The Whittle Family

Playing Catchup - January 2010

2010-04-09T08:36:00.002-06:00

January 2: Justin & Steph's Open House: This was held at our home, which was a little stressful, but we were so pleased with how everything turned out. Since it was Christmastime, I chose to keep the Christmas theme. We had a huge turnout of friends and family to celebrate with Justin and Steph.

Emily enjoying some treats

Some of you already know that one of my favorite things was the photo tree we did. I purchased a new tree, and Caitlin helped me pick out all the new decorations, but it was Caitlin and my neice, Christianne, who did the actual tedious decorating of the tree. Pictures just don't do it justice - it really was beautiful!! I liked it so well, I will most likely keep the photo theme and put family photos on the tree for next Christmas.

We had a great turnout, and there were people everywhere, from the kitchen........

Caitlin's friends Kyle & Talise, and Caitlin

to the family room......

Rochelle Tuttle, Christianne Bennett, Becky Whittle

and up the stairs.........

Steph's sisters Jennifer & Kim, and friends

Justin and Steph

There are just too many names to mention, but thank you again to ALL of you who did so much to help make the evening so wonderful!

January: Trip to visit Grandpa and Grandma Danes

Grandpa & Grandma at our favorite restaurant in Kuna - El Gallo Giro

Playing Catch Up - December

2010-04-09T05:58:00.019-06:00

It's been 4 months since I've made a blog post. I had to think twice about what my password was to even sign in! We've had such wonderful news happening in our family the past few months that I decided I better catch up a little and at least mention them and post a few pictures for the record.

December 19: Justin and Stephanie get married (guess I can take the ticker off the blog now) :)

Coming out of the Mesa Temple

Proof we were all there! All of our children (and spouses) were able to be there except for Jordan (in Mexico), and Andrew, and Starrie, since Starrie was due with Jocelynn about a week later.

Emily carrying the train

Groomsmen, bridesmaids, Emily, & Alyssa

The reception was held in Stephanie's home and backyard - everything was absolutely gorgeous. Her dad made homemade Mexican food (yum!). Perfect December Arizona weather (73 degrees) for a perfect day!

Cutting the cake

Emily all tired out

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Christmas 2009:

We are so blessed to live close to Bill and Karen! One night we met them in Salt Lake City, enjoyed dinner together, then went to see a gingerbread house display. There was also a nativity display and a tree display there. So pretty!

Bill and Karen at the Christmas display

I can't believe it, but this is about the only picture we took on Christmas day!!

Kathy and Emily sporting the new aprons that Caitlin made for us!!

December 28: We became grandparents again!! Beautiful Jocelynn Autumn Whittle was born to Andrew and Starrie, at 10:25 a.m. Weighing in at 7lbs 12oz, 19 inches long.

Jocelynn and her Daddy

Aunt Emily and Jocelynn

Grandpa Whittle & Jocelynn

Jocelynn's little family

We feel so blessed to live close by and be able to enjoy Jocelynn as often as we do. It's a joy to watch her grow, smiling all the time now, and starting to interact with people. I was sick for over a week and had to stay away from her and not hold her - not fun!!! Dave and I love being grandparents!

"Chillaxin" in the snow!

2009-12-08T21:49:00.004-07:00

Sunday Dave looked outside and saw Emily just sitting in the snow, "chillaxin" with some crackers and a yogurt. Too cute!

25th Annual Gingerbread House Decorating

2009-12-07T22:01:00.003-07:00

I was so glad that in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christmas and the wedding at the same time we were still able to get together and continue the tradition! In the essence of time, I compromised a little with graham cracker houses, but I don't think it compromised any of the fun. A great time was had by all. Caitlin had several of her roommates over, and for several of them and Stephanie, it was their first time decorating houses! We have loved this tradition and have so many fond memories from it. We wished Jordan, Andrew & Starrie, and Nicia & Joe could have been with us!

Surprise Breakfast

2009-11-10T22:00:00.010-07:00

This morning Emily was ready for school a little early and didn't want me to come downstairs for quite awhile. I needed to get ready for work anyway, so I didn't mind. I could hear noises coming from the kitchen so had a little clue about what might be going on. When she was ready, she had me close my eyes, led me down the stairs and into the dining room where I opened my eyes and saw this:

On the menu:

blueberry bagel w/cream cheese; orange juice smoothy
made with orange juice & berry yogurt mixed together

She had made breakfast for me! Notice the creative "coasters" under the mugs (paper towels). It's hard to see, but she made little name cards for each of us, Mom's Place and Emily's Place, written in her version of cursive (which is actually pretty good!). Of course the inside of mine had hearts decorating it and telling me she loved me. A melt your heart moment - really special for me. After hugs and a prayer, we enjoyed our little breakfast together while reading about Helaman and his army.

Apparently, she had done the same kind thing for Dave this past Saturday while I was at my sister, Karen's. I know why she is doing this thoughtful deed - it's from years of watching her older brothers and sisters make breakfast for us on Mother's Day & Father's Day, and sometimes just because, in addition to doing lots of other thoughtful things for us on a regular basis. (I seriously have the best kids!) So thank you to her sweet siblings who have shown her such a great example!! And thank you Emily for a your love and a yummy breakfast!! Love you!

The Wicked Witch of the West

2009-11-03T21:59:00.003-07:00

Emily wanted to be something "scary" this year for Halloween. She said she had always been something "good" and wanted to be something bad and scary this year. Dave did her makup the first night for "trunk or treat", and I did it the 2nd night for trick or treating. I was really pleased with her outfit. Got the dress and cape at DI for $4.50 and the hat at Big Lots for $3.49. Here's our own Wicked Witch of the West:

She insisted on wearing fangs part of the time

Without fangs

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-02T23:08:00.006-07:00

The week before Halloween we were fortunate to have most of our gang over to eat sausage potato soup and homemade crockpot applesauce, carve pumpkins and make carmel apples. Our brother-in-law, Lee Holdaway, was visiting and got to get in on the fun too. Here's everyone diligently working to get their pumpkins cleaned out.

Dave hates the feeling of the pumpkin guts - he's trying to look cheerful here as he digs in.....

At times people would get a little carried away:

Justin getting knife happy

Emily wanted to "carve" her own pumpkin like everyone else.

We let her have the knife for about 3 seconds.....

Becky and Jared even brough a pumpkin carving design book and special carving tools - serious carvers!

Some of the finished products:

Becky's pumpkin - says "Trick or Treat!"

Dave's pumpkin - the headless horseman

The night wouldn't be complete without making carmel apples:

Justin & Stephanie

We've done this a couple times before, and it's so much fun that I think we definitely need to make it a yearly tradition!

Gardner Village

2009-10-30T07:02:00.005-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call letting me know my niece, LaNita was in town with her hubby and little boy, clear from Oklahoma! We wanted to get together, and since Emily was off from school for fall break and I wanted to do something fun with her, we decided to meet at Gardner Village - it was great to see LaNita, and her little Dallas is just the cutest, most handsome little guy!

If you live in the Salt Lake area, you MUST go to Gardner Village. Such a cool place. My description wouldn't do it justice. It has lots of shops with way cute stuff, mostly home decor, but so much other stuff too. Way cute stuff. They go all out for Halloween, so the atmosphere is just so fun. We started with pony rides and a petting zoo:

Dallas McDonald

Emily and her friend, Maddie

With Emily's love for horses, this pony got lots of attention!

Around the village there were lots of lifesize witches, all throughout. They had a scavenger hunt which was fun for the girls (and us) to do, going around finding the different witches listed on the hunt. There were clues to help them know the different witches to look for. Great fun for all of us. We didn't spend too much time in the shops since there's was LOTS for little kids NOT to touch. But it was fun to look here and there.

The witch who was "ready for a hug"

My own little witch

Dallas & LaNita

We found all 14 of the witches and went to the bakery to redeem our chocolate chip cookies for turning in our completed scavenger hunt sheets. What a fun way to spend the afternoon. The weather couldn't have been better, and it was wonderful to see LaNita, Josh, and Dallas again!

HELP! Getting unwanted presents from Chipper!

2009-10-19T09:25:00.003-06:00

CHIPPER

I need some help and advice - if you have any experience with dogs, maybe you can give your thoughts...

As most of you know, we have a sweet little dog named Chipper. He's 4 1/2 years old and has been housetrained for about the past 3 1/2 years. Several months ago he started doing his business behind our big screen t.v. We wouldn't find it until way later when we'd be back there working with wires or something. A real bummer. I've tried to be better about keeping track of what he does when he's outside and sometimes putting him in his kennel if I know it's been awhile since he's done #2. Well, this morning, I found that Chipper has moved his location to Emily's bedroom - a pile from a day or two ago and a fresh pile this morning. AAAGGGHHH!

If he hadn't been a member of our family for the past 4 1/2 years, I would put an ad in the paper TODAY to find him a new home. But he is Emily's best little companion here, our primary reason for getting him the first place, so I need advice on how to solve this problem quickly! Do I have to totally start over with housetraining and keeping him kenneled or with me at all times? Do I only put the food out for a little while and then take it away? Any help would be appreciated! I'm totally grossed out and can't handle much more!

Signed,

Desperate Dog Mom

Hike to Santaquin Peak

2009-09-04T06:55:00.002-06:00

SANTAQUIN PEAK

Length of hike: 11.5 miles

Elevation: 10,685 feet

Completion time: 8 1/2 hours

Two weeks ago, Justin and I went on our annual "killer" hike. This year it was Santaquin Peak, just south of our home a few peaks over. Justin invited Stephanie to come along. This was Stephanie's FIRST real hike! She didn't know how long the hike would be until the night before, and I was surprised she came, but she was a real trooper and actually led the group most of the way up. Our day began by leaving the house at 6:15 a.m:

Justin & Stephanie Garrison

One of the beautiful views

Stephanie and Kathy catching a quick rest

Stephanie, Justin, & Kathy at the TOP!

Did I mention we were a little tired?

Justin & Steph looked great - I looked a little worse for the wear

Thankfully, I didn't feel that bad

At the top we met a lady who had actually passed us earlier on the trail and was kind enough to take pictures for us. She looked like she hadn't even begun the hike, and was talking about how she had hardly had to drink any water so far. Turns out, she'd hiked Mount Timponogos 2 days before! (a 14-mile hike) Talk about a serious, hardcore hiker!

Smiles before heading back down the mountain

We enjoyed lunch at the top and rested for a little while. It took us about 3 hours to get back down the mountain. The last couple of miles were the worst. I had a great big blister on each of my big toes, and by then it was much warmer down in the valley, so the further down we went, the hotter it got. We had taken quite a bit of water with us, but the last mile, we were sipping the last few drops of our water. If we'd taken any less, we probably would have been in trouble! But all's well that ends well.

Orange tongues from the mango icees we got after finishing our hike

There are many amazing things about doing a strenuous hike. Amazing scenery, amazing views, amazing that I make it to the top, a real feeling of accomplishment. Overall, fun company and a great hike! Thanks for going Justin and Steph! I'll be resting up for next year.......

Bascom Family Reunion

2009-08-28T22:15:00.007-06:00

Just wanted to post a few pictures from the Bascom Family Reunion, August 13-15, in Santaquin Canyon, Tinney Flats campground. This is Dave's extended family on his mother's side. Justin, Emily, and Kathy were the only ones able to go from our family, since everyone else was working or out of town. The road up the canyon was closed so we had to travel around the long way, taking about an extra hour to get there. Most families tried to get there Thursday evening and ended up arriving quite late. We went up Friday morning and got there in time for a great dutch oven breakfast.

Our camp

Later in the morning, many of us took a nice hike. Kathy opted to stay dry, but Justin and Emily were with the group that hiked further up and through the water. They came back to camp pretty dirty, but had a great time. Later they had a pinata for the kids:

Emily's turn

Even Grandma Bascom took a turn!

Chase Brandner with his new hat

And Emily with her new hat....

They had a water balloon fight and a tug of war, but I missed pictures of both of those. There was a stream right near the camp that the kids did a lot of playing in. All of Emily's clothes were soaked within the first few hours we were there..........

Emily was in 7th heaven with so many cousins to play with.

The kazoo band - Emily, Aubrey Dyson, Alex Dyson, Mistee Bascom, Austin Bascom

Aubrey, Mistee, Emily

We had to bring our dog, Chipper, with us, and all the younger cousins paid TONS of attention to him. He was VERY dirty when we brought him home! (should have gotten a pic)

Friday evening we sat around the campfire playing a couple of games and then had a great fireside where we shared experiences of how the Lord had had a hand in our lives that past week. The spirit was very strong. Saturday morning Grandma & Grandpa Bascom led us in a beautiful devotional.

Grandpa talked about being on one side of the fence or the other (notice the shoe)

Then they talked about Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty and how we want to recommit ourselves as individuals and families to do whatever is necessary to remain close as a family, to have peace and freedom and protect our families.

The Title of Liberty

We marched as a group, gathering around the flag, and sang "Onward Christian Soldiers". It was very touching.

Thank you Grandma & Grandpa Bascom for all your efforts in planning this great reunion for us! There was a lot of opposition while trying to make this reunion a reality, and we recognize the hand of the Lord in keeping us all safe and helping us to be able to come join together. Wonderful memories were made, and bonds of love strengthened. We love you!!

Grandma & Grandpa Bascom

The whole gang

Locks of Love

2009-08-23T22:13:00.006-06:00

Earlier in the year, Emily's friend donated her hair to Locks of Love. Ever since then, Emily has been wanting to donate hers too. So finally, it was long enough.

Pre-haircut

She was SO excited!

Cutting the ponytail

First smiles after the haircut

Nicia came for moral support

Such a cute hairstyle on such a happy girl!

Emily and her hairdresser, Jennifer

We're proud of you, Emily, for helping to make the difference in another child's life!

July Memories

2009-08-17T07:40:00.016-06:00

Just wanted to post a few pictures to remember, since there were lots of events all month long. Not a lot of narrative, but there are LOTS of pictures!

4th of July Freedom Parade:

Emily and Justin

It started to sprinkle, so some of the gang got really creative:

Stephanie Garrison, Justin, Caitlin, Ben Jolley

Aunt Jen, Heather, & Emily hanging out on the side line

Caitlin and Ben Jolley get engaged:

Wedding date is set for September 19th in the Manti Temple

Scottish Festival:

Emily and her good friend, Sara Hatch

Emily getting ready for the swordfight

Emily wins the battle!

Puppy Emily:

For several weeks Emily kept pretending to be a doggy. It was pretty funny to watch!

