tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373165372024-03-17T21:01:15.159-06:00The PreslarsThe Preslar family's home on the web, a journal of our comings and goings in the great city of salt.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.comBlogger1134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-28521317234187678682024-02-28T21:41:00.001-07:002024-02-28T21:41:07.475-07:00Part 2: The Dig<p> It felt like such a huge accomplishment to remove all the plaster, the lath, the old clapboards, the carpet, the closet....but oh we were just getting started. </p><p>That dirt was so hard and dry and so packed down. We dug. We pick-axed. Eventually....Troy was brilliant and brought in the tiller. That helped a ton! I made more trips up and down the driveway with the wheelbarrow carrying buckets of dirt than I cared to count. Troy of course made his fare share of trips as well. I tried to work during the day as much as possible, whenever I could. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMdE5dhBjpjfVCItBf7NFK77tr0UWBsDQKD-M-MGqSRCGy2GomCE5Qj65idkf82hyclHEphC0e_prIefioIXu0eAwagWc_72bx9VX0eCgAWwhgSPzz1lVNY2makqO2y7Q6PDweP6LZddshq_3K9RxfrghHr6dD4NnhVtYmLRnOnDrVCo53g5-/s4032/IMG_0254.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMdE5dhBjpjfVCItBf7NFK77tr0UWBsDQKD-M-MGqSRCGy2GomCE5Qj65idkf82hyclHEphC0e_prIefioIXu0eAwagWc_72bx9VX0eCgAWwhgSPzz1lVNY2makqO2y7Q6PDweP6LZddshq_3K9RxfrghHr6dD4NnhVtYmLRnOnDrVCo53g5-/s320/IMG_0254.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAFe6Txch2Lr293NVpDffvfghYof30sa_A5ftNO2jxzt2Wk-KHqf53yTGvXi8r-9qQ2gVKua9WSekkWk8Sg9ZqnTVH_ImG5BgKT8efDUgSPeaxSgf967WLqLbUXNsG-QAFCYZyWTZeDwjaTcXSkLuLs2EcvCpWnwK-NT86Hj9PSsgX06OhkXy/s1920/IMG_0239.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAFe6Txch2Lr293NVpDffvfghYof30sa_A5ftNO2jxzt2Wk-KHqf53yTGvXi8r-9qQ2gVKua9WSekkWk8Sg9ZqnTVH_ImG5BgKT8efDUgSPeaxSgf967WLqLbUXNsG-QAFCYZyWTZeDwjaTcXSkLuLs2EcvCpWnwK-NT86Hj9PSsgX06OhkXy/s320/IMG_0239.jpeg" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdIWr32M8wTWBVCkKNQW1uqDelwM1cIBvw07cO5Ig2DBmmM61IupFAE4pld5FPvvHYhn6w4yNNKG_8EQpmChsntJlz9VMg47XkZdl-s_ToAxszZjpRrqPF5zn3lmE5FIzIVJZcdO4eU5Y8MMsj30bZ5tw5d-go-vKwbstrETx_z_MMsTfiboM/s4032/IMG_0242.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdIWr32M8wTWBVCkKNQW1uqDelwM1cIBvw07cO5Ig2DBmmM61IupFAE4pld5FPvvHYhn6w4yNNKG_8EQpmChsntJlz9VMg47XkZdl-s_ToAxszZjpRrqPF5zn3lmE5FIzIVJZcdO4eU5Y8MMsj30bZ5tw5d-go-vKwbstrETx_z_MMsTfiboM/s320/IMG_0242.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0wuVweWW14HjD-QcYIucXblFz66AHQF3TQNrc29TbAQE9Tusgs9Yqd77mZyd9zOAbDxYIibsOrla9dCWSyw0gpXGGG1xkeXSufwhWGYfST_AhQpnsVZTHWe3x-p8vkU8TrS0x1NT-hYhLQybdhYm1RcwHMr-BXcrqAresl_R-vZpS0-ehMgR/s5712/IMG_0241.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0wuVweWW14HjD-QcYIucXblFz66AHQF3TQNrc29TbAQE9Tusgs9Yqd77mZyd9zOAbDxYIibsOrla9dCWSyw0gpXGGG1xkeXSufwhWGYfST_AhQpnsVZTHWe3x-p8vkU8TrS0x1NT-hYhLQybdhYm1RcwHMr-BXcrqAresl_R-vZpS0-ehMgR/s320/IMG_0241.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEcnLFCnzdgtX_cjIOyZ6KIGFRzcPcvMmPiwUzbOGHcDBnD-nCItC2MMRmILlL0KCoYN0o_a19Gbh7Sy1ZN1dSnu9IbKtYh74d7FKOfABYl3RuJ9A-A_ro_8jpCnktmSAnrTDZ9i6l9i0S6rxbVrUoZa1g03qXwQPkYfeYuJ8k1tkA8MJi_jZ/s4032/IMG_0245.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEcnLFCnzdgtX_cjIOyZ6KIGFRzcPcvMmPiwUzbOGHcDBnD-nCItC2MMRmILlL0KCoYN0o_a19Gbh7Sy1ZN1dSnu9IbKtYh74d7FKOfABYl3RuJ9A-A_ro_8jpCnktmSAnrTDZ9i6l9i0S6rxbVrUoZa1g03qXwQPkYfeYuJ8k1tkA8MJi_jZ/s320/IMG_0245.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJntu4VVAXq0kb9VC0XtsbaDbjxaRnm4UG9_aZy3zePYUp_7zmXR6oNOjR7AilkbTr-sEURWubbiKPmlxPc52xvuHOPhg7V6-lttF-bY7bDui_CslYmX-mEs9osnPqUGg9uUpxE19wl0z91e2WkQWfmBmzBaHpFMRo0OAFx06qLP1gEXLYWiZJ/s5712/IMG_0249.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJntu4VVAXq0kb9VC0XtsbaDbjxaRnm4UG9_aZy3zePYUp_7zmXR6oNOjR7AilkbTr-sEURWubbiKPmlxPc52xvuHOPhg7V6-lttF-bY7bDui_CslYmX-mEs9osnPqUGg9uUpxE19wl0z91e2WkQWfmBmzBaHpFMRo0OAFx06qLP1gEXLYWiZJ/s320/IMG_0249.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">We left one little strip of the old porch floor installed right by the doorway, since under that is open space down to our basement. Eventually that will have to be removed, but for now it's been helpful to have. As we dug, it was exciting to break through the dirt to the open space under the platform. Exciting and...creepy.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrwwhfExq1fEqQR-pdCuT_02m1xRScK2akgRZoamwz7Z-Ly6RusZ7zF1LCbueWkHL18T_A8RQ6SDBOqHFWYRmjiXZutS_Oq9g0xy_FEV3xJn-VLGyehw6-74D6Jp1q10lP9Y5wzqIosBvJdTZSVtN5VywRCY5EW4ae5eWe5AITY36NjAManEJ/s4032/IMG_0246.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrwwhfExq1fEqQR-pdCuT_02m1xRScK2akgRZoamwz7Z-Ly6RusZ7zF1LCbueWkHL18T_A8RQ6SDBOqHFWYRmjiXZutS_Oq9g0xy_FEV3xJn-VLGyehw6-74D6Jp1q10lP9Y5wzqIosBvJdTZSVtN5VywRCY5EW4ae5eWe5AITY36NjAManEJ/s320/IMG_0246.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eNUH9omjVoREec7ZIkNj0d-qDTZotm1l42uvALotn8cU7ZEiwc3O3O8QVMXoQj4ixVlhWA3UyMXxjGU8CwtGNjQQnjP5G0BZwMhczC032tznEJZ0sPVnP0Lgx-EEct5GjwrpjKjMvLIkPi-ek43WrGqAu-Udv-XXfSsh7CFIT-9LFkH4owop/s4032/IMG_0252.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eNUH9omjVoREec7ZIkNj0d-qDTZotm1l42uvALotn8cU7ZEiwc3O3O8QVMXoQj4ixVlhWA3UyMXxjGU8CwtGNjQQnjP5G0BZwMhczC032tznEJZ0sPVnP0Lgx-EEct5GjwrpjKjMvLIkPi-ek43WrGqAu-Udv-XXfSsh7CFIT-9LFkH4owop/s320/IMG_0252.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEWbcOr5zKUWkeIFS-llDv4lz5q7GQvecaPnb06t-lWaxkR4uiiMfUfin_Xksi5InAIIJd_3L-HQdv8uF9zvp1Wa-9ytmLUlJ9DAcI1R4rJR_FNeUIH0Jwg1i_ozLARRRRIifyC6CQhS88SsME3H7xX9g_7gQva1r6EmWH8J44yRl_Q-kNBkB/s4032/IMG_2455.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEWbcOr5zKUWkeIFS-llDv4lz5q7GQvecaPnb06t-lWaxkR4uiiMfUfin_Xksi5InAIIJd_3L-HQdv8uF9zvp1Wa-9ytmLUlJ9DAcI1R4rJR_FNeUIH0Jwg1i_ozLARRRRIifyC6CQhS88SsME3H7xX9g_7gQva1r6EmWH8J44yRl_Q-kNBkB/s320/IMG_2455.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Speaking of creepy, I did find one kind of fun thing as I was digging. I had already unearthed plenty of my usual finds - mostly pig bones and pieces of broken dishes. But I did dig up this little friend:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2fyHhweXFg3pLUSTnGqXWW-zNYglSMcJ2OpljJU5_vwxOk8hiUj13Oo3vQgpzWaocQq3T1rwJyw151dYTzMkch_6TjI-gunkpa-weUJe47TclCya96LE63bBnmp56DnyLA3ES5O9XHqCPl7Qkf8a91qK-NuqKYiaXvKX1loxQfjVnZ4xvRYb/s4032/IMG_0244.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2fyHhweXFg3pLUSTnGqXWW-zNYglSMcJ2OpljJU5_vwxOk8hiUj13Oo3vQgpzWaocQq3T1rwJyw151dYTzMkch_6TjI-gunkpa-weUJe47TclCya96LE63bBnmp56DnyLA3ES5O9XHqCPl7Qkf8a91qK-NuqKYiaXvKX1loxQfjVnZ4xvRYb/s320/IMG_0244.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I really wanted to find more of my little friend but so far, just the one piece. I like to imagine that she was once a beautiful dolly who made a little girl happy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We actually have gotten a little bit of help with the dig. I have a friend with two darling boys, one of whom is on a baseball team that requires the kids to do some community service every week. They've been bored to tears looking for service and getting jobs like dusting and vacuuming. Oh no, not at my house. When they found out they would be wielding a pick-ax and shoveling dirt they were actually so excited. And they did a great job.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvLGnZAyEDhcbANtdwz3RoX69As673xkaqMfv7Ni1VN4W-JopH4XSLyEOnZJzWxBT93mtmjzv_lloiPM2BgGcw6m6gwhGdicjjm7d2Kiviozz2ENB7Y_AIY682NAApRflm9za_Dt_2XC6C1ZzEu2gxjYNrzKdICHp7fAdgxD-4bSbASQtrMD_/s4032/IMG_0271.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXvLGnZAyEDhcbANtdwz3RoX69As673xkaqMfv7Ni1VN4W-JopH4XSLyEOnZJzWxBT93mtmjzv_lloiPM2BgGcw6m6gwhGdicjjm7d2Kiviozz2ENB7Y_AIY682NAApRflm9za_Dt_2XC6C1ZzEu2gxjYNrzKdICHp7fAdgxD-4bSbASQtrMD_/s320/IMG_0271.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74tQQNmLETMaaFg1D4Nkivdp1NZwf43MmqNNGTLFf4eWVZULpaYSFvsms7wIYF8nsifWeZjYl7kL3qr8n8VxmYI0_NeW_PVe8ZcIQBOyyIQn3MOquT7hGu72uTeGPdqpQ-3tXh7KV1ABodkwhAngCUC86raZbmwe20Z0OrKdR1rAEHQCp_Dhq/s5712/IMG_0270.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74tQQNmLETMaaFg1D4Nkivdp1NZwf43MmqNNGTLFf4eWVZULpaYSFvsms7wIYF8nsifWeZjYl7kL3qr8n8VxmYI0_NeW_PVe8ZcIQBOyyIQn3MOquT7hGu72uTeGPdqpQ-3tXh7KV1ABodkwhAngCUC86raZbmwe20Z0OrKdR1rAEHQCp_Dhq/s320/IMG_0270.