Butch

This is Butch.   He is a new member of our family -
actually he is "all" mine.
Merry Christmas to all.

My Friend "Butch"

One day at Costco I saw this big bin of teddy bears.
I walked past and then came back and picked one
up.  He was so cuddly.   This is him - Merry
Christmas to me.   He usually sits in the little
rocker except when some little kids come and then
he gets to get up and hugged.   I think he is
cute and best of all I don't have to clean up after
him.    

Evening at the Nutcracker

Donna took this picture and I just had to share it.
Carli had a great time and really did well up until
the last 10 minutes.   It was so fun to see the
Nutcracker again.  It has been many years since
my girls and I went together.   It was at the Fox
this year which I think made it a more gala affair.
There were little girls all dressed in their Christmas
dresses getting pictures taken. 

CDA RESORT

Mindy, Evan and boys went with us
to walk around the resort.   Dad and I walked half way around and met up with them inside by the fireplace.
This has to be the best  tradition.
The weather was mild and I remembered how in times past it has been snowy and icy and freezing.
We enjoyed ice cream and the fireplace for awhile.   WE had totally forgotten to put money for parking and when we came out there was a ticket on Mindy's car.   We had driven together with them so I just paid the bill and forgot about it.  We had such a good time anyway.  

JUST GIVE ME MORE

Jack just couldn't eat this ice cream fast enough or
get enough on his spoon.  It was a good show for
all of us.   I think he went through about 3 napkins.
Every time I would look his way I would see Mindy
putting on a new bib.    Funny little boy.

The Best Dessert Ever

Does this ever taste good.  It is the Butterfinger
ice cream dessert and Dad and I shared it.
I didn't have a lactose pill with me and I never
got any side effects.  Just lucky this time I guess.
Oh, it was just so good.

Grandma Wilma's House

This is the house Grandma Wilma grew up in.  She only had to walk a block to school and about 3 blocks to town.  It's still has someone living in it but we took pictures anyway.  It's in Basin, Wyo.

Feeding horses

These horses live next to Glen and Joyces house.   We drove down the driveway and they came over to be petted.  They really were so tame and so we fed them some wheat thins.
There was a third one but he was a little slow getting over too us.  

Target shooting

Dad had this gun he got from Grandma that use to belong to Clarence.  He wanted to fire it to see how accurate it was.   I had a few turns but never hit the target - -- but then the target was a 7-up bottle so what the heck.  

Wyoming Stuff

This was about a 400 herd of cattle walking down the highway.  There was a cowboy on a horse working them and a bordie collie keeping them in line.  Dad just drove slowly through the herd while I took this picture.  I thought it was pretty exciting.  We were about in the last half of the herd in this picture.   (only in Wyoming, right?

Airport Goodbyes

Kristi and Logan waving goodbye as I stood in the check in line at the SL Airport.
The man behind me was getting a kick out of Logan upstairs.   It was so sweet of them to wait and wave.

The Upper Bed

This is Carli sleeping inbetween the two twin
beds upstairs.   Dad was sleeping next to her.
We all slept pretty good in that little trailer -
where there's a will, there's a way,   right?

Sleeping Soundly

These two pictures were taken while we were camping at Riley Creek.  Avery, Erin and  Bodee were all sleeping on the lower bed - snuggled in tight and sound asleep.   Just had to show thiese two pictures.

Playday at Nanas

Carli came to play about a week ago.  She was being very careful with her cast on. She had a  little burn on the palm of her hand and the cast kept rubbing that spot so she took one of the play bandages from the doctor's kit and put on her hand.   She was feeling a little sad because of her hurting hand.

Playing with Carli

She was having a fun time cutting lots of paper.  She has to take two hands to open the sissors though.

Big Test

Well,  just had my 5 year colonoscopy.   (that means it seems like the prep lasted  for 5 years, lol)
Prep consisted of two days of liquid diet (any liquid that was clear - yellow or peach jello, or
same gatorade or  juice or chicken broth).  Plus - one big gallon jug of undescribed flavored liquid like
stuff to drink (8 oz. every 10 min.)  I  could not  do it every 10 minutes without throwing up.
So starting at 1:30 I had two different kind of pills to take and then start the liquid junk.
I ended up at 8:00 pm finally.   I actually didnt even finish the last 1/4 of the jug.   So, after
living in the bathroom all afternoon - today I went for the test.   They gave me an IV which was
suppose to put me to sleep and it didn't  so i was awake and watched the tv camera of my
intestines.   Bad thing was it kind of hurt because the nurse kept pushing on my abdomen as
he did the scope.   Anyway, after all is said and done, my results are: spastic colon, little IBS,  a
redundant colon (meaning longer than normal) moderate left sided diverticulosis.   That's it.
No colon polyps, colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, crohn's  or diverticulitis.
I guess all in all, things are okay.   Dad drove me home and I  had a little nausea so I  slept a lot today.
And now I get to eat real food.
I'm sure you didn't really want to know all of this - but just be aware of good eating habits
and foods you eat.   Actually, life could be worse, right?   I do feel blessed and hopefully
5 more good years before another day like today.   Too bad I didn't have my phone to take
a picture, but you wouldn't want to see that either.      lol

Geraniums Forever

These flowers were in the back but before the first frost I brought them inside to keep them awhile longer.
Now they are put on my front doorstep every morning and sleep inside during the cold nights.  I'm wondering how long this will keep going.  They are looking pretty alive and bright.   They love being pampered too.

Halloween Kids

Couldn't get Carli to stand up so Erin is helping her hold still.  Silly girl

Master Organ Class

Richard Elliott, the principal organist at the Tabernacle, came to Spokane and
presented an organ class at the Valley Stake.  Erin and I attended and what
an awesome opportunity.  To be able to see and talk with and be taught by
such a talented individual was so exciting.  We started our class with a hymn,
which he played and an opening prayer.  (of course)
He talked about the obstacles facing a new organist and then gave us 4 steps
to learning to play the organ.  1.  Read all about organs 2. Listen to recordings of  other organists, 3. study with a good teacher 4. practice on a regular basis (it pays off). 
He suggests using a metronome and slow down when learning a new piece and then build up faster.
Goals for practicing:  have a warm up time ( arpeggios, scales), Building time where you mark your
music, fingering and peddling and registrations, Interpreting time and a performing time.  To practice
he suggests breaking your music down and learn the right hand and then the left hand or measure
by measure and then put it together.     He said there is no rule on whether the organist plays a
little more if the boys haven't finished making the sacrament ready.  Sometimes "quiet" is nice.
He had previously asked 4-5 people to come up and play something and then he critiqued them.
That was interesting but nothing I would be brave enough to do!  He left us with this thought:
"nothing can influence the spirit of the meeting more than music" - Harold B. Lee.

SUNDAY - Dad and I attended his concert at St John's Cathedral and it was awesome too.  He did some
Handel and Bach and then some of his own arrangments.  (the cathedral is so huge and the colored
windows are beautiful but it is very cold inside with all of the brick it's made out of)  There were pipes
in front, on the sides and in the back so the sound was all around.   There were refreshments provided
afterward but we didn't stay for that.   It was a nice experience to just be there and hear him play.
Benches were hard and it was kind of cool inside so we just decided to leave. 

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you imagined. - Henry David Thoreau