook comment was to her, Nancy Pogue LaTurner, I just finished reading your Two Years in Iran...it brought back many memories of our 3 years there...we experienced that hospitality you mentioned while living in Karaj...it was a small University community in the 60's when we were there and I had my 1st and last caviar in Iran, etc., etc....such fun reading such great memories!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!! My family also lived in Bolivia, a couple of years after leaving Iran, so I'm looking forward to reading your Involuntary Nomads. Thanks again!!! guess that could be considered a review HA HA but it was just on the TAS site not on the Amazon site :)

this is a quote from a book Marie gave a few years ago

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
and

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

We read to know we are not alone. C.S. Lewis

IT WAS A BIG NIGHT . . .

2011-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

and we got invited to 3 parties tonight
1) the Pearce's annual White Elephant
this has been going on long before we were all married as our single group used to do a White Elephant Party
2) our neighbors the Kipps annual Christmas Extravaganza
we get invited every year to this event but seldom go as it's usually on the same night at the White Elephant of the ward party or some other festivity, but it is interesting because of the random crowd, the varied activities and the sweet gifting for the needy that goes on...their place is amazing too, not only at Christmas but Halloween...a favorite place for a great show in the Valley of the Sun

and this year it only happens every 50 years was 3) Katrina and Chad's 50th Anniversary
* we chose the anniversary celebration...their kids Kristy, Chad, Kim, Craig and Katherine really put on a nice party for their folks with 50 specially chosen quests, dainty decorations snowflakes that the grandkids had cut carefully out were hung from the lighted/dropped ceiling, Chad shared their story, good food not catered lovingly prepared and shared and we even enjoyed a duplicate of the original beautiful wedding cake layered raspberry with a yummy filling and lemon with the lemon curd, I tasted Jim's and the music was phenomenal with
Jodi DJing...she now is a big fan of music of the 40's and 50's
all true lovers of good music are and welcome to that crowd, Jodi, favorite DJ in the Valley of the Sun and beyond . . .wish I had gotten a picture of her in her vintage dress, with brooch and attitude of the era...BEAUTIFUL!!!

and * then over to the Pearce's just in time to tell everyone Merry Christmas and good nite!!
Everyone looked happy or not with their white elephant gifts there was a pile of those left behind, Leone says there always is but this gathering is always fun IT'S TRADITION! I love that my grandkids were all there and found out that Deb will be sending another grandbaby...alot were missing this year but it was a busy night

I didn't even get a picture here

* the Kipps only saw our head lights but we drive by their place daily, stop to enjoy the show periodically and we hear the music every time we step outdoors, there it is!!

We love being surrounded by good folks, family and friends, what a good night!!!

talk about a quick trip

2011-12-15T21:28:00.000-08:00

Jim and I drove up to the cabin this afternoon after Craig's dad's funeral stayed for half and hour and turned around and came back home
JUST TO CHECK ON THINGS
make sure the heat was on at 45 degrees
the water was turned off at the road
and everything was alright
we also got a little firewood as we will for sure be using our state of the arts fire pits in the next couple of weeks and we took some of our citrus and a Christmas gift to our neighbors

snow on Mt. OrD

snow at the CabiN

snow & a beautiful sky on the drive h0Me

left at 1:00ish got home around 7:30
It was our quickest trip so far!!!

Christmas Stories

2011-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

I have a huge binder filled to the brim with wonderful Christmas stories...I bring it out each year at Christmas time and reread my favorites and add any new ones...
One of my very favorites is WHY THE CHIMES RANG...it's a story from my childhood...we had on a record...when I was a school teacher I had my class do it as a play and invite the parents...
many of the stories are tear jearkers...I used to read them aloud to the kids but couldn't get through them without crying...

this is one that I didn't have...glad I do now!!!

Grandma and Santa Claus

I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her "world-famous" cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" she snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go."

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.

I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby."

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat (a little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible) in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma.

Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobby.

Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were -- ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care...

And may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!

I LOVE A GOOD STORY !!

IT'S RAINING

2011-12-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

in Mesa...ALOT !
and there's water in the Salt River...ALOT !
the pouring rain woke me up Monday morning and it looks like it'll continue through the week
might be one of our 100 year floods

lots of memories of big rainstorms we have had through the years in our Valley of the Sun

* often the electricity goes out and our land line yes we are die hards and still have our land line but when Jim is released as bishop we will be going straight cell phones shut down...

* back when Jodi and Jimmy were little toddler and baby before the block program, when we had morning and night RS, I was in the Pres. so I did both but this particular day it was even before our driveway leading up to the house was cemented after RS when we turned into the drive the car just slid off and into the side yard...I was in a dress, nylons and heels those good old days so I just took off my shoes and carried Jodi and then Jimmy through the mud I sunk up to my knees and then squirted off my legs and feet with the garden hose...that was long before cell phones, I would have called Jim but he did pull the car out with the John Deere tractor when he got home that night
* a couple of years ago when Jim was in the hospital going through one of the chemo regiments I had an assignment to take a meal over to the visitor center to feed the sisters....it was raining like crazy and I drove home in the dark...it was this time of year when it gets dark early...got the meal I had prepared earlier that morning and drove through the heavy storm...the lights reflection and the pounding raindrops on the windshield made it hard to see so I put on my sunglasses I'd heard that was helpful and it was but when I was parking at the Visitor Center I realized that I didn't have my car lights on...I was protected that's for sure!!!
* it almost gets to the point of Heru's house gets flooded but so far this hasn't happened but her kennel is like a lake
* one year the threat of flood was so big that our Stake Pres. asked us to open our doors for the people on the reservation. I had little kids and really did NOT want to do that but Jim said that we would do what we were asked oh the stories I could tell about his kindness and generosity!!! ...thank goodness we the community got the sand bags filled and the flooding was held back and we had no visitors...but we do have a great room for that with doors that close and a bathroom right there as well as the kitchen...our bedrooms are all filled right now but we still have that big family room...who knows...

