The dust bunnies are winning!

A Good Friend

2011-07-31T10:29:00.002-06:00

A good friend and family member lived these things:

Do what you love.

Work hard.

Play hard.

Keep your family first.

All people have value.

I hope we can remember and live these things.

Meandering Through the Miles

2011-07-30T21:44:00.000-06:00

There is a bumper sticker that I see quite often that says,

"All who wander are not lost."

I believe that to be true. On our recent vacation, we made a conscious effort to stay off of the freeways and most direct routes as much as we could. Our decision was made, in part, because we were towing a travel trailer and driving on the freeway is sometimes a challenge. But we also wanted to disconnect from the fast pace and make a choice to really see the countryside we were visiting. Because we stayed off of the interstate, we saw huge berry farms, christmas tree plantations, lovely old barns and lots of interesting people. We got lost a time or two and had to back track. We really "saw" the small towns and country farms we passed through. We don't have a GPS that tells us which turn to make, so we read the map and decided how to get to where we wanted to head. It turned out better than "okay".

Sometimes life gets so very busy that we don't "see" the stuff around us. We had to take a long trip in a truck to reconnect as a family and really be with each other. There are lots of pictures to remind us of where we went, but what I will remember most is that we didn't use the cell phones, or the iTouch and we didn't miss it. We used the computer a bit to look up places to see and things to do along the way and there are some great things out there to go do. You can see more of them at 55 on a two lane highway going through the back of beyond on a road you don't know.

Instead of traveling the same route every day or going to events on the same path, choose a different way. It could change a lot of things.

Graduations etc.

2011-05-09T20:50:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, my oldest child got her Masters of Education degree. She has worked long and hard to achieve that. In the audience, her parents, in-laws, infant daughter, grandmother and siblings all cheered her on. It was a glorious day to celebrate a huge achievement.

Over lunch, we discussed a unique family tradition that has been established. Grandma earned a masters. Mom earned a masters. Daughter has earned a masters. It's not often that three generations of women in one family would all achieve this high level of education.  I hope my daughter's daughter will earn one of her own someday.  I hope I am sitting in the second row of prime balcony seats to see that happen.

One of the doctoral candidates wrote their dissertation on parent's expectations for their children prenatally. I would love to read the summary of that document. We had a discussion out on the lawn after the commencement about that. I don't know what is "normal", but as a young couple we certainly began thinking about that very early and I know that these new parents began thinking about it very early.   We did discuss it before she was born.

I believe that parental expectations drive the achievement of the children.   I am glad that the three who are out of the nest understand that there is more to learn and experience than what is presented in high school. Life long learning is a good thing, but there is one more thing I hope they learn out there.

Mitch Albom delivered the commencement address at the U this year. His key point was that we will probably spend much of our early adult years earning and getting, but what matters most at the end of a life, is the giving. Usually commencement addresses are forgotten in the moments leaving the stadium.  This one was important. In all their seeking, and earning and getting, I hope they also remember the giving. It's not what you get, it's what you give.

An elusive purpose

2011-05-03T20:42:00.001-06:00

What good is a blog about ordinary family doings? Does it serve a purpose in the universe?  Is anyone interested in the ramblings of a middle aged mom with five children, several sheep, a whole herd of chickens and enough garden to feed several families? I don't know.

I just recently checked the readership of this page and amazingly, it extends beyond my immediate family and friends. People I don't know, in places I've never been to, and probably will never see have peeked in here to see what life is like. I wonder what they learn.

I hope they have a sense that life is good here. We have been blessed with enough of all that matters. The adult kids are off to successful lives. The youngers are plugging along. Not to much happens here that is traumatic, dramatic, or otherwise awful. It's all OK.

Across the globe, lot has happened in the last two days. It touches our thoughts because many people that we know are out there serving far far away. Here, things are pretty much just carrying on like they should.  And I am thankful for just that much.

Trying very hard.

2011-04-30T13:17:00.001-06:00

We are trying very hard to have a Springtime around here. I am anticipating a large vegetable garden that will produce enough to put some in the storage room too. I am almost forcing the season. Today is in the low 40s. There is a wind blowing. We got out there anyway. Garlic, chard and potatoes got planted. Raspberries and rhubarb got checked.

