A Thought For Thursday.

While at our reunion last weekend, we spent Sunday evening sharing missionary stories.  Our niece Taylee married Juan Jose earlier this year.  He is from Peru and is a doll! He shared an experience from his mission just as many of us did.  He struggled through the English, but we have many Spanish speakers who can translate.  He shared an experience of when a general authority came to the mission.  He spoke to Juan Jose and his companion and shared this bit of a thought:

There are no inactive members (of the church), only members who don't understand the doctrine.

 

Perfect. He said that, while visiting a less active member, he was prompted to share that thought.  The man he shared it with responded.  He came back. 

You can't mess with truth.  

Reunion Weekend.

But First!! 

I graduated from high school many many many years ago.  Ok.  24 years ago.  Almost a quarter century ago.  I guess in the scheme of things it's not really that long ago.  Anyhoo, I went to high school for 3 years in California.  Then we moved to Utah right before my senior year.  Who planned that?!  I graduated from Alta in 1989.  I never ever ever got a reunion notice for either school.  I spent 3 years at one, but didn't graduate from it, then graduated from one that I was only in for 1 lousy year.  So I didn't expect much.  Last week I got this.  It's a postcard from Alta asking for my information so they can put me in the Alumni book. 

Um.  No thanks.

Last Friday was my kids' last day of school.  Yay!  After school we got packed up and headed to our family reunion.  Each year we go up to the Ranch in Idaho and spend Memorial weekend together. 

This is the view from our tent door.  We invested in a new tent that will hold heat better at night when we're cold.  We use a heater. 



THIS is the view from the other end of the tent.  I spent Saturday morning sitting in that blue chair with these windows open just sitting and looking.  It's so pretty.

Here's the tent.  This is out of order but I don't want to move it. Do you believe me now?  So so pretty!

Here is what I was doing while sitting and looking on Saturday morning.  I was editing.  And I think I edited well.  I sent in my submission to the Ensign magazine when we got home.  I'll let you know if I hear anything!

Sam in the car so we can go for a drive.  Sunday after church we went to Malad to the 2 cemeteries where we have family buried.  Grandpa told us stories and tales.  It was so fun to hear them and spend time together.  And it was also nice to get cell service to catch up on some texts ;)

Roooooothie!

There is a very thick and long rope hanging in the garage part of the building.  The kids spent hours swinging.

Saturday morning was the Almosta-thon.  Almosta is a name for the Ranch.  It's Almost-a-ranch.  Get it?  All the people who ran in the Almosta-thon got a t-shirt.  It says Almosta-Thon  23.6 miles of mud and glory.  Ruthie and Sam each got one.  Isaac didn't run and Daniel has a hurt heel and my back was killing me.  Plus, I had some editing to do.  That, and I really don't find any enjoyment in running.  Or sweating. Absolutely no enjoyment whatsoever!  Not even for a cool t-shirt.

Sunday afternoon we had a huge yellow scary smiley face pinata.  Here's Sam taking a swing.  Hi aunt Jennifer!

Isaac took a swing.  A couple of cousins later it looked like...

this....

Then one great swipe with the stick and it fell to the ground.  All the kids and many adults grabbed candy.  There was tons!  Hear me?  ToNs! of candy.

We spent Sunday evening sharing missionary stories.  Our family has a rich missionary heritage.  Not just the full time kind, though there are many who have served full time, but in everyday experiences.  Monday morning we played, rode 4 wheelers and packed for home.  We had a terrific time with family and came home exhausted and with many fun memories!

Thanks aunt Jennifer and uncle Bryan for planning a fun fun weekend.

Demolition Derby Fun!

Saturday night we got to go participate in one of our family's favorites. 

Demolition Derby.

So just what is it about a demolition derby that sucks us in? 

I gave it some thought as I sat in the arena.

This is what I came up with...

We always begin with the National Anthem.  I love when everyone stands, removes hats, puts hands on hearts, looks up to the flag and quiets down.  And then we listen.  Then we cheer.

I love the patriotism!

