MY NEW KNEES, TRIPS, and BABY!!! 2010

Better late than never. I really need to blog about my past year with two total knee replacement surgeries, two wonderful trips, and a new grandbaby. First the knees.....WOW & OUCH!!! The only way to describe my past year. I really feel like I spent the entire 2010 year either having surgeries or recovering from them. I had both of my knees replaced, one March 11th and the other on October 19th. I really had no choice. They were both full of arthritis and bone-on-bone. Every step I took was very painful. I spent 6 days in the hospital with #1 and 5 days with #2. With each one I had 3 weeks worth of blood thinning shots (administered with glee by my sweet husband - I had to keep reminding him that I wasn't a cow and he didn't need to stab me that hard!), 3 weeks on a continuous motion knee machine where I almost went insane with boredom, and 2 painful months doing physical therapy (loved the PT ladies, just hated what they did to me!) Wayne was my nurse and I couldn't have asked for anyone better. He took great care of me, took over the house and meals and laundry, was my biggest cheerleader with his positive comments on how much better I was doing than "last week", and gave me my pills. However, after 2 1/2 weeks he did say that I didn't need the "narcs" anymore and he didn't want me to get hooked. He was right.....I really didn't need them! Thank goodness for insurance. After paying my $2500 in deductible and $2500 in co-pays with the first surgery, the second one was actually paid for. The surgeries were about $35,000 each which included, I think, the titanium knee itself which was well over $20,000. Anyway, sure glad it is over and they feel SO MUCH BETTER! I ride my stationary bike most every day to keep them bending and I hope to get more strength back in them as time goes on. But as for now, I am very happy that I did it. I couldn't say that for about three months after each surgery. Thought I'd made a big mistake. The recovery time was something else! Between surgeries we went to Wisconsin in May to see Jeff graduate from Vet School. We rented a car and drove home on I-80 seeing sights along the way including a visit to the Nauvoo Temple, Denver Temple, and Arches National Park. The new right knee survived quite well. The not-yet-done left knee revolted majorly! In September we drove Jeff's car to his new home in Colby Wisconsin and saw the sights along the way on I-94 (I think), spent some fun days with our kids and baby Michael there while Wayne was Jeff's vet tech for a couple of days, then we flew home. Shortly afterwards our 18th grandchild was born, beautiful Addison Lee Ballif, to Kelly and Bob. Yes, we really had an eventful year!!!

Man, has this blog suffered since I discovered "Facebook". Anyway, Wayne and I just returned from a fun trip to Jeff's vet school graduation (call him Dr. Smart!) and I thought I'd better blog about our Salt Lake City airport and Chicago Midway airport experiences. This blog is used as my personal journal and apparently I am writing in it about as often as I did my actual journal.

Of course, we had to clear airport security in Salt Lake and I knew I'd "beep" because of my new artificial knee which I received on March 11th. (that needs to be blogged about later!) Anyway, of course I "beeped" so was sent to wait in a separate booth. My cane was taken away from me to be screened and I was given an "airport loaner". What did they think they would find inside my cane??? Anyway, they screened my body with a "wand" and the only place it beeped was my new knee. So, they called a female attendant to literally pat my WHOLE body down. During all of this, Wayne is off in the corner waving to me, he having cleared security in about 15 seconds.

Our plane was 20 minutes late in leaving which wasn't good since we only had 30 minutes leeway to land in Chicago if we got off on time, get through the terminal, and catch the 1:30 bus to Madison, Wisconsin. I had requested a wheelchair in Chicago because, face it, me and my cane have two speeds - slowest and stop. I knew I needed help getting through the airport.

Our plane was late arriving in Chicago and because of some mixup arrived at a different gate than where the wheelchair was waiting for me. The stewardess said to stay on the plane and they'd inform me when it arrived. No thanks, I was in a huge hurry to make this bus. You see, we had a 2 year old with us (grandson Michael) and if we missed the bus we had a 3 hour wait until the next one. Entertaining a 2 year old for 3 hours at baggage claim wasn't an option so we HAD to make this bus.

