They Used to Scoop Ice Cream!

No More Teenagers . . .

2012-01-25T15:42:00.001-08:00

While she was home, we wanted to celebrate her birthday (even though it was after the fact)

We needed cake. . . .

and ice cream . . .

and Daddy bonding time (Allie-style) . . .

and puppy-cuddle time. . .

(We shopped for her presents last time she was home and she took them with her!)

Happy 20th Allie!!!!

Twice in One Month!

2012-01-24T13:23:00.001-08:00

Allie came home AGAIN! But this time it wasn’t’ really to see us or even to celebrate her birthday. She came home for a good friend’s ring ceremony.

We picked her up from the airport. . . all rested up? Not too likely. She had been busy having too many adventures. She slept the whole way. . . well not home. . .

We dropped her off at her friend’s house (where they were anxiously awaiting her arrival)

while we headed to a tri-ward Pioneer Day celebration. We stayed long enough to eat and visit a little while.

Then it was back to her good friend’s childhood home. This is when we got to see the transformation! (notice the ribbon that cause me so much grief)

Then it was time for the ceremony. . . did I mention that Paul was officiating? (Isn’t he cute!)

Here she comes!!!! (we are talking about Allie here)

A super cute ring bearer and flower girl . . it was a little windy (I know, what a surprise) and he was quite concerned about EVERYTHING. . . adorable!

The bride and her dad

Notice the ring bearer below. . . so cute!

It is darn hard to take photos when you are sitting in the back row and you aren’t quite as tall as everyone else. So you end up with photos like this: (good, right?)

The process out was a crack up. . .they dance their way out. Fun stuff!

Alyson and Ryan are a great couple! They were married the day before Jennifer in the Newport Beach Temple. Since his family could not attend, they had a ring ceremony several months later.

Another Milestone

2012-01-23T16:12:00.001-08:00

My van is getting OLD.

A Campin’ We Will Go (sort of)

2012-01-22T20:30:00.001-08:00

Each year, the bishops are asked to come to girls camp one evening to have dinner with the girls, watch skits and present a message to them. Lucky me gets to go with my man! And lucky for him, I have directions on how to get there. . .

Everyone knows you HAVE to stop at the Safeway. . .

(I was able to pick up some goodies for some of the ladies that I visit teach that were at camp for the week.)

The windshield kept picking up more passengers as we went along. . . ewwww.

You have to look carefully at the signs because it could take a while to figure out if you missed a turn!

Once you’re on the dirt road you can be certain you won’t get lost!

We heard reports that it was a REALLY cold year which was unexpected. Not much time was spent in the water. But my man didn’t mind the suggestion that he take the kayak out for a spin. . . .

(I regret not snapping more photos while there.) It is so fun to see the girls let loose.

The girls spend the week learning so much about themselves and their relationships to others and to Heavenly Father. By the time the bishops get there, they are ready to have some fun. Their appearances are nothing like anything you see outside of camp!
Skit night always lasts a long time but is ever so amusing. And then girls gather into wards and the bishop shares a message with them. I try to bring a fun message for them too (which usually involves some sort of food tied into a gospel message.) This time they got gummy watches

By the time events are done, it is so very late and we have a long drive ahead of us. (Bishops usually have something they have to do the following day.) This is the definite downside of going out to girls camp. (Plus Taco Bell is closed. . .another camp MUST)

The picture may be blurry, but that is about how well we can see. . trying to keep our eyes open. *yawn*

Luckily we made it home safely. (I admit it is odd to go to girls camp while not having an assignment to be there. I had grown used to seeing it from that perspective and am now seeing it from a different point of view.)
It sounds like fun was had by all and that testimonies were built. . . and those are the things that money can’t buy.

Beyond Aggravated

2012-01-19T14:01:00.001-08:00

Allie had been asked to be a bridesmaid for a good friend’s ring ceremony.

She bought the dress out in Utah and all I needed to do was buy the ribbon to go with it. We picked out the ribbon when she was home, but I waited until I had a coupon from Michael’s so I could get a better deal. All I needed was 4 yards.

I went to Michaels armed with my coupon. . .

I found the ribbon and headed to the register. There was a ridiculously LONG line. I go there often and I did not recognize the cashier. I figured out she was new when another employee asked her if she needed help (she had the only register open and the line was as long as I’ve seen it.) She told the other gal that she was not allowed to have any help.

I finally got up to the register, determined to be pleasant because it wasn’t her fault the line was so long. But then my day turned sour.

As she rang up my four yards of ribbon (she had to cut it), I handed her the coupon. The coupon was for 40% off my purchase of one item. What a surprise to me that only one of those four yards in a SINGLE cut was allowed to get the discount. I asked her about that and she insisted that each yard was a separate item.

Now remember, there is a really long line. . . so I decided to pay for the ribbon and return later to work it out. I figured if that was indeed the case (it was not noted by the ribbon or anywhere else that this was the policy) then I could simply return the ribbon and buy it elsewhere. I go often enough to know the return policy!

I returned a few hours later and saw the SAME cashier but with no line. I went up to the register and told her that I would like to talk to the manager since I figured she wouldn’t know any more than she did earlier in the day.

That is where my *fun* started. Apparently each Michael’s is at liberty to make up whatever policies they want. I was told that the cashier was right. . . I could only use the coupon on one quarter of the piece of ribbon that I had bought. Whatever! So I told her that I would like to return it. But apparently there is an unwritten policy that you cannot return cut ribbon. . . it does not say that anywhere on their receipt. . .

I was not happy. . . not at all. So I told the manager that I would not be shopping there again. She said she didn’t care. I went on to tell her that I would tell my friends and many of them would not shop there either. And guess what? She doesn’t care if you shop there either!

So there you go. . . Michaels lost this shopper (who used to go weekly) for over a little over $2.00. I have not step foot in there since. And they don’t care.

(pass it on)

Time to Celebrate!

2012-01-17T15:43:00.001-08:00

We got a very pleasant surprise when Allie accepted a ride home for the 4th of July weekend.

We went on a sunglass hunt. . .

and got to listen to her sing and play. . .

and went to the stake center to watch fireworks. . .

Then she packed up and left. . .

The house was too quiet after that

but it sure was nice to have her home for just a little while.

