Never a Dull Moment

Molly's 22nd Birthday

2012-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is really late in coming but....

We took a picture of Molly's birthday cake.

Dad put all the candles together in a sort of birthday bonfire mega candle.

She had an easy time blowing them out.

Her birthday was November 28, 1990.

Kittens, The Sequel

2011-11-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Annie and Jax have been with us over a week now.

Little Maggie passed away on Thursday morning in Molly's arms.

We are falling into a routine with them. Feed, play & purrrr, potty, nap, nap, nap, nap...

and do it all over again.

They are still on the bottle, but gradually going to solid food. And they are starting to figure

out the cat box.

I think dad has grow as attached as anyone.

Basket of Kittens

2011-10-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Molly came home last night with a basket of kittens. She found them just behind the building where she works. No sign of momma. Just three little squeeking kittens. The gal at the flower shop next to where she works took them to a vet to get advice on how to care for them. Their maybe 3 wks. old. She came home with a small bottle and some formula. They have to be fed every few hours. I haven't talked to Molly today, so I don't know how things went last night.

Molly is at school today, so I guess I'm technically kitten sitting... I guess that happens when your

a sucker for a cute face.

New Blonde

2011-08-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's getting to be that time of year again.

I usually go to red hair, but this year I'm feeling more blond.

Canada VaCa...

2011-07-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Six days/Five nights on Canadian water in the Georgian Bay.

30 ft. boat

plenty of sunshine

warm weather

lots of new and old friends

good food

2 swim suits=

A pretty darn good time!

Summer VaCa

2011-07-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

My super summer vacation is now just a memory.

But Oh boy, what a memory.

The best part was being able to be with Mark, Laura and the kids, and Chris & Bill.

Ofcourse Oakley, Baby-girl and Harley were pretty cool too...

Our 4th of July Celebration was awsome!

We had swimming, steak, sun and fireworks.

Mark did a great job at teaching me how to surf.

Being at the beach was so fun. I got some good photos, had delicious breakfast

burritos and caught some good rays and waves.

We spent a day at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. And a day at the Natural History Museum.

Family is a wonderful thing. And I was so glad to be able to share in a snap-shot of their lives

for a brief moment. My life is richer. And I will always treasure these memories.

Thanks guys!

You Know It's Hot When...

2011-06-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

9 ways to tell if it's hot:

1. You WANT to take a cold shower.

2. You burn your legs getting into your car and the steering wheel is too hot to touch.

3. Your make up immediately runs off your face when you step outside.

4. All you want for dinner is a drink.

5. You are sweating even before you dry off from your shower.

6. The mailbox is just too far away from the air conditioning to worry about.

7. You have to wait until sun down to wash the car or mow the lawn.

8. Slush sounds better than ice cream.

9. Even the bugs outside are irritated.

Southern Tornadoes

2011-05-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

On April 27th, 2011 at 6:30 a.m. I was in an airplane on the tarmac of Huntsville International

Airport. At the same time Arab, Alabama( a small town northeast of Huntsville) was being hit

with a tornado. During the course of the day hundreds of EF2-EF5 tornadoes ripped through the

states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

The tornadoes that touched down were at times over a mile wide and hundreds of miles long.

380 people were killed. 236 of those were from Alabama. 6 of those were from Arab.

The plane I was in took off at about 7:00 a.m. and was probably the last fight out of Huntsville

for the day. Later that night I learned of the event while at Steph and Russ' Connecticut home.

The power was down for 5 days and cell phone use was sporadic at best. David and the kids did

the best they could with candles, coolers and a Coleman stove. I returned a week later at which

time the power was back up and running. We sustained no damage to our home and property,

but we have friends that had major damage or loss of everything.

Our hearts go out to those who have lost family, friends, homes, or possessions. Every loss is felt.

Go to Alabama Tornado Disaster 2011-Rascal Flatts "I Won't Let Go" You Tube Video to see.

Spring In CT. 2011

2011-05-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from a great trip to Conneticutt.

I had a terrific time with everybody there.

The weather was much better than the weather back home!

Steph and I got to spend the day in NYC.

Did some fabulous eating- Steph and "Friendly's" were my favorites.

Got a first-class tour of Yale and the LDS Institute of Religion.

Took walks through beautiful parks and neighborhood streets.

Got to go to Peter Rabbit's House.

Made lots of cool stuff with Lego's.

Got Sophia to let me hold her one night after dinner.

I learned a new card game,(which more likely than not, I'll have forgotten the next time we play).

And I visited the bus stop a number of times...

But the VERY best part was being able to spend some time with Steph, Russ, Laura, Emma, Grant, Sophia, Mom & Dad, Jaz, Maggie, and Tom. I just love seeing them, having fun and chill-laxing.

Thanks to all y'all in making me feel at home and welcome. Thanks Emma, for letting me use your room- and for the special little something you slipped to me before I left. Thanks Russ, for sharing Steph with me. But most of all... Thanks Steph for being my sister and wanting to spend

time with me. I LOVE YOU!!!

2011-04-25T11:18:00.000-07:00

That Pile of Clothes...

2011-04-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

When we're down in Texas we like to go to a place called the "duty free" zone.

It's a magical place where you can buy things REALLY cheap. And there's no

evil tax on it. They sell clothes for example, by the pound. There are warehouses with piles

of clothing and fabric which they move around with fork lifts. These clothes are new and used.

Some still have store tags on them. I figure they buy store overages and extras at a reduced price

and then sell them by the pound.

One of my favorite buys there was a leather jacket for David. I ended up paying approximately

25 cents for it.

The only catch is that it's hot in the warehouses, you have to be willing to search through piles

of clothes, and occationally you come into contact with sleeping mexicans. (I guess that's more

than one catch...) You also have to give whatever you get a good washing before wearing. And

it is a real plus to have a good eye for sizes because you can't try anything on.

This last time I was there I got several shirts for myself, David and Ben. Jeans are another really

cheap item.

2011-04-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Texas Spring Break 2011

2011-03-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

This last week David and I have been "Spring Breaking" in Mission Texas. We arrived in Texas on Sat. March 19th at a crack-house on S. Stewart Rd. (that's where our GPS(Kera)sent us). After a number of phone calls to Roy, we made it there. So just the highlights of the trip: We spent an afternoon at the Texas Museum of History. Went to Ropa Usada for some treasures in all the piles of clothes they have. Went to Progresso, Mexico for the day. Went to South Padre Island. Ate oysters. David tried one... Drank the BEST orange juice EVER! Stopped off at a local market and got wonderful mangos. Swam in the pool and layed out in the sun. Took walks around the park. Named a local resident rabbit(Buster Bunny). Learned to play a card game, "Hand and Foot" with Barbara and Roy.(The girls won the first night, and the guys won the second night of games). Ate local BBQ. Got to visit with Roy and Barbara. We learned about Roy's flight aircraft crew in WWII. And how he left 5 bottles of burboun on the tarmack before heading off to England. And how Barbara was dating 2 young men after the war and had to choose one of them...Roy got lucky. We had the best time ever!!! Thanks Roy and Barbara! WE LOVE YOU!