I noticed a lady (not an airport employee) wheeling a wheelchair to our gate. I said "That is for me!" and promptly sat down in it. Wayne and our daughter-in-law Nicole piled Michael on with me along with two carry-on bags and Michael's carseat. Nicole set off pulling two bags and Wayne took off pushing the loaded wheelchair and pulling another bag along behind him. This crazed man was attempting to set speed records through Midway Airport. We were passing tons of people and attempting to not take them out with the carseat which was precariously poking out from the wheelchair. We began observing several other wheelchairs, all being pushed by airport employees in red vests. About this time we decided we had stolen some wheelchair but we didn't have time to repent so onward we flew past security guards who didn't even stop us.

We left Nicole at baggage claim to get her checked bag and Wayne pushed me, Michael, and all of our stuff to the outside curb to await the bus. He had to set the brake on the wheelchair to keep it from rolling away, then returned to help Nicole leaving me alone with a baby, carseat, and two bags, and very defenseless. Within a minute the bus pulled up right in front of where I was parked. I looked at the driver when he opened his door and said "You are who I need." Poor guy looked shocked and probably wondered what he had done to deserve this lady in his bus.

Well, our stuff got loaded in the bus, Nicole's bag arrived quickly at baggage claim, and we made our 1:30 bus. Wayne wheeled the wheelchair back to the airport and left it just inside the door. I have probably made Chicago Midway's "no fly" list and I am sincerely sorry for stealing the wheelchair away from that lady. In my defense, however, I WAS DESPERATE!!!

Thoughts About The Election

We voted on Tuesday on the 31 million dollar hospital bond. It went down by a vote of 2 to 1, which we were relieved to see. Now, it isn't that we don't think a new hospital is needed in our county. If we only had to pay the cost of one soda pop per day, which those pushing this bond said, we would have voted for it in a heartbeat. That would have come to $187 a year!

However, being a land owner (and not a large land owner, either) we would have had to pay a minimum of $1000 more per year in additional property taxes and, if the hospital couldn't pay their share (which most likely they couldn't for a few years) it would have increased our taxes by almost $2000 per year. Bye bye, thoughts of serving a mission!

Property owners get taxed way more than our share. We are currently paying $600 a year for the fire department, $300 for the library, and that soda pop per day for mosquito abatement. If anyone's house or hay barn catches on fire where we live, just kiss it goodbye. The fire department will arrive in time to watch the rest of it burn. The library is nice, but not even our grandkids use it much. They use the library at their own school, or the internet. The mosquito control, well they don't come out here too often. We were run out with mosquitos this past summer.

The economy sucks right now. We sold our dairy cows in February because we were beginning to lose money bigtime. Now we sit with a barn completely full of hay, with NO buyers. It is that way all over our county. Probably our country, too. This isn't the time to try to pass a large bond for a hospital, and the voters spoke that overwhelmingly.

Hopefully the hospital board will sharpen their pencils and come up with something that the people in the county can live with, AND AFFORD! Example.....why move the nursing home to the new hospital? That is 5 million dollars right there. Also, 500 parking spots? Doctors offices in the hospital? Let them build their own offices.

I don't mind paying my fair share of taxes. "Fair share" is the key to that last sentence. Let's raise the county sales tax so it affects everyone the same. I love my little town and county, but please.....we are hurting right now along with everyone else. Let's help each other through this!

Kids Say The Darndest Things!

My blog is suffering bigtime since I discovered "Facebook". However, I must blog about the cute words of kids before I forget them........

Brenden, my almost 4 year old grandson, was taken to a viewing at a funeral home the other day for his Great-Grandfather Jarman. His mom, Kelly, was hanging back as she doesn't "do bodies". Then she noticed Brenden up by the casket, alone. That wasn't good because with that little precocious child you never know what he will do. Climbing in with great-grandpa could have been an option. So, Kelly goes up to him and picks him up. Here is the conversation: Brenden- "That's Grandpa!" Kelly - "Yes, it is grandpa." B - "He has a hat!" K - "Yes, he does." (his Marine Corp hat was lying on top of him) B - "He has glasses." K - "Yes, he does." B - "He has a mustache." K - "Yes, he has a mustache." Just then his Grandma Ballif comes over and says "Grandpa is sleeping." Brenden pauses, looks at the 'sleeping' grandpa and says "Nah.....he's dead!"

