ClanRodgersAZ

Trying to get Lexi

2010-08-04T23:48:00.001-07:00

She just kept responding to the request so I could try to get a better picture. What a trooper.

Life with Missionaries & Princesses

2010-08-04T23:27:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of fun at Nana and Grumpaws.

OOPS!!!

2010-05-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

It has been so long I forgot how to post a blog. I hit post the pictures before I said what I had to say about those cute Grossarths.

I showed up at Regina's on a Monday during her cleaning and she sent me to take Hayden out of school early to go to the movie. What a treat!! McKenna and I picked up Hayden and went to see "How to Train Your Dragon" And then, as you can see, the two of them posed like models for their pictures to be taken. What fun we had playing and making little loaves of bread and a great dinner. Thought I would get home at 5 and got home at 10 after a visit to Grandma.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYDEN

2010-05-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Folsom with 3 Princesses

2010-04-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

The 3 Princesses

I had a wonderful time at Ryan and Michelle’s in spite of being sick. It is really hard when you don’t act and look that sick. Ryan still wants you to empty boxes. Michelle took really good care of me. She cooked great meals every day and as much as I hated it she took the kids out without me 2 days while I slept and coughed without worrying about waking the little ones.

Whit and Connie had us over twice while I was there. Ryan and Michelle are lucky to have them there and we are lucky to have them there to look out for our kids. (They better remember who the REAL grandparents are.)

Mom loves to walk Emmy to school and and Bella and Lexie ALWAYS want to go with her. I think Bella stayed home with me 1 or 2 times.

I got a story every night too. Mom has a story and Dad has a song and a prayer. What more could a princess ask for.

I had lots of fun with the girls. Playing games, putting together puzzles, coloring. We started planting a few plants and I developed a terrible fear of going outside in the wind and weather so Michelle and Lex planted tomatoes, watermelons, squash, and strawberries. Ryan and Bella planted peas in the planter box they built. What a fun Dad. (Please take note of the red heels.)

This is us one night when we were alone trying to all get in a picture. Doesn't it look fun? It was. I love those girls. I love the kisses from Lexie to when she calls "Hi Nana!"

GOOD SAMARITAN

2009-11-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

We walked with Trent and Regina to our cars after the Undy 5000 last Saturday. We came upon an older man in the parking lot with a flat tire on his car. Trent immediately asks him if he needed any help and if he had all the parts he needed to change the tire. The man wasn’t sure. Trent quietly changed his tire, no fuss, no muss. Trent would not want any notice but he was practicing what he believes and who he is. What a good example of the Good Samaritan. Thanks Trent.

Heaven on the Coast

2009-11-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

This has been a busy week. We just got back from visiting the 3 little princesses in Arroyo Grande, CA. Ryan and Michelle went on a 7 day cruise and we went to spend 7 heavenly days with the girls. Richard, Raelynn and I had a great time with Emily, Bella, and Lexie. Since they don’t seem to miss their Mom and Dad when they are gone it is lots of fun to be with them.

Lexie is just like the youngest in all the Rodger’s families. She can do anything the oldest one can do. She kept us pretty darn busy. Michelle warned us but we had no idea of the extent of her busyness. She was into everything and I mean everything. If it was quiet for more than 60 seconds, it was too late. Repair work had to be done. The last night at 3 in the morning she emptied the fridge: milk, yogurt, cheese, carrots, water bottles, and other food stuff. Came and stood by the bed at eye level staring at me. That was the night she was awake from 12 midnight till 5. Never cried even when I threatened her with bodily harm. I think she smiled when the rocker dumped me on the floor when I fell asleep in it. At 7, when Bella and Emily came and got in my bed (the one I had made to block the door) she did too, all was forgiven, by Lexie and me. In explanation for Lexie running loose at night, Ryan and Michelle wanted Lexie trained to her youth bed while they were gone. She was great the whole time till the last night. She went to bed and went to sleep with Emily and Bella just fine every night but Friday. We never had to repeatedly put her back in the bed. She made up for it that last night. She never cries except when getting up from a nap. Makes you not want to give her one. And is always smiling that great smile of hers. When you catch her at something and say “No” or “Naah” and she jerks back and smiles, you can’t help but smile at her and grab her and kiss and hug her. She eats like a little horse too. Made our hearts glad.

Bella chose not to walk to school each day with Emily, Lexie, and me. She wanted to stay with Grumpaw and get tickled. She loved sitting and watching TV with him, “Tom and Jerry.” Bella helped me a lot with organizing drawers. We spent a lot of time talking. We didn’t do puzzles very much this time because Lexie’s hands were in everything. But Bella told me about everything from her birthday at Disneyland, to her cake, to all about her friend Gage, to being a Mommy someday. She is very prim and has all the hand motions to prove it. Bella and Emily just recently had their ears pierced. Everyday we went through the routine of cleaning and changing earrings. It was really quite fun. Bella had hers done first and has quite a few earrings and is very generous about sharing them with Emily. Bella is a sweetheart.

Emily is a Rodgers. Quick witted and could talk you to death. But of course she has something to say. On the way home with Em and her Dad, who can hit 100mph on the on ramp in 10 seconds, I said “Is your Dad a crazy driver”? Em said “Nana, THAT is a stupid question”. Isn’t that cute? Emily is a picky eater but she loved Grandpaw’s cooking. We couldn’t believe it. You would think we had bribed her the way she complimented and soft soaped us about how good the food was or how well I did a list or some other thing. Maybe it was how many times we went to her favorite yogurt shop. We loved having her be the first one in the bed with us every morning at 6 or 7, even on the weekend. She came to talk not to sleep. In the years to come she will probably share her inter most secrets with her parents at that time. We played Apple Scrabble and she beat the pants off her friend and me. She has even taken on crossword puzzles and Sudoku. Emily is sharp. Friday night we had a Night at the Drive-in on our deck. We set up the lawn chairs on the deck to face the TV room window, opened the window, waited on the sun to go down, turned the lights out, turned up the volume, fixed hot dogs, fries and soda, popcorn, and candy. Emily wrapped up in a blanket and watched all of “ “. The rest of us were to cold to stay out side and watched from inside the movie theater. It was a fun night.

We read stories every night. I read the story from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle titled “Harbin the Slowpoke”. Emily became Harbilina. (It isn’t her favorite nickname, hum Lulu?) We’re still looking for the powder from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to sprinkle on Emily’s shoes. Does anyone know where it is? Nana will give a reward for it.

They were all 3 so happy and easy to get along with. I’m glad we’re in good health because we were running all the time and came home not needing to rest. That made it a really fun trip and the kids really enjoyable.

Lastly, Regina and Trent; take a trip so we can come and stay with your kids. We want to watch the cute things they do and say on a daily basis. It has been a while. They grow up so fast.

We're happy we get to see the 3 little missionaries all the time. We love them. We love our life.

Grandma Joyce

2009-11-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

How lucky can one person be???

I’ve spent some time with Grandma Joyce all by myself the last couple of months. It has been like a vacation for me. She has really slowed down from her hundred miles an hour that she has run for the last 85 years; but she can still run small circles around most of us. If nothing else the stories she tells about her adventures through life as a wife and mother are enough to tire any normal woman out.

Last Wednesday I had Jury Duty and had to be there at 1:00 in the afternoon. The case was going to last 5 to 7 days. The judge said not to try to use the grandmother excuse to get out of jury duty. We are leaving for Ryan’s on Thursday. I feel a patriotic responsibility to serve so I would never use the grandmother card unless Lexie was calling. Well Lexie is calling, I told the judge, he had no choice, and he let me go.

I arrived at Grandma Joyce’s with 2 of our Rodger’s family Christmas projects. Grandma’s monitor stopped beeping. She had a new reason for living. She went to work and if she hadn’t had so many phone calls and so much company we would have gotten finished with the stockings. Nancy helped a bit. (We are really going to owe them when Crystal gets married.) I left the stockings and pillow cases at her insistence. She hasn’t been this happy in a long time. I may have to look for other projects for her.

I learned a few new things about Grandma during this visit. One is where Ryan gets his desire for long, long, long showers. Grandma told me she loves to get in the shower and stay there. She pays the bill so she can. I told her about Ryan and she said “You go Ryan.” . I made a late run to Sam’s Club Wednesday night for chocolate and we ate nuts and chocolate for dinner because we could
We called Dad/Richard and ask him to bring stuff we needed on Thursday. He was wonderful. He did. The garage door stopped working so we called Dad and he came on Friday (and brought stuff) and he and Uncle Alan worked on the garage door. Dad left and Uncle Alan finished up. Dad left at 3:30 to run an errand for Wendy and for a meeting at home Friday night. On Friday afternoon Grandma and I talked about needing my sewing machine to finish the stockings in just a couple of hours. Grandma laughed a mischievous laugh and said “Call Richard one more time and ask him to bring your machine in the morning and we could be done.” She was half kidding but would have loved it if I had. I didn’t. I came home on Friday night before she wore me out. Hopefully she is resting now.

Life is good.

I love Grandma Joyce's philosophy on life. She always wanted to make a lovely home for her husband and children and see her children grow in truth and righteousness. She has done a great job achieving her desires. She is a great Matriarch. Any of us would do well to pattern ourselves and our lives after her.

This is it

2009-09-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

Trailing.................2009

2009-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I loved taking Savannah to the airport to send her to EFY on July 12th. It was so fun to spend the afternoon with her. I wish it hadn't been sandwiched between two very exciting activities -

Wicked and EFY

We thought it would be a quick drive by and drop off but it turned out that I went with her to the gate and then her plane was delayed and we had dinner and talked and talked. They swapped her plane for one that worked and she was on her way to one of the best weeks of her life. I'm glad I was a small part of it. Savannah, you are so put together and so beautiful. Wow!!

Trailing Thoughts From the Summer 2009

2009-08-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Some happenings I don't want to forget so I better start putting them down. Now that the kids are back in school maybe I will catch up. I sure love all of these kids. I must tell this one on Bella. Only the adults can read this. Don't mention it to Bella. I believe we were home from the beach 2 days, like Sunday evening, and I was talking on the phone with Richelle and Grumpaw was watching TV. I was standing in the family room next to my desk. Emily was sitting at my desk. The card table was set up in the family room in front of the TV with a 1000 piece puzzle on it. I had been working on it for about a month and had almost finished it. It lacked about 25 pieces being finished. Bella walked over to the card table and tried to put in a puzzle piece and then with both hand made circles on top of the card table with the puzzle pieces. I went berserk. Richelle thought someone had drowned. It was the only time Bella cried while she was here. We all got over it.

I think I will put the puzzle back up today and start over. I love Bella. I love Mary Ellen's statue that has magic marker on it by someone who shall remain nameless. I love the foot prints on my back from the bottom of the pool. I love the foot prints in my garden. I love holding their hands next to my bed at night. I love being asked if it's time to get up yet at 6:30 am. I love being ask "Can we come swimming?" or "Will you come to my party?" or "Havn't you finished it yet?" Or being call Nana or Monkey. Or even Grandma, yuk!

A Concerned Mother,Sister, & Friend

2009-08-24T06:03:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have caused me to reflect quite often on the need for balance in our lives and how hard it is to maintain. It is next to impossible to 'take care' of ourselves, the family we live with, our children, our extended family, our close friends, and those we want to be close to. (Take care of and feel satisfied with the care we are giving.) Care meaning love them and communicate with them and try to interact with them. Lots of prayers have been offered to get us through today (and I mean particular today today.) Today is a hand ringing day for me. It is bad enough that it is a MONDAY and a new week is starting; i.e. school, work, doctors, clinics, out patient. (I'm not leaving the house.) I will have a prayer in my heart for each one of you today. I will be waiting to hear by bedtime that you are all home safe and 'well'.

My sister, Judy (Aunt Sandy) has her first Chemo treatment today, a 6 hour drip. She has been told she could be violently ill and it could take longer because they may have to start and stop a number of times but it will get easier with each treatment. It looks like it would be easier the first time. My heart breaks for her. I wish I could do it for her. I wish no one had to do it. She is good at biting heads off but I hope today she has a calm spirit and has an over abundance of the comforter with her.

My brother Frank is spending the summer in Cottonwood, AZ. It is nice to have him close. Richard is so good about calling and checking on him and his wife Janie. Frank has had stints put in and has an aneurysm and disk in his back that need to be repaired. The doctors will not do the second without doing the first. Vicious circle. Looks like some action may be taken with him this week. We are waiting on pins and needles to hear. Richard will call to check on them.