I LOVE IT it
seem more wintry
and
there is snow on 4 peaks and the Superstition Mountains and maybe we will even get some here...it has snowed here a few times that I remember...it falls and melts but maybe this year...
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...that would be awesome !

old Iranian friends

2011-12-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

reunited
referencing previous post here

Here's Mohammed with some of the Shayegans...they were our neighbors...Geite lives in Calif. but here is her family, Dore' was a newborn baby when we were there so she wouldn't remember us but Mohsen, Negin and Mrs. Shayegan would...IT WAS SO FUN TO RECIEVE THESE PICTURES OF IRANIAN FRIENDS FROM SO LONG AGO...who would have ever thought!

Our house in Iran

2011-12-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

IS STILL THERE

Then in the 60's

and Now
47 years after we left

Mohammed just returned from spending a month in Iran...he hadn't been back since the early 80's but he and his brother went to visit their mother...he said I went to Karaj and made lot of pictures from the campus. It doesn’t look like we left that. A big ruin. I cried the entire time. Our home along with many others is gone. It was a strange country. The only things that I could identify were: Partially the campus in Karaj, the same way the Tehran University, Revolution Square, and the Pepsi-Cola building. Otherwise nothing else!!! He sent these pictures of our old homestead... I hope he was able to see his/our old friends that are still there Kosrow, Mohsen, Nagin, etc.......SO MANY MEMORIES!!!!
referencing here and here

a new Nook

2011-12-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Titan Insurance Co. I'll be enjoying BOok cLub alot more through the years!

The Nook was just one of the many extras we received when we were treated to an amazing trip to Marco Island check it out here

I just finished reading a free on line ebook by a gal who spent 2 years in Iran...saw this on our We know you went to TAS when . . . . face book group

Nancy Pogue LaTurner

I have enjoyed all of your contributions to this FB group so much, I want to share something with you. This e-Book is available on Smashwords as my holiday gift to TASers. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Two Years in Iran, an Ebook by Nancy Pogue LaTurner

www.smashwords.com
I read it this afternoon and really enjoyed walking down memory lane!! Pretty cool that she made it available to all of us for free...Published with the students of Tehran American School in mind, "Two Years in Iran" presents Iran-related stories from the first two parts of the longer eight-part memoir, "Voluntary Nomads: A Mother's Memories of Foreign Service Family Life" by the same author. Readers interested in expatriate living conditions and family life in Tehran in 1975 will be entertained by the stories in "Two Years in Iran." Those who want to follow the adventures of the spirited LaTurner family to six other countries will want to read the complete memoir. I will be reading it, hope it's available on my Nook ... one of the places she called home was Bolivia...so I am interested to revisit that country and know if she ever took that Most Dangerous Road in the world ?

and in a another post in the group I saw this book available on Nook

SONS OF THE GREAT SATAN

www.amazon.com

‎"The best book I've read this year! Well-crafted scenes take the reader straight to the heart of a city on the brink of revolution as Anthony Roberts artfully draws full-dimensional characters who eloquently express a multitude of conflicting viewpoints on the place of religion, government, ...

Anthony Roberts

I started this group awhile back so I think I'll give myself a shameless plug for my novel. Yes, TAS is a part of this epic story about the Iranian revolution. Yes, teenage American boys run wild in the streets of Tehran (fiction, right?). And yes, the Ayatollah Khomeini brings the curtain down in the final act. Available wherever fine e-books are sold.

a book by a fellow TASer....I think I am going to like it!

the house that JiM built

2011-12-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

has held up pretty well through the years!!!

I found these old photos and thought I better post them to save them, they are pretty dilapidated!! Glad the house is finally getting a face lift...the most recent process began with the landscaping improvements here and we are getting a new paint job before Christmas and those mentioned new windows after...

we were living in our Liberty trailer home here on the property as our house was being built...ground breaking was Dec. of 1979...glad I found these pictures!!

I've lived in alot of houses check it out here through the years but this is the one that I've been in the longest, the one that we built and raised our family in and will probably live in until we go to our eternal home...It's been a good one...Jim built it and his dad was right there along side of him through the entire process...what a blessing this home is to our family...filled to the brim with love and laughter through the years and alot of stuff that is stuffed everywhere...but the memories are sweet and
it's going to look sweeter as the upgrading continues
upgraded pictures coming soon...hopefully before Christmas
the painter, not John the owner but one of his workers, the one that was checking out our orchard when I came home the first day and then he was the "authority" on each of our trees, he wanted to argue that our almond tree was a plum he insisted that it was a fruit not a nut tree said that our house was in really good condition...structurally...YES!! Jim does build a good foundation and a good house, even though through the years we joke about everything being held together with bailing wire and done like a farmer...
It's had different looks through the years but a brand new look now with that tree gone, a fuller winter grass because of the sprinklers, new front planter boxes along the walkway, and the rust color is gone...
we like it...I think we are here to stay!!!

EVERLEE

2011-12-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

spent a few days and nights at our place when Jimmy, Tamara and Gibson went to Disney Land

she was sick so I didn't take her to Church and show her off in this little dress and sweater set

but she looked darling in her jammies
and the rest of the little outfits that her mom sent for her to wear each day
she is such a good baby!!!

Now all 4 of the grandkids spend the night
guess I've proven myself...a full fledged granny
good thing they are all such great kids....

I AM SO LUCKY !!!

snow globes and more

2011-12-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

this is a great project designer mom said it was for kids so darn cute!!!!
and this bottle of light idea...BEAUTIFUL!

both from the Design Mom site

It's been a tough week

2011-11-30T18:14:00.000-08:00

I've been so sick and Jim is on crutches for a stress fracture that he has suffered with for almost a year...still did the daily runs, the Rim2Rim, etc.....but he is going to get it healed...more Marathons to run more Mountains/Valley's to hike...me...I just want to be well enough to see my grandkids and enjoy Everlee this next week !

MITZI

2011-11-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

is a friend of mine.

I have known her since we were little girls, we lived in the same neighborhood, we were in the same ward in a small town and we were friends....not best or even really close but he played together when we were young and I was always nice to her. I remember going over to her house and playing dolls, dressing up and dancing....she loved to sing and the song I remember her singing was Autumn Leaves...she was "flamboyant"... even then...
I hadn't seen or even talked to her for many years...when her mom died a couple of years ago I called...her...we had a nice visit!!

