News

I haven't posted in ever so long and so I thought I would try to put a few things up.Chris and Chira notified us last week that they are going to have a baby! We are so excited for them and for the little one that will be a new member of their family. Chris went to California for a week and now Chira and Caden are in Utah for a few weeks to attend weddings and baptisms.
Natalie has a new haircut. Should have taken a picture while it was still professionally styled cause now all she has is me! She is excited about our little jaunt to Utah this week.
Corey and Steph are gearing up for their annual BIRTHDAY WEEK! John was born on August 20 and two years (almost) later Madi was born on the 18th. So we are going to be birthdaying it week after next. Johnny is going to turn eight! What an exciting thing.
Lisa and Ragnar just celebrated their fifth anniversary and Cavin and Ella are growing and going and keeping us entertained and hopping. Cavin is learning new things everyday that he can do with that chunky little body of his and he loves it! He can climb and walk and run and sit and roll and march and jump! It is 'Cavin' jumping but nobody is more delighted at the prospects than he is! And Ella delights in serving us pizza and making us cocoa and twirling in her dresses and teeling us stories.
Marisa walks this week. She will be finished in December but they will be gone to Idaho to school by April so since she is eliglible to walk now, she is going to! She has been called to work in her RS Presidency as of today and so she is (and actually has been for a little while) a Relief Society girl! We are excited to see the kids when we run up. ( I know! the photo is random!)

R and R

Kerry and I went to visit a new little family that moved into the ward through the block and in the process of talking with them a minute, I invited Raney to come for a walk with me some morning when I take the dog out and I would show her where everyone in the neighborhood lived (we have 20 ish families that are members in our little sub-division). She responded favorably and then she asked what time I went walking at which point Kerry kind of smirked and the point was made that I am not a particularly structured person by nature and therefore my morning walk time was fairly randomly scheduled (basically when I feel like it). NOW, if you know anything at all about Kerry, you know that the opposite could be said of him. He IS a structured guy and I can pretty much tell you at any given momnet of the day what he is up to. So there you have it! Kerry and I can now be known by our psuedonyms, Random and Robot! R and R...ying and yang and black and white. We will celebrate 34 years of marriage a little later this month and you may be able to see that we have had some learning curves to navigate. It's all good. That's what it is all about! [Speaking of random, the picture I posted was from a youth conference that Kerry attended earlier this year. It was a Book of Mormon re-enactment kind of thing and he and two other bishop's went as the Three Nephites! He and Bishop Peterson are standing as watchmen on the tower!)

Two for One

It would seem that I missed a couple of birthdays! So before the month is over, I better get my birthday boys up here......smiles and love to you...Kerry and Corey

Dumb and Dumber

I am fifty two years old and you would think that by now I would know a few things. I find that the older I get, the more I am faced with how much I don't know!!! I think that is crummy! You would think that you should get a tiny bit of satisfaction at this stage of the game out of knowing at least something. SO, this afternoon, I have been sitting here at the computer making a list of all the things I need to learn technologically (is that a word?) and all the things I should probably be doing instead of worrying about all the things I don't know. So I will blog!!!!! I'll push all those disturbing thoughts out of my mind and update....haven't blogged in a while (have you noticed?) Here are the few things I have successfully navigated this afternoon in my effort to learn something I need to/want to know: #1 I successfully copy and pasted this text to my blog as I realized that I was writing this in Lisa's blog...brilliant. #2. I downloaded the new images from my camera to the computer. Now I just need to learn how to name the files according to date taken. #3 I am figuring out the 'copy image' thing from computer image libraries to Powerpoint. #4 I successfully set up the church's projector and connected the computer so I can operate a Powerpoint program for class on Sunday. Now, if I can just do it again. I am trying to move into the 21st century on visual aid types of resources. That is as far as the afternoon has taken me. I will close with one of my photos....another thing I would love to learn more about! I hope you like my Gettysburg Soldier.

Happy Birthday

28 years ago we had a sweet little guy join our family. Kerry was crazy happy that he had TWO sons! He was a sweet and peaceful little man and has grown to be an adorable not so little man. We were very blessed those seemingly few years ago. THEN, three years ago a little girl came into our family who has been a delight and I expect will continue to be a delight for a million years to come. She is a bright and funny and adorable and precocious 'big girl' and we are happy to have her around! Happy Birthday to Christopher and Ella.

Life

I started an update but I only got as far as the title(Creation). When I went back to try to finish, I decided the title said it all. I really love the photo of the thistles. It is a shot I took down at the ranch when we were home for Will's funeral. They are reminiscent to me of life;' stickery and stunningly beautiful!

We have had such fun watching Ella and Cavin lately. Ella is such a pistol and so dang sharp and Cavin is growing with 'fast forward' speed and his little personality is just 'popping' out all over, just like he is popping up everywhere; he is getting so good at his 'all fours' crawl and he is unstoppable at the army crawl and he pops up over the rail of his crib and he pops up as soon as he hits the floor which is where he wants to be cause that signals freedom. And he has gotten that little mischievous gleam in his eye that makes you smile and cringe all at the same time. They are such darling and adorable children. There really aren't words to describe the joy of seeing them everyday or watching Caden on Skype or hearing John and Madi come through that front door. And then there are my really fairly amazing kids who are their parents. I am really in awe of the great gifts of heaven that these people are to me and to the world at large. Missa who is now two semesters away from student teaching and graduation and a light in the life of kids who have been challenged by developmental delays; Lisa who is a remarkabley committed mom and wife when there isn't much support in the world for such devotion; Chris who listens to the spirit and allows it to guide him through work and church duties and responsiblities and who is a joyful father; Corey whose curiosity and desire to know more hasn't ceased in the 30 plus years he has been hanging here on this planet (he was probably Curious Geroge way before that) and the methodical way that he applies those acquired skills and bodies of information is really very inspiring even instructional to watch; then Nan who is courage personified; it is required in every footstep she takes but she keeps stepping. It is all stuff I have been reflecting on lately and with world conditions seeming a bit out of control, it is great to remember that there is much good as well. Thanks for being good, guys!

Creation