Arizona Thanksgiving

We got home on Sunday night from a great trip to Arizona. We stayed in a house in Flagstaff and Tanya and Matt brought their kids up to stay with us. Brian and Laura treated us to yummy food and we had such a great time with all of them! We took the girls to the Grand Canyon, Montazuma's Well & Castle, Sedona, & Walnut Creek. The scenery there is spectacular. The weather was cold but beautiful! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect vacation! Thank you all for coming to hang out with us and for the awesome Thanksgiving dinner! I wish I didn't live so far away.






I got a kick out of this...leave it to use Mormons to have a vice!

These pieces of pottery were all over the place at the Homolovi Ruins. It so amazing to me at the civilization that once flourised there. To actually see those pieces of pottery that they made was a great experience for me.

Seeing Red

Bridger finally got her needed glasses. She's been telling me ever since school started that she can't see the blackboard (greaseboard...I don't think they use black boards anymore!). She chose red. You can't match every outfit all the time with one pair of glasses so why not accessorize!

So...I'm it!

Tanya (Kanenwisher) tagged me in her blog. I'm supposed to blog 6 things,habits or something quirky about me. Normally, like her I'd be sitting at my computer all day trying to think of something. I SHOULD be on the road to Arizona this very minute. I AM not on the road, in fact the car is still being packed...this is another story.
6 things about me...
1. I AM IMPATIENT. When I want somthing done, I want it done NOW! No big surprise here right???
2. I'm a yeller. Old Yeller in fact. Inherited this trait from a long line of yellers.
3. I'm an over-anyalizer. I think and re-think conversations in my head all day long. I make myself crazy. That's why I have to stay busy.
4. I'm a foot-kicker. Sometimes a toe or finger tapper. Somewhere on my body has to be moving almost at all times. I can't even stay in bed for more then 7 hours. I go crazy. I drive people crazy who sit by me in church because my foot is always moving.
5. I'm very clutsy. I run into everything, drop everything, lose everything. There's not a toe on my body that hasn't been damaged at some point. I hear I inherited this from my Mom.
6. I really want to learn a foreign language. I keep thinking that I will do this...but can't get it together long enough to focus on it. Could be all the over-anyalizing I do all do all day.
So, I did it! 6 things about me...in about 10 minutes and it looks like we're almost ready to go! Who's it next??

Before and After

So, our old garage doors were rotting off. Bummer. Most of the new houses being built in our neighborhood have "wood" garage doors. Now, I'm thinking...if I ever want to sell my house, I need to keep it updated and current with what else if being built. I know, it seems obvious but real wood doors are expensive and not very practical...but man, they look gooood. So, I wanted wood doors. Boyd let me get wood doors. It was a 3 month process of having them made, painted, installed. So, the hard part is; they aren't practical. They have been giving me fits since they were put in. But, they look gooood. We also had them install new garage door openers since ours were super loud and one was permantly bent because of the old doors. Now I'm afraid the new ones are damaged. These doors are heavy. And it's been humid the last few days and the paint between the slats is sticking so it's causing a lot of strain on the door opener. Anyway, we'll see if I made a poor decision soon enough. If we can't open the door when we get back from Arizona after Thanksgiving, then I'll know.
Oh...and Bridger came home from school early today...barfing. Nice.
Old doors




New doors

Just a walk in the park...

Boyd and I took Bridger up to the lake today. It's about a 15 minute drive from our house. He wanted to hit the dirt trails on his mt. bike and I wanted to walk the dog on the paved trails. Bridger wanted to ride her bike while I walked so we brought her along. Lucky I brought my phone with me so I could snap some photos of her and Lola playing. We've had beautiful but cold weather this week and I think this may be the last day before the rain comes. I just love being outside when it's like this.
We're looking foward to Mormon Lake next week with the Pheonix Kanenwishers and Thurgoods. The girls can hardly wait.

Rotting Off

So I hesitate to post this picture but I know I must save it for posterity as one of those silly things Mom did or Grandma did. It's not flattering of me...I'm pale (heaven forbid!!) and looking a little old here but non the less this is my arm. The leather bracelet on me was one that I purchased last December in the Bahamas. When I got it it was dark, shiny brown...beautiful and I made the island lady tie it on me....permanantly. I decided awhile back that I would leave it on until it literally fell off of me. Part of the reason is because every time I look at it I am remembered of what a great place it was that we went. Seriously, I still can't believe I was actually there. It almost doesn't feel like it ever happened. It was for sure the most adventurous trip I'd ever been on. So, I like looking at it and remembering.
What's that you ask?? Could it be MOLD growing on my bracelet? Could be, although it looks suspiciously like the green paint I used last week. But, it's very probable. I mean, think about all the showers, soap, lotion, sweat, food, germs and everything it's been around and now that its worn down it absorbs everything. I think I'm going to feel completely naked when it's gone. I should probably cut the darn thing off but I'm going to try to keep it on until the first week of December. Do you think it will make it? I think it will rot off by then.

Hmm...what is that blurry image behind my arm. Lola managed to be in the shot. Funny thing is...I'm literally sitting at my desk, taking the picture of my arm to the side without the messy desk being the background but lo...there she is...in my background.

All Hallows Eve

This is getting close to being my last year with this holiday (until Grandkids come). It was the first year that I didn't have to go to a class party. I was able to stay home and work on some projects like putting my living room back together. Bridger invited her friend over and they dressed alike...butterflies. Hunter came home from school with stage make-up on to look like she had been beaten up. She's in drama class and each year they try to fool the staff with injuries. She pretty much had everyone freaked out. Half the football team offered to hunt down the person who "punched" her and go beat them up! Good thing Chloe came home from school before she did and warned me or I might have freaked out myself. She invited her church friends over and they went as fairies (if you can't see the wings). They had funky skirts that a mom made for them and huge wings. I only had about 15 trick-or-treaters. I really get into the decorating and make a big deal about it. At my old house, people would come from all over just to take their picture at my house with their kids. But I think I might stop this tradition. First, it wears me out. Second, it's too much work for 15 kids. And now, my kids just take off with their friends anyway. Too busy to eat dinner and drink the tradtional cider anymore. I actually like the idea of scaling back though! Now it's time to put it all away...