Brenden also announced to his Sunbeam teacher in Primary that he "didn't have anymore grandma's and grandpa's. They are all dead." That came as a surprise to Wayne and I as we feel quite old, but not DEAD yet!

Kori, our 6 year old granddaughter, called on the phone to ask her grandpa if he had a pet dinosaur when he was young. Grandpa replied "Yes, and his name was Dino," to which Kori shrieked in delight to her mother, "Mommy, it's true! Grandpa did have a pet dinosaur." I'm pretty sure it has already been shared in school for show-and-tell so I only hope that grandpa sets her straight before she turns 16 and still believes it!

When our own Jeff was about 4 years old he and his dad were going someplace in the truck and Wayne was telling Jeffrey about his "forebearers." Jeffrey thought this over and said "Daddy, were they real bears?"

Jaime, our resident blonde with a 4.0 grade average through all her schooling years, noticed an "I Voted" sticker on her dads coat when he returned home from the voting place. "Can't dad remember that he voted?" were the words out of this teenagers mouth.

Yes, kids around our house really do say the darndest things!!!

Thoughts on 9-11-2001

I know I've already blogged about September 11, 2001 but where we have just had the 8 year anniversary of the event, I'd like to share some other thoughts.

Undoubtedly, that was the scariest day I have ever had. I felt so worried for the immediate future for my family. I wanted them all here where we could console each other and make sure that we were alright. It was one of those days where I would like to have wrapped myself in an afghan and cowered in the corner of the room.

I have been watching a DVD I purchased called "What We Saw" which had the extensive news coverage of 9-11. I see the looks of horror on those New Yorker's as they were running from the huge cloud of dust and debris. I ache for them and especially those who suffered loss of family and friends.

Things aren't good in our country right now, but I can't dwell on that. I'm not sure there is anything I can do to change the direction our country is going in. Wayne worries constantly about it, it seems, and often expresses his concern for our country's lack of leadership, but I have chosen to concentrate on what I think I CAN DO to help those whom I love and that is to see that my family stays strong in the gospel and their love for each other and that my grandchildren feel safe and secure in their world. They must feel loved and that they have parents and grandparents who will do anything to protect them.

I can continue to plan family get-togethers where we can stay close, pray nightly for the health and safety of my 28 other family members, and give them memories (such as reunions Cousin's Camp's) to fall back on when things get tough. Whitnee was our oldest grandchild on 9-11-01 and was 5 years old at the time. I don't know if she remembers anything about it but it is my hope and prayer that something as devastating as this will not happen again in the lifetimes of our grandchildren.

Smart Family Reunion - July 15-16, 2009

Photos:

Daran & LoriAnn (the "navy blue" family)

Whitnee, Savannah, Scotty, Morgan

Daralyn & Shane (the "black" family)

Brooke, Rylee, Jordan, Amber, Kamryn

Kelly & Bob (the "maroon" family)

Matthew, Kori, Brenden, Ammon

Jaime & Brandon (the "gray" family)

Hadlee, Jessica, Miles

Jeff & Nicole (the "forest green" family)

Michael

We met at Moose Spring Lodge in Oxford and started our "Family Olympics" games. This was a combined Cousin's Camp and Family Reunion with a Family Olympics theme. We played lots of games - kids games and older people games. Many of the games for the older folk had a family history theme. We included Jeff & Nicole over the cell phone because we didn't want to leave them out. WE MISSED THEM!!!

Daran and LoriAnn fixed a delicious dutch oven dinner and a wonderful breakfast the next morning. After cleaning of the lodge, we headed to Twin Lakes for a day in Shane and Daralyn's boat.

Lots of fun!!! Our family gets along so good and everyone is so close. We took family pictures in their shirts. The guys weren't too thrilled to have to wear the shirts, but they did it for mom! Grandpa and I had "aquatic blue" shirts.....we just didn't get our photo taken.

I plan to do "Cousin's Camp" like this again.....lots of adult help, parents watched their kids, and parents bedded them down, too. We have actually 14 kids who qualify for Cousin's Camp now and that is a lot of kids for grandma and grandpa to watch and to trash our house!