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVv8WxhRnDxT2AHKjrCIhJ5Ohp3L3iIq48hNxqSNVGviapOByroVGAjpe6JfGmrmmyZl1HcxkAWAV18vbzv5kzeP26QLFgwlAluCkXEVDCsyoCYGDYN1B-qGZvDovU_Th-28B4w1Q_A62yHm3aU0kclEuk4IDUi2TvShzQbCagP41aKBQfVdN4/s4032/IMG_0269.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVv8WxhRnDxT2AHKjrCIhJ5Ohp3L3iIq48hNxqSNVGviapOByroVGAjpe6JfGmrmmyZl1HcxkAWAV18vbzv5kzeP26QLFgwlAluCkXEVDCsyoCYGDYN1B-qGZvDovU_Th-28B4w1Q_A62yHm3aU0kclEuk4IDUi2TvShzQbCagP41aKBQfVdN4/s320/IMG_0269.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFN-xVIqtCMU2BbVuYUMFcRAmEoGjXmeuKHQ9JZb8AGAyEl2itXAOCrl1GfpzjTasVDmz97rgVie7UzOyUnCKfpniS-kPCW61qjO2VYnQ_IlgjHpEHqBqnxaQnV-1eD1uJIT3S6I0O2S2pEe36CdxjjSLCwQacWaAlf8gA6e_VrADJdEzChJe/s5712/IMG_0273.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYFN-xVIqtCMU2BbVuYUMFcRAmEoGjXmeuKHQ9JZb8AGAyEl2itXAOCrl1GfpzjTasVDmz97rgVie7UzOyUnCKfpniS-kPCW61qjO2VYnQ_IlgjHpEHqBqnxaQnV-1eD1uJIT3S6I0O2S2pEe36CdxjjSLCwQacWaAlf8gA6e_VrADJdEzChJe/s320/IMG_0273.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-18536131779917141822024-02-28T21:18:00.001-07:002024-02-28T21:18:36.107-07:00Bedroom Construction, Round Two<p>I wanted to title this entry "Gluttons for Punishment," but I just barely did that. Apparently we are often gluttons for punishment. And this punishment is way WAY worse than just driving through a Christmas light display on a cold December night. </p><p>Where to even start? </p><p>How about here, with an old yucky bedroom.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSDDwckhHf8sF0l0uW9rMhagnTJYeF6g1osevR_DdRqWg2NXAzp1PR1pyFdLBEeFcXZHM0tuzK_LXAqKRmTDF3b8wVfOw_-VJfiDn7c71Y558ix-RULsDnxesvkeUh76wRYdBjIh-6EXwK3wFj0RZQIUo9FRwkRNNedMHUy-O5YufF-VgVJYK/s4032/IMG_0164.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSDDwckhHf8sF0l0uW9rMhagnTJYeF6g1osevR_DdRqWg2NXAzp1PR1pyFdLBEeFcXZHM0tuzK_LXAqKRmTDF3b8wVfOw_-VJfiDn7c71Y558ix-RULsDnxesvkeUh76wRYdBjIh-6EXwK3wFj0RZQIUo9FRwkRNNedMHUy-O5YufF-VgVJYK/s320/IMG_0164.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjqi8QpksSohcnFA2J5QKrXIkiHsjMd9Oujov32Al8LCTuh8UttemfgNCKlIWagW16pPef3lkCJ5SoqnsS8CFJGfshB-cSmE4OTuMXyJIgvbvHinVfty6r3NyemSUHnN0eEkFwQF5EWbFtwU0b5zJ0XhCg_v0j3ysAD6RQaMedDEda7VRFGKL/s4032/IMG_0167.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjqi8QpksSohcnFA2J5QKrXIkiHsjMd9Oujov32Al8LCTuh8UttemfgNCKlIWagW16pPef3lkCJ5SoqnsS8CFJGfshB-cSmE4OTuMXyJIgvbvHinVfty6r3NyemSUHnN0eEkFwQF5EWbFtwU0b5zJ0XhCg_v0j3ysAD6RQaMedDEda7VRFGKL/s320/IMG_0167.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XSTJgS0nqWjGsND5ICvvmiyQYHHFQ3tf1qZWlmKz3PGcDQEfIfRLZOb2hSw2YywcsxLEWb-mZqDF33x_l_keh9vPaHN0vqdaiMuBXGBCmRRUV-zOv2T-FXVxwXkVCm-SX2x2WOktV086ScjqZ9ri0w6shbpw-jK6DvWH6u6lFAJEV5gO7Jz/s4032/IMG_0166.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XSTJgS0nqWjGsND5ICvvmiyQYHHFQ3tf1qZWlmKz3PGcDQEfIfRLZOb2hSw2YywcsxLEWb-mZqDF33x_l_keh9vPaHN0vqdaiMuBXGBCmRRUV-zOv2T-FXVxwXkVCm-SX2x2WOktV086ScjqZ9ri0w6shbpw-jK6DvWH6u6lFAJEV5gO7Jz/s320/IMG_0166.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNfDLps4p4ul2YTtegGfIHknQh1M0Mqpozm0J2yb-fagiBzbtRItMRRlu8y9IWr0gUBNh7NFYdCV1Z9cE6Km-YMXPclcb9IzkuixGmKHjErpRzk8Ks5Cx4QvpVO_aogsxeBngwIVcARLRmnCaJRvO567EOveJaF3eJEF1_IxfggNs2SjlDi4K/s4032/IMG_0169.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNfDLps4p4ul2YTtegGfIHknQh1M0Mqpozm0J2yb-fagiBzbtRItMRRlu8y9IWr0gUBNh7NFYdCV1Z9cE6Km-YMXPclcb9IzkuixGmKHjErpRzk8Ks5Cx4QvpVO_aogsxeBngwIVcARLRmnCaJRvO567EOveJaF3eJEF1_IxfggNs2SjlDi4K/s320/IMG_0169.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-3utNn_Gb0eNuYo3zqTRMrsLVSZ1TTp2VhJgn8trRdSpsYTzATogtmcO6se51y51I2kID9UakGM5YWEWO-j2zxYhf2GpIMjm9QiPFIKXKtYyPcVLmNx8D2iUcdklXORisLNakY7glB3kOHXGT-ivMRmhmpIciGLm5CL4z01At2VVPGTxjafT/s4032/IMG_0173.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-3utNn_Gb0eNuYo3zqTRMrsLVSZ1TTp2VhJgn8trRdSpsYTzATogtmcO6se51y51I2kID9UakGM5YWEWO-j2zxYhf2GpIMjm9QiPFIKXKtYyPcVLmNx8D2iUcdklXORisLNakY7glB3kOHXGT-ivMRmhmpIciGLm5CL4z01At2VVPGTxjafT/s320/IMG_0173.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful for this room. It has served us well for a very long time. Most recently, it housed both of my girls, for years and years, actually. They got along so well, despite the cramped quarters. There was a bunk bed plus two dressers in there! It made it easier to ignore the carpet and walls - they were too covered up to even see!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But with Chase away on his mission and Romney (mostly) away at UVU and Emma moved into the big bedroom, it was time to pay some attention to this little space. After all, Chase isn't that far from returning. So once Christmas was over and Romney's winter break ended, we had one final weekend visit from my brother Peter, and then it was time to tear into it. Literally.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Part I: The Demolition</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I spent the first week or so just on demolition. It only took about 10 minutes of work to realize that we were going to need a dumpster. I was at first trying to just pack our big green garbage can and would add more debris to it each week, but the pile grew way faster than I expected. The amount of material we pulled out of that tiny space seemed like more volume than the room could actually hold! The lath, the plaster, the heaps of insulation from the ceiling (although there was absolutely none in the walls) and the pieces of closet that Troy busted up made the dumpster very worthwhile.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNrgRZDScb5mMEJhOcj7X4YzawcOfLK7ea_YLQy8iVHzQxh08aWtV0DgpZusAcUxHYOV8fm9A8cZ0rhP2ddxMGYc-Rx2fLmLpR_q2ESDSOkmo4sjE_pI5X_0puob87uMOuD4GNAjLABaAnMkn_8tHFrZc7fBTCR7nzIqZRe2HpK1XXYcQ6by-/s5712/IMG_0180.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNrgRZDScb5mMEJhOcj7X4YzawcOfLK7ea_YLQy8iVHzQxh08aWtV0DgpZusAcUxHYOV8fm9A8cZ0rhP2ddxMGYc-Rx2fLmLpR_q2ESDSOkmo4sjE_pI5X_0puob87uMOuD4GNAjLABaAnMkn_8tHFrZc7fBTCR7nzIqZRe2HpK1XXYcQ6by-/s320/IMG_0180.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bhJx8ztT4LTr_Rx0uU3H1rgebrqvBgzeP1cUFengm-IfcW_Yb0fGkYkodr4FJmqA_DJkHAj8qk0LeLUz7KsTU-C5dYYma4uLbSfPHSZX27IvT72eJiTg5S_DNVuId7EdR_NsX2iJbA5u12StQ5XE8itS1PrPUeRKtF4IRT934kXJ4MXe0Nnv/s4032/IMG_0182.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bhJx8ztT4LTr_Rx0uU3H1rgebrqvBgzeP1cUFengm-IfcW_Yb0fGkYkodr4FJmqA_DJkHAj8qk0LeLUz7KsTU-C5dYYma4uLbSfPHSZX27IvT72eJiTg5S_DNVuId7EdR_NsX2iJbA5u12StQ5XE8itS1PrPUeRKtF4IRT934kXJ4MXe0Nnv/s320/IMG_0182.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDYnLXcqe2k74-m11A_ILPhuX5SsGgABmMW8pB4kEeQKH51-giAHGD1JVxiQ91zbfPgcaNWi5EwiHhdG7Fcv2JF1Y9X-kPBRlDrBn5PhPQlU2irPnp8aocdWJkPylKvkozpklVSwOaNVIMrgv_OHWiFSTPXRUKDd4sUw3ge-wfn-mBMEw3iDT/s4032/IMG_0183.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrDYnLXcqe2k74-m11A_ILPhuX5SsGgABmMW8pB4kEeQKH51-giAHGD1JVxiQ91zbfPgcaNWi5EwiHhdG7Fcv2JF1Y9X-kPBRlDrBn5PhPQlU2irPnp8aocdWJkPylKvkozpklVSwOaNVIMrgv_OHWiFSTPXRUKDd4sUw3ge-wfn-mBMEw3iDT/s320/IMG_0183.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XqLljQ86TD0OyoYX8NCBxRrgNwxOzoioH7HqyGgt8M7HZwlNTnw1wQ7Jm2pkytySH-4VG0h0Z8o0vQ1n4RzGyY2c3lRzNM8TH8IFeM5adbTk5ODqw-MXi8Gv2UWuTNiJsYYE8jAYFCExFYyWA-ZsoYsibMUREeIbAzIcNImKMtnG4mhupayy/s4032/IMG_0184.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XqLljQ86TD0OyoYX8NCBxRrgNwxOzoioH7HqyGgt8M7HZwlNTnw1wQ7Jm2pkytySH-4VG0h0Z8o0vQ1n4RzGyY2c3lRzNM8TH8IFeM5adbTk5ODqw-MXi8Gv2UWuTNiJsYYE8jAYFCExFYyWA-ZsoYsibMUREeIbAzIcNImKMtnG4mhupayy/s320/IMG_0184.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Troy reminded me that I would be coming across a wasp's nest at some point. He had killed off the flying nightmares long ago, but we couldn't access the nest. Oh I found it! Luckily it had stayed empty.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircAzaT7kSMHzwbGIh8zDe5rfPJbET7GEHaYUpo3H6s94-fhYME3obds7e26m3l1djjnrCwH7TYX8NGHvg5-S6Vdj28PLmFpuLG5wX-WrpK1sSFLgKSWXLKgR1-b73GkLA1iQFi87jCMEUUxuzYH5NHcR0fy6R51IGdu88SRpOvUocOm_1UItx/s5712/IMG_0196.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircAzaT7kSMHzwbGIh8zDe5rfPJbET7GEHaYUpo3H6s94-fhYME3obds7e26m3l1djjnrCwH7TYX8NGHvg5-S6Vdj28PLmFpuLG5wX-WrpK1sSFLgKSWXLKgR1-b73GkLA1iQFi87jCMEUUxuzYH5NHcR0fy6R51IGdu88SRpOvUocOm_1UItx/s320/IMG_0196.