Wish I had called again, regularly
...she died this week...

she is with her mom and dad and I know that she really is singing and dancing again

I AM SO HAPPY FOR MY FRIEND MITZI!!!

CHRISTMAS TIME

2011-11-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

comes and goes way too fast so I started decorating the day after Thanksgiving.

Got the tree out with Jim's help and we put up the outside lights Fri. afternoon...when we came back from a wedding reception which we walked too we found that one of the strands of Christmas lights along our wall we have lighted it up every year since we got the wall had been unscrewed and taken...WHO DOES THAT? so we had an experience with the Christmas Grinch way early in the season as it's not even Dec.!! We are using the same lights that we have always used...just replacing bulbs...we needed around 15 bulbs to make each light but now with that strand gone...I just took off the lights along the wall and replaced all our dead lights...I DO LIKE THE SIMPLE LOOK at our place!!! Sat. I was sick so I missed Lindsay Cooks sealing...as well as her reception and Van's friend Kristen B.'s...I'm home all day...my plan through the night was to go into Urgent Care today but my sore throat is better with the help of Ibroprophen...so I just put the lights on the tree and got out the deocrations...Gibson came over so he helped..."take a picture, take a picture" he kept saying as he took out another ornament...

Sun. still sick since Fri. hope to get it out of my system come December...I will be babysitting Everlee while Jimmy takes Tamara and Gibson to DisneyLand!!! It's been very unusual to stay home with all the sales going on but like I keep saying I have enough stuff!!! In fact I am trying to downsize so I am piling up Christmas stuff I need to get rid of, if the kids don't want it it is off to DI. Willie left Sun. a.m. It was another great visit! Mon. Jim came home from the Dr. with the diagnosis...just what he has suspected this last year...it's a stress fracture and so, good thing that he didn't run the Turkey Trot but if he wants it to get better he has stay off it for 6 weeks in a boot and 2 weeks on crutches....and he did the Grand Canyon Hike on it plus all the runs...I think that Willie has one too and he is planning on doing an Ultra Marathon 100 miles in February Tues. I'm still sick but I need to get out of the house so. . .I ran a couple of errands...Christmas shopping for Van and my Secret Santa I know who I got but I can't read what that person requested b/c it is all jumbled up on this MAC...wish I had taken pictures of all the Christmas stuff going to DI...it filled 2 big tables on our back porch plus underneath and a couple of chairs...IT IS GONE and hopefully being enjoyed in other families this Christmas time...
strange for me to start Christmas decorating before it's even December...

VAN the MAN

2011-11-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

it all began 20 years ago today...well, more than 20 because...5 years earlier, when I was in the hospital after just having his older brother Willie, I told Jim that there was another baby for us...I miscarried twice before we got him but he was worth the wait

YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Van's been out on his mission for 11 months
I wanted to post this link
13 more months and we'll be doing this...not the jumping part I am not a jumper but the welcoming . . .

THANKSGIVING 2011

2011-11-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Jim wishing he had run...Jodi at the start and finish

Willie at the start and finish . . .

Jimmy at at the start and finish

Willie sporting the hardware

another day of giving thanks
spent the day doing the traditional things that we have learned to love through the years
we ended up having only 3 from our family running the trot...interesting because the talk through the last several months well really since last year at this time was that everyone was going to do it...Luke was for sure but then a few days ago let us know he was out...he was going to do Ultimate again...I guess since the two Grand Canyon hikes Rim2Rim and the Tri he was done in but he is big talking like the rest of them that "next year will be different"! Willie got 3rd in his age group being the youngest as he turned 25 yesterday. Jimmy and Jodi were repeats of last year with deciding the day before that they were in and that was the extend of my group. Jim hung out with me and I kind of liked it...other Goodman's that were trotters this year were Kelli and her 2 oldest girls Barrett and Afton and Chad Willis.
We talked to one of the Seratonin's head honchos and found out the this years Turkey Trot event increased in numbers 25 %... last year 4,000 participants ...this year 5,000. We stayed so that Willie could get his medallion and it was a pretty sweet one!!
Then home to finish getting ready for the gathering...we set up outside, then it rained so we moved tables and chairs onto the porch, it was pretty chilly so we moved inside and then it got really nice and the kids played outside but all is good and the food was fantastic as always.

loved this link that Jodi put on my FB wall the thankful list

WILL the THRILL

2011-11-20T07:35:00.000-08:00

is what we used to call him
and it really has been a thrill associating with this great guy...
birthday shouts out to him through the years here and here and here
HE IS THE BEST!!!
now he is ready to embark on a brand new and thrilling adventure...graduating and starting his career at Ernst and Young.
He has always ALWAYS known what he wants and gone after it with gusto!!!
this photo is after one of his marathon runs and it just shows that
he puts his all into everything he does
I need to post a picture of him in a business suit...he looks good!!!
WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY and you always make it so!!!
HOPE THIS YEAR CONTINUES TO BRING YOU THE VERY BEST SON...I KNOW IT WILL BECAUSE YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN AND YOU DESERVE IT!!!

about LOVE . . .

2011-11-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

I loved this powerful post...
and this great picture

from the CHOOSE HAPPINESS album
I will be reading more of sdl single dad laughing dan's writings!!!

that ribbon of highway

2011-11-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

is always a trip
just glad I don't have to do this one on a regular basis

altho I have done it before...on my way to Idaho when I was traveling alone...in my car and alone on the mountain road when I was teaching in Idaho, and with Jim on our way back from Idaho when we took Jodi to Rexburg years ago and when I was living in Utah, and a few times we have traveled the slippery slopes going up to the cabin...NOT EVer RELAXING but always worth the trip

c0uNtiNg My BlEsSiNgS

2011-11-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

AND

not only because it's the season but AlWayS, day and night through the years !