Playing dead

Breakdown on I-80:

Waiting for AAA to come tow the car

Our tire had a chunk come out of it about six miles from the nearest town in Wyoming. We limped along on the side of the road till we got to the town of Point of Rocks. The only thing in the town was the gas station/small convenience store and a few trailers. But lo and behold, there was even a post office right in the store! I was really glad I had Caitlin with me.

Point of Rocks Post Office

Kathy's sister retreat in Washington:

After dropping Emily off at Nicia's in Wyoming, I got to head for Washington state to be with my sisters for a week. I joined Karen in Salt Lake, and we met up with Annette in Twin Falls. We stopped at Mom & Dad's home for the night. Our visits to Kuna are never quite complete unless we go to our favorite Mexican restaurant in town:

Annette, Mom, Kathy, Karen, Dad

The next morning we went to pick green beans with my brother, Jim. When we came home, Dad had set the table and was fixing breakfast! We had waffles with strawberries & whipped cream, and eggs. It was awesome to see my Dad well enough to be up and around, and cooking breakfast!

We also stopped to visit my brother, Aaron before heading up to Washington. He has started a plumbing repair business, and has the most awesome looking truck. His business card says Owner/Hero on it. Really creative! Gotta love it.

Aaron's Rescue Plumbing

(notice the plunger on the right side of the truck in the dark blue star)

We traveled up to LaNita's the next day and just had a marvelous week together. All her kids were farmed out except for Allison, and none of us brought our children, so it really was a relaxed vacation for all of us. We completed some projects, sewed, watched a movie, played a game, visited, went shopping, went out to dinner, went to our favorite town, Leavinworth, and just had an awesome week! Definitely ended too soon. Thanks girls, for such a great time together! I love you all!

LaNita & Kathy painting the office

Annette, LaNita, Karen, Kathy

Trip to Wyoming to visit Nicia, Joe, & Alyssa:

We feel so fortunate to have Joe & Nicia close enough to visit easily. We spent a little over a week there and just had a great time. Thanks, guys, for a great time!

AWESOME FIREWORKS - WYOMING STYLE! (the big illegal kind) :)

GEOCACHING

GUESSTURES

LEARNING TO PLAY THE FLUTE

BOWLING!

Talise Dubois, Caitlin, Nicia

LOTS OF TICKET TO RIDE GAMES

(Dave - black, Kathy - red.....sorry Dave!)

TERRY BISON RANCH

We took a train ride that wound through the ranch. At one point, the train stopped and a whole herd of buffalo came right up to the train so we could feed them. Very cool!

Cowgirl Emily

Issy and Boo riding the train

Michael's Garden/Michael's Tree

2009-07-02T06:01:00.004-06:00

It has been a little over a year, near the 1-year mark of Michael's passing, that my sisters came and spent a weekend with us, purchasing plants and planting a memory garden. I thought I'd share how well the plants are blooming. I love seeing their beauty each time I step out my door or drive up to our home, and the daisies are my favorite! Thank you again, Karen and Annette (and my cousin Allison) for your labor of love in honor of Michael.

Here's a picture of the memorial tree (a flowering tulip tree) we planted for Michael last year as well. It was planted in the park behind our home, with a beautiful view of it out our kitchen window.

The pictures don't do the tree justice. It really is so pretty almost right in the middle of what many believe is the nicest park in Springville and will be even prettier when it starts flowering in a few years. The bare spot is for the memorial stone that we plan to have in place within the next few months. Thanks again to all our loved ones who helped with this very special project. We hope the garden and tree bring a smile to Michael's face and remind him of our love.

June Happenings

2009-06-23T06:22:00.013-06:00

Children's Art Festival:
Each year for Springville City Days, they hold an awesome children's art festival. We usually invite a friend to come along with Emily, more fun for her. They have around 20 booths, all with a different craft for the children to make. Each craft is made with a different form of art, so they're learning while they have fun.

Olivia and Emily showing off their face painting

Parade fun:

Since I marched in parades for 8 years while growing up, it wouldn't be summer without parades. It's tradition to attend our little city parade each year. Even when we're few in numbers, it's still fun: the excitement, the patriotism, the floats, the bands, the horses, watching the children run to gather candy that's thrown, getting cheap hot dogs at the Chevron station, and more. Just love it! And being held in June, it's just the right weather.

Emily's school always makes an appearance in the parade. Last year she wanted to be on the "float", but decided to wait because Caitlin wasn't here to see her. So this year, with Caitlin home, she chose to be a part of the parade instead of sit with us. She was SO excited! Here she is on the Reagan Academy "float". She has just spotted us as they go by.

Check out a closeup of this picture. Love her expression - pure joy!

No kiddies watching the parade with us, so strange!!

9th Wedding Anniversary!

That's right, June 16 Dave and I celebrated 9 years of marriage. Oh, where has the time gone? First thing in the morning, my sweet Dave surprised me with this:

A beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers from our garden!

To celebrate, we wanted to do a little shopping and go to dinner. Caitlin was my personal beauty consultant. She lent me her clothes, shoes, earrings, and did both my hair and makeup. She was amazing, and I loved being pampered!

Happy Anniversary! Love you forever!!

Pictures with more of my favorite people:

Swim lessons:

Our own little fish

Father's Day:
It was wonderful to have all our children who live nearby, come for dinner for some of Dave's favorites: Enchilada stacks, corn on the cob, and strawberry shortcake. Nicia and Jordan - we missed you!! And Dave, you are an amazing husband and father! We love you!

The kids always come up with great cards, sometimes pretty funny ones - this one had Homer Simpson, need I say more? :)

Birthday Surprise

2009-06-18T00:09:00.006-06:00

Happy Belated Birthday to Emily who turned 7 on May 30! First she received this:

Then the big surprise:

And was she ever surprised:

A pretty happy child I'd say!

Air Show

2009-06-16T01:17:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Caitlin, Emily, and I drove up to Hill Air Force base for the air show. When we arrived, the Thunderbirds were doing their show in the air - hard to get pictures of, but very cool.

We took a tour inside a plane - that was fun:

ready for take-off

When the performance in the air was over, we went inside a hangar to see the famous "Tops in Blue" show. Outstanding talent - a carefully selected 30 or so air force people who learn a 1 1/2 hour show with music, singing, and dancing from every type of music from easy listening, to jazz, to country, all kinds. Very impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

It was fun to spend some time with just the girls!

Extreme Makeover!

2009-06-07T14:14:00.032-06:00

I feel so blessed. Just want to share something else wonderful that happened recently. On Friday, May 29, Caitlin and Nicia knocked on our bedroom door and informed us that we needed to leave our bedroom immediately.
(A little background: several months ago I had seen pictures of how my niece, Rachel, had redone her bedroom for almost nothing in cost. I had mentioned to my girls that if Rachel could do it, perhaps some time this year I might like to try and do something with my almost unbearable bedroom. But then with the finances getting tighter and tighter, I had put that thought to the back of my mind.)

So because I had mentioned something to them earlier, I thought maybe they were having us leave the room so they could put new bedding on our bed. That was the extent of what I thought might happen. We were obedient, though, and grabbed some clothes and toiletries and headed out of the room. We were not allowed back in all day long!

Jared and Becky came for awhile, and Justin came later in the afternoon. Even Caitlin's boyfriend, Ben, was up there helping them. We heard banging, comotion, and more banging. We just stayed downstairs working in the office, playing Ticket to Ride, etc. Around 11:00 at night, we were finally able to go up and see our surprise, a very unexpected birthday/anniversary present:

The temple picture replaced the ugly big wall-mounted t.v. with the dresser crowded under it

A large treadmill took up this whole corner where the dresser and window are

(it's just a shadow the mirror on the door

is casting on the wall to the right)

The picture of Dave & I is one of our favorites at the beach. The black shadow boxes

on either side will have sand, shells, and my sand dollar collection in them.

I was overcome with emotion.....

All of my adult life, I have never decorated my bedroom, ever. Those of you who have seen my bedroom know how bad it was. This is a project that I know for sure would never have happened if it was left up to me. Closet doors put back up (with knobs too!), treadmill taken out and t.v. taken down (I would have Never have been brave enough to do that!), room painted a gorgeous toasted almond color, new drapes, new pictures on the walls, new bedding.....It's beautiful, and I am in heaven!!!

Without a doubt, I have the most amazing, loving children in the entire world. This was one of the main reasons Nicia had come to visit. Truly this was a labor of love by all that means so much to us and that we will remember forever. It has been such a lift for me. As we were all commenting, our bedroom is a beautiful sanctuary now, and I love to spend time in there now. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over to all of our children. We love you all infinity much!!!

Dinner for Two - Just Because

2009-06-07T14:14:00.026-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Nicia and Alyssa were here visiting. (which we always love!) One afternoon Dave asked me to go out with him in the late afternoon. Kind of strange, since it wasn't Friday night, but we decided to go geocaching. I was thinking the kids would fix dinner while we were gone, since Caitlin and Ben had said they'd cook one night. We'd been gone about 1 1/2 hours when they called us and said that they had decided to go geocaching too and had found a geocache they wanted us to come and see. I didn't really think too much about it - just thought they had dinner done and decided to kill some time geocaching while we were still out. They told us where to go to meet them - on a road up on the hill overlooking Springville. As we drove along the road, I realized it was going to deadend into a culdesac. As we approached the culdesac, tears filled my eyes as I realized my children had not been geocaching afterall:

There in the middle of the culdesac was a table and two chairs, all set up for Dave and I to enjoy a full fledged homemade Italian dinner, served directly from the Car Trunk Restaurant! It was a beautiful spot overlooking the valley.

Ben, our waiter, served us a delicious chicken fettucinni dinner, complete with salad, amazing green beans, fresh homemade rasberry lemonade, breadsticks, and cheesecake for dessert! (my favorite)

They had music playing from the car, so we danced a little. So romantic!!

Emily and Alyssa had fun just playing around the culdesac:

As the sun set, Nicia, our awesome photographer, took more pictures:

The fabulous "Car Trunk Restaurant" crew

Nicia took a few more pictures as the sun went down, and we left our memorable dinner spot to head back to the house. After they had cleaned up the kitchen, the kids left to spend the night at Grandma & Grandpa Bascom's so we could have the house to ourselves for the night. The fabulous dinner wasn't the only surprise they had for us. When we got up to our room, here was what we saw:

Music playing, candles burning all around, rose petals everywhere. So fun, and so romantic! We have the most thoughtful, amazing kids - they thought of everything! And did all of this, just because...... Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you did to help us to share a beautiful evening together. It was much needed, and we appreciate this sweet surprise so much!! We love you all!

Crazy Hair Day

2009-05-02T18:25:00.008-06:00

Emily's school had a crazy hair day for spirit week. I was just going to put little pony tails all over Emily's head, but luckily Caitlin stepped in, and did a much better job:

What an awesome hairdo! Thanks, Issy!

(Emily's nickname for Caitlin)

More of Iguazu

2009-04-30T22:55:00.015-06:00

I forgot to mention how calm the water around us was while we were walking to "Devil's Throat", the largest of the falls at Iguazu. We hadn't seen any of the falls yet, so we kept thinking, "Are we going in the right direction? It doesn't seem like the falls could be close by at all!" We went from very calm waters:

To this:

Amazing! We also made a few new friends in the Iguazu rain forest:

Iguanas - you have to look close, they hide pretty well

Costi - these little guys were so cute!

They're not afraid either - guess they want some lunch!

Large lizards

Crocodile

Very large spiders, whose webs stretch for several yards throughout the trees

More beauties:

Our 2nd day there, after a scrumptious lunch of empanadas (at the same restaurant we ate at the day before) we boarded another long distance bus that would take us to Rosario.

Good bye, Puerto Iguazu!

We weren't as fortunate this time and were on a bus a level down from the nicest buses. Our seats didn't recline all the way back, and the meals were fairly sub-standard. In addition, I got wonderful stomach cramps and all that goes with them, all night long.....but no worries, it was all part of the Argentine experience!

We were on the 2nd level of the bus, though, in the very front seats looking out the front window - that was cool. The terrain in northern Argentina was very different from the Rosario/Buenos Aires area, (more red dirt like the St. George area) so we really enjoyed seeing the countryside and Caitlin showing us all kinds of interesting things along the roadsides. We got to see things like this:

At one stop, Caitlin and I got off the bus so we could take a picture at the back of the bus:

Translated: Proud to be a missionary!

The bus driver came around the back of the bus and really got after us for getting off the bus at all. We hurried and got back on, and at least we got our picture! (Misiones is the province in Argentina where we were)

Caitlin, still a full-time missionary, struck up a conversation with the young man sitting next to us. They talked for quite awhile about all sorts of things, family, etc. and eventually about our church and quitting smoking (which he's really been wanting to do), and she loaned him a spanish nice music CD to listen to. In the end, another referral for the mission home. :) Throughout our trip, I was constantly amazed at how Caitlin could strike up a conversation with someone nearby, and before we knew it, the conversation had gradually changed to talking about the church. Of course, she was always talking in Spanish, so some of what she said we could tell was about the church, and some she would relay to us later.

We were about 1 1/2 hours outside of Rosario the next day when the bus came to a halt in the road and ended up sitting for quite some time. Then we had to take a detour, some of which wasn't even on a true road. (that was fun!) It was awhile before we figured out what was going on. Turns out that farmers were protesting increased taxes, and were blocking the roads. Again, all part of the experience! But we finally got to Rosario, where we would experience truly the best part of our trip, visitng the wonderful people Caitlin taught and grew to love.

Stay tuned......

Argentina pictures.....Finally!

2009-04-29T20:29:00.011-06:00

We're back!! Well, actually we've been back for over a month. I got out of the habit of blogging, but I really want to get started with it again. I'll have to do a little a time, or it just seems too overwhelming!

On March 17, after an uneventful but long overnight flight, Dave and I arrived in Buenos Aires. We spent the rest of the day and evening resting and doing some sightseeing in downtown Buenos Aires. Not speaking Spanish was a little bit of a hindrance, but we managed. The next morning, we got checked out of our hotel and went over to the Buenos Aires temple where we anxiously waited for Caitlin to arrive. So exciting!! I can't describe the feelings I felt, but as a mother it's truly a blessing to see your child after 18 months, wrap your arms around them, and know from the big smile on their face that they are happy and well!

After lunch we were able to do a session with the other missionaries who would be flying home that night (in Spanish of course) which was very special. I'm SO glad we didn't skip this part of the trip!! I had been a little antsy the day before, knowing that Caitlin was in Argentina also, but that we wouldn't see her till the next day. (we could have picked her up the night before at the mission home.) But it was so worth the wait to be able to spend the time with her at the Buenos Aires temple.

We had decided ahead of time to have a little of the Argentine experience, so after the temple, we headed over to the bus station where we rode a cami-suite bus overnight to Iguazu Falls - 17 hours total. Because this is how almost all Argentines travel, they have different level buses, and we were fortunate to be on the nicest one.

