tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76020068235036425452024-03-13T00:18:34.028-04:00Loretta's Little LifeLoretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.comBlogger490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-46055109722675027522020-10-18T13:26:00.001-04:002020-10-18T13:39:36.335-04:00<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Long time gone....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The morning temperatures are turning colder as fall sets in. This morning it was 33 degrees. I so love the cooler temperatures. The days are getting shorter. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The leaves are turning and falling.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As I straightened our bedroom before heading downstairs to greet the day, my eyes fell on a pretty blue and white floral tea cup and saucer that made its home on the dresser. Annah went to London this past January and it was my gift from her. It was fun to FaceTime with her as she showed me the many patterns (sooo many to choose from!) and I picked the pretty blue and white floral one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I hadn't actually used the cup but rather I looked at it sitting pretty on the dresser. This morning as I looked at it I thought, "Why are you sitting up here on my dresser? I'm bringing you downstairs where you can be useful and bring a smile!" So down we went. The first thing I did was fill my little cup with hot chocolate and took myself out on the patio to sit and enjoy the start of a beautiful day. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m97UxR5r7JM/X4sJn6Gd0EI/AAAAAAAAl8E/HhcDJRh27GQDX3Fg7iSrEhCZz1eWBzHcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201017_100906240_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1390" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m97UxR5r7JM/X4sJn6Gd0EI/AAAAAAAAl8E/HhcDJRh27GQDX3Fg7iSrEhCZz1eWBzHcgCLcBGAsYHQ/w271-h400/IMG_20201017_100906240_2.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There I sat enjoying the warming of the sun, listening to the birds trills and caws, and watched leaves falling as if in slow motion, from the trees. Then I spotted the last flower of fall from my fading Clematis. With all the other flowers long gone, this beauty decided to show up to be the last lingering bloom before sleeping again till spring. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0c_k3J-9Yw/X4sJnwxNu8I/AAAAAAAAl8I/dFQlCo_nu08czXhr-9pCFmqEUU53v0DAACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201017_101449555_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0c_k3J-9Yw/X4sJnwxNu8I/AAAAAAAAl8I/dFQlCo_nu08czXhr-9pCFmqEUU53v0DAACLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_20201017_101449555_HDR.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then there was the last of the tomatoes that I decided to grow on a whim in the summer. I planted them in pots and enjoyed</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> an abundance of cherry tomatoes (and a few peppers). Only a few remain and then their job is done. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiLPAm99c_I/X4sJnwAgv5I/AAAAAAAAl8M/-8uyh5xCmcsto6GvcnvGUcmbcUdaLDmxwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_20201017_101530206_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oiLPAm99c_I/X4sJnwAgv5I/AAAAAAAAl8M/-8uyh5xCmcsto6GvcnvGUcmbcUdaLDmxwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/IMG_20201017_101530206_HDR.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sitting outside this morning stirred in me the thought to begin my blog again. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">It has been a long, long time since I have published on my blog. It's been so long that sometimes I had </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">forgotten that I used to blog pretty regularly but then I didn't. </span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Life has taken us on some beautiful (and some bumpy) rides over the months that I've been away but I decided, in honor of fall, I would turn over a new leaf. :) I can't promise how often I will write but I wanted to jump back in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">A quick catch up on things that have happened but I didn't write about....</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Annah graduated high school (May 2018)</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKNKWogxpgM/X4sRvybKQII/AAAAAAAAl8k/TB3tLymiZWE52tZGzsLBhIKxxmCNEeJsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_6441-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MKNKWogxpgM/X4sRvybKQII/AAAAAAAAl8k/TB3tLymiZWE52tZGzsLBhIKxxmCNEeJsgCLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DSC_6441-2.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxCkctLsZHM/X4sRv3rgsWI/AAAAAAAAl8g/42NqmsouKGQZWs63ZcB1MqPiZzeH-CftACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_6465.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxCkctLsZHM/X4sRv3rgsWI/AAAAAAAAl8g/42NqmsouKGQZWs63ZcB1MqPiZzeH-CftACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h268/DSC_6465.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hoLzG3Rnek/X4sRvqZjfXI/AAAAAAAAl8c/mkbDDKTNuuIX85-Rhi0NdT1G8g8KHGpigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_6583.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8hoLzG3Rnek/X4sRvqZjfXI/AAAAAAAAl8c/mkbDDKTNuuIX85-Rhi0NdT1G8g8KHGpigCLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DSC_6583.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-neKQdjriQE0/X4sRwFGOVpI/AAAAAAAAl8o/yaw8RDD9bOA1WFKHLpDQcB0QwLW5PxS0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DSC_6615.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-neKQdjriQE0/X4sRwFGOVpI/AAAAAAAAl8o/yaw8RDD9bOA1WFKHLpDQcB0QwLW5PxS0ACLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DSC_6615.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> One </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">week</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> later Abigail & Daniel were married!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQiuX-VKiEU/X4tCVGwEq5I/AAAAAAAAl-8/jtSaJVPvV8EqHdVoeEvu1a5ceOwaS6X8ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1334/Abs%2BDaniel%2BAnnouncement%2Bpic.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="889" data-original-width="1334" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQiuX-VKiEU/X4tCVGwEq5I/AAAAAAAAl-8/jtSaJVPvV8EqHdVoeEvu1a5ceOwaS6X8ACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/Abs%2BDaniel%2BAnnouncement%2Bpic.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HAFZZ9i4CU/X4sSdtz_JCI/AAAAAAAAl9E/YyL0W628GDEYNToOsdQvMJdZbEl-HguXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio165.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4HAFZZ9i4CU/X4sSdtz_JCI/AAAAAAAAl9E/YyL0W628GDEYNToOsdQvMJdZbEl-HguXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h268/DeVeriesjenfolio165.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT8nmMV5JLI/X4sSdqAosII/AAAAAAAAl9M/PYWycFAVQVglfT3m0_t4UkpJCjlMQu9SACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio209.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zT8nmMV5JLI/X4sSdqAosII/AAAAAAAAl9M/PYWycFAVQVglfT3m0_t4UkpJCjlMQu9SACLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DeVeriesjenfolio209.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3HD38doQx4/X4sT1rDx3CI/AAAAAAAAl9k/e_bAaKjSxFwvfiXLH4jXQDU1FlkYp_zzACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio119.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3HD38doQx4/X4sT1rDx3CI/AAAAAAAAl9k/e_bAaKjSxFwvfiXLH4jXQDU1FlkYp_zzACLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DeVeriesjenfolio119.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9cHuFIpesE/X4s9sFUqVoI/AAAAAAAAl-U/-TIOeuItJ4MEZnwG6KGyOpxSZqBazyrAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio543.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T9cHuFIpesE/X4s9sFUqVoI/AAAAAAAAl-U/-TIOeuItJ4MEZnwG6KGyOpxSZqBazyrAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/DeVeriesjenfolio543.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHIeZNIldfA/X4s8UH2AHfI/AAAAAAAAl90/teFBTodF6DMyWnEtYaFLk7GD-bfRT75TgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio221.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHIeZNIldfA/X4s8UH2AHfI/AAAAAAAAl90/teFBTodF6DMyWnEtYaFLk7GD-bfRT75TgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h268/DeVeriesjenfolio221.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: right;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GzIUCebVaoo/X4s8Uh0V7qI/AAAAAAAAl94/NgkFIIT-w88qwfrEo4OmB6HEnOclkVgHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio193.jpg" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GzIUCebVaoo/X4s8Uh0V7qI/AAAAAAAAl94/NgkFIIT-w88qwfrEo4OmB6HEnOclkVgHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w268-h400/DeVeriesjenfolio193.jpg" width="268" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xLoQwELgFtQ/X4s9sF1ps9I/AAAAAAAAl-Y/zXESwNpKOmkIc3ihocdLXPZfB2cpwVMhACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/DeVeriesjenfolio527.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xLoQwELgFtQ/X4s9sF1ps9I/AAAAAAAAl-Y/zXESwNpKOmkIc3ihocdLXPZfB2cpwVMhACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h266/DeVeriesjenfolio527.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two weeks after the wedding we</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> took Annah to Brooklyn, NY where she is attending Brooklyn College. *Side note: she ended up taking a gap year so that by living there for a year she became of resident of New York state. Because she was accepted into the Macaulay Honors program, tuition is free for residents so by waiting she didn't have to take out student loans. During her gap year she worked and did some traveling.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHkkySDutrY/X4x5iz5VHoI/AAAAAAAAmBc/Q-BQhlbGz0siFkDK3IIJzMpwMlQDETHagCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20180616_132055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sHkkySDutrY/X4x5iz5VHoI/AAAAAAAAmBc/Q-BQhlbGz0siFkDK3IIJzMpwMlQDETHagCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20180616_132055.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro35dHkQ01g/X4x5i6dvvzI/AAAAAAAAmBg/Y-HK0Xlkozci0Rbvr1I5oDGI8476buMzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20180619_135006.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro35dHkQ01g/X4x5i6dvvzI/AAAAAAAAmBg/Y-HK0Xlkozci0Rbvr1I5oDGI8476buMzQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/20180619_135006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">While in New York we were able to go upstate and visit with my sister and my brother and his wife. It was a quick visit but it was so good to see them and laugh with them again! </span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Vgl2VhyFVc/X4s-hJ7wq2I/AAAAAAAAl-k/wvz5fYxV_AoSeT3Nqrk7pYY3o0lU2xEKACLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Annah%2BBrooklyn6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Vgl2VhyFVc/X4s-hJ7wq2I/AAAAAAAAl-k/wvz5fYxV_AoSeT3Nqrk7pYY3o0lU2xEKACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h300/Annah%2BBrooklyn6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzAa8IIL6As/X4x5izSqoZI/AAAAAAAAmBk/k-BjJof7ZOguI9oKHjlZR29_oYD9KsJMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20180617_184901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uzAa8IIL6As/X4x5izSqoZI/AAAAAAAAmBk/k-BjJof7ZOguI9oKHjlZR29_oYD9KsJMQCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/20180617_184901.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Leaving Annah in Brooklyn that day was sooo hard. Tim and I were crying and Annah was too. She choked out the words "Thank you for letting me follow my dream." That officially broke my heart right there on that Brooklyn sidewalk. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As we drove away I told Tim that if she calls and says she wants to go home, we are turning around and going right back to get her! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Minutes later a text message came to my phone. It was Annah. She sent a picture of a beautiful view from a nearby park. It was then that I knew she not only was going to stay, but that she was going to be okay. The only question left was would *I*? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">*Spoiler alert: In time I was and most days I still am. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After the graduation, the wedding and the trip back to New York, we finally settled in at home and took a deep breath. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then four days later I had a hip replacement. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yup, can't make this stuff up. By the time of my replacement, my hip was pretty bad. I was on crutches full time for the graduation, wedding, and the trip to New York. But man did I book it on those crutches not to miss the subway!!! We got on just in time to find standing room only (not uncommon). A nice soul offered their seat since they saw I was on crutches. Well, the subway train lurched as it started to go just as I was letting go of the pole to make my way to the seat that had been offered. That landed me on the person that I would be sitting next to!!! Ugh -- talk about embarrassing! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Six months later, the day after Christmas 2018, I had my other hip replaced. It wasn't planned to be 6 months later but it got bad in a hurry. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Six months after that hip replacement, I had a knee replaced. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, 3 joints an span of a year and a half. So far I am holding my own with my good knee! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So life moved on and while some of it was rough terrain, even rough terrain has it's beautiful moments. It's those moments that keep me going. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edfl8iCUlhY/X4x6AzH4-MI/AAAAAAAAmB0/3FsS_qjpWqUq5vRUhJI-3lgEwmeN2LOxACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20171105_121606.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edfl8iCUlhY/X4x6AzH4-MI/AAAAAAAAmB0/3FsS_qjpWqUq5vRUhJI-3lgEwmeN2LOxACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h225/20171105_121606.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><p></p></div></div>Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-57873189273514942982019-03-19T09:16:00.001-04:002019-03-19T20:57:54.661-04:00Dear Larry<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It has been such a long time since I have updated my blog! Life got <u><b>very</b></u> busy and blogging was the last thing on my mind. We had a graduation from high school, a wedding, our youngest head off to Brooklyn, NY chasing her dreams, and a hip replacement thrown in for good measure. All that and more happened in the course of 6 weeks! Overwhelming is not even an adequate description but it will have to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I contemplated jumping back to my blog I didn't know where to begin...until a few days ago when I came across something I saved because it made me smile.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last September we saw that there was a new email that had come to my mother's email address (she passed away in January 2013) from someone named Larry. Tim got the job of replying to Larry to let him know that his email did not reach the intended person as my mom didn't know anyone named Larry. What follows is Larry's email and Tim's reply... :D</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Larry </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">how r u doing. do u see ur mom
everyday? i still feel crappy. got a bad cough yet. been trying to get
some yardwork done. i think i have a red sqirrel in my furnace. should get a
new one anyway. scared to test run mine. i can hear him in the smoke stack.
hate to spend the money. not cheap but if i sell this house it will need to
be done. my furnace is at least 30 yrs old. hang in there. thinking of u . tell
deb and brian hi if u talk to them. love larry and oscar. i guess we are
going to hit the sack.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Dear Larry, </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I regret to inform you that I
believe you have my email address confused with someone else. I
passed away about 5 1/2 years ago and I admit that I did not know anyone
named Larry. The news about your health that you shared is
distressing so I hope you are feeling better now. Sorry to hear about
the red squirrel in the furnace, things may be heating up for him
soon. My family just realized that my email address here on gmail is
still active so they are shutting it down now. I wanted you to know
that this email address is not the correct one for your friend/family
member. I assume Oscar is your cat... he is very cute.
I'm sorry I am not the right person that you were trying to reach, you
sound like a nice person and I wish you well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If I see you soon that may not
be a good thing.... (heaven humor there, but I assure you things are
good up here when it is time)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Barb (or at least her family)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that was last September and then in November another email came....</span><br />
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Think I lost ur last email. Something about ur dad maybe?
