Prom Night

Tonight is the big night . It is the Evanston High School Prom and Nathan's friend from York, PA came out for the big event. Here are some pictures. Enjoy. Grace and Nate do make a cute couple, (but they are just friends.)

Spring Break

Last week was spring break. No School; I have looked forward to this for a long time. I knew I was going to Rigby to help Cheryl get ready for their baby, but we had no clue what Nate wanted to do. I had hoped he would fly to Florida, but instead he wanted to be independent and go to Magna to spend the week with his friend Jeff.

I left Monday morning to take my dad to the eye doctor. I love spending time with him; even if it means sitting in a doctor's office. After his appointment I bought hamburgers for lunch and then went over to his place to eat. Then I started off for my vacation. I was in kind of a hurry because the weather was supposed to turn bad. I got to Cheryl's before it turned stormy and my sister, Carma, who lives a short distance from Cheryl came over for a visit.

Tuesday morning we woke up to about six inches of fresh snow on the ground and with the wind blowing it was cold. Ben and I went out to play in some of the white stuff. It was a good day to start a sewing project Cheryl had asked me to do for her. (A mei tai baby carrier.

Wednesday morning was a little nicer, so we headed to Rexburg to do a little last minute shopping for this new little one. After a stop at Walmart and McDonald's for lunch we headed back to Rigby. I had started a sewing project Tuesday and I went back to finishing that while Cheryl and Ben took a nap.

Thursday I knew was going to be a busy day. Cheryl had a doctor's appointment in the morning and Ben and I stayed home. I had also planned to drive to Idaho Falls for lunch with my sister. When I got a text message from Cheryl saying my lunch appointment might not work, I knew something was happening. Cheryl's blood pressure was high and so her doctor wanted her at the hospital at noon. She came home and packed her bag and Jason came home and off they went.

Ben and I met Carma for lunch anyway. Ben was a great guy. He ate his quesadilla and part of my chicken enchilada. We headed back toward Rigby, but Ben fell asleep in the car. I did what anyone would do with a sleeping baby--I took a drive. Yellowstone isn't open yet for the spring season, but the drive to Ashton is a fun drive, so I drove to Ashton. By the time we got home, Ben was just waking up.

The rest of the evening went fine. Ben even went to bed without a problem.

At 3 am I got a pic message from Jason showing me a picture of the newest Kimber.

Friday Ben and I drove to Rexburg to meet the little guy and to check on Cheryl. Ben quite liked the little guy. After more mcnuggets, we headed back to Rigby and of course Ben feel asleep in the car. I didn't feel like driving any more, so he didn't get much of a nap. The night ended peacefully when Ben fell asleep watching a "Thomas" movie. At 5 am I was awakened when Ben woke up and went looking for mom and dad. His scream certainly woke me up, quickly.

Ben checking out little brother

Saturday morning about 11, the proud parents and the new little one came home. I had Ben bouncing off the walls, full of excitement about having them home. I was thinking about my boy at home, he had been home by himself since Friday morning, so I jumped in car and started for home. I got 20 miles out of town before I glanced in the back seat and saw Ben's car seat. I turned around and delivered that and finally headed for Evanston.

Spencer asking for something to eat

I couldn't have had better spring break and now I am packing for my vacation to DC on Thurs.

Thanks to Cheryl and Jason for letting me spend this week with them and for that new little grandson. Thanks to Ben for having patience with grandma. And thanks to Michelle for going to Idaho to help this week and then coming down here to make sure Nate gets off to school on Friday. Thanks to Nate, too, for being a responsible adult during the week.

Daily Walk

Bald Eagle in the Tree

Young Moose nibbling on the Willows

Mama moose across the River

Since the first of the year I have tried to on a walk every day. I think I have only missed two days and that was because the temp was 20 degrees and the wind was howling. I go out to the state park to do my walking. I'd rather be skiing, but this year there isn't enough snow to go skiing so I walk. I hadn't seen much wildlife until this week.

Sunday afternoon I thought I saw an eagle soaring, but I hadn't taken my binoculars so I couldn't tell for sure. And for the first time for a long time, I saw fresh moose droppings.

On Monday I saw more fresh droppings and as I came around a bend, there lounging in the willows was a small moose. She was about 20 feet off the trail and I didn't have my camera and I didn't know if mama was close by, so I walked fast.

Tuesday when I went out, I was prepared with camera and binoculars. I saw mama moose across the river. She was far enough away I was safe.

