Retro Thanksgiving

Ron & I headed out to the sand dunes for Thanksgiving. The kids had dinner with their inlaws. I lost my camera....

Lacking current Turkey day shots, I share with you Retro Thanksgiving:

Left to right around the bird: Bill (my grandfather, who we've always called by his first name), Virginia (?), Mom, Uncle Leonard, LoLo - great-grandmother, Aunt Prunie, Kim, Lisa, Grandma Pack.

Oops, we couldn't see the baby, Grandma Pack and Kim switched places.

This is my great-grandmother Laura who we called Lo-Lo and one of her 4 sisters, I believe it's Virginia, I know it's not Blanche or Anna Belle, but my mother will have to comment and correct me. This is why I love this picture:

• My mother's wedding portrait is hanging in the background
• The Chopin bust on the piano, I miss that! I totally should have requested that momento
• Grandma's piano. One day she redecorated and decided the piano should be refinished in an off-white with antiqueing look. It looked fabulous when she finished and it was always the center piece of her livingroom.
• the glasses
• the dresses
• the sweet potatoes that were eaten at this meal. Lo-Lo always made the sweet potatoes.
  

Enjoy this shot of my mother and me. I was only allowed in the livingroom for photo-ops. At first it was because just to the left of us in the picture was the big stereo cabinet usually playing a record, and when I would stomp or run through the livingroom (their words, not mine "stop running" "Don't stomp so heavy, can't you just walk?") it caused the needle to skip. As time went on numerous expensive fragile items were added to the livingroom that little girls just didn't need to run around and break.

After recovering from Thanksgiving, I am trying desperately to get the house decorated and festive looking. Something I learned from my youth:

Tune in tomorrow for a peek at Christmas from the 60s. And birthday shots. Classics.

Thanks so much to my brother who scanned all of my dad's slides into digital files!

What's been going on the last 3 weeks?

Bekah, David, and Snuggles are still squatting upstairs in the Scotty wing. David was promoted with BlueMan Group in the video department and no longer edits at chanel 13. Rebekah was hired by the school district and it's kind of complicated to explain what she does. First of all she's considered a long-term substitute since there's a hiring freeze. Secondly she's like a case worker/advocate for deaf students in the district. She visits them at their various schools, makes sure they're where they should be with grades, helps tutor in areas they need help in, and conducts IEPs.

Ron's awesome. He changed all the outside lightbulbs for me. Fixed my Kichenaid mixer that was starting to wobble. Fixed the screen door that came off the track. Installed a dining room light dimmer switch 30 minutes before our party started because I decided at the last minute I needed to be able to dim the lights. That's the short list that I can think of right off that he's taken care of in the last couple of weeks.

I guess you could add changing Jenn's brakes to that short list. Drew was trying to help, he was just getting dirty.

Charlie ***LOVES*** the dogs. Every time she's over she likes Smokey to take her for a ride. Smoking has been feeling older and older lately and mostly now she just sits on top of him as he lays on the floor. She has also mastered playing fetch with Kruger. She throws the tennis ball, he chases after it and brings it back to her.

I drive by this place on Grand Teton all the time that sells produce and eggs. I read an article about them in our newspaper and decided to take the kids to look at pumpkins and turkeys.Good thing Matt came with me, I was too busy with Charlie to notice Drew's head got stuck. Matt must have prior head unsticking experience because he knew just how to twist and tip Drew's head to get it unstuck. Glad the turkeys didn't try to eat him, that might have been tramatic.
One Sunday evening, I had strawberries and koolwhip and was going to get shortcake on Saturday, but never made it to the store. So just before Sunday dinner, I remembered the dipping chocolates I had. Drew had a great time making dessert and was so proud of his final product.

We hosted a High Priest Group social at our house. On the menu: mashed potato bar, little weenies wrapped in bacon cooked in brown sugar, swedish meatballs, crab rangoons, chips and dip, and stuffed mushrooms. It was a lot of fun. I got the game for the evening from HERE. I think that's what made the evening. I thought people would only pass it around once, but the box of questions went around the room several times. It was a fun way to get to know everybody.

That's my update.

I hope this happens...

12:23 p.m.
(4:23 p.m. - Brazilian time)


hey mom i know you look forward to my letters as much as i look forword to yours but today was zone pday and not much time to write but im alive i love you and the family and we should have baptizm this week the work is great

i love you and the letter next week will be better
tchau

8:03 a.m.

aka Oh, Scotty where art thou?

IT happened. For the first time in 19 weeks it happened.

It's P-day. But I.....forgot. Well, I didn't really forget, but for the first time since June 11th, I just got up and started my day as normal. Then I looked up at the clock, it was 8:03. That's when the panic hit me. It's WEDNESDAY. I've missed Scott's email.