Had a bad day yesterday. Better today. Will try to call deb. I didnt realize we
so close in age. Always thought she was younger. Tom wants me to help him with
leaves but I have to get my own finished up today. Oscar says high. Did I
tell u he knows how to turn my lamp on next to my bed? Yup every morning at 7
am just light clock work. Later Larry.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tim hasn't responded but he's thinking he wants to just to have a little more fun with Larry! :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-72341631436822036482018-05-02T21:53:00.002-04:002018-05-02T21:53:36.102-04:00Anti-haul...more cleaning out...<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's been quite rewarding to clear things away in both the space it creates in our home and within ourselves as we unload things that are nothing more than a physical burden. We want to have space and focus for the things we love, use, and value by clearing away the things that no longer fit that description for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have continued clearing the clutter in our home by playing the Minimalism Game for the month of April. Numbers motivate me. Who knew that would be the case? I surely didn't! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I always see on YouTube people that share their "hauls" -- the things they went out and purchased and brought into their home then filmed a video to show all the "stuff" they bought. This for me is an "anti-haul" -- the things I am getting rid of instead of bringing into my home. For the record, some of the items here are things that Annah and Abigail wanted to get rid of so not all of the things are necessarily mine but I was given permission to include them in the anti-haul. So here we go....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 1: A cooler that served Tim well over the years but he just doesn't use anymore. We have another small cooler that is our go-to when we need it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Qn7jPSjkuE/WsU8FFWYdjI/AAAAAAAASwI/8uZNVgXCccckTgOGMY_7hZf7si2wuf78ACEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Qn7jPSjkuE/WsU8FFWYdjI/AAAAAAAASwI/8uZNVgXCccckTgOGMY_7hZf7si2wuf78ACEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 2: How many caulk guns does one household need? The answer is one...only one. So we kept one and happily part with the other two!</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAaUTN0Ekpo/WsU8FeyBfaI/AAAAAAAASwM/BZEEl_JZuTUXuTJZDU4-FBxERfNjFyzTgCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAaUTN0Ekpo/WsU8FeyBfaI/AAAAAAAASwM/BZEEl_JZuTUXuTJZDU4-FBxERfNjFyzTgCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 3: 2 unused notebooks and a dog tie out that is something </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">we only used a few </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">times when we took Ella camping with us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She's a little dog and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">surely doesn't need something that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">big to stake her out. :)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wrapping her lead around a tree works perfectly fine.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSBMpmXIZCA/WsU8FSWHSFI/AAAAAAAASwQ/VJ-9Aq9O5bET5K6FF5Uo4IvgW42QiiB6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iSBMpmXIZCA/WsU8FSWHSFI/AAAAAAAASwQ/VJ-9Aq9O5bET5K6FF5Uo4IvgW42QiiB6ACEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 4: A make up bag no longer used and 3 bandanas that the girls used for girls camp over the years. Annah kept the 2 she wanted and the rest are gone.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N98ZYGn_sAA/WsU8FlX9hfI/AAAAAAAASwU/9Bcfk-N8v0YCS28Q35u6ufMGaU-ZBDdqwCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N98ZYGn_sAA/WsU8FlX9hfI/AAAAAAAASwU/9Bcfk-N8v0YCS28Q35u6ufMGaU-ZBDdqwCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay4.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 5: Two Christmas trees the girls used in their bedrooms that they no longer want, a fall picture that is totally not my style, a mirrored tray that Annah no longer uses and an old Avon bottle in the shape of the Eiffel Tower that Annah got from a thrift store that she no longer wants. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFt_z6YRoIs/WsU7rGBQ-mI/AAAAAAAASwk/d2V1SWDwe1AEGwdLmcZMeDqkWPsYsvN1QCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFt_z6YRoIs/WsU7rGBQ-mI/AAAAAAAASwk/d2V1SWDwe1AEGwdLmcZMeDqkWPsYsvN1QCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay5.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 6: 2 light up letters of A and V (belonged to Annah then she gave them to Abigail and Abigail is ready to let them go), a beat up (but cute) scarecrow that has seen better days, some fall garland that I have never used but kept for years, a votive holder that I no longer use and a stuffed pumpkin.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EyPiyyY_mqA/WsU7rhc3z0I/AAAAAAAASwY/yqVgxu0GPOErcoYIlTZ2ERNI_jfOJ9pQwCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EyPiyyY_mqA/WsU7rhc3z0I/AAAAAAAASwY/yqVgxu0GPOErcoYIlTZ2ERNI_jfOJ9pQwCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 7: 2 stuffed turkeys, a box of glittery pumpkins, 2 Christmas place mats, a bag of loose jingle bells, and one extra long glow stick. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCz4Zuji6j0/WsU7sW9XZ3I/AAAAAAAASwg/71504SqOHjQVKmFPBRV9cIMFTcPVgf9FACEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCz4Zuji6j0/WsU7sW9XZ3I/AAAAAAAASwg/71504SqOHjQVKmFPBRV9cIMFTcPVgf9FACEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 8: 2 bags that no one claims ownership to, 2 belts, 3 phone cases and an Americana style wooden heart.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGk7E4LOZW0/WsU7sk2m1lI/AAAAAAAASwk/Q6qgFkJKj_Yt4pR4RKg2VcD0ghVpvLOigCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AGk7E4LOZW0/WsU7sk2m1lI/AAAAAAAASwk/Q6qgFkJKj_Yt4pR4RKg2VcD0ghVpvLOigCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 9: 1 mirror, 1 makeup bag, one hair cutting cape, a black zipper bag, fall glittery gems, fall clothes pins with felt leave shapes on the end, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a package of soccer themed stickers, a travel size pill box (had 2), </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and bag of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">greenish colored stones.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWCDyo_40vg/WsU7sjdCn5I/AAAAAAAASwg/zQhqjt1p03UM9rqd1k9-yiyoTZapjVoEQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hWCDyo_40vg/WsU7sjdCn5I/AAAAAAAASwg/zQhqjt1p03UM9rqd1k9-yiyoTZapjVoEQCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 10: 10 various piano books that everyone agreed they don't use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> We kept the few that are loved and used.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvajHiViy20/WsU7oHiPfbI/AAAAAAAASww/ZbVcWt7N69wmh-24_npfPMSyIoaL3zOJgCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MvajHiViy20/WsU7oHiPfbI/AAAAAAAASww/ZbVcWt7N69wmh-24_npfPMSyIoaL3zOJgCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 11: 11 books we no longer use. And we somehow had 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> of the piano simplified hymns books. :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQamtwrVz00/WsU7oQu-wtI/AAAAAAAASww/9D6yxCWG7OMY4xNVH_o8svq32YuUq49LgCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jQamtwrVz00/WsU7oQu-wtI/AAAAAAAASww/9D6yxCWG7OMY4xNVH_o8svq32YuUq49LgCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 12: A package of 12 LED tealights I bought to use for a</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">young women's activity some years ago.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HAj9Fb57eLs/WsU7orhO7xI/AAAAAAAASwg/5u0X1JWKOX4utE7i637GaHmVF3Y1FddcwCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HAj9Fb57eLs/WsU7orhO7xI/AAAAAAAASwg/5u0X1JWKOX4utE7i637GaHmVF3Y1FddcwCEwYBhgL/s320/MinDay12.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 13: A box that I covered with paper and used to corral papers in but no longer need, a basket not needed anymore since it is emptied out, a plastic container no longer used, 2 toothbrush holders (from girl's camp days), a syringe bulb we had around for when Mackson lived in KY a few years ago, yet another phone case, a binder clip, a hand sanitize holder, 1 book, and 3 CDs. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkY9cd2FiV8/WsU7o2UmuaI/AAAAAAAASw0/yHjo-UP0B7geH-anNDcKWg9w_59tpVqXQCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkY9cd2FiV8/WsU7o2UmuaI/AAAAAAAASw0/yHjo-UP0B7geH-anNDcKWg9w_59tpVqXQCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 14: "Real Life Organizing" book (as much as I like the gal who wrote it, I hated the book), 1 cup that once stored makeup brushes, measuring cups, measuring spoons, yet ANOTHER phone case, a blue plastic cup, a bag of silverware, a make up storage tray, 2 pot holders and an oven mitt, and 3 baggies with no longer loved necklaces in them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1YJGGh7Mak/WsU7pfVPhKI/AAAAAAAASws/0doLxzmrFIs-qn3Crmhnsf9eEN7L9Kc2gCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a1YJGGh7Mak/WsU7pfVPhKI/AAAAAAAASws/0doLxzmrFIs-qn3Crmhnsf9eEN7L9Kc2gCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 15:13 baggies with various necklaces and earrings in them to give away, a lip pencil not my color and a back end of a pig phone holder that in theory works better than it really does.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MbmhvoEIOAo/WsU7p3u5wAI/AAAAAAAASw0/ifPW4SRRHl8LBecxQOoYu6kg4aZmEQglwCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MbmhvoEIOAo/WsU7p3u5wAI/AAAAAAAASw0/ifPW4SRRHl8LBecxQOoYu6kg4aZmEQglwCEwYBhgL/s320/MinDay15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 16: 14 shirts and 2 pants all being given away by Annah.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-co23F7-gfdA/WsU7pxszkuI/AAAAAAAASw0/2jVupfliH-IHUT0WKsq-8J3BGaxFALF-QCEwYBhgL/s1600/MinDay16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-co23F7-gfdA/WsU7pxszkuI/AAAAAAAASw0/2jVupfliH-IHUT0WKsq-8J3BGaxFALF-QCEwYBhgL/s400/MinDay16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 17: 10 glasses, 2 mugs, 3 paring knives that are dull and </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the basket they are all sitting in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 18: 12 gift bags (I had waaay too many!) 4 bags with jewelry in them, 1 phone case (just how many phones cases did we have??)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and a small plastic bin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 20: 1 book, 2 tote bags, 2 plastic pieces (one lid, one bottom) that no longer have their matching parts, 1 3 drawer unit I no longer use because of all the stuff I got rid of, on top of the drawers there is a nylon backpack, 1 Snow White costume, 1 lunch kit with a fork and knife (we had two), 1 sweater, 2 bags of white stones, 2 masquerade masks, 1 pair of wire cutters that no long cut anything, 1 wind chime, 1 small pink notebook, 1 pack of To and From labels, 1 magnet, 1 selfie stick. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 21:1 scarf, 2 woven baskets, 2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of tights, 1 pair of slippers, 6 shirts, 1 hat, a set of 3 books, pineapple lights, a headband, a set of drum sticks gifted to Annah last summer by the drummer at an outdoor show, a scarf hanger,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a black painted board, and a flower stem. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 22: 7 blankets, 4 decorative pillows, a glass jar with lid, 2 Easter baskets, 2 camp pillows, a black leather jacket (contributed to the count by Jacob) and 5 various trowels that haven't been used in a great many years.:)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 23: 19 hangers, a camera case, 1 plaid cape that I haven't worn in probably 20 years, 1 pair of pants, and an apron.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 24: 1 book, a mirrored tray, a protractor,1 white basket, 2 fans, 1 clay lamp, 12 baggies with jewelry, 2 baggies of fairy lights, a faux succulent, a 3-tiered jewelry tray, and one tube of tub and tile caulk that is has been laying around for a LONG time! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Days 25-30: The following days began to get mixed up for my count each day as we cleaned out the garage and got rid a LOT of stuff! The pictures of the following things that we got rid of aren't specific to the number of the day but they were gathered and are gone, and more that isn't pictured! For instance, I got rid of a bin full of 37 Halloween items that I forgot to snap a picture of!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4 various sprinklers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 watering cans, 2 metal flower, 1 Frisbee, 1 unopened hose splitter, 1 unopened replacement gas cap (to a car we no longer own), </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 broken snow scraper, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4 sprinklers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4 pairs of gloves, 2 hats, one scarf, and 2 pairs of boots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> 1 metal pumpkin, a waffle maker, 2 sleds (radio flyer and one plastic), 2 empty boxes we were hanging onto, a baby walker, a broken ice scraper, 9 plastic containers (8 of them with lids),1 tote bag, and a small fan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3 backpacks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 large trash can</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An old, empty propane tank, an old broom, a broken wooden sword, a walking stick, and 2 scrap boards</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4 waist packs, a string backpack, and a pink rain poncho</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2 pairs of garden gloves, an outdated soil test kits, a small claw and shovel, rusted hedge trimmers, 2 pairs of rubber work gloves, 1 clay flower pot, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and 6 different brushes </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 jewelry box that I have had for a lot of years but after paring down what I had</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I didn't something this big.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And last but not least...a lazy susan, a phone case (another one? Really??), a pad of paper, a pocket size thesaurus, gel inserts, a pair of shoe laces, 1 handbag, 6 bowls, a blue holder of things :), a metal office tray, 2 wallets, 7 books, 1 pink basket, a box that has been kicking around and the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sequin pillow that kept track of the days for decluttering (thanks to Tim!). It now says "bye". :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So there it is....the second month of decluttering. It feels so good to have cleared our nearly a thousand things (and probably more!) out of our home. It was a very freeing process to go through as we accessed just what different things meant to us. There is so much that doesn't matter! Little by little we will continue to separate out the things that don't matter to make room for what really does matter...both in our home and our hearts. <3</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-47083401873496374922018-03-31T19:49:00.005-04:002018-03-31T19:49:46.374-04:00Minimalism Game Days 21-31<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The last stretch of this game has been a challenge but also proof positive that if I look at our stuff with a critical eye I find many, many things I do not use, want, or need. So much of what I have chosen to keep over the years is more like a habit where I have told myself that because I own it I should keep it. But looking at things with that mindset makes no sense because if it's not used or needed or wanted, WHY keep it? Sometimes my mind plays tricks as I think about a particular item and that it had cost a lot of money or that someday "maybe I'll use it" but the reality is that whatever money I spent on an item is already spent and if I hang on to something for that "someday I might use it"</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> I just accumulate a lot of stuff and a lot of guilt. I feel much better letting it go to be used by someone who may truly value it and put it to good use. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, here are days 21 -31.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Day 21: 9 glass bowls (more wedding decor), 11 rolls of ribbon, and a metal reindeer. (I kept the smaller one from the set. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This one was just too big for my liking.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Day 22: 1 pair of slippers, 3 pairs of flip flops, 1 pair of old sneakers (hanging on to them why??), a pair of shoe inserts I have never worn, 5 games (Trouble, Battleship, Twister, Taboo, and Toss Up), 1 giant container of dominoes (gray box), 1 almost empty bottle of Mod Podge, 1 empty box, 1 bottle of expired over the counter meds, 1 bag of clear stones, 1 bag of LOTS of dice, 3 card holders, and 2 plastic notebook pockets that are ripped.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h72Q9-Y6jQA/WrQPyewR3KI/AAAAAAAASZk/MYC8DOyrksg9AwFD4ZumsZBbQEOsR04wQCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay%2B22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h72Q9-Y6jQA/WrQPyewR3KI/AAAAAAAASZk/MYC8DOyrksg9AwFD4ZumsZBbQEOsR04wQCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay%2B22.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 23: 1 phone book, 1 Dave Ramsey CD, 7 books, 13 magazines (6 of which sold on eBay for $61.01!!) and some pink plastic hearts.</span></div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lzcAoZxeIA/WramfiTj9ZI/AAAAAAAASa4/NCUwzBUNb1MWVG1ZY7TPW2ZA94f8yFq0gCLcBGAs/s1600/Mins%2BGame%2BDay%2B23%2Badd%2BheartsFIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9lzcAoZxeIA/WramfiTj9ZI/AAAAAAAASa4/NCUwzBUNb1MWVG1ZY7TPW2ZA94f8yFq0gCLcBGAs/s400/Mins%2BGame%2BDay%2B23%2Badd%2BheartsFIXED.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBqVkTIQJso/WramfuBfqBI/AAAAAAAASa8/hEdEvgeGu1QiH3JIJdAwIGkTPFl-Jt36gCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BOne%2Bmore%2Bto%2Badd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HBqVkTIQJso/WramfuBfqBI/AAAAAAAASa8/hEdEvgeGu1QiH3JIJdAwIGkTPFl-Jt36gCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BOne%2Bmore%2Bto%2Badd.jpg" width="300" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 24: 24 pieces of our old entertainment center that was too big and bulky. </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v8xGSGYI0Nw/WrapgjB9nxI/AAAAAAAASbk/nl_Rp4sGTuAHNto9cWIvFs6PHgJDNFTEQCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay24FIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v8xGSGYI0Nw/WrapgjB9nxI/AAAAAAAASbk/nl_Rp4sGTuAHNto9cWIvFs6PHgJDNFTEQCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay24FIXED.