My very old and dear friend Linda lost her husband Dave a week ago Friday to cancer. They thought they at least had a couple of months but his heart and lungs just gave out. She has certainly had her trials. She lost her son Lewis to juvenile diabetes a few years ago. She is a strong woman and has a lot of faith in Heavenly Father. Still, being a lone is going to be very hard. She has a daughter she is very close to. They are lucky to have each other. The memorial service is today in Colorado. There will be another one here in Arizona.

What a good looking bunch! Will we ever have ALL of us together again?

Worrying about all these kids is enough to cause an ulcer. One has a CT scan today, Randi has a colonoscopy, Richelle has an appointment for a colonoscopy, Regina just had one, Ryan and Robyn are making appointments, Raelynn just had one last year. Doesn't need one for 4 more years. Maybe we'll do it sooner if this doctor wants to study her along with the rest of the kids under the same CLOUD, or umbrella as the case may be. I am so glad the Rodgers are not procrastinators about their health and they take it seriously. This is serious and I do worry. Thanks!

The Long, Long, Long Summer

2009-08-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

We wouldn't have it any other way. Grumpaw and Nana have reminised a lot about our on happy childhoods this summer as we have spent time with Bella, Emily and all the other grand kids. We have had such a wonderful time with all of them.

As we were preparing to leave San Diego to come to Phoenix Bella told her Mother she needed bandaids and she needed them sent to Phoenix and she needed them to get there the next day because Bella was going to Phoenix and she needed the bandaids to be waiting for her. We thought that was great that she didn't even consider going north, she was going east. We are so happy to report that there was never a tear or a request for Mommy or Daddy or to go home the whole 3 weeks (that is 21 days) that they were with extended family. G and N think that is a tribute to their Mom and Dad and to us and loving aunts and uncles and counsins for teaching them to love each other and want to be together. It was like Christmas but it was finally over. It was lots fun and we can't wait to do it again. No regrets and lots of good memories. We'll have some comments as we recall them and some pictures other than the ones Richelle and Michelle didn't post.

(R&M this picture was not taken on the way home from SD. It is a sample of happy children watching vedio's. Emily's carseat was used from SD.)

The aunts Richelle, Randi, and Robyn and even cousin Sydney had a great time shopping with the Bella and Emily. They are lucky girls. Every girl should be so lucky to have benefactors like them. And then one day Aunt Robyn came over and spent some time (Aunt Richelle already mentioned it) playing with all the kids. It was a MARVELOUS break for Richelle and Nana to sit back for a while and watch them have fun with crayons and playdoh and silly string. I think Aunt Robyn had as much fun coloring as anybody else. I bet the pictures she colored are on her refridgerator. We'll look next time we are at her house. What a great time that day was! WAIT... Maybe she was using coloring as an excuse to not wash out that poopy diaper that everybody was getting blamed for.

Hayden, McKenna and Brooklyn were here for 2 nights and we had lots of fun. Richelle is a hands on aunt. She is so helpful and she lets me be involved lots of times. She is the instigator most of the time.
Anyway, one morning McKenna and Bella were playing upstairs after they got up and Bella insinuated that McKenna had an accident in her pants. McKenna said "No I didn't." That was the end of that. I came down stairs and Hayden says "Grandpa needs to take a bath and brush his teeth. He stinks really bad." He was so serious. It turned out that Raelynn had been to the bathroom and we needed to set a bomb off to get the smell out of the house. The Rodger's curse. I will not post a picture.
I will post a picture of what we did at 9, 1, 3, 5, and/or 7:00. We didn't need or feel like going away from the house.

Quote for July 2009

2009-07-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

We found this sheet of paper laying around one day. Raelynn's handy work is quite often a surprise and this one was a real surprise. It read as follows:

HEY. YOURE DROPPING ALL OUR MONEY. YO FOOL!

We wondered how she found out!!!! She's smater than we thought.

The Beach 2009

2009-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Just cute!

The dare devil!!

Our little home is behind the loving child and ancient one.

Grumpaw and I thought it would be a great idea for Emily and Bella to join us at the beach this year and then come home with us to Glendale for a week or two. We are in day 16 and could not have asked for a better adventure. The 4th of July Ryan and Michelle left and we put the girls to bed in the cottage and they have not once cried to go home, attribute to us and their parents.

We're sharing some of the wonderful pictures we took when my battery wasn't dead.
----------------------
Billy slept on the air bed on the floor in the living room and the 2 princesses slept on the futon in the living room. Every morning Emily got in bed with us, and continues to. Bella has slept till 8 or 8:30 every day. Even if Billy slept till 9 or 9:30 he never even once complained about them being 2 feet from his head and coloring and eating and talking. They were very kind to each other. He played with them and teased them until it was time to go get the other cousins from the beach house.
Beach Cottage - about 400 sq feet. You can emagine how big the bathroom was.

Our fun mornings with Billy sleeping at their feet.

Things we did at the beach:

Inside we read silly poems, sang songs, watched movies, played dominoes (I really hate getting beat by a 7 year old more often than I win. She is so darn cocky about it too.)and a few other kid games.

Outside we walked on the beach, hunted for shells, went to the Shell Shop, went to Cow-a-Bunga, ate at the Peir for my birthday (Fisherman caught a big shufflenose.), went fishing, played in the sand, played in the water (I couldn't take pictures. I had to watch Emily like a hawk or she would have been out with the surfers.), played in deep sand holes (The Jr Life Guards dug holes 10 ft deep by 15 across.), went to the park (Chased the motorized cars like robots.), went to the Lifegaurd monument.

Playing on the wall was something they all had to do. They had to see if they could kee from falling off on to the rocks.

Emily made a new friend at the beach.

I think the little ones were happy not leaving the beach the whole week. I certainly was.

Fruits of the Earth

2009-06-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a whole meal from our garden. The wonderful part is Nana is the only one who will eat any of it. Nana can't even bribe anyone to eat them. What strange people the Rodgers are! No wonder Nana is so healthy. She just can't understand why she is so fat.

Have a veggie day.

One More Great Moment

2009-06-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

We were up till 2 on Thursday night watching movies. Another story.

Friday morning Nana was dreaming away in a very pleasant dream. In my dream I had run into an old friend (from an old Ward) who in the past had always been a little sour but now she was very contented. I didn't ask her what had changed her, but she started telling me anyway about a program that centered on a book about positive thinking and forgiving. She had been married and divorced, sour before and sour after, but this book had shown her how to forgive and go on with her life and be HAPPY.

(This is where it gets good.)

Derek just happens to be sitting next to me in my dream. In my dream my thought is "I should get this book and maybe it would show me how to forgive and forget and be happy."

STOP!!!!!

At that moment I think "I've done that", and I'm roused out of my dream in the fetal position with my prayer hands under my cheeks and a smile on my face and mouth "My life is perfect. I don't need that book."

DaDa!

Next moment, the whistle blows and it is Richard blowing the whistle at the bottom of the stairs for me to come to breakfast. Remember the Princess in the movie 'Enchanted' flowing around the room? That is how I looked when I came down the stairs in my green print Pj's and Derek, Savannah, and Brooklyn were already seated at the table and Richard was putting one and half inch thick French toast made with home made bread on the table with hot syrup and juice. He is the best!! What else can I say? Of course the story goes on. It was about 10:15 and we were meeting Richelle at the movie at 11:10. Needless to say we were out of there and Grandpaw did what he always does and cleaned up after us. We love him.

Another great day in my GREAT life.

Quote from the Parents

2009-06-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, May 30th, was a little different. Nana was still lying in the bed at 9:30 (no comments please) and Grumpaw had come upstairs. The phone rang and he lay down on the bed to talk. It was his friend Gene Saunders calling from Logan, Utah to check on one of their home teaching families. After they talked about that they went on to other subjects and Grumpaw says "Dianne had some of the grand kids here the last couple of days playing with them and having a good time. They're going home today. Talk to you later." Sounded like a normal conversation. I'm flattered. He didn't even know what happened. Of course 15 minutes later he had to make it up to me and go to Safeway and buy donuts for all of us, which he did without any complaint at all. I got apple fritters which I love.

HAPPINESS

2009-06-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

You are the flowers in our garden!!!

This past week we had the start of a discussion on being happy in this world in spite of the difficulties that we encounter and the trials we face. I mentioned I had read something recently that was encouraging and I would look for it.
I found it.
April 2009 General Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The Power of Covenants -
"We need strong Christians who can persevere against hardships, who can sustain hope through tragedy, who can lift others by their example and their compassion, and who can consistently overcome temptations. We need strong Christians who can make important things happen by their faith and who can defend the truth of Jesus Christ against moral relativism and militant atheism."
My perception on this is simple. These strong Christians have a smile on their face. Having HOPE suggest we see the bright side. Everyone faces tragedy. We just have to keep picking ourselves up one more time. Don't we love to be around people who are good examples or who are compassionate toward us? When someone put their arm around us or touches our hand doesn't that tell us they love us and are concerned for our happiness? When we do that aren't we expresses our love and concern? When a little child says "Thank you" or "I Wove Vue" its because you have been a good example in saying those words. When we get up and go where we're supposed to and practice what we're supposed to and stop ourselves from saying things we would like to say when it would hurt someone we're overcoming temptations. We all have to do that.
And boy we better have a STRONG faith in Jesus Christ and stay away from those last two things. Nana had to look them up; moral relativism and militant atheism. I would rather play in the pool with the 3 year olds. I may have to grow up. Heavenly Father protects the simple minded but YOU are not simple minded.
Gain all the knowledge you can and be "Strong Christians" and finally endure to the end. Enduring to the end requires more than just being here till the end. We need to endure WELL to the end. Put a smile :) on your face. Poop happens. We all go through it. We've got each other. There is always a haven and someone to talk to (Heavenly Father and Grumpaw or Nana.)

FUTURE ROYALTY

2009-05-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

These pictures depict what a prince and 2 princesses look like. They're party animals; they play, they swim at 9am or 9pm, they eat, they watch movies, they sleep late, they stay up late, they look beautiful and handsome and their slaves adore them. We want to know when they will be back to their summer castle?????? We'll be pining for them till they return.

(Please refer to Richelle and Randi's blog for other pictures.)

Birthdays

2009-05-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hayden celebrated his birthday today with two of his Primary friends. What a fun day for him and his friends and his sisters and his cousins. Grandpaw and I were up and out of the house before 8:30 to pickup Derek, Carsen, and Jake to take them, along with a Pokemon cake and a Poodle cake and a cotton candy machine, to Hayden's house. We had a great time. Regina and her friends had a water slide, bubble machine, pizza, and ice cream. The kids were wet and happy. Hayden had a great happy smile on that sweet face and McKenna was happy to set on our laps and let us love her.

We had a great week and weekend and Memorial Day with kids and dogs and swimming. Thank goodness for Sunday and rest.

TOGETHER FOREVER

We love each other and we love our children and grandchildren and great children. We love the Lord and are truly grateful to Him for the great life we have and for blessing us so abundantly.

Ryan's Granduation

2009-05-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures that Carlys took at Ryan's graduation. We had such a great time with Ryan, Michelle, the 3 little princesses,Richelle, and Randi. We celebrated and played and loved each other and cried when we had to part.

'It is the kind of suffering that comes from loving another so much.'