The seats were cushy and oversized, and reclined almost flat, with a foot rest that came up so you could lay down. With a blanket and pillow it was pretty close to being like an actual bed! There was an attendant who served us dinner and breakfast too. Caitlin ended up talking with him for quite awhile about the church, and he was really interested and sincere. By the time we left the bus she had all his information for a referral for the mission home!

Dave & Kathy enjoying alfajors - probably one of the yummiest sweet treats I've ever tasted

Breakfast - the Carb Collection :)

If you look close, breakfasts consisted of 2 croissants, hard toast-like things, juice, an alfajor, and dulce de leche (a scrumptious carmel like stuff to put on the hard toast)

Oh well, we were on vacation, so we just enjoyed all those carbs! By the way, Argentine people don't cook eggs or other protein for breakfast.

Our side trip to Iguazu Falls was amazing. The falls are located right on the border of Argentina and Brazil. We have tons of pictures, but pictures really don't do the falls justice. What makes the falls unique is that there are so many of them. Here are just a few pics:

This picture was taken just before the boat took us down under the falls.

We were soaked at the end, but it was so worth it!!

We were at the falls one afternoon, then stayed the night in the quaint little town of Puerto Iguazu a few miles from the falls, then went back to the falls the next morning. Our hotel was part of the Argentine experience too. It was really just a very tiny run-down house with a sign on the front that said "Recepcion". But in the back there was a small courtyard and a few rooms beyond that. The room had all the basics, even had an air conditioner. Caitlin said, It's nicer than any of the the apartments I was in!" The beds were comfy too.

Enjoying a delicious dinner where they just kept bringing us all kinds of meat, as much as we wanted. I even tried blood sausage.....

Stay tuned for more pics soon..............

Another Update

2009-03-20T14:45:00.003-06:00

I (Nicia) was finally able to get a hold of Caitlin, Kathy, and my dad. They are doing great! I will let Kathy report on all the wonderful things they have been able to see and do, and what blessings they have be given while out there. I just wanted to let everyone know that they are doing well.
Kathy and my dad were able to meet Caitlin at the temple, and they were able to do a session together.
Caitlin says she has been talking constantly to her mom, and then will look over at my dad and see him just sitting there in his own world, listening to music. She laughed and said she felt bad, but my dad said, "oh no. I knew that's what would happen, so I came prepared." Pretty great.
Anyway, Caitlin looks great! I was actually able to webcam with them. It was SO fun!
If you comment on Kathy's blog, she will get it. She has been able to check her email while in Argentina, so if there's anything you'd like to say, please comment away!

Update

2009-03-17T08:12:00.002-06:00

Nicia here. Just wanted to give everyone a quick update! My dad and Kathy have made it safely to Argentina, and should be meeting Caitlin at the temple to do a session any minute now! So, all are doing well. Hopefully we'll be able to hear more after they pick her up. It's going to be a great day! :)

¡Hasta luego USA! Hola Argentina!

2009-03-14T12:19:00.004-06:00

Bridge at Sunset, Rosario, Argentina

Hola!
Well, tomorrow is the big day for Dave and me. We leave on a plane headed for Buenos Aires at 1:40 in the afternoon and get there the next morning at 7:45. We're so excited and a little nervous at the same time. Tuesday Caitlin will travel with the other missionaries from the mission home in Rosario up to temple in Buenos Aires, which is where we'll be meeting her! :) This is one of the highlights of the trip for me. I've been getting more emotional every day. Just thinking about it brings on the tears! (thanks to the Danes genes)

We plan to take Caitlin to Iguazu Falls, and then travel through her mission area, visiting the wonderful families she grew close to (another highlight for me). We'll have very limited access to the internet, so no blog posts for awhile, but hopefully some great pictures to post when we return home! Bueno adiós a todos nuestros amigos!

My Dad - 79 Years Young!

2009-03-09T06:25:00.004-06:00

Emily, my sister, Karen, and I took a quick trip up to Kuna, ID over the weekend to visit our parents again. I was SO glad we went! Dad got out of the rehabilitation center a couple of weeks ago, and it was good to see him making a little progress at home. Saturday we dragged him out to Sam's Club where he used one of the electric carts. (He REALLY didn't want to go, but we just couldn't let him sit in that house when the weather was so beautiful!)

We had fun sampling all the food and letting Mom & Dad check out the things Sam's Club carries, since they don't usually go there. Mom brought home a state-of-the-art metal kitchen trash can with a motion sensor in it so the lid opens when you put your hand over it, and closes automatically when you leave. Very cool. Gotta admit, I was coveting just a little bit!

Late Saturday afternoon we headed over to El Gallo Giro, our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Dad's 79th birthday was on the 4th, so we decided to celebrate a little more.

My batteries died, so I wasn't able to get a picture of Emily there. Later on in the evening my brother, Ken, his wife, Jenette, and their children Reanna and Samuel, came over to visit. Emily had a great time playing with her cousins she doesn't see very often.

It was so nice to have Karen to visit with on the drive up, and was just a wonderful visit all around! Love you, Mom & Dad!

Emily's Rash

2009-03-05T09:56:00.006-07:00

The pictures don't show it very well, but here's the rash:

Thankfully, there was only a little itching, and it didn't spread too much - now if we could just get rid of the sores in and on her mouth so it doesn't hurt when she eats.

Fifths Disease

2009-03-02T07:19:00.007-07:00

Has anyone else ever heard of this before? I hadn't until Friday, when Emily brought home a note from school saying that someone in her classroom (her friend) had a confirmed case of Fifths Disease. That afternoon Emily had a low grade fever, stuffy nose, headache, and didn't really want to eat, so I looked up Fifths Disease, and she had all the symptoms of this "disease". She's had them all weekend, so I started watching for the rash. Sure enough, this morning, she has the rash. She's been a trooper through it all, though, and even wanted to go to school this morning.

Apparently it's named Fifths Disease because it's the fifth classical rash-associated infection of childhood. Thankfully, it's not a serious thing, and Emily's not contagious anymore, now that she has the rash, and the other symptoms seem to be gone except for the stuffy nose. Just thought I'd pass along the information for all you moms out there with little ones.

FIFTHS DISEASE:
Especially common in kids between the ages of 5 and 15, fifth disease typically produces a distinctive red rash on the face that makes the child appear to have a "slapped cheek." The rash then spreads to the trunk, arms, and legs. Fifth disease is actually just a viral illness that most kids recover from quickly and without complications.

Fifth disease (also called erythema infectiosum) is caused by parvovirus B19. A human virus, parvovirus B19 is not the same parvovirus that veterinarians may be concerned about in pets, especially dogs, and it cannot be passed from humans to animals or vice versa.
Signs and Symptoms
Fifth disease begins with a low-grade fever, headache, and mild cold-like symptoms (a stuffy or runny nose). These symptoms pass, and the illness seems to be gone until a rash appears a few days later. The bright red rash typically begins on the face. Several days later, the rash spreads and red blotches (usually lighter in color) extend down to the trunk, arms, and legs. The rash usually spares the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. As the centers of the blotches begin to clear, the rash takes on a lacy net-like appearance. Kids younger than 10 years old are most likely to get the rash.
A person with parvovirus infection is most contagious before the rash appears — either during the incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) or during the time when he or she has only mild respiratory symptoms. Because the rash of fifth disease is due to an immune reaction (a defense response launched by the body against foreign substances like viruses) that occurs after the infection has passed, a child is usually not contagious once the rash appears.
Parvovirus B19 spreads easily from person to person in fluids from the nose, mouth, and throat of someone with the infection, especially through large droplets from coughs and sneezes. http://kidshealth.org/

A Moment in History

2009-02-23T08:47:00.003-07:00

Okay, for those of you who haven't been to our home, you might not understand why this is a big deal to me. But for those of you who have been here and have seen our garage in the past, take a good look because THIS is a moment in history! For the first time since we've moved here, (almost 9 years ago) there is enough space in our garage to park two small cars! Some of the things around the edges will be in an upcoming yard sale, and that will free up more space. I'm getting rid of a small storage unit we've had, to lose a $30/month payment, and will bring a small portion of the business stuff back to the garage and stack neatly, so we won't be able to park two cars for long (still one though). But I just had to show the progress I've been making!

My Sweet Valentines

2009-02-21T07:52:00.011-07:00

Just wanted to post a few pics from Valentine's Day. Dave has been gone to Arizona for 3 weeks (still gone), giving 35 presentations in 20 days. It's been an extremely hectic time for him, so I was not expecting anything for Valentine's Day, not even a card. I just figured we'd celebrate when he got back. On Valentine's Day, I received a beautiful card in the mail, and Dave arranged with Andrew to have him make a special delivery to me:

I actually took these pictures several days after Valentine's Day so the petals are starting to curl a little, but they were gorgeous, and it meant a lot to me that even with Dave's very busy schedule, he took time to make sure I was remembered and could feel his love even through the distance. Thank you, sweetheart!

Friday I helped with Emily's classroom Valentine party. Later that night Emily helped me deliver heart cakes to our children who live in Orem and Provo.

Getting ready for the valentine exchange

Emily is "out of uniform" because it was a free dress day for those students with 90% or above on their "good behavior" cards. Way to go!

A sweet valentine from Emily:

Thank you to two of the sweetest people in my life!

Visit With Grandma & Grandpa

2009-02-13T09:55:00.008-07:00

Emily and I were privileged to go see Grandma and Grandpa Danes for the weekend. Grandpa had been in the hospital with congestive heart failure, underlying pneumonia, and a mild heart attack. He had been transferred to a rehabilitation center to regain his strength so he could do the basic things to take care of himself. We left early Friday morning and were able to stay until Monday afternoon. When we got there, LaNita and her children were still there at the house, so Emily was able to play with them for a couple of hours before we went to the rehab center.

Allison Vance, Madelyn Vance, Emily, Rosie Vance, Spencer Vance

They did a great job of keeping themselves entertained while we were there at the center.

Grandpa wasn't very happy about having to be in the rehab center and wanted to be home. Needless to say, he was a little grumpy and negative. Emily tried to play the "glad" game with him, but he wasn't too interested. It was sweet because she still remained positive, and she and I were listing things that he could still be glad about, even though he couldn't be at home.

The first night after visiting Dad, Mom and I were pretty tired and hungry, so we stopped at a wonderful restaurant there in Kuna and split a steak dinner special. It was perfect and really hit the spot!

Saturday I woke up to a flat tire on my car, and called AAA. They weren't able to help me, though, because my car has special lugnuts so no one can steal a tire! He didn't have the right lugnut wrench to help me, so I had him pump up the tire and went to Les Schwab where I got two new tires. (I was told they were about the only people in the area with the special wrench I needed.) It all worked out okay. I should mention that about 1 1/2 hours before I got to Kuna the car started shaking at the steering wheel. I knew I didn't have a flat tire and wasn't sure what was wrong. I just kept praying as I drove and was able to get there. It was a blessing I didn't get stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire, because most likely no one would have been able to help me without the special lugnut tool! We grabbed a bite to eat at Wendy's and strolled through Sam's Club while we were out, and spent the afternoon/evening with Dad.

In addition to helping my mother and visiting my dad, one of my main reasons for going up there was go give my dad a project I had been working on for him. When we were there at Thanksgiving time, he had asked me to put 2 songs his mother had composed, down on paper in note form, since the songs were only in his head. I videotaped him singing the songs and brought the video home. I got busy with the holidays and sending Jordan off on his mission, so it was after Jordan left before I started working on the songs. After hearing about his health, I felt a great urgency to complete the songs for him. I was able to find a computer program that allowed me put the notes onto sheet music and add an accompaniment to the melody my father had sung. The songs are both about a young man going off to war; one leaving his sweetheart, and in the other song, announcing to his mom that he is joining the marines.

Saturday evening I presented him with the songs.

Grandpa Danes checking out the sheet music for his mother's songs

We went down to the dining room where there was a piano, and I was able to play the songs for him. He corrected a note that was wrong, and we made sure the accompaniment sounded the way he thought it should. I asked him to sing with me, but he said he didn't feel like it. I asked him again and let him know how much it would mean to me if he would sing with me. He did join in, and so did Grandma and Emily. It was a special moment to have all of us singing the songs that my grandmother had sung to my dad for so many years, and to have the words and music down on sheet music.

I have a few corrections to make, and Dad wants to get it copywrighted, and then we can, with permission, make copies for family members. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to do this for my Dad and that now the songs will be there to pass on to his posterity.

Just a few more sweet pictures from our visit:

I'm grateful to hear that Grandpa is cooperating more with the nurses at the rehab center and making progress. I know my parents' time is short here, especially with their health conditions. I treasure every moment I am able to be with them. It was a wonderful visit!!

EFY Medley

2009-02-02T21:24:00.005-07:00

Jordan had asked for a copy of the EFY Medley, As Sisters in Zion/We'll Bring the World His Truth as he and some other missionaries are going to sing it as a special musical number. Tonight I decided to google the title, and came across a gorgeous rendition of it on youtube. I've always loved this arrangement and been close to tears when I hear it, but this time the tears were flowing by the end of the song, thinking of my two missionaries, serving and sacrificing. Our youth truly are the strong, valiant followers of Christ who will be the ones to carry on His work in the challenging years to come. Just thought I'd share this beautiful piece. Click on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVHhcHOj7NI and enjoy a few peaceful moments.

Just Use Your Brain

2009-02-02T00:03:00.013-07:00

So Emily got the game Connect Four for Christmas and loves it. It says for 7 and older, but she has caught on really well. I was playing it with her Sat. night. She had won several rounds, and I had won only one (and I was seriously working to win). I put my head in my hands and said, "Oh, you keep winning - I don't know what to do!" Emily looked at me, puzzled, and said very simply, "It's easy, Mom, just use your brain." I smiled, laughed a little and said, "I am!" :)

Then tonight, Justin, Emily, and I were playing Clue, which Emily has played only once before. We were not trying to make anything easy on her, just playing the game. Both Justin and I were fairly certain of who did it, with what weapon, and where, but before we could get to the room to make an accusation (we thought you had to be in the room), it was Emily's turn, and she was in the right room, made the right accusation and won the game! We didn't know she was so close to winning too. I haven't seen her that excited in a LONG time. The fact that she had won a "big person" game (as she called it) was pretty awesome to her, and to Justin and me for that matter. I can tell we're in for some heavy game playing in the years to come. Guess I'm going to have to put some effort into using this shrinking brain. Congrats Emmy on a great win! Mom

Elder Jordan Ritter

2009-01-25T22:21:00.013-07:00

We've had such wonderful events happening around our home lately, and I wish I would have been better about my blogging. Last Sunday was Jordan's farewell talk and goodbye get together at our home. His talk was excellent, on the scripture, "Be thou an example of the believers." He was very well prepared. At the get together, we had close to 80 family and close friends, but everything went smoothly. The pictures we took are on Jordan's camera, so none to post here! Thanks to all who came and supported Jordan. I was a little stressed about feeding and hosting that many people, but everyone was so supportive and helpful. It was a wonderful day.