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p0cv5tvUn11KqTxrYIuV008Nso1KJIlL8lFvsLYxWlZ9c1Lef7Eqp5kdWE9BokFb0nvfvlX7oP-uPDCoFdcdtJAJRyvb6fApUkVGxs8JIUW3YN8TkZyTqrAkULV0N8RGwi2wqADYW_v6HtQUFOXbwHNRAtiL0rOTkgH0G_vY5wH8bH5oyBmE/s5712/IMG_0197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p0cv5tvUn11KqTxrYIuV008Nso1KJIlL8lFvsLYxWlZ9c1Lef7Eqp5kdWE9BokFb0nvfvlX7oP-uPDCoFdcdtJAJRyvb6fApUkVGxs8JIUW3YN8TkZyTqrAkULV0N8RGwi2wqADYW_v6HtQUFOXbwHNRAtiL0rOTkgH0G_vY5wH8bH5oyBmE/s320/IMG_0197.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ylPY_qaJfCji_1t-jGIyDsGLEs0sj86lPiLbf16LfIr6RklCI47NiXrdP3AmK2CrcOIeFjx1VIpytAMIxXKGz_OhqRLnOCL9JYDGImBgD1KZnxAi83iWLIlbyVIMheX4s1s9NMJizRqMoCsYUMKJjfbCb7F5R1a_qiSxgu60_inkA219Pac4/s4032/IMG_0198.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ylPY_qaJfCji_1t-jGIyDsGLEs0sj86lPiLbf16LfIr6RklCI47NiXrdP3AmK2CrcOIeFjx1VIpytAMIxXKGz_OhqRLnOCL9JYDGImBgD1KZnxAi83iWLIlbyVIMheX4s1s9NMJizRqMoCsYUMKJjfbCb7F5R1a_qiSxgu60_inkA219Pac4/s320/IMG_0198.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3hL6IGh8Bk-Bq_jiop8F9ii4fGRBqaQn8WbygNYx3mOHRfEF1EbBdE7rVCHyxlDwEM7tBkKyjGOlWsytA73qimpGVBJUJ7KghAph4uD8g_Z3bF9oij6IEFd_nFExlmQO-ri0UFlySC5Vq4XnctM8aDFXL-wzkCrapL5FgTQ8-p-fCsBXadpt/s4032/IMG_0200.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3hL6IGh8Bk-Bq_jiop8F9ii4fGRBqaQn8WbygNYx3mOHRfEF1EbBdE7rVCHyxlDwEM7tBkKyjGOlWsytA73qimpGVBJUJ7KghAph4uD8g_Z3bF9oij6IEFd_nFExlmQO-ri0UFlySC5Vq4XnctM8aDFXL-wzkCrapL5FgTQ8-p-fCsBXadpt/s320/IMG_0200.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jHGDtVddJ5ktKpLKAZw0hmwZPpkwveSnFqKVT3LULsBMBNV25RQdlpOiY8J5TMO8di9pIsTwUCwRMpkyEoN39cCil689QBjVMEzgY7eJmcvKe-Dq-S2fAOZk6rNBaO2WSydwjLKgetChV8fW0SoySQvlYQ_m86EX3139Az9qA2MHw2H7VfRf/s4032/IMG_0201.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jHGDtVddJ5ktKpLKAZw0hmwZPpkwveSnFqKVT3LULsBMBNV25RQdlpOiY8J5TMO8di9pIsTwUCwRMpkyEoN39cCil689QBjVMEzgY7eJmcvKe-Dq-S2fAOZk6rNBaO2WSydwjLKgetChV8fW0SoySQvlYQ_m86EX3139Az9qA2MHw2H7VfRf/s320/IMG_0201.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHcmlIKZf-r_GdyUmEtlPv4W2ijUIVWYczOrs7PAumY4uzIF_rg5KaWpGANKnv7UJI9Hsb4pZHbC1kfylbPyFOndKPhW3JBFEfVJ-J1T1J2Q7tP0Zp3XD5PqcOckW5jxM6qbsZ1j8PYG_1uaJJqi4g_pkdWSHTj1KRD5bxG5BQ6-7WsVEUpdx/s320/IMG_0205.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTo5FSvNv_i1lAwk3IcbjE9bcFTvKwg4GXVMgDKZ0Jj6yYfmG-L8S4zXRuzMqkjOoa8AC3ecWge843bwpIzfL-hr-VT-P2eLaeO6gCaAOrpQntIUuwU41z2Gxowd-yr7v2ALd8QBERw6R1aOX6sT2ADoVX0aV8n_L3bzmfA_uftfUeSvzdKXGF/s4032/IMG_0208.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTo5FSvNv_i1lAwk3IcbjE9bcFTvKwg4GXVMgDKZ0Jj6yYfmG-L8S4zXRuzMqkjOoa8AC3ecWge843bwpIzfL-hr-VT-P2eLaeO6gCaAOrpQntIUuwU41z2Gxowd-yr7v2ALd8QBERw6R1aOX6sT2ADoVX0aV8n_L3bzmfA_uftfUeSvzdKXGF/s320/IMG_0208.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc_XUjhJ7YVQKYeSaK234GeIfHob1QrY-v-eovTozIu696gqSI1V1pX_z7Z2K-2Kwd9Yjy-RTuwwQQ838cCmxFAZ5D_YwxTGzdWxK3V4dOJlQ8xCBie-b0Q8_dPqWZQbu509W5gBBi6BtzT5WuR9OM6nO4_-lT7WekWNmduCbMYdhIl4IrejA/s4032/IMG_0209.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqc_XUjhJ7YVQKYeSaK234GeIfHob1QrY-v-eovTozIu696gqSI1V1pX_z7Z2K-2Kwd9Yjy-RTuwwQQ838cCmxFAZ5D_YwxTGzdWxK3V4dOJlQ8xCBie-b0Q8_dPqWZQbu509W5gBBi6BtzT5WuR9OM6nO4_-lT7WekWNmduCbMYdhIl4IrejA/s320/IMG_0209.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_NwybppzlTcTDMYCFwg0j9yuMgAJ9x4Gtt4HiQkidMNXc7kbVBipkVWNbms7c3n4Jf0BbLe_Weumdr2LAZay5E48SPg5XmE9lQWTiHlGpltGVrtOmNUaKJdmfHHdWB98jDrEOoUDjAkbQspwrvyAPFjzP9vKiv1FUMsbsagpVaZdF_12GKKL/s4032/IMG_0212.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_NwybppzlTcTDMYCFwg0j9yuMgAJ9x4Gtt4HiQkidMNXc7kbVBipkVWNbms7c3n4Jf0BbLe_Weumdr2LAZay5E48SPg5XmE9lQWTiHlGpltGVrtOmNUaKJdmfHHdWB98jDrEOoUDjAkbQspwrvyAPFjzP9vKiv1FUMsbsagpVaZdF_12GKKL/s320/IMG_0212.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were so excited to finally get the room emptied and the carpet ripped up and hurled into the dumpster. Much of the reason that we were digging this deeply into the room is because we knew that there was actually no foundation under the walls. So if we were going to do it at all, we were going to have to remove absolutely everything from the floor until we got to dirt, and then dig down into the dirt for 2 or 3 feet so we could access enough space to pour footings and foundations under the two outside walls. So when we finally got to the wood under the carpet it was pretty exciting. I pulled out the camera and got ready to film the big dirt reveal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlj7Y0JAUA9D0G9BK9HrgFbaCbvZ_Qho33xxnHoJwLGMI4M-QuowBuFmicC9T-p9I7RZGaMdHXa8Wt0HtMQ7NOZWi8FnGu5msgRvjTBYK1_YN0mVL7antsdiLHeilBUDylZin-JAjPlFqWK4G64Iq6pQDdJVhijI1mYirmSjVP91cr6Z1KSXk/s5712/IMG_0213.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlj7Y0JAUA9D0G9BK9HrgFbaCbvZ_Qho33xxnHoJwLGMI4M-QuowBuFmicC9T-p9I7RZGaMdHXa8Wt0HtMQ7NOZWi8FnGu5msgRvjTBYK1_YN0mVL7antsdiLHeilBUDylZin-JAjPlFqWK4G64Iq6pQDdJVhijI1mYirmSjVP91cr6Z1KSXk/s320/IMG_0213.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiVeNPy4UbAGPWePs8r5EC-jdBanm9cwDykgTgxn3uLOqWBBEdr2UtG0hjWmmNbUhz_AD_AwjBQ5KhLd53A22RX839t5SlcpqonRcABDnbp4i_PC-pM7PbIx3LQtOx2Tni5gdDIxbF61L30RiaH6Trk1-CqvzPpASIzkC_PhtqXC0Lf-h5Gn9/s5712/IMG_0214.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiVeNPy4UbAGPWePs8r5EC-jdBanm9cwDykgTgxn3uLOqWBBEdr2UtG0hjWmmNbUhz_AD_AwjBQ5KhLd53A22RX839t5SlcpqonRcABDnbp4i_PC-pM7PbIx3LQtOx2Tni5gdDIxbF61L30RiaH6Trk1-CqvzPpASIzkC_PhtqXC0Lf-h5Gn9/s320/IMG_0214.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Only, as soon as Troy pried up the super heavy boards we found....more wood. So he started to pry up the 2nd layer of wood and we found....linoleum! And under the linoleum? A thick layer of newspapers, all spread neatly out. We actually had a lot of fun looking at them - they were all from February and March of 1949 - almost exactly 75 years ago. We saved a big stack of them, including one headline about The University of Utah beating BYU in a basketball game. I think we'll frame that.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LRHIDGNq1yhsv9OCVIKPGsVIEg5XCVc-S_UDVlK92VblGPiEiMWsE1lpDr7UB5JDzxiOowy8e5khGxtMdhnbT_DPK8mYN6Cz4NeutAKUybLCKuBeczj85DztuMJ465LMf-SmYOj87lCqjDmoIClKqNQkA7Qdt-JaRv6cQfRNgi_c5sZxS2Oz/s5712/IMG_0221.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LRHIDGNq1yhsv9OCVIKPGsVIEg5XCVc-S_UDVlK92VblGPiEiMWsE1lpDr7UB5JDzxiOowy8e5khGxtMdhnbT_DPK8mYN6Cz4NeutAKUybLCKuBeczj85DztuMJ465LMf-SmYOj87lCqjDmoIClKqNQkA7Qdt-JaRv6cQfRNgi_c5sZxS2Oz/s320/IMG_0221.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtZBN5hi0lwISUoxsff0FCMkWkt6YldtPwC0dN6tUR9nOaVyLfFGQNRXKsZMhDVXu5LB7lilBUZzNvzOXRZuWffWSSX2ZC5Sm5jPdwRYqTrNggVFUEbNuXn9TD3Lt0y6vxMKjrTPXado8VJGFCJMP8v_c2VGk6yoyvqPcxboLpiUW8_xSMF0m/s4032/IMG_0222.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtZBN5hi0lwISUoxsff0FCMkWkt6YldtPwC0dN6tUR9nOaVyLfFGQNRXKsZMhDVXu5LB7lilBUZzNvzOXRZuWffWSSX2ZC5Sm5jPdwRYqTrNggVFUEbNuXn9TD3Lt0y6vxMKjrTPXado8VJGFCJMP8v_c2VGk6yoyvqPcxboLpiUW8_xSMF0m/s320/IMG_0222.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-OsINRcmMmTpMaUTDNMYgHwn-CfPQ7W6-3tyIB0R9eKhhM5ArfV3YBlMAk_9XguUNbcIqV3HA5QfBmVvdkt8-hM0q64t6d0a45rUn6f-K4r8nysbmxa_MIVlDFFN9Ekrm6C2n6oRJufk-tN-xmAEUXQz2zzru-uAVD-PC-AYAlLYWjk9LTcH/s4032/IMG_0223.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-OsINRcmMmTpMaUTDNMYgHwn-CfPQ7W6-3tyIB0R9eKhhM5ArfV3YBlMAk_9XguUNbcIqV3HA5QfBmVvdkt8-hM0q64t6d0a45rUn6f-K4r8nysbmxa_MIVlDFFN9Ekrm6C2n6oRJufk-tN-xmAEUXQz2zzru-uAVD-PC-AYAlLYWjk9LTcH/s320/IMG_0223.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_7zDSQgCbzrOXYLSL-J4HuA9_LviYy6TZkuRC9MJH_PkMBrNuFR6mmfFHWveYkY16txDwylC-TfMhJbYyUx8i_5fhE3uxqkZoyxa5mM0NxgAZd2TPpu7o8OmwS3XlFP5QnTOlLHmE9F1UrPnljflrNIskDL6icOZw2jcDpRCEJB_kvjJuDOy/s5712/IMG_0224.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_7zDSQgCbzrOXYLSL-J4HuA9_LviYy6TZkuRC9MJH_PkMBrNuFR6mmfFHWveYkY16txDwylC-TfMhJbYyUx8i_5fhE3uxqkZoyxa5mM0NxgAZd2TPpu7o8OmwS3XlFP5QnTOlLHmE9F1UrPnljflrNIskDL6icOZw2jcDpRCEJB_kvjJuDOy/s320/IMG_0224.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OzquqcT-IASyrlBW2sGRxpcY7Me1Sgu5ADSDRuc0cRWwImVkprJ0v8qVDj7AtVYK2Y4tZIWfdKyCCh6x1D273qC642d7oNcUA7sdciPRxXLZAJY6X3BmZJqeZTywbJR9LJbR85E3dN32MUs2appx6lPXts5fC28cKiIOLUE5tnBOsv99iDZt/s5712/IMG_0225.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OzquqcT-IASyrlBW2sGRxpcY7Me1Sgu5ADSDRuc0cRWwImVkprJ0v8qVDj7AtVYK2Y4tZIWfdKyCCh6x1D273qC642d7oNcUA7sdciPRxXLZAJY6X3BmZJqeZTywbJR9LJbR85E3dN32MUs2appx6lPXts5fC28cKiIOLUE5tnBOsv99iDZt/s320/IMG_0225.