Couples Tag

2009-05-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

I used to not really like tags, but I see that we haven't blogged for a week and a half and I'm glad to have something to write about:

♥ What are your middle names? Mine is Joan and Richard's is Lyle.
♥ How long have you been together? We met 12 years ago this coming September. We were married 11 years ago March 13th.
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? Our first meeting was a blind date. Our next date was 2 weeks later.
♥ Who asked who out? Richard's brother and sister-in-law, Alan and Nancy, arranged our meeting. Richard ask me out on the date 2 weeks later to a high priest activity. I think he left safe in those surroundings. He says he thinks I felt safe in those surroundings.
♥ How old are each of you? Richard will be 66 in Aug. and Carlys will be 64 in July.
♥ Whose siblings do you see the most? Richard's of course. We see my brother Frank once or twice a year. We see Judy and Bud every 3 years whether they like it or not.
♥ Do you have any children together? No. It's not humanly possible.
♥What about pets? No. I have a stuffed otter.
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Richard is to easy on Raelynn. I'm to hard on her. I don't believe he expects he expects enough out of her.
♥ Did you go to the same school? No.
♥ Are you from the same home town? No. How far apart can 2 people be. Richard is from Blackfoot, Idaho. I'm from Carrollton, Al. by way of Memphis, Tn.
♥Who is smarter? Richard is intellectually smarter. I have more common sense.
♥ Who is more sensitive? I (Carlys) am of course.
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Within 5 miles of the house. Anything that sounds goods at the moment.
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Antigua
♥ Who has the craziest exes? Carlys of course.
♥ Who has the worst temper? Richard does UNLESS he speaks to Carlys in a rude manner.
♥ Who does the cooking? Richard does most of the time. He likes meat and potatoes most of the time and I would like to branch out a little more. If he wants what he likes he'll have to cook it himself. Sad but true.
♥Who is more social? Richard. I watch Raelynn most of the time. Richard doesn't even know she is in the room
♥ Who is the neat-freak? Neither one of us is a nut case about it. We like things clean and kinda neat and things in their place
♥ Who is more stubborn? Raelynn.
♥ Who hogs the bed? There's enough room for both of us.
♥ Who wakes up earlier? We are about even. Some days it's me. Most days it's Richard. He has a hard time sleeping most nights.
♥ Where was your first date? Mimi's. I, Carlys, thought it was a great start. I don't understand why Richard has never wanted to go there again.
♥ Who has the bigger family? Richard does and I love it.
♥ Do you get flowers often? Yes I, Carlys, do and they are always beautiful. Richard never gets flowers.
♥ How do you spend the holidays? Always with family. Just the way it should be.
♥ Who is more jealous? Neither one of us. No need to be.
♥ How long did it take to get serious? It took Richard a little longer than it took me. I was a goner when I met Nancy.
♥Who eats more? We both do our share.
♥ Who does the laundry? Carlys does. She doesn't like people to touch her wash.
♥ Who’s better with the computer? Have you seen Richard's hands. They are way to big to be using a computer.
♥ Who drives when you are together? Richard does most of the time. With Carlys' new car she is driving more around town and Richard is the passenger more often.

We're tagging anyone older than 50 that reads the blog.

Surprise Swimmer

2009-05-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a half day at school for 2 of the little Richards missionaries so we picked them up and it was an explosion from there. Check out Richelle's blog for the pictures of the gardening experiences. They were endearing. We have a piece of heaven in our back yard. It lays dormant until a little person enters it. Yesterday it was awake........

Jake joined us at 3. Becky, Emma, and Mikey joined us at 3:30. The sister missionaries joined us at 4:15. Richelle joined us at about 4:45. We sat down to dinner at 5 and the door bell rang during the prayer. We all laughed. It was a boy scout wanting to go over his eagle scout project paper work with Grumpaw. The scout and his Dad weren't hungry thank goodness because there was no more room in the kitchen.

We only have pictures of the pool Troll and his victims. When the Troll first got in the pool the victims just stood there with their mouths open. That was the first funny part. Then the Troll took control of the pool. Derek was pretty brave a couple of times and flashed by the Troll like lightening. But he slowed down for one second one time and he was Troll food from then on. It was great fun watching them try to evade the Troll and his cannon balls. Grumpaw doesn't usually get in the pool because of the cold water but he loved it on this day.

Pool Troll in his cave

Troll has him where he wants him. Carsen stayed out of reach.

Derek just couldn't learn to stay far enough away from the loooooooooong arms of the Troll.

Our Happy Life

2009-05-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

Nana (I in this blog) and Grumpaw have such a happy life. Each and every one of you contributes to our happiness. We recognize you each face trials and difficulties but you are brave and courageous and real fighters. You never quit no matter what the obstacles. We are so proud of every one of you and we love you more than you know. You will find out when you age because your kids wear you out the way you wear us out and you learn to love it.
We have been very busy loving you a lot lately and Nana is pretty exhausted some Monday's. Grumpaw is fine. He just goes and makes a couple of pens or calls an old scout and he feels better.

Birthday cakes and other cakes and a bus trip with Carsen to the Wildlife Zoo and birthday lunches.

Wendy's Birthday

McKenna came in March and stayed a couple of nights. She is so excited about being the only child at Nana's. She brought 4 or 5 plastic bags full of clothes when she came. We've made a permanent bed on the floor next to our bed for little people. They are right next to me and I can turn over and pull a blanket up over them. Richelle and I took McKenna and Jake to the Zoo for Christmas Presents. We had fun. I love touching the stingrays. McKenna was not crazy about that. The stingrays wanted to suck on our fingers in case we had food. McKenna didn't want to have anything to do with that. She did miss her Mom after 2 days and was ready to make the trek back to Gilbert. She is such a cuddle bunny we love having her. She came this past weekend to visit overnight. She watered plants and looked like a MOVIE STAR.

Cute as you can see. She played on the Baja step of the pool and read books and worked puzzles. She is easy to bring home with us because she wants to come. WE LOVE YOU MCKENNA!!!!

We kept the 3 little Richards' missionaries for their parents so they could go away for their anniversary. (We certainly want them to be happy.) I stayed at their house and everybody was a lot happier, you know, screamin' Jake. We had a fun time, T-Ball, swimming, a movie. Jake was starting to like me until I took him to a scary movie. Now he wants to know why Nana would take him to a scary movie, Monsters vs. Aliens. I spent Monday in the bed till noon and vegged still Tuesday. I think I'm Ok now.
The next weekend the Hawkins went away and Sydney and Billy were with us for a couple of days. What a joy! They can stay anytime. They are so cooperative and adaptable. We thought we would have time for at least a couple of fun activities during General Conference weekend but Michael, Wendy's Husband, went in the hospital with an infection. Sydney and Billy could not have been more cooperative. They went where we ask and did what we ask. We didn't know what Michael's problem was in the beginning so their cooperation made our lives much easier and relieved a lot of stress. We are excited for Sydney to get her drivers license. She is READY! We are ready. She can come visit us more often. Please get her license. Estoy esperandole su llamada por telefono.

Michael's visit to the hospital was very stressful. Michelle's mother was a wonderful help. Michael would still be sick or dead if it weren't for Bobbi. We are tied to the Smiths in more than one way now. We loooovvvvveeee Bobbi. We worried so much about Michael and are so glad he is back at work and riding his bike again.

You've seen the pictures of Richelle and her surgery. We had her at our house for 3 days and cared for her as our 'Best Beloved'. It was so peaceful having her set in the yard with the flowers and Raelynn while I watered. It was so cool and comfy relaxing. Each year we have experiences thatbind each of us closer together. When you talk until 2 in the morning you get closer to a person. We're glad she is well and taking care of her little missionaries again, but we miss her and the boys visits.

I went to SLC to visit the 8th child and 14th grandchild in their new house. Found everything snowy and cold one day and sunny and warn the next. Had a fun relaxing time. Always do. We stripped the fireplace mantel so Suzanne decided all the other woodwork in the house will be done by someone else. Lots of work buts it's to be expected in a house built in about 1930.

Suzanne has given up skating in the Derby but is still managing. As a family they have taken up recreational skating. It's a great spring time activity for SLC and they are so close to great places to skate in downtown. I guess Rebecca will be the next Roller Derby Queen. Zack just hangs around adoring Rebecca what ever she is doing.

Well Grandpaw and Nana just hang around adoring each other too. I guess that is why life is so good. Gag.....

Trickters

2009-04-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

My brother Bud was born on April first. We always thought he was the biggest joke around. But there is a bigger jokester in the family who is rather young. This is how the story goes from my end. Nana was so excited to get a GIFT from the Rodgers in Arroyo Grande, CA. (Side note: Suzanne's Bill was born in Arroyo Grande in 1964.) It was so sweet of Emily, especially; to send what I thought was an early Easter gift of chocolate. I wanted to open it when I could talk to Emily on the phone, so you can imagine how my mouth watered every morning and night as I looked at that giant Hershey Kiss

and wanted to take a big bite out of it. (I was running back and forth to the hospital to see Uncle Michael, so I was having a hard time catching her during the day.) Finally the day came and I called Emily and she was so innocent and sweet and I told her how excited I was to eat the chocolate so I took a great big bite and began to chew and I tried to be nice but I was glad she couldn't see my face.

PICTURE OF INNONCENCE

I wanted to gag and choke and spit. It was awful. It tasted very, very salty and chewy and I didn't want to swallow it. I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I told her it was very interesting and she started to giggle. And then she told me it was Play Dough and chocolate mixed together. And it wasn't for Easter it was for April Fools Day! Thank goodness for the Symphony Bar she sent because it got the bad taste out of my mouth. Is it your Mom or your Dad that is the bad influence on you? In any case Emily you never know when the NANSTER will strike. Keep your guard up.

p.s. I know there are jokesters in heaven otherwise my life would not be so funny.

FREE! FREE! FREE!

2009-03-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Like Michelle I'm doing this because it was hard to pass up something for free, and we're apparently getting a gift free from Michelle.

"The first three people to comment on this post will receive a gift from me within the next year. You don't get to know when or what it is, but before you comment, you have to do a post like this and offer 3 gifts to the first three comments on your post so we can share the love. What do you think? Hurry, post and then comment!!"

Need List

2009-02-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

I don't want to do the "NEED LIST"! The first one to come up for my name was

Carlys needs to die!

so I quit.......

I'm going to plant flowers.....

Words for Thought

2009-02-20T20:50:00.000-08:00

I found this in the The New Era and thought it was thought provoking. Bishop H. David Burton shared some thoughts on More and Less in today’s terms. He says “The meaning of more and less is not always crystal clear. There are times when less is in reality more and times when more can be less.” And so………

The virtues expressed in the song “More Holiness Give Me” fall into several groups.

Personal goals:
More holiness give me
More strivings within
More faith, gratitude, and purity
More fit for the kingdom
More purpose in prayer
More trust in the Lord

Some Center on Adversity:
Patience in suffering
Meekness in trial
Praise for relief
Strength to overcome
Freedom from earth stains
Longing for home

The rest firmly anchor us to our Savior:
More sense of His care
More pride in His glory
More hope in His word
More joy in His service
More tears for His sorrows
More pain at His grief
More blessed and holy
More Savior, like Thee

More of these virtues is better. Less is not desirable, but gratitude for them is desirable. What a wonderful way to look at this song the next time we sing it or look at it in the song book.