The Hershey Kisses

This has been a busy summer for our singing group, "The Hershey Kisses". (We named ourselves that because of the addiction of all of our group to CHOCOLATE!!!) Our group has been together for about 4 years now, and we have a blast! The members are: Sopranos, Roxane Beutler and Lisa Sears; Second Sopranos, Katie Mumford, Janis Buttars (and Corliss Whitehead who is currently serving a mission); Altos, Kelly Ballif (my daughter!), Carol Beutler, and ME! Accompanists are myself, Kelly, and Lisa. Lisa also plays guitar and Kelly has done some accompanying on her clarinet.

We had a neat experience on July 10th. We were invited to sing at the "Noon Music in the Tabernacle" at the Logan Tabernacle. We put on a 50 minute program to lots of people who really enjoyed our music. It was so fun to sing in that special building. The accoustics were awesome. We got tons of compliments.....in fact we were invited back to perform on the "Encore" program on August 14th. What an honor! The tabernacle was packed full that evening. We performed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and had a blast.

These ladies are the best singers from our area and I am just thrilled to be able to sing with them. We are all good friends and have such fun at our practices. We also perform for various Relief Society groups, Book Club groups, DUP Conventions, and we do lots of performing at Christmas time, also making sure to sing for the elderly at the Nursing Home and Heritage Homes. We have to turn down requests to sing sometimes which I feel badly about.

Yes, singing (and accompanying) the Hershey Kisses is definitely a highlight of my life! Our theme song is called "Chocolate" which audiences really love!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

The big 6-0 today.....oh man, am I old! Can't believe that I am now an official sexagenarian. (Now don't get excited. That is a person in their 60's.)

Tuesday we bought a new car from Claire Westover. I am calling it my birthday present. It is a 2006 Buick Lucerne and it is loaded! I've never owned a nicer car. It has seats that get cold or warm on your back and rear. And, this thing I really love, dual temperature controls in the front. So now Wayne can set his side at 71 degrees and I can set mine at 69 for my 24/7 hot flash that I seem to be having. The car is white with kind of a gray interior and looks brand new. We are excited! Our current car was a 1997. If we keep going the way we have been, our next car will be a 2019.

I'm not even depressed to reach 60. My parents died in their 40's so each additional year, or decade, is a bonus to me!!! Also, Happy Birthday to my ancient brother, Colin, who turns 66 tomorrow.

I Sinned In The Pre-Existence!

I am convinced that I did, and must have really done a good one, because God gave me allergies and sent me to live on a farm!

I sort of thought I'd get away without them this year because they started almost a month late. (I usually get them by Memorial Day) We had three straight weeks of rain which delayed them but also allowed those tall grasses to grow much taller than normal.

Well, to make a long story short, THE GRASSES ARE HERE AND DOING WELL, and my eyes are suffering bigtime. I took an allergy pill earlier this morning and have been wiped out all day.

Think I need to move to San Diego.......perfect climate, and no tall farm grasses! The problem goes away when I go to the city - even Preston! I could live in a condo in San Diego overlooking the ocean. I could even be packed and out of here by tomorrow................

Mother's Day 2009

Yesterday was Mother's Day. Not the easiest day of the year for me, I'm afraid. First, we go to church and hear all the beautiful tributes to mother's and that makes me feel guilty because I think I could have been a better mom in many ways. Despite their mother's debatable example, my girls have turned into good homemakers. They all like to cook, I think, and are good housekeepers. They are wonderful mothers, but I KNOW that they can't love their kids more than I did. It's also a hard day as I still miss my own mother very much, even though she passed away almost 40 years ago.

So many people comment on how great our kids have turned out, so we must have done something right. I often joke that we brought the wrong ones home from the hospital. (I wonder how my own biological children are doing?) Yes, the Lord just blessed us with special GOOD kids who turned out regardless of how their parents raised them.

Daran taught me to always look on the positive side of things. I recall his comments when coming home after school to a mom who was "couch-ridden" because of complications of pregnancy with my youngest......"Hi, mom - have you had a good day?" He even remembered to call and wish me "Happy Mother's Day" last night.

Daralyn - actually the child that I do claim. She went to school for the same reason that her mom did.....to have fun! Daralyn is beautiful - inside and out! So sweet and willing to give to and help her siblings and friends in many ways.