Of course we love the demolition itself. 

The crashes. 

The smoke. 

The fires. 

The exhaust. 

The fun!

We love the crowds.  Now I will point out some of the crowd negatives, too, but right now, we love the crowds all there to watch and yell and scream!

We love the treats.  Licorice, soda, kettle corn. Yum.

We love when the car comes up right to us.  We were on the second row and this lovely green "mini" came right up to say hi. 

Hi.

Speaking of second row, did you see all that rain Friday night and Saturday?  Hello!  There was mud squished up the sides of the arena and blocked from running back into the middle by those barricades.  But when the cars came screaming by.. the mud came and got us.  This is just the first round.  When we got home I found dirt clods in my treat bag, down my shirt, and the next morning, in my bed. It must have been in my hair.

Okay.  Here was an annoyance.  I hadn't actually seen these until the derby.  They are those water vapor smoker things.  Harmless. ?  When you have every adult in the row in front of you blowing thick water vapor out of their mouths and noses during a spectacular event, it's not so harmless.  Yuck.  The people using them reminded me of that caterpillar sitting on the mushroom smoking opium.  You know the one.  At one point Ruthie jumped up and began leaving and said "I have to get the freak out of here because of all the smoke!"  We talked her into staying.

The other bug was the beer.  Now I understand that there are people who can't seem to enjoy crashing cars without alcohol.  But the wickedest part of the evening was the little family in front of us, including a mom, a dad and 2 young girls, smoking those water vapor things and drinking beer.  We counted a total of 9 bottles of beer shared between the two adults.  My question is.. who is going to drive those two little girls home???

The best-est part of the night are the people who came with us...

Dad, Ruthie and Isaac

Sam, mom and Isaac

We got dirty, we got home late and we got derby-ed out!

Wax Museum And A Farewell.

Today was the fifth grade Wax Museum.  Sam said that when his teacher was pulling kids' names out to pick who they wanted to be, he was prepared.  When she said "Sa" he said "Unlce Sam!".  He wouldn't wear the red sweat pants I got him.  Oh well.

Here he is.

Wait..

That's better.

I want you!

Last evening we went to say good-bye to our favorite 3rd grade teacher. 

Ruthie will still finish the year with her, but it was her retirement open house.  She cried when she read the block we gave her.  We love you Ms. Nonnie.

Opportunity.

At a Robotics 4-H night, the lead 4-H gal said there were boxes of thousands of these wood pieces.  She suggested we all take some.  So...  I did

Here are the pieces I took.  Lots of squares and some large and small rectangles.

So what does one do with all these wood pieces??

Here's what I did.  I bought some paint, some sponge brushes and some mod podge. 

Then I got some nice paper and printed "Pray for Opportunity then Listen".

I painted several square pieces with some paint.  Except for the middle.  Didn't want to waste the paint!

Then I mod podged the paper onto the wood.  Here is the finished product.

And here's the purpose. 

I am a ward missionary.  I'm not excited about it at all! In the handbook it says the ward missionaries should go into the members' homes and invite them to have a missionary experience.  So Christine, my companion, and I decided to pray each month for active families in the ward to visit and invite.  We invite them to pray for a missionary opportunity.  Then we invite them to listen to the promptings of the spirit.  Then we give them this little reminder.

Aren't we awesome?!  Seriously~ I love this calling.  We are visiting active members and less active members. We are also doing new member discussions.  We have only 18 months in this calling and I hope to make each moment count. 

If you are in my ward and would like a visit, please let me know.  We would love to come!

Just A Programming Note.

Did you notice that my blog has a different look and set up??  I can't stand it.  But this morning I got on and my background was gone!!  GONE!  It just had little squares all over saying that I had removed the image.  I DID NOT!  They took it from me.  So I just did a quick add of one of the things you can automatically put on from blogger.  SO not my favorite.  AND! It also messed up my set up.  Grrrrr!  So deal with it.  I am.  Well, I'm trying. 

Biography Day.