25 Plus 3

2009-02-17T21:46:00.001-08:00

26. My favorite daughter is – oh no I’m not going there for sure.

27. My favorite grandchild is – oh sure, like I would tell that one.

28. My favorite son is Ryan of course.

My List

2009-02-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

1. When I was a little girl I wanted to be a wife and mommy and have 12 children. The last few years we were in the military and I worked, when we moved I became an expert at delaying the job hunt for months after we moved. I always had some excuse like holidays or appointments or the cat in quarantine or looking for furniture or one car so I could stay at home and do what I thought I was supposed to be doing.
2. I have Gilbert's (Gilbre) Disease.
3. I’ve jumped out of 2 not so perfectly good airplanes.
4. I love to read. I’m a slow reader but I never give up and trudge on through even the worst of them. Sometimes I have 2or 3 books going at the same time. One upstairs, one downstairs, and maybe one I’m listening to. Until 11 years ago, a turning point in my life, I only read nonfiction. But we all know my life cannot be reality don’t we, so I will read anything now. I loved The Host and Fablehaven. Aliens and fairies. Wow!
5. My Dad was the oldest of 12 children, 8 boys and 4 girls. I love the example they family have set. I joined the Church because I believed they had every thing and here was the sealing power of the priesthood. Wonder why none of them have joined the Church.
6. One of my favorite says is “So many flavors so little time.” I’ll eat almost anything. I have a number of favorite foods such as: watermelon, tangerines, bananas, breads, Breyer’s vanilla ice cream, corn bread, fried okra, rib eye, oysters, Brazil nuts, kalua pig, haupia pudding. Hmm. I must be hungry.
7. I don’t care for Licorice or root beer.
8. I started taking clarinet in 7th grade. I moved and gave it up 3 months later.
9. I am terribly frightened of speaking in front of people. I would much rather do the work in the background and be unseen. Believe it or not I would rather take orders than give them.
10. I see the positive side of most situations and believe most people’s intentions are good. Heavenly Father loves every single one of us. I try to remember “Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” Including me.
11. I’ve lived in 10 states, visited 38 states, and the District of Columbia. They all have something to offer. I would not live in most of them again but I would visit all of them again. I love the United States and our heritage. I love visiting historical sites and the feeling I have when I do. It would be wonderful to see the world but there is so much to see in this country that I feel connected to why leave our shores.
12. I dislike my name so very much. I guess that is why I’m so persistent about being called ‘Nana.’ 20 years ago I spent months researching to find a grandmother name I really liked just like Mothers and Fathers do looking for a name for a child.
13. I once owned a red 300 ZX T Top. I never got a ticket in that one. I did get tickets in other less flashy but not that one.
14. I’m not intimidated by the Rodgers educations. I’m honored to be associated with you and impressed by all your accomplishments and hard work. Wish I had more to offer. It was hard enough getting the approximately 60 credits I do have.
15. I worry about money. I grew up very poor so financial security has always been very important to me. I have worried less about money since retirement than I ever thought I would. We are much better off than I ever thought we would be, thanks to Richard.
16. I love sophisticated clothing. When I was thinner I loved to wear heels and skirts and dresses. I never wore a pair of shoes that cost less than $75. Now Ross is good for a $13 pair of shoes. I wear a lot of hand-me-downs now. I just wish they were from Coldwater Creek. I just hate that Regina’s friend Michelle weighs so much less than me now. Maybe I should go on a diet and stay on it.
17. I loved playing racquetball in my 30’s and 40’s. I played a lot of Men’s C leagues and even came in first in one tournament. I even beat Marines in my late 30’s. It took me a long time to get past being nice to the other player. I would hit the ball to them or pick the ball up for them. After a while it was no more nice guy.
18. I love volley ball and softball too. In 1990 I was hit in the left eye with a soft ball. I had on sunglasses and as a result had 18 stitches in my eyebrow. Klutz or the red badge of courage?
19. I have loved going to Church ever since I was a little girl and I would go by myself. I have been baptized 3 times. When I was 8, as a Baptist. When I was 18 I recommitted as a Baptist. And as Grandma Joyce would say ‘The one that really counts when I was 19.’ There has never been a time when I didn’t go.
20. Suzanne whispered in my ear as I was leaving for the honeymoon “You got everything you ever wanted.” How true.
21. I thought living with a High Priest would be easier than it is.
22. I’m so glad Wendy has developed a relationship with the Rodgers girls. She needs a sister and the Rodgers girls have enough love to include another sister.
23. I loved working on Randi’s wedding. It was the most fun I had had for a long time. I hated for it to end, hated for the decorations to come down, hated to go home. It was worse than any day after Christmas ever was. Maybe we should look into getting Raelynn married.
24. I love where I’m at in life. I cannot believe Heavenly Father has blessed me so greatly. I make a joke at church that it was living principles of the Gospel that got me in to this mess. He must love me greatly. I absolutely love being able to respond when called on. I’m not as in tune as I would like to be but it is becoming easier. I love everyone of the people related to Richard and me with all my heart. Each of ‘our’ eight children and their little ones will never know the influence for good they are in my life.
25. My testimony is the most important thing in this life to me and I don’t ever want to be caught without my temple recommend.

Rambling On

2009-02-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

I forgot to tell you that Emily beat me at Yahtzee, Scrabble, and at Who Could Put the Puzzle Together the Fastest. It is a new game. I could defend myself with who had the puzzle with the most pieces and who had been practicing the most and who had the most kids climbing all over them but that would really sound petty so I won’t go there. I’ll just claim to be the very proud Nana of a very bright toothless 6 year old, which I am, and ask for another chance after I have practiced for a few months. Watch out for the revenge of the Ninja Nana.

A Much Loved Nana

2009-02-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

Grumpaw let me sleep till 10:30 today (don’t tell anybody) and showered me with flowers and kisses and kindness. What else could a Nana ask for? Nothing thanks.

Ramblings of a Traveling Nana

2009-02-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

Monday, February 2nd, Nana got up and caught a plane for SLO (San Luis Obispo) to see Ryan and Michelle and the 3 little princesses. The visit started with a beautiful drive down the 227 to their new home in Arroyo Grande (AG). Beautiful green vineyards, farms houses, and 2 lane roads. Not a long distance but a lovely ride. R&M live on the ocean side of a hill with a lovely view: daytime of the ocean, nighttime of the ‘Village’ lights below. Leave their house to the south it is a slow downgrade. Leave to the north and you have to use first gear to go down hill. I loved it. I can’t wait to go back. It was wonderful even when it was raining and we did have a good rain. The temperature was very comfortable the whole time I was there. You hear names in the area that we all long to see like Santa Maria, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, and Pismo Beach. We went to the beach one day and played in the sand. Lexie ate sand cookies: you know cookies with sand on them. A beautiful wide beach with swings and a pier. We went for pizza at a great little local pizzeria and had yogurt at the Yogurt Creations Ryan mentioned, and it was yummy. Emily is putting out a recipe book of her creations from the Yogurt Creations Shop. She is quite creative. (I usually am adventurous but not that adventurous.)

Right now Emily is using her incisors to eat almost everything. She will have all her permanent teeth by the time she is 8 at the rate she is going as you can see by her picture.

She is loosing her teeth in clusters. She is so grownup and such a big help to her Mom. Emily started her new school on Monday and it is right by the ocean. What a great experience for her.

This expresses Emily's desire to take karate this year. Watch out boys she can defend herself even more than in the past.

Bella is very, very independent. She can do anything an older person can do just ask her. We did puzzles and colored and played hopscotch indoors and empted boxes. She is really good at getting distracted and is very grownup too. Look how beautiful she is.

Look at that hair.

And look at one tired little kido. We all wish we could sleep like that.

Lexie is a beautiful, happy baby. She started taking steps the beginning of the week. By the end of the week she was getting braver and braver. She should be running all over by now. Tell us R&M??

I love R&M’s house. The rooms are big, with big closets, lots of storage, great views, hardwood floors, and a deck with an unparalleled view.

I almost missed my flight home. We were enjoying ourselves so much at lunch we lost track of time. Don’t call the airport for assistance. USAir doesn’t have a phone at the desk and they don’t wait for you. The Management Office I got when I called said ‘Do your best.’ ’ I was the last one on a full flight and they closed the door. There were 2 people waiting for my seat but there was no one at the desk to give my seat away. Lucky me! Thanks Ryan and Michelle for a fun time.

Jake’s Separation Anxiety

2009-02-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

We had a busy week. Jake left on Sunday, Feb 1st. He was so funny. He knew his mommy was coming home after church. At 2 he put his shoes on without being told. At 3 he got his bag and put it next to him without being told. About 4 I said it’s time to go home and zoom he was out the door and in his carseat in the car waiting on me smiling uncontrollably. He got home, kissed his Mom and ran back and forth between the house and car laughing. That over Nana went home and went to bed.

All We Expected

2009-01-31T19:57:00.000-08:00

Jake has not surprised us this week. The highs have been very high and the lows very low. The important thing is Nana hasn’t gone screaming into the night. Jake has gone to bed without crying every night. We went to the Zoo on Thursday with Mickey and Wendy. We had a great time. Rode a four seater bike around half the zoo. It was not an easy ride but fun. The weather was perfect so the animals were out. The cheetah was so close and was pacing. The boys rode the camel and the carrousel. And we loved the stingrays. They were hungry and tried to suck on my hand. It was great. Mickey wanted to climb the wall but decided it wasn’t such a great idea after he got 4 feet off the ground. Jake said his mother told him no, he couldn’t do it. Funny. We ate and left very happy. Jake went to Regina’s for a couple of hours on Friday night and when I picked him up it was like he was leaving the Happiest Place On Earth. He was glad to leave with us but he certainly had a happy time with Hayden and McKenna.

'I Touched a Stingray at the Phx Zoo'

Friday Jake went to pick flowers out to plant for his Mommy and vegetables for my garden. Today he and I planted the flowers for his Mommy. He says they are beautiful. We went to the park today too. Jake’s a busy boy.

"Pretty purple and white and yellow pancies in our garden grow."

Monday Nana leaves for Arroyo Grande, Ca, Ryan and Michelle’s new home. She’ll be there for a week giving Michelle a little time to shop for their new home. It’ll be great fun to see Emily, Bella, and Lexi, and play with them.

Supper Grandparents

2009-01-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Today is Suzanne's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I have a very poor memory but I do remember 43 years ago today and it was one of the better days in my life. Have a GREAT day Suzanne!! Love you!!

Only the facts Ma’am, only the facts. Today Richelle left for the Happiest Place on Earth with Anthony, Derek and Carsen. Jake is staying with Nana Carlys and Grumpaw. We have concerns about scream’ in Jake as we should. But never fear Super Nana is here. Well let me share a few things that transpired today.
Lori left him and Jake stopped crying before she got in her car. I thought we were off to a good start. He only tuned up off and on after that. We were blessed with Ryan’s presence for dinner tonight. Thank goodness!! First Jake was watching ‘Dora’ and the show ask for the viewer to repeat after Dora. One word was map. Ryan said to Jake ‘Big Guy, say map’ and Jake said map. I said ‘Jake say map’ and Jake said ‘NO!’ which was the answer to every question Nana ask. We sat down to dinner. I called Jake to dinner and Jake said ‘NO!’ Ryan said ‘Big Guy, do you want to come eat some dinner so you can have some ice cream?’ Jake jumped up and looked and then came in the kitchen and climbed in his chair and ate his dinner. We were concerned about Ryan leaving but at bedtime my powers worked and he fell asleep in my arms of his own choice. He climbed up their on his own. That was after he came out from lying behind the couch. He’ll be just fine. Randi, I’ll be talking to yours en uterto (sp) so we start our ties sooner.

Uncle Eric and Aunt Jeannie have been here for a week visiting Sarah and Joe and their new baby Rockwell, who by the way is absolutely adorable. He is what you call a pretty boy baby. Congratulations to them. Jeannie is staying with Sarah and Eric is staying at our house at night and playing with Dad part of the time. We have really enjoyed having him. Richard and Eric have really had fun together especially making sawdust. I have some really cute small jewelry bowls that Eric made like it was a snap. They look like they are having such a great time.

We’ve had such a fun week: making bread with Jake, making boysenberry jam, a new stew recipe with cloves and cornbread (so good I thought I would die.) I finally used the wheat grinder I bought last year. Loved it. We’re ready for that part of the crisis anyway.

Comment: Alma 36:3 teaches that the youth face trials that are real and difficult. They can be strengthened during their trials and overcome them by trusting their Heavenly Father and continuing to grow in the gospel. Alma 36:3 – And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and therefore, I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.
We were ‘Heart Attacked’ tonight. What fun! Found cookies too, from the Beehives

We're Back

2009-01-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

I don’t want any snotty remarks. I just want tranquility, repose, love, pacifism, calmness. What a great life we live. Dad and Mom (Nana and Grumpaw) are happy and love our kids and adore our grandkids and great grandkids. You all are why we get up everyday. Love, Nana (“All of us are endowed with abundant talent, beauty, and ability.” Elder L. Tom Perry)

MEDICAL UPDATE

2008-04-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

THE MEDICAL REPORT ON GRUMPAW

WELL TODAY FINALLY GRUMPAW GOT THROUGH WITH ALL THE MEDICAL TESTS WE STARTED TRYING TO DO IN JANUARY.

JANUARY:
I GOT A NEW PRIMARY DR., FIRED THE LAST ONE FOR LACK OF HER/STAFF INTEREST AND A DESIRE NOT TO FIGHT THE NEW INSURANCE MAZE WITH HER.
GOT CLEARANCE ON THE HAND AFTER IT HEALED DRS WERE SURPRIZED IT HEALED SO WELL. THEY THOUHGT THERE WAS BETTER THAN EVEN CHANCE IT WOULD DO SO WELL.
STARTED TRYING TO GET MRIS AND CSCANS FOR KIDNEY FOLLOWUP HOWEVER THE INSURANCE MESS SCREWED THAT UP AND ONLY LABS WERE COMPLETED.

FEBRUARY:
STARTED FIGHTING WITH GETTING DRS. OFFICE, INSURANCE, AND RADIOLOGY WORKING TOGETHER. SEEMS RADIOLOGIST WOULDN’T DO MRI AND CSCANS AS ORDERED AND THEN EVERYONE THOGHT EVERYONE ELSE HAD RECHEDULED. STILL NO SUCCESS THIS MONTH.