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally under the newspapers we found an old porch floor. It was made of douglas fir, the same wood that provides our living room floor. It was painted, and had to be torn up. We were sorry to destroy it, but it had to be done!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHF76JQbP8mEjkZxauAFTOaP6NaV7aRV75A1myHcmWoDe6bH3VYC41L5MuPqMw4ytPo5t4ranhwW4bardGnHY8jbwTJxV8rWa3UbyZEygmQrgM2j9-j2sP8kkUJPjkJMKXvNGx-FAWJTLRpbzqmzCi2Y9OSZL3JIkY1oMklr94iaA08356akD/s5712/IMG_0226.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHF76JQbP8mEjkZxauAFTOaP6NaV7aRV75A1myHcmWoDe6bH3VYC41L5MuPqMw4ytPo5t4ranhwW4bardGnHY8jbwTJxV8rWa3UbyZEygmQrgM2j9-j2sP8kkUJPjkJMKXvNGx-FAWJTLRpbzqmzCi2Y9OSZL3JIkY1oMklr94iaA08356akD/s320/IMG_0226.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNw8nPYd6deNt4Y58Y0JOQtuRiC2kh43l5tEMi1hJOyb4SVGyAMzmSNnVpKKRKqRFBtBnMmuxCAkVj4coV5W86VbjHOenuWhGuPaCGP94MJPGOpNZRGL5kNOFCM1LdOM6zl01-5Q7zr2K7CZTU9JuUHn-u6Jhl_7NhgfdtJ2-t9UgxiRx0dQ/s4032/IMG_0227.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MNw8nPYd6deNt4Y58Y0JOQtuRiC2kh43l5tEMi1hJOyb4SVGyAMzmSNnVpKKRKqRFBtBnMmuxCAkVj4coV5W86VbjHOenuWhGuPaCGP94MJPGOpNZRGL5kNOFCM1LdOM6zl01-5Q7zr2K7CZTU9JuUHn-u6Jhl_7NhgfdtJ2-t9UgxiRx0dQ/s320/IMG_0227.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOpiAA3aJqsa7pJbbHQVqPMwL7EDep87WhKJJSvYn_clCgI85i7H_Zx7KGXilHpVc58tQDh50-n_Z1snWNWWhdy1t2gCSClcIN9ehW_yGOFD2lWJkFr_KACJRLZ_aUFpeRHg1ot8q_guGZIlvSwqVJAlzU34pd9kh9rJSnNZSKXCuK9TU5VDz/s4032/IMG_0228.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOpiAA3aJqsa7pJbbHQVqPMwL7EDep87WhKJJSvYn_clCgI85i7H_Zx7KGXilHpVc58tQDh50-n_Z1snWNWWhdy1t2gCSClcIN9ehW_yGOFD2lWJkFr_KACJRLZ_aUFpeRHg1ot8q_guGZIlvSwqVJAlzU34pd9kh9rJSnNZSKXCuK9TU5VDz/s320/IMG_0228.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, many inches down below the level of the door, we got to the dirt. It was slightly anti-climactic after all that. Both Troy and I kept thinking that we would pry up a layer of floor and peek underneath only to find a skeleton grinning up at us. Nah. It was just dirt. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNw4FypSUOT2dNM1kvrUlZoO7vScbPhBe7U755NlhPSMlGD68t8Xsh9XK90wuZnKEUSX6W0IMuXH9RTeqWo3E5ZnAGxbEC3vbCXTnmwz5OexjmUmtOKODGrDxUsEzQSeMwx2b8SCzo11Lz9bAwv8tkgN_jwEPC3HT3JPNCSELBlz9t2NP7pIB/s5712/IMG_0230.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNw4FypSUOT2dNM1kvrUlZoO7vScbPhBe7U755NlhPSMlGD68t8Xsh9XK90wuZnKEUSX6W0IMuXH9RTeqWo3E5ZnAGxbEC3vbCXTnmwz5OexjmUmtOKODGrDxUsEzQSeMwx2b8SCzo11Lz9bAwv8tkgN_jwEPC3HT3JPNCSELBlz9t2NP7pIB/s320/IMG_0230.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-6gx_0rZBZ003Mut1cWoYTYqxX8mZVgNeqh0N9km9LEzc71m0QqQ14nQu4RGazpBxkxzh8vE0LT79CtsQkys1b3TGkHSN7NNJTU4pIdFHlwdUDl8OzbWWUVumcHOucRYGv5VT740MpL3NIJdvSgM-V3RuvTqbAUFQk-uafyrIFtZ2KIxUxyA/s5712/IMG_0231.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-6gx_0rZBZ003Mut1cWoYTYqxX8mZVgNeqh0N9km9LEzc71m0QqQ14nQu4RGazpBxkxzh8vE0LT79CtsQkys1b3TGkHSN7NNJTU4pIdFHlwdUDl8OzbWWUVumcHOucRYGv5VT740MpL3NIJdvSgM-V3RuvTqbAUFQk-uafyrIFtZ2KIxUxyA/s320/IMG_0231.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Luckily we still had a dumpster out front....because a whole heck of a lot of that dirt needed to end up there!</p><p><br /></p><p>To be continued......</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-29921684349223584462024-02-15T19:34:00.000-07:002024-02-15T19:34:13.036-07:00Knitting Knotes and a New Record<p>Well, after three heavenly weeks, Christmas break came to a close. I wasn't that excited to take Romney back to UVU. We all just like having her home. I know we should all be so proud that she's taking the next steps into adulthood and all that crap. But really I just like it better when she is here. I know it's good, though, for her to be with roommates, working and going to school. Here she is with 6 of her 7 roomies. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6rXJKs0EYRH5I01uIvA54Q9kLSQFEvTDa8jKViIIpumFR8H5DrachMt0QINh5pkJSskxUp-yu7g2jFBEHQQ3M__V5GgaZM89HQS8pQBNTBQUPi55voVinYx1s6cwLpD4QzRxnbwy8JIolT0H_B6ZdVcI9N_0gflZpUsLnVzlW_ZM88jp4xaX/s4032/IMG_0103.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6rXJKs0EYRH5I01uIvA54Q9kLSQFEvTDa8jKViIIpumFR8H5DrachMt0QINh5pkJSskxUp-yu7g2jFBEHQQ3M__V5GgaZM89HQS8pQBNTBQUPi55voVinYx1s6cwLpD4QzRxnbwy8JIolT0H_B6ZdVcI9N_0gflZpUsLnVzlW_ZM88jp4xaX/s320/IMG_0103.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p>And here she is, just a few days into the new quarter, when snow finally made its late appearance. We had just about the greenest Christmas ever. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdgzGf35xiICKS3HusJ7r9ZjamSXufv5PUTqNjfIFjp7IauG1FIdwGWZLtqdh1D4h5KEB7LUe7THR4vr5KvB-swICYlsZW0XG417H1Fhx9ZOgm8-6EDcJ2Vq12p3sjXkRXPhlRvzN0pR9rxyo2BVL_LNZnjkH8cI2IbXXhylRnE-Tx-nlQUGz/s3088/IMG_6737.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdgzGf35xiICKS3HusJ7r9ZjamSXufv5PUTqNjfIFjp7IauG1FIdwGWZLtqdh1D4h5KEB7LUe7THR4vr5KvB-swICYlsZW0XG417H1Fhx9ZOgm8-6EDcJ2Vq12p3sjXkRXPhlRvzN0pR9rxyo2BVL_LNZnjkH8cI2IbXXhylRnE-Tx-nlQUGz/s320/IMG_6737.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I think that last year we kept our Christmas tree up until January 9th, and that was a new record we didn't think we'd break anytime soon. But...our tree this year was just so beautiful. And happy. So why on earth take it down? We easily broke our record this year, mostly because I put away everything except the tree. I love all of our decorations so much, but it does happen that I get antsy for a clean house and some quiet space. I realized I could clean up everything <i>except</i> the tree, and then we could just enjoy it as long as we wanted. I don't think it went away until the 11th or 12th or something. And of course, by the time it went away, it was time to decorate for bleak week!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_vGT6csDRcH2PO9dyAp05A8O9QxXdmAHgemLHfQWkAnOfViN9y4v4mzVlXL7qU82EpBXDKp7EIe2ZblgVLP4fUPAHsNPFE_sUzxC5UVHi3wWn98YjcY3iR0hzhxQJlsvFKOqGsEtAUTSwFfOhH6W024HzlFLBUSqjzV60fUq6GxRmoxaqbaV/s4032/IMG_0127.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_vGT6csDRcH2PO9dyAp05A8O9QxXdmAHgemLHfQWkAnOfViN9y4v4mzVlXL7qU82EpBXDKp7EIe2ZblgVLP4fUPAHsNPFE_sUzxC5UVHi3wWn98YjcY3iR0hzhxQJlsvFKOqGsEtAUTSwFfOhH6W024HzlFLBUSqjzV60fUq6GxRmoxaqbaV/s320/IMG_0127.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1OmQhIPPxkeA9aqRG87n1_R6uAPS_2m2tYjFmcaywHcNJPQBXON3qV1oE1p7ecwToEHNIAQ5PvyTKzKIh-r59YgY2b0BMCmzFfAfKhrPfFHr9fHjay5qzUdxhvtBfCIB3z6lg8GAUfflupEBaMu9VyTgu56ddxSqE0m-zIwOrXWBc4DLO9Cu/s5712/IMG_0161.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1OmQhIPPxkeA9aqRG87n1_R6uAPS_2m2tYjFmcaywHcNJPQBXON3qV1oE1p7ecwToEHNIAQ5PvyTKzKIh-r59YgY2b0BMCmzFfAfKhrPfFHr9fHjay5qzUdxhvtBfCIB3z6lg8GAUfflupEBaMu9VyTgu56ddxSqE0m-zIwOrXWBc4DLO9Cu/s320/IMG_0161.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>And now, some notes on my latest knitting projects. It has occurred to me that I haven't blogged much about my "Kneighborly Knitting" - the little ornaments I knit each year to give to a few family members and neighbors. I believe this was my 12th year of making them. I lined them up in what is my best guess at the order I made them. I'm positive about the first couple of years and the last four, but the middle ones I'm not too sure about. It has been so fun to make them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUafeQ5HzwGP5e9Ik5ZEV2TnvI4L8V7Tl2NWw07VAODivILqrV_lLSLM3va0ymVlqkpLuxhwxSqMvcpT5zOBS5Z6A2l-Twkp6uClHrIFqQliCO8z5GCVJPt6EJTa4oGL8ioa_n_lHsWN9-q8TUx-KBynjhmE-3tLSoMOp6kC1oKvIthQqDxyup/s5191/IMG_0129.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2954" data-original-width="5191" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUafeQ5HzwGP5e9Ik5ZEV2TnvI4L8V7Tl2NWw07VAODivILqrV_lLSLM3va0ymVlqkpLuxhwxSqMvcpT5zOBS5Z6A2l-Twkp6uClHrIFqQliCO8z5GCVJPt6EJTa4oGL8ioa_n_lHsWN9-q8TUx-KBynjhmE-3tLSoMOp6kC1oKvIthQqDxyup/s320/IMG_0129.