A Little Summer Catch Up...

It has been a very long time since I have done a blog post. It's been almost 2 months. I have no good reasons why other than I have been flitting around doing my own thing. Who can complain about that?  Not me. 

Since I last wrote, lots of things have gone on....

• At the beginning of May Jacob moved out leaving us with 2 out of 6 kids at home. While I do miss him in many ways, it was just time. He knew it and we knew it and we are all happier for it. He now shares a townhouse with 3 other guys (Ugh! I know.... I can't begin to imagine what THAT place looks like!) 

• School got out the last day of May. A few weeks before that I got pink-slipped. The funding our school gets for Special Eduaction (from which I am paid) was not yet in place so I was let go. This happens sometimes at school but usually funding issues are resolved before school begins again and you just pick up where you left off. That is what I am hoping for. I don't want to think of what happens if it is not resolved. :/

• Jordan was accepted at BYU and made the move from BYU-Idaho down to Provo. He is finishing up his Associates Degree from BYU-I with a few online classes and he is taking a few online classes from BYU this summer and will begin as a full time student in the fall to continue persuing his goal of working in the medical field! YAY Jordan!

• Tim and Lisa came from Arizona for a visit! It had been 2 1/2 years since we had seen them. The last time they were here was Christmas 2010 and it turned out to be a difficult time. That Christmas, Tim's father passed away on Christmas Eve and we ended up leaving the kids with Tim and Lisa while we drove to Minnesota for the funeral. Early in the morning on January 1st when we were leaving Minnesota to drive back to Kentucky, I got the call that my father had passed away. We rushed back to Kentucky, got Tim and Lisa to the airport, packed the car and headed to New York for his funeral. So we were looking forward to a much more relaxed visit with them this time around! We did lots of things while they were here...

We went to Old Kentucky Chocolates and took a tour to see how they make all their chocolaty goodness right there in the place! 

The Chocolate Car Wash was the place where 

strawberries get covered in chocolate! 

They let us take a strawberry off the other side when it comes out ~ yum!

They make chocolate e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g at Old Kentucky Chocolates...even chocolate legs!!!!  :)

Annah (pretend) licking a chocolate covered horse on display in the store!

 We went to Waveland, in Lexington, for a tour of the Greek Revival 

home and plantation of Joseph Bryan.

Sisters...with attitude!

 Tim and Lisa

Lisa, Annah and Abigail -- my favorite picture!

 We went to Shaker Village. We love the peacefulness of Shaker Village as you walk and wander around the grounds and in and out of the original buildings. The scenery is beautiful, the history is rich and it makes for a very lovely day!

Annah, Tim and Abigail

We brought a picnic lunch and there was a 

friendly old goose who came to see us. 

Ever since Abigail got bit by a mean goose at a park when she was about 3, she has been afraid of geese. I was throwing bread for him to see how close he would come and Abigail wasn't happy. HA! Love the look on her face!

We took a ride on the river boat, Dixie-Belle, on the Kentucky River.

 Reenacting the Titanic scene....the captain saw them and brought it to eveyone's attention on the boat! I am betting it wasn't the first time it has been done judging from his comments! Hahaha!

Trying out a Shaker hat and broom! 

 Their handmade brooms can stand up by themselves!!

Annah's hat seems to be more fit for a safari! :)

The lovely ladies...Lisa, Annah and Abigail!

  A Muscovy duck has got to be one of the UGLIEST ducks ever created!! Ewww!

We went to Cumberland Falls and took the Rainbow Mist Ride that took us to the base of the falls and back. Andrew and Jacob were able to go with us on this excursion, along with Abigail's friend, Jen. Wished Jordan could have been with us -- he was the only one missing.

This was when we first arrived. Nice a dry...for a little while!

Suited up for the river....

Shoes off and ready to go!

Lisa while she was still dry!

Andrew at the head of raft and our guide, Malachi, on the left!

Getting closer to the falls...not so dry anymore! (I didn't dare take anymore pictures after this point because my camera would be ruined!)

My favorite picture of Jacob!

Andrew, Annah and Jen

Jacob and Abigail

Tim and I 

Back on shore....Abigail and Annah

Lisa and Tim....yes, Tim is wearing Lisa's right shoe!  Hahahaha!!

Andrew and Jacob

Me

Andrew doing his Karate Kid pose!!!  (Tim's favorite movie ever!)

 Jen Abigail and Annah all have the same shoes!

After Cumberland Falls we went to Bubby's where they have the greatest barbecue we have ever had! Tim and I found this place last summer when we took the girls to Girl's Camp and we've said ever since that we wanted to bring the kids here. When we heard that Tim and Lisa were coming we knew right away that we wanted to take them to Cumberland Falls and to Bubby's! YAY!