I passed the place where the little one was on Monday and she wasn't there, but I soon I saw her nibbling on the willows. I got some great pictures of her.

When I got closer to the car and the end of my walk, up in the tree was one of the eagles I had seen earlier. As you can tell by the picture, it was a beautiful winter day in the mountains.

2009--The year in Review

2009-where did it go and why did it go so fast. If I had to summarize it in one word it would have to be TRAVELING. I did a lot of that.
January and February started out slow-they alway do due to the cold and wintery weather. But come March and April I am ready to get out of the house.
Roy moved to Sarasota Florida to oversee the Florida division of Valcourt which meant he would be going between Maryland and Florida on a regular basis. It also meant Nate and I would travel to Florida whenever we could. Our first trip was over spring break and "we" had a great time. The beach was wonderful and we could always slip over to the pool for a dip.
Over the course of the year, I flew to Florida 3 times and Nate made it 4 times. Over Thanksgiving we decided on a townhouse and it will be finished in mid May.
In May, Roy bought me a new Hyundai Santa Fe which I love driving. I drove it Cheryl's a lot over the spring, summer, and fall; to Michelle's for fun times with her; Yellowstone/Grand Teton National Parks 5 times, but the best trip of all was when Michelle and I traveled to Albuquerque with Allyson. Allyson had come to spend 2 weeks with me. I had a blast. We visited Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Canyonlands, Arches, and Mesa Verde during that time and went camping with Cheryl, Jason, and Ben.
In the fall, Nate and I met up with Roy in Baltimore for a long weekend. I got to see some of our PA friends while we were there.
We spent time with all the kids; Dave and his family when we traveled to Albuquerque for Ryan's baptism in August; Carolyn and Stew for the 4th of July with Chelley, Jon, Cheryl, Jason, and Ben; All the kids, except Carolyn and Stew for a long weekend at Bear Lake, and Thanksgiving with Carolyn and Stew in Florida.
2009 was a great year with many wonderful blessings, but 2010 will be a great year, too, with Nate's graduation coming up, another grandson, a family vacation with everyone to Yellowstone, and the move to Florida. (And traveling back and forth to Wyoming.)

I am now able to download some of our pictures from our Thanksgiving vacation. The first ones are pictures of the model townhome.

The kitchen

The master Bedroom.

The Forbes at Siesta Beach

The alligators at Myakka River State Park

The Vultures, Turkey and Black, flying over the trees at Myakka River Park

Dolphins swimming just off shore.

The gulf coast beaches are so beautiful and fun to swim in. I love walking along the beach gathering shells.

Stew getting Nate wet at Holmes Beach.

Para gliders at Siesta Key. Dad and Carolyn are planning their gliding trip. I love the clouds in the background.

Thanksgivng Vacation

Nate and I have returned from our latest adventure. We left early Wednesday morning to fly to Orlando, FL. I was expecting long lines everywhere, but I was pleasantly surprised. Checking my bag and going through security took about five minutes. Roy met us and we drove the 2 hours to Sarasota. Carolyn and Stew made it later that night.


Thursday morning Stew and Carolyn went to Ft. Myers to pick up Stew's grandma who was going to eat Thanksgiving dinner with us. She is a sweet lady and we were glad to have her come and eat with us. After dinner Carolyn and Stew went Back to Ft. Myers to spend a couple days with Betty.


Friday morning Roy and I drove over to the townhouse so I could get my first peek at the place. (I think Roy was kinda nervous wondering if I would like the place.) It hadn't opened yet, so we went shopping.


We tried again later to see the townhouse, but the sales person was out showing other units so we headed to Myakka River State Park just south of Sarasota. Dad and Nate visited here last summer and were excited to show me the park.


We drove to the "Birdwalk" and looked over the lake and all the birds that were there. Then we went to ride the airboat and look for gators. The boat ride took us out onto the lake and around the shore to see the gators relaxing in the sun. We learned some interesting facts about this huge repitile. We had a great tour guide that shared information about some of the birds in the area, too. It was a lot of fun and I now I know more about gators.


We tried one more time to see the townhouse and we were lucky this time. The place is very nice. Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, one car garage, a very nice kitchen, and lots of storage. I picked out my countertops, appliances, floor tile, carpeting, and cabinets. There is a pool, tennis courts, basketball hoop, and lots of walking and biking trails. I think we will be very comfortable.


Saturday Roy and I got up and went looking at furniture. We saw some pieces we really liked and got some great ideas.