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pear, Owl, Sheep, Acorn, Pudding, Bunny, Cardinal<br />Gingerbread House, Mushroom, Chicken, Sweater, Long Johns</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Over the holidays, especially as we watched hours of The Lord of the Rings, I worked on a sweater. It's my fourth sweater. I love the other sweaters I've made, but they are all too big, no matter how carefully I watch my gauge as I knit. But I'm happy to say that this sweater fits perfectly. I absolutely love it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJObsOZA2K3v6kEiWTbMHnc2IYvJV7bpiQKKBopkZN_dhw-rs7L2rsK46cA_lGyxc_oo-r2TJAUslFTcVMFJrTlTG7rA76rAfi3XR_hoZF3eAKO-5nZg7CTdjmXXprVLo4NwfYyzgJdTDZTaj5Kz8PY8-se_xwrm2jVL__QtZfu4Z-qmyxn2Z/s5712/IMG_0117.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJObsOZA2K3v6kEiWTbMHnc2IYvJV7bpiQKKBopkZN_dhw-rs7L2rsK46cA_lGyxc_oo-r2TJAUslFTcVMFJrTlTG7rA76rAfi3XR_hoZF3eAKO-5nZg7CTdjmXXprVLo4NwfYyzgJdTDZTaj5Kz8PY8-se_xwrm2jVL__QtZfu4Z-qmyxn2Z/s320/IMG_0117.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GLfq9j3Dxvk4EVHOQL0h1fG7qt3ru_VyshPpwkZeGW10lTWaRQK8tWZ5VVq_scXSoYrj5A2hhEp5OIo5dQdK5wWAaptUiuCQLXETzD1XsAHB-H0kuxItek-v9sb2QzCAgdiztbnPVwXBwRbM_geWDkmQnSgF1_SAyVAtUt8rQUPVzLgG3FSf/s5712/IMG_0122.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GLfq9j3Dxvk4EVHOQL0h1fG7qt3ru_VyshPpwkZeGW10lTWaRQK8tWZ5VVq_scXSoYrj5A2hhEp5OIo5dQdK5wWAaptUiuCQLXETzD1XsAHB-H0kuxItek-v9sb2QzCAgdiztbnPVwXBwRbM_geWDkmQnSgF1_SAyVAtUt8rQUPVzLgG3FSf/s320/IMG_0122.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then, as my Christmas gift to Peter, I let him choose a couple of patterns out of a new book I got this fall - a Star Wars knitting book. I made him a Death Star, which was a way bigger pain than I anticipated, but it's pretty fun. I'm currently working on a hat and fingerless mitts for him now, all with repeating patterns of TIE fighters on them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love knitting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJLbDBnFAE24N3kkGL7KQtreRw_THycN4573kl0HgYZo4lI0NsYJ1KORpkMI7xpkWb45IaBNtlR7UEQGiBq3KIKhVGBj2eVdcDz04SsTOR4TviPszsnGHP_Cg7feGI_jS5HfROFusT3QerKhrgw9dIjUCiNvZ8EX-2hRqQ5zuDsIkcvq26ElA/s5712/IMG_0158.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJLbDBnFAE24N3kkGL7KQtreRw_THycN4573kl0HgYZo4lI0NsYJ1KORpkMI7xpkWb45IaBNtlR7UEQGiBq3KIKhVGBj2eVdcDz04SsTOR4TviPszsnGHP_Cg7feGI_jS5HfROFusT3QerKhrgw9dIjUCiNvZ8EX-2hRqQ5zuDsIkcvq26ElA/s320/IMG_0158.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAaGWsd6qh0P98-6IYeL0b0mnlImVVTrlA0cmEO4tG0I4t-GKabKFnPWjiH9CjEhYaptPaPS1UWMiccZcRh1tzZRFNGhfzUM27dH-YObbSIjYUBZYqFED3B4Uio3wu28KYiJq-fPEOMHcbRqXLbQxLv0VoL5ROYSyTgm0K_1YrGeOy9EQLI5R/s5712/IMG_0157.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAaGWsd6qh0P98-6IYeL0b0mnlImVVTrlA0cmEO4tG0I4t-GKabKFnPWjiH9CjEhYaptPaPS1UWMiccZcRh1tzZRFNGhfzUM27dH-YObbSIjYUBZYqFED3B4Uio3wu28KYiJq-fPEOMHcbRqXLbQxLv0VoL5ROYSyTgm0K_1YrGeOy9EQLI5R/s320/IMG_0157.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-26734762666259374382024-02-15T19:05:00.002-07:002024-02-15T19:05:20.393-07:00Lord of the Happy New Rings<p>That last week of the year really was such a packed week. Not only did we have gatherings with two family groups, but we also were trying to fit in our annual viewing of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This year was different because now there's a beau in the family who really wanted to join us for the viewing. We had been enjoying Nicholas's company quite a bit over the holiday and I was feeling a little bad that we kept having him over and away from his family, so we invited them to join us! I must admit that I was slightly surprised that they accepted. That is a LOT of movie time together. We had Fellowship Night on Wednesday the 27th and Towers night on the 30th. We crammed into our living room, and I made dinner for Fellowship, and they brought pizza for Towers. Plus we all had more snacks than any two families really needed. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXWtxF9CrM4nca5P8PCYWTk4XAPiTP0g8dRGXgzvKvWi7uGg2hnyZjKrgwUuFMIUJe4m9tb-myg35pISEorTIHkzprwPesBGr0tiiLg8tq1lnjwFHW57AHH78BWUyx-FWxQ2YT3sFlnl_7oqimCIOwSYEvLJ5a-oYaA9jb5n2rPE9OYuaEVD7/s5712/IMG_0080.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXWtxF9CrM4nca5P8PCYWTk4XAPiTP0g8dRGXgzvKvWi7uGg2hnyZjKrgwUuFMIUJe4m9tb-myg35pISEorTIHkzprwPesBGr0tiiLg8tq1lnjwFHW57AHH78BWUyx-FWxQ2YT3sFlnl_7oqimCIOwSYEvLJ5a-oYaA9jb5n2rPE9OYuaEVD7/s320/IMG_0080.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Then, on New Years Eve, which was on a Sunday, we invited the Elders over for dinner. We meant to play games or something but ended up just talking for two hours. We didn't have any intention of staying up late, but then our friends the Behunins invited us over last minute to join them for fondue at their house along with their best friends, Heather and Burt....who are parents of Romney's Nicholas. So for the third night in a week we hung out with these delightful people. So delightful, in fact, that we could not tear ourselves away. We are famous among our friends for leaving parties early. We are not night owls at ALL, and usually are the first to head home from social events. But we just kept talking and talking and next thing we knew it was 1:00 in the morning. We shocked even ourselves. Happily, both Romney and Emma had plans with friends that evening so we didn't feel bad about abandoning them for the whole night. </p><p>The next morning, we remembered why we never stay out that late. Troy had a massive migraine and felt just awful. So even though we planned to finish up the LOTR trilogy that day...at Heather and Burt's house this time....Troy stayed home. The girls and I spent a comfortable afternoon watching one last four hour movie together. I guess we are really truly bonded now. And of course, since Troy didn't watch Return of the King that day, I had to rewatch it with him over the next few days...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do I have a single photo of our Lord of the Rings marathon? No. No I do not. Oh well. </div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-52015327100126412062023-12-30T19:55:00.001-07:002024-01-09T20:59:59.430-07:00Reunions<p><span style="text-align: center;">The day after Christmas, Romney was able to cash in the IOUs she got in lieu of a couple of gifts. One was for a pair of jeans. Santa did not feel comfortable picking out jeans for Romney all by himself. So Romney got a ticket for a shopping date. The other thing she wanted that definitely could not be wrapped up nicely was a second piercing in each of her ears. We decided to be ok with this but we are also hoping that her piercing excitement will be satiated. </span></p><p><span style="text-align: center;">In the past I took my girls to the little cheapo-mall-shop called Claire's to get their ears pierced. This time we thought it would be better to go to an actual piercing studio, and I'm glad we did. Romney's piercer had a lot to say about all the evils of Claire's. I love the little blue buttons Romney picked out and though it makes me a little queasy to think of the piercing process, it sure was a lot more gentle than those guns that get used normally. Romney's piercer was named Jade, and was super kind and calm and informative, and she also looked like she was paying our world a brief visit from her home realm, the land of sprites and faeries. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITl6fmd8JSV-wb2HMo8c2P57F_pcPfL-0u5cXzd463_2oEYG3AwkLKWZLNkHKhkJwOzWlNtKywC_2dr08mBCFBkTUhTUbl_4YQuONT57BOum-WpWCMwynTwjyGaftKO_8_mHq6YzFR0p7eMA2TaGCMCXDcW-qJK3p4upruiu3TIssf-OtwHWM/s5712/IMG_0010.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITl6fmd8JSV-wb2HMo8c2P57F_pcPfL-0u5cXzd463_2oEYG3AwkLKWZLNkHKhkJwOzWlNtKywC_2dr08mBCFBkTUhTUbl_4YQuONT57BOum-WpWCMwynTwjyGaftKO_8_mHq6YzFR0p7eMA2TaGCMCXDcW-qJK3p4upruiu3TIssf-OtwHWM/s320/IMG_0010.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjYzZOJXUNvl2jMy-a9YnUNZwImlwxWDXans2l4Vd73yLosuDRZmp301yAZYY0iq33VFZR2I-T9yuQ3SHjYVJRfFTU5e3adOVXrKtbton0ClybubiV9B9nMOtQGJnKXwIevK5q8GQMQWufIxtzyxU6ra_T5V3EmByC7lo8-a_EpsTp_oLrY7z/s5712/IMG_0012.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjYzZOJXUNvl2jMy-a9YnUNZwImlwxWDXans2l4Vd73yLosuDRZmp301yAZYY0iq33VFZR2I-T9yuQ3SHjYVJRfFTU5e3adOVXrKtbton0ClybubiV9B9nMOtQGJnKXwIevK5q8GQMQWufIxtzyxU6ra_T5V3EmByC7lo8-a_EpsTp_oLrY7z/s320/IMG_0012.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ41Ycyc_7dzGT9sFifE8UG-3HNe4RKk6HLx_uhpJTHEtqoPVI4opaeCmKSLm8_JiC1kqbuCP0mg8MgSjrYhOlLi4BoXni5cTbP1uNWkD0R-RHOE4YPDV1-1zXkm8rfHUAxHr32k9FhV1yRD-9xTaiZ31V_KXetjwRtlxQgph0e70RTi44jwd/s5712/IMG_0013.