Spring Fever 2011

2011-03-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung in the South.
Wev'e had several days of beautiful weather and the landscape is showing it.
It tends to make the rest of us feel rather giddy too.
Ross was over the other day and we had some fun at the computer screen...

Snow Shots 2011

2011-01-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here it is, a new year.
2011
January 10th.
Monday.

I'm sitting here in our kitchen looking out at the 4-5 inches of snow
that was left from last night.

This morning I got up, got dressed in something really warm and went
outside to find Ben's boogey-board. I first used it on the soft-slopping
hill in front of our house. When I was sure of the gravity I took it to the
BIG hill around the corner.

David video-taped one of my two runs down the hill. It was hilarious.
After that I had to come in for a cup of hot chocolate.

I might not have a long fuse, but I sure do burn bright.

Christmas 2010 Pt. 2

2010-12-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Here it is December 25th 2010.
We awoke to a blanket of snow on the ground.
Forrest had never seen snow, so we let him out for a little while.
I don't think he liked it too much. Does he look happy to you?

We spent the rest of the day and into the evening just chill-lax'n.
Didn't make it up to the Godfreys for Christmas Day Dinner( the roads were
a little slick).

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tree 2010

2010-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

We put up our Christmas Tree for this year on Molly's Birthday.
The other
picture is of
one of my
favorite ornaments.

The Pool Table

2010-11-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

The long awaited pool table is here and all set up. David did a GREAT job of putting it
together. It had to be perfectly balanced and covered. And it looks terrific in our sun
room.
Anyone want to play a game?

Wicks' Visit to Tenn. Aquarium

2010-11-13T09:43:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. I think everybody's favorites were
"petting" the sting-rays and small sharks in a low tank, and the butterfly room.
We were there over the Halloween weekend, so into the evening people started showing up
in costumes.
After the Aquarium we walked down the street to a cute restaurant/pub.
It was great!

I'm Baaack!

2010-11-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

So, this is my second attempt at coming back.
Cyberspace is a place where nobody hears you scream... or so they say.
No air, you know.
I've never understood that.
I swear I can hear my own children across the vacuum of space.
My radar extends all the way through the known solar system. At least, that's what I tell them.

Sleeping Beauty?

2010-08-09T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here's Matthew in one of his more sedate moments.
Working the third shift really takes it out of you.

2010-08-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

You Say Tomatoe...Pt. 2

2010-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some updated pictures of my tomatoes in our backyard.
We also finally put back up the swing that was taken down for
the house addition. So far its been too HOT to do much swinging.
But the tomatoes are doing great. And we are enjoying them very much.

Canada 2010

2010-08-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Were back from our trip to Canada.
Our visit to Sean and Tracys' is ALWAYS great fun.
We got to go out on the lake with the boat.
We went out to eat at some really great places.
We went to a drive-in movie one night.
We got to watch a lot of Top Gear on the tv.
We took some really wonderful walks in beautiful parks.
We climbed up a 200 ft. tower and looked at an overview of hundreds of miles.
But most of all, we got to visit with our very dear friends.
I think it was the highlight of our summer this year!

Life Continues...

2010-06-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

When I returned from my trip to the Carsons' I found that Carmel(our cat of 15 yrs.)
was continuing to decline in health. The next Monday I took him to the vet and after
running some tests, they found that he was in kidney failure.
So that week we lost a dear friend. We gathered as a family and decided to bury him
in the backyard by the honeysuckle fence. Ben carved Carmel's name into a large rock that he'd brought from a field by our house.
About a week later Ross brought over a black, long-haired kitten that he'd found out
side his apartment by a dumpster.
To make a long story short...his name is Forrest(as in Forrest Gump) and he is staying with us. It's like having a baby in the house again. He's into EVERYTHING!
He purrs as loud as Carmel used to.
Life does go on.

Carson Family Trip May 2010

2010-06-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

I'm finally just now getting to download my pictures from my trip to see the
Carson Family in May. I had a great time! Everything went really well and we
had a lot of fun time together. The only mishap was my running over the mailbox.
Poor Mailbox...
One of my favorite things was going on our bike ride. I also liked walking to the
bus stop every morning with the kids.
Another favorite was going to lunch at a great tasting Japanese restaurant with
Steff and Sophia.
Another favorite was riding scooters around the basement with Grant. And Laura
and Emma and I got to do some jewelry making. I also got to see Laura do her
gymnastics and got my own violin concert.
Emma let me sleep in her bed while I was there. Thanks!
Steff baked the best bread, and I got to have grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.
And we ate outside in their screened in porch. I also liking playing Old Maid out
there.
I even liked watching television with Russ in the evenings. I think I might be hooked
on CSI.
But most of all, I LOVED all the shhhugggarrr from ya'll.
What great memories! Thanks for letting me be a part of your lives.

Huntsville Tea Party Rally 4-15-10

2010-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

David and I gathered with approximately 2500 other patriots in a parking lot across
the street from the downtown Post Office in our town of Huntsville, Al. They had several good speakers and even singers for the crowd. They also had petitions, signs,
bumper stickers, a raffle, and registration for a number of volunteer organizations.

David and I took our own signs- The first one was a quote from Thomas Jefferson:
"When Injustice becomes Law, Resistance becomes Duty." And the second sign was:
"What about the Constitution do you not understand?" When we left the rally after
about an hour, we gave our signs to others who didn't bring their own signs. They
gave me a "high-five" and thanked us.

Today I had to really search hard to find any reference to the tea parties Nation-
Wide. But I did find them. 202 photos of tea parties around the country, in just
about every State in the Union. Boston had 10,000 gather. Not one word of coverage
from any of the major "news" networks. Imagine that!

Mom & Molly's Great Adventure

2010-04-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Well, Mom & Molly's Great Adventure is now just another page in the story of our lives.
I flew out to Salt Lake to help drive her and her stuff home. Our trip was approximately 2000 miles through Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and finally Alabama.

The Adventure started on Friday afternoon, April 9th. when I touched down in SLC Airport. We spent the rest of the day at Temple Square and the parking garage down-
town by a Mall. We visited the Conference Center (which was my first time) and walked
around what used to be the Hotel Utah. It's been almost 26 years since I've been there.
David and I spent out wedding night there so many years ago.
That evening we drove a couple of hours to Rock Springs, Wyoming and ate pizza in our
hotel room.

The second night we stayed in Percival, Iowa after having no luck in Lincoln and
Omaha, Nebraska. We ate Wendy's salads in our room at 10:30 P.M.

After a 13 hour drive on Sunday we arrived at home around 8:00 P.M.
We're both glad it's over.

You Say Tomato...

2010-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

For at least three years now, I've been trying to grow tomatoes.
Each year I put out my tomato plants and water them. And each year
I watch and wait for them to grow and produce. And each year...nothing.
This year I've planted them in hay bales. In each bale is a mixture of
pea moss, compost and vermiculite. I have tomatoes, pole beans, and onion
sets.
So, we'll see how it goes this year.
I think the only reason why I keep trying is because I happen to be very
stubborn.