The rhubarb is really trying to come up. This plant is on it's third summer, so it should be really good for pies and jam soon.

The raspberries all got trimmed back about a month ago. I was afraid that I had trimmed them too much, but all of them are starting to leaf out. We have two rows about 15 foot long so there will be a lot for eating and jam.

A few infant pepper plants starting out on the windowsill. I planted a mixed packet so we will have all kinds and colors of peppers this year.

More started seedlings on windowsill. There is basil, chamomile, and marigolds that should be put in bigger pots soon.

Every year we try something new in the garden. Last year's potato yield was really bad for some reason. We probably didn't get back even what we planted. These are potatoes planted in fabric containers. As the plants grow, you add more soil up to the top until the bag is filled. In the fall, you dump the whole thing out and see how many potatoes are in there.

After you work hard, there is a treat. Fresh biscotti is a good thing.

And as cold as it is outside, the garden can wait for a bit more.

You just never know.

2011-04-28T20:03:00.000-06:00

We have an old ewe in the pasture that was being considered for the freezer. Not a big deal usually. Today we came home and this ewe has two of the most beautiful lambs with her. They are tiny, but they are dry and up and about. All good signs. And they are lively.

I planted onions about three weeks ago. It's the right time on the calendar. I worked the bed nicely. I bought pretty good sets. Not a one of them is up. It's time to replant.

Kris is a good ball player. He's a good hitter and a fair ball handler. He reliably gets a hit and brings kids in. Last night he got a ball to the helmet. It happens to everybody when the kids are learning to pitch. Tonight, he stepped out of the box every time. He's pretty sure he's played in a "thousand" games and it won't happen again. You never know.

Sometimes you think you know what's what, but actually you don't. We've had lambs and gardens and kids for a long time. We are still surprised every day.

Oh, the places you'll go!

2011-04-26T21:43:00.001-06:00

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

The view from the overlook.

The skyline on an absolutely gorgeous day.

This is Snow Canyon State Park outside of St. George. It is a really beautiful spot. We found it while visiting the kids down there. Vic visits a lot of places but who knew... Actually there are a lot of places Vic gets to visit that we haven't been too.

Just a nice pic of of our travels lately.

It's snowing at the moment so it might help to think of warmer places. I looked at the Burpee seed catalog too to think of warmer days and the garden. If I think about planting spinach and peas maybe I can will the the weather to change to about 75 degrees instead of whatever it is out there now. Hotter than 75, I just don't care for but 75 is good.

A big deal.

2011-04-25T18:00:00.004-06:00

Prom was more than a month ago. I am just now posting about it because prom takes a while to process sometimes. This year Serena went with a fantastic young man. He asked her to go without prompting or coaching and did an awesome job of making it a good time. He is what we casually call "normal" but what he did is far above what one would expect of a normal senior. Her teachers did her make up and took her to the salon for nails and a hair do. A good lady made a great hair piece for her to wear on her special night. Everyone made it a good time.

In our small community PROM is a big deal. There is a choreographed dance that everyone participates in. The parents and siblings dress up in Sunday best to go and watch the production. There is a slide show of baby pics of all of the juniors. Only about an hour of the whole event is a typical teenage dance. The rest is for family and community. A BIG DEAL.

In this year's prom, there were three students with significant challenges participating. Given the state of the world and our community, there were probably a whole lot more than that but these were the kids that everyone knows have big challenges. They participated. They had a grand time. And I hope that everyone who helped in this effort knows how much the event means to the kids. It wouldn't have happened without a lot of people working together. It was a big deal and it doesn't happen every where. But it does happen here.

Spring???

2011-04-24T19:13:00.003-06:00

It's Easter Sunday. It is alternating between hard rain, sleet, and hail the size of marbles out there. We didn't even let the chickens out this morning because they are better off in the coop. Inside the house, I have turned up the heat. It feels like February and if I were more ambitious, I would build a fire in the stove.

