Moose

Here's some pictures of the moose I saw at the State Park this morning. Hope he stays around until the 4th. As you can see, the river is high and running very fast as well as cold. Summer has arrived and I love it.

Time for photos

I wanted to share some photos from the past few days. I must apologize for no pics from Sat. trip to Ut. I would loved to have shared pictures of Bear Lake and I would loved to have had pictures of my cousins. One Day I will learn to have my camera with me at all times.

Anyway, the pictures are of the snow in the Uintas, more specific, the trail head for Ruth Lake, Christmas Meadows, some wild flowers at the state park, (These are Dad's favorites) and one of our apple trees which are in full bloom. It feels so good to have warm temps and a bright blue sky.

Ramblings

Yesterday I took the time to drive to Clarkston, Utah for an aunts 90th birthday celebration. She was the wife of my mother's brother and has been a widow for 50 years, but my mom's family loved her so much and she in turn loved them that everyone has stayed close. When my uncle died, he would have been in his early 40's when he died, they had 5 children, the oldest being maybe 10. The youngest was probably 2 or so. There was a book with stories about my mom's family and pictures I had never seen before. Carma is going to talk to the cousin who did this book and get me a copy. What a treasure.
I decided that since Nate was at work, I would take the scenic drive. I went around Bear Lake and through Logan Canyon. The lake was sooo beautiful and the drive though the canyon was so peaceful and beautiful. I saw a couple of nice trailheads. Someday I will have to try them.
Logan is a beautiful town--and the temple, which is my favorite for obvious reasons, is so stately sitting up on the hill.
I saw and talked with cousins I had not seen since I was a little girl. My favorite moment was when my mom's half sister's husband came over to me and asked me if I had found me a man yet? (Boy, was he surprised when I told him, "yes, and I have five kids". Obviously he had me confused with Carma.
The drive home took me through Sardine Canyon (the route from Logan to Brigham City) and then a stop in Ogden so I could go to Lowe's for Dad (Roy) and then through Weber Canyon and back to Evanston. I just barely got home before Nate got off work. It was a wonderful day and well worth the time.
It feels like summer here, finally. When I post comments about it being hot this summer I am not complaining, I am just commenting. I will not complain about the heat, I am looking forward to it being hot.

As promised

As I promised in a previous blog, here is a of picture of the moose we saw while out at the state park recently. The park trails are flooded again so it is hard to get over to the side where the wildlife are. Here is also a picture of a goose family out for a swim.

Busy Week

The week that Dad was home was sure a busy and fun week. Let me recap some of the highlights.

I picked him up at the airport Friday (23). When we got home, it was almost time for Nate to get home from school. The boys went driving and we started preparing the shed slab.

Sat. (24) traveled to Orem to have lunch with Michelle, Jon, Dave, Allyson, Ryan, Isaac, and Evan. Nate had to work, so he missed out on a fun afternoon.

Sun. (25) traveled to Rigby to visit Cheryl and Jason. Took a walk around Rigby Lake and then cooked s'mores in their backyard. Played with Ben, alot.

Mon. (26) traveled home and Nate went to work. Worked on filling the slab foundation with more rock.

Tues. (27) filled the foundation forms with more rock. I mowed Grandma Turner's grass. Dad also spent a lot of time working on the base in living room. He wanted to hide the heat pipes so he had to build a cover that would match the base. It looks great. I also planted some flowers in Grandma Turner's front planter box.

Wed. (28) final prepartation for shed foundation/slab. Concrete came and Dad spent the remainder of the day finishing concrete. Nate was at work.

Thurs (29) took the day off from hard labor and traveled Northwest of Kemmerer to do some fossil hunting. Now if you have ever been to Kemmerer, you know you are on the outskirts of civilization, but if you go north and west of Kemmerer you really are on the edge of the earth.

It really was a lot of fun. You can keep all the fossils you find, unless you find a rare one, like a sting ray or a crocodile. I found a sting ray. (Or part of one.) The guide was really dissapointed that I could not show him exactly where I was working when I found it. How did I know it was a sting ray. We found lots of fish fossils and really had a great time. We will do it again.

Friday (30) The lumber for the shed was delivered and the work began. Dad started the framing and I tried to help. He should have married someone stronger and taller. By the time the boys got home from school, the walls were almost up. Nate and Jeff then took over helping Dad and got the roof trusses up. It looked like a shed when we called it quits.