MARCH:
WELL THINGS ARE GOING SLOWLY STILL MORE LAB WORK MORE DRS FOR VARIOUS ISSUES.
GASTRO DR WANTED COLOOSCOPY TO RULE OUT ANY PROBLEMS IN THAT TUBE BESIDES IBS. NEUROLOGIST DISCOVERS CARPAL TUNNEL ISSUES IN BOTH WRISTS AND POSSIBLE NERVE DAMAGE TO NERVE AT C-6.
NEPHROLOGIST HAPPY WITH STATUS, EXCEPT FOR WEIGHT GAIN BUT HR GAINED MORE THAN I DID HE BLAMED IT ON CHRISTMAS COOKIES SO I DID TOO.

APRIL:
PULMENOLOGIST DID HIS CHECKS ALL OK. FINALLY UROLOGIST GOT HIS REPORTS AND STUFF TOGETHER AND I HAVE CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH FOR NEXT SIX MONTHS. ONLY 5 MORE SIX MONTHS CHECKS THEN HE SAID I COULD BE CANCER FREE BUT AS ALWAYS THAT DEPENDS ON NO MORE POPPING UP SOME WHERE ELSE. THE COLONOSCOPY TODAY WAS CLEAR AND I DO NOT HAVE TO DO ONE FOR FIVE YEARS. THE IBS HAS TO BE CORRALLED BUT THAT MAY NOT BE A QUICK FIX, IT MAY BE MEDS OR WHATEVER, SO ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

SO HERE WE GO FOR THE SUMMER IN RELISTIC NOT BAD SHAPE FOR ALL THAT HAS GONE ON FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST HEART JOB.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO WATCH THEIR LIFESTYLES EATING ETC. SO YOU CAN AVOID ALL THIS CRAP,
FOR ALLOF YOU, I CAN DO IT MY WAYERS, PER THE GASTROENTEROLOGIST, CAFFEINE LADEN SODAS ARE A MAJOR ISSUES WITH IBS AND FREQUENT BOUTS WITH LOOSE BOWELS. NOT TO MENTION HEART ANS WEIGHT ISSUES. GRUMPAW SET THE WRONG EXAMPLE. LOOKS LIKE LIMITED CAFFIENE FREE DR PEPPER FOR ME AND MORE DIET DRINKS LIKE DIET RITE ETC.

WE LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING WITH YOU WHO CAN AT RYANS FOR ALEXI’S BLESSSING, GRANDMA JOYCE IS STILL TRYING TO DECIDE IF SHE HAS ENOUGH GET UP TO OR NOT WON’T KNOW TILL FRIDAY AS WE HIT THE ROAD. SEE YOUALL THERE .

THE GRUMPAW

Last Blog!!

2008-01-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

To my sisters in the Lord...

There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to take a close look at herself. Not at her circumstance, not at what she did, not how unfair life is, or at who made you do it. She has to just look at herself in all her glory and imperfection. Have you ever admired a woman who has been through changes in her life? Or have you made up in your mind that she is just messed up. Before you make this mistake, take a closer look. A woman who has endured the most unusual life is someone of wisdom, someone who has been chosen by God to go through things that have made her stronger.

Think of all the great women in the Bible: Mary Magdalene , Ruth and Naomi, the woman with an issue of blood, and Esther, to name a few. Mary was a prostitute, a very uneasy woman. But by the time Jesus was done with her, she was His closest follower. Esther was unfortunate in marrying an abusive man, but by the time God was done with her, she had married one of the wealthiest men in the land.

Women are so quick to beat the next one down instead of trying to hold her up. Before you wonder, " What's up with her?" ask yourself, "What's up with me?" That woman could be my mother, sister, aunt, in-law, stepmother, niece, grandmother, great-grandmother, neighbor, friend, or co-worker, etc. That woman could be ME.

Women are the carriers of life, not the channels of death. Let's build and encourage each other, as did Ruth and Naomi. Pass this to all the women in your life. Encourage and love, forgive and forget, and trust that the woman that receives this will be touched in some way.

May the peace and love of Christ be upon you!

Santa Presents

2007-12-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

Yesterday as Raelynn was rubbing her Dad’s feet, like a good daughter should, she told me she needed new socks. Like a good stepmom I told her Christmas was coming and may be Santa would bring her new socks AND may be some new panties too . It was amazing how clearly she made it known that Santa does not bring socks and panties. “Santa no socks, no panties.” We ask “So, what do you want Santa to bring you?” Any guess any one? Her clear answer was “Math books.” It was really very funny and very endearing.

THANKSGIVING, FEASTING OF ALL SORTS

2007-11-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 28,2007

WELL IT IS NOW TWO DAYS PAST ALL THE THANKSGIVING FEASTING AND A REVIEW OF THE WEEK OF IF IT IS FOOD WE EAT AND IF IT IS ACTIVITIES THEN WE DO ALL WE CAN !

AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF CRAZY PREPARATION, THE CREW FROM OXNARD ARRIVED AT THE HOME PORT ABOUT MIDNIGHT SATURDAY. IT MAKES US HAPPY THAT ALL ARRIVED SAFELY, IF WORN OUT. GETTING EVERYONE TO BED WAS EASY.

THE FIRST FEAT WAS GETTING EVERYONE UP AND READY FOR CHURCH AT 9:00. ALL WERE TIMELY AND MOST LASTED THROUGH THE MEETING BLOCK. SOME FLAKED OUT TO RETURN HOME TO REST. THE FIRST TO BE BUSY WERE EMILY AND BELLA AND A PARENT MODEL AND THEN RAELYNN AND THE REST. AFTER CHURCH, THE FIRST FEASTING SESSION WAS ITALIAN FOOD, SPAGHETTI, LASAGNA, CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS, VEGGIES, SPARKLING CIDER, HOME COOKED FRENCH BREAD, FROZEN DESSERTS AND ANYTHING ANYONE ASKED FOR. ALL IN ALL, ABOUT 28 FOLKS WERE FED AND INVOLVED IN VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.

THE LITTLE ONES RAN ABOUT THE BACKYARD INVOLVED IN ALL KINDS OF GAMES AND ACTIVITIES. SCREAMS OF JOY AND HAPPINESS TO BE YOUNG, ALIVE AND WITH COUSINS, AUNTS AND UNCLES, AND YES, GRANPARENTS. GRANDMA JOYCE WAS IN HER HEAVEN AND INVOLED HERSELF IN NUMEROUS GAMES WITH GREAT GRAND KIDS. NANA CARLYS WAS FOREVER TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO PLAY AND THEN LOSE TO HER AT BACKGAMMON! ALL FOR NAUGHT, AS SHE WAS FREQUENTLY THE LOSER. UNDETERRED, SHE CHALLENGED PARENTS TO PLAY AND TAUGHT THEM THE GAME AND WHILE DOING BETTER SHE STILL FOUND HERSLF ON THE SHORT END ONCE AGAIN.

ALL TOO SOON IT WAS TIME FOR FAMILIES TO HEAD FOR THE VARIOUS RANCHES SPREAD ACROSS THE VALLY. REGINA AND TRENT AND THEIR FOUR, TOOK GRANDMA JOYCE HOME. ANTHONY TOOK THREE 918 BOYZ HOME, WENDY/MICHAEL TOOK OFF FOR THE PALACIO MADERAZZO, BECKY AND HER TWO WENT TO THE RANCHITA, RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE TWO PRINCESSES HUNG AROUND TIL THE END. RANDI AND MIKE STUCK AROUND FOR GAMES AND GABBING, RICHELLE STAYED TO LEARN BACKGAMMON OR CHECKERS OR SOMETHING SO SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE. RAELYNN DID HER THING AND RETREATED TO HER CASTLE IN THE UPPER REGIONS. I AM NOT SURE OF THE EXACT ORDER OF ALL THINGS SO WHILE EVERYONE MAY HAVE THEIR OWN VERSION THATS THE WAY IT IS AND I WAS THERE!

TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WERE SPENT GETTING READY FOR THURSDAY. NANA CARLYS MADE APPLE PIES AND GRUMPAW TRIED TO SAVE MINCE PIE FOR THURSDAY WITH SOME PECAN PIE. BUT NANA MADE SHORT WORK OF THE PECAN PIE A SLICE AT A TIME. RYAN LIKES APPLE COLD, NEARLY FROZEN WITH WHIPPED CREAM. RYANS FAMILY ALSO WENT TO VISIT THE SMITHS.

THURSDAY, DAWNED BRIGHT AND EARLY WITH GRUMPAW GETTING THE TURKEY AND HAM ON THE GRILL. THE PRINCESSES OF OXNARD WERE UP EARLY AS USUAL AND STARTED THE DAY FULL OF EXCITEMENT AS THEY AND MOM AND DAD WERE OFF TO GRANDMA BOBBI'S FOR THE DAY. GREAT ACTIVITIES WENT ON UNTIL 1:00 P.M. WHEN DINNER WAS SERVED TO ALL PRESENT, ONLY ABOUT 21. MICHAEL AND WENDY WENT TO LA AND ON TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL TO SPEND THE DAY AS ALL THE EXCITEMENT WAS TOO MUCH FOR MICHAEL. FORTUNATELY THINGS GOT BETTER LATER BUT WENDY HAD TO CANCEL THE WEDDING TRIP TO ITALY, AS MICHAEL WAS JUST NOT HIMSELF WITHOUT HIS THANSGIVING FEAST.

ANOTHER DAY OF GOOD FOOD AND FUN SHARED WITH MANY. AN AFTER DARK CONTINUATION OF GAMES WITH KIDS, TV FOOTBALL AND CLEANUP BY MANY HELPING HANDS MADE THINGS GO FASTER. NANA AND GRUMPAW DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK BY THEMSELVES AND APPRECIATED ALL THE HELP GIVEN. ALL TO "SOON" EVERYONE HEADED BACK TO THEIR PLACES.

FRIDAY ANOTHER DAY OF ACTIVITIES HAD RYAN'S PLANS FOR A SECOND SUNS GAME GOING STRONG( HE AND NATE AND WILL BRIGGS WENT EARLIER IN A MENS NIGHT OUT. HE AND MICHELLE WENT TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE TO PUT UP THE LIGHTS ON THE HOUSE AND THEN OFF TO THE SUNS GAME FOR PART OF THE CREW. THE REMAINING CREW PLAYED MORE GAMES AND WATCHED KIDS AND TV.

SATURDAY ANOTHER DAY OF FEASTING WITH ENCHILADAS, HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING LEFT BEHIND. BY NOW ROBYN AND BILL AND CREW HAD COME HOME FROM THEIR ANNUAL MEXICAN VACATION. WENDY WAS KEEPING ALL INFORMED ON MICHAEL'S PROGRESS AT THE HOSPITAL. FORTUNATELY HE WAS FINALLY MAKING SOME PROGRESS.

FEASTING WAS DONE BY ABOUT 26 HUNGRY FOLKS. ALL HELPED AGAIN WITH THE CLEANUP WHICH MADE FOR LITE WORK FOR MOST!

WHILE A LOT OF THE CREW WENT BOWLING BEFORE DINNER GRUMPAW DID NOT GET ALL THE DETAILS. HOWEVER IT APPEARS HIGHSCORE FOR THE KIDS WAS RAELYNN, AND FOR THE ADULTS BIG BILL WAS THE APPARENT HIGH PIN COUNTER.

SUNDAY, RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE GIRLS WENT OFF TO UNCLE JOHNS' MISSIONARY FAIRWELL. THE REST OF THE DENIZENS AT GRUMPAW'S HOUSE SLEPT IN AND MISSED CHURCH AS THE CRAZY WEEK FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM.

SUNDAY PM WAS THE FINAL MEAL FOR ALL. ROBYN, FURNISHED CARROT CHOWDER, NANA MADE BEEF STEW, AND RICHELLE DID CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP AND BROCCOLI/CHEESE SOUP AND PROVIDED FRESH BREAD BOWLS. VEGGIES AND SNACKS FILLED IN THE EMPTY CORNERS. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND OTHER JUNK MADE DESSERT.