Kelly - the child we wondered if we'd live through raising - and now probably our most loving child. I think Kelly finally decided it was okay to be a girl. She hated getting her hair done and loved to climb trees. She had us worried sick at 2:00 a.m. when she was out delivering cookies to ask a guy (Bob) to MORP. She "didn't think it was that late."

Jaime - our resident blonde. Always good for a laugh with her comments. A 4.0 student at school with the nickname of "Not So". Brandon literally "robbed the cradle" with this one - she stayed for free in our hotel room the night before her wedding - but the only thing I'd change about her now is moving her closer to home! I miss her!!!

Then there is baby Jeff - the one the siblings say was spoiled rotten and got away with everything! They are probably right. A harder worker there never was, though. I used to say he was his father's slave-driver. He didn't like to stand around not working while his dad talked! He now has a clone, his nephew Matthew. But, Jeff turned out great and is soon to be our first doctor in the family.....too bad he didn't go out in geriatrics!

I love these kids!!! Being their mother has been the greatest gift in my life. I only hope they remember this tribute when it comes time to put mom in "the home". All I require in their homes is a room of my own with a t.v., bathroom handy, regular meals, and no stairs!!!

I'm Not Gloating.....Just Really Proud!!!

In our school district we have had a competition for the Fine Arts for 10 years which I have been co-chairman of along with a good friend, Mary Jane Penrod. It is known as the "West Side Fine Arts Competition" and has 5 divisions the high school-aged kids can enter in.....Piano, Vocal, Instrumental, Art-Painting, and Art-Drawing. The 1st and 2nd place winners receive savings bonds and plaques. This competition has been held in our small choir room in the Fine Arts Building for 10 years but will now move to our beautiful new auditorium which should be completed this summer.
During the past years I have tried to encourage my older piano students to enter the competition. Some have willingly done it, some consented almost at the point of a gun, and some flatly refused. Anyway, I have had several of my piano students score very well so this is the reason for this boastful blog!
2000 - Jaclyn Cox, a former student, took 2nd Place
2000 - (I don't take credit for this but my son, Jeff, took 2nd place in the Instrumental Division with his Alto Saxophone)
2001 - Cami Mumford took 2nd Place
2002- Cami Mumford took 1st Place
2004 - Candice Whitehead took 1st Place
2006 - Lacy Ralphs took 1st Place
2007 - Brynne Cook took 2nd Place
2008 - Josie Dansie took 1st Place
2008 - Brynne Cook took 2nd Place
2009 - Lori Mumford took 1st Place
According to my math, that is 5 1st Place winners in 10 years.....maybe I will brag! You see, I don't have a music degree from a university and I charge $25.00 a month for lessons while several of the 2nd place winners pay around $75.00 a month from accomplished teachers with music degrees. I have found that the judges don't necessarily look for the most difficult piece played, they just want the piece played well and that is what these students of mine have done.
So, forgive me for bragging but I am proud! I plan to do the competition for another year when we are in our new auditorium (with a BEAUTIFUL YAMAHA CONCERT GRAND PIANO.....9 foot 6 inch.....which will be a thrill for anyone to play) then turn my position over to someone else and hopefully go on a mission with Wayne.

The Week The Cows Left Home

Monday, February 2nd, our dairy cows were sold into the dairy buyout program, and since then life with my retired dairy farmer, Wayne, has been interesting. Here are some of the things that could be heard around our home on Tuesday, the first full day of his retirement.....

(Wayne - 5:00 a.m.) "I can't get back to sleep". (Carolyn) "You could go start cleaning out the den!" (Wayne - 8:00 a.m.) "Are we going to have breakfast?" (Carolyn) "It's not noon yet! We never eat until noon." (Wayne - 10:00 a.m.) "The phone is ringing." (Carolyn) "I've answered it for 32 years.....it's your turn now!" (Wayne - 12:00 noon) "Isn't it time for lunch?" (Carolyn) "We just ate breakfast! I'm never going to lose weight!!!" (Wayne - 5:00 p.m.) "I think I'll go to the road show practice with you." (Carolyn) "I think you're bored!" (Wayne - 5:05 p.m.) "Are we going to eat dinner first?" (Carolyn) "I think I'll look for a job."