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 25:</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7 Books (4 in S</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">panish)</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, 2 CDs, 1 Air horn, 1 dish scrubber that doesn't work right, 1 bottle of old nail polish, 4 expired meds, 2 eye masks, 1 elbow strap (I had 2), 1 wrist brace, 1 pill container, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1 hair scrunchie, and 3 blank books. </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WJShu6C62cU/WranfRt3i8I/AAAAAAAASbU/5mrTawKrbBQIWxUTLft1dQtNF6FxrYWdgCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay%2B25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WJShu6C62cU/WranfRt3i8I/AAAAAAAASbU/5mrTawKrbBQIWxUTLft1dQtNF6FxrYWdgCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay%2B25.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 26: 4 slings from days gone by, 1 pan that drips rusty water all over when it's washed because of the rolled edge it has, 1 small bag no longer used, 3 supports for wrists and knees, 1 bottle of expired meds, 1 deodorant stick that doesn't smell good, unused small hair clips, 1 medium sized unused hair clip, 1 calligraphy pen tip, 6 old cell phones, 2 cell phone cases, 1 pair of frustrating nail clippers, 1 old eye shadow applicator, 1 old pair of glasses, 1 eye shadow with the colors I liked used up.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaihV2zjkkQ/WraqCUGB0hI/AAAAAAAASbw/15Z-TONYzBklJcfmYv6tA-2hjmQhI8vjQCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay26FIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaihV2zjkkQ/WraqCUGB0hI/AAAAAAAASbw/15Z-TONYzBklJcfmYv6tA-2hjmQhI8vjQCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay26FIXED.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 27:1 Tupperware bowl, 1 juicer, 1 fat separator, 1 old faucet that got replaced, 1 Christmas card that was stick on the bulletin board, a few tacks and magnets, a note pad, 1 pen, 1 straggler flower, 1 mesh, grippy thingy, 1 face powder I don't use, 1 lipstick color I don't like, 1 make up concealer that makes me look orange, 1 picture frame , 2 pairs of socks, 7 pairs of fuzzy socks, 2 bowls, 1 night gown, and a wooden storage container. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 28: 1 container and 27 spools and/or pieces of ribbon</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtF_wM6iWAw/WratAtSxrzI/AAAAAAAAScQ/bcW1u65vLgIZ3QkHoBWBFPDv3Xvrm6hqgCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay28FIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtF_wM6iWAw/WratAtSxrzI/AAAAAAAAScQ/bcW1u65vLgIZ3QkHoBWBFPDv3Xvrm6hqgCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay28FIXED.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 29: 20 CDs, 2 orange empty storage boxes, 1 CD that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">has games </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to play (we kept the family favorite game of Vampire cards that came with it!), and 6 books. </span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvD3tETdl88/WrataEbftLI/AAAAAAAAScY/oE3hjadZtmk1Hl6ZkxxDEJrq4JhqbAkvACLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvD3tETdl88/WrataEbftLI/AAAAAAAAScY/oE3hjadZtmk1Hl6ZkxxDEJrq4JhqbAkvACLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 30: 28 books, magazines, and pamphlets, 1 tote bag, and a folder of old papers. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tFS-1z_CN4/WrauHeirzoI/AAAAAAAASco/UweRII4chj84RWjlEGPOsMXnG_NELnnzwCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8tFS-1z_CN4/WrauHeirzoI/AAAAAAAASco/UweRII4chj84RWjlEGPOsMXnG_NELnnzwCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay30.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 31: 31 CDs!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So there it is....496 items gone from our home in the course of a month! It is an awesome feeling to lighten up like we have and it has give us desires to continue even if I don't continue to document with pictures what we let go of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tim had some fun with a sequin pillow we have where he would put the number of items we needed to get rid of each day!</span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lgdpdhvEwc/WsAbSYN7QcI/AAAAAAAASos/XbtbuGnBJNYYz5wnyixxzyCDE16GYuw-wCLcBGAs/s1600/Pillow%2Bday22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3lgdpdhvEwc/WsAbSYN7QcI/AAAAAAAASos/XbtbuGnBJNYYz5wnyixxzyCDE16GYuw-wCLcBGAs/s400/Pillow%2Bday22.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtr2-uCXWCs/WsAbSBI6m8I/AAAAAAAASow/zBKtN-83tWwdiPJcv9Z5qapj0QM2I7uXgCLcBGAs/s1600/Pillow%2Bday30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vtr2-uCXWCs/WsAbSBI6m8I/AAAAAAAASow/zBKtN-83tWwdiPJcv9Z5qapj0QM2I7uXgCLcBGAs/s400/Pillow%2Bday30.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Truth be known, I don't really love the sequin pillow. I got it for Abigail for Christmas thinking she would like it but she didn't so it just ended up on our bed by default. It goes with nothing but it is fun to smooth the sequins from green to black and back again and it's been great for the Minimalism Game! I predict that after another round of the Minimalism Game it will get lovingly donated. :) </span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-8324855660697800642018-03-20T15:30:00.000-04:002018-03-20T22:34:18.508-04:00Minimalism Game Day 11-20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My fun continues as I peek into cupboards and drawers for things that I don't need and don't want, for things that I thought I would use (I had good intentions!) but for whatever reasons they are just taking up space now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 11: 2 medium sized plastic bowls with lids, 2 smaller plastic containers with lids, 3 glass jars with lids, 2 lid-less glass jars, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a tall plastic container, and a plastic shaker container.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkAYawli5Sk/WqbIhmfVaLI/AAAAAAAASH8/155x6uZLQM8lJ9ley6jdp33-h0V0PzmkACLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkAYawli5Sk/WqbIhmfVaLI/AAAAAAAASH8/155x6uZLQM8lJ9ley6jdp33-h0V0PzmkACLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 12: A white wire orgainzer shelf, 2 small glass bowls, 2 small Pyrex containers with lids, a light blue plastic container with an upper section (I had 2 of these and kept 1), 3 small plastic condiment containers, a meat thermometer (have a battery operated one I like better), and a meat fork from our electric knife set that gave up the ghost. </span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqShIS4x1cA/WqbIwaSqAMI/AAAAAAAASIE/xQ852LtWj6MrAamZTrgFHZhv8eeZ0GNfACLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay12%2BFixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqShIS4x1cA/WqbIwaSqAMI/AAAAAAAASIE/xQ852LtWj6MrAamZTrgFHZhv8eeZ0GNfACLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay12%2BFixed.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Day 13: A pie plate (I have 2 others), The Five Love Languages book (good book but we've read it and it can be passed on now), a toast stamp, 7 cookie cutters, a lone lid to a container I no longer own, a baggie with corn cob holders in it (we have another set that we like better), and a red plastic something that I don't even remember what it was! :D</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xuqqSNmafB4/WqbIhvg3ADI/AAAAAAAASIA/B0vI9KKDhfcoqhfEm8RH4xiqp0XmY6Z8ACLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xuqqSNmafB4/WqbIhvg3ADI/AAAAAAAASIA/B0vI9KKDhfcoqhfEm8RH4xiqp0XmY6Z8ACLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 14: An unused notebook, a mini clipboard, an insulated cup, an almost empty bottle of rubber cement, a bag with a piping bag and tips for cake decorating (which I haven't done in probably 10 years or more), </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a calendar from 2016 (Why???) 4 pairs of scissors, 3 packs of various </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">unused labels, and some wire twist ties.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 15: 3 water bottles, a pair of water shoes, a bag of rocks for the fish tank, a fish bowl, 2 baskets, a sifter, a bag of blue & white stones, an old pair of my sneakers, a packet of whatever keeps flowers fresh (?), pencils that all have nubs for erasers :(, a battery operated fan necklace, and a tiny tube and tips for decorating tiny cupcakes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83Wrb_teLCk/WqbrbZ1dyzI/AAAAAAAASIY/RRU2sHllbPsshHgWrV4TQVuTIBnkVZ-IQCLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83Wrb_teLCk/WqbrbZ1dyzI/AAAAAAAASIY/RRU2sHllbPsshHgWrV4TQVuTIBnkVZ-IQCLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 16: 5 baby bibs, 3 baby bottles, and a bottle brush from when Mackson was here; 2 more bunches of wedding flowers, a white stem of flowers, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a rose boutineer, another bag of faux flower petals, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and 2 glass decorative bowls </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">used as wedding decor.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjbJ4SK8Jic/Wql252bRW4I/AAAAAAAASNk/HzozfBO75KkbgoqDxGAQAzdxR5m53gaKACLcBGAs/s1600/MinGame%2BDay%2B16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjbJ4SK8Jic/Wql252bRW4I/AAAAAAAASNk/HzozfBO75KkbgoqDxGAQAzdxR5m53gaKACLcBGAs/s400/MinGame%2BDay%2B16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 17: A blanket that I made years ago that no one uses because it doesn't keep them warm ("It has holes in it!" They aren't wrong! That's the way it is with the granny square.) A plastic shoe box with no lid, a cardboard tube with a HUGE picture inside of Abigail's volleyball team (we took a picture of the picture to keep!), 9 little candy bars that nobody likes, a dog leash (we had 2 exactly the same), a stain pen that fills in scratches on furniture (we don't have anything that color anymore), a striped pen I hate feel of how </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">it writes, and a sturdy cardboard box that has been in the </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">garage for a long time with no purpose. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 18: A plastic box that no longer holds the ends spare contact lens cases it once did, a Christmas pick, 2 silver and 2 red strands of beads for a Christmas tree, a star shaped cookie cutter, a make up case, 2 spoons and a brush that came with my Instant Pot that I don't use and never will, 2 make up brushes, a mini (useless) whisk, a hair clip, 2 phone holders, and a fabric key chain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 19: A roll of red crepe paper, a ribbon polka dot banner, a roll wrapping paper, a metal container, what's left of a package of jumbo craft sticks, an *old* Lexington Diagnostic</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Center bag, white plastic basket, some cotton yarn, 2 bags of balloons, 3 packages of scrapbooking stickers, a package of pretty gift tags, a hair clip, some colorful twine, and 3 paper globe decorations (that are folded up in this picture).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 20: 7 birthday hats, 12 rolls of various crepe paper rolls, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and 2 shiny silver hanging decorations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">Wow, 20 days down and 11 more to go! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">This feels great to be shedding so many unused items and passing them on to those who might find value in them. Sometimes it's hard to let go of things that you know that you paid good money for because it feels wasteful. But, what IS wasteful is to hang on to things for that reason only when others can benefit from them. I am finding more and more value in letting go and living with less. </span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-65291111654056107612018-03-14T17:35:00.001-04:002018-03-14T17:35:53.652-04:00She Said Yes....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daniel asked and Abigail said yes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Before Daniel asked Abigail he called to ask permission to marry our daughter. As parents we very much appreciated the opportunity to give our blessing to their marriage. Not that they "needed" our approval or permission but it says to us that he respects us and even more importantly, our daughter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome to the family, Daniel! </span></div>
<br />Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-38708262277115246012018-03-12T13:56:00.000-04:002018-03-12T17:04:18.312-04:00Minimalist Game Days 1-10 <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Minimalism seems to be all the rage these days. I am quite smitten with it myself and always looking for things I can pare down to make my life less full of "things". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Honestly, this isn't a new journey for me. I have been paring down little by little since the summer of 2010. One would think that I should be done by now! Here's the thing....paring down what isn't wanted or needed is an on going process and so here I am nearly 8 years later continuing getting rid of more. Over the course of that time I have seen what I choose to keep differently. It's been inch by inch, step by step. What felt like "enough" paring down no longer feels like enough and I desire to eliminate more. Life moves on, hobbies change, people grow, desires are refined, priorities are clearer, and changes come. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To make the process a bit more fun I decided that I would play the "Minimalism Game" which is simply beginning at the start of a new month you get rid of items that correspond with the number of the day. So on March 1st I get rid of 1 item, on March 2nd I get rid of 2 items and on it goes to the end of the month when I will have gotten rid of 496 items! No question it will get harder and harder as I go but I am up for the challenge!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are my first 10 days:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 1: A tire gauge that has been hanging around since Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Who knew there were different sizes of tire gauges....not me.) :( </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Day 2:<span style="text-align: center;"> L</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">eft over Valentine's I gave kids at school</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 3: Pins we got from the VFW when Annah was receiving her </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Voice of Democracy" award.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 4: A book I have never really used, another leftover </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Valentine, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a pencil bag shaped like a sneaker, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and an insulated cup </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I got as a gift but don't use. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 5: Two stacks of tulle (orange and purple), a bag of purple faux </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">rose petals, a bouquet holder, and a bag of confetti sequinned </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">hearts (all wedding supplies that have hung on </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to for nearly 10 years...why???) :/ </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 6: More wedding supplies...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 7: One last bunch of white wedding flowers, a packet of info from my ENT on hearing aids that I am not ready to do, 2 packets of expired </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">brown gravy from the pantry, a cinnamon broom that has </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">lost it's scent, a small wooden sign that says Welcome Winter, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(too small for my liking) and what's left in an expired box of sinus meds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 8: I guess I could have counted these individually but they were in bunches already.....8 bunches of flowers from wedding decor.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 9: 3 Christmas tins, 4 old magazines that I hung on to thinking I would reference for future Christmas crafting but never looked at again, a partial box of fake snow used for crafting some years back, and a package of Christmas treat bags I thought I would use but haven't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Day 10: A bag of fiber fill, another bag of fake snow, 3 rolls of ribbon never used, a length of wired Christmas ribbon, an empty gift box, a plastic organizer box, a Christmas flower pick, and a glass bottle </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">label off of even after soaking for hours. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So there it is, the first 10 days! I am excited for the next 10 days to see what more I can clear out! :)</span></span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-59695354044393623032018-01-06T10:59:00.000-05:002018-01-06T11:01:50.952-05:00Winter Found<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ah yes, winter has been found! This was 5 am this morning.... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The cold of winter is settling in. Now all we lack is S-N-O-W! With a few exceptions Kentucky winters leave me disgruntled due to lack of snow. I love winter but the perfect combination is cold AND snow! Cold without snow is just drab but add sparkling snow to cover the brown grass and leafless trees and it transforms the world outside my window! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Come on Kentucky, I am waiting! </span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-11494107779120236282017-11-15T15:15:00.003-05:002017-11-15T15:15:14.684-05:00Oh Fall, You Don't Disappoint!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's my favorite time of year again when the air is cool, the mornings crisp, and the leaves dance on the wind. I miss my childhood home the most in autumn. Upstate New York is a glorious place to take in the autumn colors and watch summer fade. I have fond memories of Eagle Mills Cider Mill where I often watched apples being pressed into cider before my eyes and where they gave cider samples in small paper cups that chased down the homemade donuts we'd buy while we were there. I can't think of autumn without being reminded of where I came from. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now where I come from autumn is slower to release the summer and depending on the conditions, we might not get the glorious display of colors that live in my memory from when I was young. And sometimes, every now and then, we also get a rose in November. Who can complain about a November rose? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Oh fall, you just never disappoint! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While sifting through pictures on my phone that I wanted to use for this post I came across a picture that was taken back on August 21st, the day of the eclipse. It made me laugh out loud when I saw it. I just HAD to use it somewhere so mixed in with fall we have this....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the haze of the eclipse it distorted Annah's shadow...HA! HA!:D</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-63516101853985744562017-09-25T20:00:00.003-04:002017-09-25T20:00:59.617-04:00The Good Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's been quite a while since I last posted to my blog...even longer than I realized till I sat down to write. Seven months is the longest break I have taken since I began blogging but, so what? I have long hated the saying, "It is what it is," but I think it's growing on me. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few thoughts and pictures of the months past....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><i>MARCH</i></u></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah was in the production of Cinderella at her high school. She was the step-mother and did a fabulous job even though she was sick! We took her to the doctor thinking she had strep but she was negative even though she nearly lost her voice and she had singing parts! But the show went on with her being on vocal rest all day on performance days so she could save her voice for the show!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah with Jonathan, the prince</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She was a lovely step-mother and was spot-on with her performance!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><u>APRIL</u></i></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah went to Prom with her friend Jeshaun. Her dress was beautiful and she looked like a princess. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She's standing on a board because it rained hard just before the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pictures were done and all the girls were sinking</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">in the ground with their pretty high heels!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And those shoes....[insert googly eyes!] LOVE! <3 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My favorite picture....</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dpj4MSOTW4/WYChyuFQHrI/AAAAAAAANr4/-uCQeou5oMI244IThph_q8ysSkg9NW27ACLcBGAs/s1600/Jeshaun%2B%2526%2BAnnah%2BProm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dpj4MSOTW4/WYChyuFQHrI/AAAAAAAANr4/-uCQeou5oMI244IThph_q8ysSkg9NW27ACLcBGAs/s400/Jeshaun%2B%2526%2BAnnah%2BProm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Funniest picture...Jess gagging in response to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jeshaun and Annah's pose!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-srV4ojbgg/WYCadrZXLNI/AAAAAAAANp4/QVtMU3z9KBYh_8lGoKD7J3ejuhsQMfkhwCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_1352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l-srV4ojbgg/WYCadrZXLNI/AAAAAAAANp4/QVtMU3z9KBYh_8lGoKD7J3ejuhsQMfkhwCLcBGAs/s400/DSC_1352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love these black and white shots of laughing girls!</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NL69bW6kW8A/WYCaevMQIkI/AAAAAAAANqA/-0dYrwhGjOk_AL40XgsML3DENkBXqdq8QCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_1385-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NL69bW6kW8A/WYCaevMQIkI/AAAAAAAANqA/-0dYrwhGjOk_AL40XgsML3DENkBXqdq8QCLcBGAs/s400/DSC_1385-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K49SJ94cyKw/WYCafjOd8gI/AAAAAAAANqE/yzAD8z24FHAY8ZimB3ic7cWYsMVL6JqwgCLcBGAs/s1600/DSC_1407-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K49SJ94cyKw/WYCafjOd8gI/AAAAAAAANqE/yzAD8z24FHAY8ZimB3ic7cWYsMVL6JqwgCLcBGAs/s400/DSC_1407-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few more favs....</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2_jXsNx2pM/WYD0j_OPE1I/AAAAAAAANt8/PPaCZzaExj0JZ_gEcnyu1Ayyhn4ptY2EQCLcBGAs/s1600/FB_IMG_1492905304407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="696" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2_jXsNx2pM/WYD0j_OPE1I/AAAAAAAANt8/PPaCZzaExj0JZ_gEcnyu1Ayyhn4ptY2EQCLcBGAs/s400/FB_IMG_1492905304407.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIhg71TW_Ww/WYD0j4zUx7I/AAAAAAAANuA/7BdWFwB9BU4wlVbPYdlm2utuyqYfdztZACLcBGAs/s1600/FB_IMG_1492905324695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIhg71TW_Ww/WYD0j4zUx7I/AAAAAAAANuA/7BdWFwB9BU4wlVbPYdlm2utuyqYfdztZACLcBGAs/s400/FB_IMG_1492905324695.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><u>MAY</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was delightful as school drew to a close. I had a few rough months leading up to the end of the year and felt spent and so ready for the summer break.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I began the school year feeling like this.... </span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9oHdV8EENhA/WYCisYayfeI/AAAAAAAANsA/C_fOlTTrcBoaZZZdk4i5lmSkQJfcPzjZQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9oHdV8EENhA/WYCisYayfeI/AAAAAAAANsA/C_fOlTTrcBoaZZZdk4i5lmSkQJfcPzjZQCLcBGAs/s400/Bear.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And ended feeling like this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z76rBMwJ1Xg/WYCisV8dSVI/AAAAAAAANr8/hvjXJBrZd-QRfwh4SVRrwrqlbSNnQaOsQCLcBGAs/s1600/Growling%2BBear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z76rBMwJ1Xg/WYCisV8dSVI/AAAAAAAANr8/hvjXJBrZd-QRfwh4SVRrwrqlbSNnQaOsQCLcBGAs/s400/Growling%2BBear.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> (The bear was a birthday gift from Boni, the teacher that I work with!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">About a week before school let out we learned that Abigail, who was serving a mission in the Arizona Tempe Mission, would be returning home after 9 months out due to back problems she had been experiencing for quite some time. A few months before Abigail left on her mission she had gone bridge jumping with her friends in Idaho and one of the times that she jumped in she hit the rocks on the bottom. As a result she hurt her right foot, right knee and her back and was in a boot for her foot for 8 weeks before she left on her mission. On Mother's Day (May 14th) we learned that they were going to be making a decision about her coming home early. She had an MRI, physical therapy, injections, medication, and even some bed rest but nothing seemed to be helping much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few days later we got another call from Abigail and as she began to talk she passed the phone to her companion to give us the news of her coming home because she was crying too hard to talk. Our hearts were breaking for her as she loved serving as a missionary so much. She loved the people, her companions, and her mission president and his wife,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> President and Sister Christensen. It was heartbreaking for her yet it was what had to happen. Missionary life is physically demanding with all the walking, riding bikes, and the constant on the go schedule. Keeping that kind of pace with a back injury became impossible. The decision for her to come home was in her best interest so that she could get additional medical treatment and so she didn't suffer more permanent problems in the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On May 23rd we welcomed Abigail home from her mission...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(We were Facetiming with Jordan, that is why Annah is holding up the phone!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEvvlySRdWQ/WYENi1KAxEI/AAAAAAAANuM/o6gwU-XYwXsCNzDxmfEPB-bIVARmjXoHgCLcBGAs/s1600/Abigail%2Bhome%2Bfrom%2Bmission%2BMay%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="526" height="298" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uEvvlySRdWQ/WYENi1KAxEI/AAAAAAAANuM/o6gwU-XYwXsCNzDxmfEPB-bIVARmjXoHgCLcBGAs/s400/Abigail%2Bhome%2Bfrom%2Bmission%2BMay%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although her transition back has not been an easy one, she's done great! In her time home she has decided to return to school in Idaho in the fall. ("No more bridge jumping!" said Mom and Dad.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><u>JUNE</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Summer came roaring in with a visit from Jordan who made a trip back from Utah to be able to bring all of his and McKenna's belongings that had been living in our garage and the upstairs storage room since they returned to Utah in January. It was a long drive out and back but a necessary one to gather all of their things. It was great to see him and spend some time with him. In July they moved to St. George, Utah for Jordan to begin med school there. An exciting adventure awaits him and his family!:D As Jordan traveled from Utah to Kentucky, he stopped in Texas to visit with Andrew. We were so happy the two of them had a chance to visit while Jordan was passing through! <3</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1s5zH9iSvTI/WclG5TiMQtI/AAAAAAAAO_o/3PcNOSz9JQcPHsmj2LyJXLQMXp_G0FX9wCLcBGAs/s1600/Jordan%2Band%2BAndrew%2Bin%2BTexas%2BMay%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1s5zH9iSvTI/WclG5TiMQtI/AAAAAAAAO_o/3PcNOSz9JQcPHsmj2LyJXLQMXp_G0FX9wCLcBGAs/s400/Jordan%2Band%2BAndrew%2Bin%2BTexas%2BMay%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After Jordan's visit Tim and I drove Jordan and McKenna's car that they had left here out to Utah for them. It was an opportunity for a road trip AND to be able to spend a few days with Jordan, McKenna and sweet Mackson! That road trip was the first road trip Tim and I have taken ALONE in like 31 YEARS! That was kind of mind bending! :D </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A few of my favorite pictures of Mackson that I snapped during our visit....</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Feej1wypjVM/WYHeTDvyh9I/AAAAAAAANwk/BLh1Y6vkLT8uLBvKOKm1CXxSToFytbWggCLcBGAs/s1600/Mackson%2Bat%2Bwater%2Bpark%2BFIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Feej1wypjVM/WYHeTDvyh9I/AAAAAAAANwk/BLh1Y6vkLT8uLBvKOKm1CXxSToFytbWggCLcBGAs/s400/Mackson%2Bat%2Bwater%2Bpark%2BFIXED.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-btq5SUzLy7I/WYHfq_kpvuI/AAAAAAAANw0/2nbzgKGCMg4QNZrJ_MUIIlbJnAUvITo_ACLcBGAs/s1600/Mackson%2Bwater%2Bpark%2BJune%2B2017FIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-btq5SUzLy7I/WYHfq_kpvuI/AAAAAAAANw0/2nbzgKGCMg4QNZrJ_MUIIlbJnAUvITo_ACLcBGAs/s400/Mackson%2Bwater%2Bpark%2BJune%2B2017FIXED.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I didn't take this picture of Mackson but while we were in Utah Jordan signed the papers for his commission into the U.S. Air Force! Things are getting more and more real for him as his dream of attending medical school draws closer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipcIsfAL4ig/Wck-RAYY8mI/AAAAAAAAO-0/wMKjBXuubHY_y-9mG44y-GtE_W0gBb6FwCLcBGAs/s1600/Mackson%2Bwith%2Bflag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ipcIsfAL4ig/Wck-RAYY8mI/AAAAAAAAO-0/wMKjBXuubHY_y-9mG44y-GtE_W0gBb6FwCLcBGAs/s400/Mackson%2Bwith%2Bflag.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Love this picture of Grandpa with Mackson!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ48uyeRshw/Wck-s9IkiQI/AAAAAAAAO-4/W5oVSX495M47LlXgZoiNk7AcPIma_yOXgCLcBGAs/s1600/Grandpa%2Bwith%2BMackson%2BJune%2B2017FIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ48uyeRshw/Wck-s9IkiQI/AAAAAAAAO-4/W5oVSX495M47LlXgZoiNk7AcPIma_yOXgCLcBGAs/s400/Grandpa%2Bwith%2BMackson%2BJune%2B2017FIXED.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also in June Annah went on a week long trip to Washington DC with 8 other kids all representing our electric company co-op. What an opportunity that was for her! She loved every minute of being there seeing the sights and learning more of our nation's history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This picture of the DC Youth Tour kids was in the July issue of Kentucky Living, a magazine put out by the co-op.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImCmgLdQVIk/WcmRUNhoJEI/AAAAAAAAPCs/Ej4UFCIPH8U9jvqGwzbFU5VBp7VQsqZgQCLcBGAs/s1600/Washington%2BYouth%2BTour%2B%2BGroup%2BJune%2B2017002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImCmgLdQVIk/WcmRUNhoJEI/AAAAAAAAPCs/Ej4UFCIPH8U9jvqGwzbFU5VBp7VQsqZgQCLcBGAs/s400/Washington%2BYouth%2BTour%2B%2BGroup%2BJune%2B2017002.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah at the Vietnam War Memorial Wall </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She was able to find the name of her Uncle Bill's friend that he knew while serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Annah was honored to be able to find his friend's name and send him a picture.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PKoP3f1NQ/WcksO3MhlAI/AAAAAAAAO8o/qHGdVlI863AGfGvrKEd9RIPVzK5WDBdSwCLcBGAs/s1600/Annah%2BDC%2Btrip%2BBill%2527s%2Bfriend%2527s%2Bname%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PKoP3f1NQ/WcksO3MhlAI/AAAAAAAAO8o/qHGdVlI863AGfGvrKEd9RIPVzK5WDBdSwCLcBGAs/s320/Annah%2BDC%2Btrip%2BBill%2527s%2Bfriend%2527s%2Bname%2Bat%2Bthe%2Bwall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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*<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In September's blurb is a bit more about Annah's trip to DC! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i><u>JULY</u></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">July began with some fireworks...literally fireworks at RJ Corman's field! But before the fireworks began Abigail and Annah took these cute pictures....love them! </span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWsqnTG0Iug/WYHcJjCeF6I/AAAAAAAANwE/JC7ebyopWisUOIkoF-HByMdY-J6fErY4gCLcBGAs/s1600/Abigail%2B%2526%2BAnnah%2BJuly%2B4th%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="516" height="271" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LWsqnTG0Iug/WYHcJjCeF6I/AAAAAAAANwE/JC7ebyopWisUOIkoF-HByMdY-J6fErY4gCLcBGAs/s400/Abigail%2B%2526%2BAnnah%2BJuly%2B4th%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8pHPjsByrA/WYHcJ9Nn7vI/AAAAAAAANwM/ofQsqaDpo8EFQUy_57YKURNqrtLhb6B0QCLcBGAs/s1600/Annah%2B%2526%2BAbigail%2BJuly%2B4%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="745" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8pHPjsByrA/WYHcJ9Nn7vI/AAAAAAAANwM/ofQsqaDpo8EFQUy_57YKURNqrtLhb6B0QCLcBGAs/s400/Annah%2B%2526%2BAbigail%2BJuly%2B4%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then came more figurative fireworks when Tim and Lisa gifted me with a trip to Alaska to visit them and their 22 month old son, August, who was 6 months old the last time we saw him in person! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">August still wasn't too sure about me after seeing me only in pictures and on Skype but he did let me hold him just for a minute before wanting down! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love this picture!</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tG8VUDe-w5E/WYHcKa-yCuI/AAAAAAAANwU/bZQZ04HzMxgmXfn_WV9uTC8Iw9lEcKUqQCLcBGAs/s1600/August%2B%2526%2BGrandma%2BAlaska%2BJuly%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tG8VUDe-w5E/WYHcKa-yCuI/AAAAAAAANwU/bZQZ04HzMxgmXfn_WV9uTC8Iw9lEcKUqQCLcBGAs/s400/August%2B%2526%2BGrandma%2BAlaska%2BJuly%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The only way you want to see a bear in Alaska...<u>.</u></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4n7dg_nlCuo/WYHiBglkEYI/AAAAAAAANxA/lRBn-dvTY8odh5f8mKp7FOexLKqfv-xaACLcBGAs/s1600/Alaska%2BBearFIXED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4n7dg_nlCuo/WYHiBglkEYI/AAAAAAAANxA/lRBn-dvTY8odh5f8mKp7FOexLKqfv-xaACLcBGAs/s400/Alaska%2BBearFIXED.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love, love, love the tracks that follow the winding road </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">headed to Anchorage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Barbara Falls </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was sooo incredible! Lisa knew a secret path that took us up close to the falls -- so close that you could feel the mist! </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G79dTNquN4/WYHiB1rCyhI/AAAAAAAANxE/c5VQjWqiJ18DQghwYZZQ05_XsIdlWF9ZQCLcBGAs/s1600/Alaska%2Bwaterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G79dTNquN4/WYHiB1rCyhI/AAAAAAAANxE/c5VQjWqiJ18DQghwYZZQ05_XsIdlWF9ZQCLcBGAs/s400/Alaska%2Bwaterfall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This picture of August was actually taken by Lisa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> before I got to Alaska but I just love it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He's just reading a book on a rock in ALASKA!</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qOoUxJktNLk/WckVhoaTwnI/AAAAAAAAO64/wsMb_3277Tso4N5DDWwjGiXTBX_Xm0IggCLcBGAs/s1600/August%2Breading%2Bon%2Ba%2Bmountail%2Btop%2BJuly%2B2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qOoUxJktNLk/WckVhoaTwnI/AAAAAAAAO64/wsMb_3277Tso4N5DDWwjGiXTBX_Xm0IggCLcBGAs/s400/August%2Breading%2Bon%2Ba%2Bmountail%2Btop%2BJuly%2B2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">August is ready for church!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Alaska was amazing...there are no words to describe how beautiful it was and how much I loved being able to visit Tim and Lisa and August. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>AUGUST</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">August rolled around much too quickly for me with school beginning again for Annah and I (she is a senior this year!) and it was back to the familiar grind of school routines. In addition to that, Abigail was making her plans to go back to BYU-Idaho to begin school again. We did a few fun things before she had to leave us....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We went to King's Island...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Guess who didn't get the memo that it was a "serious" family picture?:D</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rmuorXlZOXk/WckxpHfLcfI/AAAAAAAAO9I/lYTHRiSG-bEAt2K3uhbKgXGzC3MWhGQ4ACLcBGAs/s1600/Family%2Bserious%2Bmom%2Bnot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rmuorXlZOXk/WckxpHfLcfI/AAAAAAAAO9I/lYTHRiSG-bEAt2K3uhbKgXGzC3MWhGQ4ACLcBGAs/s400/Family%2Bserious%2Bmom%2Bnot.