Remember me?

O.K.-the guilt has got to me and I need to add my bi-yearly blog! This has been a crazy year with Scott released from being Stake President-we made up for it by going somewhere every month!!! August we were in Maine, September we went to the Oregon Coast, Oct. to Utah, Nov. to Mississipi to see Austin off and then to Maine, December we were in Colorado, January-Nevada, February we went to Hawaii with friends, March-las Vegas for the BYU Baskeball finals, April back to Utah and May back down to Salt Lake for our Anniversary! We decided that enough was enough and we have just stayed home for the summer! Our kids have come home to hang out and Austin was home from Iraq for two-weeks, just long enough for him to get engaged to Tara! We are so excited about that! They will get married November 18th! My husband came home and asked me if I wanted a boat or to add on to our house. I said that since Ian and Aspen were going to be here 3 more years lets get a boat so that we can play on the lake with them. Next morning I woke up to a big back-hoe and two huge holes in my backyard!!! Guess we are adding on... Scott had done most of the work and has also been the general contracter and I am amazed at how much he gets done! It should be fun to have the extra room when all 30 of our family comes home to roost! Their visits usually stretch to 3 weeks as they come from so far and it is fun for us to have them stay awhile. We are adding a big downstairs play room for teenagers and younger, a family room with a fireplace above that and a dining room with a deck that connects them all! It should be fun and hopefully they will be self-cleaning!!!

My girls are Home!

This past 10 days my favorite daughters have all been home...that being everyone that could be here but my Kristi! Ashley got here on the 13th and Erin arrived on the 14th. Emily came over to join the party and we still let Aspen live here so-it was a blast! (Or at least they told me it was, I was sick for most of it!) We have the WII Just Dance 2, and that has been a lot of fun to play. It has been a riot watching everyone do these crazy dance moves! I have to say that Scott and Ian take the cake--they really make me laugh! Rock Band has also been a favorite and I even got in on that! We also have tried to get some shopping in, but it is a challenge with 7 little grandchildren under 5!!! The Mall locks up when they see us coming! We also have been able to attend some of Ian's Basketball games and got a trip to Salt Lake to Kristi's (my niece) wedding and a visit with Grandma and Grandpa, too. All in all, it has been fun but Ashley went home to Denver on Tuesday and Erin will leave us on Monday so we will be back to lonely. We are grateful for the time we do get to share together, and the memories that are made!

New Calling! (to go along witht he old one!)

Scott and I are still teaching Sunday School, he the 16-year olds (they love him!) and me the adults (they tolerate me!), but we received a new calling about a month ago. It is called "Substance Abuse Recovery Missionaries". It is to help people who are struggling with any addictions that they cannot overcome on their own. It is based on the 12-step Alcohol Anonymous Program, but is gospel centered. How many of us realize we can't overcome anything challenging with out the help of the Savior?! We attended our first training meeting by attending a group over in Pocatello. Can I just tell you what a spiritually enlightening experience it was?! There was every addiction represented, but the people were so amazing in their efforts and determination to overcome their weaknesses. It made me aware of some areas I would like to gain some strength in also. The sister missionary in charge of the group we attended opened with prayer and said this "Help us to see these people through the eyes of the Savior..." That gives you a whole different picture of people, doesn't it? We had our first meeting in Aberdeen last night and the result was the same. I was so impressed. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn and to serve.

Christmas!

"Tis the season"...and jolly it was! December was a blast for us as we got ready for the holidays. Thanksgiving was relaxing and then we came to December! Aspen and I had decided to work on cookbooks for all of my kids for Christmas. It took us over 100 hours to complete all 16 of them! I then decided to make aprons to go with them. Scott said "Why do you always decide to do things at the last minute that make your life (and mine) crazy???" It's hard to explain why we women like a little bit of stress during the holidays.... Anyway it was so fun and I was excited to send them to my kids. I didn't feel nearly as frantic this Christmas and just enjoyed the holidays. Emily, Joel and their family stayed several days with us and the kids made Christmas fun. We had a wonderful party with some of our closest friends throughout the Stake. The day after Christmas we left for Denver to spend time with Ashley, Mark and Hunter and Brigham. We came home New Year's Eve to find Emily, Joel and two of Joel's siblings and their spouses were at our house having a party-so we joined right in playing Rock Band and games. Now it is 2011 and we are looking forward to many things, but especially having Austin home from Iraq. Please pray for him! And know that we wish all of you a wonderful 2011!

Summer!

We had so much fun this summer starting with Kristi and her kids coming for part of May. It was a blast and we loved seeing them. Erin came the last week of June and saw Kristi for a day. She and Adam stayed a week and then she and the boys stayed for another 10 days. In the meantime, Ashley came from Denver with a Mark and her boys! Emily popped in every couple of days with her babes and it was a party for about 2 month-nonstop! It was so fun and my girls and sons-in-laws are so good to help. They were a little frustrated with me as I was sewing Pioneer dresses for the Pioneer trek we were going on the middle of July in Wyoming. I had 7 of them to make and I had planned on getting them made while everyone was at Girls Camp-but things didn't go so well. My pattern was a large but it turned out not even being big enough to fit a Barbie! I had to revamp it and then sew 5 more dresses. They turned out and I gave the smaller two to Aspens little friend. My kids don't think I have a life and so they think I make up stuff like this to do only when they are around! I reassure them, our life is still a mad house whether they are here or not! The trek was a blast and the weather was perfect. We hung out with our good friends Ron and Lori Nelson. She is the only person I know that can spend 3 days walking in the desert and come out prettier than she went in. Being in Martin's Cove, where many of the Mormon pioneers froze to death was both a humbling and spiritual experience. You could feel their spirits and their presence so strongly. I loved it!

I Love America!

I am so glad that I was lucky enough to be born in this country and I am Proud to be an American!

My Honey!

I just wanted to do a shout out on my husband without it being Father's day or anything else. Sorry if it sounds braggy, but he deserves it! I keep thinking about the amazing things he has done in this life. Not only has he farmed for 31 years, he has put together a business with 6 other partners called Idaho Select. This is a potato warehouse which runs potatoes and markets them. Not only do they help us sell our potatoes, but also the partners and a few other farmers spuds. From this endeavor came a trucking business called Select Trucking. We take our potatoes back to the east and then bring back loads of different merchandise from the east out to here. Then they started a business that is an appendage of Select Trucking, it is a truck center where they work on all of the trucks in our shipping fleet. They also have a new venture called Select Truck Manufacturing where they build these trailers to haul potatoes in from cellar to cellar, over the road. With all of the investments he has made in land and his farming adventures, he has done really well. By the time he gets it all paid off, we are going to be really wealthy! Dead, but wealthy!!! But for those of you who know me, money isn't everything!!! (Did I really say that???) But the thing I am most proud of is that he has done all of this while serving in some very demanding church callings that have taken 30-40 hours per week of his time. So amazing. He must have a good wife who supports him or else he wouldn't be able to do all of this!!!! Ha! (Behind every successful man stands an amazed woman!!!) All of this while spoiling me on the side! And that, in itself, is a full time job!!! Anyway, he is great and I am proud of him!!