Sat. (31) The goal was to get it all done before we headed to SLC to spend the night. Nate had to work, so Dad got Jeff to help with the shed. Jeff learned a lot and had a great time helping. It was probably the most meaningful experience he had ever had. By the days end, the roof was completed, the walls were finished, and a door was put in. The big double doors will have to wait until the next trip home. It looks great and will be filled up quickly. Dad wants to put in a work bench for working on all the projects he wants to do.

Saturday evening we went to SLC to spend the night. Dad's flight leaves at 6:20 am Sunday morning and nobody wanted to get up at 3 to go to the airport.

All in all, it was a most fun week. Dad was proud of the work he got done. We really do have a lot of fun working together. We like to play together, too.

Busy Weekend

Here are just a few pictures showing what a busy week we have had.

Monday we returned home from Idaho after visiting Cheryl and family.

Tuesday we spent the day preparing for concrete for the shed floor. Dad also spent a great deal of time working on the base for the living room.

Wednesday the concrete came and the shed floor was finished.

Thursday Dad and I went northwest of Kememerer to do some fossil hunting. That was a blast. You can keep all the fossil you find, unless they are rare, such as sting rays or crocodiles. I found part of a sting ray. (We were able to find crocodile poop.)

Friday the lumber came for the shed. Dad enlisted my help for a while and had most of the walls up by the time the boys came home from school. By evening, the trusses were up for the roof.

Saturday Jeff and Dad completed most of the shed. (Nate was working at Walmart. Don't let the picture of Nate on the roof fool you. He had just gotten up.)

Tonight we will head to SLC to spend the night. Dad's flight is out at

Almost Perfect Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend was almost perfect. We saw all the grandkids and may I just say--they are all adorable. Saturday's lunch with Dave and his kids and Michelle and Jon was a lot of fun. The pizza was delicious. We, of course, missed Summer, but I am sure she had a great time with her family. Nate was also absent, but he does enjoy working at Walmart.

On Sunday, as soon as Nate was off work, we headed to Rigby to visit Cheryl, Jason, and Ben. Jason fixed dinner for us and then we took a walk around Rigby Lake. Later that evening we started a fire and cooked smores. I think Ben is really going to like roasting marshmellows. After watching Jason work in the yard Monday morning, we headed back home. We really got rained on during the trip home.

Monday evening Dad and I went for a walk at the state park and we didn't see one moose--no we saw two moose. I will share the pics later when Dad downloads them to my computer.

Tuesday was spent preparing the site for our new shed. And then today (Wed) Dad poured the slab for the shed. It will be so nice when it is done--just like everything Dad does. I planted flowers in Grandma's planter box and got her lawn mowed. Everything looks so nice and green.

It still is a little chilly and the trees are just barely starting to leaf out. The crab apple tree which usually blossoms in mid-May, still hasn't bloomed. We are very grateful for the moisture, but hoping for some warm weather soon.

Nate has only 3 1/2 days of school left. I will be glad when it is over. He has improved a lot this year and we hope he continues to improve next year. Have a fun summer everyone.

It's time for summer

I am ready for it to be summertime. I am not going to mention the weather because it is depressing; instead I am thinking about my summertime plans. Because Nate is working and he is a teenager, I am planning things close to home--things I can do by myself during the 7 hours that he is at work.
I found the coolest brochure that has caught my interest. I am going to go fossil digging just outside of Kemmerer. You can see the info at their web site:www.fossilsafari.com. I think it would be great to find some fossils and somehow incorperate them into the decor of the house. There are also many back country drives I would like to do. There's always Copper to work and the yard to take care of too. Sitting on that new bench reading a books sound likes fun, too.
Of course, Nate and I will be with Dad for the month of July. Dad flies home on July 2, I think, we will attend the Evans family reunion in Clinton, then drive back to Maryland. We will take the bikes and hopefully do some serious bike riding. (hopefully on the C&O trail).
After we drive home, I will find plenty to do around the house to get ready for Nate's jr. year. I don't think I will do the afternoon teaching thing. I think I would rather find something new to do with my time. I have enjoyed working at the county museum, so maybe I will do that only.

I only hope the weather warms up soon and stays warm for a while. My onions are poking up; the snow hasn't seemed to bother them. Everyone have a safe and fun summer.

