Bring it!

Can you say OBSESSION? Hahahaha! Check out this video!

Get ready.
Here it comes.
We've got our reserved seat tickets. Do you?

Christmas music

When do you start listening to Christmas music?

Our local radio stations FM 100 and FM 106.5 have been playing Christmas music since the day after Halloween - 24/7. I can't stand it. Seriously, I just boycott those stations. It's way too early for my taste! Of course I have a husband who won't even "allow" Christmas music played in the house until after Thanksgiving and I must admit that I agree with him there. His thinking is that the month of November should be for Thanksgiving and that we shouldn't just gloss over it on our way to Christmas. I will admit that I have listened to a few songs on the sly, but I have yet to put in a CD and listen to the whole thing. But I am getting excited to listen to Christmas music, in it's own appointed time - which in our house comes the day after Thanksgiving and not one minute sooner!

Here is my personal favorite list:

• Josh Groban - NOEL - if you don't have this CD, you really should add it to your collection, it's amazing!
• James Taylor at Christmas - new last year and very good
• Kurt Bestor - all of his CDs are amazing
• Martina McBride - White Christmas - Love it!
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Sing Choir of Angels - a beautiful collection of Christmas carols
• The Messiah in it's entirety, our version is by the MTC and orchestra
• Mannheim Steamroller - All their CDs are wonderful for background, get in the Christmas mood type music
• Sing-a-long-with Mitch - a classic in our family that really brings back great memories of childhood

Other classics like the Carpenters, Neil Diamond, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby

What are some of your favorites?

The FUNNIEST video ever!

Weekend in Colorado

We had a fun adventure in Colorado last weekend. Rick and I drove over last Thursday and arrived in time to pick Dave and Courtney up from the airport. It took us about 7 1/2 hours to drive over and they decided to fly so they could attend their classes that day before leaving. We stayed in Denver that night and got up ready to see the city.



Here is a shot outside the state capitol building in Denver.














Dave and Courtney inside the rotunda of the capitol. They are such a cute couple, if I do say so myself! We had such a good time with them and enjoyed many great conversations.

Inside the Brown Palace Hotel. This is the hotel where we stayed on our honeymoon over 29 years ago. It is a beautiful, stately five star hotel and we loved seeing it again. This is the stained glass ceiling in the lobby. While we were on our honeymoon, we visited Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Boulder. This trip we got to see two of the four cities and enjoyed remembering our honeymoon adventure to Colorado.

This is the stadium (Invesco Field) where President- elect Obama gave his acceptance speech after being nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The posers outside the Brown Palace with a very cold cowboy.














A beautiful church across the street. Denver has some amazing architecture and old buildings that have been beautifully restored. It has a wonderful downtown area.

































We're still going strong after all these years of beginning life together and spending our first night at the Brown Palace!














Looking around downtown Denver.














The mile high marker outside the capitol building.














This was a very interesting display we came across in the capitol showing things from Mongolia, of all places. It was very interesting to see.














Go MONGOLIA!



















Woot woot for Ulaanbaartar! Andy's home away from home!















Before the BYU-Air Force football game, all the cadets came out on the field dressed in uniform. It was a magnificent sight. It makes you really proud to be an American. The Air Force Academy is a very classy place and all their people were so kind and professional. The people in the stadium take presenting the colors of our flag very seriously and it was completely quiet for the flag and the National anthem. We didn't get flipped off or sworn at once! In fact, fellow tailgaters were very helpful and kind to us. Those same courtesies won't be be extended this weekend when BYU plays the evil alleged University of Utah (.....how ironic is that?)




























We spotted our friend Tie Tie Phillie (not his real name) on the field during the game! He is an equipment manager for the BYU football team. He is the one right in the middle of the picture just to the right of the group of football players. GO TY!














Here he is retrieving the kicking tee after another kick off. It was fun to see him in action! He's the one in the dark blue suit (not the kicker in uniform on the field...hahaha) BYU beat Air Force by the score of 38-24. The Cougs are now 10-1 on the year.