Today was Biography day for Ruthie.  She chose a book about Florence Griffith Joyner.

Ruthie dressed in a shorts outfit, 3 gold medals and a silver medal.  At the end she raised the baton and cheered.  She did put on some long fake nails.  But when I walked into the room she came up to me and said "I can't pick anything up with these on!"  She was very upset.  I told her that's why I don't have them.  It's like having a plate at the end of your finger.  She took them off and did a tremendous job anyway!

Today is our favorite 3rd grade teacher's retirement open house.  

This is what I made for her.  I hope she likes it!

What A Weekend!

We went up to the Ranch this last Friday and Saturday.  We have been waiting for an un-busy weekend to go.  Grandma and Grandpa went too!

Sam looked out the window and saw this little guy staring back.

On Saturday, Daniel, the boys and grandpa got some work done.  This guy gave me a fun ride on grandpa's 4-wheeler.  He wore a helmet and drove the speed limit grandpa had set for the grand kids.  Then he dropped me off and went on by himself.

Not too long later, he came in with dad and grandpa right behind.  He'd had an accident.  He was going too fast and flew off the machine and rolled.  The machine rolled too.  Isaac was bashed up on his shoulder, arm and back. 

The machine rolled so fast there was grass stuck in the wheels.  So we packed those up with us.  That didn't make Isaac feel very good.  Too close a reminder.  We kept reminding him that he was okay.  Nothing was broken on him or the machine.  But he was pretty shaken up and sore.

And here's our carpet money!  I mean the new car.

We are now saving again for carpet to finish the basement.

Our new deadline for finishing is Labor Day. 

We'll just see how that turns out.

Only 9 days left of school!!  Rah Rah!

Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day

Behind every successful mother...

is a basket of dirty laundry.

 

Hope it was a wonderful day.

Pepper Picture.

Daniel and I celebrated our anniversary last Tuesday

Then I died

Just kidding

I just didn't get back on my blog

And

I couldn't find the little plug that gets the pictures from my camera to the laptop

Daniel found it for me last night

But then I realized I HAVE NO PICTURES

So I put this one on...

It's May

I like May.

It means school is almost over and Spring is really here and the sun is just gonna shine.

The only thing I don't like is that school is almost over.

The end of the year projects and reports and stuff drive me batty.

And I am going to a PTA Convention (yay me) next week and that means I am gone for two school days and so I've made an extensive list of how the day goes so Daniel can get 'er done.  We're also going camping.  I just wish June would come.

Our favorite 3rd grade teacher is retiring this year.  The newspaper was in her room this week while I was there.  I got to talk to the reporter.  I am watching for the article to read about Ms. Nonnie. We will miss her, but luckily I have no more upcoming 3rd graders.  Perfect!

My ward missionary companion and I are teaching new member discussions and visiting members' homes.  It is really so much fun.  I always get a facetious "Uh uh, you have the best calling" to which I respond "YES!  I really do!". That throws 'em all for a loop. 

When we had Stake Conference weeks ago, we had a visiting general authority who talked about his kids never saying "Yippee Skippee It's Sunday! Let's go to church!"  I looked at my kids, who gave me that look.  You know that look.  The one that says, "if you ever say yippee skippee it's Sunday, let's go to church" we'll revolt.  I say it anyway.  I'm glad there is a member of the Seventy whose kids were not thrilled about church either!
Mama Cass and Felix were sold at auction.  We were sad to hear they didn't go for much.  Randy only made about $10 on each.  But our other 4 goats are awesome.  The whole mood out in the pasture is calm and fun.
We hope to buy us 2 or 3 baby goats soon. 
Daniel bought a new car.  It's a silver '05 Neon.  Nice.  I just don't have a picture.  Sheesh!
I recently lost 10 pounds.  Bet you couldn't tell.  I may just gain it all back. 
I'm hungry.
Mother's Day is coming soon.  Daniel ordered my blog books.  He didn't do it last year, so I get 2 years' worth in 2 books.  Yay!  I'm excited for their arrival.
Have a wonderful day!