Carolyn and Stew met up with us and we took them over to look at the townhouse then headed to Siesta Key for some time on the beach. Then it was dinner at Pinchers Crab Shack then back home for bedtime.


Sunday we went to church and then went to Anna Marie Island for some relaxing time on Holmes Beach. I enjoy walking along the beach gathering shells. I have quite a nice collection of different sizes, colors, and shapes.


Monday Roy went to work for a while and Nate and I got ready to leave. After a quick lunch we all headed back to Orlando to catch our flight home. Nate and I arrived back in Evanston about 10 pm. We had a great time, good food, good company and great weather. We head back the end of December for a few days of "fun in the sun".

Latest Adventure

Nate and I have finished another great adventure. Last Thursday, October 15, we woke up early so we could catch a 10 am flight to Baltimore. We were meeting Roy there for a nice relaxing 4 day weekend. After we met up and got our rental car, (a Dodge charger for the younger member of the group to brag about) we headed to a little Italian place in Baltimore, Sabatinos, for dinner. After dining on calamari, a bookmaker, chicken parmesan, and penne, we headed to the hotel.
The boys got up early Friday morning to spend a day at the DC office while I relaxed and did nothing , but read and soak in the tub. It was a perfect day for me. After work, we headed to the mall to do some coat shopping for the boy.
The store we entered was the "Outdoor Store" and for those who are familiar with Cabela's, well, this was even bigger. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. After the boys pulled me out, we went coat hunting for the boy, and then grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the hotel. (Did I mentioned it was raining hard all day long. Puddles everywhere.)
Saturday we headed to York so Nate could pick up his date for the day. (I will let him post the day's adventure for his activities.) Roy and I went to the DC office so he could clean up some paper work and then met Nate and his date for dinner at "Phillip's Seafood Buffet". Have I ever mentioned that the thing I like about visiting Baltimore is the great eating place. After dinner we walked around the Inner Habor, in the rain, and then found the movie theaters so Nate and his date could go to the movies.
Then it was a trip back to York to take Nate's date home and back to the hotel. Roy had an early flight out to Lake Tahoe for a sealant convention.
Nate and I headed back to PA for church. It was stake conference for the York stake so we had to drive to New Oxford. The stake center is not big enough for the entire stake so the general meeting is held in the New Oxford High School Auditorium. Nate got to talk with his best PA pal, Joe, and I got to see a lot of my PA friends. I remembered that Roy and I attended Stake Conference there 7 years ago when he was released from the stake presidency. (We had moved back to WY by then.) Time has flown by.
We then went back to York and had dinner with the Knudson's. What special friends they are and we had a great time catching up on the past seven years.
Then back to the hotel, turning in the rental car which had over 600 miles more than when we rented it, and to bed for a good night sleep.
Nate and I boarded our plane at 7:30 am and got back to Evanston by 2.
It was a great trip, except for the cold I got by walking in the rain, and I am glad we were able to go.
Roy comes home to Evanston tonight and will be here until Sunday. October has been a great month so far.

Where did September Go?

As I look at the calendar, I realize that October is almost here and I ask myself, Where Did September go and did I get anything done?"

So let's recap what's been going on around here for the past 28 days or so.

Nate started school on August 24th. (A bit early if you ask me, but nobody asked.) He has a pretty nice schedule and our expectations for a great school year are high.

Roy came home for Labor Day and he labored pretty hard. Saturday morning he cut down the huge Crabapple tree in the back yard. He also cut branches from a bush that was laying on the neighbors roof. We took rides in the car while listening to the Orioles on the radio.

After he left, I cleaned up the branches, stacked them for next years camping trips, and hauled the leaves and small branches out to the dump.

I am continuing to ride my bike most days and am enjoying that a lot.

On the 11th Michelle came up and she, Nate, and I headed to Rigby to can peaches. I should have taken pictures of our efforts, but didn't. We got 21 quarts and 14 pints. That's a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun. We did most of the hot messy stuff outside using Carma's big outdoor stove. Thanks.

On our way home, we took the long way, thru Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Jackson. Nate wasn't very happy, but he was fun anyway. This was my fifth trip thru Yellowstone this year. (Each one with a different traveler. Nate had to make the trip 3 times with me. The first was with Cheryl, Ben, & Nate. The second with Carma and Nate. The third with Allyson. The fourth with Roy, and this one with Michelle, Nate, and Tinkerbelle.)