Come on a Walk with Me

2012-01-16T14:45:00.001-08:00

Sacrificing for the Greater Good

2012-01-15T18:48:00.001-08:00

Paul is HUGE hockey fan. His team of choice (since he was a boy) is:

And they were having a good year. . . a very good year.
They made the playoffs and things were going well. But a collision course was coming up. . . .game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals and High Adventure for the older young men in our ward. (White River rafting!!!!)
Without hesitation, Paul chose to go with the young men. HOWEVER, I was left home to cheer his team on.
It’s not that I don’t like hockey. . . I did not grow up watching it as he did. . . but we did go to A LOT of hockey games when we lived in Utah
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
which I thoroughly enjoyed (though our snacking schedule might have played a part in my enthusiastic participation. . . don’t judge. . I was pregnant).
But I graciously agreed to watch what I could (I myself needed to get down to the church to fulfill my calling in Young Women’s), but I did what I could.
I armed myself with appropriate eats. . .

and turned on the *big* screen. . .

and texted updates as needed. Happily I had good news for him!
(and yes, that is a Toronto Maple Leafs blanket below. . . which Jennifer incorrectly believed would be an ideal souvenir for her dad as a missionary memento!)

On wikipedia, it reported this:
In the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Bruins became the first team in NHL history to win a 7-game series without scoring a power-play goal, as they eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in 7 games, and also won their first playoff series after trailing 2 games to none. . . .The Bruins lost the first two games of the series in very close contests, 1–0, on a goal with less than 19 seconds left in regulation, and then 3–2 in overtime. Game 3 did not start well for the Bruins either, as they lost Nathan Horton to injury at the 5:07 mark of the first period following a late hit by Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome that left Horton prone on the ice for nearly 10 minutes. Despite losing Horton to a devastating hit, the Bruins defeated the Canucks, with 4 goals in each of the second and third periods, twice scoring short-handed goals, and going on to win, 8–1. It was the highest score by one team, and largest winning margin, in a Finals game since 1996. Game 4 saw the Bruins defeating the Canucks in a 4–0 shutout. The home team continued to be the winner, with Game 5 in Vancouver going to the Canucks in a 1–0 shutout, then Game 6 going to the Bruins, who staved off elimination with a 5–2 defeat of the Canucks. The Bruins set a new record for the quickest four goals ever in a playoff series game, scoring in only 4:14 of game time in the first period of Game 6. Game 7, which was played in Vancouver on June 15, was the first time the Bruins have ever played in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins shut out Vancouver 4–0, winning the sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history and breaking a 39-year Cup drought. The 2010-11 Bruins were the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 three times in the same playoff run.
What a great example Paul is. He gave up watching live something that meant a lot to him for something even better!

The Last Arm Post (No Promises!)

2012-01-12T12:44:00.001-08:00

When I first had surgery, Paul was convinced that we didn’t need any meals so we turned them all down. But it became frustrating when I had to count on a young man to do simple things like open cans (I can’t operate a manual can-opener one handed, can you?), so I relented. And we were blessed with dinners just when I needed it the most.

Meanwhile, I continued trying to straighten my arm. . .

I could have sworn that it was pretty straight. Of course my perspective is not the same as everyone else’s. I could not believe how hard it was and how worried I was that I would reinjure my arm (just by straightening it.)

I had developed a love/hate relationship with my splint. It provided protection and a sense of safety, but I was so sick of it. At the same time, I was completely terrified of the doctor setting me free.. . .

And he did. . .

He told me that I could use the splint if I felt I needed to (and I was certain that I would.) But I never did put it on again!

Right after the appointment I did an errand and then stopped by cub scout day camp. That was not the best choice. . .once I got home, I found out that I had A LOT of dead skin, most of which I could not see, BUT everyone else could. It was quite unappealing. I probably gave a few kids nightmares

I continued to work on straightening my arm but I plateaued. (Whatever fool told me that I would be back to playing tennis within three months was misinformed. . . and I was equally foolish to believe it!)

On my follow up appointment . .

the doctor and I decided I was better off with physical therapy.

So off I went and I worked hard. I really wanted to progress and to be able to do all the things I wanted to do without restrictions. I also took good care of my scar (no scaring little kids again!)

A couple days before my last physical therapy appointment, someone shook my hand quite vigorously (really?) and caused a setback. I was so disappointed and frustrated that something so commonplace (not the vigorous part) could affect me adversely. So, if I am hesitant to shake your hand, don’t take it personally!

I am sure I will intersperse my recovery in future posts, but my arm (at this point) is no longer the main focus of my life.

Healing and Blessings Continue

2012-01-10T14:57:00.001-08:00

I had no idea what a challenge this surgery would be. Not only did it HURT, but I was frustrated with the things I could not do on my own.

I was grateful for the things I could do. I managed to master driving one handed, the hardest parts were turning the key to start the van and removing the key after turning it off. That freedom was HUGE and kept me sane.

But my splint was still my constant companion. . .

Ugly swollen fingers . . .

I could not straighten my arm much less scratch my nose.

It was hard to hold my arm up or let it hang down so I had to prop it up constantly.

I went to my first doctor’s appointment (after surgery) and he took the bandages off. . . what relief! But then he put it right back on after admiring the stitches and removing a few pounds of cotton.

I was blessed by a wonderful friend (and visiting teacher) who came over and cleaned my kitchen (I was living with nothing but males who don’t *see* dirt and messes the same way I do. . .)

A clean kitchen can really lift your spirits!

(Note I still could not take a shower because the stitches were still in. Why did no one tell me about this horror?)

A several weeks after surgery, I was instructed to remove my splint a few times a day and *try* to straighten my arm.

What do you mean that’s not straight?

And then my friend came back and cleaned my bathroom!!!!! (tears of JOY!)

I was going a bit stir crazy and just wanted to go somewhere. . .anywhere. How lucky are we to live so close to Tahoe? So off we went. . .

That was the end of that hike. . . but I could totally see a tennis court in the distance. *sigh*

Another friend. . .another blessing! Everyone deserves some sunshine a box

So many little things helped me endure this tough time. I felt so guilty that so many people were doing nice things for me. I didn’t HAVE to have the surgery (but I really wanted to be able to use my arm pain-free . . though at this time, I doubted it would ever be that way.)

Sometimes You Have to Pay the Price

2012-01-09T12:21:00.001-08:00

As previously noted on this blog, I hurt my arm a while ago. . . pesky tennis elbow. But this time it was determined not to heal. I missed tennis a lot, but I also missed being able to sleep at night (it would wake me) and doing every day things.
So I went back to my regular doctor who sent me to a different orthopedist for a second opinion.
First things he did were to prescribe an arm brace to keep me from straightening my arm at night and a round of physical therapy.
The arm brace made a big difference! Hurray! PT was painful, as it is supposed to be. When I went back for my follow up appointment with my doctor, he jumped straight to recommending surgery. In less than two week’s time! Wow!!!!
He knew everything I tried. Our insurance year was about to end and the new insurance is pretty horrid so . .. . I scheduled it.
I just wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. The timing wasn’t ideal as Paul would be out of town. So I didn’t tell anyone because I hadn’t decided.
But I started making preparations to live life one handed for a while.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to tie my shoes. . .

so I bought springy shoe laces so I could slip them on.
Because tennis would be out of the question for a while and I wanted to do SOMETHING, I went shopping. . .

