Nikki. . . nearly 2!

Great pictures Brandon and Tannya!!  Love this little doll-baby!!

Talents and Investments. . .

I always enjoy accompanying others in creating good music, but I especially LOVE IT when doing so with my children and husband. It was a special treat to have Natalee and Dallin play a violin duet of Away In A Manger in church today, and I'm glad I made it back in time (bathroom visit!) to accompany them!

In Sunday school class, Brent Goodwin expressed his enjoyment of hearing the musical number twice by coming early to church. He also shared his appreciation of how many hours of practice it has taken over the years to get to this point.

It made me think of my Mom. The year was 1963 when I started taking piano lessons. In 1973 I graduated from high school and headed to BYU. So a ten year investment of time and money that has yielded 38 years of musical enjoyment, service to many church meetings, civic events, etc., just on my own. Then factor in the 2nd generation of musical talents that have been developed and shared so far with you kids. Wow! I hope you will carry on such an incredible giving gift!! We are VERY blessed to have these opportunities in our lives! (I wish our grandkids all lived close so I could give them GOOD piano lessons...not the ones that Brandon got!! ^_^)

Love,

Mom

One more mile. . .

This photograph was taken about 1917 in an underground mineshaft.
The horse was totally blind, as were all such horses due to a lifetime in total darkness.

It depicts the American way of life and the effort it took our forefathers to build this great country.

"Often, when I have been discouraged and despondent beyond words. I have looked at this picture and said to myself. "I will pull it one more mile."
With that attitude in mind and with an average amount of intelligence, any person can certainly make a success of their life in this land of free enterprise." -Ross Taylor

Although this picture makes me SAD when I think about a horse being used in this manner, I am grateful that our horses are LOVED and CARED FOR and bring our family so much JOY!! But I also like the picture as a reminder that sometimes we just need to knuckle down, throw our shoulder into the difficulty, and PULL FOR ONE MORE MILE!!

I am so glad that each one of you kids knows how to work hard, even when things are very difficult. You don't give up easily and can do hard things!! Keep up the good work!

Love,

Mom

Thanksgiving Fun 2011

LOVED having some of the kids migrate home for the holiday!!  Dal got in first from BYU on Tuesday evening. Then Nat and RJ got home from Ephraim, Kristy came in late Wednesday evening from SLC, and Amelia and Hans simply drove over Thursday morning!!
We enjoyed a Turkey Bowl with the Schrams and Yates families before having Thanksgiving Dinner with our small crew.  Had wonderful leftovers all weekend long!!  Got in a family horseback ride, complete with Nat riding backwards!!   We hauled 50 bales of hay (with lots of help from RJ!) and we also went shooting out on Utah Hill.  Lots of fun memories!  Missed "the upper half" but thought of you lots!!

What was I thinking???

So this morning, I was fixing breakfast for Dad and I...

Two eggs

Fried Potatoes

Two toast

Two glasses of orange juice

I set the dishes out and was ready to put the food on

the plates when I discovered this. . .

Yeah...I must have been on "auto-pilot" when I put out FIVE plates for our two little eggs!!

Obviously we REALLY miss Dallin, Nat and Kristy. . . the rest of you have been gone long enough to be "on your own!"

WE LOVE YOU ANYWAY!!!

Love,
Mom

Rainy days and Sundays. . .

It was Fast Sunday today, and it was rather cold for St. George weather...Julie Schram knew I had to be sick when I showed up in my heavy neck-fur coat.  Yep, the cold that grabbed my throat last week hasn't been quite ready to let go.  We went to Sacrament meeting, which was good, but I came home afterwards and took an hour nap, then returned for choir practice.  Afterwards, Dad and I came home and around 4:00 we made grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.  Just as I was turning the burners off, the power went out...and didn't come back on!  So we sat at the table to eat, but with the dark skies outside, Dad flipped the light switch on...to no avail.  Later I tried to open the garage door, forgetting about the power situation.  Funny how much we take for granted!!