GOODMAN GATHERINGS

2011-11-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

and to use a popular oft quoted quip
ALL BECAUSE 2 PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE

THROUGH THE YEARS THESE GATHERINGS HAVE INCLUDED ALOT OF GOOD MEN as well as GOOD WOMEN and those #'s are growing! here is a hodgepodge of photos from wedding, reunions, parties, trukey trots, funerals and just plain get togethers of this great group Thanks Kelli for the following pictures from Grandpa's funeral !
Grandpa's funeral

misc. through the years

GOODMAN FAMILY REUNION 2011
the next 3 photos are Kelli's for some reason I didn't get any with the guys

love this picture Rita...the little greats sure had fun together collecting limes, eating, throwing, sort and saving...and getting acquainted...they will be loving the upcoming gatherings with the extendeds for sure!!!

wish that we could have gotten pictures of the entire group...Katrina said that there were 95 of us there...the only ones missing were , Laura, Dale Jr., Mark and their families, Lora Lee and Peyton, Melanie and Josh, Nick and my Willie and Van...next time we will get the entire group...I think that we could have had 130ish :)

our own family hung out for a few hours after the reunion was over...can't get enough of family!!!!
and these next few are at our 2009 Family Reunion

Grandpa was moving across the grass with his walker and fell...there wasn't far to fall as Grandpa's so short but Steve tried to break his fall and got squished...

Here are some great pictures from a big party we all threw for them for an anniversary or birthday...at the church

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES GOODMAN CLAN!
and may these gatherings continue through the years !

11-11-11

2011-11-11T07:41:00.000-08:00

to honor my dad and all veteran's this Veteran's Day I'm posting a few pictures of my favorite veteran from that era to the present and linking an old post here

August-December 1942 US NAVAL RESERVE MIDSHIPMAN SCHOOL COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY N Y C

with his parents in Phoenix after graduation

I LOVE THESE PICTURES on their wedding day...he was on leave during the war Jan. 1945..went to Hyrum, UT, got my mom and took her to Phoenix, AZ., they decided to get married and did so in his folks living room...

her mom, Grandma Dunn, came from UT. for the wedding...it was a 2 week leave...and it's an eternal marriage having been sealed in the Logan Temple a few years later

Other FAVORITE VETERANS: Uncle Kenneth...dad's brother WW II above and Grandpa Dunn and his brothers WW I below

pictures of enlisted men from dad's ship

more carefree days from that era

Tampa Florida in 1945 where his ship was being renovated

Handsome THEN and still handsome NOW

AN UNEXPECTED CONVERT

2011-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I LOVED THIS STORY SHARED ON MERIDIAN MAGAZINE

...hope that our Iranian friends have had the opportunity to hear the good news of the Gospel...
...wish that we had contact with them and could share it ourselves...
...hope that Mohammed had a safe and enjoyable walk down memory lane!!!!!

I wish that I could locate a couple of my old posts about Muslims and the Church...they are well worth a repost :)

2 TABLES

2011-11-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

. . . they are finished . . .

this is what our 91 year old dad has been working on in his spare time

Making these beautifully original and unique tables

the tops are made from a variety of wood that he has collected through the years...I can't even begin to explain what all he did even though I took him to hardware stores, etc. and watched the process every time I went over I was given a viewing & synopsis...selecting, cutting, sanding, polishing, more sanding, staining, gluing, bolting are a few of the many words that come to mind...
the centerpieces and legs are made from cactus skeletons...

THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL

and

OUR DAD IS AMAZING!!!!

concerning BeD bUgS and bEd SoReS

2011-11-03T15:30:00.001-07:00

. . . I have no idea where I am going with this post . . . just more ramblings . . .

it was reported that Jodi's condo was full of bed bugs. . .the "renters" are long gone gone without letting anyone know...that meant an extra month of her having to make the payment without any help and.....she couldn't go through the process of cleaning everything up so that she could move back in and they took everything including the couch pictured here it was a family heirloom...originally, at my folks home in Ephraim Utah, for many many years, then given to us and then given to Jodi a few years ago everything but the infested bedroom carpets and walls. Jim and Jimmy went in and tore those the carpet out... they will be replaced now that Jodi has had 2 ultimate bed bug exterminations done ...we are glad that everything was taken so that we don't have to get rid of it ourselves but it really irks me that those "renters" whose rent was paid for by the government have now moved on to infest someone else's property . . . I guess they feel like they are ENTITLED to it because they have had such a hard life . . . Jodi laughs at me when I use that word entitled but it is on my mind alot lately!!!
I really think that our church's inspired welfare program is the only welfare program that works....instead of giving and giving and giving some more generation after generation we are encouraged to teach/encourage/help each other become self sufficient...

then on Jodi's facebook it was on her mind I read this ". . . the Mesa Public Library has been infested with bedbugs . . ."

I know that bed bugs are everywhere...I am pretty sure that that place Cedar Inn we stayed in in Lewiston Idaho when we went to Jodi's graduation was entrenched with them!!! I have read that even the swankiest resorts have incidents with them...I know that once I thought that we had them right here in our own home...when I was going through Chemo and having hallucinations I would see bugs I didn't know what bed bugs looked like and I refused to sleep in our bed, I slept out on the couch and it wasn't that cute red and yellow one mentioned earlier until Jim bought us a brand new bed...talk about feeling entitled!!!

I am just glad that I have no problem sleeping because otherwise I would probably have a bad case of those bed sores mentioned in the title

and it makes me sick to think that this cute that we all loved couch is the means of transporting more bed bugs thus bed sores to other locations and by the way...these pictures do not do the color justice...but those kids, Van and Jordon, sure looked good!!! 0n their 1st Fast Sunday, as deacons, collecting fast offerings...now they are missionaries...I hope that they aren't sleeping in bug infested beds!!! I wonder if any of my other kids did when they were out !?

cHaLlEnGeS

2011-11-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

and the most recent is the

JUiCe CLEANS

through the years our family well...some of us have done alot of unique to the common/ordinary/regular meat and potato eating type eating!

We have been growing and juicing our own wheat grass off and on through the years Jim and Jodi have no problem drinking that stuff but I NEVER HAVE BEEN... NEVER WILL A FAN!

I think the first time I ever had a real veggie/fruit smoothie/shake was when I was single and belonged to the European Health Spa. It was located on Alma School near Broadway I think...it had a statue of a HUGE Atlas guy holding up a GIANT globe out front. I really didn't do much there but go from the hot tub to the cold plunge but I did enjoy their great Health Drinks!! On one of the original sister trips that Leone, Marie and I took to Utah to hang out with our sister Deb, she took us to some kind of a HealthFoodStore and got us each a concoction of Carrot and Pineapple Drink...it was so Good...

