The Big Ride

Ron, Matt & Scott are gone this week on the 900 scenic fun-filled ride through Baja, Mexico. You never know all the details about the trip until they get back - but it's sounding like a rough start. No call Monday night, I was expecting one, but decided not to worry about it. Ron did call Tuesday afternoon. The reason for no call Monday is they didn't get to their first location until after 11:00 p.m. That can't be good. And the reason he could call me in the afternoon was because he was now driving a truck through Baja instead of his bike. So the trip started off with breakdowns, getting lost (not one person - but a whole sub-group of 20) and a late night. He thought he'd have phone access Wednesday night, so we'll just see what tonight's report is.

In the mean time - I've expressed frustration with enrichment group book club before. I now have the Enrichment councilor 'concerned that I'm o.k." I'm fine. I won't go inactive. I'm not offended. I won't quit going to church. Jenn found another book club one day in blog world and called me up to convince me that I really should join this blog book club. I thought, why not. I really need to expand my horizons. So I commented that I was in. It's month one and the first book of choice was The Other Boleyn Girl. The cover of the book stated it was soon to be a movie, I just didn't know it was so soon. I enjoyed the book. I thought while reading it that it would be a rated R movie. So imagine my surprise when I saw the movie advertised this week and it's PG-13. I'm so excited. Even if they do a bad job adapting the book the costumes and scenery are so cool. Thanks to Mrs. Zastrow (Glendora High School English, a long time ago), I love anything about old England.

I can't wait.

IN JILL'S FOOTSTEPS

My vacuum has died. I had a Bissell canister that has lasted the longest out of any vacuum I've ever owned - over 5 years. But today it was sounding funny and I lifted up the power head and the brush was barely turning. I thought it was the belt so I went for the screwdriver. The belt is fully intact - but the little engine was smoking and smelling.

I've spent an hour on the web looking to see if I could order just a new powerhead. Didn't find one. I did find a new motor for the inside at a cost of $98. That's almost half the cost of the whole vacuum.

I went to consumer reports to see what they said about vacuums but I guess you have to be a member for them to let you know all this. So I'll throw this out there for your suggestions. I have a house with stairs so I need to be able to vacuum steps. Bagless vacuums give me the heebe-jeebies, so I think I need to be able to pull all the gunk out neatly gathered in a disposable bag.

What are your favorite brands?

Thankful Thursday

Charlie 10 mos. Hallie 6 months

Things I'm thankful for this week:

• That the family was all together this weekend. Thank You Brad & Kara for driving up here.
• People in Scott's life the last year that have truly made a difference
• That Ron & the boys are almost ready to leave on their trip.
• That the company has jobs lined up to do.

On another note, Ron & I have this ongoing conversation and 27-year disagreement on what the definition of "A Weekend Away" means. The conversation goes something like this:

Kim: I really need a break. I'm just drowning, I need to get away from it all for just a weekend.

Ron: Hey ____ (insert usually some brother's name) is going to ________ insert some campground. We should go with them it would be fun.

Kim: No. I'll just stay home.

Now, what Ron does not realize is between his word 'fun' and my word 'no' there is a huge thought process going on:

"Hmmm. Pack clothes lightweight for the day, jackets for night. Plan 3 meals/day. Write shopping list, consider every item you would need for the meal so you don't miss anything. Go to store load all food in shopping cart, out onto conveyor belt, back into the back of car, drive home and unload into house and put away. Bring out all the food previously bought and put in ice chests and various containers and pack for trip, including all pans and utensils necessary for cooking said meals. Grab camping gear, sleeping bags, packed clothes, ice chests full of food (so now I'm lugging this food around for the 5th time) toys, books, chargers, paperwork I might need because we're expecting a call from someone with work. Drive to location.

Unpack and settle in. Cook and clean up three meals a day. Keep camping area cleaned up. Keep warm/dry/cool/away from bugs/whatever the circumstances. Pack and clean it all up to come home. Get home, empty out ice chests, get them dry and put away, wash all clothes from the trip, possibly need to wash sleeping bags and pillows. All the time this washing and cleaning up putting away from the weekend trip while I have to continue with the normal washing cleaning up of the household I was trying to escape from and rejuvinate for over the weekend. Hmmm, no thanks, I'll just stay home. That idea for a weekend away sounds like A WHOLE LOT OF WORK FOR ME. No.

Ron thinks it's more like No, you don't want to spend time with me. It's not that. His idea of a relaxing weekend involves motorized vehicles and dirt and work.