Tuesday, January 20 Jordan was set apart as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I realized late Tuesday night that we had missed Jordan's appointment for his last set of shots. So Wed. morning early he and Nicia (he needed a companion) went to get his shots. It turns out that in November they actually gave him the wrong shots (how can that happen???) so he will still have to go in for one more set of shots before leaving for Mexico in March.

Wednesday, January 21, was the big day Jordan had been waiting for for 4 months, the day he would enter the Missionary Training Center and begin his mission in full-time service to the Lord. Late that morning we continued our tradition of having lunch beforehand at Magleby's Restaurant. We got camera happy, so here are a few pictures of the crew at lunch:

Elder Jordan Ritter

Smiles from Nicia & Andrew

A proud Mom

Another proud parent

Alyssa chowing down on the breadsticks (they're to die for)

little sister, big brother

Jordan, Justin, and Grandpa Bascom enjoying the moment

Then it was off to the Missionary Training Center in Provo where Elder Ritter will spend 2 months learning Spanish and preparing to teach the gospel in Mexico.

Elder Ritter and Justin

Elder Ritter and Andrew

Elder Ritter with Grandma & Grandpa Bascom

Jordan takes care of the administration stuff at the entrance of the MTC, and we all go into a large meeting room filled with families and missionaries, several hundred people. They hold a short meeting with the MTC president and his wife, and everyone sings "Called To Serve", which is just an awesome experience. We're advised to use the "taking off a band-aid" method in saying goodbye, the quicker, the better. We all give Jordan hugs and kisses, and a few tears are shed as it will be the last time we see him for 2 years. It's an emotional, but joyous time. Jordan leaves through one door, and we leave through another. I peek out the door Jordan has left through and watch my child who is grown up now, walk down the hallway and around the corner. A young man prepared and ready to embark on a wonderful journey as he serves the Lord. My heart is full as I leave the MTC, and I feel such a gratitude for all my blessings, especially the blessing of my children serving full-time missions for the Lord.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-01T10:43:00.012-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve, with Grandma & Grandpa Bascom, Aunt Karen and Uncle Bill joining our family. We enjoyed our traditional semi-formal Christmas Eve ham dinner with a place setting for our Savior, followed by reading the Christmas Nativity Story (Luke 2) where we all took turns reading a verse, and talked about gifts we could give to Christ.

followed by singing Christmas carols together

with Bill and Karen serenading us with "Our Christmas Tree"

After company left, we opened the traditional Christmas Eve present of "p.j.'s". Emily had plenty of nighties so she got a new purple robe. I really like the way we celebrate on Christmas Eve, a little more reverence and remembrance of our Savior.

Christmas Day brought EXCITEMENT for gifts received:

Even though Emily had asked for nothing, Santa brought Emily a scooter and a special music box with a letter inside from Santa! He let her know how proud he was of her for being such a giving person and not wanting anything for herself, and that he wanted to give something to her anyway. She immediately started dancing and twirling. It was darling.

Christmas Day brought: A PHONE CALL WITH CAITLIN!

Some of the gang around the phone

We have speakerphone, so we were all able to hear Caitlin talking and took turns talking with her. Definitely one of the highlights of my day, and it's awesome to think that in 2 1/2 months we'll be seeing her in person!! She sounded great, in good spirits, and her Spanish sounds like a native!

Christmas Day brought BIG THANKS for gifts received:

Andrew thanks Emily for her gift - a Wendy's coupon

Joe thanks Emily for her gift - rocket balloons!

Emily was excited about everyone receiving their gifts from her.

Christmas Day brought SMILES:

Uncle Justin & Alyssa

Christmas Day brought LAUGHTER:

I can't remember what was said, but everyone was laughing pretty hard!

Christmas Day brought: RELAXING

Alyssa "chillaxing" in the doll's cradle

Christmas Day brought PUZZLES:

We always get a new puzzle for Christmas. This is a very cool puzzle of New York City, NY, that glows in the dark. Jordan and Justin did most of the work on it.

Christmas Day brought: NAPS

Emily and Chipper on Christmas Day in one of their usual nap spots

The other nap spot - Chipper's pillow

Christmas Day brought FAMILY ACTIVITIES:

Caitlin had sent us something to do as family. There were Argentine treats, each with a picture of her and a scripture on the back, addressed to one of us. We took turns looking up the scripture that was for ourself, and read it out loud. It was really neat because the scripture and picture related to us individually. A lot of thought and work went into it. Anyway, it was fun to do this together - THANK YOU, CAITLIN!

Another Christmas has come and gone - it was small in quantity of goods, but big with traditions, music, love, family, and remembrance of Christ, which truly are the most important.

We Have Company!

2008-12-22T00:16:00.005-07:00

Nicia, Joe, and Alyssa arrived Saturday morning around 2:15 a.m. We have beene enjoying every minute we can spend with them. Saturday afternoon I got to babysit Alyssa - we had a good time!

She let me rock her to sleep that day and tonight I was able to get her asleep again. (nice to know I haven't lost the touch)

Dave has been teaching her how to use electronic gadgets:

Look Alyssa, you can draw on my treo!

He thought it was fun till she ran off with his stylus and didn't want to give it back.

It's been such a joy to have all of them here. After Christmas they'll leave and go to Wyoming where they'll make their new home. We're so happy that they'll be quite a bit closer - only 7 hours away instead of 12!

TRADITION!

2008-12-21T23:54:00.006-07:00

One of our long-standing Christmas traditions is making and decorating gingerbread houses. We have such a good time, and it's one tradition that even though most the children are grown, none of us are ready to give up. This year, Jordan was home and helped me cut out patterns, cut the dough and bake, and put the houses together. It was so much more fun to have someone helping me!

All the houses are gingerbread except for one, which Nicia made out of graham crackers when she got here. It's in the back center. Here are the houses, ready to be decorated:

A work in progress:

Andrew & friend, Starry

I keep everyone supplied with frosting, while we have the Christmas music playing in the background, chatting going on, and everyone snitching their favorite candy while they decorate.

The finished products: (couldn't get one of Jordan)

I was thinking of just getting kits next year, but I have kids volunteering to help me make the houses so we can still have homemade ones (nothing like the smell of fresh gingerbread baking). I guess I have a year to think about it! I do love this tradition, though. Thank you to the Van Tassel family in Lewiston, New York, for helping me get this tradition started 25 years ago! It's been something the children look forward to every year.

'TIS THE SEASON......

2008-12-14T09:44:00.010-07:00

'TIS THE SEASON......for DECORATING THE TREE

I'm can't locate one of my Christmas boxes that has the garland in it, so, we're garlandless this year. I'm still missing not having a real tree, so just might have to break down and get one next year! (we've been without for 3 years now) I'm grateful for a tree, each ornament, and decoration, and the beautiful symbolism of them all.

'TIS THE SEASON......for CHRISTMAS CAROLS AND STORIES

Before and after decorating the tree, we sang lots of Christmas carols. I love both the music and stories and am so grateful that we can enjoy both all season long!

'TIS THE SEASON......for SNOWSTORMS (in Utah anyway!)

Although it's cold and awful to drive in, I'm grateful for the snow, since for us it means having enough water in the summer.

'TIS THE SEASON......for SNOW SHOVELING!

Like brother, like sister.....since Jordan was small, he has gone out and shoveled snow without being asked. Really a bonus for me! THANK YOU, JORDAN! And this year, Emily is right out there with him. It's cold in this picture, about 25 degrees. Please notice all the winter gear they are wearing.....really none. I guess Emily DOES have boots on, but that's about it! Both JoJo and Emmy are the "It's not cold", "wear shorts all year" kind of people....just for the record, they didn't get it from me! I'm grateful for children who shovel my driveway for me! (Gotta mention that Dave was out there last night shoveling too.)

'TIS THE SEASON.......for SNOW FUN!

Sometimes Emily DOES get bundled up if she's going to actually PLAY in the snow for a length of time. I'm thankful for a daughter who shows such joy and enthusiasm for big and little things.

'TIS THE SEASON.....for FRIENDS and HOT COCOA

taking a break from the snow and "chilling out" (or warming up) with a friend

I'm grateful for friends and family to share special and ordinary times with.

'TIS THE SEASON......for CHRISTMAS PARTIES

Dave's extended family had their Bascom Family Christmas Party last night. We tied fleece blankets to give to a homeless shelter, had a yummy dinner, a beautiful Christmas story, and the nativity. We are fortunate to still have lots of younger children to carry out the tradition of acting out the nativity. Sorry about the right corner of the picture. I was kind of in charge of the nativity so didn't get to see much of it, but the children were darling. We sang silent night when they were through, and it was a perfect way to end the beautiful evening.

I'm so thankful we have family who live close enough to make these special memories with us. I'm especially grateful for this time of year when we can take more time to focus on the One whose birth we celebrate and all it means for us.

Giving - The Best Gift of All

2008-12-03T22:09:00.005-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with Emily about what she might like for Christmas. She thought a minute and named a few things. Then a couple of days ago Emily started to write a Christmas list - I thought she was writing her list to Santa, but she said, "No Mom! This is my Giving List!" She then proceeded to write each person's name and with my help, wrote next to each name what she would like to give them for Christmas. She was so excited about her giving list!!

Then last night Dave & I were asking her if she was going to write a letter to Santa Claus to let him know what she would like for Christmas. She found a stenopad right away and started writing her letter. When she was done, she showed it to me, and I read:

Nothing? I've never known a child to want "nothing" for Christmas! As my eyes were filling with tears, I gave Emily a great big hug and told her how special her letter was. She looked up at me with a sweet, peaceful look, and we shared a tender moment. She is learning at a young age where true joy comes from, which will be a blessing all her life. She is already grasping what took me much longer to learn: that receiving isn't really that important, but the true spirit of Christmas is found in giving, even as Christ gave his life for us. How I love my little girl and all she teaches me.

Happy Birthday, Jordan - Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T11:23:00.014-07:00

Jordan was lucky enough (or maybe not so lucky) to turn 19 right on Thanksgiving Day this year! Happy Belated Birthday! Here's a quick look back over the years at this handsome guy:

We had traveled to Grandma & Grandpa Danes' home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanksgiving Eve we went to the local Mexican restaurant where G&G Danes treated us to a birthday dinner for Jordan. Thanks so much Mom & Dad!

We went back to G&G's home and had dessert with Bill & Karen who had just arrived.

It just doesn't seem possible that another one of my babies is grown and ready to leave the nest! Jordan keeps a happy spark with frequent joking around our home, and we're going to miss him terribly when he leaves! I couldn't be a prouder mom, though! Love you, Bud!

Muffin had just delivered her puppies the day we arrived:

For Emily it was love at first sight with the little pups!

We spent Thanksgiving Day at my brother, Jim's, home. There were about 40 people there - lots of good food and company.

At this time of year, I truly have so many blessings to be thankful for. Good health, the freedoms of our country, the gospel, and family to name a few. As I grow older, "stuff" means so much less to me, and family means so much more. I know my mom & dad's time is growing short, and it was a treasure to spend time with them for several days.

Weekly Happenings

2008-11-16T23:35:00.010-07:00

First I need to apologize - I'm having trouble getting paragraph breaks to work in this post. I don't know why everything is running together. It makes it harder to read, but I can't seem to fix it.

Tuesday: Friends, frosting, and fun.

Emily and her friend, Alicia, had been working on improving their reverence in Primary. Their reward was baking cookies together, so here they are:

The only kind of cookie cutters I have are Christmas, so it was Christmas a little early! :) They had a lot of fun though, and the next day Alicia and her sister Katie both wrote thank-you notes to Emily and me. Emily promptly wrote a note to them and ran it over to their house. It's really nice that Alicia just lives around the corner from us. She's been a good playmate for Emily.

Wednesday: Dave's parents, Mom & Dad Bascom, had us over for a birthday dinner for Dave, delicious pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and salad, with apple crisp and ice cream for dessert. After being sick for a week, it was so nice that I didn't have to cook that night! Thank you, Mom Bascom!! We had forgotten our camera, so Mom Bascom has the only pictures taken that night. Only downer was that I broke a new bottle of Lighthouse Blue Cheese dressing right before we walked out the door. Darn!

Thursday: I finally cleaned off the bar and mopped my kitchen floor after about 3 months. It was badly needed! I should have taken a picture of the before and after...............So nice to be able to walk on the floor without sticking to it!

Friday: Dave & I went out to Red Robin for lunch to redeem his free burger and fries. We both tried something new that came with his burger: garlic parmesan fries. YUM! If you've never tried them, you need to!

Saturday: Flag Football. Our stake got together with a Provo stake for a men's flag football tournament. It's being held right here in our park, so I went out to watch Jordan for awhile. Here he is on the run: (one in front with white shirt and dark blue shorts)

Jordan absolutely loves any kind of sport, and it really is fun watching him. Plus Emily played in the park with Chipper while we were out there; it was a beautiful fall morning!

With being gone to California, catching up after the trip, and getting sick, I hadn't gotten any of the fall yard cleanup done yet. So I decided Saturday would be the day to tackle it. I repaired our broken leaf rake and got some leaves raked up.

(notice the "not so white" white socks)

Emily's annual fun in the leaves - we missed Caitlin for this!

Dave came out and tried to help, but the rake broke again, and we were out of bags. The BYU football game was starting soon, so I knew that was it for yard work that day. We did get three bags filled though. During the game I went and bought a new rake and more bags. Guess what we're doing for an early family night tomorrow????

After the game Jordan went with friends, and Dave, Emily, and I headed to Salt Lake to do some shopping at Linens 'n Things. We had gifts cards to use up, since their store is closing. We bought new drinking glasses, and some needed kitchen utensils. Then we met Bill and Karen (my sister) for dinner at Gecko's Mexican Restaurant for Dave's birthday, where they treated us (thank you Bill & Karen!) It's so nice that they live close enough we can get together once in awhile!

Sunday: I came in the kitchen and here's what I saw:

Chef Emily. She had put on Dave's cooking apron and was ready to make him breakfast in bed.

Emily made the toast, and I made an eggs, sausage, hashbrowns skillet thing - I think the scouts call it rabbit guts, so it doesn't look like much, but it tasted good!