We dabbled in and out of the Healthy Eating Cycles off and on again through the years but after my bout with Cancer Jim said that we are going to get serious about it...I told him "We're not going to become fanatics!" but he said "WE ARE ABOUT OUR HEALTH"!!! and we were, quietly but not 100%...we still enjoy the junk foods and had them way too often!!! Rita and Jimmy got married and their eternal companions Sumo and Tee wondered what they had gotten into : )when everytime we get together the topics of discussion always included eating habits...In fact a couple of months before Tee and Jimmy were married they Jim, Jodi, Sumo and Jimmy to Tamara's dismay they should have been going out to eat, etc. as they were courting for heaven sakes were involved in a weight loss challenge and we all know what that means to this Goodman crowd!!

We were just dabbling in and out of it again...alot of talk...we'd grow our own veggies/fruits and shop at Sprouts and Superstition Ranch, make the Breakfast Shakes no receipe, just whatever we had on hand pretty regularly but then Jim had his own experience with that dredded stuff and I am not talking about the WHEAT GRASS... Well...with Jodi's constant, esp. now that she is home, encouragement "no judgement" and she taking on a huge share of the shopping and preparation of those drinks we they are back on board...although...they have been off a few times too and those many Weight Loss Challenges are always Big motivators with $$$ put up and the winners takes all...The most recent "challenge" that is going on right now involves a cLeaNs...JUICES ONLY!!! Jimmy, Jodi, Sumo and Jim are the participants..."this is really hard core" I keep hearing them say...and "IT'S HARD!" I'm reminded of Jim's quote "if it wasn't so hard everyone would be doing it." This one "the cleans" was Sumo's idea...I think that it is esp. hard for him as he has never done the nasty green/brown shakes before...well...Jimmy hasn't either but he has been around it along time as we have done it along time in our family! I wonder who will fall off the wagon quit first??? Tamara, Rita and I are enjoying the drinks some of those juices too and even Gibson had a couple of them when he was over the other night Trick or Treatin' ... it really worked for him, Jimmy had to give him a bath it worked so good !!! That was a good one --->fresh pear, apple and a little lime juice...we follow no reciepe...what ever we have...it can include spiniach, kale, carrots, cukes, watermelon, apples, celery, brocolli, grapes, cantalope, pineapple, chard, oranges, grapefruit, etc.........I think it is alot better than the veggie shakes that Jodi adds dried algae, etc. too but this juice doesn't have the fiber the shakes do...I have my own philosophy and it changes as I have listened to Jodi and her dad as they research it through the years...Did I mention the Eating Raw in this post...well...that is just another part of the story but certainly not the rest...it continues but the bottom line is the importance of having a strong immune system so that when one gets sick it can be fought off...

it's a challenge to say the least, but

we've got experience

and

these two

who have

great will power

cHeErS !

I still believe that the Word of Wisdom is the very best way to go !

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T19:05:00.001-07:00

this is a lousy picture but we had another successful Neighborhood Chili Fry Bread Dinner

It has got to be around 25 years that we have been doing this...it has grown of course...years ago we were doing it in the front yard of Bishop Morgan and I remember a couple of those years Grandpa and Grandma G. did the beans for every one...I think that they had alot of canned beans from the cannery that they jazzed up and the crowds weren't this big but it is always a good time...as I remember it began when we were the Lehi 6th ward and it evolved into the Lehi 5th and we invited the 6th to join us and they did once but then they started their own and then it was Lehi 10th and 5th then the name changes and we were the Harris Park and Summit Neighborhoods and now Summit has joined us and it's now the Harris Park Neighborhood...it has gotten HUGE and it is always a fun gathering on Halloween night before the kids do their door to door...I love it...grown kids come back home...kind of like Lehi Days...hopefully it never gets that big...it's a great tradition...this year Jodi was the only one of our kids that was there and she didn't have anything to eat...I only got this picture of these kids

so cute...the angry birds...their mom Karen made their costumes
and then my own grands their moms didn't make theirs but SO DARN CUTE TOO

CHOOSE HAPPINESS slogans

2011-10-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

I liked this site that was shared on facebook.....I wanted to save it and maybe refer back to it periodically through the coming years....it's at times like this I wish I had an pinterest site but here it is, posted on my blog

decluttering

2011-10-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

. . . the urge to get rid of stuff comes and goes often at our place but this is our most recent . . .

it is still in our garage
I found this picture on line...it's an old Toledo Scale...

similar to ours...

that we have had for years...it was used to weigh watermelons when we grew and sold gave them away 30 years ago and who knows how old it was before Jim picked it up but we have been ready to get rid of it for alot of years there are great stories connected to this scale, I'll do a post on them someday, maybe...Jim wants to just toss it but we are always doing that our old trailor with brandnew tires that Jim put out with a sign that said "FREE"...I don't know who took it but I am darn sure that they sold it for big bucks!!! and then the great vending machine that we drove over to Calif. to get and I put it on Craigs List but before any of the many people who responded IT WAS A GREAT DEAL...Jim had given it to DI and then our old traveling trailor...Van sold that on Craigs List but he told the 1st person who called he would save it for an hour and. . . . . 3 hours and many more callers later that lady showed up...it was totally furnished with bedding/towels, kitchen everything, even TP, rugs, etc...we practically gave it to her! there are many many more stories, table from our old restaurant, GIVE AWAYS. . .

WE ARE SELLING THAT SCALES...NOT GIVING IT AWAY....I just found the top pictured scales is selling for $800 ours, the 2nd picture, is really similar...but just with a broken grass face
$800 -
Up for sale is a Vintage Toledo Lollipop Scale that was recently removed from an old textile mill. When these scales were removed from the floor they were "dead-on accurate". These scales will measure up to 1000 lbs. These scales are in very good condition for their age, there are no major scratches or dings anywhere. ...the one that has been hanging around the Goodman's for the last 30 years has alot of dust, scorpions and broken glass...used occasionally for weighing watermellons back in the farming daze...............