Kim's idea for a weekend away:

Leave Friday noonish. drive to Orange County. Get a nice hotel room. Go out to eat at a restaurant. Go to a movie. Come back to the hotel and sit in the jacuzzi. Get up in the morning and go to the swap meet. Walk up and down the isles for 4-5 hours looking at all kinds of stuff you mainly do not need. Buy a few irrestiable items. Like 4 t-shirts for $20. Sunglasses discounted, etc. Leave and drive by the beach just to sit, smell the salt air and listen to the waves. If I have extra money, there's Spa Gregories close by. If not, cruise on home.

Ron says: Your weekend costs me money. My weekend idea is cheap.

Kim: Huh????

• We're both driving 4-5 hours away. Same cost ($200).
• Hotel room ($150) vs. thin mattress camping - you've got me there.
• Buying and cooking all food vs. restaurants = the same ($200).
• Swap meet and spa - prices range for this. spa is easy $100, swap meet, $50 to -- whatever the budget.
• Gas for motorized vehicles on Ron's weekend, $300

So Ron's weekend away 'relaxing' is about $700. My weekend away is about $700 (and somebody else has done all the work!). Yet his is cheaper and more fun? Uggghhhhh. I don't know if other couples have this same conversation.

PICTURES FROM OPENING SCOTTY'S MISSION CALL

Here is the scene at our house as Scott opened his mission call letter. We had several people on the phones listening in. I think what I like about this video is it is so typical of Scott & Jenn's relationship. She's always right there by his side telling him what to wear, or how to get things done.

(Todd, Bryce, Devin (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Tyler (Mexico City East, Mexico), Russel, Scotty (Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Here's a picture of the Schnatzberrie Gang. This was one year ago when they were headed up to BYU to go to the UNLV game, wearing their "Real Mormons are Rebels" t-shirts.

Three of the boys now have their missions calls, with more to come. I'm glad Scott had these good friends to hang out with.

Thanks for all your guesses!

I'm so bad at these guesses, I wasn't even close. But neither were many of you. I thought it was going to be in the states (o.k. maybe it was purely selfish on my part - easy mail system & packages, close by even if you can't visit or see them - they're at least in the same country, comforts of home still available ((taco bell, mc donalds))...) and ever since his interviews, Scott was convinced it was foreign. I was trying to brace him to not be disappointed. Seems I was wrong, he was right.

A quick check on weather channel dot com looks like the temperature doesn't vary more than 10 degrees between summer and winter, which explains why one website described their seasons as hot and hotter.

Something else I read (isn't google great!) said the city was laid out and planned based on Washington D.C. The streets are hilly like San Francisco.The main city has a population of 5 million. The mission reaches out and covers other areas, I don't know if he'll be in the city the whole time or countryside. But I'm sure he'll grow to love the peopel of....

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Belo Horizonte, Brazil!

Scott will report directly to the MTC in Sau Paulo, Brazil on June 11th.

The winner of the contest would be Jenn's boss, Keen Ellsworth: "Jenn's brother, probably smart, smooth talker and full of fun and laughter. Sounds like a Latino fiesta! I say South America, probably Brazil."

IT'S TIME TO MAKE YOUR GUESS

Where will Scotty serve his mission?

The traditional treat at Dairy Queen is the prize for the one who guesses closest. Please leave two guess, one for stateside and one for foreign. Everybody leave a comment, even if you usually don't and are just checking us out from a link on another blog.....I know you do it!

To start out the list, I honestly have no idea. I hope it isn't here but my guesses are Tempe, Arizona & England. Although I think this area would be cool, too. The great thing about the gospel is we all know he'll serve exactly where the Lord wants him to, but it's fun to guess.

update

Random things that have been going on:

Introducing Kruger. The picture is blurry - but all the pictures I've taken of him are blurry. He's about as photogenic as Charlie, every time I point the camera her direction, she moves. So does Kruger.

Kruger came from Alamo, Nevada. Scott resucued and brought him home. I wasn't sure why Scotty would bring home a dog just before he leaves to go on a mission. He thought I needed someone to keep me company when he's gone. Kruger's already had a hospital bill - one thing I swore I'd never do. But when they wake you up at 1 in the morning sick...as a dog...you have to get them some help. Appearantly puppies can't eat just anything.

Another new thing around here has to be the coolest surprise I've ever gotten in the mail. (is gotten a word?) Wait, maybe the card announcing Kara's pregnancy was the coolest thing in the mail. But this item sure is Saweet. Allison and Terry Owens sent this roomba vacumn cleaner as a combined Christmas/birthday/thanks-for-letting-Brian-live-with-you gift. I don't know that I would have ever bought one for myself, but now that I have it, it is awesome. You just turn it on and it travels throughout the room cleaning up after everybody. (well, when it can clean up a puppy oops, then it will be cleaning up after everybody)

I also decided to tackle tuning my piano. I started thinking about it last November. It was soooo out of tune and choir practice would be at our house the month of December. One day as Ron was taking apart a motorcycle in the garage, I got to thinking, how hard can it be to take apart a piano? So I got up, walked over and started dismantling it. Then I decided I have a pretty good ear, how do you do it? Thanks to the internet and YouTube, there are many people willing to tell you how to do it. I ordered the wrenches and rubber wedges on-line and last week sat down to tune the piano.