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We drove to Hopkinsville, KY to be there for the solar eclipse that happened on August 21st. Hopkinsville was the place in the U.S. where the eclipse lasted for the longest! It was so amazing being there for that. We left our house at 10:30 on Sunday night to make the 3 hour trip. Then we slept in the car (in anticipation of the crowds) and come morning we found a place in a nice park to spread our blanket and wait for the eclipse! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah put a pin in the map to show where we came from to see the eclipse. There were pins from all over! We met a guy who had come from England!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was hotter than Hades that day but still an awesome adventure! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Proof positive it was HOT...Annah had her retainers with her in the car </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(she's a faithful retainer-wearer) and in the heat of the day her retainers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> got so hot they no longer fit her teeth right! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(A few days later we had to make a trip to the orthodontist </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to get new retainers made.) :( </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As the full eclipse was nearing it looked like dusk outside and the crickets began chirping REALLY loud, the air cooled off enough that it was noticeable, and as I gazed up at the eclipsed sun I cried! Not cried as in sobbing cried but my eyes welled up with tears as I was there to witness such an awesome thing! It is something I won't forget! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the end of August Abigail was headed back to Idaho to continue school. It was another hard departure but one we knew she needs to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am going to miss the two of these girls together...they are so funny and always making us laugh!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's goodbye again. :'(</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>SEPTEMBER</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ahh September....Fall is on the horizon (or so we hope...it's still pretty hot in Kentucky for this time of year but Mother Nature assures me it's coming.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We were so happy to receive our issue of Kentucky Living Magazine that featured our area youth from the Washington DC Youth Tour! There was Annah gracing the front of the magazine AND inside there was another picture of her along with a quote by her that they feature on the sidebar and even more of it in the actual article! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sidebar quote</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah's full quote in the story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Additional picture featured with the story</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also in September, eighteen hundred miles away in St. George, Utah, Jordan had his white coat ceremony! We so wished we could be there for this special occasion but Tim and Lisa and August were able to be there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Getting his coat.... :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uE-i7rhMCWE/WclJqvTiaLI/AAAAAAAAPAA/A_dNEd3ddbQXHPbJJ0oqRZOymSQyRcZAACLcBGAs/s1600/Jordan%2Bwhite%2Bcoat%2Bceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uE-i7rhMCWE/WclJqvTiaLI/AAAAAAAAPAA/A_dNEd3ddbQXHPbJJ0oqRZOymSQyRcZAACLcBGAs/s400/Jordan%2Bwhite%2Bcoat%2Bceremony.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The cousins, August and Mackson meet each other for the first time since they were babies when August was 6 months old and Mackson was a newborn!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And seventeen hundred miles away in Mesa, Arizona, August celebrated his 2nd birthday! We sent a gift of tractors to him as it's his favorite thing! :D Lisa did a video of him opening them and I was able to get this screenshot of him playing with them. He's getting so grown up! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And seventeen hundred miles and north of Mesa, in Rexburg, Idaho, Abigail is back to school and loving it and I am loving that she is loving it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So those are the highlights of the last 7 months. Seeing these pictures and being reminded of good things and good times gives me reason to pause and be thankful. We can sometimes get lost in the heavy stresses and trials of everyday life and can lose track of the good that is really *still* there but can get clouded over. This has been good for me to be reminded of the "good stuff". :)</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-33920206193162473092017-02-22T16:45:00.000-05:002017-02-22T16:49:44.718-05:00The Winter That Wasn't<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is surely no secret that I love winter. I look forward to winter making its presence know. I love the cold. I love the snow. But alas, I live in a place that seems to have a hard time mustering up the courage to blanket the landscape in white. In our nearly 22 years in Kentucky we've had few "good" winters but they are typically nothing to write home about. While I don't have official snowfall totals for this winter, I can tell you that it wasn't much! We only had 3 days off school but that was due more to slick roads because of a lot of rain that made the road get icy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I told Annah that I blame her for the lack of snow. In years past she decks out our picture window with the most lovely of paper snowflakes. Her creations have gotten lovelier through the years. I told her that one day when she moves away from home, that she will need to send me paper snowflakes at the beginning of each December. This year she was so busy with school, choir, ReVerb (an a capella group), and drama (3 productions in all this school year!) that she didn't have time to grace my window with paper snowflakes until just a few days before Christmas. I have decided that THAT is why the snow didn't come! I won't let her miss the date next December! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">I have left my snowflakes up just hoping beyond hope it would stir a little winter magic but it failed. I decided weeks ago to take them down but when I went to do, I couldn't just yet....even though a few were ripped. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was precisely <i><u>because</u></i> a few were ripped that I couldn't take them down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">They were ripped because of this guy toddling around the house and going for the snowflakes! </span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan, McKenna and Mackson moved back to Utah in January and this was all I had as a visual reminder that Mackson was here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is 11 month old Mackson walking and carrying a basketball...in his UK hat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The next UK Wildcat...gotta start 'em young!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan and Mackson in matching sweaters</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mackson and winter, I miss you both!</span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-75214564801651259342016-12-31T23:02:00.001-05:002016-12-31T23:02:42.008-05:00Almost the New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here it is about and hour before the start of a new year and if I get nothing else done before the end of the year, I have to update my blog so I don't go into the new year already behind! So here we go....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a wrap for another Valenta Christmas! We had some hectic moments and had to slow down for a few speed bumps along the way but all is well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now that the dust is settling and things are winding down I will admit I haven't managed to keep up with my blog very well and I have missed it! I have kept up with the missionary <a href="http://hermanavalenta.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog I am keeping for Abigail</a> of her weekly letters. In a perfect world I would be able to keep up with both hers and mine while juggling family, job, home and everything else in between but I make no promises. :) I can *try* although I am well aware what Yoda says about trying.... "Do or do not. There is no try." So yeah....I will try. ;)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While I didn't get as many pictures as I had planned or hoped to, here is a little bit of our Christmas....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is our favorite Christmas card...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is Tim's boss, Dr. George Privett, dressed as </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Santa for the front of the Christmas cards sent to employees! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is the most awesome of cards!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2XnbQtH2gw/WGaLy43wxAI/AAAAAAAAIrA/-X6TO6gHSnMkVx_6xeign6EJ-B29EUbeACLcB/s1600/Dr.%2BPrivett%2BChristmas%2BCard%2B2016-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w2XnbQtH2gw/WGaLy43wxAI/AAAAAAAAIrA/-X6TO6gHSnMkVx_6xeign6EJ-B29EUbeACLcB/s400/Dr.%2BPrivett%2BChristmas%2BCard%2B2016-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Santa came.... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We've</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> had this ornament for a lot of years but it was </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">extra </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">special this year with our Spanish </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">speaking missionary in Arizona</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">! :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdvFIozh1Mw/WGaMpVof5XI/AAAAAAAAIrc/Fj0A-x_lmyYzi2eAQjFS1tzT85iN7K-JACLcB/s1600/FEliz%2BNavidad-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CdvFIozh1Mw/WGaMpVof5XI/AAAAAAAAIrc/Fj0A-x_lmyYzi2eAQjFS1tzT85iN7K-JACLcB/s400/FEliz%2BNavidad-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a peaceful Christmas morning before </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">we went to church. The little nativity </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">was sent</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> us by Abigail. I love it very much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah opens a present before church</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mackson (</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">9 months old) and his daddy by the tree</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mackson and Auntie Annah</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mackson liked his activity table!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And bows were his favorite too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A great ending to our Christmas festivities...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Skype session with Hermana Valenta!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(McKenna and Mackson were upstairs napping </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and missed being able to see Abigail.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2016 is rapidly coming to a close (like in about an hour!!) and as it does we are full of anticipation for all the possibilities that await us in the coming year! May it be a prosperous and happy New Year for us all! :)</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-901446773391331112016-10-25T20:37:00.000-04:002016-10-25T20:37:00.140-04:00The Eagle Has Landed - Repost from Abigail's Blog<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the wee hours of Tuesday morning (about 3 am) I woke up and looked at my phone. Taking a quick look at my email, I was shocked to see a message from Abigail! It said that for her last night in the MTC she was allowed to send email and she was able to chat back and forth if I was on the other end of her email. My eyes instantly scanned the email to find out what time it had come in and I cried when I saw that it had come in at about 9 pm on Monday night and I had not see it until 3 am Tuesday!!! When Tim stirred I leaned over to him and asked if he was awake. He mumbled that he was so I told him that Abigail had written and I hadn't seen it and how sad I was that I missed her email. He didn't respond after that so I guess he wasn't awake after all. All I have thought about all day was the fact that I missed the chance I had to chat with her through email last night. Today Abigail left Mexico. I tracked her flight from Mexico City to Dallas and from Dallas to Phoenix! Finally this evening a letter and pictures arrived from Abigail's Mission President and his wife...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">Dear Brother and Sister Valenta,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sister Christensen and I wanted to let you know that your daughter, Sister Valenta, has arrived safely at the Arizona Tempe Mission Home. Attached you will find two photos that we thought you might enjoy. One is your missionary with Sister Christensen and me and the other is with the group of missionaries that arrived with her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We are so pleased to have Sister Valenta serving in the Arizona Tempe Mission. Monday is Preparation Day at which time she will let you know her mailing address, the Zone and District to which she is assigned, and the name of her Trainer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As we met with Sister Valenta, we stressed the principles of obedience, hard work and worthiness. This mission holds great potential for each missionary assigned. The members are strong and love these great Elders and Sisters. You can be assured they, and we, will do all possible to watch over your daughter. It is a very special responsibility we feel toward our missionaries. We want to see them enjoy a happy and successful mission.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our missionaries have permission to Skype or telephone their families twice per year: on Mothers’ Day and at Christmas. But if you need to get a message to your daughter, or if you have any questions, please call us directly. We do want the missionaries to receive letters and e-mails from home on a regular basis encouraging them in their proselyting efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thank you for raising a daughter who has a desire to serve the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sincerely yours,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">President Spencer Christensen</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaPrOpVyrt4/WA_u58TcqoI/AAAAAAAAIdg/zavAJ3HXFToXUF6ShI-saNI03TPxCSNygCLcB/s1600/Abigail%2Bwith%2BPresident%2B%2526%2BSister%2BChristensen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaPrOpVyrt4/WA_u58TcqoI/AAAAAAAAIdg/zavAJ3HXFToXUF6ShI-saNI03TPxCSNygCLcB/s400/Abigail%2Bwith%2BPresident%2B%2526%2BSister%2BChristensen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Poor Abigail, this is the first time we've gotten a good look at the cast she is in. I just want to give her a great big hug. </span></o:p></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-17049113860741963172016-10-11T16:04:00.001-04:002016-10-11T16:04:37.349-04:00And Summer Gave Way to Fall<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think the older I get the more quickly time passes. I am not even sure where the time has gone but here in Kentucky summer gave way to fall in what seemed a blink of an eye. And in that blink of an eye we readied Abigail for her mission and in moments, just like that, she was gone. The Mexico MTC is her home for a few more weeks (6 weeks in all) and then she will go to Tempe, Arizona and call it home for 18 months. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just now I am feeling the dust beginning to settle and find my footing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">A few weeks before Abigail left for her mission, Jeff, Tim's brother, came to visit from Arizona. It was the first time he has been to Kentucky and we loved having him to ourselves for a week! I think it is pretty spectacular that Jeff lives one city over from where Abigail will be, as does my good friend, Patty. It eases my mind and heart that we have people close by should Abigail need them! I think it's one of those heavenly arrangements made so this mama wasn't so stressed out! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We took Jeff to Morehead, KY where Jacob is a </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">student </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">at </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morehead State University. </span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDl0T7U32Ew/V_06OuxPXeI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/05JS_-UMsYw-B1yIQXyGuYwMU8ytgqWqwCLcB/s1600/Fazoli%2527s%2Bwith%2Bthe%2Bfam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xDl0T7U32Ew/V_06OuxPXeI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/05JS_-UMsYw-B1yIQXyGuYwMU8ytgqWqwCLcB/s400/Fazoli%2527s%2Bwith%2Bthe%2Bfam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A little entertainment at Jacob's apartment after dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeff got to meet baby Mackson for the first time now that Jordan and McKenna live here while Jordan attends The University of Kentucky!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Jeff got to be here for Abigail going to the temple for the first time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">It was so great having Jeff with us for a week and hope that he comes back soon for another visit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was looking through some pictures the other day and found some fun pictures of Abigail and Annah. They are quite a pair....a pair that will have a sweet reunion in 18 months. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8MLx9sWJJI/VeopWOjgKbI/AAAAAAAAHTU/AbER7QfHJs8/s1600/DSCN0990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z8MLx9sWJJI/VeopWOjgKbI/AAAAAAAAHTU/AbER7QfHJs8/s400/DSCN0990.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is classic Abigail! Hahaha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">This was on Abigail's 18th birthday...It's gotta be genetic!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just hugging a horse...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I do miss that girl and her funny quips, her random comments, her silly faces, her interactions with her sister, the covert videos she took of me doing or saying crazy things then posting them to Snap Chat for all her friends to see. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Abigail signed (as in sign language) to Annah when she was in the security line the morning she was leaving, "See you in 18 months." It will be a sweet reunion indeed! </span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-28977226743927069192016-08-09T22:16:00.000-04:002016-08-10T06:15:11.536-04:00Summer of the Sloth<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yes, I am the sloth...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's been nearly 2 months since I updated the blog with our spring break mad dash across the country. What I didn't put in that update was that the day after that post went up I was having surgery on my shoulder. It had been planned for a month or so but I was waiting for school to let out so I could use the summer to recover. That is why I have been a sloth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am not kidding when I say I have done *NOTHING* this summer. Well, nothing but lay low, baby my shoulder, cry at physical therapy visits and gradually get back to my mom duties and real life. It's been a slow process and some of that "real life" stuff I am still working on but like it or not school begins tomorrow and ready or not, here comes some more "real life"!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While I was perfecting the life of a sloth this summer, some not so sloth-like things happened....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah attended AFY (Adventures For Youth) in Idaho with </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">her sweet friend, Elizabeth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Salt Lake Bees baseball game</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Headed for adventure...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">AFY group 2016</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Power Poll...yeah, Annah!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Andrew and Heather and their family came to </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">visit for a few days from Texas!It was so good to see them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and the kids! Connor (10) was visiting his dad so we didn't get to see him,</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwaGaeJjYKI/V6o7uTztcsI/AAAAAAAAISc/R8Tgu4wQFOI6EuaqA3pfJfQJgk-KgHeFwCLcB/s1600/Andrew%2Band%2BHeather%2BMarch%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwaGaeJjYKI/V6o7uTztcsI/AAAAAAAAISc/R8Tgu4wQFOI6EuaqA3pfJfQJgk-KgHeFwCLcB/s400/Andrew%2Band%2BHeather%2BMarch%2B2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These boys...Fletcher (3) and Ackerley (5) ...adorable!</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4mgInz6DKY/V6o7X7QfZXI/AAAAAAAAISI/ObQVz6kHNnoiPun_pJ1UNfbvC30hDujJQCLcB/s1600/Ackerley%2B%2526%2BFletcher%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R4mgInz6DKY/V6o7X7QfZXI/AAAAAAAAISI/ObQVz6kHNnoiPun_pJ1UNfbvC30hDujJQCLcB/s400/Ackerley%2B%2526%2BFletcher%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Just before they left to go back home Ackerley came over</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to come to see him at his home. I said that maybe </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">sometime we could come to visit. He then said, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Can you come on Sunday?" Oh sweet Ackerley....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TbyIypQrr-w/V6o7eTj-kAI/AAAAAAAAISM/TOez4N0MKFw9Rm3kNYwIZe4dgw-znRsjACLcB/s1600/Ackerley%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TbyIypQrr-w/V6o7eTj-kAI/AAAAAAAAISM/TOez4N0MKFw9Rm3kNYwIZe4dgw-znRsjACLcB/s400/Ackerley%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fletcher wouldn't look up so I could take his picture when </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">they were in the car to leave...silly boy! He's a little sweetheart!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMeX-vsueM8/V6o7e_W_OvI/AAAAAAAAISY/fsEMk77hjaQYUqpoA2Csoz949ZcGUyBCgCLcB/s1600/Fletcher%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YMeX-vsueM8/V6o7e_W_OvI/AAAAAAAAISY/fsEMk77hjaQYUqpoA2Csoz949ZcGUyBCgCLcB/s400/Fletcher%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Andrew in his Texas shirt.... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhjnK-l0s4o/V6o7e3pR9SI/AAAAAAAAISU/aawfq3v6KVcphL1XQgOwTNmqA4RJiCfdACLcB/s1600/Andrew%2BJuly2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhjnK-l0s4o/V6o7e3pR9SI/AAAAAAAAISU/aawfq3v6KVcphL1XQgOwTNmqA4RJiCfdACLcB/s400/Andrew%2BJuly2016.jpg" width="225" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One last picture before they drove away (Fletcher was hidden by pillows!) It's times like these that I wish for kids and grand kids to be closer so that we don't have to say those hard goodbyes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9F6RMoeZQI/V6o7ekKBKTI/AAAAAAAAISQ/Gnl3b2XvqYwlkho8zBe10yX0MwTSSV7NwCLcB/s1600/Andrew%2B%2526%2BFamily%2Bleaving%2BKy%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q9F6RMoeZQI/V6o7ekKBKTI/AAAAAAAAISQ/Gnl3b2XvqYwlkho8zBe10yX0MwTSSV7NwCLcB/s400/Andrew%2B%2526%2BFamily%2Bleaving%2BKy%2BJuly%2B2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: center;">Abigail returned from BYU-Idaho where she made </span><span style="text-align: center;">lots of great friends...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And she received her mission call to the Arizona Tempe Spanish-speaking mission </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and will report to the Mexico MTC on September 13th where she will be for 6 weeks learning Spanish before reporting to Arizona!</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIYXDd46agM/V6pUTVD6yNI/AAAAAAAAITc/eFdu2UivWu0vysuwbeI41PzxO1adVGb0gCLcB/s1600/Abigail%2527s%2BMission%2BCall%2BCame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIYXDd46agM/V6pUTVD6yNI/AAAAAAAAITc/eFdu2UivWu0vysuwbeI41PzxO1adVGb0gCLcB/s400/Abigail%2527s%2BMission%2BCall%2BCame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...And she had her 19th birthday! Her friend Jen made her a cheesecake to celebrate her 19 years. Jen and Abigail have been friends since they were little and now they will both be serving missions! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We took Jacob back to school as he gets ready to start another year at Morehead State University where he is in the Space Science program. He and Abigail won't see each other again for 18 months. :(</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And now we look forward to Jordan, McKenna and Mackson moving to Kentucky in another week so Jordan can attend the University of Kentucky. We are thrilled to have them close by to be able to see Mackson grow. The last time we saw him was when he was 2 weeks old and this month he will be 5 months old!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> What a little doll he is!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Mackson reminds me of Jordan when he was a baby ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">So it's been a slothful summer for me for sure but not so much for the family! Life keeps moving along as it should.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;"> Here's to my slothful summer on my way to a fabulous fall!</span></span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-63145711689904139442016-06-07T22:48:00.001-04:002016-06-07T22:57:16.017-04:00Oh, Idaho!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As May quickly drew to an end and June is now underway, I have not yet written about our amazing race across the country to Idaho in early April! Time has gotten away from me but the memories of that time call to me to be remembered. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was all we could do to stuff everything into the trunk of our Elantra. With Abigail going back to college there was a *lot* of stuff! But we managed to smush it in and hit the road! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Good thing these two get along so well because it was </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pretty close </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">quarters in the back seat!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We traveled </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">over 1,700 miles </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">but the sights were spectacular</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tim indulged Annah and I as we wanted to stop often to take pictures.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5VAnXl6Z4uU/VzjXf_A-q2I/AAAAAAAAICs/TjkCdX8EUmMck3t7QhtCZCtaDMD0uJ8FQCLcB/s1600/DSCN2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5VAnXl6Z4uU/VzjXf_A-q2I/AAAAAAAAICs/TjkCdX8EUmMck3t7QhtCZCtaDMD0uJ8FQCLcB/s400/DSCN2603.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">*This is one of my very favorite pictures*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah taking pictures :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuPq6BaNqDU/VzjXf0OrsXI/AAAAAAAAIC0/3EJkv0wymI04QuHNJL_GjI-SVXWgEaxGQCLcB/s1600/DSCN2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FuPq6BaNqDU/VzjXf0OrsXI/AAAAAAAAIC0/3EJkv0wymI04QuHNJL_GjI-SVXWgEaxGQCLcB/s400/DSCN2596.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We even climbed through snow to be able to get a closer look with the lens!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then it happened....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">33 hours later we arrived! Abigail did the honors of driving us into IDAHO!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have not been back to Idaho since I attended school there back in 1980!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">While the sights were beautiful, the best Idaho views were the grandbabies!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sweet baby Mackson 2 weeks old when we were there...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And Baby Mackson was blessed while we were there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And baby August was 6 months old!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tim and Lisa drove to Idaho from Tempe, Arizona on their way to their new home. The timing was perfect to be able to all meet up and catch up for a few days before setting off on their adventures in ALASKA! We hadn't seen August since he was just 2 or 3 weeks old!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He is the spitting image of his daddy as a baby!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: center;">Alaskan adventures are calling them. It was a tearful goodbye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Then it was Jordan's graduation from BYU-Idaho! YAY Jordan!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Wait....it's empty! :) hahaha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(they will mail him the real thing)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Abigail showed us around the BYU-I campus and it was amazing to see the changes in the campus since I attended there 36 years ago!! It was called Rick's College back in the day and there were a few buildings that I still recognized! It was a neat experience being back there and walking around the campus and seeing Rexburg again. I had a lot of good memories in that place and I am happy that Jordan and Abigail get to have good memories there too. :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUNaQQyP-AQ/V1d0FfK1zcI/AAAAAAAAILc/OnYJDXJ3xRgvv8vKFx8h1OD4XADvX8C2ACLcB/s1600/DSCN2742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUNaQQyP-AQ/V1d0FfK1zcI/AAAAAAAAILc/OnYJDXJ3xRgvv8vKFx8h1OD4XADvX8C2ACLcB/s400/DSCN2742.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We even were able to find the house where I lived in a basement apartment all those years ago! Back then it was the last house on the street and had fields around us but that is not the case today. It was a nice trip down memory lane!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When the time came for us to head home, at Annah's urging, we decided that Yellowstone National Park wasn't too far out of the way and made plans to go to the the West entrance of the park. It was such a beautiful drive getting there! After an hour and a half on the road the excitement mounted as we got closer. We saw a sign in the distance...surely it was a welcome to Yellowstone....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">or not.... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seriously? Nowhere on any website we looked at did it say that the West entrance was CLOSED! It was only open to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">bicyclists. After talking to a guy on a bike it turns out that it was opening the following weekend. :( </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So Annah had a welcome to Yellowstone on one side of the sign....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and a leaving Yellowstone on the other. Hahaha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Annah was disappointed but immediately began to recalculate the route home on her phone and realized that if we got back on the road and didn't waste any time we could actually drive the 8 hours to Mount Rushmore and make it there before it closed! We hit the road and sailed right through, stopping only when necessary for bathrooms, gas and food. They shut off the lights on Mount Rushmore at 11 pm but at 9 there was some kind of a "show"...whatever that meant. We wanted to get there in time for the 9 o'clock show!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Some sights along the way... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We arrived at about 8:45 PM and as we drove toward Mount Rushmore I began to notice that there was not a lot of traffic. There were hardly any cars for it being a Saturday night at Mount Rushmore but we kept driving. We drove toward the gate and read that there was an $11 parking fee. With no other cars coming in with us I was fumbling for money. Slowly approaching the open gate we stopped to pay but there was NO ONE there. It was beginning to feel a little creepy....no cars, the gate is open but no one was there. We drove in and began to go up the ramps to the parking levels and as we went from level to level there were NO CARS!! What was going on? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We eventually found 2 other cars parked but that was it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Looked like we had the place to ourselves! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was dark, windy and cold but we were still optimistic that there would be a 9 o'clock "show" even though it was just us and 4 other people that we saw wandering around. Nine o'clock came and went and there never was a show. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We never did figure out just what was going on but we got </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to see Mount Rushmore! :D</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Check that off the bucket list!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was a fantastic 10 days gone even though the trip home was nearly 40 hours. It was worth every hour on the road to be able to see some of our kids, daughter-in-laws and the two grandsons! </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We wished the whole crew was there with us. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">One day we hope to have the whole family in one place at one time!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Way to go, Idaho! :) </span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-67842389794335978792016-03-31T21:31:00.000-04:002016-04-07T08:21:24.976-04:00Welcome Baby Mackson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan and McKenna welcomed their son, Mackson Timothy Robert Valenta on March 20th, 2016! He weighed 8 lbs. 13 oz. and was 21" long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He is an adorable little guy with a head full of dark hair. He had a little trouble breathing shortly after he was born so he was put in the NICU with oxygen, a feeding tube and an IV. He was there for 4 days but is now home and doing well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">McKenna and Mackson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan and Mackson</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R1uZQmhHRM0/Vv2Ka0fVh2I/AAAAAAAAH_I/Luf42QaAh3EuPDq40odc6_Wx5ue64vIdg/s1600/Jordan%2B%2526%2BMackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R1uZQmhHRM0/Vv2Ka0fVh2I/AAAAAAAAH_I/Luf42QaAh3EuPDq40odc6_Wx5ue64vIdg/s400/Jordan%2B%2526%2BMackson.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Baby Mackson pulled out his feeding tube at one point</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">and Jordan sent this captioned pictured....Hahahaha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Baby Mackson making progress....no oxygen or feeding tube!</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-00KqX77WQZU/Vv2KdNUHtHI/AAAAAAAAH_g/qLRI0Lsm8pIpIbahnCdTM_rj39q_BzIFA/s1600/Mackson9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-00KqX77WQZU/Vv2KdNUHtHI/AAAAAAAAH_g/qLRI0Lsm8pIpIbahnCdTM_rj39q_BzIFA/s400/Mackson9.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No more tubes!</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMhw_ExGqic/Vv2YxeJzFzI/AAAAAAAAIAw/p4Y6spHODRIr0XjxauPzzkbw4bgTPbHdw/s1600/Mackson%2BIV%2Bout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oMhw_ExGqic/Vv2YxeJzFzI/AAAAAAAAIAw/p4Y6spHODRIr0XjxauPzzkbw4bgTPbHdw/s400/Mackson%2BIV%2Bout.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Getting closer to going home! Just needed his oxygen levels</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> checked while sitting in his car seat to be sure all was well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IR9r7GyQq28/Vv2Kb_z8X-I/AAAAAAAAH_M/dRQeS0wlFvYQVvHnvCXoRqttUXBJzHz9g/s1600/Mackson%2BNICU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IR9r7GyQq28/Vv2Kb_z8X-I/AAAAAAAAH_M/dRQeS0wlFvYQVvHnvCXoRqttUXBJzHz9g/s400/Mackson%2BNICU.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Finally Mackson is home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan multitasking with Mackson</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Daddy and Mackson bonding at 3 a.m.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Shortly after Mackson got home Jordan began to send</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> some </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">pretty hilarious pictures of the baby... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I love his sense of humor so much!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Jordan says this is Mackson throwing up gang signs!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And in this one he said he looks like a Jedi... Bwhahaha!