Dad's Handy

Dad was home again this weekend and as usual the place looks better when he left than when he came. His project for this weekend was finishing the concrete curb around the front flower bed. We put in some fresh soil and then he put down some pavers to make a little patio area. We ran to Park City and picked up a bench to place on the pavers. (The bench was a great Mother's Day present.) I am looking forward to some quiet summer afternoons reading in that spot.
Today I am going to put my onion bulbs in the ground as well as doing a little more work in the flower bed. I'm not putting any flowers in just yet. Maybe around Memorial Day.
Dad also commented that it's time to get the lawnmower out. Everything is looking nice and green. (At 9 AM the temp is 51 degrees.) Spring must be here, at least for a couple of days.
Everyone enjoy the beautiful day.

Dad's Handy

Dad's been home again this past weekend. Finally the weather was nice enough to work outside. He put in the remainder of the concrete curb around the front flower bed. We then put some fresh soil in the planter area. Dad then put down some pavers for a little patio area. We then ran to Park City to pick up a nice bench for the front. I intend to spend lots of sunny summer afternoons on the bench reading a great book.
Dad also commented that it was time to get the lawnmower out, too. Surprisingly, the yard looks good after having so much snow piled on it and for so long.

A Very Fun Weekend

Nate and I enjoyed another fun weekend in Rigby. It was, however, too short. Have I ever mentioned how much I like the Ribgy area. I guess it is because I enjoyed my two years at Ricks so much. Yes, it was cold most of the time I was there and yes the wind blows all the time, but I love the sunshine and the quiet, peaceful, small town feel.
Nate and I traveled up this weekend to just get away from home for a while. It has been a very long winter and with the snow storms last week, a trip to visit Ben, Cheryl, and Jason seemed like the thing to do. (Nate had to work on Sunday morning, so the weekend was short.)
We arrived Friday night and Ben wasn't too happy to see Grandma. He did warm up and felt better about our visit before too long. Ben always seems happy to play with Uncle Nate, though.
On Saturday, both Ben and Nate needed to sleep for most of the morning, so I quickly visited Carma and took a look at her bamboo floor that she is putting down. Her's is a darker version of our living room. She has put it down in her living room and is now completing putting it down in her sunroom. It looks very nice and she has been doing it all on her own. Good Job Carma.
When we finally got the boys up, (Jason was at work), we headed to downtown Rigby. They have a wonderful hardware store, kinda like the Tru-Value store at Exit one in Shrewbury. Then we went to the "Ben Franklin" store. what a neat store. You can buy fabric and camping gear--all at the same place.
Then for the highlight of the morning--a trip to "Big Jud", the happenin' place in Archer. The main item on the menu is their one pound hamburger; Nate was positive he could eat the whole thing. Well, he ate half of it. Ben spilled only one glass of ice water while we were there. Cheryl was holding him, not grandma.
Then it was back to Cheryl's to "watch" them begin their landscaping.
Jason and Nate had a blast with the tractor. They do have their work cut out for them and Nate would love to come up and help. School and work seem to get in the way, though.
Grandma would love to come up and watch Ben while Cheryl is out planting her garden. Here are some fun pictures of Ben.

Enough Already

I have had enough. As I look at the calendar, it tells me it is April 24. Yesterday I was taking Copper for a walk in spring like weather and then this morning I wake up to 3 new inches of snow. It is baseball season; time to think about camping in that favorite spot. I have never battled depression, but I could start now.
Yesterday I cleaned out the closet that houses all the camping and sporting goods. Do you think that has anything to do with the present weather? Did I curse the spring camping season?
Oh well. Maybe a quick trip to see Ben, Cheryl, and Jason will lift my spirits. We might run up quickly on Friday when Nate gets out of school and return home Sat. night or Early Sunday morning. (Pa comes home in a week. I can't wait.)

Almost Gone

Here is a picture of the last of the snow in our yard. We are glad to see it go. The weather has warmed up enough for me to go out and do some raking. Copper is happy, too, because we go for walks again.
Today while out walking at the park, Copper spotted a moose--it appears to be a very small one, maybe last years yearling. The garter snakes are out and they have Copper stymied.