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Spring Break seemed to come up upon us before we knew what happened...
Plus it was a little earlier this year than in the past. March 15-19.
It was kind of a last minute fluke, but we made reservations for a apartment
in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Matthew, Ben and I drove down on Wednesday morning. We arrived that afternoon.
We quickly unpacked and headed out to the beach. The weather could have been a
little better. It was overcast and slightly chilly, but we braved it anyway.
Later on in the evening, Ben and I walked on the shoreline. It was great!
The next day the weather was a little better, and we headed for the sand again.
Our apartment was just across the street from the beach so it was easy access.
We took a light lunch in the room and spent the rest of the day at the beach.
For dinner we went to a place close by that had an all-you-can-eat fish fry.
Yum! Matthew and I watched a movie on our portable DVD player in the room while
Ben surfed the television for the rest of the night.
The next day the weather was wonderful. It was sunny and warm. We spent the day
at the beach again walking, relaxing in the sand, building sand castles(or digging
holes). Ben got a skim-board and tried that out.
In the evening, for Matthews' 22nd Birthday we went out for BBQ and steak in town.
We got a great chocolate dessert, and Matthew was sung a birthday song by the staff
at the restaurant (he wasn't too happy about all the attention).

Saturday morning we packed up and came home. Took us an extra hour and a half
because of stop and go traffic. There was a car wreck just outside of Montgomery.
And a sink-whole in I-65 by Cullman that slowed us up. Even so,
we had a great Spring Break Adventure!

SISTER REUNION 2010

2010-03-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

The Second Annual Sisters Reunion has come and gone.
I can hardly believe how quickly it went.
It was 5 days of fun and visiting with all of us together.
Chris was able to spend another few days leisurely enjoying the South.
I think the very BEST part of the whole deal was the visiting.
But along with the visiting we went to the OpryLand Hotel and the Orpy Mills Mall
for a dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. We went to The Space and Rocket Center,
(and while there watched an I-MAX movie, and everyone but the pregnant lady took
a shot at the climbing wall). We also prowled around Unclaimed Baggage and stopped
off at Hammers. We ate BBQ and fried fish at Greenbriers, and went to the Harley Shop twice. Everybody loved Mo's for dinner. So Chris and I went there for lunch
too.
We took in a walk on Big Cove Greenway and a short walk at Lake Guntersville.
And Chris and I made it to the local Waffle House for pecan waffles and hash browns. We also made it to Franklin, Tenn.
And went to The Carnton Plantation where the Battle of Franklin took place during
The War Between The States. We stayed in Nashville one night by the Cool Springs
Galleria.
It's been quite a time! I am already excited for next year.
Thanks again everybody for the great time. I was having such a great time, I didn't take all the pictures that I'd planned on.
Thanks to those that held down the fort at home so we could do this.
I love all ya'll!

Molly @ School

2010-02-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

Molly is well into her second semester at BYU-Idaho.
She's still loving the classes, the snow, the SNOW Blowing
trucks, and the other school activities.
But most of all she loves her room mates.
At least that's what it looks like...

Scary Aztec Pot Man...

2010-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Ben recently had a project due on the Aztec Civilization.
As part of his project he had to produce some kind of visual-aid.
After researching it out, he decided to make a pot like the kind
they would have made. They had pots with scary faces on them.
Thus, Scary Aztec Pot Man was born.
Kind of freaky, huh?

What Happened to Global Warming?

2010-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

Well, It's the question that's been at the fore front of everyones mind
here in the Southeast.

(Aside: We had another Friday with school closing at noon
because of an ice storm that was on it's way to Northern Alabama.
As it happened, Ben spend almost 2 hours on a city school bus.
So let me get this straight: Because they wanted to protect the children
he spent a good portion of the day out in traffic instead of
in the brick and concrete school building. Right.)

So the question: What happened to this Global Warming thingy?
They had snow in Texas for pete's sake.
Have you seen the Mid-Western states lately?
Not to mention what's been happening in Europe in the last couple of months.
I'd actually like to have a little global warming about now.
How 'bout you?

SNOW

2010-01-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

It's been snowing here in North and Central Alabama.
School let out at lunchtime yesterday and today, it's closed.
Yesterday it took David two hours to get home from
across town because of road closings. So I took some
photos of it. You'll notice how little is actually on
the ground. SISSY'S!

Lil'Bit

2010-01-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

We have had a new member of the family since Ross came to live with us back
in November. She's fit in with the rest of the group... some how.
Her name is Lil'Bit.
Actually, Ross named her Liberty, but the name didn't stick.
He soon after started calling her Lil'Bit and we told him a story
about himself...
The story goes like this:
When I was pregnant with Ross, Grandma and Grandpa Godfrey came to be with us
for the birth. Grandma called him Lil'Bit.
Mainly because back then, we didn't know whether we were being blessed
with a she or a he. I still have a hand written note from Grandma telling
David(who was at a class on campus at NAU) that she had taken me to the
hospital to have Lil'Bit and to come as soon as he possibly could.
Ross must have liked that story, because he's been calling his cat that
ever since.
Actually, she's just like him. Loud, feisty, messy and cute.

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree...

2009-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

The fourth time was the charm.
We went to four places to finally get that most important symbol of Christmas,
the Christmas Tree. Actually it was three places, and one place we went twice.
Lowes sold out of all their trees last week. Walmarts' trees looked pathetic.
And the little lot that we went last year, the one with the North Carolina trees
was closed the night we went. I guess because it had started to sprinkle. We
hardly noticed it, so it didn't occur to us that they wouldn't be open.
Ben and I went the next day after school and picked one out.
Then we spent the rest of the evening trying to get it to stand up straight in
the stand. It took an engineer(David) to get it up right. And by then we were
all so frustrated that we didn't decorate it until the next night.
Why do we always have to be like the Grizzwald's for Christmas?

2009-12-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

Jewelry & Gift Party-1

2009-12-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Today I had my first Jewelry & Gift Party.

It was from 10 a.m. to noon.

I had 10 friends show up and they bought a bunch of stuff.

It was fun and I feel encouraged that people like the kind of stuff I create.

A few asked if this was going to be an annual thing from now on.

I'll have to think about that.

The next one will be on Saturday night- Dec. 5th

2009-11-27T09:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone for another year...

We had quite a group up at the Godfrey's.

The company was great! And so was the food!

My favorite though, is still the coke salad.

This year Mrs. Nancy joined us. She got to meet

the rest of the family, and blended right in.

Another new commer was Stephanie, Ross's

new girl. The family just keeps growing.

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Glory Halleluia! Carpet!

2009-11-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day. The day that I've been waiting for, for at least a year and a half.

The carpet guys are here putting in the carpet in the sun room.

I think I'll spend the rest of the day in there...stretched out on the floor...

okay, maybe not.

But I am really excited!