Yesterday I drove up into the Uintas. The leaves were supposed to be at their peak this past weekend and with a snow storm coming, I wanted to make the trip, especially to see the leaves. They were beautiful, but I miss the red and orange fall colors in PA.

Nate is off for a journalism conference today and will be back tomorrow night. I am heading to Chelley's to do beef jerky today. Roy will be home Friday morning for General Conference weekend.

October will be a busy and fun month. I am especially excited for our trip to Baltimore in the middle of the month. More on that later.

More pictures from vacation

This is one of my favorites from the Bear Lake trip. I must say, our grandkids are the CUTEST.

Roy took some excellent pictures from his trip out here so I am posting some of them. On a walk to the State Park we saw 2 mama moose with their babies. Here's proof.

We got pretty close, but mama didn't seem to be too concerned about us. Thank Heavens.

Here are some random photos of everyone sitting around the condo.

Now for some great shots from our Yellowstone Trip.

Time for One More Trip

Thursday morning we prepared to head north to Cheryl's. They had a couple of little things they wanted Roy to look at, so off we headed. I love the drive to Cheryl's especially when we go through Star Valley. After having dinner with the Kimber's and playing with Ben outside, we went to Rigby Lake for an evening stroll. It was a perfect evening.

Friday morning Roy and I left Nate with Cheryl and we headed to Yellowstone. After stopping for breakfast in West Yellowstone, we went to the Park. We hiked to Morning Glory Pool and around the geyser basin. While I went into the gift shop, Roy went to the registration desk to check to see if there were any cancellations. "Yes" we got a room for the night at Old Faithful Inn.

Old Faithful Inn

Morning Glory Pool
Castle Geyser
Beehive Geyser
Grotto Geyser
Giant Geyser

We drove over to Hayden Valley to see lots of wildlife. Lots of Bison, some right next to the road. A stop at Canyon for an ice cream cone and then back to Old Faithful. (There was a lot of traffic on the road to and from Canyon and rangers directing traffic so we weren't able to take any pictures of bison, but if you don't know what a bison looks like, come up and see them at the state park.)

Our evening's plan was a hike up to Observation Point to watch Old Faithful erupt. What a wonderful view and dinner in the dining room ended the day in perfect fashion.

The best hiking partner in the world

Old Faithful erupting from Observation Point

A beautiful sunset in the most beautiful place in the world

Saturday we drove back to Rigby and after I went to Carma's for a quick visit, we headed home.

Sunday the summer really ended with a trip to airport so Roy could fly back to Florida to go back to work. Nate started school on Monday, so the summer really was over.

I have plenty to keep me busy this fall and winter. While the weather is still nice, I will ride my bike out to the state park and take care of the yards. Then I have lots of scrapbooking and journaling to do to help me remember this wonderful summer.

Bear Lake Adventure

Dave and his family, Chelley and Jon came up Saturday morning to begin the exciting long weekend at Bear Lake. We meet Cheryl, Jason, and Ben at the lake on that chilly windy Saturday afternoon ready for some lake fun.

Evan though the weather was as nice as we would have liked, everyone seemed to have a great time. There were two swimming pools with hot tubs, a great playground for the kids, old and young to enjoy, a large open area perfect for games of catch, a basketball hoop, miniature golf, which we didn't have time for, bike rentals, and the lake.

After the kids were put to bed, the Wii came out and Dave, Jason, Jon, and Nate played some fun games well into the night.

What is a trip to Bear Lake if you don't try Raspberry shakes. They were delicious. The boys went to three different places and decided that "Merlins" was the best.

Sunday we spent time at the pool and then the boys went out for ice cream and Cheryl and Summer put the little one's down for a nap and Chelley and I rented bikes for an hour. Then we all wandered down to the lake for a while.

Sunday night Chelley and Jon said good-bye, Jon had to go to work, Monday. We missed them, but were glad they could come up for a while.

Monday we all headed up to Minatonka Cave. That was an amazing place. It was well worth the time and the drive was so beautiful. We had pizza for lunch and then back to the pool and hot tub and later to the lake. The boys played catch and basketball while the little ones went to the playground. Roy and I took a nice relaxing walk around the resort while parents put kids to bed.

Before we knew it it was Tuesday morning and time to pack up. Ideal Beach Resort was a great place for a vacation and it was fun to find a place where we could all be together.

Roy, Nate, and I took the long way home through Montepelier, Cokeville, and then home. It had been a perfect vacation. Now it was time to get ready for another adventure.