...LET'S CRAIG LIST IT...I AM SERIOUS...

RITA

are you your mothers or your fathers daughter

???sell it or just give it away???

MAN OH MAN we have got alot of stuff!!! I guess when we Jim and I are gone the kids can take what they want and then do an ESTATE sale for the rest...most likely DI will be overloaded with alot of g00d stuff that was lovingly collected/hoarded by the GOODMANS!!!

OUT WITH THE OLD...IN WITH THE NEW

2011-10-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

THIS POST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS AS I AM DOCUMENTING AS THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING MADE . . .

we got rid of a big and beautiful tree that had been growing in our front yard for MANY years...stunting the spread of another beautiful tree that was branching out into it...

THE TREE ON THE LEFT IS GONE !
we hated to remove it but it kept dropping huge branches, they'd just snap off whenever there was a wind and I have always been afraid of it damaging our roof or worse yet, landing on some car or someone...but we were left with this HUGE mound of a stump that protruded upwards and alot of old and big roots that stretched across the yard...at first altho the work order was to not only remove the tree but to remove the stump...Jim and Luke tried to get it

here they are giving it their darndest!!!

...a stump grinder was rented from ===bLANK=====and the process began...but the grinder wouldn't work...finally Jim put it in the back and returned it the next day...they wouldn't return his money but gave him "an hour credit"...OH YEA!!! We get another hour of a rental that doesn't work...we won't be going back there again!!!! and hopefully anyone else who reads this post won't either...is this kind of like picketing a business?!!
FINALLY...Jim called back the original company who was hired to remove the tree and the stump

IT TOOK THEM SEVERAL HOURS...even for the professionals but it is gone

now Jim is taking down a couple HUGE branches from the other tree in our front yard...hoping to get this tree back up to parr

and then Jim who has always loved to cut off HUGE BRANCHES in fact it has been a sore spot in our marriage through the years is loving the removal of these two HUGE BRANCHES...I had to put my foot down and tell him he was "ruining the integrity of the tree" and to "take the entire tree out if he couldn't leave the shape", etc. etc....at least we got some more fire wood...
any way and now for some serious yard work after we get the sprinkler system in!!! it's about time here and I will be posting pictures when this front flower bed gets a face lift and I get rid of those hoses!!!!

We finally got a sprinkler system put in, new planters finally at the front walkway, and I am posting this to show what our front sidewalkway flower beds used to look like

this front planter needs and will receive an upgrade...

UPCOMING IMPROVEMENTS...new cement, and new double paned front windows they all 3 have holes in them made several years ago, the same day as one of the boys in the family was mowing this rock infested yard...it is so expensive to replace that we being the white trash kind of people that we are didn't replace always talking about it but it was on the outer window but when that stump was being removed, a rock the before mentioned rocky lawn hit our bedroom window and it cracked entirely...anyway...new windows, we will be painting the outside and hopefully our red walls inside...new carpet is on the list too...don't get me started as I don't want to be included in the old of out with the old theme....

Like I said...this post is a work in progress...to be continued...

0CT0bER

2011-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

rEp0sTiNg

I still have that attitude here ...there is always an elephant in the room, everyday so to speak and I am still wearing it here and here through the month...!!!

Florida's Marco Island

2011-10-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

is our latest all inclusive trip...Cleveland, Orlando's Parks, Bahama's and Aruba mentioned here were the others that we have taken together Jim has been on a few without me but he really didn't have this much fun through the years and this Marco Island is a good one!!!!
at a beautiful resort

We came a couple of days earlier than the Titan Insurance Co. gathering started. Jim wanted/needed a couple more days vacation JK...working is relaxing to him
We arrived Tues. afternoon after a short lay over in Atlanta to a rain drenched but beautiful MARCO ISLAND MARRIOTT RESORT and SPA...check out the high lighted links... esp. the lay over in Atlanta :)
We arrived at Fort Myers and took the hourish ride to our Marcos Island Resort. It was raining on our 1st DAY but we were promised that it was the end of the storm and the days ahead would be sunny after all it is THE SUNSHINE STATE and we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening getting acquainted with our surroundings. Had a great Island supper at The Reef, watching the seaguls swarm, the sunset, the water isn't blue/green has to do with the tradewinds or something? like our other trips Aruba, Bahamas but still...the waves, tide, shells, people......all so facinating maybe the word is enthralling/captivating!!! Our 2ND DAY was another cloudy day, altho we have been assured again and again that it would be clear and sunny today...I was happy that there was more than a cloud cover because we spent the entire day outside at one of the pools, in the hot tub with great massaging jets!! and on the beach...if it had been sunny I would have been over protective, afraid of getting a sunburn and more likely I would have gotten sunburned and blistered, thus unable to enjoy the rest of the week. DAY 3 was spent pretty much in the same way...we slept in and didn't leave the room until after 11, thinking we would go for breakfast and then to the beach but saw that they were registering for the event so we did...filled our gift back pack up to the brim with goodies and then off we went...we spent the entire day on the beach...there was a constant breeze and I had loaded up with UTV 45 but I still got a splotchy burn in a few missed spots...will try and level it out before we leave this place. The Titan Qualifing Agent Event started off with games, dinner and show at The Pazzi on the Beach...should have just stopped with the yummy Lobster Corn Chowder topped off with a corn muffin because it was absolutely wonderful but I stuffed to the brim with alot of other wonderful island delights. DAY 4 came way too soon but Jim had "the" meeting. I wanted to just sleep in our room is so dark...we never stay in the ritzy resort type accommodations, only on these all inclusive trips and when that alarm rang I just wanted to turn over and go back to sleep but when Jim called and said it was a really "nice spread" for breakfast so I got my act together and went on down...there were only a couple of wives or girlfriends still there and the photographer but it was good and I was hungry and it was all inclusive...after breakfast I took a walk on the beach and gathered a huge handful of perfect shells but had to put them down as alot of them had some kind of sea urchins and I went to the gift shop and got a mesh bag to do some gathering that evening or in the morning...the scheduled choices for the day that the company made available to agents were * a Segway shopping tour, *SPA and * the Everglades Tour...we were so glad that our choice was the Everglades because that AirBoat adventure was exciting and very interesting!!! Proved you are never too old to learn new stuff and I learned alot!!! and then to the Ngala Wildlife Preserve for Dinner and Reception here they took us by bus, an hour ride, for this wonderfull evening...I couldn't believe that they had gone to this much trouble...we kept saying how amazing it all was...Jim said that they had not really produced that much business but them and they are treating us to this but one of the heads kept saying how well we OASIS had done for them?!!? anyway...they really treated us royally!! The animals were beautiful and they were treated like family by the young couple and their kids who owned the place...giraffe, camels, African porkypine beautiful, panther, Peruvian Ant Eater pink and no armor, so darn cute...a black rino and aligators, an African musician entertained us through the evening with his various unique to us instruments and we had a yummy dinner...Jim and I sat at the main table with the big wigs it was a fluke, just happened then the hour ride back to the resort...we woke up late again on DAY 5 we are still on AZ. time...Florida is 3 hours ahead but I rushed Jim out to the beach he went for another of his daily runs and I, with my newly purchased mesh sea shell collection bag, to find alot of great shells but none like the beauties I had in hand the day before...while I wandered and gathered Jim ran to the end of the beach...wish he did a blog so that he could share his adventures...we stopped at the Palms to printed some more pictures from last nights adventure and then back to our room to prepare for todays DAY ON THE BEACH....I have spent more hours in the sun this trip than I have in the last 11 years total. After surviving breast cancer I have always always been very careful to protect myself from the sun and I used UVB 50...still got burned I have always been kind of sloppy about the UVB coverage once I had my perfect handprint protected and the rest of my leg was a bright and sore red I did want to get a little color to prove to my kids that we were really here and having a good time...I think that they will know. but let me just document that that those scars that I got on my leg at the Caspian Sea around 45 years ago are still there but don't look nearly as good as they did when I was young, skinny and tan!!!