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJ41Ycyc_7dzGT9sFifE8UG-3HNe4RKk6HLx_uhpJTHEtqoPVI4opaeCmKSLm8_JiC1kqbuCP0mg8MgSjrYhOlLi4BoXni5cTbP1uNWkD0R-RHOE4YPDV1-1zXkm8rfHUAxHr32k9FhV1yRD-9xTaiZ31V_KXetjwRtlxQgph0e70RTi44jwd/s320/IMG_0013.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJIrjPV4CfVlugmtIMIGRGVyWAZfkmWHjAK6e6wLwq77ppE1Qd9buxFFmjeYU9mzWjYUP01SQ-B3SXuevFQUjsoOKG5zfLQhHJ-uTBjXsRjs43lkXfMEnrHycSpTph6ZZ8Y35tM8MnaCLjOZEW5hPWdr5CXgAteh_KYtbiBoIbmKf9e88Ykpg/s5712/IMG_0011.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJIrjPV4CfVlugmtIMIGRGVyWAZfkmWHjAK6e6wLwq77ppE1Qd9buxFFmjeYU9mzWjYUP01SQ-B3SXuevFQUjsoOKG5zfLQhHJ-uTBjXsRjs43lkXfMEnrHycSpTph6ZZ8Y35tM8MnaCLjOZEW5hPWdr5CXgAteh_KYtbiBoIbmKf9e88Ykpg/s320/IMG_0011.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOaJ9UozLv8OYByU7ypULlc9pq0P-j1DLU9kkT2C7JnngbjTUaYVjT9esGDA4qSJ_RVx9IRtHW90kZPC5_fst4XplbfIEYJfbmPpO5eMVis9GWXvKRz6nitsAK0KLIuNbvgEgM3mghDMPYiWlAE3VguOOaLA-xkhaAmmpef0dwbzsKF5fGkUi/s5712/IMG_0009.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOaJ9UozLv8OYByU7ypULlc9pq0P-j1DLU9kkT2C7JnngbjTUaYVjT9esGDA4qSJ_RVx9IRtHW90kZPC5_fst4XplbfIEYJfbmPpO5eMVis9GWXvKRz6nitsAK0KLIuNbvgEgM3mghDMPYiWlAE3VguOOaLA-xkhaAmmpef0dwbzsKF5fGkUi/s320/IMG_0009.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She's so cute. And side note - Santa <i>did</i> give her that cute sweater vest and the fact that she is wearing it in public means she likes it and Santa feels very proud of himself for successfully picking out clothing for Romney.</div><p></p><p>Now on to the reunion part of the post. My sister has three daughters. They are all quite grown up and doing cool things in different parts of the country. Becoming TikTok famous by renovating a cool old Victorian house in Connecticut, getting ready for medical school while working for a well-known author in Boulder, and taking a chance moving to Philadelphia and figuring out life away from family. I'm so proud of them and I love them so much. We don't stay in touch very well, and I need to do better at being their auntie. I almost never get to see them, and it just so happened that they were all going to be in town the day after Christmas, and we planned a dinner together.</p><p>It's really been a long time since we have been together, and when they arrived, we were all kind of freaking out about how grown up everyone was. They just could not believe Romney and Emma and I just could not believe them! They brought us burgers and fries from Crown Burger and we sat in the livingroom and just talked and talked and talked. It was so fun. Here's the thing. My sister and her ex-husband divorced a long time ago and neither of them lives in the same home they did when the girls were little. They have moved several times, and even my parents' home, where the girls spent a ton of time, is no longer in the family. My house is the only place left that feels like a home from their childhood. I kind of forgot how much time they spent here - they would walk here after school and I'd watch them on a regular basis. I have so many photos of them playing with my kids, having sleepovers, running around the yard...and so for them to be here was really much more nostalgic for them and for me than we expected. It was actually just so beautiful for us to be there together and be able to really reconnect. They stayed so late! And they also brought gifts. I was embarrassed - I sure didn't get them anything! Margaret sent me, through them, a skein of Maine yarn and a beautiful beeswax candle. Kate and her sweet husband Cameron got us a rock-fact pillow. If you know Over the Garden Wall, then you know all about rock facts. It was really fun and we felt very loved. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyVI8MHZBtrvIFl9Q7qJEkx2GMZb0w2a65fsofSxha4VaWg4qCiPn84HivQn1AuT0OhBprWIKEYqup5-b0fhF3rK1BXVTsp4l2glE8wUX1yOM-P_Pg8p61C_X0xh_X0GKZ1e8OPVFOGTkbTsn2KUSxmCrXyhHhfxvsL7VHxMadIWw2JVmy0wb/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyVI8MHZBtrvIFl9Q7qJEkx2GMZb0w2a65fsofSxha4VaWg4qCiPn84HivQn1AuT0OhBprWIKEYqup5-b0fhF3rK1BXVTsp4l2glE8wUX1yOM-P_Pg8p61C_X0xh_X0GKZ1e8OPVFOGTkbTsn2KUSxmCrXyhHhfxvsL7VHxMadIWw2JVmy0wb/s320/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J32iDeEEa-kvTs-IssbVP9dP2_XHhxyFCJLqEcbwqBvcGUI_yXVqLmrEjfjM3H_45Tn0SPERke4olO9bsmTRiII54y7Zl4rE8sMYR1OJRCj0RRWlgMvzJyfvenlv_pfg94teMA9NOe7t-Nt_iuMDywegLNYT1cuwJy_Dzq9anKi9fHE0NM4i/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J32iDeEEa-kvTs-IssbVP9dP2_XHhxyFCJLqEcbwqBvcGUI_yXVqLmrEjfjM3H_45Tn0SPERke4olO9bsmTRiII54y7Zl4rE8sMYR1OJRCj0RRWlgMvzJyfvenlv_pfg94teMA9NOe7t-Nt_iuMDywegLNYT1cuwJy_Dzq9anKi9fHE0NM4i/s320/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="180" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZXkac15uwWk4JU-7VhyphenhyphensSHOZAnzB4gve4Q7LQtdd-BiCxEzT1p0L08VMZBQ9ZPAjYXrzN5ufoZ_Qv3KCtPLiD872E3aptrT2Z2i7UMcBckThWPtEXUv16lYEttcQmxyKHQiqntPz4KBskf0nfl5wRrYzms3irVi22PVmn0zCCEiAwv1wbqCs/s5712/IMG_0019.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpZXkac15uwWk4JU-7VhyphenhyphensSHOZAnzB4gve4Q7LQtdd-BiCxEzT1p0L08VMZBQ9ZPAjYXrzN5ufoZ_Qv3KCtPLiD872E3aptrT2Z2i7UMcBckThWPtEXUv16lYEttcQmxyKHQiqntPz4KBskf0nfl5wRrYzms3irVi22PVmn0zCCEiAwv1wbqCs/s320/IMG_0019.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwcW4jCySn10xUhR9ef7IXG3V39ZRAmnprIzzpCxvaZy542YJIl1iGG5Jkjt_s2ijyqowxByUsE3K8i_fac981d__4IilnAGr1nkvswRtpY7WcO0dNaACNzcX1T6kL4t6eDITph-sJq43RZ80GKN9jPDAH9ICHZnEHNiDIxZk1VjLgxnD8hLH/s5712/IMG_0018.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwcW4jCySn10xUhR9ef7IXG3V39ZRAmnprIzzpCxvaZy542YJIl1iGG5Jkjt_s2ijyqowxByUsE3K8i_fac981d__4IilnAGr1nkvswRtpY7WcO0dNaACNzcX1T6kL4t6eDITph-sJq43RZ80GKN9jPDAH9ICHZnEHNiDIxZk1VjLgxnD8hLH/s320/IMG_0018.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkQtvC6QAmbFrSeV_oE-bSo43N6a7PBMXsp9J6a0uoTR8NZ-eS1LS1jEsFwfX1TY6d6CazCOnEL1IUX70l3chjZUnE314TAacRkQQHI89nvMHWfu63osCJBMDpNOLBjL91MBvHfN_QVvwgNI1RfIZC8mSpOtON5r-L6hvSGq5a2UjMeevW_g7/s5712/IMG_0017.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVkQtvC6QAmbFrSeV_oE-bSo43N6a7PBMXsp9J6a0uoTR8NZ-eS1LS1jEsFwfX1TY6d6CazCOnEL1IUX70l3chjZUnE314TAacRkQQHI89nvMHWfu63osCJBMDpNOLBjL91MBvHfN_QVvwgNI1RfIZC8mSpOtON5r-L6hvSGq5a2UjMeevW_g7/s320/IMG_0017.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPFP1iWoPzsRVyWDWZpKgafRpP-1YXNYe61TGqTjbAJo8azpupOHdBFCAz6fH79bJPxGqH1pRX0VOUoMwKsVxO4pX1InbUDwEDtW9FCm1U0OFhbxPDFuTk_nCXt5KiHKhHSeC6NcbI81UiUNaf434ZdYE3P7pKFUcjUbUKaklbz2IC5oGOwQn/s5712/IMG_0027.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4284" data-original-width="5712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPFP1iWoPzsRVyWDWZpKgafRpP-1YXNYe61TGqTjbAJo8azpupOHdBFCAz6fH79bJPxGqH1pRX0VOUoMwKsVxO4pX1InbUDwEDtW9FCm1U0OFhbxPDFuTk_nCXt5KiHKhHSeC6NcbI81UiUNaf434ZdYE3P7pKFUcjUbUKaklbz2IC5oGOwQn/s320/IMG_0027.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqyfV42WGKiLlVjKTYQqlKSYWWnWkdVEGd75MMNjCMWDgrUHzs85b03_xTXddIUpz4lfZyUSn3xj-rUS87ZhD7Y25lO4EKnGE9K_XT5rAvPnpgvTCrJkQbKG0NWT7ImjupeK8i1NbCyYUwIqYp6TvupnQWyxgt3HaKoHXiJ5ub8pVpLxfesG5/s4032/IMG_0030.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqyfV42WGKiLlVjKTYQqlKSYWWnWkdVEGd75MMNjCMWDgrUHzs85b03_xTXddIUpz4lfZyUSn3xj-rUS87ZhD7Y25lO4EKnGE9K_XT5rAvPnpgvTCrJkQbKG0NWT7ImjupeK8i1NbCyYUwIqYp6TvupnQWyxgt3HaKoHXiJ5ub8pVpLxfesG5/s320/IMG_0030.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSXnY0Xa8Ocn4McKwPCcAxz5d-KbJFFuU954S4iZFZ209dg4vU8Q0YmevZ3OGaeXGSRUo_dguquHWxRw0IrFbDag4iYDQU0HAn-YA1zjLS65wnK3WPDuc13o0IIzTzRHiLC3sCjXhHsF5fEUb3BTmZ2GbnbT7F8bkEO6o14sk1Iz073-dBK8e/s4032/IMG_0035.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkSXnY0Xa8Ocn4McKwPCcAxz5d-KbJFFuU954S4iZFZ209dg4vU8Q0YmevZ3OGaeXGSRUo_dguquHWxRw0IrFbDag4iYDQU0HAn-YA1zjLS65wnK3WPDuc13o0IIzTzRHiLC3sCjXhHsF5fEUb3BTmZ2GbnbT7F8bkEO6o14sk1Iz073-dBK8e/s320/IMG_0035.