We have managed to keep very busy this past month - a city council meeting, four adult education classes on Isaiah, four temple sessions, a couple of movies, two trips to Salt Lake, numerous road show events, and a 7 day vacation to Las Vegas and Southern Utah. We do miss our cows, however. I wonder how long that will last?

Enjoy some photos of Wayne in one of his final milkings, and the cows being loaded into trailors for the trip to Preston, then on to an appointment with the "grim reaper" in Salt Lake.

Pictures from our Trip

Since I haven't figured out how to put writing with photos yet, and I haven't had time to bug Nicole about how to do it, I thought I'd just post the photos with an explanation in this writing.

#1 - St. George Temple which we attended on February 14th

#2 - Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas where we spent 3 nights

#3 - Wayne and I at Hoover Dam

#4 - Beautiful fountains at the Bellagio Hotel

#5 - Las Vegas Temple which we attended on February 18th

#6 - Manti Temple which we attended on February 19th

FUN TRIP - hope to never see Las Vegas again!!!

Our Semi-Retirement Trip Celebration

Now that Wayne is semi-retired (I still plan to post photos of the cows leaving home) we were able to take a weeks vacation. The main focus of this trip was meeting Jeff, Nicole, and Michael in Las Vegas as Jeff was attending the Western Veterinary Conference. How fun to be with them and celebrate Michael's 1st birthday!

Las Vegas is a place I don't plan to visit again. Things have really changed in the 33 years since I've been there. Children are now allowed on the casino floor - they just have to stay about 4 feet from the slot machines. That, to me, is like throwing a skunk into the jury box and telling the jury to disregard it. Between the gambling, smoking, and basically naked ladies dancing on tables in the middle of the day, I am grateful Michael was young enough he won't remember it. I felt like I wasn't old enough to be exposed to that crap! The highlights of the trip to Vegas were touring Hoover Dam, the Fountains at the Bellagio Hotel, shopping at the M & M World Store, and a session in the Las Vegas Temple.

On the way there (we drove because we actually had time to be away!) we spent time in St. George checking out church sites and also a session in that temple. On the way home we took two days to drive and detoured off of I-15 to go to Manti and attend a temple session there. I'm hoping with three temple sessions the Lord will forgive us for walking through Vegas casinos (which we had to in order to get to Jeff's room or our car!)

We had a great time, but were exhausted when we got home - Clifton had never looked better. Give me my boring life anyday with fresh smoke-less air to breathe. My knees will never forgive me for this trip with all the walking. I think I need to get them worked on.

Emotional Day.....

As I write this our cows are on their way to Preston, to be shipped to a meat packing place in Salt Lake. I will put on some photos in a few days, but I just wanted to express my feelings.
The dairy business has been a wonderful blessing to our family. Raising kids on a farm was something I'd recommend to anyone. They always had chores to do and no time to get in trouble. Yes, my husband came in at night stinky and very tired, but the point is that he enjoyed his work. We weren't rich but always made enough to pay bills, put food on the table, send two sons on missions, and college-educate all five of our kids.
But, all good things must come to an end. Wayne is now 63 years old and feels that his energy level isn't what it used to be and that now is the time to begin another phase of our lives. So, we have gone on the dairy buyout. We feel blessed to have been accepted into the program.
He will still farm in the spring and summer but we will now be free to pursue other things. His goal is temple attendance weekly, and maybe family history (wife's thoughts on that one). Hopefully a mission will be coming sometime, also.
I appreciate and love him so much. He is the hardest worker that I know. He will probably drive me nuts now that he has extra time, but I plan to put him to work on those many projects in the house and yard that have been neglected for years. We are now "seniors" on a fixed income. That, itself, sounds strange to me. Please pray for us in this transition in our lives.

Family Christmas Party

Our annual "Smart Family Christmas Party" was held on Friday, January 9th, while Jeff, Nicole, and Michael were home from Wisconsin. I had planned to include photos on this blog but this particular party was held in the dark. We had an 8 hour power outage that day so most of our party was spent packed into Daran's family room with a battery-operated lantern providing a little bit of light.

We managed to eat warmed up french dip thanks to Daran's camp chef stove in his garage and opened up gifts barely before total darkness. I coudn't even read the tags on my gifts to the family.