The Titan Tailgate Party...was fantastic...a great show with all of the tailgateing essentials...theme setting, good food, music, entertainment, and games...lots of games...plus the photographer was there doing his thing and making all the pictures available free for us big expense for Titan!! We got up at 2 am AZ. time, that's 5 am Florida time but we were tired and then off to the airport, another layover in Atlanta...so close to Van but so far away here it is again ...and home...I won't elaborate on the flights but I never got to sit by Jim...those were long flights!!!

and here are a few pictures of our week

we got necklaces and bracelets 1st thing!

the blue wrist bands...we had these in the Bahamas too but could get food, drinks anytime anywhere there...still, we weren't into eating that much this trip BUT WE HAD PLENTY!!

the entire TITAN GROUP

at the Ngala Animal Preserve...what an enchanting evening!!!

all the comforts of home

Jim did some Parasailing. . .

3 year old aligator...it's alive...but pretty docile...those in the water weren't

at least 6 foot...we saw a HUGE MONSTER one on the banks but at a distance but several up close but not too personal!!! we heard stories...glad I don't live in Florida...I watch for scorpions whenever I am out but there you have to watch for aligators ~

found this on our bed when we got back to the room...a donation was placed in our name to save the Sea Turtle...every night/day there was a surprise...one night a NOOK, etc.....

Jim dreaming of another toy

I DO LOVE THESE PAID FOR BY SOMEONE ELSE GET AWAYS
AND THIS WAS ANOTHER GOOD ONE...THANKS TITAN INSURANCE GROUP!!!

I will be posting more pictures but I wanted to get this up

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR

2011-10-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

AWAY!!!

we were in Atlanta Georgia today for a little over an hour and didn't see our son Van...my eyes were stretched up and down the concourses as we walked/rushed across that huge airport hoping against hope that he would be there picking up a missionary or something... it didn't happen...not that we really expected it nor would have approached him or anything like that but it was so good to be that close in his city as he has been there for almost 10 months with 14 to go...

at least we know that he is happy, healthy, loving the Georgian people and enjoying life there in Atlanta Georgia North expanding his skills, one of which is...

I LOVE THIS PICTURE

I tried for years to get him to pick up and learn the harmonica...a musical instrument that you can carry around with you...and I got this picture last email...they are playing Primary Songs and Hymns...wish I could hear their performance !

and he also sent this one...he is finally being able to ride his bike...he's been driving around in a car until 2 weeks ago in a transfer...love this picture showing his new bike basket of which he is very proud...notice the duct tape...guess he couldn't get a hold of any bailing wire that is his dads choice...I kind of think that he needs go get something different...at least he can be easily spotted and hopefully it's a source of good conversation...sure love that missionary!!!

TRI RIMMED

2011-10-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

they went back

to the Canyon after just * doing it a couple of weeks ago

Jodi and Luke just called...it's 2:30 am...they started yesterday morning at 5:30 after leaving here at 10 am, driving 5 hours, getting a couple hours of sleep and then they started...they are out...20 hours of hiking 48 miles...now I can get some sleep...they both took their cameras so I am hoping to see some sweet pictures and thank goodness Luke took his phone, checked in with a worried mom (me) and they stayed together!!

I have done "the waiting to hear game" many many times through the years...not only about the Tri Rims but the Rim2Rims...but this post is about the Rim to Rim to Rim's

I think that the 1st time anyone in our family did it was back when Jodi (10th grade year) hiked it with Dale and Matt...Jim and Jimmy (8th grade year) were also there but Jimmy got dehydrated 2 miles from the top of the North the steepest Rim so they went back down slowly and spent time rehydrating. Jim had to physically hold Jimmy back from drinking the water out of Bright Angel Creek and then slow and easy back up and out at the South Rim...we didn't have cell phones back then and I was home in Mesa with the younger kids, anxious for that call saying that they were out I would much rather be right there at the canyon even if just at the top waiting than home waiting...