I cleaned my house. . .

The day before I was in full blown panic attack. My man was not available to calm me down so I turned it over to the Lord.
David was home from school, so he was able to take me in for my surgery.
before

after

Truthfully, I don’t remember much of that day other than being drugged up.
I spent most of my time here

and a friend (who found out) brought me these

David was there for me. He fetched me things and took care of me . . at least that first day. I suppose he thought it was enough.
After this was the really hard part. It is hard not being able to care for yourself. Life one-handed is difficult and even more so when it hurts.
I had never realized how many things it takes two hands to do. I could not open a water bottle on my own. I could not bath or brush my teeth. It was so humbling to be dependent on others and even worse when they didn’t feel like helping you.
I couldn’t really cook so how was I supposed to do the dishes left piling up?

I could not go grocery shopping by myself because I couldn’t push a cart.
My hand starting swelling up A LOT. I was not handling it very well at all. I hated my bandaging and not being able to do anything.

(it’s also hard to take one handed pictures much less type on the computer!)
But I was determined to find independence however I could. I asked for help.. . and I was so blessed. I needed some milk but knew I couldn’t do it on my own. So one of my angels brought me milk and a treat (and put it away for me).
My hair was so disgusting and I was tired of wearing a ball cap so I asked another friend (my hairdresser) if she would wash it for me. And she did countless times, including giving me an easy to care for style. And she didn’t charge me a thing.

I still tear up when I think about the difference these two ladies made to me. I went for about as low as I could sink to feeling so loved.
And that was just the first week. . .

Whose Walking Who?

2012-01-08T20:51:00.001-08:00

We, meaning Paul, Chocolate (our puppy) and I went for a walk. . . with the goal of Paul setting some traps. (He would then the next morning check to see what he had caught, identify, photograph and release the critters.)

As always when Chocolate joins us, she runs circles around us. (She’s off leash). She runs and runs and runs.

Hills don’t phase her unlike me who uses the excuse of getting a great shot of the hood for a breather!

It is sad to see what people dump. . .

After a wet winter, there were lots of pretty blooms (pretty good for the desert, eh?)

Oops. . .I lost my man and the dog. . .

He was just off setting traps off the beaten path . . .don’t want to catch a pesky human!

Chocolate always finds us, but we sure wore her out with this trek!

And Life Goes On

2012-01-06T15:55:00.001-08:00

The day after the reception, all the out-of-town guests left . . . except for the bride and groom.

So we took them up to Lake Tahoe because our first attempt to take Samuel to see it didn’t work out (lots of snow + no snow tires or chains = an unsuccessful outing.)

They also took the opportunity to pull out one of their wedding presents and PLAY.

They left early the next morning (a friend offered to drive all their gifts out which was ENORMOUS since we had just been to Utah.)

It was time for us to exhale and get back to normal life. . . whatever that is!

Ex(Re)ception(al)

2012-01-05T10:45:00.001-08:00

A week went by with no word from the honeymooners (as it should be) until they contacted us for a ride from the airport.

We had a RECEPTION to put on!

These things needed to be transformed. . .

With a flash of brilliance, I asked some friends to help me out because so many things about this reception are not in my skill set. But I do know how to delegate!

The day before we set to work. All the food was purchased, the punch bowl (okay, it was a fountain) was rented, so it was on to the set up. The cultural hall was emptied. . .

We cleaned up all the spills. . .

dealt with the disgusting bacon that was forgotten in the oven and had stunk up the entire building) . . .

so it was time for some magic!

Tables and tablecloths are the foundation. . .

removing the bacon helped too!

all the little touches were meaningful. . .

We had prep to do at home too. Family came and helped with the fruit-kabobs.

The bride and groom made the root beer!

The bride needed a fancy do (that her mom is not capable of do-ing) so off we went to a good friend (who does know how to do).

I returned to a transformation!

The arch was built for this occasion.

The tables were set beautifully and it just awaited the food and the people!

What a spread!

root beer fountain. ..

the cake (they wanted cheesecake, but you have to cut something, right?)

The candy buffet. .. what a challenge to find sweets in their wedding colors! A friend loaned all the jars, another friend decorated all the bags. . .

Ready? Let the festivities begin. . .

Reception Guests

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They greeted and posed. ..

They even ate. . .

With cameras and video cameras documenting it, they enjoyed their cake. . .

Jennifer threw her bouquet once again (Allie couldn’t come so she couldn’t catch it again)

So much in a little over one week’s time!

It was a wonderful, PACKED time, but it could not have happened without so much support from family and friends. These two have a bright future in front of them. .. may they always remember how loved they are!

The Week In-Between. . .

2012-01-04T14:08:00.001-08:00

While the happy couple was off honeymooning, there was much to do. It would have been nice to have everything go smoothly, but that’s not our style . . .

The trip to Utah did not agree with the van so it had to go in the shop (again.)

I had much to do so I borrowed Paul’s car. I have not been in an accident in over 30 years, but that streak is over

For the record, it was NOT my fault. The guy who rear ended me didn’t notice that I had stopped for the car coming (we were turning right.) So there was all the hassle that goes with that.

And then, as I was trying to finish up the slide show. . .

The aggravation . . . the HOURS on the phone with technicians . . . the failure in getting it running when I really needed it.

Thank goodness for external hard drives and a spare computer so we were able to eke out a slide show (though I’m not sure it would have mattered that much if it hadn’t come to pass, but it was a special request from the bride and groom.)

I was pretty glad for the week to draw to an end!

Dreams Do Come True!

2012-01-03T14:24:00.001-08:00

Talk about a crazy, hectic few days. . . try moving three kids from place to place (one needed her things moved out of her college apartment so she could move them to her new one the next day, one was moving back home and the other was needed her things stored for a week or so), graduation (and all the things that go with that), and oh, let’s say a wedding!

Getting ready. ..

On our way. . .

Finally . . .

But that’s not all. . . there was an open house too. . .

complete with catching up with old friends (they were laurels together!)

wedding cake,

kissing,

throwing the bouquet,

Allie catching it,

being showered with streamers

getting a ride to the airport,

opening presents along the way,

and beginning their adventure together!

Phew!

Commencement + Convocation = Graduation!

2012-01-02T12:38:00.001-08:00

Jennifer has always been a good student. She has great discipline and is a master of her time. She could have graduated sooner, but chose to put it off for a semester to get those last few classes she always wanted to take in.

We headed out to Utah for the big events. First up was commencement.