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(he wasn't happy that dad spilled milk on him!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That scowl!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And the latest one....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In a matter of days we will be in Idaho to see Jordan, McKenna and Mackson and also see Tim and Lisa and August (who is now 6 months old!). Jordan graduates from BYU Idaho next week, Tim and Lisa and August are leaving from Idaho to begin their new adventure of living in Alaska, and Abigail is staying in Idaho for school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Way to go, Idaho! :) </span>Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-1770468662950006642016-01-10T22:34:00.000-05:002016-01-10T22:34:03.900-05:00A Christmas to Remember<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here it is nearing mid-January and I am finally putting up a Christmas 2015 blog post. It has taken me a while to get this post done but even so, it needed to written.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So here it is, albeit, delayed. Come to think of it, it is much like just about everything about our Christmas...somehow fitting! </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-13YYs1yxzPg/VpLyrsRauJI/AAAAAAAAH3Q/EW5FbDG36wc/s1600/Tim%2Band%2BLoretta%2B2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-13YYs1yxzPg/VpLyrsRauJI/AAAAAAAAH3Q/EW5FbDG36wc/s400/Tim%2Band%2BLoretta%2B2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh my what a Christmas it has been! One for the memory books, that is for sure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It began with the selection of a *real* Christmas tree for the first time in 15 years! Annah longed for a real tree as she has only known us to have an artificial tree. It was 15 years ago that we went the way of a fake tree because we had our house up for sale and decided that *if* we had to move it would be way easier to move an imposture tree than the real deal. It turned out that it was a good choice because we sold the house and moved to our then new house 1 week before Christmas. <span style="background-color: white;">Taking down </span>the tree, throwing it in a box and moving it was easy peasy and it's been an artificial tree for us ever since. This year Annah wanted the experience of a real tree for her and for our exchange student, Marta, who also had never had a real tree. So we went real tree shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Annah and Marta picked a lovely tree :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The tree went up and it actually was kind of nice to have a live tree again and</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> life moved on. I tried to keep a positive attitude about the dropping of the needles... and the drooping branches that made ornaments slide off the tree... and the sap that started dripping on the presents under the tree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, I was losing my enthusiasm quickly. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had to move the presents out from under the tree and put a sheet under it to keep any sap from dripping on the rug. Of course that didn't help the sap that was dripping on the ornaments... and on the strands of lights. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Did I mention that I was losing my enthusiasm for a real tree?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast forward to Christmas Eve day.... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had been having intermittent Internet problems for a few weeks. The day before it just stopped working altogether so we had the repairman from Time Warner coming to check it out at about 11 that day. I began my morning by bringing the vacuum cleaner to the living room to suck up some more needles from the tree. As I went toward the tree and looked down I saw little black spots on the rug and on the floor in the entry way. There were hundreds of black spots. I thought something got spilled but as I stood staring, the black spots were moving! My next thought was they were little black spiders....then I thought maybe they were ticks! Moving in for a close up look I saw they had 6 legs so I knew they they were not spiders or ticks. I began sucking up everyone of those bugs, just anxious to have them gone!! We did a Google search to see what it was we were looking at (our Internet was still down so thank goodness for our phones!) and found out that what we had was a kind of aphid that can infest fir trees. UGH! I have seen aphids before but these were bigger than any aphids I have ever seen! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, it can't be <u>that</u> bad, right? It's the day before Christmas and surely we can live with a few bugs for 24 hours then we can get the tree down and out of the house. Well, that was easier said than done. Almost as soon as we would vacuum up the aphids, more would make their way out of the tree and onto the rug. Every 10 minutes or so I would vacuum up more bugs. I began think that we might have to keep bug watch through the night and just keep sucking them up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By 2 o'clock we were all pretty discouraged. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Time Warner declared our Internet fixed after running a new cable in the back yard. Turns out that that wasn't true because after they left it still wasn't working right. With an hour to spare before the Time Warner store closed (because it was Christmas eve day), Tim had to go swap out our old modem for a new one since they now thought that was the issue. That swap didn't cost us anything because it's their modem but that <u>wasn't</u> the case when we also needed a new router. :( </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On top of that we were getting text messages from the airline saying that Abigail's flight out of Phoenix was delayed...first by an hour and 45 minutes, then by 2 hours and 11 minutes. It wasn't looking good because she had a 2 hour layover in Atlanta so if she was anymore delayed leaving Phoenix she would miss her connecting flight into Lexington. Our plan to pick her up from the airport on Christmas Eve at 11:30 pm was starting to shift.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the midst of all of that the bugs kept coming and finally I gave into what I didn't want to have to do.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We <i style="font-weight: bold;">UN-DECORATED THE TREE </i>and took it down and out of the house! We just couldn't live with creepy bugs coming out of the Christmas tree one more day! As Tim took the tree from the house he could see even more of those bugs scurrying up and down the tree truck! YUK!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had a choice of using our regular big fake tree or to use a scrawny, small fake tree. We took the path of least resistance and used the scrawny, small tree and it never looked so good to us after experiencing all those bugs! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the tree was up and decorated we learned that there was no way Abigail could make it home on Christmas Eve. The earliest flight out of Phoenix was the next morning, Christmas morning. If she flew into Lexington (where her ticket was to) she wouldn't arrive until 10:30 pm Christmas night but if she flew into Louisville she would get in at 1:30 Christmas afternoon. We opted for her to go to Louisville even though it meant an hour and a half drive one way to get her verses the 20 minute drive if she was coming into Lexington. But at least we would get her for most of Christmas Day so Louisville it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With all the commotion of Christmas Eve and Abigail not coming in, we decided at the last minute to go see Star Wars since we hadn't seen it and we weren't making a trip to the airport after all. The theater was so full that we couldn't get seats that let us sit together so we were split up. Annah and Marta got the only two seats together and Tim, Jacob and I had seats in the same row but not near each other. By the start of the movie some very kind people, seeing that we were all together but not able to sit together, had offered to trade seats so that at least the girls and Jacob and I could all sit together. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christmas morning we had Jacob open his stocking and presents because he had to work later in the day and wouldn't be around once we got Abigail and made the trip back home. Tim and I and Annah and Marta opened our stocking but wanted to wait for Abigail for presents. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Andrew stopped by to have his Christmas the day before because he left to go to Texas on Christmas Eve day. He arrived in Texas on Christmas morning just in time for a BLIZZARD to hit Lubbock where they got 1-2 inches of ice and 10-12 inches of snow!!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">We met Abigail at the airport on Christmas Day dressed in our Santa hats. Annah and Marta brought a matching Ninja Turtles Christmas shirt for Abigail! (I wore that shirt to school and everybody was pretty sure I won the "ugly sweater contest"!! The kids all thought it was pretty awesome though!!)</span></div>
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Finally home we opened presents and enjoyed the rest of the day, minus Christmas dinner. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">We also got to Skype with Tim, Lisa, August and Tim's brother, Jeff. We also talked to Jordan and McKenna on the phone as they were in Utah with McKenna's family.</span></div>
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My sweetest gift this year was from August.... :)</div>
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Tim got a t-shirt like this too!</div>
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Tim wasn't sure why I was opting to do our Christmas dinner the day after Christmas instead of on Christmas Day. I felt like I didn't have much time to fit in all the preparations of a ham dinner and all the trimmings with the delay of everything.</div>
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To that Tim said, "It won't take *that* long...all you have to do is heat up the ham!" </div>
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I know, you are saying, "Did he REALLY say that?" Yes he did! BWHAHAHAHA!</div>
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We ended up having Christmas dinner the day <u>after</u> Christmas during halftime of the UK basketball game! HA! That was our only option because after the game we had to leave to take Marta to Sparta, Kentucky to the home of an exchange host family who was taking her to Florida with them for 2 weeks where she would spend a week in St. Augustine and a week in Disney World! The drive took an hour and a half in the pouring down rain accompanied with thunder and lightening -- quite a sight to see on December 26th! We have never seen Kentucky so green in December!</div>
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Before the fiasco of the aphids, delayed flights and dinners, we did do a few things leading up to the holidays. A few days before Christmas we went the Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park to see all the lights. We walked around, took pictures and shared a funnel cake. :) </div>
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Annah and Marta at Southern Lights</div>
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Christmas cuteness!</div>
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The exchange students had a Christmas party that we attended with Marta. </div>
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Marta (from Spain), Annah, Nutcha (from Thailand) </div>
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and Linda (From Netherlands) </div>
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We made a gingerbread house (a Christmas tradition for the Valentas!)</div>
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It's Ella our dog!</div>
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And the Christmas elves delivered LOTS of Christmas cookies! :)</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">With Christmas behind us we packed up the decorations and hide them away for another year (hopefully another less stressful year!) and rang in the New Year at home with Abigail and Annah.</span><br /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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Even with things all askew this Christmas we have been most grateful for the things that matter most -- our family. We are looking forward to another year of finding the good things in each other and in our life together!</div>
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HAPPY NEW YEAR! </div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-24207496448772740942015-11-28T20:50:00.001-05:002015-11-28T20:51:08.659-05:00¡Bienvenida Marta!<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Several weeks ago Annah finally was able to have her birthday gathering with friends to "officially" celebrate her 16th birthday. She wanted to go ice skating and invited three foreign exchange students from her school - Marta from Spain, Nutcha from Thailand, Linda from the Netherlands and one friend, Hannah, from another local high school. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Left to right: Marta, Annah, Hannah, Nutcha,and Linda</span></div>
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Soon after arriving they left their shoes and hit the ice!</div>
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Marta and Annah</div>
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Nutcha, Linda, Marta, Annah</div>
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After skating they came off the ice to have some birthday donuts. First we sang Happy Birthday to Annah and all the other people around us clapped for Annah when we were done! </div>
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While the girls returned their skates Tim and I saw their pile of phones and decided that we would take a selfie with each one and leave it as a surprise on their phones. We weren't sure if they would think we were goofy or cool but we didn't really care! It did make them smile. :)</div>
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It was such a fun evening talking to the girls and learning about them and their far away homes. That night Tim and I talked about the possibility of hosting an exchange student sometime, thinking it would be a fun thing to do. What we didn't know several weeks ago was that the opportunity would come to us sooner than we thought.</div>
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Just this past Monday I received a text message from Annah asking if we could be the host family for Marta. It was not a good fit for her to be with the host family she was living with and she needed another place to go. Not knowing anything about hosting an exchange student, Annah got a phone number for me for the local coordinator (who Linda and Nutcha live with) and Monday night I called her to find out more. </div>
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My conversation began, "April, my name is Loretta Valenta and you don't know me but my daughter is Annah Valenta and we took Marta and the other exchange girls ice skating a few weeks ago." </div>
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She replied, "I DO know you!" </div>
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"You do?"</div>
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She continued, "I used to work at Dr. Huffman's office (that is the orthodontist that we went to for years!) and I remember you and your kids!" </div>
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I was so surprised and said, "You are the blond haired April?" She said she was! What a small world! </div>
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Over the course of the next 5 days we filled out all the paperwork and applied for background checks and a week ago Marta (and all her things!) came to stay! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHw8ufvFyHU/VlpK7N-vVBI/AAAAAAAAHw4/lQK-ToJERbY/s1600/Marta%2BArrives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WHw8ufvFyHU/VlpK7N-vVBI/AAAAAAAAHw4/lQK-ToJERbY/s400/Marta%2BArrives.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We are thrilled to have her here with us and to be able to offer her a home while she is here. She is a cheerful and spunky 15 year old who makes everyone laugh.</div>
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Marta is active in sports and she is currently on the high school bowling team. We attended one of her home games a few days before she arrived at our house. </div>
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This is Linda, Marta and Annah at the bowling alley!</div>
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Thanksgiving Day began with Marta wanting some of the cocoa that her mother had sent her from Spain. It was in a gallon size bag (and not closed all the way!) and when Marta went to reach way up to put it back on the shelf in the pantry it came spilling out all over her!!! We have since given her a shelf that is lower down since she is a little thing! :D</div>
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At about 9 o'clock on Thanksgiving night we headed out to let Marta experience Black Friday shopping! We only made it to Target and to the Mall but it turned out to be enough. They were tired and were ready to go home at about 1:00 am. :)</div>
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The happy shoppers with their treasures</div>
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Thanksgiving this year has brought us something more to be thankful for. Having Marta here is wonderful and we are so happy to have her as part of our family for the remainder of the school year! Annah has never been a big sister, she's always been the little sister. Wait until Abigail gets home from college on Christmas Eve and Marta then has TWO big sisters! :D</div>