However, it was still fun and was definitely a party we won't soon forget. The grandkids had a blast with each other, which was the most important. The noise level probably reached well over 100 decibels, but who wants to keep their hearing anyway? LoriAnn is a saint for always volunteering her home for our gatherings. It always manages to get trashed!

Next year I've simply got to do things differently. WHY DO I PROCRASTINATE??? As usual, I was finishing up Christmas for the family the morning of the party. Problem is, I had Kamryn's quilt 3/4 bound, and was pinning the final side, when the power went off at noon. By 3:00, when the party was supposed to start at 3:30, I finally decided the quilt wouldn't get done. Well, we've had Kamryn in our family since May and I've known I would do her a quilt. What happened to last summer, or at least this fall? Sometimes I drive myself crazy!!! I did great-great grandparent histories for my kids and they, too, were finished the day before the party.

The main gift we gave the family was a family photo which turned out great! Everyone looked great, but it was a combination of 6 different photos, one of each family.

Anyway, Christmas has come and gone again and now I am putting away the decorations for another year. It will seem like about 3 months when it is time to get them out again. It was great being with Jeff, Nicole, and that darling baby Michael. We miss them so much!!! Hopefully they'll be living closer in 1.5 years when he is through with school.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!

Merry Christmas from Us!

For Christmas our kids gave Wayne and I tickets to see Neil Diamond in Salt Lake City last Friday. After fighting a bad snowstorm we finally arrived safely and checked into our room at Embassy Suites. The concert was GREAT! Very loud, too!!! Neil Diamond is amazing - 67 years old and he did a two hour solo concert with no intermission.

It was fun to get away but all good things must come to an end so we headed home Saturday afternoon in another horrendous storm and were minutes away from being involved in an accident on I-15 involving 33 cars. Thanks to Jaime for feeding us lunch (so we were delayed a little) and the Lord knowing I needed to return home safely to play the piano for the choir cantata on Sunday, we finally made it home.

Christmas is coming way too fast, but I'm not worried. Our family party isn't until January 9th when Jeff, Nicole, and Michael are home so I have extra time. We are excited for their arrival and to see that precious baby, who is growing up way too fast.

Our choir cantata yesterday focused on the birth of our Savior which was beautiful! I hope all of my children will gather their little ones around them on Christmas Eve and tell the story of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. I sometimes wish we didn't have to worry about the commercial side of Christmas.....presents, more presents, what to give the neighbors that I haven't done before, elaborate decorating, Christmas newsletters, etc. I'd just love to wrap up in a quilt, turn on some peaceful Christmas music, enjoy the simple lights on our tree and read some special stories about the holiday and, of course, our Savior's birth. Kelly gave me a book called "Chicken Soup for the Soul.....Christmas Treasury" which I would recommend for some great holiday reading.

Merry Christmas from Wayne and I here in Clifton who are trying to survive a winter which is starting off as a real doozie! We love our family and appreciate their gift to us. But most of all, we love our Savior, Jesus Christ, and commit ourselves to serve him in the coming year.

PS - The photo is of our "normal" grandchildren at last year's family Christmas party. This is a far cry from my brother's family photo of seven families all looking perfect, color co-ordinated, AND WELL BEHAVED - something I'm afraid we'll never have in our family photos. We love them anyway!

I Am Thankful For.....

We were given a challenge in Relief Society to keep a "gratitude" journal...we were even given a little journal to keep it in. Well, life has been crazy so my little journal is still in my Primary bag but with Thanksgiving this week I need to write about all that I am thankful for.

First of all, my family. They are the most important things in my life. My husband, Wayne, is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He has been loving, kind, considerate, and treats me like a queen. He is the best father to his kids. Since he has milked cows ever since I have known him, he is also the hardest worker I know. I am grateful that he moved his family to Clifton. It has been the best place to raise responsible, good kids that were so busy helping around the farm they never had time to get into trouble. He spent tons of one-on-one time with each of them. Many were the times that they would come up to the house after doing their outside chores and say "I'd have been in 45 minutes ago, but I was talking to dad."

Of course, there are my five kids...Daran, Daralyn, Kelly, Jaime, and Jeff. We loved having our kids around and even enjoyed their teenage years. Life isn't the same without them living at home. We've decided that empty-nest isn't the best time of life. I am so proud of the wonderful parents that they are making to their own children. We are so blessed!