This has been the funnest project I've done in a long time. In case you didn't know, each note has three strings that form it. Isolate and tune one outside string of the three, then isolate and tune the other one, then tune the middle string to vibrate perfectly in sinc with the other two. When you reach that tone, it is the coolest thing ever.

My goal to read all book club books this year bombed in month #1. Not because I didn't purchase and begin to read the book. But because at Page 33, I said, "This is crap." and I put it down. My opinion didn't go over too well at book club meeting. I'm not against reading other books, I want to, that's why I choose book club. But this book didn't fall into the 'best of books' category. So I'm even rethinking the whole participating in book club idea. At first I thought since I was a member of Relief Society and HFPE meeting monthly was being replaced by monthly interest groups and a quarterly get together, it was my responsibility to choose an interest group. Scrapbooking, or book club. Book club won. But if I have to torture myself through one more self-help book, I'm going to scream. So I'm thinking if this is what everyone enjoys, why should I go and spoil it for them. I'll just not go.

Brad & Kara have an announcement on their blog that's generated a lot of comments. Check it out.

David & Rebekah celebrated their 2nd anniversary. Their blog has a nice slide show. Check it out.

(doesn't that make you want to break out in Black-eyed-Peas song...."Check it out. I met a girl down at the disco she said, hey, hey, hey, let's go." Which brings me back to book club discussion. Appearantly it's o.k. to read crap, you're just not supposed to listen to it.)

Drew started Sunbeams, wrote his own version to the theme song. Again, check it out.

Jenn & Jordan have callings in their ward and are doing great. Maybe she'd be offended if I didn't ask you to check them out as well.

Seminary Oops. Here's what I get for following the manual and trying to mix up my teaching style a bit. The lesson was on God using the weak things of the world to accomplish his purposes. It gave five different people out of the Book of Judges. So I typed up the name and scripture reference on a piece of paper. The kids were instructed to look it up and explain the situation and why that person was an unlikely hero to the house of Israel. The other kids got papers that said, What can you do to help move forward God's kingdom on earth. I mentioned that they might need to read chapter heading, a few verses before and after to get the full picture. It was all fine until Jephthah (Judges 11.) One of the smartest girls in the class ended up with his name. She not only read the reference (which was two verses) but chapter before and after. And ends her explanation with "in the end, he ended up making an oath with God to sacrifice his daughter, which I don't understand because God isn't about sacrificing children."

"No, he's not." So there must be something she didn't catch in the reading. I open to that chapter, kind of started reading through and talking to the kids about it - can't let this go unaddressed. But it really is reading as she explained. and it gets worse. Luckily I have the skills to read, talk, and skim ahead all at the same time. I ended up just trailing off..."and she wanted to go...away...for the month...with her friends..." And I just ubruptly stopped and said, "I don't have an answer why he was allowed to sacrifice his daughter, I'll have to sit and look at this a little closer." I don't think there were many students following along that would have filled in the words about her bewailing her virginity, but it was a couple of seconds of panic on my part. Good thing I was saved by the bell. And the Institute manual.

And finally, politics. UGHHH.... What's up with the GOP? I've always been with the red state way of thinking. But 'they're' making it harder and harder. I've liked Mitt for a long time. I've followed his website long before it was announced he was running, back when he was still putting committees together. I've always thought a business man should run the country. I didn't have a problem with him changing his mind on things. I can't stand McCain. I've never liked him. I can't figure out why a state like Arizona who has just as many conservative thinking people like me would put up with him, let alone elect Gov. Janet Napolitano. Go figure. Huckabee is hanging around to be a thorn in Mitt's side and to get on as McCains #2 pick. It's almost enough to make me turn blue. I don't know what I'm going to do, short of moving out of the country. I'm so upset.

Well there's lots of good news on the horizon....until next time.

February 3rd
Happy Birthday, Matt

For the last 27 years, Matt has been busy:

• He was a Decker Dinosaur (Decker Elementary)


• A Guinner Winner (Guinn Middle School)


• A Trailblazer (Durango High School)


• Eagle Scout


• Missionary in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission

His greatest accomplishment was marrying Ashley:

And being a father to these cuties:

Matt is constantly busy helping others and does a great job with the young men - helping several to become Eagle Scouts. He's a great example for his family.

Happy Birthday Matt.