I have started plants on the window sill with a vision of a large garden in July. Small tomatoes, peppers, basil, and chamomile plants are in small pots hoping to grow up into a productive garden. I have high hopes for this years garden and I want to use every space and pot to grow something edible. Onions are planted and I should get some carrots, parsnips, spinach, and chard out there this week. I want squash and pumpkin vines to fill in odd spots. I want cucumbers enough to bottle pickles. At least in my head, it will be grand. In July, it gets a little weedy and out of control, but that is a long way off.

All of the fruit trees we planted last spring are just about to pop out of bud. They all made it through the winter. They may not produce anything this year, but they certainly will be mature enough for fruiting next spring. We have two eight week old chicks out there in the small coop to keep down the weeds. In a few more weeks, the three that are in the garage brooder will join them in the sectioned off part of the pasture that we hope becomes a small home orchard. At the moment, the raspberries are starting to leaf out but I wonder if they will grow in this cold.

I found some interesting reading out there. Google 1919 War Gardens. In the period 1918-1920, the federal government published materials to encourage people to produce their own food in back yard gardens to support the post war effort. Imagine what would happen today if everyone had even a few plants producing food on their patio or porch. We have always had a garden as a hobby and out of necessity. With the price of gas and food increasing every week, a few tomatoes or peaches in jars in the storage room make all the difference to my peace of mind.

2010-09-25T17:46:00.005-06:00

It has been an amazing summer/fall around here. We had a great vacation to northern Utah in June. We had the whole family home for the 24th of July holiday. We did a lot of kayaking, geocaching, gardening and chicken raising. The last weekend in August we went to Geneva for Bill and Bernice's 5oth wedding aniversary. David took off for college the last week in August. By all reports, he is doing just fine. Labor Day weekend we spent at Joe's Valley reservoir kayaking and geocaching. And lately we have been collecting a few eggs.

Sheep produce wool?

2010-07-02T15:07:00.005-06:00

For about 20 years, we have raised sheep on our property and several other pastures around town. They eat. They poop. They make a lot of noise if they are hungry. They create an opportunity for the kids to learn about useful stuff like work and responsibility ( of course). They cost a bit of money for upkeep and such. But who knew that those beasties also produced wool? Our sheep produce wonderful, soft, real wool that can be spun into real yarn.

On a lark, I sent off one of the black fleeces to a fiber mill in SLC that I found by accident on a knitting site. I sent off black because I am the one who insisted on adding a black lamb to the herd a long time ago and no one really knew why. I was just partial to them at the stockshow. I have no idea of wool quality at all. Vic thought this fleece might be a bit too hacked up by the shearer (him) to make a good product. I held the nicest fleece in reserve for later (If there was a "later").

It came back today in the mail. The whole process should have taken 3 months. It took less than one month actually. It is the most beautiful charcoal grey stuff. It has flecks of lighter grey and orange from the sunbleached parts in it. I sent off 5 lbs. I got back 3.3 lbs. They created 14 skeins of wool from one fleece. I don't have any idea if that is good, great or terrible. I am just impressed in my ignorance.

The possibilities are vast. Who knew?

2010-06-27T08:53:00.008-06:00

We have had one busy spring. Garden-Soccer-Baseball-Scouts.

Baseball is over. Sad for Kris. It had to end so that it would warm up around here. I went through four packs of handwarmer thingies to keep warm this season. It rained, and it snowed and it was not warm in any way. In the end, Kris was invited to play on a tournament team for a weekend. They didn't win but they all got to play four more games. It was a good experience.

Now..... On to the chickens-

The littlest chicks are about 5 weeks old. There are six of them in the batch- 3 barred rocks, 2 leghorns and a really odd white easter egger. The easter egger is a true ugly duckling (chick) It's head is still yellowish like a chick, it's body is white, it's legs are green. Very distinctive (or just odd). They have survived their first week in the outside run. This group is much more skitish than the first group. They run from anything. The dog would like to "make friends" but the chicks run for cover from the dog, sheep and barn cats.
The "older" hens are checking out their new roosts in the old shed. They are about 12 weeks old but it's hard to tell exactly. It will be about 2 more months before we see the first egg from these birds. The younger ones will start laying maybe by Thanksgiving. David has to finish the nest boxes before he leaves for Logan.