Later, after probably a decade, I tried my hand at making homemade lasagna. It turned out really well. While I was at Nicia's she showed me how to make lasagna without cooking the noodles. So slick! Anway, homemade lasagna and homemade garlic breadsticks, and Dave was in heaven with another family birthday dinner. (with more family who wasn't with us on Wed.) I think Emily took this shot of us at the table..........

Opening presents: I love this next picture, so sweet.

Emily, her Daddy, and the coupon book she made for him.

I have so much to be grateful for, but I'm especially thankful for my family. I'm so blessed to be able to share the joys in their lives.

Happy Birthday, Dave!

2008-11-12T00:07:00.005-07:00

Today is my sweetie's birthday, so in honor of his special day, I thought I'd post a few pictures of his earlier days till now:

Love the smile, love the pose!

"Peace" (from our hippie party)

June 16, 2000, a very special day for us!

Peaceful dreams for a Daddy and his precious Emily

Happy Birthday, sweetheart! I love you!

California pictures......finally!

2008-11-04T23:02:00.018-07:00

As I wrote about last week - we went to California to see Nicia & Joe over the school's fall break. The entire week was really a treasure for us. At 16 months, Alyssa was just so cute! Here she had put her pajama shorts on her head:

Time for prayer!

On one of our first days there, Dave had a meeting in Cambria, an hour north of Santa Maria. We all went with him and headed to a beautiful beach while Dave got to have fun giving his presentation. :) Nicia and Emily had a blast in the water, going in a little bit, then running away from the water as it came in. Nicia was such a great sister, getting in and actually playing with Emily. She loved it!

Emily finally got totally soaked:

Holding what she called her "cheese"

Dave came after his presentation and spent more time on the beach with us.

Here's a cute picture of Nicia & Joe that day:

Saturday we went to Avila Farm where they had all kinds of things for fall, pumpkins, petting zoo, hay maze, hay ride (we skipped since we'd already been on one), and yummy fudge.

We took lots of pictures here, but they all had shadows. Sorry!

I love Alyssa's face here....

Of course we had to go geocaching while we were there. There were some we never found, but there was one we had to kind of go on a little hike to get. We found it, and it even had a California geocoin in it, which apparently, is kind of rare!

While looking for one of the geocaches in a wooded area, we came across this really cool labyrinth, which if I remember right, was a replica of one in Europe. It was huge! We had a lot of fun finding our way to the middle - very cool.

Alyssa was the smart one - she just climbed over the rocks to get to the center

"Hey Grandma, what's taking you so long? Just climb over the rocks!"

Another day we got up early and went to a beach that was known for its sand dollars. We were only able to find a few small ones, but we had a great morning there, playing in the water and sand, and Dave was able to do a lot of metal detecting too:

Notice the car in the background of the picture above. This was a really cool beach - they let us drive right down on the sand, not far from the water's edge!

As I said in my previous post, we were able to see Dave's Dad and Marion on our way home. Emily had a great time playing with her Grandpa:

Here are some pictures of Aunt Emily and Alyssa. Emily was such a good aunt - she played with Alyssa a lot and was so cute looking after her:

Reading Alyssa's new book

Toot! Toot! Here we come!

Just hangin' out on the sand together - precious

Family: Life's Greatest Blessing

Casperina the Friendly Ghost......or Not

2008-11-01T22:38:00.008-06:00

This year Emily told me she wanted to be a ghost for Halloween. I thought that would be cute and googled how to make ghost costumes, printed out pictures, went to Wal-Mart and bought white remnants, and made what I thought was a really cute ghost costume. (white dress up dress for the base, top with a hood and hugs arms stitched with fabric that drooped way down cut into strips) I was crushed when Emily informed me that she didn't really want to wear it. This was on a Thursday night when she was going to a halloween party with her cousin, Esther. So I told her she could wear something else that night, but I had spent time and money on that ghost costume so she was going to wear it on Halloween! She went as Snow White to Thursday's party, and I tried to figure out what to do with the ghost costume that would help her want to wear it, since I didn't want her totally miserable on Halloween. Kind of defeats the purpose of celebrating.... I took another piece of white material, cut a whole in the middle, and put it over the original costume, making the whole thing more flowing.

Friday morning when she put it on, she liked it! I was happy that she was okay about wearing it to her class party at school. I didn't take pictures of her yet because I was waiting until Halloween night when she would have face paint on. But Friday afternoon when it was time to get ready for the ward trunk-or-treat, Emily informed me she didn't want to be a ghost and was going to be something else. I couldn't believe it!!! I guess girls start early changing their minds! She HAD already worn the ghost costume that day, so I decided not to make too big of an issue out of it, but I let her know I was hurt that she didn't want to wear the costume I made and wasn't going to help her with another one (that was childish.....and unkind) She came downstairs in an awful, too small old dress-up dress with shoes and no socks (and some fairy wings). She looked like, what I think my mom would call a rag-a-muffin. Anyway, I ate my words, went upstairs with her, and talked up this gorgeous pink dress she had that would go so nice with the fairy wings. (actually from her cousin, Abby) She thought and thought, and finally said, "O-KAY, I Guess that's alright." Whew! I whipped the pink dress out so fast and helped her put it on before she changed her mind. I couldn't believe she said okay, since she usually wants the opposite of what I suggest! Anyway, after a hairdo & some glitter sprinkled on she was magically transformed into a beautiful fairy, and we were on our way to trunk or treat!

After trunk-or-treat I took Emily trick-or-treating to the ward members on our street who hadn't been at the trunk-or-treat. Here she is with her stash.

We found out Justin didn't have candy at his place, so Emily picked out a bunch of her candy for him. We put it in a cute halloween bag and made a quick delivery to him, right before he headed out with some friends. That was fun, and I was so proud that she was caring and willing to share. We came home and watched "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" with Emily, then after she was in bed, Dave and I watched a scary movie together, "The Invisible." It turned out to be a great day after all!

Jordan's Countdown

2008-10-31T15:25:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know we put a countdown till Jordan leaves for his mission. ...Not that we're excited for him to leave, but you know. We're happy and proud of his decision, and are excited for him. So check it out if you can!

California Trip

2008-10-30T10:05:00.008-06:00

Hi all,
I've been out of commission with blogging for over two weeks now. We went on vacation to Nicia & Joe's over the school fall break from the 15th-22nd and had an absolutely fantastic time! I haven't been able to get to my pictures, which has been so frustrating, so I've been waiting to blog. But it may be awhile before I get pictures up (left cameras at Dave's parents' house and some pics are on a different hard drive - long story). For now, please see Nicia's blog for pictures! We had a lot of snags on our trip down, making the drive 17 hours (should have been around 12!), but there were good things too, like having lunch with our dear friends, the Nissons, in St. George, and eating Tommy's hamburgers in Barstow. Yum! Emily is such a trooper on the road. Singing and playing travel games with us, reading, working in an activities book, taking a nap, and generally keeping pretty well content.

Alyssa was just the star of the show the whole time - absolutely adorable! Since we skype with them every week, I think Alyssa recognized us pretty well, because she was so good about coming to us when we got there, even though it was really late. I forgot how comforting it is to have a baby snuggle up to you! Aunt Emily loved playing with Alyssa too (we have the cutest picture of them laying on the beach visiting together), and Alyssa's Grandma and Grandpa - well we just enjoyed every minute with everyone!! Joe & Nicia have a darling place there in Santa Maria, and the weather couldn't have been better. I'm a beach fan from my growing up days, so I was right at home with all our trips to the beach. A little colder than southern Ca, but still just as beautiful.

From playing Ticket to Ride & Farkle, to beach trips & searching for sand dollars, to going for walks, shopping (I found some darling outfits for Alyssa!), visiting, geocaching (this is such a fun and cool thing to do), and eating the yummiest food (thanks to Nicia we ate lasagna, apple pie, and chocolate molten lava cake - all homemade!) It was all just wonderful!!

On the way home, we stopped to see Dave's Dad & stepmom (near L.A.) It was good to visit with them. We met them in Granada Hills, the town where Dave went to high school. We got videos of them in front of their houses and church, telling memories. Those are going to be some priceless videos!

It was really a joy to spend time with everyone. Truly, family is what life is all about. Thank you again, Joe & Nicia, for helping to make the week such a great memory for us!! We love you!

Joy in the Journey

2008-10-14T21:21:00.011-06:00

I just thought I'd share a portion of Caitlin's most recent letter. It was so well put and needed by so many of us right now.

"I´ve been reflecting lately about trials. We had a lesson yesterday in church that was great about Joseph Smith and the trials he had to endure. There´s something ironic about this life on earth…we know we´re here to be tested, but we also know from the scriptures that we´re here to have joy. It seems ironic doesn´t it? We don´t usually think of being tested as something joyful, and many times it´s not. But it can be. We can ¨find joy in the journey¨. Or as Elder Worthlin said ¨come what may and love it¨.

"I noticed that in the last General Conference last weekend, a lot of the speakers talked about trials…overcoming them, finding the good in them, having hope, thanking the Lord for these experiences we have that help us learn. I thought it was interesting that it was such a common topic, but I think it's something we can all improve on. "

(here's my favorite part) "Many times we have trials not because of something we´ve done to ¨deserve¨them, but because of the actions of another person. None of us likes trials. We don´t ask for them. But inevitably they do come, and when they do we can focus on finding happiness and blessings in the midst of them. The difference is not what trial we have, it´s how we choose to encounter it. If we give up in the midst of it- having feelings of self pity and defeat, or if we choose to do what Joseph Smith and so many other prophets and examples in the scriptures have done—get up and go forward with faith."

"I´m thankful for this lesson I learned yesterday. I love the church and the things I´m able to learn every day! Eternal progression!!" Hermana Caitlin Ritter

Thank you, Caitlin, for your words of wisdom. I continue to learn so much from my children!

Blessings from Heaven

2008-10-12T22:50:00.007-06:00

I'm sad to say that this year, for the first time in about 15 years, I didn't have a garden. I decided ahead of time that I was going to focus on some other things in my life, namely organization and getting in shape, and chose to make my vegetable garden a lower priority. Well as soon as I did that, of course the garden never happened. Now that it's harvest time, I've been a little disappointed that I can't walk out my back door and pick some produce. I've already decided that next year my garden will take a higher priority, even if it's just a couple of tomato plants! It took going without a garden to realize it's something I enjoy, and it gives me many opportunities to teach Emily. I just need to make sure I've got my ducks in a row next spring!

But for now I've been reflecting back on the past several months, and how the Lord has continued to bless us. One way has been through the produce we've received. Throughout the summer I have canned peaches, peach jam, tomatoes, grape juice (27 quarts), frozen green peppers, and was given every bit of the produce, including fresh green beans. And tonight my in-laws just brought us apples and a pumpkin for Emily! Thank you Mom & Dad Bascom!! With the economy the way it is and grocery prices skyrocketing, it's really been a blessing to receive all this produce. People who usually don't ever contact me, let me know about produce they had.

The fruits of my labor last Thurs. & Friday:

whole wheat bread, diced green peppers, tomatoes, grape juice

Last but not least, I am so blessed to have a wonderful mom who took time out of her very busy schedule to teach me how to do all these things as I was growing up! Thank you, Mom!

My Little Teacher

2008-10-08T13:42:00.011-06:00

I have a little teacher

Her name is Emily

She may not know this fact at all

But she's always teaching me.

1) Last week Emily showed me a sheet of paper and asked me to help her. I looked down, and she had written "My Important Things to Do" at the top. There were 7or 8 things already listed, and Emily was wanting me to help her think of a few more. I would think of one, then she would think of another, then I'd come up with another, then she'd think of another.

Emily was so pleased with this list and asked if she could read it as part of family night. I suggested that maybe we could have some family night lessons on these different things, and she thought that was a great idea. So Monday night she did read her list for everyone, and we had a great lesson about the first item on the list: Be cheerful.

Our "cheerful" collage, created by Emily & Mommy

It is truly amazing to me that at 6 years old Emily is even thinking of making this kind of a list, and even more amazing, it wasn't just a fleeting thing she did. It's been an important thing to her. I have to admit that I felt a little guilty reading it. While my list of things to do during the day includes phone calls, laundry, dr. appts, etc., my daughter is focused on the things that everyone should be focused on, the non-tangible things that really matter. Really I should be writing some of these down right in between all the other items on my daily "to do" list. Thank you, Emily, for helping me recognize the important things I should be including in my life.

2) On Saturday evening during the Priesthood session of conference, Emily and I had some mommy/daughter time at Roberts Crafts where they had all kinds of fun things for moms and kids to do. While there we each received a strip of letter stickers - I was thinking how nice they would be to use in Emily's scrapbook.

Sunday morning during conference, I looked over and Emily was busy putting her set of letter stickers all over a sheet of paper. Thinking of how I'd wanted to use them for her scrapbook, I hurried over to her. Sounding disappointed, I explained that they were for scrapbooking, and started taking them off the sheet of paper as quickly as I could, trying to salvage them for later use. Emily was quiet and still. It wasn't until I had removed 3 or 4 of the letters that I looked more closely at the sheet of paper, and my heart sunk. It wasn't just a bunch of letters:

I can't describe the awful feeling I had! Even now as I write, my eyes are filling with tears. My daughter was teaching me by example how to be thoughtful and loving, and I was so worried about a few letter stickers I was going to use (which weren't even mine!) that I rushed right in to wrongly reprimand. I tried to apologize as best I could, but it was evident I had squelched her excitement for the surprise she had been making me. Later I took her in my arms, apologized again and asked if she would forgive me. I asked if she would glue the letters back on the note for me, and fortunate for me, she did.

This note has become special to me, and I'll be keeping it in a visible spot to help me remember to stop, look, and listen before reacting, but especially to remind me to be thoughtful and kind, just as my little teacher does so well.

Tribute to My Son

2008-10-05T12:42:00.011-06:00

This past Thursday was Justin's 24th birthday. Emily and I called him in the early morning and sang Happy Birthday to him, and I enjoyed some one-on-one time with him at Red Robin in the late afternoon. We held a family party on Friday evening, with homemade pizza, rootbeer, carrot cake, and the the BYU football game.

I'm not sure why this birthday brought so much reflection for me. My sweet little boy is all grown up. How well I remember the day I held him in my arms for the very first time. Time. Where does it go? How quickly it passes. Memories of his childhood and our time together flood my mind, and my heart is full of joy at the love I feel for my Justin. Not being too skillfull at words and expressing myself, I found a poem that echoes some of the things I feel in my heart:

TRIBUTE TO MY SON

a poem by Angel Marie Schmidt

A son is born

Life goes on

No one knows

Just when it happens

But one day

A miracle happens

The child has changed

The child is no longer

A man has taken his place

All grown up

Ideas have changed

Responsibility comes easily

Parents sit back and admire

The person he has become

Apron strings cut long ago

You cannot help but wonder

Will you always feel

The way you do now?