It was in the Marriott center which holds a LOT of people. I *tried* to get her picture beforehand complete with cap, but she was having none of that. . .

which was too bad because she forgot her tassel her apartment so Paul took her back to get it while I found our seats (which David saved for us.)

We looked and looked for her in the crowds but could not find her (she wasn’t willing to wear anything distinctive or to take her cell phone.)

Commencement consists of finding a seat in the Marriott Center, watching ALL the graduates file in (and hope you can find any of them that are meaningful to you) . . . good luck with that if they are not very tall!

listening to some amazing talks,

watching the graduates file out and trying to find them if you set up a meeting point that both parties understand to mean the same place!

We were sure glad to find her without too much trouble because it was CROWDED!

And then we needed to celebrate. . .

And she picked getting a treat at Sub-Zero which is an ice cream shop she had never been to before. A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

The next day, but not until late afternoon, was the convocation. That gave us time to get the obligatory photo in front of the sign in addition to everything else. (The line was RIDICULOUS . . it was amazing how some people were not respectful of others and had to get quite a few photos with every combination of people in their party, on the wall, in front of the sign, alone, together, etc . . . )

So here’s ours . . . all of them including the one I took as we were rushing to get out of the way. . .

We enjoyed our 30 seconds of time in front of the sign. . .

Then it was back to the Marriott Center

We found our seats that Samuel had saved

(She earned a B.A. in History)

After a talk or two, the graduates lined up and got their diploma (folders. . . the actual diploma is mailed to them).

It was not the best photo op when they picked up their diplomas, so I snapped one of the proud father!

This was my view part of the time. . . sit down guys!

And then they filed out and we hunted for her and found her beaming!

Way to go, Jennifer! You did it!!!!

Too bad we didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment. . .

Wedding Slide Show!

2012-01-01T17:04:00.001-08:00

Jennifer told me that they would love to have a slide show playing during their reception. I love doing that kind of things so I was all over it.

I went through ALL of my pictures of Jennifer growing up. . . it was a nostalgic trip for me. . . kind of bittersweet.

When they are little you think they will never grow up. Your patience is tried and you learn so very much. But then, before you know it, they ARE grown up and heading out on their own for their own adventures and learning experiences.

It makes you wonder if you taught them all they need to know and if you did enough. I wish I had cherished the moments more than I did. They went by in a flash!

Samuel’s mom sent me a big batch of photos to chose from, Jennifer and Samuel gave me ideas of what songs they would like in the background and I set to work.

Should I be surprised that things did not go as planned? I expect glitches here and there, but my computer kept CRASHING and it not working wasn’t something I expected.

My computer was less than a year old and making a slideshow was not agreeable to it. Fortunately Samuel was able to salvage the pictures and music (not the special effects) so they were able to have a slide show. . .

As for me, I was able to send my computer away and get the motherboard repaired. I am grateful for Costco’s awesome warranty so it only cost me time and aggravation but no money.

Tears were shed as I put it together (by me and not due to computer problems) but I am ever so grateful to have some many precious memories that will stay with me.

Bridal Shower!

2011-12-12T16:20:00.001-08:00

We flew Jennifer home for a bridal shower some ladies in our ward through for her.

She was definitely showered with a whole lot of love!

Her seminary teacher (sophomore and senior years) headed up the festivities (they were held at the home of one of her young women’s presidents).

Everyone was instructed to take a piece of paper. And then they were told to hold it behind their back and rip out the shape of Samuel (who most of them didn’t know what he looked like!)

After another game and loading of the plates with all sorts of goodies, the gift opening commenced.

Showered with Gifts

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And then we rushed her back to the airport. We were all so grateful for the outpouring of support and generosity.

Wedding Prep!

2011-12-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

I promised (because I wanted to) to make Jennifer and Samuel’s wedding invitations in addition to a quilt. What was I thinking!

When I was in Utah, I brought the happy couple all the wedding invitations we have received over the years so they could pick out what they wanted. Then I realized I had better limit it to the ones that it was possible that I could make!

They selected a combination of two different ones that I thought could turn out pretty cute. I went paper shopping there which was a mistake because I had no clue how I was going to make the card much less how much paper I would need. Oh well.

We also went fabric shopping. I wanted them to pick out the fabrics they wanted. (I picked out the pattern. . . a log cabin quilt)

After I came up with a template for the card, I went paper shopping at home. . .

Meanwhile, I started on the quilt. I came up with a plan, cut the strips and started sewing them together.

Meanwhile, I needed to start planning the open house we would be holding the week after the wedding. I enlisted the services of some friends (because I am not a complete idiot and recognize my limitations!). One friend agreed to be in charge of the food and another to take on the decorations.

We surveyed the area and measured. . .

I also began pricing food options (once Jennifer and Samuel made up their minds as to what the wanted.) Cheesecake was at the top of their list!

But there were so many other things to think about from plates and cups to . . .

red, white and black goodies for the candy buffet

I finally had an idea of what the invites would look like (though they could not decide which pictures I should use, so we went with three different ones!)

I made a ton of copies. . . though I later discovered that I had TYPOS in the first set (fortunately BEFORE I assembled the cards)

I finished the invites by my self imposed deadline. . . .what a HUGE relief.

But there was still more to be done. I had no clue what a challenge the candy buffet would be. I would buy what I could as I found it.

You’d think I would have remembered to take a picture of the quilt after I finished it, but of course I didn’t. At least I manage to take some photos when it was close!

I feel so fortunate that I was able to take on these things for them. I found great joy in completing the tasks. I am grateful that I have been able to develop some talents that others can benefit from and that I had the time to complete them.

Elbow (not the English Rock Band)

2011-11-20T16:15:00.001-08:00

I injured my elbow in August (last year. . . .I am a slow blogger.) I rested it in September, got a cortisone shot in October, and it still hurt in November.
My orthopedist (who had been fortunate enough to enjoy my previous injuries with me) told me there was nothing he could do and that I should rest it the rest of the year.
In January it still hurt. Since I was out of ideas, I decided to try something new-to-me but is actually really old. . . . acupuncture.
Different rooms had different themes.

.

Oh, and I got poked too. And then I would take a nap (nothing to do and *relaxing* music will do that to you).

While it did help for a little while, it seemed that something more was wrong with my elbow than I had hoped.
But it was a GREAT stress reliever leading up to the wedding!
And it turns out there is an English Rock band named elbow (go figure!)

Starting the Year off with a Bang!

2011-10-30T20:08:00.001-07:00

Jennifer and Samuel called us in early January to let us know they were engaged! We were thrilled because they compliment each other really well.

However, the clock was ticking with much to do.

I took a trip out to Utah in February to help pick out a wedding dress among other things.