I hurried to the computer. 17 messages were downloading. Out of the 17, 1 from RS pres, 2 from meridian magazine, 14 things I'll delete because I'm not interested in perscriptions, shopping at Kohls, JC Penneys, current catelogue, pottery barn, williams-sanoma, or any of the other various stores that email me. (they are all trying ever so hard for my holiday dollars, which is looking more like holiday cents, but that's another post)

BUT NOTHING FROM ELDER MARX

What? I spent a few minutes of panic and guilt because I didn't wake up at 6 a.m. and come running to the computer to find his email and NOTHING?

That's o.k. It could be interviews, conferences, obscure brazilian holiday, the laundry is taking a little longer today, who knows.

Here's to both of our new normals. I'm not gut-wrenchingly miserable, clinging to every tick of the clock. He's busy and will write when he can.

Don't worry, I'm not a heartless mom. I bought him a pocket hymnal yesterday for Christmas, and when I looked down at the gold print that spelled Elder Marx, I cried.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

Let me start this post with a LITTLE explanation. July 1st I'm driving along and the A/C goes out in the truck. Not good. Ron being the handy guy that he is figured out that it was the blower unit, the condenser was still making cold air, it just wasn't blowing through the vents. He ordered the part, and in the parking lot at Wahweap Marina he put in the new blower. BUT then there was a slight problem...the new blower was blowing very cold air, but all of a sudden there was no power windows or radio. We've replaced all of the fuses, big fuse breaker things, we've tried everything. Electrical problems are not Ron's forte. He thought, hey, you've got cold air, small price to pay not to have windows or radio.

I thought I would never survive. I LOVE listening to the radio, flipping through the stations, and listening to CDs. After a while I started driving around with my iPod. Two problems with this. I can't see very well, so if I'm driving, I can't manage to change any songs. AND I haven't uploaded much in the last year, so all my songs and playlists are old.

This all explains why I haven't hardly heard anything on the radio for the last 3 1/2 months.

Today I needed to run an errand after Ron got home. As I'm leaving he offers his truck, "It has a radio..." So I took his keys. As I turned from Jones on to 215, they were talking about how J.T. was going to 'retire' I'm Bringing Sexy Back. You've got to be kidding me. I was going to blog about this mistake of his. Who does he think he is? Would you go to a concert and not expect to hear Celine Dion sing My Heart Will Go On, or the Beach Boys' Good Vibrations. What about Journey w/out playing....wait, Journey doesn't tour with Steve Perry...not even worth going to see them. What about Usher - You'd never go to an Usher concert and not expect to hear Yeah. What does J.T. think he's doing? He's not in their league. Maybe it's just a publicity thing.

Well, all this thinking is running through my head as I drove along. Now I'm turing from 215 to the 95, and what do my ears hear???

USHER IS IN CONCERT NOVEMBER 21. HERE. IN LAS VEGAS.

My world is suddenly feeling complete. I know what I want for Christmas. Two Tickets. It's the least he could do for making me drive around without a radio, don't you think?

In the meantime...For your viewing pleasure, I present some of Usher's greatest hits. Which is your favorite?







Take that, rewind it back....

Anyone wanna go with??

Weeks and Weeks In Review

Charlie is getting so grown up. She gets this look of joy on her face in my office just before she swipes a whole pile of papers off onto the ground.

BIG SURPRISE. Kara & Hallie came into town for a visit. They came over Sunday night to visit with the family and play with cousins.

Hallie & Grandpa were doing great until I tried to take a picture and called Hallie "Charlie". She didn't appreciate that at all.
The group Sunday night
Bekah & Hallie

Lunch with the girls

anything dipped in ketchup is good
Hallie loved her nuggets

Drew's birthdaymaking batman capes for Drew's 4th birthday party.

Drew was having so much fun with his friends, it was easier to get a picture of Charlie

Sunday at Grandma's house
Legos, for Drew.....and matt

Blogstalking Late at Night,
aka.....is that Ashley's sister?

I know it's been time to get rid of Scott's mug off this page for a long time. My latest pictures are on the computer in the office. When I'm there, I'm doing office stuff. Now I'm on my laptop in my room, without latest pictures. So....after searching LDS.org for scripture references for my next lesson, googling dehydration, for the same lesson, I decided to spend a few random moments blogstalking.

I went through my list of favorites. Then started going through the kids' pages. At Jenn's I totally picked some random name from the side and clicked on it. I'm guessing this is someone from her ward. I figure out they've recently moved here. So curious self that I am, I start wondering where they moved from. Hit the Older Posts button a few times to see where they came from, hmmm, looks like Texas. Then I come across THIS post. To which I just have to stare for a couple of minutes. Isn't that Ashley's sister, Miken, sitting there in the picture?

I miss this kid!

