Niner's New "Friend" Norman!

February 24, 2009

Last weekend we had a new calf! His mom is being a poop head and won't let him eat, so we're doing it for her. Niner is NOT amused with the attention this baby calf is getting... it's really pretty funny how jealous he is. Robert named him "Norman" like the calf on City Slickers.

Feeding Norman reminds me of when Sterling would bring home calves from the dairy and we would raise them. My baby was "Freckles", 'cuz he had the cutest little freckles on his nose. Anyway, I raised him from the day he was born and when he was big, he went out with all the other cows. He would run up to me from across the field... It was so cute! Great memories!

Funny, Dad always said he went to live on a farm in Montana, but I think we ate him! I wouldn't eat beef for a year...

Our New Temple!

February 20, 2009

Robert and I have just been called to head up the "Security and Medical" committee for the open house of the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple! We will be organizing security and medical volunteers for the Open House process from the 25 stakes that this temple will serve. The Open House is May 1 to August 1 and the dedication begins on August 14th (I think). I know that the Draper Temple Open House has been super busy and they expect the same type of crowds for this temple.

We are very excited to have this opportunity and so grateful to have a temple just down the street from us. We've watched it being built and I walk to the temple and back for my walks. Looks like we'll have a busy summer with Trek, the Temple Open House and lots of hay!

Crazy Spontaneous Trip!

So, last Friday (Jan 30), Robert and I were lying in bed and thought we should go somewhere for the weekend. We both were feeling that we have been so busy with all of the stresses of life that we just needed some alone time to re-connect. I started looking into where we could go with some frequent flyer miles and the next thing we know... we're booking a cruise to the Southern Carribean! We were at the airport in less than 24 hours from when we started thinking about it! Crazy, huh? Not at ALL like us! I was thinking how "young" and "carefree" this was and I looked at the two of us and started laughing. I'm knitting and Robert's reading a book about prostate health! Hmmmm.... maybe we'll work on our activities on the next spontaneous adventure!

We did so many random things. We jumped on a bus in Aruba and all we knew was that is was going to a beach... we didn't know which one. $2.60 later we're on one of the nicest beaches we'd ever been on.

Another day, we forgot to bring enough cash and we're scrounging for quarters to get a cab back to the ship. Robert dug us some "redneck lawn chairs" and we had such a great time talking to all the people walking by commenting on them. We started thinking that maybe we'd just start our own "redneck lawn chair" business. Who needs to bring extra cash anyway?!!!

We took the ship, Adventure of the Seas to Aruba, Curacao, St. Maarten and St. Thomas. The ship was beautiful with an ice rink and a boardwalk with a mall. We loved it. One of the beaches that we ended up on in St. Maarten was so hot that all the people took their suits off! :) even the ones who shouldn't have! (and I was watching for the word "minimizing" while shopping for a swimming suit!) Wow! don't think we'll go back to that one! I think it must have been a "geriatric" nude beach... now I know why they don't have alot of scantily clad men on billboards let alone naked ones. There's just some things in this world you can't "unsee"...

We're so glad we went and it was wonderful just to be alone together. We decided to keep our bags handy for any more last minute adventures! It's so wonderful to be married to your best friend.

Top 10 Reasons NOT to see "Marley and Me"

So, the kids and I went to see "Marley and Me" while Robert was out of town. That night we sneaked him in the house to give him lots of love, and (during the full body massage) I found a mass on his hind leg. The next day we took him to the vet and aspirated the mass for testing. It came back as cancer. We took the mass out and now he's wearing a lamp shade on his head and we're hoping we got it all.

We've been through alot with this "damn dog" and he is most definately our favorite four legged friend!

So... here's our "Top Ten Reasons NOT to see Marley and Me"

1. Your dog sleeps in the house for the night

2. SO... your laundry room smells bad

3. then... your clothes start to stink

4. Then... in comes the dog food and the stinky dog water dish

5. then...you have to give your dog a full body massage

6. so during the massage you find a big mass on your dog's leg

7. you end up racking up a big vet bill

8. You remember all of the times this dog has been there for you when people haven't

9. You take your husband to see the movie and he cries so hard the people in the next room can hear him... OVER the sounds of "The Terminator"

10. Your heart hurts really bad when you realize how much you love the "damn dog".

Jake and one of his dread lock hats! He asked me to make him a Riverton one, too, to wear at wrestling matches and basketball games! The kids had a fun Christmas just doing little things here and there. We had a really nice Christmas Eve where we focused on Christ and the reason for the season of Christmas. They each got a book that was a very special part of the day. We had a good holiday and each one of the kids was so excited about doing things for others and the gifts each other received.

Here's Robert with his clay pigeon launcher right before he "tested" it out. Not knowing that there was an Allen wrench on the arm of it... Robert cocked the thing and found out it works really well. He launched that Allen wrench across the room and into my hutch. After that, I made him play with his toys outside!!! (I can't say much, I gave the dang thing to him!)

Oh well, at least we know it works!

Hallie and her "baby sister"!

OK, so Hazen wasn't loving dressing up as a shepard, but Kyler loved it! He was so cute and walked around showing his sheep to everyone! It was awesome!