Fallen Leaves

2009-10-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's fall again, and the leaves are leaving the trees. The air is crisp... okay, the air is damp

because of all the rain. It's going to rain again tomorrow. But no matter. Like I said,

the leaves are leaving the trees, the air is crisp, the pumpkins are out and Bob, the Skeleton

is out on the swing in the front yard. All is ready for Halloween.

Except I need to get candy. And I need a real pumpkin for Ben to carve. And I didn't get

any fake spider webs this year. And ...

Oh well. It's fall again...

Ross A.I.T. Graduation

2009-10-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend was Ross's graduation from Advanced Individual Training.

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, Chris and Bill, David, Matthew, Ben and I

all showed up to see and yell for Ross at his graduation.

I can hardly relate how we all felt at this important event in his life.

And to share it with so many dear loved ones was something I'll never

forget.

Ross told me the thing he most remembers is walking across that stage

and hearing us yell out his name.

I believe he will never forget that moment.

I think I can say that we were all filled with pride and love for him and for this

great Nation. God bless America.

One Week Left!

2009-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Ross has one more week to go in his AIT program.

This last week he spent in the field, and this week will be spent

cleaning weapons and equipment and getting ready for graduation.

Graduation Day is October 5 @ 9:00a.m. in the Baker Theater.

We received a message in the mail yesterday giving a synopsis of the

graduation events:

Friday, Oct. 2 @ 11:00 a.m. the Commander is having a family brief.

The brief is basically an orientation to the events surrounding graduation.

That evening, the Soldiers will be released to spend time with their families.

David, Ben and I are planning on arriving around dinner-time on Saturday, Oct. 3.

We will keep those of you attending posted on any other info.

As an extra side note--

Matthew has, as of today, signed up for the army. He takes his ASFAB Test on

Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. The test results will determine what opportunities

will be open to him in the future. And he will go through the physical testing.

I am asking everyone who feels that they can, to pray for him to be successful and

that his studying will be of benefit. We are extremely proud of Matthew and his decision

to join our Armed Forces.

Fly Away Little Birdie

2009-09-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

This week was the end of an era for our family.
Molly has flown the coop, as it were.
I arrived home on Tuesday night after dropping her off at BYU-Idaho.
We took three days to drive the 30 hr. trip.
When we got there, we had some memorable times.
We went to the most crowded Walmart I've ever been to in my entire life.
Walked around the Rexburg Temple, which is just across the street from Molly's Apt.
Got a guided tour of the BYU-Idaho Campus one evening.
And went to a local pizza place, where I'd swear all the people from the Walmart went
for dinner.
We also had some memories at the car wash!

So now she's all set. She has been to a few classes. Has gone to her new ward.
Has gone to the State Fair. Petted a cow. Gone to an overnight Lodge/retreat.
And had the adventure of buying all her books and suppies.
It's gonna be a great semester.

I only feel sad when I pass by her room and see it empty of all her stuff
(which happens multiple times every day).
The cats have taken over her bedroom and often spend the day sleeping on
her bed or next to the big window (I think they know she's not coming back
any time soon).

Ross Update

2009-08-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

We just got off the phone with Ross for this week.
He's been doing HAZMAT training lately.
This last week he found himself decontaminating personnel
and equipment. He also finished his training on driving
a HUMVEE. He now is the proud owner of a HUMVEE drivers license.
So things are moving along.
Matthew is making some headway on his goal to sign-up.
Molly and I head out Friday morning for Idaho.
Ben is starting his 3rd week of school.
And David is hanging in there at work. He has a trip to
Canada coming up in a couple of weeks.

2009-07-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

B.C.T. Graduation

2009-07-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a weekend for the Godfrey Family.

We just got back from Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. Ross had his graduation ceremony on

Thursday, July 23rd. David, myself, Ben and Matthew drove the nine hour trip. Melissa

arrived the night before us.

It was so cool to see Ross in his uniform and witness the culmination of his achievements.

Each of us that know him so well could see and feel the dramatic changes that have taken

place in him. His countenance has definetly changed for the better. He is happy and confident, structured and disiplined. The effect has been so wonderful that he is now

influencing Matthew in a possitive way.

Our prayers are even now being answered concerning both Ross and Matthew.

And we are extremely grateful.

It has been one of the highlights of my adult life to see this day come.

Truly nothing can bring more joy to a parent than seeing a precious child become a successful,

happy adult. Words alone cannot express the depth of feeling of pride, love, and hope that

we have for Ross. Our love and hope for him has always been there, the pride part is a new

thing.

After the graduation ceremony we got to spend the rest of the day and on into the evening

with Ross. We went out for a nice dinner and just enjoyed visiting the rest of the time.

And we made sure to take a lot of pictures.

We got to talk with him tonight. He's moved into another barracks for his A.I.T. He's in a

room with two other guys. It's more relaxed and he has a little more freedom. Monday he

starts his classes in Bio-Chemical, Radioactive, Nuclear, Biological stuff... It sounds like he's

ready and rare'n to go. One other thing he did mention during our visit... he wants to go to

airborne school and jump out of airplanes...

Date with Chipper

2009-07-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hello:

I had a date night with Chipper, The Happy Punching Bag.

I'm getting better at this... no, really.

You just can't tell it from this picture.

Another note about Ross:

Ross passed his PT test with flying colors.

He was very excited about that.

We were worried because of his sprained ankle.

But it is healing nicely. And graduation is

definitely as scheduled.

He'll be 4 days in the field doing urban warfare exercises.

He's been made a team leader.

Ross Again

2009-06-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

We got to talk to Ross again today.
He's been "dog-sick" this past week. He thinks he caught something
from his "battle buddies". But he's still hanging in there and though
hoarse, sounded great. He's still on track for graduation with his group
in the end of July.
They have been doing a lot of ordinance exercises. This week will be
with live grenades. He says his all-time favorite weapon is the Automatic
Grenade Launcher. I imagine they call them AGL's. He loves the automatic
stuff...
We are continuing to pray for his safety and health especially.
Thanks for all your prayers in his behalf. He says that he can tell it helps.

Ross Up-date

2009-06-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

We got a call from Ross this afternoon for Father's Day.
He sounded really up-beat. Things have been pretty hot
there at Ft. Leonard Wood. He's getting fitted for his dress
uniform this next week.
Last week he sprained his ankle, so he's been on crutches and
has a brace on the foot. But he managed to still get through his
training and not have to start Basic all over again.
When we talked to him, he'd been put in charge of another recruit.
He said it's been frustrating trying to keep this other guy out of trouble.
He said it's like being a parent to someone. David and I both had
a little chuckle...

Chipper...

2009-06-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have a new friend at the house.

His name is Chipper.

Actually it's Chipper the Happy Speed-Bag.

I go to Chipper whenever I feel like I want to beat the crap out of something.

And he's happy to accommodate me.

Really I just wanted something to help me get some exercise and work on my

coordination. I wanted something I could do at home.

I'm starting to get the hang of it. There's a rhythm to it.

And it's actually fun to hit something.

Ben drew the face on the bag (can you tell?)