Elder Broad & ELDER MARX

Please pay Them, so They can pay Me, so I can pay. . .

It's more than just stories on the news every night,





it's personal.

We have contractors that can't pay us for work performed, because they can't get funding. Since we're the first sub in on the job, it's not unusual that they pull permits and get going as 'the paperwork catches up.' By the time we turn in our first billing, funding is secured, construction control is set up, and we get paid. Not any more. Experienced developers are going to financial institutions they have used for years and are unable to be funded for their current project.

Every other week we will receive a fax from a contractor saying something like, "Thank you for bidding on Project X. We appreciate the time and effort involved in bidding a project of this nature. The owner has decided to postpone this project because they are unable to arrange funding."

It's tough, but we're hanging in there. Every week we look at each other and say, 'at least we're still working' We may not be getting paid, but we're working. Yippee.

These are the times that try men's souls.

I came across this scripture last year and I truly believe in it:
"And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance. . .I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, that it shall be taken away out of their minds to bring affliction upon you."
D&C 104:80-81

Personally, we sit o.k. Not great and ahead of the game like we used to be 18 months ago. But our basic needs are nominal. It's just keeping the company going, there's so much, insurance policies, taxes, fees, labor, materials, it's enough to keep you up at night.

So last night I started listing all of the ways, despite the 8-5 problems, we have been blessed:

• Scott is on a mission. Not only did he go, but I am confident that he went in the spirit of his own testimony, not because it was expected of him. He's doing so awesome.
• My pantry is full, my freezers are full. I hardly ever go grocery shopping (like twice in the last 3 months), but I haven't noticed that it's affected my pantry. I could probably hang on for another month if I need to (with a $20 trip in for milk and fresh fruits and veg.) I just don't enjoy those shopping trips after a couple of months where you have a list for Costco, a list for Smiths, a list for Smart 'n Final. I prefer to keep up on it weekly, but we've been just fine.
• We've been able to work on landscaping our backyard. Slowly but surely. and inexpensively.
• We've been able to reorganize the office
• We have the cutest grandchildren! Drew/Charlie, Hallie- whatever they're doing or getting into, they're all so darn cute!
• Our children are living their lives as happy, productive adults.

I hate to have a downer blog on what seems sometimes to be a place where it's customary to post only the best about your life (complete with current professions family portraits -- And since when is it required to take maternity pictures??? You know, the baby will come and be loved and grow up to be fine if you don't get maternity shots taken...but I digress) So anyhow - this random rant is over. Life is good.

I'll leave you with a line that Pres. Hinckley gave in a talk that has been rolling around in my brain for the last year (maybe 7 years): "There is a portent of stormy weather ahead." (portent def. " an indication or omen of something about to happen, esp. something momentous. ")

I resolve to LISTEN and FOLLOW THE PROPHET more. Look how much we've been prepared for today! Despite current conditions, I'm so excited for what the future will bring.

all smiles this week :)

Yes, I canned the salsa. It was our family night. Actually while I did the canning portion, ron was checking craigs list, ebay, off-roading tires online. It works for our 'family' now. We finished up with nachos to taste the new salsa. I was so happy with this, I think I need to do two more batches. That would get me through the winter and spring.

As we relaxed on the couch watching a show about who shot JFK on the history channel, I heard the familiar canning sound that makes me smile....ping. The jars were sealing.

So many things to smile about this week. Still smiling about the ward being split. I can't wait to go Sunday and see how it looks! I'm betting I'll still be a Sunday School teacher. Out of my class, all the boys remain in the ward and 2 of the 5 girls.

The next thing that has me smiling is I found a new adult continueing education class to go to (adult institute class). I've made the rounds through the valley. I went to Ginger Ewell in the Las Vegas Stake for 3 years. Then I went out to Norm Gardner in the Warm Springs Stake for 5 years. He was masterful. Awesome. Worth the drive. When he ditched (reassigned is the correct CES term) Las Vegas to be the Tucson Institute Director, I was sad. But Br. Rasmussen took his place. I was back in business. THEN.....Br. Ras moved the class to Friday. Fridays are so busy for me with the business. I had to stop going.

After a year and a half, I knew I needed to get back to going to a class. I was going to start this one last January, but something came up and I couldn't go. All summer I was determined to check this class out come fall. I was hoping I wouldn't be disappointed. First day of class came, and I have jury duty and have to miss it...bummer. But today - I was there. I've hit gold again. Teaching is in the masterful category. Awesome. Worth the drive.

New institute class to go to, I'm all smiles.

It's just nice to have a week full of smiles.

I know, I know, watch out...

Sew busy

this weekend.

O.K. so this picture is a couple of weeks ago, but Charlie

looked so cute chowing down on corn on the cob.