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Just</i> after my nieces all left town Peter and Sheri arrived. I feel bad we couldn't all be there together, though I'm selfishly glad we got some time with just the nieces. Of course I wish we could also have had a bigger gathering all together. Peter and Sheri have been coming up here for New Years for several years in a row. I know it's really our turn to visit them but our girls had New Years plans already and things are just complicated when kids get older. In fact, they couldn't even be here on the 31st itself. But hey, why. not visit anyway!? They came on Thursday the 28th, and we did very little but hang out together. Oh yeah and open present from one another. On Friday we took kids to City Creek Mall for shopping, romping and lunching. Then more hanging out. Really, we were kind of like slugs most of the time, which was great. I only had to throw popcorn at Sheri's head once. On the 30th, which was Troy's and my 26th wedding anniversary (yay us), the adults went to breakfast at this hip new spot called The Egg Break. The sandwiches were very delicious. It was lovely, and no photos were taken until they were on their way out the door later that afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfxyYTm2i8cnlgPetufOInhGa7don8LG-gWjLItwelIikq-6OhvbAfz9TBbEgnY5FnNeZSUtCrFmNZ8xtbxl21Mzo5BlZK8guEuIQcd26hrTHcUPsQT9r0BErlDda9peH3uPyJQ_3XJBmw4lihZldB-nFwzE0fQSW4HW1uRjOPBScdqf6MzEm/s4032/IMG_0069.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfxyYTm2i8cnlgPetufOInhGa7don8LG-gWjLItwelIikq-6OhvbAfz9TBbEgnY5FnNeZSUtCrFmNZ8xtbxl21Mzo5BlZK8guEuIQcd26hrTHcUPsQT9r0BErlDda9peH3uPyJQ_3XJBmw4lihZldB-nFwzE0fQSW4HW1uRjOPBScdqf6MzEm/s320/IMG_0069.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TqUJ4r3ak1K1RgxJLVMUbi5SXo-5Kx3-aNCgd2chPII7ravet9YR0CtTDbTKX4LOI2OrKSzaTTjnkxeNkG1BxJd609S-N2lO3YhIOabCFG6_I3WqIdMs49CdIzLQXYdcbE4wXmUiR3ZrsVR7OfdBM-WR-xmyuJyzFT82ScrATsQMOFezz6IV/s5712/IMG_0049.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5712" data-original-width="4284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TqUJ4r3ak1K1RgxJLVMUbi5SXo-5Kx3-aNCgd2chPII7ravet9YR0CtTDbTKX4LOI2OrKSzaTTjnkxeNkG1BxJd609S-N2lO3YhIOabCFG6_I3WqIdMs49CdIzLQXYdcbE4wXmUiR3ZrsVR7OfdBM-WR-xmyuJyzFT82ScrATsQMOFezz6IV/s320/IMG_0049.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-55796753257580115082023-12-29T16:43:00.001-07:002024-01-09T17:56:35.662-07:00Holly and Jolly!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Turns out I don't have a ton of photos from the actual holidays of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Or the 23rd. Oh well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Normally, we head to Crystal Hot Springs on Christmas Eve, but this year that was on a Sunday so we had to adjust and go on Saturday the 23rd instead. Our poor Emma was not feeling great. She got sick just after Thanksgiving, as we pretty much all did. She keeps having relapses though, and was feeling miserable on Saturday. She mostly stayed in bed, but figured a couple of hours spent soaking in hot mineral-filled water would do her good. She wasn't wrong. Those hot springs are just the best. I think we stayed for almost three hours, which is quite a bit longer than we normally stay. We enjoyed chatting with the other Preslars and floating around and watching cousin Lucy get flirted with by a boy, though he fled when Sam started to swim in their general direction. That was funny.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Christmas Eve was a busy day, but even so I confess that I love a Sunday Christmas Eve. I feel like church is just where we should be! Again, Emma wasn't feeling well, so she stayed in bed most of the day. I tried to not leave her too much, but she also kind of loves quiet alone time and just snuggled down in her covers and stayed cozy. We did not attend our own ward - Romney had been invited by Rollins to play cello in a quartet with an organ and two vocalists. Troy and I enjoyed sitting in the historic building they meet in, surrounded by Romney's friends, and listening to lots of music and a little speaking, plus a LOT of crying and hollering by the large number of children in the congregation. Hey, it was Christmas Eve. Emotions were running high. I was just glad I wasn't busy wrestling my own little kids during church this year. I could just sit and laugh at the other parents who are still in it up to their necks. Sorry, that's probably doesn't sound very nice.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After church was brunch at the Buchert's - usually it's an 8am date so we can enjoy the broadcast of the Christmas Eve service from the Choir at King's College. Just wasn't going to work this year. Instead we listened to a previous broadcast, enjoyed Martin's comments on the importance of bacon cooked at home rather than the pre-cooked variety, and ate egg casserole and baked french toast with berries. How blessed we are with dear friends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The evening consisted of a visit from Grandma Carol, plus our sweet young friends Rob and Shelley, who were alone on Christmas this year. We ate our traditional waffles with a side of very delicious wassail, and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. We also had a surprise visit from our friends Emily and Raushan, who not only wanted to drop off a little gift but needed a quiet minute of council and support from us. It was actually incredibly tender to talk with them, for Troy to give Raushan a blessing, and for us to express our deep love for each other. Wonderful evening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Christmas Morning was filled with the same things we do each year. Meet up in the kitchen, line up behind dad, youngest to oldest, make our way into the living room with eyes closed and then Oooo and Ahhh as eyes are opened to the grand sight of the lit up tree, presents piled beneath. We took a few minutes to just enjoy the moment and take a couple of pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1_nMbzmWXgJPjGKFWdqSeNKAFrWo9hKgvtbRgM2SjTUONzm29mcpcJXq6rF3GZoYLWiRPAqmouLGi-RdsQqPj86gSP4kf08ee8lFKnyToc2mE66XNsWHmXJgUmqwEAJyeZlwRVfj1PJ7X43hTzWsMmFfvJeDxAt5Zvk_qw0kWIagiDldKmls/s4032/IMG_8970.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1_nMbzmWXgJPjGKFWdqSeNKAFrWo9hKgvtbRgM2SjTUONzm29mcpcJXq6rF3GZoYLWiRPAqmouLGi-RdsQqPj86gSP4kf08ee8lFKnyToc2mE66XNsWHmXJgUmqwEAJyeZlwRVfj1PJ7X43hTzWsMmFfvJeDxAt5Zvk_qw0kWIagiDldKmls/s320/IMG_8970.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpUYtZNcxGYI8qHNiAttBxPxE58lulmXw8ghRlOIWqS7fg4NSBkgbV1GX_vZHTF_DeKkyz0ByLQ9EQkDZF407yIPuPnsy3oVZBFyNvoz1a_kelVU0i3vzZmahnHtdmZwgiA3YbRYHg1OO3TWPcwVFtAMh3ebVsBENHpronLFwCOxFY2d4Vy7h/s4032/IMG_8971.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpUYtZNcxGYI8qHNiAttBxPxE58lulmXw8ghRlOIWqS7fg4NSBkgbV1GX_vZHTF_DeKkyz0ByLQ9EQkDZF407yIPuPnsy3oVZBFyNvoz1a_kelVU0i3vzZmahnHtdmZwgiA3YbRYHg1OO3TWPcwVFtAMh3ebVsBENHpronLFwCOxFY2d4Vy7h/s320/IMG_8971.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKrsJj1SlSz0HfIzPC2wy_oF7H7NighFgjHspNxx9CVWUXOB8IXivsjmY4mr2F-rtxl2DnBE_POYsqMTfHdSlO4hYLD0vPAW821Khn762QULKVGZN-puT8WGrqcAL61MQJK-h6ZkkFDFictr9MUDLLstUs32bC6R079RUBPtFGgevnTrfUQxR/s4032/IMG_8972.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKrsJj1SlSz0HfIzPC2wy_oF7H7NighFgjHspNxx9CVWUXOB8IXivsjmY4mr2F-rtxl2DnBE_POYsqMTfHdSlO4hYLD0vPAW821Khn762QULKVGZN-puT8WGrqcAL61MQJK-h6ZkkFDFictr9MUDLLstUs32bC6R079RUBPtFGgevnTrfUQxR/s320/IMG_8972.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80G-S7ncGnOALyRvrNzq3R-zbe2b8qlRKhViNdQl__Bn3hMJovygQtvaAzQ95qKiqeWGPPxShyphenhyphenzRUsRPKrfjNniS7Q8IcDt1g5o-hzSHGy_DSYwOlOG0XuHQV2vzX8U-IMLNxQrBxJrzZQXnAr5-xKpQMeI_XuJnTJjk0zqluVRfL4O7UXvgk/s4032/IMG_8967.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80G-S7ncGnOALyRvrNzq3R-zbe2b8qlRKhViNdQl__Bn3hMJovygQtvaAzQ95qKiqeWGPPxShyphenhyphenzRUsRPKrfjNniS7Q8IcDt1g5o-hzSHGy_DSYwOlOG0XuHQV2vzX8U-IMLNxQrBxJrzZQXnAr5-xKpQMeI_XuJnTJjk0zqluVRfL4O7UXvgk/s320/IMG_8967.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF3ZX2g8CMd8ckGqJCBCQSQkLNFvetvalkI9yLbCdw7l6ryCwe6clbuAE5bWOBBdMHjjijLbxpWLKh2m9phtiQkTqX7cX4vGR4byQhLxgvzqchpJLLWIHMwEGqoQql9xLNODks3-zjdmLipNoDmQK6pDn22aOmsIib-XRVXvNBVjn508ZemZX/s4032/IMG_8975.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbF3ZX2g8CMd8ckGqJCBCQSQkLNFvetvalkI9yLbCdw7l6ryCwe6clbuAE5bWOBBdMHjjijLbxpWLKh2m9phtiQkTqX7cX4vGR4byQhLxgvzqchpJLLWIHMwEGqoQql9xLNODks3-zjdmLipNoDmQK6pDn22aOmsIib-XRVXvNBVjn508ZemZX/s320/IMG_8975.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevXEPPsIIyftRDzmA2zahLsmxuzl_JImUAzORe5WN3HFDW-sJLyO6gqWF86XuCgFLja4EOJWz3m8x7jtFUMT3z7zcR6k-mIiUK32HojXaCefdjzv9NbuLhoyZSLpeOlPQSFWoJCm41SnxJYbbxbpj_Le-2F4PeRLxn_CKZ_xrqnsZYA2iLQFJ/s4032/IMG_8978.