Ross Up-Date #3

2009-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

We finally got to talk to Ross last night. And it was so great just to hear his voice.
Even though it was croakie sounding from the gas chamber exercise, he still sounded
very up beat. He said that the gas chamber thing was the worst thing he's ever experience
in his whole life. So I would think it had to have been pretty bad.
He's been doing the shooting classes and likes those a lot. He was one point away from being classified a sharpshooter when his gun jammed. [They randomly put rocks in the barrels of the soldiers' guns to simulate weapon failure.]
He's started getting our letters. So I was very happy to hear that. Not much free time
for him yet. So he hasn't written any letters yet. But as long as he's getting our letters,
I'm happy.
He said that this week they are almost up to full-gear and they are going out on a road
march. So I guess that means he'll take his full pack on the hike.
We couldn't talk for but a few minutes, but it was so wonderful to hear him so positive.
He said to tell everyone hello and sends his love to you all.

Ross Update...

2009-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

I got an up-date from Melissa on Ross, so I thought I'd share it with

everyone. She heard from him last Sunday.

He said on Saturday they went into the gas chamber, which was

pretty rough. This week he's been doing a road march and starting

rifle and bayonet classes.

He's only seen a few of the letters that she and I have sent. So I don't

know what's up with that. But I plan on keeping it up. I think he'll

get them eventually.

She said he sounds real good. I missed his call today.

So I've been very disappointed about not being able to talk to him

personally since the first two calls. I miss him very much.

If everyone could please continue to pray for him, for his safety and

success, and continue to write to him- I'd be extremely grateful.

Thanks!

Ross Up-date

2009-05-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I also wanted to up date everyone on Ross.
We got a phone call from him on Sunday.
He sounded really good.
The hardest part for him has been losers
in the outfit mouthing off and getting everybody
in trouble.
This week they will be shooting their weapons and
giving each other I.V's.
I have his address if anyone wants to send him a letter.
Just don't send any food and he has all the items he needs,
except maybe stamps.

FRONT:

PVT Godfrey, Ross
D 3-10 INF BN 1st Plt.
495 Iowa Ave.
Ft. Leonard Wood, MO 65473

BACK:

Place the Platoon number (1) on the back and
middle of the envelope with a circle around it.
Write "Rough Riders" on the top fold.

The company web address is:
http://www.wood.army.mil/3-10IN/d310.htm

Sun Room Update

2009-05-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I talked to Chris on the phone on Memorial Day, and she was anxious

to see how far we'd gotten on the sun room. So here are some photos

of the room. I guess the last ones I took of the room were back in Dec.

We've added molding around the windows and doorways since then.

And we got the two thresholds stained, painted and installed.

We've finally all but finished the drainage work out back between the

retaining wall and the sun room. And we have picked out two choices

of carpeting. So all that's left is putting in the carpet and purchasing

three ceiling fans and installing them. And we have to finish the mirror inset with glass shelves in the wall in between the two doorways.

The only other thing is furnishing the room- couches, big screen t.v. and pool table...

2009 Grad

2009-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, Last night was the big night.
We went to the Vaun Braun Center for Huntsville Highs' Graduation Ceremony.
Eric brought the ever-appropriate air horn and I brought the camera.
And the senior class brought all kinds of blow-up balls and assorted
inflatable animals.
The program was nice, except for one speaker we could have done without-
his name was Topper(go figure).
So now it's official. Molly is a Graduate.
I'd like to thank everybody who sent cards and money and who have been a
part of Molly's life.

That Crazy Cat

2009-05-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

The other day I noticed that Rootbeer has been getting all the attention.
We have two other cats at our house. Carmel is an afraid[ie] cat, and Joie-
who happens to be neurotic.
So I thought that I'd show y'all some lame cat photos of Joie.
Some of these are poised and some are not.
Can you guess which ones?

Ross Heads Out...

2009-05-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ross is on his way to Ft.Lenardwood, MI. today to report for basic trainning.
He was scheduled to go on Thursday, May 14th, but got a phone call this morning
saying that his time had been moved up to today. His dad and I met he and Melissa
down at the Armory to say good-bye.
It's been a long road coming to this point...and now that it's here it just leaves
me in shock more or less. I see myself going through the motions of hugging him
and saying farewell, but it's as if I'm not really there- only seeing it from a
distance. Funny how some things turn out like that. As if we are only spectators
in our own lives, like it's not really real.
Since the moment our son has come into our lives it's been a real interesting ride. And we have loved him, cried with him and over him, enjoyed his accomplishments, and felt his disappointments amd failures through it all.
Today he goes out into the world to become a man. He doesn't go out alone, for we are still with him. We are anixous to share in his triumphs and support him
in his times of need. But more than ever, it is up to him, and that for me is the very hardest part of being a parent. Watching and waiting, hoping and praying that he will remember what we tried to teach him and remembering that he is unique and special.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2009-05-07T08:32:00.000-07:00

The sun is still not shinning, but at least for now, it's not raining.
Everything is a crazy-green and lush because of all the rain.
But frankly, I'm tired of all the rain.
Rain in the morning. Rain in the afternoon. Rain in the evening.
Thunderstorms throughout the night. It's incredible how much water
one yard can hold.
I think if it doesn't clear up soon, we're going to have to build an
ark out back on the spot where the above-ground pool usually goes.
Maybe I should look on the bright side: this way we're getting all our
cars washed at least once(or more) a day.

25th Anniversary

2009-04-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend David and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary.
On the spur of the moment, we drove down to Pensacola, Florida.
We left our home and the kids on Friday morning and were in Pensacola by the
afternoon. We found a room at the Court Yard Marriott across the street from the
beach. Then made our way to the "Fish House" where we ate fresh grilled salmon
and shrimp outdoors. We ended the day with a walk on the beach.
It was sooo romantic.
Saturday was spent at the beach. David even got in the water...
We were there for 2 hours and got burnt like lobsters.
Later we spent some time at the hotel pool and hot tub. Then we drove to the
Historic Downtown area of Pensacola and got out to walk around.
The weather was perfect.
After a great Mexican dinner, we drove another 12 miles to Navarre to visit
our dear friends, Cliff and Hi Cong Walton. They just moved from Warner Robbins,
Georgia three weeks ago. So it was really a treat to have a short visit.
All too soon it was time for us to head out back home.
It's a good six hour drive from Huntsville to Pensacola.
We arrived home in the late afternoon on Sunday to find the house still standing,
the cats still alive, and the kids were actually still speaking to each other.
After 25 years/over half my life with the same man, you'd think there would be no
surprises left. But every day is an adventure. And the only thing that isn't
surprising, is the fact that we love each other more and more every day.

Advertisement!

2009-04-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

This is an advertisement for a new blog.
It's an up and coming sensation!
And it's called, "Rootbeer".
This new blog is headed up by Ben.
And it's all about our favorite cat, Rootbeer.
I whole heartily recommend this as clean, good
fun for any cat lover. Or for anyone who just
enjoys a good chuckle every once in a while...
So tell your friends to tell their friends to tell
their friends friends to go to rootkitty.blogspot.com
And see what all the hub-bub is about bub...