Spring Skiing

Dad is home for General Conference Weekend; he got in Thursday night. We decided to check out the snow in the Uintas for the first time this winter. There is lots of it left. The skiing was great. We had lots of fun.
Things around here have gotten really weird. I have been doing a little extra work at Uinta Meadows, where I taught for 2 years. I have interviewed there for an aide job, also. When I went into work on Tues., the new principal asked me if I would be interested in interviewing for a position for next year. I really thought it was a joke. On Thurs. I talked to him again and said I was interested and today (Friday) I made an appointment for an interview with 3 principals on Wed. All I can say is: Life is strange. I'll keep you updated on the happenings.
Cheryl, Jason, and Ben are coming for the night and then they will travel to Orem to see Carolyn & Stew and Michelle and Jon and their new home. Everyone have a fun weekend.

More Pictures

GREAT Weekend

There is no better way to say it. It was a great weekend. We enjoyed everyone's company. I hope everyone felt comfortable. I felt like the remodel projects we have done were successful just from the standpoint of having plenty of room.
I wanted to share some of the pictures that Dad took over this weekend, too. There were some pretty special ones.
Thanks to everyone for making the time to come to Evanston. I'm sure it meant alot to Nate.
Now, we are enjoying some nice spring weather. Yesterday in the SLC valley it was 68and here it was 45 for the high. Still alot of snow melted. Today I got up and took Copper for a walk at the ice ponds. The walk way is dry and it was great fun.
I bought some material for baby jammies so now I have something when it snow again.
Everyone have a wonderful week.

Spring???

What better way to celebrate the first day of spring than having a snow storm. That's what it is like in Evanston. Only and inch or so fell and it should melt by the end of the day. Easter weekend looks very nice. Bring a jacket just in case. Yesterday was very Spring like and we had a lot of snow melt away, but there is still a lot on the ground. No drought this year. I could be late before we can get up into the campgrounds for camping.
As Michelle mentioned in her recent blog, Nate and I traveled to Orem to see their new home. I am impressed. It is very nice--laid out niceley. I might copy her kitchen when I do my new kitchen.
I learned how to replace door knobs and we went to Home Depot twice on Saturday. We even tried Cafe Rio for lunch.
Monday I tried another new skill. Knowing we would need more than one useable bathroom for this upcoming weekend, I replaced the toliet seat on the main floor bathroom. For those of you coming to visit, I'm sure you will appreciate the upgrade.
Nate started working at Walmart last night. He is a cart gatherer. He will like having extra spending money.

Feels like spring

Well, I knew it would happen sometime. The sun is shining and the snow is melting. Yes, you can see grass--although it is certainly not green. Where we had 4 foot drifts next to the garage, you can actually see strawberry plants poking through. Copper can be outside enjoying the warm sunshine.
But, for those of you traveling to visit this weekend, I must warn you--we are expecting 3-6 inches of snow tonight/tomorrow. What better way to welcome in spring. The weekend should be nice and what snow we get should melt rather quickly.
Michelle mentioned in her blog that Nate and I traveled to Provo this past weekend to see the new Ellsworth home. It is beautiful. It is laid out well and should be a very comfortable home. Tinkerbelle will love the backyard. I love the fireplace and I am going to use some of the ideas from her kitchen when I plan my new kitchen.
This week I have learned some new skills in the remodeling area. Michelle and I learned how to change door knobs and it only took me a couple of hours to master. (I do better at tearing things down rather than putting back together.) Also, because we are going to have lots of company this weekend, I decided the down stairs bathroom needed some work. I took off the old gross toliet seat and put on a spankin brand new one. I was proud of myself.
Anyway, can't wait to see everyone this weekend and please DRIVE SAFELY.

It feels like Spring

Spring has come to Evanston. The sun is shining and the snow is melting. I can actually see a piece of the lawn in front. That doesn't mean we won't have more snow, but for today it is spring.
I have had a lot of fun skiing at the state park this winter and it was great exercise. I can't wait until it is dry enough to walk and go biking.
Here are some before pictures of the current project.

It's finished

Dad was home this weekend to celebrate Nathan's sixteenth birthday. He spent a lot of his time doing the finish work on the spare bedroom. This project was started after Labor Day by Mom and Nathan doing the demo work and then Dad took over. He did almost everything with Mom doing a little painting.
As you can see from the picture, the room is beautiful. Only a little touch up paint for Mom to do and a new closet door to be put on and another room done.
The computer has been moved downstairs and the computer room is ready for demo. That will probably start on March 4 (Tuesday.)