Here are the pics of the chicken shed in it's new version. The building itself is at least 80 years old. Probably closer to 90. We put on a new roof and then provided roosts and a partition wall. The chicks are happy. It is the best chicken shed on the block. There are other chicken sheds on our block by the way, ours just happens to be the newest (or maybe the oldest is a better descriptor).

Have an awesome week and I can't wait to see everyone for the family vacation.

Almost done.

2010-06-19T16:56:00.002-06:00

The new edition of the chicken shed is almost done. The roof is on. The wall is up. The pine shavings are waiting to be put on the floor. The older chicks have listened to the construction noises and are awaiting new accommodations. The ewes and lambs are decidedly jealous and want inside the new coop to check it out. This is not an option. The oldest ewe has tried to push her way in and needs a gentle (or not) reminder that the building is not for sheep. The older chicks have been carried (by David) to check out the construction process and have proclaimed the new chicken shed as progressing slowly, but it seems adequate. The younger chicks are outgrowing their inside space and have no idea that there is an outside space for them. I just want chickens out of the house. There are no pictures yet of this massive chicken shed. I can't seem to remember to charge the battery. Oh well. You can come visit and check it out yourself sometime. The younger set at the hardware store seem to think it is a chicken mansion. More reviews are needed.

Just us chickens...

2010-06-13T17:54:00.003-06:00

I forget what movie/cartoon that comes from. The old roof is completely off. A new roof is mostly on. The rafters and stringers are in place. We have agreed (shockingly) on a floor plan and the placement of roosts, nest boxes and doors. The metal roofing is ordered and should be here by Wednesday. I am hopeful that by the weekend, there will be a true chicken shed in our back pasture. I am hopeful because there are six chickens in a rubbermaid tub that are getting awfully crowded. The big chicks need a bigger home. The little chicks need a bigger home. Can we all live peacefully in one home? Segregation is not a good thing even for chickens. Is one very large chicken shed big enough for 12 birds? Who knows? I hope these chicks lay good eggs because the time investment is even larger than for a nice garden. Certainly the money investment equals a nice garden.

On another note, it is 45 degrees outside and raining. It feels like it could snow. If it snows, all that gardening work is for nothing. Right now the garden is pretty weed free and everything is germinated and growing properly. A freeze would wipe all of that out. The raspberries look especially promising. They are loaded with berries that I hope to get before the birds do. The corn is up. The pumpkins have sprouted. No bugs have created an infestation. The compost pile is even composting. Yeah, garden! After 25 years in the same house, we have a garden and animal set-up we all like. Is that amazing or what?

Renovations are afoot!

2010-06-08T19:13:00.003-06:00

There are no pictures for this. The camera was dead when I went to take "before" pictures. Just use your imagination. If you are a family member, you have a clear picture of the old chicken coop. The old chicken coop has been used as a lambing pen, a wood shed and a home for many a creepy crawly. Most of you probably forgot we had a chicken coop at all. It has never housed a poultry type animal. Possibly the ducks lived there when hiding from sheep, but I think they preferred the barn.

It will have a new life and purpose soon. David says this should take a week. I will say it will be done before we go on vacation. It has to be. There are twelve chickens that need a place to live and a chicken coop seems to be what they need. This one will have new walls, a new perch, new nest boxes and proper feeding pans. I hope it becomes a place to gather eggs soon. October would be nice. November may be here before the younger ones start laying. It also needs a name. A creative name would be good. Wait for pictures and news of the grand opening around July 4th. What a way to celebrate!

chickens!

2010-05-31T07:17:00.004-06:00

Meet the new chickens. We are the proud (?) owners of six chickens. There are 2 leghorns, 3 rhode island reds, and 1 easter egger in the pen. They are five weeks old. In about 5 more months we expect to have eggs. They are definately pets and not food. They are un-named for the most part. The biggest leghorn is named McNuggets. She was the first to escape the brooder and could have been a tasty treat for the cat. The easter egger is named Chipmunk because that is what the chicks look like when they are a day or two old.

Kris has wanted chickens since he was about 3 years old and saw the chicken chase at the Marysvale rodeo. I can't explain it otherwise. Vic has said that he would never have poultry, but we did keep ducks for a long time. I just like to watch them chase the bugs and they do do a nice job of cleaning up the weedy patches.