4-15-09 T.E.A. Party

2009-04-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

On Tax day Molly and I attended a local T.E.A. Party organized in Huntsville, Alabama. I've never been so proud to be an American, an Alabamian, and a
patriot. The turn out in Huntsville was huge, considering our size.
I estimated at least 1,000 people as a conservative guess.
Mo Brooks, a good friend of ours and the District Attorney from our area, who also is in our ward was a key note speaker. He gave a great address.
I took a homemade sign that read "I have a voice too!" on one side and on the other
side it said "I will not vote 4 any politician who votes for raising taxes!"
I thought it was a good first step to taking our country back from winnie, lazy,
selfish, egomaniacs who spit on the Constitution and stick their noses up at brave,
working citizens who love liberty and freedom.

The Last Hoorah...

2009-04-12T15:34:00.000-07:00

Last Night was the "Last Hoorah" for Molly and the gang.
Last night was their last High School Prom.
No more formal dances with hundreds of other kids you know.
No more picture taking at the house in front of the fireplace.
No more bootiners.
On the other hand, there will probably be more corsages, more
fancy dressing up, more expensive dinners and newly washed cars.
There will also be more music, more staying out super late,
and more picture taking.
So really nothing is going to change all that much.

Vera...

2009-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Meet Vera...
She's my new 2004 Ford Taurus.
David and I went on my birthday to Tullahoma to get her.
She's sleek, black, tan leather interior and has less than
70,000 miles on her. Just as a side note: we only start looking
at cars that have over 120,000 miles.
So, for any of you Firefly fans- Vera was Janes favorite gun.
He named her, talked to her, and dressed her up pretty when it
was appropriate. That's how I feel about my new car. So I named
her...Vera.

2009 Sisters ReUnion

2009-04-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, It's come and gone...
And now all we have left are the memories and the photos of our time together. I think each one of us can say we wouldn't have
missed it for anything. It started out as a fluke, just a passing
notion. And then turned into something unique and wonderful,
something we'll never forget.
We got to do some fun things while we gathered together up at the
Carson's home base. But more important, we got to spend time as
sisters- visiting, laughing, crying, and sharing.
Remembering that one of the most important things in life is family, and those family connections need to be nurtured if they are to continue to grow.
I am very grateful for each one of my sisters. Each is beautiful
and wonderful in her own unique way. Each one enriches my life and
makes me better for knowing and loving her. I learn so much about
love, life, and joy from them. When I see each one of them succeeding in life, family, and careers it gives me hope. They're
examples lift me up.
So to each one of you sisters, Thanks! I love you with all my heart.

Canadian Delight

2009-03-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

This week has been a special delight with our friends from Canada
here for Spring Break.
Sean, Traci, Shannon and Nicole came for the week to visit and get
out of the snow and cold of Canada. Our weather here was great.
We had sunshine and 60's-70's all through the week.
And we got to do some fun things together, like get lost in
Nashville. We visited Jack Daniels' Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn.
We went to the Space and Rocket Center one day. And took a side
trip to Scottsboro, Alabama to the Natl. Unclaimed Baggage Outlet.
We also had to stop at Hammers on our way out of Historic Downtown
Scottsboro. You just never know what treasures you're going to find.
It all went so fast...
the side trips, the eating out, the movies, the games...
Now it's all over and they are back home. And I'm thinking we ought
to get together again real soon.

Rootbeer Update

2009-03-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

We went back to the vet on Friday and they removed all the stitches from Rootbeer. He's looking really good. He's eating now.
I think he's trying to gain back a little weight that he'd lost.
He's even chasing Joie around the house again. And she's quite
irritated by it.
Last Sunday we woke up to a dusting of snow. And yesterday the temps. were in the mid-seventies. So, Rootbeer and I were out in the yard quite a lot yesterday. He stayed pretty close to me and everytime I called him, he came. Whenever I went inside, he did too.
Today he's snoring, heavily underneath the master bed.
All that fresh air makes you want to nap.

Used Lives...

2009-02-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

It's another week gone by and Rootbeer is still with us.
In fact, he's doing much better.
Ben and I brought him home last Friday from the vet.
He couldn't wait for Ben to carry him inside, so he jumped out
of his arms as soon as they cleared the car and were in sight
of the garage sidedoor.
He spent the next 20 minutes walking around the house, following
me from room to room.
The vet says from looking at the wound during surgery, his guess
is that a dog got Rootbeer and shook him in his mouth.
And some how he managed to get away and make it home...
Talk about a strong willed cat.

Rootbeer's 9 Lives...

2009-02-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Well, It's happened again.
Rootbeer went on "walk-about" a couple of nights ago.
He had been out with David in the garage. He's been
slowly gaining more confidence going outside since his 2-week
under-the-tire thing. But only if someone is with him and
only for short periods of time.
So when he didn't come home for the last couple of nights
we thought the worst.
Then today, after church and after lunch, I was going in the
sun room for something and I saw him by the french doors.
He was just standing there with one eye open and looking
rather ragged. I quickly opened the door and called his name
while bending down to touch him- no response at first.
I got him inside and we got him something to eat and drink.
David then carried him to our bed for a nap.
He's still there.
Talk about your 9 lives. He's using all his up.

I'd Rather Be...

2009-01-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

You know those bumper stickers on cars that say something like:
"I'd rather be fishing..." or "I'd rather be sailing..." or
"My other car is a Lamborghini."
Well, I'd rather be in summer. Flaming hot, sunny, and lying on
top of an inflated, colored ring in the middle of the pool.
I'd rather be outside in my bathing suit with a cool drink in
hand, headed for the backyard.
I'd rather be out in the garden with my flowers.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go and sit next to the fireplace.
Maybe I'll get a nice cup of hot chocolate to sip on and a blanket
to wrap up in.
I can always take a book with me...maybe a gardening book.

Car Wars

2009-01-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

Last night we had the first round of what will probably be many more
to come...
CAR WARS(music interlude)
For Christmas this year Ben got a radio controlled race car. And
during the same time David has gotten his radio controlled car up
and running. They've been planning this Father/Son thing for some
time now. Bonding over cars and speed bumps is fine with me, but
do they have to do it in the house?
Last night Ben set up a course around the house complete with pillows as crash barriers. So it came down to 4 timed laps each.
Best over all time won.
All of the cats hid during the race.
In the end, dad won. Ben got hung up on several crash barriers.
A rematch has already been challenged.
Maybe in spring they can find a track outside.

More On Christmas '08

2009-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

I have some more photos from Christmas Day.
Thought that I'd post them for all y'all.
We got a real pine tree on Christmas Eve and
put it up in the new room.
It smelled so wonderful! How great is that:
to take a real,live tree, stick it in your house
and decorate it with lights and stuff.
I left it up this year until after New Years,
which I never do. Usually the day after Christmas
I get the organizer/cleaning bug, and All the Holiday
decorations just have to go. I guess this year with
the extra room, it just seemed like we had extra room...