Ashley struck a chipmunk pose as I took the picture as well

Preparations for the weekend started on Thursday. Matt called and asked for help buying food for the Young Men/Young Women combined activity at the lake. I've been hearing about this for a few weeks. Matt was pretty nervous getting enough boats rounded up to go with the kids. Not enough boats means kids are sitting on the sand bored because they can't go out... Ron had been recruited to go with our boat, so I was looking forward to a day to myself.

We went to Costco. Matt was planning sandwiches for 60 kids, plus adults. So I decided 100 sandwiches. We grabbed chips, lunchmeat. Then I decided that Costco dinner rolls would be better than 12 loaves of bread. Bread at the lake w/out a fridge tends to get very warm, smushy, and just not easy to work with, but their dinner rolls hold up better, can make a smaller sandwich. The girls could have one, the boys could fix four if they wanted. Rolls were sold out for the day, so I told Matt I'd go first thing Friday morning. Hmmm, feeding that many people at once can form a huge line, so I decided to get mayo/mustard in the individual packets. My idea was Matt could set up a table and assembly line, you go through pick up your stuff and then sit down to assemble it - instead of 4 people standing around a table with mayo and mustard jars spreading it on their bread while the other 70 are in line behind them telling everyone to hurry up.

Half way through the day on Saturday it dawned on me I bought the wrong amount of rolls. If we were doing 100 sandwiches, and those rolls are smaller, I should do at least 200 rolls, thinking 2 rolls equaled one sandwich. But somehow Friday morning at the store I looked at the package, 3 doz., so 9 x12 = 108, that's all I need, 3 packages. I was worried all Saturday afternoon that there were starving boys on the lake.

The reports came back Saturday night that everyone had a great time. More kids than they anticipated, over 80. plus adults and 11 boats. Yeah, we have a HUGE ward.

Jenn called on Friday wanting to learn how to sew.

Be still my heart.

FINALLY.

I'm quite an accomplished seamstress, but the girls have been very slow in showing any interest. Bekah started making quilts after she got married. As they were growing up I walked that fine line of trying to get them interested and teach them. If you sit them down and say "today we're going to sew" and they hate you for it, then there's a bad feeling in the back of their head for sewing and I didn't want that. Inevitably in the middle of sewing a dance dress some well-intentioned someone would comment, "perhaps they should be sewing their own dress." Do you really think a prom dress is the time to learn how to sew???

Well Saturday, since Ron was away and all I was going to do was can salsa. Instead, Jenn and I shopped for fabric, and she made a skirt.

She did a great job. I hope she tries more projects on her own.

As Sacrament meeting started Sunday, the Stake Presidency came in and sat down. Unusual yes, but I was busy thinking "I'm glad they're here to see this crazy huge ward, and how LOUD and irreverent it is at the beginning of sacrament meeting." Yesterday we filled the chapel, filled the cultural hall, and there were people sitting in each foyer. Not an empty seat anywhere. (seriously what other ward takes 80 youth and 11 boats to the lake for a joint activity???)

They were there to announce a special meeting that afternoon for our ward. YIPPEE.
This is me smiling and very happy. They took two wards and made a third. We've changed names now to the Shadow Ridge Ward.
We lost half of our ward. There are some really terrific families that went the other direction in the split. I'm glad to have known and learned from them. But I'm so happy to be able to get to know the ward family we have left even better.

To end the evening...Ashley's birthday fell during scout camp, business ups and downs, mostly downs, and just summer busy-ness. We never properly sang happy birthday to Ashley, so we did last night. Drew was helping her to practice for his upcoming event.

Ashley requested only two candles to represent that she's in the middle of her second decade. Candles come 24 to a box. When I walked out with two boxes of candles, she was a little overwhelmed...

choir practice was at our house. We took dinner to another family. I went to the movies Friday night with a friend. David and Rebekah have officially all moved in. I tried taking a picture of her over the weekend, and she wouldn't let me, she wasn't 'picture worthy' at the moment. Oh, brother. That's my official busy weekend.

I miss Brad & Kara & Hallie. I wish they could be here, but I know they're doing great in San Diego.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED

For this tag I have to list 6 random things about me and then tag 6 other people. So here it goes!!


My perfumes: Revlon's Charlie (Ron's favorite) but I prefer to wear Vera Wang.

I started taking harp lessons last spring.

I am extremely uncomfortable being out in front of people, so I try to sit in the back row where ever I go. If I walk into a classroom and the chairs are arranged in a circle, I panic.

On the other hand, I am not afraid to speak in public, give talks, or teach lessons. (I have a purpose and reason to be in front)

The callings I have had the most are Primary Chorister (5 times), followed by Activities Chairman (3 times) and Ward Music Chairman (3 times).

I cannot run a spreadsheet program to save my life. I consider myself pretty computer savvy - but spreadsheets are impossible!

I tag my neices that blogstalk...