Prouder than anyone

Of whom he has become

Admiration beyond imagination

A parent's love

Enduring all else

Wanting to be needed

Knowing when to stand aside

A fate hard to accomplish

Needing to be wanted

As if the man has not emerged

The life he lives

Has room enough for all

The thoughtfulness in his heart

His caring ways

New hobbies he shares

With friends old and new

The man shines through

My son, my child

You are a man, this is true

To me you will always be

That child in my arms

Whom I loved from the start

Happy Birthday, Justin. I love you!

Best Deal of the Month

2008-09-29T21:07:00.005-06:00

This past Saturday we came across the best deal of the month for sure!! Jordan went with some friends to the corn maze up at Thanksgiving Point. http://www.cornbellys.com/. When he came home he said that the mom of his friend had coupons for everyone to get in for 93 cents! Wow! 93 cents - are you sure? (The admission, even for children, is normally $10.50.) I figured there had to be some info on these coupons somewhere on the internet, so I started googling and sure enough, I found the coupons on a radio station website, for, yep, only 93 cents admission through Saturday night. We've never been to the corn maze before because of the high cost, so was I excited! I let all our other children know about the great deal and then called Dave who had just finished a conference in Salt Lake, and he met Emily and I there at Cornbelly's. Really a fantastic deal for an awesome night of fun. Emily had the most fun - there was SO much for her to do! First we went through this HUGE blown up haunted creature:

If you look at the guy sitting on the left, you get an idea of how big this monster is

Emily went about 1/3 the way through the creature and darted out an emergency exit. She loved it and wanted to go through again, so in we went for the 2nd time. Only this time, we had her go all the way through with us, which she did not like. It got a little scary, if I do say so myself.

Howdy, pard'ner!

I love this picture - waiting for the wagon ride to start

This next activity was probably Emily's favorite. A pump pumped water down a pipe to another pump on the other side. There were little colored ducks that you would put into the pipe and you had to pump the water to send the ducks sailing to the other side. Dave was on the other end sending the ducks back to Emily as fast as he could. Emily played this for a long time.

We finally tore her away from the pumps to go into the kiddie maze. She directed us most of the way and did a great job of navigating us out of there.

I did it!

After the kiddie corn maze, Emily wanted to do the big maze for older people. I was a little worried it would be too long for her, but she seemed ready to tackle it. The maze covered like 12 acres of corn and the trails through the corn carved out a picture of David Archuleta. We chose the shorter route (about 45 minutes), but somewhere in the maze, we got way off track and ended up in the other phase of the maze that was supposed to take longer to complete. I'm fairly certain we made it most the way around the maze since we came to all the bridges, and we were out in under 45 minutes! Pretty fun in the dark too, except for the few times I almost twisted my ankle. :)

They had an awesome Pumpkin Princess Playland with a big inflatable castle, dress ups, and even Cinderella's gorgeous carriage.

Of course, our camera batteries went dead right before we were going to take a picture of Emily in Cinderella's carriage. She loved it though. We did lots of other things too including tether ball and dirt car racing.

So glad we were able to go - thanks Jordan for letting us know about it! All in all it was such a fun evening and a steal of a deal!

Sweet Dreams

2008-09-26T23:24:00.004-06:00

A few days ago I was working downstairs when I heard Emily come home from school. Just minutes later I went upstairs and didn't hear anything. I was looking around, wondering where Emily was, when I walked in the living room and here's what I saw:

My sleeping beauty with her backpack still on! Guess she'd had a long day.

Then a couple of days ago Emily decided to make a space ship with the sofa cushions. She had everything set up like a bed, with tissues, and books to read nearby, and her hat hung on the chair, really cute! Later that night I tucked her into bed in her spaceship:

I moved her to her bed later on, but she kept the spaceship up for a couple of days. I really enjoy and appreciate the imagination and creativity my little one has. Sweet dreams!

Weekend Highlights (including a mission call!)

2008-09-21T22:31:00.004-06:00

Some weekends are good, but this one was GREAT!! Friday was Jordan's day off, so he helped me can some peaches that Grandma & Grandpa Bascom had given us. I don't have a picture, but we ended up with 21 quarts. Thanks, Jordan!

Hard at work

Saturday morning my friend and v.t. companion called to see if Emily would like to go on a short horseback ride. Since Emily LOVES horses, was she happy about this!

Going for a ride on "Sunny"

Emily got back from her horsey ride just in time to head out for her soccer game.

Playing goaly on the "Sharks" team

And......the most exciting news of the weekend happened Saturday evening when Jordan received and opened his mission call!!

¡Me han llamado para servir en el Cuernavaca, misión de México!

(I've been called to serve in the Cuernavaca, Mexico mission!")

Departure Date: January 21, 2009

Jordan is super excited, to say the least. He's been working hard and waiting for this time for awhile now. Cuernavaca is in southern Mexico, about 1 hour southwest of Mexico City. The mission is quite large and extends out to the coast, including 350 miles of coastline. The city's name means City of Eternal Spring. We've already started reading all about it, and the average temperature year round is 77 - 86 degrees. If he serves right in this city, sounds like it could be really rough. :)

I'm so proud of Jordan, though, and know he is going to be a great instrument in the Lord's hands.

Star Student of the Week

2008-09-19T06:23:00.007-06:00

Emily was chosen to be the Star Student of the Week in her class. She took a baby picture to school, and the class had fun guessing who the star student was going to be. Mommy helped Emily make a poster, telling a little about her and some of the things she really likes:

Emily is: creative (it was her ideas to write her name in little balloons on the poster), fun, thoughtful, musical, and a great reader. She loves: dogs, horses, spaghetti, her family, the colors pink and purple, libraries, princesses, and movies.

It was fun to make the poster with her, even though I had really late notice! (late afternoon the day before) I think we'll keep this poster up, and she can be the star of the family for the week!

Small Successes

2008-09-15T09:04:00.008-06:00

Just sharing a few small successes for me:

1) Some of you may remember this picture I put up awhile back in my photo tag - it was the project I was currently working on:

I'm happy to report that all those gosh-awful boxes are OUT of my family room, sorted and put away! I actually got this done awhile back but just never posted about it. So nice to have a family room back.

2) Saturday I worked on the food closet during the BYU game where they creamed UCLA 59-0. :)

Here's what I reaped from my food closet - this garbage can is stuffed full

(I forgot to take a picture beforehand - would have been too embarrassing anyway)

A clean pantry - a simple pleasure. So nice to be able to find things again!

3) The tree we planted for Michael back in the spring is growing nicely. Every week or so while I'm out jogging, I pull any weeds, dead head the old blossoms, and pull the grass back from the rocks.

The plants around the tree are doing great too:

The picture doesn't do justice here. The large areas of green are a ground cover that started out as small clumps and has spread really nicely with little purple flowers blooming. There's another plant with pretty bright pink flowers on the left that you can't see very well. We made some good choices because all the plants have bloomed all summer long, and they're all perennials so they'll be back next year. We still need to put a plaque in, but I think it turned out really well for the first season.

Mommy's Li'l Helper

2008-09-09T21:39:00.008-06:00

Emily's getting to be a great helper lately. Saturday she helped me tackle the car which was long overdue for a thorough cleaning, both inside and out.

We were done with one side and working on the other when the sprinklers came on! Kind of funny, but we had to go back and do the other side again. The car was dirty enough it probably needed 2 cleanings! Emily had been sick the day before and was getting tired, so took a break for a little while.

Coloring in the shade

It was a beautiful day to be outside together! After finishing the car, we made cookie bars together. Emily thought we should make it a "tradition", but I'd be a whale if I made cookies every Saturday! (I ate about half the pan). It was fun to bake together, though, and I need to include her more often in the kitchen if I want her to enjoy cooking later on.

Grandma & Grandpa Bascom had lots of home grown tomatoes, so Monday we thought we'd help out and can some. They decided the only way they'd let me can the tomatoes was if I kept half the of them. Sounded like a great deal to me! Emily was a big helper stuffing the tomatoes in the jars, and later getting the water out of the tomato skins in the sink, to throw them away. Somewhere I have a picture of Justin & Caitlin when they were toddlers, up to their elbows in tomatoes too.

Emily discovering the feel of peeled tomatoes...

"Tomatoes anyone?"

hard at work

The finished product - 14 bottles and 3 quart bags!

I enjoy canning, but here it is September, and this is the first thing I've canned all summer. It was fun to have Emily helping me, though. I always leave the bottles on the counter for a few days to admire their "beauty".

Reaching the Top!

2008-09-06T01:04:00.013-06:00

If any of you have lived in or ever visited Utah, you've probably heard of Mount Timpanogos. It's a little northeast of our home and is the 2nd tallest mountain in Utah. Last Friday, for the 2nd time together (last one was in 2001), Justin and I set out to hike this majestic masterpiece.

Mount Timpanogos

We got an early start, hitting the trail around 6:15 a.m. Here's the gorgeous view behind us as we started our hike:

There are 2 trails up the back of Mt. Timpanogos, the Timpooneke Trail (American Fork), and the Aspen Grove trail (Provo). Since we had tried the Aspen Grove side about 10 years ago and knew it was a killer hike (I was literally on my hands and knees at one point), we chose the Timpooneke Trail we had hiked in 2001.

It's an 18-mile hike round trip, (some people say 15, but I think 18 seems more accurate!) and the trail takes you up the back of the mountain, a low-key gradual climb in some places. We really made some record time (for us), getting to the "saddle" before 10:00! A short time before the saddle is where the trail starts to get a little difficult.

At the "saddle" with Utah Lake in the background

Here's a look at the trail ahead of us from where we're standing at the saddle. If you look really close, you can see a dot at the top of the mountain - it's a tiny shack on the summit.

Shack is on the far right/top of mountain

Justin had been leading the way the entire hike, shortly after leaving the saddle, we decided to have me go in front for a little while - NOT a good idea! At this point on the mountain, in many places there's not much of a trail. I missed where the "trail" veered off and continued straight until I realized I was NOT on any kind of trail and the ground beneath me was giving way right and left. I was too far to try and go back to the "trail", and I knew if I freaked out, I'd definitely not make it, so I tried to keep my cool and go upwards.

You can't see very well, but there wasn't much to grab onto, and I was climbing on loose sand and rocks.

If you look close you can see me towards the left of the picture with a fairly steep drop beneath me and the sand falling from under my shoes. PRETTY SCARY! Justin was a little ways behind me, so after snapping a couple of pictures for posterity, he went back and traveled the trail to come out above, encourage me, and give me a hand. I think he led the entire rest of the hike!

As we headed up the more difficult part of the hike towards the summit, this next picture was in Justin's view:

Pretty cool, huh? What's even more cool is how they can travel around on narrow ledges like the picture below. If you look close, you'll see all three of them right on the edge.

Three Billy Goats - obviously no acrophobia here!

We reached the summit just before 11:00 - pretty good timing!

Wow! Cell phone coverage on the summit!

A nice couple had brought a sign up with them that said Mount Timpanogos, 11,749 feet, August 29, 2008. They were sharing their sign, so we'd thought we'd get a pic with it too.

We made it!
Mount Timpanogos - 11,749 feet

There's not a whole lot of room up at the summit, and there were 8-10 people up there with us. We took some pictures, rested, ate some lunch, and of course signed the log book in the shack as evidence that we were there!

Some people wonder why I wanted to do this hike again. Several reasons: there's a real sense of accomplishment finish something of this magnitude - I guess you could say a natural high. I love spending one on one time with my children doing something we both enjoy, great memories together. The magnificent views from the summit can't be experienced anywhere but.... at the top:

The pictures don't do justice. You'll just have to come do the hike and see for yourself! After about an hour, we started back down the mountain. I thought the hike down would go much quicker. Guess I wasn't figuring in how tired and sore we would be towards the end. It took us almost as much time to get down as it did to get up! And we were definitely sore, especially our feet! But not too sore to have thoroughly enjoyed the entire day. We had perfect weather, perfect company, perfect scenery. Thanks, Justin, for spending your day with me. It was awesome!

Mother/Son Mount Timp Hike - August 29, 2008

Caitlin's Countdown

2008-09-04T13:13:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know we added a countdown on the blog, so we can keep track of the days until Caitlin comes home from her mission. So be sure to take a look, and see what little time is left till we see her again!! Thanks.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

2008-09-01T13:01:00.004-06:00

This is a little belated, but Andrew turned the big 18 this past Thursday! He leads a fairly social life, so we had to wait until Sunday to celebrate. Still a happy guy almost all of the time. Happy Birthday, Andrew - we love you!

Sleepover

2008-08-23T19:16:00.004-06:00

When Dave is out of town on a weekend, Emily & I like to have a sleepover. She really misses having these with Nicia and Caitlin. So last night it was sleepover night. We went to a ward ice cream social in our park first. Yum! Then we played Yahtzee where Emily won, even though I had gotten a yahtzee, and she hadn't. Go figure! Then we went upstairs for the usual pillow fight. With a king size bed and pillows, it's way fun! We were laughing pretty hard.

We like to "bury" each other in the pillows. Above is Emily waving hi. Later I'm trying to lay still to get "buried" by Emily, and she say's, "Mom, don't move a hinge!" (instead of don't move a muscle)

Emily gearing up for the next "hit"

Towards the end of the fight, Emily fell off the bed and didn't want to play anymore. We watched Arthur together and decided to wait on doing our nails since it was getting really late. This morning Emily got to choose what to have for breakfast (pancakes) before heading out for her first soccer game. I love having sleepovers with my little girl!

Blossoms on Steroids

2008-08-22T08:47:00.004-06:00

I just had to share this with everyone! When we planted Michael's garden back in May, there was a small stump (looked more like a dead twig) sticking out of the ground in one spot. I thought I had remembered planting something there last year but wasn't sure, so I went ahead a left the stump there since it had a 2-inch piece of greenery sticking out at the bottom.

A few weeks ago the stump was looking like a bunch of tall overgrown greenery. Basically looked like a big weed - fairly ugly. I was about ready to pull it out when I looked a little harder and noticed tiny buds amongst the tangles. I decided to leave it alone for a little while longer. Well, I'm glad I did, because look what's blooming there now:

To give you an idea of how big these flowers are:

This one is like 7 1/2 inches across!

Everyone keeps asking me what kind of plant it is. I barely remember planting it, so have no idea what these flowers are, but I'm glad I had a little patience and didn't yank the stump out!

These began blooming just as my group of shasta daisies finished blooming below them, and now I am noticing another small round of daisies coming on. It's been fun to watch this garden bloom. Happy summer!

First Day of School!