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is over for another year. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. Then Christmas Day started with Ben trying to wake everyone up. It was around seven o'clock in the morning, so we really couldn't complain too much. Molly was probably the least happy about the early hour since she stayed up after midnight (but then she's never too happy in the morning). We made it up to Godfrey's around nine for breakfast. Then home to recuperate until dinner. David and Ben played with their new radio-controlled cars outside. Dinner Christmas Day was great. I think I gained 5 lbs...

Christmas Set Up 2008

2008-12-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well, it's time to set up the Christmas decorations at the Godfrey House. It's always a time of joy and wonderment, especially for the
cats.
Now it's almost a week later and the wonderment has worn off.
The cats have broken three ornaments already.
And every day I find tinsel all over the floor.
Ben just keeps rearranging the Christmas town scene. And every time
he does something gets knocked off onto the floor.
Oh Well, I love this time of year!!

2008-11-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here it is Thanksgiving Day again.
Actually, this is the day after Thanksgiving Day, it's called
Black Friday. I guess that most of all y'all are out shopping,
getting those good deals on whatever it is everybody buys just
after they've eaten a huge turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
I usually avoid any kind of store on this day, at all costs,(although one year,not too long ago Molly some how persuaded me to go). I don't remember if I thought it was worth it or not.
Anyway, back to Thanksgiving...
Last night we had a house-full. And this year was the first time I
can say I out did myself on the food.
Our Menu:
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Green Bean Casserole
Pistachio Salad
Sweet Potato Casserole
Corn
White Birthday Cake
Pumpkin Pie
Chocolate Whipped Pie

I sent the boys and Miss Nancy home with goody bags, so this was also the first year I didn't have leftover turkey (YEAH!)
We all had such a great time together visiting and laughing. It
all went much too fast before the night was over. And it was fun
to be out in our new room. David and Ross put our free-standing fireplace that is usually in our bedroom into the new sun room so that we'd be all nice and toasty.

Fall In Connecticut

2008-11-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last week I spent some time with the Carson Family in Connecticut.
The scenery was beautiful. We ate at some memorable places, listened
to cool music, sang bedtime songs, pieced together a number of puzzles and played a lot. Most of all I had a great time with everybody. It was so fun getting to know Laura, Emma, and Grant.
And of course, visiting with Steff and Russell was also a real treat.
One day Grant, Steff and I went for a walk by a closed Insane Asylum(made me feel right at home). The countryside was just gorgeous with the leaves the different colors of Autumn. Then for lunch we went to a cute little diner.
I have tons of little memories like that from my trip. I'm so glad
I was able to go. And they were so wonderful to me while I was there. Emma even let me stay in her room.

Homecoming '08

2008-10-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Homecoming 2008

2008-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 25th was Molly's last
High School Homecoming Dance.
That just leaves Prom in the spring.
It's been quite a school year already for her.
Flag competition is over with. Huntsville High
got a #2 rating, they just missed a #1 rating.
She has one more game to perform at.
And then Flags will be history too.

They had a good time with several other couples.
Dinner was at CrackerBarrel. And the dance was at
the VBC. Afterwards they gathered at a friends' home
to watch a late night movie.

"Where, Oh Where....?"

2008-10-26T17:46:00.000-07:00

Where, Oh- Where has our camera gone.
Oh- Where, Oh- Where can it be?
Our camera has gone missing or on holiday now for the past
three months. It makes taking pictures kind of hard.
So I am at a loss about the blog here.
I figured no one would want to just read without some photos
to spice things up...
Hence, my absence from the cyber-world.
Either our rouge camera will finally show up, or we will be
forced into buying another one. A friend told me I should buy
a new camera but keep the box. As soon as I purchased the new
one, the old one would magically reappear.
With my luck it would, but only after I threw the newly purchased,
empty camera box in the trash can.

SOS

2008-09-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've last blogged...
I've been on a mission.
SOS.
It's called Switched-On Schoolhouse.
After a few weeks of trying, we are finally up and running.
Today was our first "official" day at the computer school.
A few weeks ago we took Ben out of Huntsville City Schools
and began an adventure in homeschooling. We've been using my
own lesson plan until we got on-line with SOS.
So today he had classes in Language Arts, History, Math, and
Science, and a tutorial on how to use the system, along with
his scripture study.
I'm still trying to figure it all out. I'm learning how to do
a lesson plan. I set up and installed the curriculum. I set up the
passwords for the student and teacher. And previewed some of the
lesson material. So slowly but surely things are falling into place.

Ben has been miserable at school for a long time now. And we needed
to do something to get him going again in the education area. We'll
see how this works out for this year and maybe next. And then he'll
be ready for High School. Hopefully He will be ahead of the class
by then and have the skills necessary to succeed.
I'll keep ya'll posted.

Shoot the Birdie

2008-08-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is Ben with his new birthday present...a paintball gun.
He got two for his birthday. Matthew bought him one, he calls it
Vera. The rapid-fire gun hasn't been named yet.
He's wanted a paintball gun for over a year now. He's been paint balling a few times with friends and loved it.
With him is Ollie the Owl. I got the owl several years ago to scare away birds from my garden. The birds quickly got used to Ollie, even
with me placing him in different spots in the garden periodically.
Then they took to dive bombing him and pooping on him.
One of his eyes fell out a couple of years back.
Now Ben uses him for target practice.
Since Ben's birthday he's gone through 500 paint balls and 16 canisters of co2.
I think Ollie's in trouble now.

A Deacon

2008-08-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

We have a new Deacon in the house.
Ben just turned 12 years old yesterday. For those of us who belong
to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it's a mile-
stone birthday. That's the birthday when a young boy leaves the kids
in primary behind and graduates to the young men program. But most
importantly, he is ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood. It is a big
step in him becoming a successful man, priesthood holder,
missionary, and father.
Like his father before him, he will learn to serve in the offices of
the priesthood, acting in the name of God. A pretty awesome thought.
He also finished his requirements for his Faith in God Award.
I'd say he's off to a great start.

End Summer Vacation

2008-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Seems odd that summer vacation will be over in two days.
The kids go back to school on Wednesday. We've had a good summer, but it's gone way to fast. And then I was looking through some photos from the summer of '05.
That year four of us made it out to San Diego, Cal. for a vacation. David and Ross were working and couldn't go. We had a good time then.
And I think of all that's happened since then. Molly and Ben have sure grown up. Molly is a senior in high school now, and Ben will be ordained to the priesthood as a deacon in the next few weeks. Matthew has, like Ross moved out on his own. That August of 2005, David had back surgery and with it serious complications in the form of massive blood clots. We are still dealing with the effects of that.
Since then we've added on to the house...a new sun room/entertainment
room and doubled the garage space. We're 3/4 the way completed on construction, with a finish date set for Christmas of '08.
I've find myself getting older...hopefully wiser. I took up a hobby of jewelry making and continuing to refine my gardening skills. Most of the time I'm
just trying to keep it all together.
My, how quickly the time goes.