First I took them to register for gifts. . . the prospect of people giving things they wanted and needed was exciting!

And a dinner out with the happy couple

I scouted out the party stores for items fitting their color scheme. . .

And shopped for a wedding dress (with help from her future sister-in-law, her little sis and her aunt). Everyone should be able to feel like a princess at least once in their life. . .

We only got distracted once in a while, but we had success which was a good thing because it takes a while to get a wedding dress fitted just so!

How to End the Year (again)

2011-10-04T15:25:00.001-07:00

Christmas was over and done with. I think the kids come home just for the presents (and the broomball!) The kids were all bored and getting on each other’s nerves (so soon?)

So it was time to pack up. . .

David could hardly wait! Who could blame him? It’s time to get on with his life.

Jennifer arranged to fly out of Salt Lake City the next morning (to visit her man) so we didn’t have much choice in when we left so we *enjoyed* a snowy drive.

(With the back fully loaded, the kids HAD to sit by each other *gasp*)

It seems that every year we are driving one, two or all three kids back to Utah and end up driving home on New Year’s Day. We are so grateful that we have been able to do so safely and that our children have been provided with amazing opportunities. Life is good

It’s All About Priorities

2011-10-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

I guess we are a bit different than most (not news to anyone that knows us.)
It’s Christmas time and what do you think of?
We think of . . . . .BROOMBALL! We have played most every Christmas Eve for a bunch of years with a group of friends. When we first started the kids were younger and so were we. We had to take it easy on them and now we HOPE they take it easy on us.
Pregame:

I think we were the MOST excited because we got there first!

We didn’t last as long as we hoped but we sure had fun. We had a few new additions (that had nothing better to do on Christmas Eve).

We can’t wait until the next game and wonder who won’t be able to join us and what other new additions we might have!

Lasts. . . .

2011-09-18T09:33:00.001-07:00

Do you ever get a feeling that it’s going to be the last time for something? Sometimes that “last” is welcome and known, like the last high school football game to watch the marching band perform their half time show. But the worst kind of “last”s are the ones you don’t want to be a last and you don’t know for sure that it is one. (Maybe it’s a blessing that you don’t know for sure!)

I had that feeling when I had my last child. I think the Holy Ghost nudged me to enjoy every moment, every “last” first event. And I did!

I had the feeling of a “last” this time for Christmas, that there would never be one like it again. There would no longer be just the five of us following our favorite Christmas traditions. The previous two Christmases (however you spell that) left us incomplete, with Jennifer and David on missions, but that was okay because they were where they were supposed to be.

So I was determined to enjoy THIS Christmas with my family complete.

I’m not sure if we even decorated the tree (the danger of blogging about it 9 months after the fact).

But we did send off a Christmas card (even if we didn’t manage to get a family photo.)

The kids, for years, spent the night together in the same room, but David refused to this year He even got up first.

Let us not forget the entire reason we gather to celebrate. . .

Now I don’t know for certain that it was truly a “last” but the prompting was there and I took the time to enjoy every minute of it.

Quelfing it up!

2011-09-03T13:04:00.001-07:00

To beat the wintery weather blues, a few ladies got together to play Quelf which is a really good way to get the giggles.

I promised to NEVER post any embarrassing photos, so this is all I’ve got.

This review (found online. . . I don’t know who wrote this) will help you understand why there are no other pictures:

“As my family concluded our first annual Thanksgiving game of Quelf, I surveyed the table. My mother, who turns seventy this year, had a belt tied around her head (to look like a ninja, of course). My father, seventy-four, had a sock coming out of his shirt collar and his shoelaces were tied together. My sister, thirty-nine, was wearing a bike helmet (the card had called for anything with a chinstrap), and her pajama sleeves hung loosely by her sides (another card had informed her that she was now "armless" - we had to roll the die for her after that). Who were these people? I have known them all my life, yet throughout this spirited game I had witnessed surprisingly novel actions: My mother pantomiming that she was wearing flippers and a snorkel while being attacked by a swarm of bees. My father, a physician, delivering a moving eulogy for his fictitious dog "Scooter," who, according to the instructions on the card, had an affinity for coleslaw and delighted in playing with large land mammals. Never had I seen my sister slap herself on the face, turn to me and yell "you must not defy the king!" The four of us agreed that we have never laughed so hard, or so consistently, as we had during that hour of play. I admit, I was skeptical before purchase. After reading some of the reviews and viewing pictures of the box online, it had first seemed as if Quelf was some sort of wacky game that needs a certain setting, mood, or substance related enhancement in order to be fully appreciated. This is not the case. There are elements of the game, such as the trivia and category parts, that help Quelf to maintain its flow and keep the players grounded in authentic board-game style competition...This game sucks you in and then absolutely hammers you with random acts of creativity and humor. Player age, gender, and personality are non-factors. Quelf has an uncanny capacity for drawing out the best (and by "best", I mean the ability to make other people laugh until they nearly soil themselves) in anyone.”

I can’t wait to play again. (Many thanks for Allie for schooling us, otherwise we might not know about this fun game!)

A Time of Gratitude :)

2011-08-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

It had been years since everyone was home for Thanksgiving. I didn’t have a lot of hope that this time would be any different, but I was wrong!

I know that it hard on my college girls to come home because finals are just around the corner and transportation is always hard.

However things fell into place. A few kids from our ward were heading home and had room in their vehicles. Jennifer was motivated to come home and Allie like the idea.

So in the midst of a BIG snow storm, they departed for the long, slow journey westward. Waiting up half the night was so worth it.

We had several days with all our kids, plus one.

Paul wanted to play with his camera and tripod a little bit.

Jennifer and her man wouldn’t let anything or anyone come between them!

Paul kept up his tradition to put up the Christmas lights. Only the cat wanted to *help*

It ended up taking longer than planned (so what’s new?)

We attempted to make a drive up to the lake. . .

but had to turn back due to the lack of chains and a whole bunch of sliding!

We were so glad to have them come, but it was eerily quiet once they left.

Tree Toppling

2011-08-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

Because we are so SMART and knowledgeable, we decided to cut down a few aspen trees in our front yard. We had been getting mini trees sprouting in our front lawn and KNEW this would take care of it.

My men came up with a plan and set to work.
And down they went. . .

But the finishing work still needed to be done.

We even had helpers show up!

HOWEVER, we immediately regretted removing these beauties from our yard. And we have since determined that the sprouts weren’t coming from these trees after all.
See how smart we are?

Back to Boring

2011-07-31T20:18:00.001-07:00

Since I am taking a ridiculously long time to catch up on this blog, I cannot remember much of anything that might be remotely interesting after we got back from our trip.
So we will have to be entertained by Allie via photos. . . .