2008-08-18T20:53:00.007-06:00

It's hard to believe, but summer is basically over for us. Each year they start school a little earlier. Today was Emily's first day of 1st grade, at our charter school here in Springville. She was SO excited! Emily loves most everything about school, including being with the other children, having lunch at school, and of course, math (her favorite subject). I have to admit that I've had just a little bit of sadness, realizing that my little girl is growing up and will be gone all day now. In fact, yesterday I realized that basically 1/3 of her life with us here at home is gone! But part of me is pretty excited about having almost 7 hours of productive time every day. Now I just need the motivation to do all the catch-up and projects for the home and office that I've been planning to get done!

Mom: So Emily, how was school today? Emily: GREAT!

I think this little girl likes school. :)

Someone else was happy she was home too!

Here's to a great year, Emily!

Vance's Visit

2008-08-17T08:17:00.010-06:00

I'll warn you, this is a longer post, but we did so much, this was the shortest I could make it! LaNita and 4 of her children were here for a week visiting before the Earl Reunion. I actually took time off from the office work and just had a great time with them! We did all kinds of fun things with the kids, and LaNita and I even got lunch and a little shopping in too.

We started out at the Pioneer Village at This is the Place monument in SLC. I'd never been to the village before, but it's a really cool place, a replica of an whole village from the pioneer era, with so much for the kids to do. We spent over 5 hours there and could have spent all day!

Madeline Vance, Emily, Allison V., Rose V., Spencer V. at This is the Place! Monument

Emily and Allison - a new way to clean clothes!

Madeline and Emily with their new pioneer friend, Anna

Wanna go for a ride?

Spencer gets a consequence in the school house

Emily learning the Deseret Alphabet

There were all kinds of animals for the kids to see and touch, which Emily absolutely loved: goats, cows, peacocks, lambs, and of course the horses.

There was an awesome play village where the kids really could have spent hours. unfortunately, we didn't discover it until it was almost time for us to leave.

LaNita had made newborn kits with her achievement day girls, so we headed over to the Humanitarian Center where we had a tour and all the kids got to "donate" newborn kits. Emily had decided she was tired of getting her picture taken - thus no Emily in the pic below.

One of the best things that happened during the week, was that we stopped on the way home from SLC and picked up a used trampoline I had bought off Craigslist. Dave helped us get it put together right away, and the kids spent hours and hours on it throughout the week.

In motion......

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Bean Museum. The kids each did a scavenger hunt, finding answers to questions about the different animals.

LaNita touching the tarantula at the live animal show

We spent another day going up Payson Canyon. First stop was "the Grotto". You take a short hike up to to this awesome cave- like area with a waterfall.

The kids had a great time playing in the freezing water - then it was on to Payson Lakes for a picnic and some swimming. Here are the highlights from our day:

Rosie through a huge temper tantrum (reminicent of her younger years)

Spencer caught a dead fish

Allison had a "head-on" collision with a remote control boat. She didn't think it was very funny, but it was actually hilarious and we wished we had caught the whole thing on video so we could send it in to one of th0se funniest video shows. Her hair was wrapped around the motor pretty tightly.

LaNita couldn't get the boat detatched, so we enlisted the help of some fellow picnickers, who performed "surgery" and finally cut the boat free. There was quite a crowd standing around by the time it was over, and Allison was pretty embarrassed, but everything turned out okay. (We were trying not to laugh in front of her). It was a beautiful day to be up the canyon, and just a great week overall!

"You've Been Caught"

2008-08-14T23:05:00.006-06:00

I love getting mail, but not this kind. Several days ago we received a notice from Springville City letting us know that the building permit to finish our basement, had expired without having a final inspection from the city which is needed so the home can have an official certificate of occupancy.

Now, we've lived here for 8 years, and the basement was totally finished when we moved in, SO, was this ever a big surprise for us! Apparently, the city is going through all their records before they go computerized and "caught" our home's non-compliance.

The inpsector came on Tuesday to inspect the basement. He found several minor things that needed to be fixed in order to meet city codes, and one kind of major thing. We have to drywall all the walls around and underneath the stairs. At least it's something we can most likely do ourselves! (But one more thing on our plate. ) I feel like calling the previous owner and asking them to come take care of all these things they should have done in the first place, so we can pass inspection, but I probably won't.

ALSO, today I was driving us to Emily's school open house to meet her teacher. There was construction and a detour in the road, so I had to take another route on a road I amost never travel. I was sailing along showing Emily some horses off to the right, when I whizzed past a policeman. I instantly knew I was going too fast and he was coming after me. He wasted no time getting those lights on. It's always SO embarrassing!

Wouldn't you know, I had the registration, but NO current proof of insurance. I told him the truth about showing Emily the horses and not traveling that road very often, and he had mercy on me. I got off with a warning for the speeding, (42 in a 25 mph zone) but he cited me for not having current proof of insurance. Fortunately, if I go into the Springville City Court and show them my insurance card, I won't have to pay any fines and the citation will go off my record. Whew! And I dodged a $157 speeding ticket, so I feel pretty blessed! But I think I've had enough attention from Springville City for awhile!

"Hannah Marie"

2008-08-13T21:15:00.006-06:00

We're fortunate enough to live 10 minutes from my neice, Esther and her hubby Nathan, so after swimming all afternoon at a pool party the school had sponsored, Emily & I headed to the hospital. There was no way I was going to wait another day! Hannah is adorable and was good enough to let us hold her, ooh and aah, and hold her again!

The cousins (once removed)

Hannah Marie Manwaring, happily pacified

A sweet picture of baby and mom

Danes Family Runion Pics.....finally!

2008-08-10T23:31:00.012-06:00

Wow, time has flown by! We've had a busy, but fun time the past couple of weeks. (and we've been cool) :) I had a bunch of other pics & verbage about the past two weeks, and somehow just deleted it, so we'll just go with a few Danes Reunion pics for now:

Justin & Emily at "The Sandbar"

Rosie Vance & Emily - there's a reason it's called the Sandbar.....

Stephanie Basker pitching in with the work

Grandma Danes ready to spend at the auction

Jim did a great job as the auctioneer for the family auction - we raised over $7,500!

Calista Utter & Esther Manwaring

Everyone was so good to help with the work of cleaning up so we could check out of the lodge. But Calista stayed and helped us till the absolute bitter end. Thank you Calista! You're awesome!
It was a great reunion, and I'm so glad so many of you bloggers could come. It was great to see you all!

Continuing A/C Saga

2008-07-21T23:51:00.002-06:00

Hi, this is Dave with today's news.

Kathy, in all her bargain-hunting magnificence, found someone in Taylorsville who was selling a central A/C unit, including the coil, for $425. After about a half-dozen calls about whether it would work with our system and whether it was available (first it was, then it wasn't, then it was, etc.), I convinced the lady I was serious and would bring her a check.

Then we had to find a truck. Fortunately, I tracked down my friend Brent and he loaned us his truck - added bonus: it runs on Natural Gas, so the fuel to fill up his tank was $.80 / gallon and to fill the tank only cost me $10! Sure beats paying for 110 miles round trip @ 15 mpg * $4.20 / gal = $30 just for the gas I actually used! Jordan helped me unload the unit from the truck.

The installer came over and said he had decided to do it tonight - so if all went well, we'd have air back before going to bed. After looking at the unit (which was an Amana, 12 SEER, 4-ton) he said we got an "awesome deal," especially considering that he would be installing it, including new refrigerant, for under $500 or so, so we essentially got a new, more efficient, more powerful, power-saving A/C for under $1000. Sure beats the $3 grand we had planned on spending.

Then the bad news: the installer blew out the electricity and fuses for the whole house (but mostly recovered) and even worse, our system has a "blockage in the orifice" or something like that. No wise cracks. He says he can fix it tomorrow, and worst case will just install the other coil that came with the A/C we bought. So we have one more night of sleeping without air and only one more day of sweating. That's just a temporary setback - after it's working, with the new efficiency, plus the solar reflection Kathy put in the windows, and the two turbines (attic fans) Kathy had installed on the roof, I expect our electric bill to be significantly reduced. Watch this space to learn how much. We'll report in a month.

So congratulate Kathy for the SUPERHUMAN bargain-hunting and household recovery program she's been doing. New dishwasher, fixed stove, and new cooling in our home - all while preparing for this weeks reunion which she's responsible for!

That's my girl!

Bad news/Good news!

2008-07-21T02:23:00.007-06:00

The bad news: It's been about 3 weeks now since our air conditioning broke. We've had several guys out to look at our system, and we've been told that we basically need a complete air conditioning system. Yikes! We're trying to figure out what to do to limp through the rest of the summer till we can hopefully replace everything next spring. In the mean time.....here's what things look like around our house:

A mild 86 degrees :)

Jordan attempting to keep cool

Good news: Remember our dishwasher that kept breaking? Well, after 4 service calls in 2 months, the repairman slapped this sweet tag on our waranteed lemon:

Authorizing us to get a replacement dishwasher

Our new machine

With the allowance they gave us for our old machine, and the new one being on sale, we got a great, brand new upgraded machine for a mere $19. Happy day!

Pretty Fun Tag

2008-07-12T21:25:00.002-06:00

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. (Kathy)

Keeping Cool Without a Pool

2008-07-12T17:07:00.005-06:00

Emily was invited to join some friends of ours for a water gun fight in the park. It was 100 degrees outside, so keeping cool was a bit of a priority. They had a great time while I got the lawns mowed. The lady in the striped shirt is my good friend, Paula, who took care of Chipper while we were in D.C. She loved him so much she almost didn't give him back!

Gearing up for the fight

Ready, aim, fire!

Emily WANTED to get dunked in the water :)

Parade Fun

2008-07-11T22:10:00.009-06:00

Dave's family usually gets together for the Provo 4th of July parade, but this year everyone was kind of doing their own thing. Since we're parade diehards, Justin, Jordan, Emily, and I kept the tradition and headed over for some parade fun. I was in a hurry so didn't grab any lawn chairs, but luck was with us as we found a great spot and someone offered us their extra chairs! There was cloud cover, so it was perfect weather for a parade! Later we joined some of Dave's family for a barbecue and everyone took a much needed rest time.

Love these smiles!

Our budding photographer took this shot - not bad!

Picture Tag

2008-07-07T07:21:00.012-06:00

I've been tagged twice, so thought I'd better get something up here! Either our camera has something wrong with it, or I've forgotten how to use it because some of the pictures have a blue or yellow tint to them.....

1. A current project you're working on:

We had an organizing lady come help us, but she left before we were finished. This is only part of what we still have left to sort and put away, and it's sitting in my main floor family room! (but we can park in the garage now) :)

2. The oldest thing you own:

This is an LDS Hymn book that my Grandma Danes owned as a teenager. She wasn't LDS, but was dating an LDS boy. The copywright on it says 1909. Definitely old and a treasure too.

3. Your worst pair of shoes:

I'm a barefoot person through and through, but when I have to wear working shoes, I wear these. I mow the lawn, garden, and paint in them, and they're easy to kick off as soon as I'm done!

4. Something from your childhood:

Okay, here's something really random - my banner from my Merrie Miss days! (10-11 years old in Primary). Each of the round glass stickons is for memorizing an article of faith, and the saying at the bottom is stitched with navy blue and yellow yarn. Navy blue - still my favorite color.

4. Your three favorite movies:

You've Got Mail (sorry to copy, Nicia, but it really IS one of my most favorite), Radio (a true story - I love the true story movies - usually very inspiring), and Anne of Green Gables series. Definitely feel-good movies! The first time I saw the Anne series, I was visiting Karen and was very sick. She had to leave and left me with the 4 video cassettes. I figured I would maybe watch one while she was gone. I ended up watching all 4 videos right in a row and have loved them ever since. Whenever I'm sick, I want to watch.....Anne of Green Gables.

Your key chain:

Nothing too fancy, just your basic key chain. I did add the picture of Emily recently though which makes me smile whenever I get my keys out.

Your favorite edible treat in the house right now:

Low carb ice cream bars. Okay, I know these don't look very appealing, but it was either these or the sugar free popcicles. Honestly, those are the ONLY treats in my house right now. (unless you count fruit rollups) Sorry! They're not too bad, though!

Something in your home you are proud of:

Okay, I'm not going to lie - I'm a proud missionary mom of an awesome missionary! I love it when people notice the chart when they come in my home. Look at the stickers - she's on the downhill slide now! Love you, Caitlin!

Your favorite wall hanging:

The wall hanging is this "Love is Spoken Here" picture that my sister, LaNita, painted and made for me. I love the whole grouping though, which sits in my front foyer. Each piece is special to me. I love the clock - splurge purchase from Levinworth, WA, the tile was given to us just after Michael passed away ("Heaven Seems Closer When Someone You Love is There"), and the bowl and pitcher were made by my sister, Karen probably close to 20 years ago.

Something in the yard that makes you smile:

Michael's garden - it's doing really well, and I especially like that there are daisies. If you look closely on the left, you can see the first daisy is blooming (between the frog & the sign), with many more coming soon!

We'll keep the fun going - I tag Annette and Melinda!

Senior Grad Trip to D.C.

2008-07-06T08:58:00.016-06:00

The weeks have flown by without any blogging, but I'm trying to get back on track. June 17 we were privileged to take Jordan and Andrew on a senior graduation trip to Washington D.C. for a week. We wanted to see as much as possible while there, so we really kept moving - wore the boys right out, but I think all in all it was an awesome trip! So much to tell and so little time to tell it, but here's small recap:

After arriving in the late afternoon, we started out at the Arlington Cemetery where it was hard to imagine how many people have died throughout the years, in defense of our country's freedom. Over 200,000 service men and women in this cemetery alone - rows and rows of small headstones as far as you could see. We were able to see the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldier, a somber must, if you ever go. Sorry these pictures didn't turn out so well.

A neat story: While leaving the cemetery, a gentleman came up and was trying to give us 2 tickets. We explained that we had 4 people, and he said, "just a minute my neice has 2 more tickets." Long story short, these people had 2-day tickets to ride the double-decker open-top tour bus all over D.C. They had used the 1st day and had to leave town and wanted to give us their tickets for the 2nd day ($32/each). We were so excited! As it turned out, the gentleman had been a marine paratrooper in World War II, so it was awesome to talk with him for a little bit and be able to thank someone first hand for what he had done for our country.

Andrew & Jordan with World War II Marine Paratrooper

The next morning we took the double-decker guided bus tour all over D.C. - we all loved it! Even when we had to duck to keep from hitting head-on with tree branches! Definitely a extra unexpected blessing for us.

On top of the double-decker bus - US Capitol in the background

We had arranged to have a staff-led tour of the US Capitol that afternoon - really a once-in-a-life-time experience. Here's the ceiling of the rotunda:

Dave & Kathy inside the Capitol rotunda

The next morning we got up extra early to stand in line for tickets to go to the top of the Washington Memorial, and tour the Bureau of Engraving and Printing where our money is made. Both were really worth the wait!