AS RYAN AND MICHELLE AND THE GIRLS LEFT FOR OXNARD OTHERS BEGAN WENDING THEIR WAY HOME AS WELL. THIS IS THE TIME MOM AND DAD WORRY MOST AND PRAY HARDEST FOR THE SAFE RETURN HOME FOR ALL. AS WE REVIEWED THE WEEK, IN BED BEFORE SLEEP, WE WERE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EACH ONE OF OUR LITTLE ANGELS AND THEIR PARENTS. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR AND MORE AND MORE EACH YEAR. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CHRISTMAS DAYS WITH EACH OF YOU. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SERVICE TO EACH OTHER AND US AS WELL.

THE REAL LAST DOGGERS WERE RICHELLE AND RANDI WHO STAYED TO DO FINAL CLEANUP AND THEN RANDI WHO TOOK RAELYNN FOR A SHORT STAY.

MOM AND DAD DIED AFTER ALL HAD GONE AND SLEPT IN MONDAY TO 700.

THANKS TO EACH OF YOU FOR ALL THE SPECIAL TREATS AND ACTS OF SERVICE TO ALL OF US!

OUR LOVE AND PRAYERS TO EACH ONE.

NANA AND GRUMPAW

(Slow edit.)

Raelynn's Big Day

2007-10-25T23:43:00.000-07:00

Raelynn is such a trooper. She makes us all look like wimps. She had a clean report from her colonoscopy on Thursday but the real story is her ability to adapt and surprise us. We hid food thinking she wouldn't be able to do without for a whole day and a half and she did just fine, better than fine, she acted like she fasted once a month all the time. She made us laugh she was so cooperative and willing. And we worried about poopy messes and she had no problem holding it and had no pain or cramps or complaints about anything but the needle. We should all have it so easy or at least be able to stand the pain and discomport as well as she does. She is certainly watched over.

DADS FISHY REPORT

2007-10-25T21:20:00.000-07:00

NOW THAT RYAN HAS POSTED HIS FISHING REPORT DAD WILL DO HIS FISHY REPORT.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO INVITE MYSELF ON RYAN'S TEAM BUILDING FISHING EXTRAVAGANZA. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT ONCE I HAD INVITED MYSELF INTO THE INNER CIRCLE, RYAN USED AIR MILES TO GET ME TO SACRAMENTO, PICKED ME AT THE AIRPORT AND THEN WE WENT TO WHIT AND CONNIE'S DINE AND BED WHERE WE WERE FETED TO DINNER WITH THE SISTER MISSIONARIES. INTERSTINGLY ENOUGH ONE OF THE SISTERS HAD BEEN IN THE MTC WITH ONE OF THE SISTERS ASSIGNED TO OUR WARD. I GOT GOOD INFO TO TWIST A SISTER WITH.
AFTER DINNER WHIT TOOK RYAN AND I TO WALMART SO I COULD BY THE FISHING PERMIT TO AVOID THE LOCAL CONSTABULARY. RYAN BOUGHT A CHEAP ROD AND WHIT GOT SOME ICE CREAM, SOMEWHERE, RALEY'S I THINK, AND OFF TO HOME FOR GOOD CONVERSATION AND A COMFY BED. NEXT MORNING, ONE OF RYAN'S BOSSES, WALT CAME AND GOT US AND WE WENT UP US 50 TO STRAWBERRY TO MEET THE OTHERS WILL, AND RON FOR THE TEAM BUILDING. RON IS RYANS BIG BOSS IN CALIFORNIA AND HE BOUGHT BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FRIDAY. WILL GOT US A ROOM IN THE LODGE, FUNNY THING THE ROOM WAS CALLED THE EAGLES NEST, HOWS THAT FOR FOR AN EAGLE GUY LIKE ME. KITCHELL PAID FOR A ROOM RYAN HAD TO SHARE WITH THE BEAR SNORES.
AFTER BREAKFAST WE WALKED ABOUT A HUNDRED YARDS TO THE SOUTH FORK OF THE AMERICAN RIVER TO BE LABOR THE TROUT POPULATION. WALT AND WILL CAUGHT THE FIRST TWO FISH, THEN I CAUGHT ONE I KEPT AND ONE RYAN MADE ME THROW BACK AS TO SMALL. RYAN CAUGHT A COUPLE INCLUDING THE BIGGIE OF THE DAY. I CAUGHT THREE MORE AND KEPT ONE BECAUSE IT WAS GUT HOOKED.
THERE WERE A LOT OF FISH IN THE HOLE BUT WE DECIDED TO GO TRY ELSEWHERE.
DOWN THE ROAD WE WENT LOOKING FOR MP41 BUT ENDED UP AT MP29 OR SOMEPLACE. WE WERE DIRECTED TO A PLACE, FISHED FOR A WHILE,COULD SEE FISH BUT NO REAL BITES. BACK UP THE ROAD, FOUND MP 41? AND WENT DOWN THE CLOSED ROAD AND THEN HIKE TO THE STREAM. UP AND DOWN WE FISHED TO NO AVAIL, EVEN WITH A PAIL NO FISH; BUT IT WAS NICE AND FRESH AIR WARM LIKE PHOENIX IS IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY DURING THE DAY. AFTER A TIME I WATCHED RYAN TRYING TO GET TO A PLACE TO TRY HIS LUCK GAVE HIM SOME ADVICE, HE SLIPPED, GOT HIS FOOT WET AND THEN GAVE ME HIS PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF MY ADVICE. NEXT TIME I'LL ARRANGE FOR BOTH FEET AND MAYBE HIS BUTT TO TAKE A DIP WHEN HE SLIPS! NOONE ELSE HAD ANY LUCK EITHER SO BACK TO THE LODGE FOR LUNCH.
AFTER RON PAID FOR LUNCH AND MUCH TALK ABOUT THE ST JOHN'S HOSPITAL PROJECT,SOME PERSONNEL CONCERNS. ILEARNED THAT RYAN IS WELL LIKED AND RESPECTED BY HIS PEERS AND BOSSES AND CONSIDERED AN ASSET AND IS RESPONSIBLE AND RIGHT EVEN WHEN WHEN HE IS WRONG WHICH RON SAID IS NOT OFTEN. HE DID TELL RYAN TO FINISH ST JOHNS BY NEXT SEPTEMBER, WHATEVER THAT MEANS. THEN RON AND WALT WENT HOME, WITH WALT TAKING THE FISH.
RYAN DECIDED TO GO FISHING AGAIN NEAR THE LODGE WHILE WILL AND I WENT TO OUR ROOMS FOR A SIESTA AND SOME BOOK READING. LATER RYAN CAME BACK HE HAD CAUGHT A COUPLE MORE TROUT.
WE DISCUSSED GOING TO DINNER IN SOTH LAKE TAHOE,GAVE UP THE IDEA, BUT THEN LATER WE WENT LOOKING FOR PIE, ICE CREAM/MILKSHAKES OR????. WE NONETHELESS FOUND OURSELVES IN SOLKTH. WE STOPPED AT A CARROWS, A BAD BAD PLACE, WAITER HAD A DIRTY SHIRT PROBABLY DIRTY HANDS ETC. FOOD LOUSY AND WILL MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME BAD FOOD, BUT DIDNOT EAT MUCH. NOW I KNOW WHY THEY CLOSED DOWN IN ARIZONA.
BACK TO THE LODGE, WHERE RYAN HEADED FOR BED, I SAT BY THE BIG FIRE PLACE FOR A FEW AND THEN JOINED RYAN FOR A QUIET NIGHT. HE SLEPT AND I READ AND LISTENED TO HIM PURR AND MOAN BEFORE GOING OFF TO DREAMLAND MYSELF.
I GOT UP EARLY TO JOIN WILL FOR BREAKFAST,IF YOU CAN CALL 8:00 a.m. EARLY FOR BREAKFAST. RYAN HAD CHOSEN TO SLEEP IN BUT WAS ROUSED BY A BOX OF HALF EATEN HOSTESS DONUTS.
I NEED TO SAY HERE THAT OUR WAITRESS,SARAH, WHO APPEARED TO BE ON DRUGS OR SOMETHING(S) WAS SKANKY,SKINNY,MOUTHY AND FORGETFUL, BUT SHE TRIED HARD, WAS EVER PRESENT AT ALL MEALS, I DOUBT SHE GOT MORE THAN 5-6 HOURS OF SLEEP AFTER WORKING ABOUT 14 HOURS. IT TOOK HER A LONG TIME TO GET OUR FOOD, I THINK SHE WAS THE COOK AT TIMES, AND BEFORE WE GOT FAR INTO BREAKFAST HERE CAME RYAN,NOT TO BE LEFT OUT. HE ATE 3/4 MY WAFFLE MAINLY BECAUSE IT HAD STRWBERRIES AND WHIPPED CREAM, DRANK MY OJ AND ATE 1/2 MY BACON, MOSTLY BECAUSE I WAS TO FULL TO FINISH AND WAS GLAD HE CAME TO EAT.
AFTER BREAKFAST THE GREAT WHITE KILLERS OF FISH DECIDED THE OVERNIGHT RAIN AND SLEET HAD COOLED THINGS OFF TO MUCH, WE WANTED TO GET HOME EARLY, RYAN HAD TO PLAY FOR THE PRIMARY PROGRAM AND WILL HAD BOOTS TO RETURN TO WALMART. DOWN THE HILL WE WENT TOOK BACK THE BOOTS, GOT IMODIUM AD FOR DAD AND WENT TO WALT'S HOUSE TO DROP OFF RYANS FINAL FISH.
IT BECOMES IMPORTANT FOR DAD TO REPORT HE DID BUY BREAKFAST BUT NOT MUCH ELSE. LOOKS LIKE I WAS THE FACILTATOR(?) FOR THE TEAM BUILDING. ALSO, I WAS NOT PHOTOGRAPHED WITH RYAN, THE FISH OR ANY OTHERS, AS I WAS NOT THERE AND CAN OFFER PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY FOR MOST THINGS ON THIS TRIP. OR I CAN STATE THAT RYAN AND WILL WOULDN'T SHARE THE FISH WITH ME FOR A PHOTO OP.
AFTER WALT'S, WE WENT TO THE AIRPORT WHERE WILL AND RYAN WERE ABLE TO GET ON A FLIGHT TO BURBANK AND LEFT 4HRS EARLY, I CAUGHT A FLT TO PHNX
ABOUT 3HRS LATER.
ALL TOLD IT WAS A GREAT TIME AND REALLY FUN FOR A QUICK TRIP THAT DIDN'T COST ME MUCH BUT TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE SOME GRANDKIDS FISHING WHERE WE WERE, AS I THINK ALL COULD GET A FISH FOR DINNER WITHOUT A MUCH OF FRUSTRATION.
ONE FINAL NOTE, AS I FLEW OUT OF SACRAMENTO OVER THE AREA WHERE WE HAD FISHED AND ABOVE THE MOUNTAINS WERE WLL FROSTED WITH WHITE CAPS OF SNOW FROM THE STORM. SOME OF IT LOOKED FAIRLY DEEP IN PLACES, MAY BE THAT WINTER IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING IN CALIFORNIA. BUT I STILL PREFER PHNX IN WINTER,

General Conference 10/7/07

2007-10-07T22:37:00.001-07:00

In years past I have tried to iron on Saturday during conference sessions. This conference I got my ironing done. I have enough clothes for a month if I'm careful.
Conference was wonderful. I'll only make a couple of comments. Pres. Hinckley looked wonderful. He joked about us singing the same songs all the time but expecting new talks every time. He said he has talked over 200 times in conference, it is hard to come up with new stuff to talk about. He said the gospel is like the music we need to hear it over and over. So he talked about the restoration of the Gospel and bore his testimoney of Joseph Smith. Inspiring.

Bishop Edgely from the Presiding Bishopic talked about pulling together as a Ward. His comments included: We Draw closer together when we endure trials together. What happens to one happens to all.

Pres. Eyring shared a 'simple' way to keep a journal. He said many years ago he was prompted to write down a couple of sentences every day about how he saw the hand of the Lord in his life that day. He said that little act could lead to other things but would at least help us to think of God and his goodness once a day. He also said we seem to forget him in prosperity AND in despair. The key to remembering is the Holy Ghost.