We got A LOT of good shopping in on Friday afternoon. We went to these HUGE outlet malls called the Castle Rock outlets and used our friends and family discount card given to us by Claire. We made a haul and got a bunch of good stuff and a lot of Christmas shopping done. Our truck (oops I meant trunk) was stuffed to capacity and we barely made it home.














*****More pictures to come with R and Claire. They came to Denver on Friday night and we continued our fun weekend with them through Sunday*****

Happy 82nd Birthday Mom!

Mary Ann, Janet, Gary, baby Vonnie and Mom in Rupert.

Me, Dad and Mom, probably in Providence

Mom in front of our home in Rupert. Mom and Dad in our living room.

Grandma F. Aunt Rhonda, Mom and Aunt Gayla

High school graduation in 1973.

Lee, Carol, Me, Mom, Paul and Dad. Graduation from BYU 1979.

Mom and her mother-in-law Grandma Mayme at Bear Lake.

Mom on a family vacation with us in California at the beach.

At the Clarkston cemetery decorating the graves with Mom, Gary, Aunt Sarah, Lee and me.

Seeing Mom and David off at the SLC airport before their mission.

Visiting mom at the London temple.

Mom showing her adventuresome side! She is intrepid and is always up for a good time.

Snorkeling at Cozumel on the family cruise at 78 years old.

Mom with our family after Dave got home from his mission.

Me and Mom in her home last year. Isn't she beautiful?

My mother is an amazing woman. She has lived 82 years to the fullest and she is still going strong, enjoying good health and energy. Here are some interesting tidbits about Mom:

• She was born in Providence, the oldest daughter and second oldest child. She grew up in Providence and she has come full circle, living there again during the summer months.
• She learned to work hard on their family ranch during the summers. Her parents had some money and she didn't want for much.
  
• She fell into a cistern filled with water and nearly drowned when she was small. Her dad fished her out and saved her life. She was sent back to finish her life on earth by her deceased relatives.
  
• Her mother was a gracious woman who taught her how to cook, clean, entertain and keep a home. We owe much to Grandma F. for her influence on her son & daughters
  
• She met our dad and married him three months later. Their match was made in heaven and it was meant to be.
  
• Her father LaVon died suddenly of a heart attack when Mom was a young married woman while he was out deer hunting. She said it was the greatest shock of her life.
  
• she and her husband left Utah and moved to Idaho to take a good paying job teaching school. They thought they would be back in a couple of years. She didn't return for 32 + years.
  
• Mom and Dad raised seven kids on a 40 acre farm in Idaho. She worked hard from sun up to pretty much sun down. She taught us how to do many things that have blessed our lives immensely. She is a great cook, a wonderful seamstress, a organized entertainer and a gifted homemaker in every sense of the word.
  
• We lost our dad to cancer when she was 56 years old. She mourned his loss for many years, but she wasn't one to sit around and mope forever. She got some training in medical assisting and went out and got a job. Once she found out she had to show up every day, it cramped her style too much and she gave it up. But she was trained and willing to work if the need arose.
• She met Darwin P. about eight years after our dad passed away. They were married on her 65th birthday and they lived in Logan during the summer and in Mesa Arizona during the winter months.
• She served in the church in many capacities. She was Relief Society president at least three times and taught the gospel in various classes. She has been a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and she has a firm testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
  
• After Darwin died, she met a very nice man named David E. in Mesa. They were married and later served a mission to the London temple as temple workers. They enjoyed that opportunity and experience very much. They also took up playing tennis and they have had a great time competing with their friends. She is still going strong playing tennis!
  
• For her 80th birthday, we had a family party at Timp Lodge. All of her children were there and almost all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It was a memorable time to be together celebrating Mom's wonderful life.
• Mom has had some hard trials to surmount and she has done it was determination and faith. She survived breast cancer and is an example to us all of one who doesn't complain and who moves ahead amid the challenges of life.

I pay tribute to my mother. She has been a wonderful example to me of how to live life and never give up. She has shown courage and guts and she is always positive and productive. I have always known that she loves me and she is generous with her praise and unconditional love. She had high expectations for all of us and she always encouraged us to do our best. Thank you Mom for setting such a good example for all of us. Mom, you are my hero and I love you very much.