Funny sign we saw when we were leaving Bubby's! :P

Andrew on the trip home...(photo bombing compliments of Abigail!) :)

And yes, we had 9 people in a 7 passenger van! It wasn't quite as easy as it was when they were all a lot smaller but we managed! 

Tim and Lisa's week with us was wrapped up with a silent movie, Sheriff Tim, the Defense of Nicholasville! Lisa, Abigail and Annah put it together and what at great time! See the trailer for the movie here

We sure enjoyed having (almost) everyone together for the week. We look forward to future times that we can gather the kids together again and make some more memories!

Messing Up the Punchline...

I have yet to perfect joke telling. I hear a joke and try so hard to remember it but I usually don't. If I do remember it, I forget *key* parts and then my joke ceases to be funny.  

For example, once I wanted to tell the family a funny/cute joke I heard during the day. When the time was right I said:

"Two worms were in a race.  It ended in a tie."

Tim and Jacob looked at me, both trying to figure out how that even made sense or why it was supposed to be funny. It was obvious it wasn't funny to them. They didn't get it.  

I was puzzled at why they were looking at me blankly. I began to wonder if I said something wrong so I re-thought it.  

Two worms...were in a race. It ended....in a tie..... hmmm. "Oops....Wait! Wait! I forgot something!" I admitted.

"Two SILK worms were in a race. It ended in a tie."

THAT got them laughing....a lot!!  In fact, Jacob laughed and liked it so much that he texted the joke to his friend exactly as I told it originally. Something tells me he's mocking me! :P  

Perhaps in Time...

I seem to be in a blog funk. I have seen this funk before. It comes when I put off writing about something because it is just too hard. The longer I put it off the harder it is to begin again. I have decided that I will finally write so I can move forward. 

My mother passed away on January 23rd. Tim and I and Jacob, Abigail and Annah made the trip back for her funeral. She was laid to rest at the Saratoga National Cemetary on my 51st birthday. 

This is how I remember my mother in my youth.

I have tried and tried to write since that time but it has been difficult at best. Perhaps in time I can find the words within me but I've decided that life goes on whether I can find the words or not. But it does not have to stop me from writing about other things that I can find the words for. 

  So, here I am to begin again. 

Into the Woods...

Abigail and Annah are in a school production of "Into the Woods" that will be put on in March. 

There is a wolf in show.  

The boy who plays the wolf got kicked out of the play……..for biting someone. 

True story!

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  I can’t stop laughing!!! 

Really Family?

This morning I decided to have some cereal for a quick breakfast before heading out the door for work.  I knew we didn't have a lot of cereal left but I knew there were a few boxes. Pulling out the first box, this is what I found.......

What??  Really?? (shaking my head)

So I moved on to door cereal number two only to find this.....

BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!   Seriously family????

Finding this threw me back in time to when I was a kid and my dad would  find empty containers in cupboards or crumbs left behind by 5 ruthless kids who ate him out of house and home. But, it always made me laugh (which also made him mad!) to see his befuddlement, and his scowl, and then hear him utter in a low voice his now famous phrase....."Damn hogs!"  

Sorry Dad.  I totally get it now!

Reading Material....

This morning I came downstairs in the dark carrying with me things that I would need for the day. 

Cell phone. Check.
iPod. Check.
Primary Manual to work on my lesson for Sunday. Check.
Book I am currently reading. Check.  

Tim came down a little later, saw my Primary Manual and my book on the table and laughed. It wasn't until he pointed it out that I realized the irony..... :)

I have been called to teach Primary and will begin this Sunday. I've spent a long time away from Primary but I am actually looking forward to it. :) I am teaching the CTR 8 class - the kids that are 7 turning 8. I am hoping that I don't feel like my class is like an animal farm!  Hahahaha! :)

New Year Wishes...

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2013!

For me it is always exciting to start a new year. I like to think ahead to the things I want to work on and while I do set some goals, it's not earth shattering stuff.  It's just good stuff that I should do more of. Hopefully each year I do a little more and do it a little better. At least that is my desire.

A few thoughts I want to keep in mind for the coming year....

"Don't you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven.  But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." 

~Jeffrey R. Holland~

"He cannot help us remember things we have not labored to learn."
~David A. Bednar~


"Every trial or experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation." 
~Brigham Young~


And my favorite quote of all time:
"...but we traveled on trusting in God."
~from the pioneer journal of Susannah Stone~

I am anxious to travel on, trusting in God, to see what is up ahead and around the corner. :)