Washington Memorial with sun directly behind it

Jordan with $1,000,000 in $10 notes (don't get any ideas Jordan!)

We walked to and visited all of the different memorials there - Lincoln, Jefferson, World War II, Vietnam, Korean War, Theodore Roosevelt - all were inspiring, and I can't do justice here to describe my feelings as I read placques and contemplated all the events that have taken place over the years to create and preserve our great country.

Andrew cuddling up to George Mason

Posing with another World War II Vet at the World War II Memorial

These gentleman were so sweet and got teary-eyed as we thanked them

for their contributions to our freedom. A touching experience...

We didn't want to come to D.C. and not see the actual documents that helped make everything happen. The National Archives was another treat. The documents are looking worse for the wear, but the lights are kept dim, and the air is very controlled with anti-pollutants & right temperature to help preserve them as long as possible.

We even made a quick trip to the scene of the crime where Andrew was born - right in D.C.:

(Not sure what that emergency is, Dave) :)

One day we headed south a little ways to tour the National Marine Corps Museum. It was awe-inspiring too, and had a section for each war that had been fought. The displays in the front foyer were life-size and very life-like, even down to the skin on the soldier statues, which looked very real.

Famous flag that was erected by soldiers when they took over Iwo Jima -

notice how tattered it is after just a short time of being flown.

Some fun mixed in with all the sightseeing.....

These two bro's are tight :)

We made sure we went to see the DC temple. It was just as majestic as I remembered from many years ago. We relaxed a little and watched a movie in the visitor's center before heading out to eat at a local place called Booeymonger's - fabulous philly cheesesteak sandwiches and fries! Loved the name - kept saying it after we had left.

On Sunday we visited Dave's old ward in Maryland which was nice. We spent that afternoon in Gettysburg, another somber, but very worthwhile tour.

We're standing on what is called the "high water mark" or Cemetery Ridge where the final hours of the battle were fought. It was near the end of the trip, and you can tell that the boys were all camera'd out!

We're so grateful we had this opportunity to go with Jordan and Andrew to view all these historic sites and feel of the strong patriotism of so many others before us. We owe so much to our forefathers! At church today we sang America the Beautiful and The Star Spangled Banner, and I couldn't help getting teary-eyed during both of them. I love my country and feel very blessed to enjoy so many freedoms in this great land. Thanks for a great trip, guys!

First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

2008-06-15T22:14:00.009-06:00

We had a little excitement over the weekend. While we were reading a bedtime story, Emily told me her tooth felt funny. I checked it and told her she had a loose tooth (bottom middle). She was SO excited and jumped up to run tell her Dad! It was that total spontaneous excitement that we all lose as we get older. We had told her that it may take a couple of weeks to come out, but the very next day while we were at a Children's Art Festival, she was wiggling it, and out it came! Smiles and excitement again! Emily put her tooth in this special little box under her pillow. Well, it's been so long since we've had a child at this stage, we weren't sure how much the tooth fairy should leave, but with inflation, she decided on a $1 bill. It was fun to see Emily so happy, and I'm glad we get to experience these special times of Emily's growing up. (K.)

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T11:26:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to wish all you dads out there a Happy Father's Day! We really appreciate the great husbands and fathers you are to our children, neices, cousins, and grandchildren and how much you do for them. You're awesome! Have a great day! (K.)

Belated Thoughts

2008-06-14T01:34:00.005-06:00

I just read Annette's blog and realized that I overlooked mentioning our Aunt Alice, who passed away on June 5, and a funeral on June 10, which was filled with music (Aunt Alice loved music) and very inspiring. It was wonderful to see and visit with so many extended family members there. Annette's thoughts posted on her blog are so beautifully written, and I could just echo everything she said and be done. My Aunt Alice was truly an amazing woman whom I loved and admired. She lived & sacrified to love and serve her family, raising 14 children who are all awesome people! She always made me feel so important whenever I was around her, and she had a bubbly laugh that just made you smile and want to be near her. In addition to so many memories as a child with Aunt Alice's family, Dave and I (and whatever children were with us) on several different occasions, stayed with Uncle Floyd and Aunt Alice and always enjoyed every minute. Although we are saddened by Aunt Alice's passing, I am so grateful for the memories I have of her and her family, and especially for the knowledge that we will see our loved ones again. I am so grateful for families, and how close our Danes extended family is, how we make an effort to have close relationships, which really are some of the most important things in life. Love you all!

Karen to the Rescue!

2008-06-10T21:37:00.008-06:00

You know how we all have these unfinished projects cluttering up our closets? Well, before Emily was born, all my amazing sisters came and decorated her nursery in a garden theme - absolutely darling. Karen had made all the crib bedding, a chair cover, and the curtains. I had leftover material that I was going to use to make a matching twin quilt for Emily to use when she got into a regular bed. Well - it never happened. Emily was about to turn 6, and I still had no quilt! A few weeks ago Karen graciously took all my scraps and blocks away (I had gotten as far as cutting some blocks), and in time for Emily's birthday she brought her a gorgeous quilt she had made.

Emily and I both love it! The yellow flowered and lavendar check materials were her used in her nursery, along with different shades of green paint for the garden on the walls. So even though you can't see the rest of the room, it matches so well! I took the crib ruffle apart, and now it's the bedskirt, so everything still goes together. Here's a close-up of the stitching:

Karen, thank you so much for sharing your time and talents to make this beautiful quilt. It will always be special to us!

Spring Flowers

2008-06-08T17:29:00.005-06:00

I've had so much going on lately that I'm behind on my blogging! I'll try to catch up a little bit:

A couple weeks ago I thought I'd try my hand at planting a few flowers in some pots that I bring out each year. Well, I felt like I was in Kindergarten! Here's the mess I was making - you can't see very clearly, but there's dirt Everywhere!

I was getting frustrated, and then it occurred to me that Caitlin has ALWAYS helped me plant flowers in my pots. No wonder I was having such a hard time! She has a real talent for this, and I sure miss her! After making a big mess, planting flowers in the wrong pot & having to start over twice, & knocking a pot over on top of the plants in it, I finally finished:

I'm pleased with how they turned out, and now two weeks later the plants are doing great!

And the answer is......

2008-06-04T00:20:00.007-06:00

For all of you who've been wondering what the concoction was on Emily's bedroom floor....I think Rachel had the closest guess. It was sugar and watermelon juice! I had Emily come help me, and thankfully it came out pretty easily. We're not out of the woods yet, though. Emily got some princess stamps with a stamp pad for her birthday. We didn't realize the stamp pad would leak - here's the result on her playroom carpet....

She felt really bad about it, but it's okay, though. The ink that doesn't totally come out will almost match the stains there from the maroon paint a few months ago. Truly, I love that Emily is such a creative, imaginative little girl, and some day I'm going to miss these little messes....

Look Out World, Here They Come!

2008-06-01T16:54:00.010-06:00

The time has come. It doesn't seem possible, but a couple more big guys are entering the real world as we add two more of our kids to the list of high school grads. (They don't know what they're in for yet) :) Jordan graduated from Springville High School on Wed, the 28th:

And Andrew graduated from Mountain View High (Orem) on Fri., May 30:

After Jordan's graduation, we took the family out to the Golden Corral Buffet to celebrate both graduations. And now my "add image" button is acting up again, so I can't add more pictures! Anway, the dinner was great, and the boys were their normal, joking around selves. :) Saturday we had a big extended family graduation party to honor Andrew & Jordan. (wish you all could have been here!) It was a 50's theme & Dave had put a 50's CD together, so we had great music to dance to, good food, and best of all, great company! Congratulations guys!

Happy Birthday Emily!

2008-05-30T23:21:00.015-06:00

It hardly seems possible that our little Emily has reached the ripe old age of 6 years. She's been a joy to our family in so many ways. We couldn't begin to imagine our lives without her, truly our little blessing from heaven.

EMILY: Excellent reader, Mind of her own, Intelligent, Loving, 6 Years old

ANN: Animal lover, "Nice notes" writer, Night Owl

WHITTLE: Wants a horse, Happy, Ice cream lover, Talented singer

T.V. watcher, Loveable, Ever ready to play with and be a friend.

I liked what Rachel did for Jenna's birthday, posting several pictures in chronological order, but something's not working right with my "add image" button, so I'll have to try posting pictures another time, but for now, maybe a video will do, one that shows the happy, full of life personality that Emily is developing.

Happy Birthday, Emily. Your Dad & I love you "infinity much!"

Born Performer

2008-05-28T22:01:00.009-06:00

Today was Emily's last day of school. We attended her Spring Kindergarten program, which was so cute, summarizing many of the things they had learned throughout the year. Each child had a small part to say, and many of the children had to have help with their parts. We had worked with Emily to help her memorize her part, and Dave helped her practice saying it like a poet would recite it. The little boy before Emily said a couple of sentences about the Statue of Liberty. Then it was Emily's turn, so here's the video of our little performer....... (turn up the volume)

I love the expression shown in reciting this poem. Since she was very small, Emily has been a natural when it comes to performing in front of people. You did a great job today, Emily. We love you!

Behind Closed Doors

2008-05-27T23:02:00.007-06:00

It was two weeks ago today that I had the carpets cleaned, professionally cleaned mind you. Well, you never know what goes on behind the closed doors of a child's bedroom. My darling Emily must have been having fun because look what I found on the carpet in her bedroom today........ Anyone want to take a guess? (hint -some of it hardened, and there are actually two ingredients to this concoction.) I don't know how to post polls yet, so just take a guess in your comments, and I'll post the answer in a few days!

Our Seminary Graduates

2008-05-26T00:11:00.004-06:00

We're lucky to have 2 seminary graduates in our family this year - Andrew graduated last week:

and Jordan graduated tonight: (sorry about the lighting on these pictures)

We're really proud of both of them. Way to go guys!

Getting in Shape

2008-05-19T20:50:00.007-06:00

A couple reasons for me to be happy: First, I've been working out for several months now, to an old Jane Fonda aerobics video from the early 90's. Now, for the past couple of weeks, Dave has been walking/jogging with me in the park just behind our house. I am so pleased! This is a real sacrifice for him since plain exercising isn't really his thing, which makes it mean all the more to me! I still try to do my aerobics 3-4 times a week, but it's been so nice to walk with Dave in the mornings too. Here are a couple views of our park:

Another reason to be happy - for my birthday, I got dumbbells and ankle weights, which I'm so excited about! (Thanks to my sweetie, Dave). The aerobics tape alone just wasn't cutting it. I've been doing the aerobic workout with the weights and can really feel it when I'm done. I'm hoping some serious toning takes place!

(When we're a little more in shape, I'll post pictures of us!)

More great company & Michael's garden

2008-05-18T10:38:00.011-06:00

We've been so fortunate this week to have so much family visit! First Grandma & Grandpa came to visit, then on Friday Annette & Karen came down. They had been wanting to do something to help remember Michael on this first anniversary of his passing, so they came and bought plants to help make a memorial garden for Michael. We were so touched that they would want to do this for us. After our visit to the nursery for the plants, the rest of the family joined us at Joe Bandito's for more yummy Mexican food (I've been celebrating my birthday all week!) This is all we could manage to do after we stuffed ourselves:

Some time in the night (after plane delays, etc.) Rachel and Brandon & kids arrived. They were exhausted but glad to be here. Saturday morning Esther came too, and we enjoyed visiting and having breakfast together.

Spencer & Brandon

Esther Manwaring & Jenna Holloway

Mom Annette with daughters Rachel & Esther

After breakfast, our cousin Allison (Aunt Alice's daughter) who lives here in Springville too, came over and the 4 of us girls worked to plant Michael's garden. They're all perennials so they'll come back every year, hopefully bigger and fuller each year. It's hard to see the individual plants, but here's the finished product:

and the girls together with our cousin, Allison, who is so bubbly and fun, she made the whole project entertaining!

Annette, Allison, Kathy, Karen

We are so excited about this garden for Michael, a beautiful living memory right here in our yard that will be a wonderful reminder of our sweet Michael and his gentle spirit, each time we step out our door. Words can't express how grateful Dave & I are for this sweet gesture of love from Karen and Annette. Thank you girls - we love you!

Our Company

2008-05-14T20:43:00.011-06:00

We had visitors - yeah! Grandma and Grandpa Danes came down to Utah yesterday to see Aunt Alice (Grandma's sister), who has been in the hospital very ill. Karen came down as well, and we all enjoyed a Mexican dinner at Los Hermanos after being at the hospital. I haven't had chips and salsa in a very long time and forgot how YUMMY they taste - ate way too many! G & G stayed overnight, and spent a good share of today at the hospital. Even though they were only able to stay a short time (they've gone home already), we loved the time we were able to spend with them and are so glad they came. Side note: Aunt Alice has vasculitis, and was going down hill quite rapidly, but with some new medicine this morning, she is beginning to improve just a little bit. We are hopeful the doctors can get to the bottom of all the complications and help her fully recover.

Grandpa Danes with his cute smile

(notice the fun rabbit straw he's using)

Had to grab a picture of Grandma Danes too

New friends catching a nap together

(our dog Chipper is the ball of fur next to Grandpa)

Technology at Work

2008-05-12T23:08:00.013-06:00

Yesterday we got to call Caitlin in Argentina. It was so great to talk with her! We were trying to get our conference calling to work so Nicia could talk to Caitlin with us from Texas, but they really couldn't hear with both our lines in use for the one call. SO Nicia came up with this great idea - she called us on Dave's cell phone, and we just put the cell phone up to the phone on speakerphone and presto - she and Caitlin could hear each other! We all had a great visit, thanks to technology! (thanks, Justin for taking the pictures)

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

Okay, I have the most awesome children. They have a longstanding tradition of bringing me breakfast in bed on Mother's Day, and I feel so fortunate! What started out as cold toast & a microwave egg has evolved into something that could rival IHOP! Justin, Jordan, and Emily were the stars this morning - cooking up strawberry crepes, hashbrowns, and orange julius. Yum! They even bring enough for Dave to have breakfast with me. What thoughtful kids! Truly a great way to start out this Mother's Day!

Jordan always likes to stir things up...

Justin gets the crepes ready

Here's the finished product...

Emily enjoying her own crepe

Here's to a happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful mothers!!

Flying kites

2008-05-09T19:15:00.001-06:00

Today was such a beautiful day! Emily had a friend over, and the wind was blowing a little, so we took the kites Nicia had bought for us, and headed out to the park for some fun. I love watching children when they are experiencing joy, totally in the moment. A simple joy for this Mom too.