Well, after our simple meal, and with the power still being off, I suggested we have a special Sunday snack...smores by way of the wood stove!!  The coals were perfect, Hank was happy to be in the middle of things, and they turned out beautifully!!  Only one problem, we used Cookies n Cream for the chocolate part...it didn't taste nearly as good as the Snickers Mil and I used when we didn't have plain Hershey chocolate.  Oh well, it was fun anyway!   ( See what y'all are missing out on?!?!)

Essence Barton -- Wow!!

So did any of you see the Facebook post regarding Essence winning the national title for Women's Dual Slalom?!?!  What a great thing!!  CONGRATS, ESSENCE!!!


Here's an article in USA Cycling:
http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=7166

Here's the YouTube video:

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE These Surprises!!!

So, Mil invited me over for lunch after my college class on Friday. As I pulled into the parking spot right in front of her condo, I noticed a sign/poster in her front window. I looked to see what it said, then had to look again to decipher it . . . and then I yelled and laughed out loud at the same time, shouting "what?!?! Wahoo!!" all at the same time. I jumped out of the car and ran to the door, which opened before I got there cuz Millie was watching slyly through the window. What a wonderful surprise that was!!

And then. . . later in the afternoon, Mil came over to the house before Dad got home from work (I was out riding horses...) and put the same sign up on our bathroom mirror. She acted like she was waiting for me to get home from school, so after chatting a minute, Dad made his way to our bedroom and bathroom. I was on the phone with Mil to hear Dad's reaction. He was very surprised but was wondering if the sign was for ME to see. After assuring him I already knew and that the sign was for him, he was very excited and happy too!!

. . . then there was the creative way Hans and Amelia let everyone else know about the pregnancy! Via the "Movie Trailer" located at http://www.hamovies.info/.

(I did a screen shot below, but if you haven't seen it, you can check it out at the website...)

CONGRATS, AMELIA AND HANS!!! We are SOOOOOO excited for you!!

HALLOWEEN 2011

Had a fun Halloween party at Schram's on Saturday evening!  Mil and Hans were an "I-Phone", Holly was "Dr. Quinn". . .  and there were other creative costumes, too!  I used the night as a good excuse to wear one of the vintage hats Karen Hansen gave us.  I could wear a different one each day and not repeat for a month!!

We ate some really good food, played fun games, held Danielle's little tiny (5 lbs) two week old baby girl dressed up as the cutest butterfly, and played Halloween themed games of Family Feud and Charades.  Great time!!

Tonight, Dad and I, Hans and Amelia, and Megan Amundsen, are going to eat Mexicali soup, watch Hocus Pocus and hand out Halloween candy!!

Too much fun!

Last week Mil reminded me that we were going to do the Kolob Arch ride before it got too cold...

Hans and Mil were still in Idaho this past spring when it would have been a perfect time to ride, and then they moved here in the middle of the HOT summer . . . and things got really busy with school and the piano competition, etc., etc.

Well, Mil, April Nielsen and I finally got in the Kolob Arch ride!!  We left Saturday morning and drove the 45 miles north to the Kolob exit.  We're so grateful for a truck that runs and can pull three horses...the day couldn't have been more beautiful!!  PERFECT weather.  We rode for about 6 miles, stopped at the "water spot" and ate lunch and took pictures...then rode to the arch trailhead.  Had to leave the horses tied up, and hiked in another mile, climbing up and over rocks and hills.  By the time we hiked out, our legs were pretty tired, and we were VERY grateful to have horses to ride out.  As it was, our bums were sore and we were SO ready to get off the horses by the time we returned to the truck.  What a great day!

It was a long ride . . .  it was a beautiful ride  . . .

 it was a  LOOONNNNGG ride, but IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RIDE!!!  

The pic with Mil sitting in the dirt was taken right after she did a somersault over Red Star's neck...

and she landed VERY gracefully!  She has some great bruises to show for it!!

THIS WOULD BE A GREAT FAMILY RIDE!!!