the 2nd time we were camping out on the South Rim Tri's always start on the South, R2R always start on the North in our group Jim, Jimmy, Jodi, Rita, Luke, Willie and a couple of their friends, Jamie and Dustin all left during the early hours of the morning...adding a couple of extra miles onto that 48 as they took a wrong long and wandering turn before arriving at the Bright Angel Trail Head, they wanted to walk there so I stayed in camp... Jim had just run his 1st marathon the Whiskey Row in Prescott 6 weeks before and not too far into that Tri Rim hike (30 miles : ) he knew that he wouldn't be able to do it all so he came back as he didn't want to hold anyone up and hung out with us...there was a camp of Scouts next to us and we got caught up in their excitment...they had this great camp wagon and like professional cooks kind of like what we have in our troop with Deron and Craig and Spence and etc., through the years and we were invited to share in their meals and even when the kids got out of the canyon they fixed food for them. These scouts were hiking down...camping out for a couple of days at the bottom and then hiking out and meeting up with the afore mentioned camp wagon on the other side anyway on this particular Tri Rim Luke got dehydrated a couple of miles from the top North Rim and big brother Jimmy stayed with him and hitch hiked across and then went back into the canyon alone and in the dark I had just read about mountain lions in the canyon so I wasn't a happy camper/hikers mom with a shirt as Willie had given his to Luke so that he could hitch hike clothed and some nutrients for Dustin and Willie...he knew that they were booking it!! I wasn't long only a couple of hours before they, the 3 of them Jimmy, Willie and Dustin arrived back in camp only to be fed by those "prepared" great cooks who were soaking up the adventure of these hikers. It was an 18 hour hike and the record still holds with our group/family...5 hours later with me sitting at the canyon the best place in the world linked above * I have spend alot of time there through the years! It was a beautiful cold night but I sat there huddled on that rock, looking down into the dark canyon periodically looking up at the beautiful starry night but waiting and praying for my girls to get out...it took them 23 hours but they were all there kind of together struggling up those switch backs...as we yelled back and forth when I finally could see them...our 3rd Tri Jodi and Rita did it again in 22 hours this time with Willie and Jimmy. The 4 of them took off after work one evening and the boys took off running, got to the top North Rim waited and waited and waited but the girls never came...they thought that they had beat them out somehow, hitch hiked across so they did the same but the girls hadn't hitch hiked they were just slow and steady and they hiked back across only to find 2 rested brothers waiting and waiting and embarrassed on the South side...the only thing hurting was their pride was Willie remark to his dad the next day and they have had to eat that humble pie over and over throught the years. And now this week ends success story the 4th Tri is yet to be told when Luke and Jodi get home later on today

I think that Jodi has Tri a coupled of other times besides these 4 posted with friends?? She has a blog...maybe she will do a long over due posting about those adventures?

hopefully they have gotten this madness out of their systems ! their mom's hair couldn't get any whiter and she is always a nervous wreck until they get out . . .I know that we are in for next years R2R...can't wait!!! and...Willie and Luke are doing another TRI sometime in MAY ?!?

i love these old pictures !

2011-10-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'd never seen this picture of my handsome dad before

I love these old gals...my great aunts Jenny, Tebe and Hattie

several of these I just saw for the 1st time tonight, thanks to my cousin Marla who posted them in the Dunn Girls facebook group...

SOMETIMES HELPING

2011-10-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

DOESN'T HELP!!!

. . . guess I don't need to elaborate on that . . .

it can mean different things to different people at different times in "our" lives

Rita's finally on etsy

2011-10-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

you can find her at TangerineTreePints

and here is a sampling of her stuff...

and my meanderings/rembling...

Love this one...Olivia's 1st room which is now Sophie's was decorated with the cutest little birds prints, mobiles, little pillows good thing this one is yellow or it could be orange as those are Livy's favorite colors!!!

and owls...LOVE THE CUTE OWLS and the colorful little banner and I especially love these little granddaughters and their creative mama~~~

this one although representative of and I am quoting from the site "the "Diving Lady" at the Starlite Motel in Mesa, she had been there for 50 years. She was destroyed in a thunderstorm in October of 2010, she was an iconic piece of Mesa and I hope she can be restored".
reminds me so much of a memory from my youth...there was a sign/billboard on the outskirts of Ephraim Utah advertising the swimming pool there in town...it was/is a college town and this was a pretty prestigious pool back in the day...anyway...the sign was a scantily clad lady sitting on a diving board on it...my friends and I took it upon ourselves to cover that middrift, etc...we even added heels to her tiny little bare feet...she looked kind of like this "diving lady" after we finished rather than a bikini it was more likely a "two piece" but hey...we were just kids and it was night and we time on our hands, a ladder, paint and a flash light...every time we could see in the distance a car would come around that corner we would all drop into the high grass, lay down the ladder and wait...then Hespert, the town's only sheriff, stopped and parked, who knows what he was doing, not talking on a cell phone, but we were stranded for awhile...fun fun times...who says that there isn't anything to do in small towns :)

YOu know I love this one and anything that has to do with missionaries as "I am a missionary minded matronly mormon mom"...I just did my mormon.org profile last week...wonder if it'll be acceptable?!

and...lately with my recent purchase of a pair of bugoculars...the grandkids have been loving collecting bugs ants & lizards so this is a favorite too!!!
I LOVE YOUR ETSY SITE RITA

and all of your TANGERINE TREE PRINTS!!!

SHE PASSED THE BAR

2011-10-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

SO WE CELEBRATED!!

I wonder what will happen next!?!

still being chased by an elephant

2011-10-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

well...really 2 elephants and one of them is really mad...wish that our High Councilman, Bro. Gardner, could/would give this talk to district 18/all of AZ...it is really getting out of hand with mud slinging and false accusations and alot of sad and embarrassing stuff going on...

neighbor against neighbor...brother against brother
we need to remember from our Declaration of Independence

ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

but more importantly...we need to remember what our Savior taught

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

and follow His example

Just wanted to link a couple of sites here a great history lesson!!! and here

and a lot more honesty, ethics and common decency!!!

what would you rather

2011-10-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

just trying to be supportive of Jim and Jodi and in some ways I am leaning in their direction...also preparing for the onslaught of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group that surfaces at the Turkey Trot...

but YEAH...

WE'RE HAVING TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING AGAIN THIS YEAR AND PROBABLY SOME HAM TOO

how many dads

2011-10-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

does it take to put a little toddler bed together??

3 of the best

at our cabin last weekend :)