Super Saturday

Tonia and I had so much fun at the stake center today making all kinds of fun crafts-(colored poo-poo)! Tonia ROCKS at crafting!! She did so many projects, and each one was just outstanding!!! I hardly got anything done, and she had to help me with what I did do. It was a nice mellow day, and I enjoyed myself so much!! Thank you sweetie for getting me all set up in the classes, for the needed soda run, and for helping me so much and being such good company. All my daughters truly have become my best friends and I am so blessed!!!

Butternut Bisque - Thanks Martha!!

This is absolutely yummy, and you can freeze it and heat it up for your big dinner!! I just made it.

Canning butter...

On this very snowy, wintry, fall day, I decided to can butter. It is AWESOME!!! It will keep for 3 to 5 years with no refrigeration. What a great food storage idea, thanks to my friend Joan. Now I will never be without butter, whatever the circumstances might be. Canned butter is a good thing!!

Dad is 63 !!!

We celebrated Dad's birthday last night with Tonia's family . I served his requested dinner; chicken enchiladas, salad, and fudge cake with homemade ice cream. He really enjoyed the cards and gifts from everyone, and especially loved hearing Tonia play her violin for him. She is so talented, and did so many other thoughtful things to make his birthday special. He also got to talk a little politics with Cassandra. it was a very special evening!! Happy birthday Dad!!!

Hunter's Blessing

What a wonderful trip Dad and I took to Centerville to attend Hunter Dawn's Patriarchal Blessing. Her great-grandpa Argyle who is a Patriarch, was able to give her the blessing. It was a very sacred experience, and she is a beautiful granddaughter, both inside and out. We enjoyed visiting with Grandpa Argyle and Jim, who were up from Arizona, Cheryl and Hunter who flew in from Kansas City, Alexis, who was down from Rexburg, Brooke and Taylor, who joined us from Sandy, and Melanie and Curtis and kids whose beautiful home we all gathered to. This was truly a spiritual and sweet experience in every way and I am so grateful to have been able to travel there, stay in such a welcoming home, and share time with some of my precious family. I didn't even mind the snowstorm and some winter driving returning home. All of us were protected and arrived home safely. I am so grateful for my many blessings!!!

Olive Garden Euphoria!!!

Today I had lunch with Tonia, Tonia, and Max at Quiznos for my birthday. I got spoiled rotten. I got to eat my favorite sub, (a steakhouse dip combo), and boston cream cake with a 29 on it!! I laughed my head off at Tonia's card, ( I do belong in a circus), and got a gift card to Olive Garden -YUM! Lunch was her treat and we all enjoyed it mucho! Tonia gave me "Euphoria" by Calvin Klein! It is awesome! I had never smelled it before, and I just love it. See what I mean about being spoiled? When I got home, the mailbox was full of goodies too! Thank you girls for your generous and thoughtful gifts - I feel so loved and I love you so much!!!

Travis' visit...

We were so pleased to have a visit from Travis who is here visiting from Guam. He came to see us this last weekend, riding down here from Lebanon with his mom, Louis, and Mike. He and Mike spent Saturday evening and Sunday with us, but Mike had to work Monday, so he went back with his mom and Travis stayed with us until Tuesday morning. He and Dad went up to Crater Lake on Monday, (he had never seen it), and then we drove him back to Lebanon yesterday. It was just awesome to see him and spend time getting all caught up. The ride to the valley was beautiful; the leaves are all turning color on the Willamette Pass, but it sure took all day long! Travis is so-o-o-o funny, and he can really play the guitar!! (He plays a mean Pink Floyd). We had a little incident after a nice big breakfast Sunday that will be the fodder for jokes for a long time to come. I was placing the jam back in the fridge next to a full one gallon jar of orange juice, when I heard a littrle pop and a silver-dollar size piece of glass broke out of the jar, and the orange juice sprayed out like a geyser all over the entire inside of the fridge. It was all over every item in there as well as shelves, drawers, under the fridge - EVERYWHERE- sticky, gooey juice!!! They all three pitched in and completely tore the fridge apart washing every shelf, drawer, and even the shelf clips inside the fridge and every item. It took all of us over an hour to clean up the carnage. We had to roll the fridge out and clean under it too, as well as wash all the floors and counter etc. I have never made such a mess in my life!! They were such good sports - I would've collapsed if that had happened and I had no help. There have been several orange juice jokes already and I'm sure a lot more to come. Right after I finished that mess, I went out to check on my chickens. As I stepped into the pen, I almost stepped on a skunk - IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY IN THE PEN!! I screamed "don't spray me" and he took off running. I yelled for Dad to bring out the gun, but he had disappeared. Luckily no chickens had been harmed and I was not sprayed. The next couple of nights involved trapping skunks, I don't think Travis will ever quite recover form that. He thinks we should use the spray to win the Iraq war. He came in both mornings the color of green. It was so wonderful to visit with the boys and have that much time with Travis. We love them so much, and can't wait for Travis' new baby girl this December. I HAVE THE CLEANEST FRIDGE IN NORTH AMERICA!!!

Happy Birthday Cheryl!!!

What a joy it is to celebrate Cheryl Dawn's 39th birthday! I hope it is a happy one for her, even though the"9's" mean another decade is fast approaching. I am exactly 20 years older and I get it - #59 for me this year. I ususally say "hi, blondie", when she calls me on the phone, because I have an instant picture of that touseled blonde hair, right from the beginning curl on the top of her head. Cheryl is a loving mother, wife, sister, and daughter, and we are all very proud of her. She manages a very busy household, that features a full activity schedule for Chloe, Hunter, and Bridger. She teaches Seminary every morning and stays on the run all through her hectic days. I marvel at her strength remembering back to her childhood when asthma had such a grip on her that she was in the hospital a good many times. Her life was spared more than once at that time, and now she serves her family and others continually. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for each of my six beautiful daughters, for the blessing they are to me. I hope Cheryl will feel our love for her on her birthday, September 27th and every day. I love her so much!!! Happy birthday sweetie!!! Wish I could be there to share it with you, so eat some cake for me!!

"Jackson" is out of his tree!!!

Jackson climbed up a tree last Thursday evening and has been there ever since, until just a few moments ago. We had tried everything to coax him down, but to no avail. Every time Dad started to get close to him on the end of a very tall ladder, he would simply run up the tree higher. We tried the fire department in Tulelake, and they said they might come, but never did. The power company said they wouldn't have a truck out here all week so that was a no-go. The tree has some rot in it so it is too dangerous to climb, because the large branches just fall off of it sometimes. Dad tried the tree trimmer neighbor down the road but he wasn't home. We were resigned to the fact that the cat would probably die in the tree, but tonight after work Dad finally got ahold of the neighbor ,(Porter) and he came down and was able to get the cat, literally by the scruff of the neck. Jackson ran for his food and water dish, and I stroked him for quite awhile. I think he might have used at least half of his nine lives on this one. My sick stomach of4 days and nights sure feels a lot better tonight. Jackson...you dummy!!!