Canadian Experience

2008-07-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

Our vacation to Canada started on Wed. July 23rd. And we had a great time!

What a way to top of the summer. We've been meaning to visit our good

friends', Tracy, Sean and their girls for some time now.

We arrived to rain but it soon cleared. On the way back from the airport we stopped in at a good Mexican restaurant and an Ice Cream place.

One of the things that we did each night was to all sit around and watch

Top Gear. It became a favorite for everyone except Shannon.

Thursday Tracy made wonderful blueberry pancakes for breakfast along with bacon & mango's. The guys then went off on their own, and us girls and Ben went Bowling. That night we went to go see "The Dark Knight" at the movies.

Friday was our first day on the lake. It was sea-dos and trying to water ski.

The weather was great. And Lake Simcoe is large and lovely.

Saturday was Niagara Falls. And what a tremendous time we had! David, Ben

and I took a double-decker boat to the bottom of the Falls. We then prowled around the little shops in town and ate dinner outside on a second

story porch of a cute little eatery.

Sunday we rode bikes and roller bladed down by the beach-side of Lake Simcoe. We had the best pizza for dinner.(Shannon was working at Boston Pizza- so we had to go and bug her there).

Monday was our last day on the lake. Ben broke the record for riding on the

two-seater float. We must of pulled him for 15 miles (almost all the way to

the beach-side town we had biked at on Sunday). We docked the boat and walked down the strand for his reward, which was a big ice

cream cone.

That night we had a late dinner at the Keg, a wonderful steak place.

Tuesday was our day to come back home. It all ended too quickly.

Our friends Sean, Tracy, Nicole and Shannon were so wonderful to us. And

we had such a great time. I think I'd like to do this every year.

SCORE!

2008-07-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while looking through your neighbors trash is a good thing.

Here in the South, we call it "dumpster diving". And with dumpster diving you occasionally get a score.

Once when the boys were dumpster diving they came home with a battery

powered car. It was a large enough size to fit two small children. Of course

our boys put a car battery inside what used to have a hood and powered

several kids around the yard until the battery caught on fire. Later they took out the braking mechanism which aloud it to free glide down the

slope of the driveway and later the hill down the street. They didn't do it in until someone hooked it up behind a motorcycle and pulled it at speeds which it was never intended to go. We had that "score" for several years.

Today I went outside to find that Ben and a buddy had scored a go cart from

down the street. They fixed the linkage on it and spray painted it. And now

they are in the process of test driving it.

There's nothing like a score to make you feel lucky!

Magazine Cover

2008-07-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, Here it is... the long awaited for magazine cover. Now we can say for

the record that we have someone in the family that has international

notoriety, sort of.

This is a publication out of England. And we are starting to hear e-mails

from our friends from all over the country and more.

You'll have to stay tuned for the feature article that goes with it.

The Many Faces Of Ben

2008-06-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

You know how a kid can seem different every time you look at them.

With each day they seem to be a little changed.

You turn around and their all grown up.

That's how I feel with Ben.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-23T17:19:00.003-07:00

Molly's Utah Trip 2008

2008-06-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

I told Molly that I'm living my life vicariously through her now, when she
asked why I put so many pictures of her on my blog. It seems she has more
fun now a days than I do. After returning from her Pioneer Trek, she had a
short rest and then headed out to Utah to visit friends for a week.

Pioneer Trek 2008

2008-06-22T19:07:00.001-07:00

Last week Molly went on an adventure in Tennessee.

She was the "big sister" in a "family" group who pushed a handcart for

three days for a total of 12 miles. The youth in our stake did this activity

for youth conference. Halfway through the trek our stake met the Tennessee Stake and they had a dinner and dance.

All of the youth were required to dress in period clothing. No electronics

of any kind were allowed. They ate food that would be similar to what the

pioneers would have had. And had some wilderness workshops along the

way. One was on how to kill and pluck a chicken. Another was churning

butter.

It was quite the adventure...

Molly is the one on the far left with the white shirt, tan apron.

Carlisle Car Show 2008

2008-06-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back from the Carlisle Car Show of 2008, held in Carlisle, Penn.
David, Ben and I trailered the red car up to the show this year. It was my
first experience. Ben and David are old timers at all this...
We took two days driving up. Our first stop was in Virginia. The countryside
was beautiful.
The weather was hot and over cast. But we still managed to take a dip in the
hotel pool, which was quite chilly.
Everyone started showing up on Friday. And soon the parking lot was full of Merkurs. Our Canadian friends showed up and we caravaned over to the
fair grounds. We spent the day there looking at all the different cars and
products and sat under our own show tent. David and Sean were the only ones to get really sunburned. Ben and I found the best ice cream stand. It
turned out to be the tastiest food I ate the entire trip.
On Saturday Ben and I drove to Hershey, Penn. to the Hershey Chocolate
Factory and Amusement/Water Park. David and the rest of the guys went to the show again. And David had his big magazine photo shoot. It was
exceptionally hot, especially for the guys at the fair grounds. Ben and I had
a great time at the park. His favorite rides were the bumper cars and the
"Super Duper Looper" roller coaster. My favorite was the surfers "Wave" ride.
Sunday we headed for home, and drove straight through.
I took two cameras...and made it home with zero pictures. Figures.

Southern Comfort

2008-05-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm still going through photos of Chris and Bill's visit...

I found these we took at the Jack Daniels' Distillery.

The car isn't as hot as David's but, oh well.

We had a really good time with Jack and his friends, even though we

don't drink any of the sauce.

The BBQ was really good there though...

Miss Molly Pop

2008-05-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

It's been quite a while since anyone has called her that, Miss Molly Pop... This is her last week of being a junior. Just a few final exams, and she's officially a SENIOR.

We're really proud of her for being so smart and for working so hard this year in school. She was inducted into the High School National Honor Society and the Who's Who for High School Students. She's maintained a

4.3 G.P.A while attending early morning seminary and working a part-time

job. She's also on the Color Guard of the Huntsville High Band. And participates in many of the young women activities in our ward at church.

Occationally we see her at home when she's not with Eric. Her cheery smile always adds to the atmoshpere of the house (he-he). As you can guess, my beautiful daughter is very strong willed and opinionated. But she has a sweet heart and we all love her very much. Chris said it to me the last

time I talked to her, "Molly's just found a special place in my heart." I've

felt that way from the moment I layed eyes on her.

too.

The Grass Is Always Greener...

2008-05-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Weeks ago we planted new grass in the back yard. With all the construction

out there we had a lot of red clay showing. Then there were a few spots that

just never seemed to do very well. You know we all have them in our yards.

That one spot you can't seem to get anything but weeds to grow on. Why is

that?

So after weeks of watering and babying-i.e. making sure no one steps on the

new little seedlings...here we have it. New lawn.

It doesn't really fit next to the "old" lawn. Maybe because the old lawn has

loads of weeds in it.

I cut it for the first time yesterday. Now the weeds are free to take over that

area of the back yard too.

Some times I think as long as it's green, I'll mow it and pretend it's grass.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-05-06T09:35:00.001-07:00