I really have no clue what she is doing in these photos, but I am certain that if YOU asked her, she would have a great story for each and every one.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

2011-07-20T15:09:00.001-07:00

It was a great trip, but it was time to go home.

We had our choice of seats!

Southwest plied us with plane crackers.

There really is no place like home. The very best part of any trip is returning home to your own bed and your own shower (before you have to face the real world!)

It was a neat experience to take David back to his mission. It was obvious to us that he was sent to the right spot for him and how much he loved the people in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. Those feelings were mutual.

Massachusetts!

2011-07-19T21:32:00.001-07:00

We spent a little time in Massachusetts. Our hotel was in Revere (where my grandparents went to high school) next to the New England Confectionary Company.

We took off in our rental car armed with our GPS wanting to go to the Boston Temple. This is when we found out that our GPS does NOT like Boston. There were so many twists and turns that we ended up going in circles. But we persevered!

We didn’t have enough time to explore the Boston area, but that wasn’t the point of our trip. Perhaps someday we can see the sites in Boston, but not this time.

A Short Venture into New Hampshire

2011-07-17T17:50:00.001-07:00

We spent the night in New Hampshire. We did not get to our hotel until after dark, but when I looked out the window the next morning, I was awestruck with the view. . . .

David’s last area was Laconia, New Hampshire. He only spent a few transfers there (the other three areas where he served, he spent a lot more time.) But he had been serving there only a few weeks prior to our trip, so no one really missed him YET.

This is where he lived:

We visited a few people that crossed his path while he was there (though we didn’t get pictures of them all.)

Sunday in Maine . . . and New Hampshire

2011-06-26T21:44:00.001-07:00

After attending a branch that David served in, we headed out. David really wanted to visit a couple he met on his mission, but they had moved to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. So we re-arranged our route to our next destination to make it happen.

We reached their apartment before they did, so we hung out at the beach . . . which was right outside their door!

David was thrilled to see them! They had called a few times when he was on his mission to let us know what a great job he was doing. Things like this bring joy to a missionary mom’s heart.

From there we drove to New Hampshire and stopped off at a family’s home. While they are not members, they know how to take care of missionaries!

One of the neat things about this trip was to see the relationships that our son formed with so many different people, members or not.

Lighthouse!

2011-06-25T22:07:00.001-07:00

We decided upon a side trip on the way back to the hotel.

We went through a little town called Stockton Springs to get to Fort Point Lighthouse.

We didn’t have enough cash on us to pay the day use fee so we took a quick peek (with enough time for a few photos!)

We drove by Perry’s Nut House so many times that we HAD to stop and check it out.

We did not leave empty-handed!

Later that day, we met up with a gal that David met on his mission. She would play games with the missionaries at a game store on their p-days.

Penobscot Narrows Observatory and Fort Knox

2011-05-01T21:52:00.001-07:00

We went sightseeing with a family that David really enjoyed. We went to an observatory tower and a fort (which were right next to each other.)

That skinny thing in the distance is the bridge observatory.

This was the fun family we went with. It was awesome to watch David interact with their boys.

I decided to go for it and try valiantly not to let the height bother me. My plan was to stand as far away from the windows.

I tried stepping closer and point my camera down. Just looking at the photo makes my heart race and I can feel the fear creeping in!

But I did it! I was grateful to see the beautiful landscape.

Next we headed over to the fort. David was messing around outside.. . .

There was a small town across the bay called Bucksport that really caught my eye. It was just as I imagined all small towns in Northern New England must look like!

This was the outside of the fort as we were heading to the entrance.

David facing down into a canon.

There was a reenactment of a canon being shot that was pretty fascinating. The fellow below was narrating and telling the others what to do. . .

I tried to take of picture when they shot it off, but I JuMpEd and this is the shot I ended up with. I thought it was pretty funny.

The inside of the fort was pretty cool. I can’t imagine how cold it must have been during the winter months.

There’s Bucksport!

It was a fun sight seeing adventure.

Belfast and Beyond

2011-04-10T09:12:00.001-07:00

We began our exploration of Belfast, Maine. We parked near the water.

David told us that he once crossed the bay on the footbridge below the bridge we drove over. (It’s the white bridge close to the water.) He said it was nasty weather that day!

Paul wanted to get a little bird watching in.

A decorative lobster trap

Bowen’s Tavern . . . we didn’t go in and see if we knew the owners.

David lived behind the home of some non members when he served in Belfast.

Downtown Belfast

We visited a family he really enjoyed . . .dad at home with the boys and the mom at work. . . .we *forced* ourselves to have some ice cream.

We drove down to Camden, Maine (a touristy little town) for lunch.

The drive was so pretty. Just off the coast is Islesboro, Maine where John Travolta has a home. David said it is accessible by ferry which has limited hours. (I didn’t take a picture of the island, but there are some other photos along the way for your viewing pleasure.)

David spent many of his p-days (preparation day) at a game shop where he would play games like Settlers of Catan with the shop owner. What a nice fellow (it is a crummy photo.)

We stopped by to visit another family that David really enjoyed.

We were invited to dinner at perhaps David’s very favorite family’s home. Their little girl reminded David of one of our neighbor's. The Bernards will always hold a special place in David’s heart.

David’s first kiss after his mission!

We are grateful to this family for taking care of our boy and feeding him so well.

It was a wonderful day and we were pooped!

Meandering to Maine

2011-04-03T17:51:00.001-07:00

The next day was a travel day. We had wanted to make a few stops but ended up eliminated Ben and Jerry’s and a trip up Mount Washington (it was rainy so we would not have been able to see any way.)

We opted to go to the Cabot Cheese Factory. This is also when we found out that we were not a party of three but a party of five. .

David was texting and sending photos to two girls our entire trip! We headed into the cheese factory, paid for our tour, looked around the gift shop and tried sample for an hour, gave up on the tour and left bearing edible goodies.

Glad I wasn’t in the back seat with him ^ but in the front seat next to my man!

We spent the bulk of the day driving. .

It was not unusual to see a roadside cemetery

We stopped in the Farmington/Wilton area which was the second place where David served. He wanted to visit a family but could not quite remember where they lived. We hunted for a little while and he thought he had it figured out. It was the right house, but no one was there.

We stopped at the Walmart and happened to run into the missionaries serving in the area! David was able to ask about this family and was told that they had moved!

We then headed to the apartment where he had lived and we caught the elders heading home

Then we kept on driving. .

We tried to visit another family enjoyed before we arrived in Belfast, Maine, but they weren’t home. So we headed to the coast to spend time in one of David’s very favorite areas.

More Belfast-ian adventures to come. . . .