</span>Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-25456628417945450142015-11-01T19:10:00.005-05:002015-11-01T19:56:28.941-05:00Annah Is Sweet 16!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Say it isn't so.....Annah just turned 16! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don't know how it happened but in what seemed like overnight Annah has grown up into a lovely young woman. Oh how I wish people who told me how quickly kids grow up didn't turn out to be right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annah hasn't officially had a celebration for her birthday yet but that is coming this weekend. She wants to go ice skating with some friends so that is the plan for Saturday. In the meantime I had fun reminiscing about Annah growing up over the past 16 years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here she is..... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annah 6 months old, Abigail 2 1/2 years</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h35Q8TmOZco/VjFo6OdqtYI/AAAAAAAAHoA/6O0ZNrq3qrw/s1600/Annah1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h35Q8TmOZco/VjFo6OdqtYI/AAAAAAAAHoA/6O0ZNrq3qrw/s400/Annah1.JPG" width="302" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She ate blueberry yogurt...sort of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the way we empty the dishwasher...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Jordan says, "We didn't chose the thug life. The thug life chose us"! Hahaha</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sisters</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This picture speaks volumes of the closeness of these girls that still exists today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pony ride....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Real Easter bunnies!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOUElNBYdOQ/VjFo5HBKAuI/AAAAAAAAHn4/ic2CEJvQkIQ/s1600/Annah%2Bon%2Bher%2Bbike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DOUElNBYdOQ/VjFo5HBKAuI/AAAAAAAAHn4/ic2CEJvQkIQ/s400/Annah%2Bon%2Bher%2Bbike.jpg" width="263" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpyvC3UPybQ/VjFpLf4jPkI/AAAAAAAAHqg/VENZ8p5NS1Q/s1600/September%2B2008%2B119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QpyvC3UPybQ/VjFpLf4jPkI/AAAAAAAAHqg/VENZ8p5NS1Q/s400/September%2B2008%2B119.jpg" width="263" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annah and her dad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drama Queen :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lovely Annah</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love this picture...hahaha</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IohWZrXUaUo/VjFo0uGvuxI/AAAAAAAAHnk/jV_31PV7RAY/s1600/Annah%2BOctober%2B2013%2BFall%2B178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IohWZrXUaUo/VjFo0uGvuxI/AAAAAAAAHnk/jV_31PV7RAY/s400/Annah%2BOctober%2B2013%2BFall%2B178.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hahaha...Annah's going to kill me!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7z5UTFFJ9Cw/VjFrzjmKHOI/AAAAAAAAHrM/WXp7XnudDjE/s1600/Annah%2BFadora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7z5UTFFJ9Cw/VjFrzjmKHOI/AAAAAAAAHrM/WXp7XnudDjE/s400/Annah%2BFadora.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Annah with her brother, Tim, on our recent trip to Arizona.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3UdxI48yBw/VjaurJtPDbI/AAAAAAAAHtQ/n0N-KgTJYeM/s1600/Tim%2Band%2BAnnah2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f3UdxI48yBw/VjaurJtPDbI/AAAAAAAAHtQ/n0N-KgTJYeM/s400/Tim%2Band%2BAnnah2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Holding sweet baby August</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(This has got to be my most favorite picture of August and his Auntie Annah!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Friday Annah went to get her permit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here she is waiting for the place to open....</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnEl5UdM3fg/VjapOsuLweI/AAAAAAAAHr4/wwgMK1jRleQ/s1600/Annah%2Bgetting%2Bpermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnEl5UdM3fg/VjapOsuLweI/AAAAAAAAHr4/wwgMK1jRleQ/s400/Annah%2Bgetting%2Bpermit.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Testing....</span></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zp_W5B31pAg/VjapNxRSokI/AAAAAAAAHrw/7Laegb5haE8/s1600/Annah%2Btaking%2Btest%2Bfor%2Bpermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zp_W5B31pAg/VjapNxRSokI/AAAAAAAAHrw/7Laegb5haE8/s400/Annah%2Btaking%2Btest%2Bfor%2Bpermit.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And pass!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been a lot of years from here....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...to here</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But look out world, here she comes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">HAPPY BIRTHDAY 16th BIRTHDAY, ANNAH!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And many more. :)</span></div>
Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-90877462229461881032015-10-26T12:28:00.003-04:002015-10-26T12:34:10.796-04:00August in October<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">August....I love his name and I love him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were so very blessed to be able to make a trip to Arizona while on fall break from school. The plan was that we would drive straight through to be able to make it in time for baby August to be blessed in church at 9 am on Sunday morning. We left Kentucky at 5:30 Friday evening and we made it with <strike>little</strike> time to spare! It was a fabulous day. In the circle surrounding this precious baby for his blessing was his father, Tim, his grandfather, Tim, his great uncle, Jeff, and the bishop of Tim and Lisa's ward, Bishop Woods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After August was blessed I got to hold him and he slept through the entire sacrament meeting. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The necklace that a wear *everyday* was draped on his arm. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While we don't typically take pictures in church, I asked Annah to take a picture of August sleeping. My heart was so full to hold this sweet baby so close for so long. I think it was a tender mercy given to me since our time with him was so short.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-arvLYkJP4pI/Vi44rWP3rkI/AAAAAAAAHb8/N87IyXp2XNA/s1600/All%2Bis%2BWell%2BAugust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-arvLYkJP4pI/Vi44rWP3rkI/AAAAAAAAHb8/N87IyXp2XNA/s400/All%2Bis%2BWell%2BAugust.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tim and Lisa with August</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">August wore the same outfit that his father was blessed in. :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-laD3lPQkAXo/Vi5HH7_zbNI/AAAAAAAAHhk/JFRuitWZ5e8/s1600/20151011_102816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-laD3lPQkAXo/Vi5HH7_zbNI/AAAAAAAAHhk/JFRuitWZ5e8/s400/20151011_102816.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jeff, Tim, August, Tim and Annah</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lisa's parents, Ted and Kathy (Nana & Gramps) Brook</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We first met August when he was just 3 weeks old. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was amazing to us to see him respond to being outside like nothing I had ever seen before. He could be fussy and squirmy and if you walk outside with him he settled down immediately! I would find it hard to believe if I hadn't seen it happen time and time again while we were there!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He got his mom's love of the outdoors and Valenta genes with his long arms, long legs and long fingers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Grandma and Grandpa Valenta</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9HmZUo4H0c/Vi5Dk6v90GI/AAAAAAAAHg8/rXMTHvFQ3N4/s1600/Grandma%2BValenta%2Bwith%2BAugust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s9HmZUo4H0c/Vi5Dk6v90GI/AAAAAAAAHg8/rXMTHvFQ3N4/s400/Grandma%2BValenta%2Bwith%2BAugust.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Auntie Annah holding August. I love that he is sucking his thumb..Sweetness!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the look on Annah's face!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnpQpcgqyhw/Vi5DkhwohrI/AAAAAAAAHg4/Uh3sRacxPjs/s1600/Annah%2Bwith%2BAugust%2Bcrying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nnpQpcgqyhw/Vi5DkhwohrI/AAAAAAAAHg4/Uh3sRacxPjs/s400/Annah%2Bwith%2BAugust%2Bcrying.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Great Uncle Jeff holding August</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nana Brook</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> August hanging out with his dad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">August's first hike</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Love this picture with his hands under his chin!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On August's first visit to his great Uncle Jeff's house this happened :)</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRiOaF0lR6Q/Vi47U2P0myI/AAAAAAAAHeg/dhZLcz5sS2w/s1600/DSCN1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uRiOaF0lR6Q/Vi47U2P0myI/AAAAAAAAHeg/dhZLcz5sS2w/s400/DSCN1711.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> Baby feet.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my favorite pictures...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was incredibly hard to leave Tim and Lisa and August. I so wished that we lived closer and knew when we were going to see them again. A whole new world is opening to them as parents and we are so far away to see it or be apart of it.We are going to have to figure out how to do that whole "long distance grandparenting" thing quickly!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I miss this little guy every day...</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-15681876719284166972015-10-04T20:21:00.000-04:002015-10-04T20:21:04.940-04:00August in September<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">August arrived in September this year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our first grandchild born to our oldest son, Tim and his wife, Lisa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lisa on September 1st waiting for August! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">August Samuel arrived on Saturday, September 19th (11 days early!) weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and 20 3/4" long. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is one of my favorite pictures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look at him look at his mom! </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ds_DNEEsuU/Vgw7f9yWHVI/AAAAAAAAHXg/skPLbALnjqw/s1600/August%2Blooking%2Bat%2Bhis%2Bmom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ds_DNEEsuU/Vgw7f9yWHVI/AAAAAAAAHXg/skPLbALnjqw/s400/August%2Blooking%2Bat%2Bhis%2Bmom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just chillin' in his crib!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Such sweetness!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another favorite picture -- sucking his thumb!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All that hair!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mom and Baby... :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His sweet footprints</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 5 days we will be heading to Arizona to see sweet August and his mom and dad. We can hardly wait to hold that sweet baby and snuggle him close. In the meantime we have had to just stare at the pictures from his photo shoot when we was one week old...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, that sweet smile!</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-60604178784679570182015-09-13T21:07:00.001-04:002015-09-13T21:26:07.386-04:00What I did on my summer vacation<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, the blog is on a time delay. :( I am ever so slowly getting in the swing of things with summer over, school in session (since August 12th), and Abigail long gone to Idaho for almost 4 weeks now. In that 4 weeks we have been trying to adjust to being parents of an only child at home and she has been trying to adjust to *being* an only child! Enough said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what I did on my summer vacation..... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, so it wasn't really a "vacation" but in early August I took a quick trip to San Diego. I went to accompany Jordan during his stem cell donation. He had signed up a year or two ago and he came up as a match for someone. I left on a Sunday and by Tuesday evening I was back home ready to begin school year again the next morning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is amazing that this young man is so willing to do such a selfless thing to help someone else, someone that he doesn't even know. His stems cells will be going to a woman who has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the machine that pulls the blood out of one arm, sends it through tubing and into the machine. It then spins the blood, separates the stem cells and then the blood, minus the stem cells, goes through a "warmer" and is put back in though Jordan's other arm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He had to lay still with both arms hyper-extended for about 6 hours and by the end he was very uncomfortable as his arms cramped and his veins spasmed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bag full of stem cells that look suspiciously like tomato soup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now we know, he just did it for the t-shirt! ;) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He earned the shirt that pronounces him a hero, indeed! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next morning we each headed home -- me to Kentucky and him to Idaho. No time to sight see but the truth is that I saw something better than the sights of La Jolla -- our son who did something for someone else that he didn't have to do simply because he could. And I couldn't be more proud to be his mom.</span></div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-68609351434649418772015-08-05T20:24:00.001-04:002015-08-05T20:42:29.308-04:00Dear Abigail<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">It is a special day today. It is the day that you, my beautiful daughter, turn 18. I never thought the time would pass so quickly from the day we brought you home to the day you will soon be leaving for college. My heart is happy, sad and excited all at the same time. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">I love you beyond words and I am so blessed to be your mother. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You got into my markers and ate them. Who wouldn't stop to get a picture of that face before taking the markers away and cleaned you up? :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">One of our favorite pictures of you with your arm stuck in the tube </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">that was the leg to the Lego table -- the look on your face is priceless!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">I love this picture of you...we went apple picking on a hot summer day. You loved eating all the apples you could get!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">Ahh, your first time going to 4-H camp!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;"> You with "baby Ella"... I love that this captures you laughing.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">And of course there is your wonderful artwork that makes us all smile.... </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">HUH? BWHAHAHAHA! Our favorite!</span></div>
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The years have flown by and before our eyes you grew up....</div>
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You are beautiful, caring, compassionate and funny....</div>
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<span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 33.5999984741211px;">But most of all you are loved.</span></div>
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Happy 18th Birthday, sweet Abigail! </div>
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We love you so very much!</div>
</span>Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7602006823503642545.post-76996436898049436592015-07-24T12:56:00.000-04:002015-07-24T12:56:21.285-04:00Summer of Long Time Friends<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a fabulous summer it has been! We have had visits from many long time friends and it has filled our minds with the sweetest memories of wonderful, lasting friendships!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We began with <a href="http://lorettaslittlelife.blogspot.com/2015/07/30-years-long-time-friends.html" target="_blank">Joan and David Peffley in June</a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Then in July Tim and Miriama Patrick came to visit.<br />
As near as we can figure it's been 28 or 29 years since we have seen them! They were visiting Kirtland, Ohio and then continued driving another 6 1/2 hours or so to see us. I knew Tim before either if us was married and Tim even came to Washington D.C. for our wedding! We were thrilled to see them and catch up on the passage of so many years! We even got to see a few things around the area when the weather permitted! (What a rainy summer we have had in Kentucky!)<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Tim and Miriama at Waveland</span></div>
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High Bridge</div>
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Miriama at the castle in Versailles</div>
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Tim is a wonderful guitar and piano player! I remember him impressing everyone with his skills back in the day and he got to do it again on this visit! </div>
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An early morning selfie (about 6:30 am!) </div>
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The weekend after Tim and Miriama visited we got a call from Cathy and Keith Wilson. They had been in Nauvoo for a wedding and were traveling back home to North Carolina and we were able to put them up for the night. I have known Cathy since I was 16! The last time we saw each other was 5 or 6 years ago but the last time I saw her husband, Keith and her daughter, Ashlee was about 15 years ago! Even though the visit was short it was awesome sitting up till 3:30 in the morning catching up! They had to leave early the next morning but we were so glad they made us one of their stops on the way home!</div>
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Cathy and I</div>
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Cathy slouching down to *my* height! :)</div>
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Keith, Cathy and Ashlee (their son Michael is on a mission in Brazil and due home in about 6 weeks!) </div>
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What a fabulous summer of seeing long time friends! The years pass but time does not dim the love and friendship! We love you all!</div>
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Loretta Valentahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03985505060639661849noreply@blogger.com0