We love you all very much.
Mom and Dad

A Month for Me, How Long for Dad

2007-10-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Carlys Cummings Rodgers
4 JOBS I HAVE HAD:
1. Wife/Mother/Grandmother/Great Grandmother (It is work and takes more than 40 hours a week but the benefits are great. The hiding part is the hardest part.)
2. Budget Analyst/Accounting Clerk
3. Bank Teller
4. Wife/Mother (It was work and took more than 40 hours a week but was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.)
MOVIES I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:
1. Harry Potter
2. Sense and Sensibility
3. The Sand Lot
4. Tremors
FAVORITE T.V. SHOWS:
1. Home Improvement (It could stay in reruns indefinitely)
2. Jeopardy (I'm fascinated by the instant recall in so many subject and always have been.)
3. Flip This House (I'm a victim of no control of the wand.)
4. World War II Chronicles (Might as well, I'm going to see them anyway.)
FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1. Reading (History (Civil War & Revolutionary War Era), teenage fiction, light murder fiction)
2. Cooking
3. ??? (I would like to fill this spot with something like a craft or genealogy or family history or maybe even fishing. Something really personal.)
4. Gardening
PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
1. Glendale, Arizona (I'll just name the last 4 major places.)
2. Westlake Village, California
3. North Chicago, Illinois
4. Kaneohe, Hawaii (Memphis, TN; Jacksonville, NC; Beaufort, SC; Jacksonville, FL; Tupelo, MS; Carrollton, AL
PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. In the pool, in the shade (105˚) (with the little people)
2. At the beach, in the shade (with the little people)
3. By the creek with a fishing rod, with Richard and little people (85˚ or 90˚)
4. Snorkeling on a very clear reef (Your in the water with your back up, doesn't matter how warm it is. It's a lonely sport.)
WEB SITES I CHECK DAILY:
1. The blogs - The pictures are great and I never know what a birth Rodgers is going to say to entertain me.
2. DSFCU - Watch the pennies and the dollars watch themselves.
3. Email
4. Wherever I'm directed by some other wise emailer
WHO I'M TAGGING:
1. You people are the only people we are connected to. The buck stops here!!!!!!!!

-------------
Now be kind.

Troubled On Every Side, Yet Not Distressed

2007-10-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Your Dad and I wanted to share this thought from the September Ensign with you even if you have read it. It is from the article by Elder Soares. It is a great promise to us.

"To enter the strait gate of the gospel, we must be willing to submit to, and bear with patience, "all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon (us)" (Mosiah 3:10). Opposition in all things is part of the eternal plan of happiness (see 2 Nephi 2:11). But when we accept trials with humility, pleading to be comforted by the Lord through His Atonement, we have more confidence that we can overcome our current challenges and we are better prepared to face future challenges.

In his second epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul declared:

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

"Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

"For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:8-11).

According to the Apostle Paul, even though we may be troubled in times of adversity, we will not be alone, for the Lord Himself will take us by the hand. He will be at our side if we remain faithful and acknowledge his hand in all things."

We love each and every one of you and pray for you and your little ones to be happy and to be protected and to successful every day.

Mom and Dad

Bear catching Fish

2007-10-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

We thought this should be on the blog.

All About Me

2007-09-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is all about me.
Yesterday was one of those days I have been waiting for since I retired. I got up at 6:00 am and met my friend Dana, who is the Ward Canning specialist, and went to the Cannery with her and Sister McVey on the monthly canning assignment. We got there at 8:05 and canned rice for the cannery and picked up the Ward's order for the month and returned home by 11:00. My job at the cannery was ripping open boxes the size of a crock pot and empting the boxes in a big bin so the rice could be put in #10 cans and then readied for shipment to where ever the need may be in the world. Then at 12:00 I went to Dana's house and we started canning peaches. I stayed until 5:00. (I am not as young as I used to be. I was exhausted.) We canned about 50 quarts of peaches. What fun. I wanted to keep going but just couldn't do it. Dana did. Grandma Joyce would have. Maybe I will be up to it in the future. But for today I am just thankful to Heavenly Father for another chance to be where I wanted to be, doing what I wanted to be doing, feeling what I wanted to be feeling. It was wonderful. I am truly blessed.
And on top of all that while I was gone the big elf did all the vacuuming, dusting, bathrooms, and fixed dinner. The little elf folded the clothes, cleaned up after dinner, and rode the bike. Life is good.
Love to all.

Makes Our Hearts Sing

2007-09-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

We had a little voice on voice mail yesterday that said "She's not there!" and hung up. So we returned the call to that phone number and Hayden answered. He knew the call was from our house and he said "Hello Grandma. Please take me to Sea World again." What could we say but, but "Of course." After we talked about it for a bit and decided next summer was OK he said we could take Carsen too. It was a really tender conversation.

For some reason Nana forgot to post this 2 years ago. It happened and still makes our heart sing.

Training for Errant Boys

2007-09-17T13:44:00.001-07:00

If this works it is Derek reeling in the 40lb fish (Carsen). I guess they have to find something to do when they are locked up.

Second Edition to Alaska Vacation

2007-09-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Well if the first rendition of chapter 1 didn’t put you to sleep Part 2 just might! Friday night we left Skagway late as there was some type of medical emergency. Skagway has only a Physician’s assistant in their medical clinic. If he/she can’t deal with the issues then they rely on the cruise ship doctors to render all aid. We were 3 hours late in departing. The person in need was airevac’d out and we left Port at high speed to make up the time.

It is easy to tell when your are at high speed (about 22 knots/25 mph) the ship shudders and rolls this way and that, up and down left and right etc., etc., etc. If you are not accustomed to it you will probably be sea sick, unless of course you prepared yourself with the appropriate patches. After day one, most of us had sea legs and really did not notice very often the pitching and yawing of the ship. Sometimes it was easier to go to bed, to read or sleep. On this night Grumpaw found himself tossed nearly out of bed by the ships action.
Some Tylenol and back to sleep.

Saturday morning, August 25th, we found ourselves getting ready to enter Tracey Arm to visit the Glacier there.
Some background first. 500 years ago the glacier reached clear out to sea about 25 miles further out than today. When it began retreating it left a gravel bar where it stopped. This pile of moraine blocked the entrance to the fjord for years as the sea washed an opening through it. At present the passage is about ½ mile wide and 50 ft deep. The ship needs 30 feet of water under the keel to pass safely. The opening is marked with buoys. Once through the opening, the water goes to 1000-1200 feet deep. The mountains rise about 2000 ft above the water. Thus as you go in it gets colder and colder as the sun is blocked at times, and the water and mountains work to keep the cold in. For each mile into the fjord the temperature drops off quite a bit.

Now back to our efforts.
We got up early about 6AM to view this whole process. It was quite interesting to observe our little group of Eskimos trying to stay warm and have a good time. Jeanne looked like Nannuk of the North in her many layers of clothing including her fur rimmed parka hood. Eric was in hooded sweat shirt and other warm(?) gear, sitting on deck. He would later be found hiding in his bed trying to get warm. (We have picture proof!) We were well into the fjord before we saw our first ice. The more ice the colder it got. Soon there were ice bergs the size of small cars and getting larger. The walls of the fjord are marked heavily with signs of the glacier’s grinding action. Everywhere there were water falls signs of ice beached on the shore. As we drew closer to the glacier the water filled with more and more ice. It began to appear that someone had dumped a giant bag of ice cubes into the fjord. However these ice cubes were often as big as cars and trucks with trailers. This was something interesting as 65-90% of each iceberg is under water.
Finally, the Captain announced that he was turning the ship around as the potential for damage to the ship’s propellers was to high to proceed. So our trip to see the glacier was cut short about a mile and a bend in the fjord short of the glacier. It was very disappointing for the four of us who had not seen this particular glacier and the possibility of it “calving”. On the return trip out we got to see the other side of the fjord which was just as spectacular with steep cliffs and cascading waterfalls.

After crossing the bar into the open sea we began our trip to Victoria, BC.
This part of our voyage proved very exciting and led to us being able to see many whales. For some of us this meant we saw lots of water blows (spouts) and tails dipping into the ocean waters. For others it meant seeing whales swim by the side of the ship, cross in front of the ship causing the ship to come to a sudden stop to prevent injury to these behemoths of the sea. At one point there was an Inland Ferry stopped with many whales spouting and diving all around and even one which breeched. (This means it threw itself out of the water indicating it had enough of our peeking into its life. It was angry and wanted us humans to move on.) Most of the whales were Humpbacks, some Grey whales, and up in the Sitka area Grumpaw and others saw some Orcas. The animal which seemed to dominate the Alaska scene is the Bald Eagle, they are everywhere. But whales are plentiful as well.

I will digress here for a moment. There were plenty of animals on the ship of all sizes, shapes, ages and dispositions. The six of us were the perfect cruisers. If you have trouble with that, tough!! But we have the pictures of us at the formal dinners and here and there on the ship. We did use the game room for games from time to time, when not in staterooms reading. Also Jeanne was a leader in the game area gathering up the trivia games each morning before breakfast and the Trivia responses were interesting even when we might be wrong, which was less than 50% of the time.

Now back to page whatever.
Sunday after breakfast, we had our own church meeting on the joint balcony between us and the Willyerds. Mary Ellen and Eric had their 40th anniversary on Friday night or was it Saturday? Who cares they were weird any way and even got up in the early AM to see the eclipse of the moon. They also met some LDS folks on board and invited them for church but they were no shows.
Sunday was quiet after that and between meals. Sleeping, reading, sorting trinkets and ???

Monday AM found us arriving in Victoria, BC.
We arrived in Victoria, BC in the early morning with shore tours starting at 8 am.
All 6 of us were off to the Butterfly and Butchard Gardens. The Butterfly garden is a tropical spot with all air temperature and humidity controlled in the building to provide the best climate for all the butterflies to hatch and live as long as they possibly can. The garden receives about 1000 chrysalis each week from all over the world. These are hatched and the butterflies released inside to fly around among the visitors. Also in the garden are tropical birds and plants some of which the butterflies draw nectar to eat.
This place is very low profile and people miss on their way to Butchard Gardens just up the street.
Initially Nana Carlys thought we were wasting our time being in such a small place for an hour. In the end she and we could have spent several hours here.
Inside we found butterflies that were bigger than grumpaw’s hands and some that were smaller than a quarter. The biggest had the figure and colors of a cobra on its wings to help protect it from predators. The smallest had wings that are transparent like window glass. Some were iridescent blue and black. Others were black and yellow, orange and black and many other color combinations.
In addition the birds were of many beautiful colors and combinations thereof.
Time passed all too quickly and we had to leave, Nana wants to go back soon.

When we arrived at Butchard Gardens, little did we know that 2 hours would provide little more than a quick glimpse of a place that could, with a little imagination, pass as the Garden of Eden. The Garden area was where Mr. Butchard had developed a lime quarry for his cement plant. As the lime ran out large pits and water ponds were left behind. Mrs. Butchard desiring to restore the land, began planting trees, shrubs and flowers to cover the bare land. Fountains and statuary, and ponds have also been added to enhance the areas. The gardens have grown in size and beauty in the years since. The beauty is maintained on the 30+ acres by some 50 landscapers. There are small gardens representing various gardening types such as Japanese, and Rose, and Hanging. In the rose garden there are about 100 species of roses. Each has a label giving its name, year of development and the original grower. The area is covered with 1000 blooms or more during the growing season. To see and enjoy all there is here you have to move right along with little time just to stand and enjoy the view.
Uncle Eric W. was in his glory and soaked it all in, wishing he had as many gardeners working for him in his parks.
The time passed all too quickly and we only got bus window views of Victoria as we returned to the ship.

Knowing that our cruise was coming to an end we stood on the foredeck to watch our departure from Victoria and to begin the day and ½ sail back to San Francisco.

To night was a formal dinner night so we dressed in our best and went to dinner. Most of us had Lobster tails for our main course. Some had seconds before jumping back on the dessert wagon.

Tuesday was another rest day, just reading, final shopping efforts, games and just trying to digest all we had seen and done over the past week. There were shows on the ship at night, games to be played, books to read, shore sights to review and pictures to review and travel plans and activities to consider for those who still have a ways to travel home.

Wednesday dawned foggy and mournful with the foghorn heralding our entrance to the Golden Gate. I think Nana had been awake since 3am. The fog was quite dense and little could be seen from the balcony. I forgot that Nana got up thinking the sun was up as it was so bright outside but it turned out to be the ship’s lights reflected off the fog. As we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge the fog lifted right at the bridge. The yellow street lights shinning with a halo of fog. Tugboats arrived to push in to the pier and we were home.
Three hours later we debarked and went to Eric and Jeanne’s. After a trip to Taco Bell, Mary Ellen and Eric headed for the California State Fair and Northern California before heading home to Utah and a Service Mission.