The garden is planted. We have strawberries, raspberries, beans, peas, onions, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and sunflowers. Don't forget the sunflowers. If nothing else comes up, they will. The peas, onions and carrots look good so far. The rest will have to wait and see what happens. I hope for a great producing garden and cooperative weather.

2010-05-30T17:30:00.002-06:00

We have had a great month of May. It's been very busy and so exciting. Adam graduated from USU. David graduated from high school. We have had all of the kids together for both milestones. It's really great the way they managed to get together for this. Grandma B joined us for David's graduation.

6 chickens have joined the family. We hope that they're hens. We hope they lay lots of eggs in the fall. Kris has wanted chickens for a long time. I don't know why. I do look forward to the eggs, though. The more we can cut the grocery bill, the better and fresh eggs is a good contribution.

Fish, Snow and Socks

2010-02-18T17:33:00.004-07:00

We are slow to post but we are still here. We spent last Monday ice fishing and snow shoeing at Fishlake. We brought home 2 pretty large rainbows for a great dinner. It was a great day. It was also Valentine's Day so someone (teenagers are all crazy) decorated our front door. If you are following Mom's crazy hobbies, please admire the socks. The third one is already on the needles :). Knitting is therapeutic. Anyone ready to open a yarn shop in Sevier County??? Even Adam has knit a hat! I saw pictures as proof.

Ice fishing, snowshoes and eagles

2010-01-18T17:21:00.007-07:00

We spent Saturday and Monday up to Fishlake keeping up our resolution to have more fun. We packed up the snowshoes, skis, and fishing poles and took off. It's not often we both have Martin Luther King Day off.

Saturday was a gorgeous day. It was overcast but a nice day to be out. The fishermen were plentiful. It was hard to find a parking spot in any of the pullouts up by the lake. The fish must have been elsewhere. No one brought home anything. Kris fished for a while, but he preferred the cross country skis. Serena probably wishes she could fish, but she learned to snowshoe anyway. She spent a lot of time sitting in the snow wondering why exercise is good for you. Snowshoes aren't hard to learn to walk in but you do have to be able to see the tracks of the person in front of you. If you fall off the compacted trail that mom makes, the snow is pretty deep and soft. It's easy for her to fall off the trail and sink in a bit. Without snowshoes or skis, it is over my knees. Kris is easily up to his waist when he falls over. Anyway, the three of us spent some good times on the campground road at Mackinaw campground. A gorgeous bald eagle kept circling overhead for most of the time. We had a little picnic back at the truck. Both kids slept on the way home.

Monday was much snowier and colder. The wind chased David and Vic off the lake after about 2 hours. Serena, Kris and I trekked around the same campground and got pretty snowy. The fish were hiding again so we brought nothing home. David created a great lunch from summer sausage and cheese. Chex mix rounded it out to a gourmet treat after our snowy adventure. It must be why we brought him along today. There was a golden eagle flying around for most of our adventure, but the only animals we saw were two does on the way home. I was tired enough today that I slept on the way home.

Keep up with those resolutions!

Winter fun

2010-01-11T14:35:00.004-07:00

We are keeping up our resolution to have fun around here. Kris and I went snowshoeing at the park across the street on Saturday. I don't know what the distance is around the circumference of the park but I know that it took us an hour to do it together. It was a bright sunny day and a lot of fun. The kids are off of school today for a teacher prep day so David and Vic went to Fish Lake for a little male bonding experience. I hope we have fish for dinner when they get home.

Update: 6 fish Score: Dad 2 David 4
They brought home four rainbows and 2 splake.
We had a great dinner! Wish you were here.

Lack of time and lazy about postings

2010-01-03T17:09:00.007-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all other holidays of the fall/winter season. We have been busy and festive. We had a massive feast for Thanksgiving and all of the children were home for that day. We had 4 of 5 kids home for Christmas day and Amanda and Chris came home for the annual New Years Fondue Feast. They came. They cooked. They ate. It is now 2010. The house is a wreck, but thankfully we are all healthy, happy, and still here. Amanda is still teaching and enjoying it. Adam is still in school, but tells us he will graduate in May. David, Serena, and Kris are still in school and still fine. David also graduates in May. All is well. We have much to be thankful for and hope that the new year is prosperous and peaceful.