I am grateful for the choices my kids made in their eternal companions. They are all so different, but I love them tons. LoriAnn is a doll, and willing to help me out whenever needed. She helps to keep Daran organized, and that isn't easy! She loves to entertain so the family parties are at her house....I LOVE HER FOR THAT! Even though Shane asked me what I was on when I chose the color of paint for my kitchen, he is a wonderful husband for Daralyn and a doting father for their children. Bob, Kelly's husband, is just plain sweet and always willing to help Wayne if needed. Brandon is the most "prepared" person in our family. I always know he will take care of my Jaime. Even though he says he will put me in a "home" someday, he is frugal enough that he will have the money to pay for it! Last, but not least, is our Nicole. Keeping Jeff sane back in Vet School is a full-time job for her and we appreciate it so much. I love how modest she always has been and how the church is so important in her life. She is a wonderful mother and I am so thankful that she has this opportunity.

Then there are our 17 "Smart" grandchildren...Whitnee, Brookelle, Savannah, Rylee, Scotty, Hadlee, Matthew, Jordan, Jessica, Kori, Amber, Morgan, Brenden, Miles, Ammon, Michael, and baby Kamryn. They are the delight of my life!!!

I am very grateful for my church and my testimony of it. I love my country and I love where I live in it. I am grateful for a warm house, plenty of food (too much!!!) and money to pay my bills.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!!

Halloween Memories, the Mostly Bad

Halloween isn't my favorite holiday but I have learned to sort of enjoy it since my children have left the nest. "Why?" you ask. Well, we moved up to Clifton from Salt Lake City 29 years ago. The mother's in the big city would make an annual trek to Grand Central (like a Walmart) and purchase a $1.98 boxed costume for their kids. Really easy and the kids were happy! All the kids in the costume parade at the school were either witches, Casper the Friendly Ghost, pirates, skeletons, princesses.....you get the picture.

Well, we move up to Clifton and mother's are dressing their kids up as crayons, pumpkins, frogs, bees. Costumes that required TIME and SEWING! I couldn't put my kids in a boxed costume so I had to join the throng. I made costumes and my kids would have to wear them for two or three years until they grew out of them and then poor Jeff, our youngest, HAD to be a clown or whatever I'd sewn for the others whether he liked it or not! I wasn't going to sew anymore!! He soon got so he took a shirt out of his dads closet and went as a "nerd".

Life is much better now. My costume consists of a black t-shirt with the word "BOO" on it and Wayne stays at the barn and is dressed as a poor farmer in the rags that he regularly wears to milk in.

As I recall, we did attend a Halloween party in Salt Lake with friends where I donned a white sheet, painted my face red, filled my mouth with mashed potatoes, and went as a "ZIT!" Sorry if you are eating while reading this...

(The photo is of our pumpkin this year.....a cheeseburger pumpkin! Very easy!!!)

Our Grandkids Should Be Impressed !

Well, Wayne and I did something Friday night that I never thought I'd be a part of with him.......we attended HIGH MUSICAL 3 on the OPENING DAY!!! We were definitely the oldest people in the theater and it was quite an experience being around all of these screaming, yelling, kids. It reminded me of the time that I camped out on State Street in Salt Lake City with some girlfriends to attend the opening day of the Beatles movie, "HELP!" We screamed and yelled through the entire movie that day.

We happened to be in Logan that day doing some temple work and visiting my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Lex and while driving by the theater's in Providence Wayne says "Let's go see what is playing." High School Musical 3 started at 6:30 p.m. and we arrived at 6:28. There were just a handful of seats left so we ended up on the third row. The movie was great. It is so nice to know that good clean shows can be so popular.

Going to see a popular movie on opening day will probably never happen to us again. We usually wait until the movie comes to the cheaper Preston theater, but for just a brief couple of hours we felt young and foolish again! You see, sexagenarians (people in their 60's.....get your mind out of the gutter!) can have fun occasionally.

I'm also quite sure I was the only one in the theater that actually graduated from "East High School" in Salt Lake City where the movie was filmed. The school has been totally re-constructed since the old building we went to school in which was an earthquake hazard!