Grumpaw and Uncle Eric played in the shop finishing a bowl M.E. started, and later just played lazy.
Thursday, grumpaw and Nana left and headed to Chico a town grumpaw had lived in, in the way back years. Nana began reading 1776 again. After a 2 hour drive we got to Chico. It has really grown from 12,500 to 80,000 in only 52 years. As time was limited we went to find a friends restaurant and our old house. The restaurant is still there but the the Ybanez family is gone, like the house and our old elementary school. We left Chico and headed for Whit and Connie’s in El Dorado Hills near Sacramento. Thursday evening was spent recounting our visit to Alaska.

Friday, Connie took Nana to Sutter’s Fort and Historical area. Grumpaw went to get a haircut at Barber John’s a really strange barber shop. Later Whitney came home early and we all went to Coloma to Sutter’s Mill where gold was discovered by members of the Mormon Battalion on their way back to Utah. This started the Gold Rush of 1849. The last time I was at this place it was a dusty tourist area in a neglected area of California. Now 25 years later it is a well developed tourist site. After Coloma we went on to dinner and to see the play 1776, not the same as the book Nana continues to read to grumpaw.

Saturday we left Whit and Connie’s for home by way of South Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Nevada, Silver Springs where Alan and Nancy once lived, their house is still there, the town is bigger and has it’s own rather large airport. On down US 95 we passed Walker Lake and Hawthorne the site of the Army and Navy Ammunition weapons Storage and Naval Underwater Warfare Command (in the middle of Death Valley. Someone explain that please.) Finally arriving in Las Vegas, we spent the night as Nana did not want to drive home yet.

We ultimately got home Sunday late afternoon, rescued Raelynn, who was packed and standing at the door when we got to Richelle’s. At long last back to our own beds!!!!!

Monday Labor Day we went Wendy and Michael’s for a barbeque and swimming. Michael had rented a two story water air slide and everyone slid for all they were worth. After much eating, swimming and fun off to home and back to “normal”?

Photographs and scrip editing courtesy of Nana.
Grumpaw

Alaska Report/Vacation Return II

2007-09-10T20:49:00.001-07:00

Well it falls to me to update the blog. Carlys shirked her duty so out of frustration I am doing this endeavor. As most of you know we started this vacation by going to Imperial Beach with Carsen and Raelynn aboard. We stopped in Avondale to pickup Hayden to join us but alas and alack when he arrived with his dad he was sick, sick and while his desire to go was strong, his need to do the shooty flooperoopus with the loops was stronger and his dad cleaned him up and went off to the Grandparents Grossarth pending a return home, recovery and possible resumption on the trip later. The rest of us had In-N-Out burgers and were off to beach land, visiting various potty stops along the way, finally getting to San Diego in the early pm. We were met by Ryan, Michelle, Emily and the ever quiet Bella. After pizza dinner Bella and crew were off to Oxnard.

August 12th found us in church with the Imperial Beach Ward. Dinner was from KFC where Grumpaw was dissed by the clerk when she waited on another woman who came in after Grumpaw and was told in Spanish that she was next, as the old white guy could wait, (all in Spanish.) After she was done and left, the old white guy told the clerk that he understood what was going on and she was not too nice, but the old white guy could live with it. A camera would have been nice at that point to get the flapping jaw action.

Much fun was had starting on Monday with a box of donuts and cereal for breakfast. Emily and Carsen began wearing out the beach under the protective coat of sunscreen and Nana Carlys and Grumpaw's supervision. Rae went into the Jobba the Hut routine on the porch. Lunch and dinner were eaten out as the group leaders decided not to cook for the week. This continued till all went home or else where.

Richelle and Derek and Jake and Hayden arrived Wednesday, with the driver all excited about making it to the beach in one piece and zeroed in on the fun. Much beach combing and walking here and there and everywhere for wave hopping, shell gathering and ice cream buying and a trip to Subway etc. Randi arrived on Thursday night to complete the bed switching and car seat switching for the weak.

On Thursday morning Emily went home for birthday fun for Grumpaw and more ice cream at the DQ. (Emily had separation anxiety on the way home. No smiling.) Nana and Grumpaw went to a hotel to rest up for part B.

On Friday, they left OX for SFO and Uncle Erics', Grumpaw drove, Nana began reading 1776 to Grumpaw, a story that has not ended yet. I think there were too many potty stops and naps in the whole trip to get the book read.

Saturday Grumpaw got into bowl turning lessons, as did Aunt Mary Ellen, from Uncle Eric.

Sunday the 19th, Jeanne and Carlys went to SFO to get Jeanne's sister and niece from the ship so they could debrief her and her niece on their trip to Alaska. Eric, Grumpaw, Mary Ellen and Eric went to church and then home to load up for the Limo trip to Pier 35 and the Dawn Princess. We got on board in record time as we were among the last to check in. This seems to be the method to avoid lines and shoving folks who are afraid they might miss the Boat, if they aren't there first. Actually I think they are just in a hurry to get to the food and drink areas, not necessarily in that order.

Once on board and in our Staterooms (cabins) we prepared to go up forward on the bow to watch our departure from "The City". The day was sunny but the breeze was a little brisk, a great summer afternoon to sail away.

It amazes me that as we backed out of our berth there was a lot of horn blowing at some chowder headed sailboat captain who tried to pass astern of us, not allowing that the big ship doesn't stop on a dime, more like a mile or three. Finally we turned to the Golden Gate and began to pick up speed. Passing under the bridge caused more horn blowing and everyone on the bridge waving at the wavers on the ship. People with cameras shooting pictures everywhere and at everyone and everything. A moments digression here............., Thanks to all who gave up hard cash/time to get Dad the DVD Movie camera for the birthday. It is real special and Carlys really appreciates it and spent some of the time from OX to SFO learning to operate and driving Dad nuts with it, "smile for the camera".

When we went to dinner we learned that one woman’s" luggage was sent back to Chicago by the airline, she became Bathrobe Betty for several days. Another woman’s luggage was dumped into the Bay as it was being loaded on so now we have a "Soggy Sue".

At dinner we learned that our waiter was Manuel from Portugal and jr waiter was Agnieska(Agnes) from Poland. These two made the dinning effort fun and fattening for all. Let it suffice to say that Carlys, while getting to read the dessert menu never got to choose her dessert after the first night. Manuel just brought her one of each dessert, usually 5-6 of them. He also supplied us all with food and then extras for every course. This included cheese samples as a lead into appetizers and salads and soups (the cold ones were best) again one, two or three helping for some and more for others.

The two servers and our cabin steward, Reinhard from the Philippines, really made the trip special.

The food was nothing special. What can you say about breakfast but that was what it was and nothing special. Dinners were very nice but with the exception of a limited number of items nothing really remarkable. Lunch on the other hand can best be described as ridiculously horrible as well as unfit for more than hog slop. My appraisal, on leaving the ship, was to advise that in 40+ years of scouting I have had many 12 yr old scouts who could prepare and serve better food and lunches than they provided.

Well now having set the stage from Sunday night to Wednesday noon we sailed along, exploring the ship, napping, sleeping, eating, gagging and reading and when really pushed playing Yahtzee.

Wednesday Noon we arrived in Sitka. Grumpaw went salmon fishing, the others went to find Otters, wildlife and to see the country.

Fishing was great, Grumpaw caught the first, the last, the most and the biggest. Only sheer luck allowed this to happen. There were four guys and one lady (she had never been fishing before) in our group. Karen was a hoot and funny running around and cheering for all who hooked a fish. I finally threw her one to hold and she got her picture taken with it. Must of been magic in it. While she didn't land a fish on this trip, she caught 3 large silver (coho) salmon on her fishing expedition in Juneau the next day. It is her camera that provided proof of Grumpaws catch.

The other tours found Otters, whales, Eagles and other life forms. They will have to tell their own stories.

Thursday we arrived in Juneau in the early am and began tours together seeing the state museum, then off to the Mendenhall glacier. This is where Carlys went with Grumpaw to see the bears. She got bored and was about to leave when a momma black bear with 2 cubs went fishing and caught a salmon about 5 lbs and gave part of it to her cubs and then went off to finish it. Nana got some great movies of this and a poppa bear fishing for and eating salmon. The glacier was quite pretty and, except where there was a lot of dirt, was a sky blue color that would be hard to match. Nana will have to show all the pictures. From the glacier we went to a Northern Rain Forest garden and we saw lots of interesting plants. Again Nana has pictures to show.

Finally we went to a fish hatchery that specializes in raising salmon in a natural way and watched the process. We returned to the ship and then went souvenir shopping before the ship sailed.

From our ship in Juneau Eric W. and I watched eagles in the trees above the main road.

Thursday AM we got up in Skagway. We went for a train ride while the others went off on some water activity. The train ride followed the 1898 gold rush trail up White Pass to the Yukon/Canada. The Railroad uses restored rail cars and provides a scenic view for all. The tour people kept trying to get people to go to the front cars but most got in the last cars as they were closer to the ship, ie, no big walk involved here. Nana and Grumpaw went to the second car, not many people, so we got to sit next to the windows where all the good scenery could be seen. We could see the trail that the gold rushers of 1898 had to use to get to the Yukon Gold Fields. Very steep and narrow and a long way to haul 2000lbs of supplies per man to be allowed into Canada. On the way up we passed the new US Customs Station. It is built 10 miles inside the US Border. This is because the normal place for it on the border gets 40 feet of snow on average each winter and it would be buried all winter.

Skagway (Skaguay) is the only city on the inside passage you can drive to, the rest of these places you must fly into or come on a Coastal Ferry or ship. In Skagway near the Railroad tracks there is a small stream maybe 6 feet wide and 2 feet deep that was full of spawning salmon, so many you could probably walk across on the fish and not get wet.Skagway is a dirty old town left over from the gold rush days it is about 7 blocks wide and 3 blocks deep. There is also an old time cemetery with many of Alaska's notorious past citizens buried here.

Enough for this blog, I will bore you more starting with the Tracy Arms Glacier later.

Just the Fish

2007-09-10T20:41:00.001-07:00

Only the Fish!!!!

Return from Vacation

2007-06-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

We returned from vacation last Friday, June 15th. We went to Rebecca's graduation in Salt Lake. Had a very nice time. She looked wonderful. Mary Ellen and Eric were wonderful host. We almost stayed to long. We were starting to smell like fish. The drive to Oxnard was against 25 to 45 mile an hour winds. Richard was exhausted. We stayed in a less than 2 star hotel in Oxnard. I won't wait so long again to make reservations. When we came home on the 15th we brought Michelle, Emily, and Bella. They were very quiet in the car. We love having them here and having them play with the boys.

I kept saying I wished Raelynn would mess up and be a brat so we would say she could never go on vacation with us again. She didn't. She was an angel the whole time; at ME's, Sammie's, Suzanne's. She deserves kudos. We made it worth her while.

Billy came over to play with Grumpaw on Saturady. They had fun together and I love playing games with him. We're on about the same level. He beat me 2 out of 3.

Now we are working on the Family Reunion. Lots of work but lots of fun.

Thought for today:
AOP (You know, like ADD)
Adult-Onset Pessimism
Eradicate AOP and substitute childlike optimism. Optimism is a virtue that allows us to see God's loving hand in the details of our life.

Vacation

2007-05-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad are off on their first vacation after being retired together. (It's been three weeks and we still like each other. Ha ha!!) We're taking Raelynn with us this time but don't get used to us doing that. We want to share the joy. We'll be in Salt Lake at Mary Ellen's until about June 4th or 5th and then at Ryan's. We'll be back on June 8th with Michelle.

We love each and every one of you and pray for your health and protection every single day.

Memorial Day Quote
A fulfillment of the duties of civic virtue is patriotism.
Patriotism puts country ahead of self; patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. (Adlai Stevenson)

Carlys' Redeaux

2007-05-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad are back on line and much more experienced and under a lot less pressure.

We would like to know what the score is on our success. We think our chances are pretty good for success. We have certainly enjoyed each other this last three weeks. Just think, I'm just as nuts as your Father. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!!!

Love you all!!!