Palisade State Park

2009-08-23T10:56:00.005-06:00

We have a new goal to get out and have some fun at least once a month. We are severely fun impaired around here. Saturday we went up the road to Palisade State Park. It is about an hour away. We had a picnic, played in the water and yes, we took the kayak. It is a great little park with lots of grass in the campsites, a great day use area with a playground, a beach and a small reservoir. It was just perfect for Kris and Serena to get in the water and for mom and dad to paddle around. Vic got to try out the new kayak and gave it the first dunking. He tipped it right by the dock so all was well. All in all we had a great day and I'm sure we will go back soon.

We yak!

2009-08-16T19:29:00.007-06:00

We are the proud owners of a baby blue kayak and matching paddle. Adam was good enough to pick it up for us and bring it home on his way back to college. Before he took off, we went on a quick trip to a nearby reservior to get it wet for the first time. It was a bit windy and choppy to be out, be we all gave it a try. We plan on going back one day really soon. Perhaps it would be best if we went to the state park that has a non-motorized body of water though. Those wakes take a bit to master on a windy afternoon.

Do you yak?

2009-08-10T19:35:00.005-06:00

David trying to master the kayak in the small pond in back of the cabin at Island Park. Auntie Jane and Serena tackle Lake Henry. Serena likes big boat wakes. I wonder what they are talking about because you can hear the laughter clear to the shore.

Auntie Jane and Kris on his first try out on the small pond at Island Park.

We have a new toy. It's all Auntie Jane's fault. Kris, David, Serena and I had to have one and now we do. A kayak will be joining us shortly. It's a pretty baby blue color with a matching paddle. Vic says that's the reason the original owner is giving it up. What kind of a guy would buy a baby blue kayak?? I don't know, but we are glad to have it. Can't wait to try it out.

July 24th!

2009-07-25T13:06:00.003-06:00

Two posts in one day is a bit much, but they really are two separate topics. I've told the kids that as long as they make time to come home on the 24th, it'll be fine. Coming home for Christmas is good, but there's more fun things to do on the 24th. We had everyone home for the weekend. We did the parade, and made ice cream. If you are looking for a great ice cream recipe we have it. We made cinnamon nut frozen yogurt. It was the best but definately not diet food.

This year we skipped the rodeo because David's truck needed some major work. It rained really hard in the late afternoon and the fireworks were threatened, but by dark it was just sprinkling. We sat in our chairs in front of the vehicles for the show. David and Vic were dedicated to fixing the truck and they watched the show from the pasture. At least the show went on.

The boys all went out on Poverty Flats to dispose of some bullets on Saturday morning. Who knows what went on there. The sane people stayed home on the cool patio to watch the hummingbirds.

It was great to have everyone home.

Vacation!!!

2009-07-25T12:59:00.003-06:00

We had a great vacation to Island Park. We had 10 family members all together in a cabin for most of a week. We saw the sights, fished, kayaked, made s'mores, and had a great time. Next year, on to the Heber/Park City area for more fun. We'll do the touristy stuff (the kids say we must) and some more outdoor stuff. The Parslow's need to find a kayak or two too.

July 4th!

2009-07-05T17:37:00.006-06:00

We are either creatures of habit or of very strong traditions. Every 4th of July since who knows when, we have gone to the parade, made ice cream and had a picnic dinner while waiting for the fire works to begin. I can only think of one or two times where we missed doing things on this date in this order. This year was like all the others. The parade was the same as always; no big changes or scandals. It was in the 70s, so it was bearable even on the sunny side of the street.

This year we almost had to break a tradition because of a lost item. The cannister for the ice cream freezer has gone missing. We looked in every logical place and a few illogical places and it didn't turn up. We have the bucket, the motor, and the dasher, but no canister. The whole thing is almost 30 years old so maybe we are due for an upgrade.