Visiting in Vermont

2011-03-27T21:24:00.001-07:00

We went to find some of the people that David really wanted to see. It was quite the opportunity to see some of Vermont, off the beaten path.

Our first stop was to find the fellow that David used to milk cows for as part of the service he was required to do each week.. He was coming out of his driveway in his tractor as we were arriving so he stopped it right where he was.

David had a nice visit with him and left with a milking stool. (Let’s just say it was super smelly and was not cleaned up at all.)

Next we headed to Vermont Technical College. The fellow that was ward mission leader when David was in the area is the cross country coach. So we stopped in for a visit and David played a little basketball (while his old parents rested and watched!)

David had us drive by his apartment. They lived towards the back of the building.

From there, we headed to a couple’s home. They were baptized shortly after David arrived on his mission. They had invited us for dinner.

Another thing David had done for his service hours was to chop wood. While this is not the exact wood he chopped, this is where it was stored.

We found out why David loved Vermont and the people he interacted with. What a wonderful place to serve!

Praise to the Man. . .

2011-03-13T17:58:00.001-07:00

David’s first area on his mission was in South Royalton, Vermont. This area included Sharon which was Joseph Smith’s birthplace.

After looking around and visiting with the directors, we took a tour of the home and the grounds.

What outing is complete without a few cheesy pictures!

David did not serve in the visitor’s center, but in the surrounding area. They were allowed to bring investigators to the site.

It was so beautiful there. We were so fortunate to visit in the fall with all the beautiful colors. Because it was rainy, we did not explore some of the areas on the grounds that David told us about.

We are so grateful for all that Joseph Smith did. He, as a 14 year old boy, asked Heavenly Father which church was the right one to join. This act forever changed his life and many other peoples too.

Heading to Vermont

2011-03-06T08:59:00.001-08:00

It was a rainy day, but that didn’t prevent it from being beautiful. The landscape is so different than the desert!

Some of the leaves were changing in New Hampshire.

It was not unusual to see granite hillsides.

We explored a covered bridge in Vermont. From the bridge, there were breathtaking views.

I loved seeing this mushroom growing in the knot of a tree!

We stopped for lunch at a pizza spot that David loved on his mission. Of course I forgot to take a photo. . . I was too hungry to think of it!

Our Next Big Adventure!

2011-03-01T13:45:00.001-08:00

It’s not like we go on big trips very often, but apparently 2010 was our year to travel big.

We took Jennifer back to her mission so it seemed only fair to take David back to his. Because we didn’t know what his plans were after his mission, we decided to head out sooner than later.

We didn’t want to experience a New England winter and were greatly tempted by the allure of the fall colors, so we left less than two weeks after he returned home!

Day 1 was spent traveling. We changed planes in Phoenix.

Our destination was Boston where it was raining.

We drove to New Hampshire and collapsed in our hotel room.

And that was our first day of our New England journey.

Reunited!

2011-02-27T14:28:00.001-08:00

When David returned home from his mission, he took great joy being reunited with his gaming systems and iPod and was overjoyed to make the acquaintance of a new cell phone.

In fact, it was hard to pull him away from them all. Drastic measures needed to be taken.

David had not seen his sisters in over two years. (Jennifer left for her mission 4 months before David left.) So a road trip was in order.

We loaded up the van and headed to Utah. One of the things David learned on his mission was how to eat. He managed to polish off a meal that he would have previously picked at.

Our challenge to was actually hook up with his sisters. We managed to track down Allie at the Wilk. . .

Jennifer was harder to find. We went to her apartment a few times before we finally found her.

And then we headed out to dinner. They were as goofy as always. . or maybe that was just Allie!

It was great to spend time with all the kids. The downside of the whole trip was that Paul was not able join us.

We have to enjoy these moments because they are all growing up and will go their separate ways. I always wonder when the last time will be.

Finally!

2011-02-24T16:03:00.001-08:00

Allie had bad timing. She put off getting her learner’s permit until the day before she turned 17. She got so busy that she rarely wanted to practice driving the 40 required hours to get her license.

She ended up leaving for college less than two weeks after her high school graduation. There just wasn’t time to fit those 40 hours in along with packing, so the license had to wait.

She came home for 10 days after the summer term. She had not driven in a while. . . needless to say, the driving test did not go well.

Fast forward to her return home the following June. . . she still had not practiced and it reflected in her driving skills.

In August, the day before she was to return to school, she was able to squeeze in one last test and this time there was SUCCESS!

She was thrilled! (as were her parents)

She left for school the next day and became a truck driver for BYU catering. Seriously!

A few weeks later her license came in the mail.

Two Years and Five Days, But Whose Counting?

2011-02-22T18:44:00.001-08:00

As much as you get excited for your missionary to leave. .. ,

nothing compares to the return home. True, we did have five telephone conversations and seen a few photos, but that is not the same.

We headed to the airport and got there just in time for the plane to land.

We waited patiently for the passengers to deplane.

Did I say patiently?

It’s hard to see him, but he’s coming!!!!

(The above would have been better if I weren’t so darn excited and had a hard time focusing.)

Did he change? You tell me:

Before

After:

It was a joyous occasion

Hike around Spooner

2011-02-20T19:27:00.001-08:00

We wanted to get our fill of Allie before she left so we decided to take around Spooner Lake, just up the mountain. Sadly we got a late start. . . .creeps me out. (especially the guy who was camping out that scared us . . .meaning me. . when he said hi.)

But we got some cool photos at sunset/dusk!

Picnic at the Lake

2011-02-20T18:23:00.001-08:00

Although we have lived near Lake Tahoe for over a decade, we have not spent much time at North Shore. A friend told me about a spot they like to have a picnic dinner so we decided to try it out while Allie was still around.

We picked up some sandwiches and headed to the picnic tables. Paul picked one out for us.

It looked like a good one. . . no one else had claimed it and it was pretty peaceful all around.

The views were breathtaking:

Allie had the chance to play with her new camera (that takes panorama pictures.)

Paul enjoyed the get away.

We even had a couple of bear sightings on the way home!

Craig’s List from a Distance

2011-02-17T19:13:00.001-08:00

Allie decided it was time to give up her drum set. She really enjoyed it while she was at home. But it would be too hard to pack up to take to college. . . can you imagine how popular she would have been with her roommates?

So she posted it for sale on Craig’s List while she was off at school and the drum set was home:

She managed to sell it! The buyer showed up with cash in hand. He had bought it for his son’s 12th birthday. He could not wait to see how excited he was!

Allie was just as excited to pay her rent

Never Bored

2011-02-13T19:42:00.001-08:00

Allie is never bored. She has always known how to entertain herself.

One of her hobbies is collecting Starburst wrappers. She doesn’t particularly care for the candy but she loves the wrappers.