We got out the ice cream ball at the last minute so that the tradition could carry on. Kris and Serena took about 45 minutes to turn out some pretty good ice cream. There were no leftovers so it must have been okay. By vacation time, we will have to come up with a better solution or another ice cream ball. This one won't make enough for a crowd. Right after the ice cream was pronounced done, it began to rain really hard. We had about an hour of steady rain and then it cleared up enough to have a picnic before the fireworks. It was damp, but not at all hot.

Hope you all had a great holiday!

More wildlife!

2009-06-28T21:57:00.004-06:00

We had more wildlife show up this weekend. A female turkey was wandering in the neighbor's yard yesterday. Tonight it is making itself at home in the pasture. What a great thing to see up close.

We have had a cold and rainy week here. Serena was at Girl's camp for 3 nights but I think she had a good time. Kris was a little bored staying inside that much.

We are looking forward to our trip in two weeks. I hope we have summer weather for that but I will be packing the jackets too.

Try new things. Learn new things.

2009-06-22T16:47:00.005-06:00

One of the best parts of a long summer is getting to do things that you put off for most of the year. Most teachers I know try to cram 12 months of living into 3 months of the summer "break". It's not really a vacation, because you still have inservice and classes and stuff to plan for but it is a change in routine and a change in schedule. It frees you up to do things differently.

During the winter, I learned how to make homemade noodles. They are "far far far more betterer" than the stuff you buy. Vic and I like them. David and I have also acquired a biscotti habit. Biscotti is not cheap at the store, but you can make any flavor imaginable and they last forever too.

We are all fine here. Send us the news about what's going on at your house this summer.

Still cold and rainy...

2009-06-14T18:03:00.004-06:00

It has been cold and rainy here all week. I was sure it would freeze last night. I know that soon I will be writing about how hot it is, but for now, I wish the furnace could stay off.

David is at Timberline this week. He is the quartermaster for a camp of about 50 scouts. He rises early to fix the meals and then lead them on adventures. It is his third time as staff and his fourth year to go. He always comes home with a lot of stories. This year the stories began before they left the parking lot. He had to call home because he forgot some vital items. I hope the rest of the week goes more efficiently for him.

The bunnies are still alive and Kris is taking good care of them. Serena is sure she knows more about bunny care than he does.

Introducing...

2009-06-08T16:27:00.004-06:00

Everyone has asked to see pictures of the new bunnies. Here it is. The new bunnies are named "Flip" and "Flop". I am not sure which is which but Kris knows. They have not become stars of the neighborhood yet, but they are well petted and fed. The dog has stopped barking everytime they move. I think the dog is more upset by the chicken. I haven't seen the chicken today, so perhaps it has moved on to more hospitable living conditions. We do bunnies, but not poultry.

I am getting caught up on all the stuff that doesn't happen during the school year. DI is benefitting from our cleanout. The laundry is getting caught up too.

I hope you are all enjoying your break as much as we are. If the heat is too much to take down in St. George, remember we are much cooler up here.

Is it summer yet?

2009-06-06T10:51:00.000-06:00

Last night was another ball game for Kris. The wind blew the entire time and it was about 60 degrees. Reminded me of soccer games and snow. We had coats and quilts on the parents and the kids were sweating. Little league is serious stuff. Everybody wins and everybody gets a home run. Kris did manage to get out at first on his second up to bat. He hit it right down the line to the base player and the little kid caught it. That doesn't happen often. One more game to go on Monday and then we will have more of our evenings free.

The new camera is still working, but I haven't learned how to operate all the gadgets on it yet. We will have to work at keeping better track of our activities now.

New Camera

2009-06-05T17:46:00.000-06:00

What does one do when you get a new camera? Start a blog!

It's well past time to get one started. The big kids need to check on home. Goodness knows they won't call. The rest of the family needs to check to see if we are still alive.

We are!

We have had a great month of May. The garden is in and growing. Kris has two new bunnies. David has declared that he is a SENIOR. Adam is surviving his internship and Amanda just finished her first year as an official school teacher. WOW!

Grandma Buck visited us for two days this week. She got to go with Kris to get the new bunnies. They are officially called "Flip" and "Flop". They are mixed breed Lop bunnies with floppy ears.