She has been known to sort them for hours . . .

and hours.

She has good friends who collect them for her and keep them in pristine shape to conform with her standards.

She keeps them in a large jar so she can admire the pretty colors and encourage more people to assist her in her quest to have the world’s largest collection. (Okay, I don’t know if this is true, but it sounds good, right?)

Needless to say, she was pretty happy to see her countdown chain shrink (the number of days until she is to return back to college and her people.)

Just when you think things are calming down. . .

2011-02-08T22:56:00.001-08:00

The day after we arrived home from our adventure to Canada, we got a phone call that made us very uncomfortable. . . some of us more than others.

The stake presidency wanted to meet with us the following Sunday. That could NOT be a good thing.

Late that afternoon, Paul was extended a calling as bishop of our ward. He was excited; I was distraught. I knew that I would have to give up my calling as Relief Society president. I felt like I had not accomplished the things I was supposed to while serving in that position.

As week went by, Heavenly Father answered my prayers and helped me understand that it is His will and not mine that is important. Paul is the one who is supposed to serve in this capacity at this time.

He was sustained and set apart on August 3, 2010.

We wonder how much he will change by the time he is released. . how much grey hair, or how little hair might remain . . . will he still look like the stake president-proclaimed baby-faced bishop?

Allie’s Birthday!

2011-02-06T17:50:00.001-08:00

We arrived back home the day before Allie’s birthday. We were super glad that she survived her time home alone. We are so grateful to all those who watched out for her and entertained her.

It’s not too often that a college kid is home for a birthday so we felt really lucky.

She opened birthday greetings from relatives. . .

and got everything she asked for.

We have been so blessed to have Allie in our lives. She brings a smile to our faces with her personality and we enjoy the depth of her thinking, her joy for life and her kindness to others.

Detroit

2011-01-31T13:55:00.001-08:00

One of the exciting parts of this trip is that I was able to notch my 49th state, Michigan.

We wanted to spend more time there than just flying in and out. We opted to spend some time by the riverfront of the Detroit River. We targeted the Renaissance Center as the spot to go.

I have to admit it made me a bit angry to see this opulent building, owned by a company that was bailed out by we, the people.

The ground floor had car displays.

We grabbed some lunch in the food court and then headed out the doors to the river.

Across the river is Windsor, Ontario, Canada which is south of Detroit!

We walked along the river a little ways. There was a riverboat and a monument to Detroit’s Underground Railroad.

And just like anywhere that has water, they had seagulls (I just liked the picture and wanted to work it in here!)

Then we headed to the airport and flew to Salt Lake City. We had to get Jennifer back to her apartment because she was supposed to work at 6 am. The real pity is that Paul could not remember where he parked the car!

The biggest challenge returning home was transporting a whole bunch of chocolate on a hot day in the middle of summer while driving across Nevada in an un-air conditioned car.

About half way home, we came up with the bright of idea of keeping it cool with dry ice. Most of the goodies made it home with little meltage so Allie could sample them in their intended form.

It was a GREAT trip but it sure was nice to return home!

Our Last Hurrah

2011-01-30T19:40:00.001-08:00

Before we left the Toronto area, we drove to Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto to visit some people Jennifer wanted to visit.

We saw some interesting architecture there.

That was the only building I had the presence of mind to take a picture of. Oh well.

We spent the night in London, Ontario. Before heading to the border, we stocked up on Canadian chocolate which is far superior to United States chocolate.

The Aero bar is a chocolate bar filled with air bubbles. I guess that is supposed to be pretty tasty. Who knew!

This beauty is “It is a hazelnut cream filled wafer with a chocolate covering.” Bueno bars are pretty tasty!

I have to admit I did not sample the Big Turk. It just didn’t sound all that appealing to me. “It contains pink coloured Turkish Delight, which is coated in milk chocolate.” Would you try it?

It is loved by Canadians for its delicious chewy combination of roasted peanuts, crunchy rice crisps and smooth caramel, all wrapped in Cadbury milk chocolate. (I didn’t try this either since I am not a fan of peanuts.)

Who knew Smarties were chocolate! They are in Canada. . .sort of like plain m&m’s.

I am pretty sure KitKats (Canadian-style) were my favorite. So much better than anything we can get around here. KitKats are made by Nestle in every country except the USA. . . hmmmm. I wonder what Hershey’s does that makes it not taste as delicious?

We thought this the best way to spend the last of our Canadian currency.

Problem was that we found ourselves in need of a rest room just before the border. After a half hour of searching for any place that might have a “washroom” we finally found one at a convenience store. We felt obligated to buy something . . .like

Lucky for us, they accepted US currency!

Da Zoo

2011-01-29T13:16:00.001-08:00

Any one who knows us, knows that no trip is complete without a trip to the zoo. So where did we go on our last Monday? You got it. . . the Toronto Zoo

Armed with binoculars and knee braces, we took on the ridiculous large and very spread out zoo.

There was a cool butterfly garden

We crossed the “equator”

Lots of exhibits

Interesting snacks (this sign is for “bear claws”)

Fun signs

My feet tell me we walked every inch of that place. I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same.

Sunday in Toronto

2011-01-28T14:36:00.001-08:00

We really wanted to keep the Sabbath day holy and not go out to eat. So we bought some goodies on Saturday at one the spots where Jennifer had the opportunity to eat plenty of times

We let Jennifer pick which ward she wanted to visit. She seemed pretty certain no one would remember her, but was she ever wrong!

The people in this ward celebrated her. We met so many people who were excited to see her. It was a very friendly ward and filled with so many different nationalities.

The bishop and his wife invited over for dinner. Jennifer *thought* she knew how to get there. After first thinking it might be at a house with a pretty flower bush . . .

we found the right house

and had a nice dinner and visit.

We visited a few more families. It was nice to see for ourselves some of what she experienced and it was a nice way to spend the Sabbath day.

Toronto Temple and China Town

2011-01-27T14:33:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, we spent the morning at the Toronto Temple

It was hard to get a good photo from the car

It was an international experience!

That afternoon we went on another adventure that Jennifer enjoyed on p-days. We took the subway and the trolley to get to China Town.

I took the obligatory picture of the CN Tower. . . oh so close and yet so far.

There were a lot of shops selling cheap trinkets and t shirts, along with a lot of stalls selling food, many of which I had never seen before.

We shopped for Allie’s birthday and thought she would enjoy this hat which was a challenge to get home without damage!

We headed back to the hotel loaded with cheap t shirts and other memorabilia on the trolley and the subway once again.

It was a good day but we were worn out, with feet aching. We had thought about heading back downtown but only Jennifer was spry enough to consider the plan. A night off won out, much to her dismay.