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevXEPPsIIyftRDzmA2zahLsmxuzl_JImUAzORe5WN3HFDW-sJLyO6gqWF86XuCgFLja4EOJWz3m8x7jtFUMT3z7zcR6k-mIiUK32HojXaCefdjzv9NbuLhoyZSLpeOlPQSFWoJCm41SnxJYbbxbpj_Le-2F4PeRLxn_CKZ_xrqnsZYA2iLQFJ/s320/IMG_8978.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some favorite gifts:</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIPwsZxPXUb_mBzsgGxhtU_rcTlcixsxuqgVUTm1FI5N9LTKmtNlYnfBctrbC-yMe1uPSlGvZGNbDGlE1NVa-MhyOupVZLJGkukiMh3ICbJVPCPiViky5nrhNULRc38o27KsbowDzRojKRd7hHmDbvbkFhDTXNTEqxym8wwSJDwxeHm66qVWv/s4032/IMG_8983.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIPwsZxPXUb_mBzsgGxhtU_rcTlcixsxuqgVUTm1FI5N9LTKmtNlYnfBctrbC-yMe1uPSlGvZGNbDGlE1NVa-MhyOupVZLJGkukiMh3ICbJVPCPiViky5nrhNULRc38o27KsbowDzRojKRd7hHmDbvbkFhDTXNTEqxym8wwSJDwxeHm66qVWv/s320/IMG_8983.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple Converse!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHF1vsuoSeRLAKt6QfKyI_pENeD1_5juO8rgzlRP7MDLZDVWCaM6QpL_s1BAaMPmZwRRd2qL1mi9EdkEYqYGySaAMjgI1F3K3lvAurhbRO2tG_-L-9pxsRrndUaEgXsgjM1rTW5DqeTuY6KN3wCKgc1GHf-vOlZ9VVls1LcKPxfC3K1M4OS31/s4032/IMG_8984.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHF1vsuoSeRLAKt6QfKyI_pENeD1_5juO8rgzlRP7MDLZDVWCaM6QpL_s1BAaMPmZwRRd2qL1mi9EdkEYqYGySaAMjgI1F3K3lvAurhbRO2tG_-L-9pxsRrndUaEgXsgjM1rTW5DqeTuY6KN3wCKgc1GHf-vOlZ9VVls1LcKPxfC3K1M4OS31/s320/IMG_8984.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a new phone with a very sturdy but boring case - Romney did some custom art to make me love it</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXQ8b3ykrWJC6t5qNKHDaDMIprxq1khqffnXVvE2K5VaN2SZrmeuhAo_0QRia2zZRhbgSU1b17Fny162nqniMgICkVmyRx9L1CWjftfljZ9YY7ouCfuorlLbBBbbO-5pulAhRJTRqJ9Za7FkgXfo1CufLQFi_oW-6ypZwba-g6EK3a1mXtoU9/s4032/IMG_8985.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXQ8b3ykrWJC6t5qNKHDaDMIprxq1khqffnXVvE2K5VaN2SZrmeuhAo_0QRia2zZRhbgSU1b17Fny162nqniMgICkVmyRx9L1CWjftfljZ9YY7ouCfuorlLbBBbbO-5pulAhRJTRqJ9Za7FkgXfo1CufLQFi_oW-6ypZwba-g6EK3a1mXtoU9/s320/IMG_8985.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Troy is the winner for finding this company that will make custom stamps - this got the biggest laugh</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRi49bIfqxKE1Qlxuhz_pPfg0PiWhOyO9FODBofhglMkCCJNgmfVzWmJbX0cz8ZkhZv4nTTlqEOP3w_KdbgiYnZhKbD2wWVftBdr-7DPBnLRNWxQzD2xw_kbTUQqC0fSnifTp1sR1N8SjSZ6pLnFxO-AIeOhO6R3f-_d3zhd5VRehAiAr7nxu/s4032/IMG_8987.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHRi49bIfqxKE1Qlxuhz_pPfg0PiWhOyO9FODBofhglMkCCJNgmfVzWmJbX0cz8ZkhZv4nTTlqEOP3w_KdbgiYnZhKbD2wWVftBdr-7DPBnLRNWxQzD2xw_kbTUQqC0fSnifTp1sR1N8SjSZ6pLnFxO-AIeOhO6R3f-_d3zhd5VRehAiAr7nxu/s320/IMG_8987.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Troy's favorite may have been his "Just LeDeux It" Hoodie</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XFPPEvTVa4YRcMYn5rcrg4Vye-4S3onMTvxaYQw0-eQm3TSivnNA4abvwaBIOrFy6Wc0lihCeaso2w4opfHJgkOK2UqKIf3ZLIO6Oy1MSddluEZqCT5JKhQpb5vfG6WALti7UBLDq65G7BcTDYE2xQDioRUbsOfS51EIdRAUQ3Im7GqpWSQ9/s4032/IMG_8989.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5XFPPEvTVa4YRcMYn5rcrg4Vye-4S3onMTvxaYQw0-eQm3TSivnNA4abvwaBIOrFy6Wc0lihCeaso2w4opfHJgkOK2UqKIf3ZLIO6Oy1MSddluEZqCT5JKhQpb5vfG6WALti7UBLDq65G7BcTDYE2xQDioRUbsOfS51EIdRAUQ3Im7GqpWSQ9/s320/IMG_8989.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh and a new and cute and little and quiet air compressor</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Another very fantastic gift was getting one of those surprise texts from a member in Chase's mission, who hosted him and his companion for Christmas Eve and send us photos. We miss our boy extra this year. Our last Christmas with him away!<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bxLpk28mturI7rbPj4guqpr7PMLd6TvJHwHcnthXv9LXLElktRAlW9dzPQ9l5dIGWW67B6b0LeUStdYyGewlnNxGJ_m4-YG1C_AN4uWoPs9Lk4EzPezFKBmh1MRs4KI6DM79Xfdgd0Om89sMQtCJd3uoSC8iLOebWnqoIlTrnqjo5-UkGx5J/s4032/IMG_3602.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bxLpk28mturI7rbPj4guqpr7PMLd6TvJHwHcnthXv9LXLElktRAlW9dzPQ9l5dIGWW67B6b0LeUStdYyGewlnNxGJ_m4-YG1C_AN4uWoPs9Lk4EzPezFKBmh1MRs4KI6DM79Xfdgd0Om89sMQtCJd3uoSC8iLOebWnqoIlTrnqjo5-UkGx5J/s320/IMG_3602.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I feel so much gratitude for all the wonderful things in my life, especially my family. So much to celebrate.</div><p></p></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-23358983382473946092023-12-28T12:30:00.000-07:002024-01-04T12:14:36.750-07:00All the Christmas<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And of course we did so many other things. Enough to make me feel like I got all the Christmas I could ever want....almost. Not quite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some more of the things:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Christmas with the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, this year with special guests Michael Maliakel and Lesley Nicol. Michael plays Aladdin on Broadway, and his voice was richer than a river of chocolate. Loved him. And Lesley Nicol of Downton Abbey fame was of course delightful, telling the story of Victor Hugo and his service to the poor and needy while living on the island of Guernsey. Lovely evening together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOYuHCMUQ79XgBts_7aRzx5vKVJWSJyWzJ_w2AqxLRQPWlUGYpFok_2ENIaUsWEnzDroSrXbAI_f39HgvYiB5EOMe0UGQuWUhaaRM13cA5lVJP9juC0vkr68hhGP75TEAUoCqxb3tk4ovVcUJYflpih8R35eQQxoS6NFnkSvx2L4F0e_qgzvs/s3088/IMG_8893.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOYuHCMUQ79XgBts_7aRzx5vKVJWSJyWzJ_w2AqxLRQPWlUGYpFok_2ENIaUsWEnzDroSrXbAI_f39HgvYiB5EOMe0UGQuWUhaaRM13cA5lVJP9juC0vkr68hhGP75TEAUoCqxb3tk4ovVcUJYflpih8R35eQQxoS6NFnkSvx2L4F0e_qgzvs/s320/IMG_8893.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our church Christmas party this year was a breakfast, and it boasted a spread of food the likes of which I've rarely seen before. The most fun? A cereal bar with approximately 40 types of cereal. Our activity leader, the dear Carly, hunted high and low for an absolutely incredible variety of cereals. Sweet Bishop Kyle made a goal to enjoy a bowl of cereal at each and every table there to get a chance to talk with as many people as possible. I think there were about 12 tables set up, and and I also think that Bishop Kyle is no longer a fan of cold cereal. There were also a variety of pastries and breads, eggs and sausage, delicious cinnamon steel-cut oats, and more. Trust me, there was plenty to eat. We all got to choose a box or two of cereal to take home with us.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0iKa60ZCaaj1uVFIJroByXd29mVhFcxUGSBWUYVAW7BE_Y0AbMjWyaqRZwCycUpZ-ln3j5rlMNzp5Hsww8yDtXvf85YL1P3v0-KJeQpvLipJtDgNbg7VV5VRhGyc2YZf_Vcas21fZ7GHzg4uOZuin2a0Wy9ecMr0fgWwMfnvHtoYjQvcfwhp/s4032/IMG_8899.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0iKa60ZCaaj1uVFIJroByXd29mVhFcxUGSBWUYVAW7BE_Y0AbMjWyaqRZwCycUpZ-ln3j5rlMNzp5Hsww8yDtXvf85YL1P3v0-KJeQpvLipJtDgNbg7VV5VRhGyc2YZf_Vcas21fZ7GHzg4uOZuin2a0Wy9ecMr0fgWwMfnvHtoYjQvcfwhp/s320/IMG_8899.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJxf8vBkYiyP_py79jpPaDoaZzJ5ijCkOgaAU7pI_hnyt80AwCE6TUtFuuu9Q3ES-4ul-F1pD1gJabUtj_Jf5S0VAHcFAUpYm8BF2xmupFwyda4Mvenu4HMxm9LQEvkFtsLcyPph1DL8LO-_6BAmBcW4xgf1h3aECXr8whzY9MEHPz1Ay0bTS/s4032/IMG_8905.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJxf8vBkYiyP_py79jpPaDoaZzJ5ijCkOgaAU7pI_hnyt80AwCE6TUtFuuu9Q3ES-4ul-F1pD1gJabUtj_Jf5S0VAHcFAUpYm8BF2xmupFwyda4Mvenu4HMxm9LQEvkFtsLcyPph1DL8LO-_6BAmBcW4xgf1h3aECXr8whzY9MEHPz1Ay0bTS/s320/IMG_8905.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Later that very same day, I went to the home of my friend Betsy, who was one of my mom's very dearest friends. Betsy was turning 80, and her sweet kids threw her a big party. Betsy has 5 kids, and they grew up in Denver, not far from us in Boulder, where we spent a lot of time together. I haven't seen some of her kids in a couple of decades at least. I was so excited. I got to the door, and Betsy's two daughters were there to answer. I didn't make it two feet into the entryway before we were jabbering away like crazy. It was so wonderful to reconnect with them. I've seen the three other kids more recently, and still really loved talking with them. Plus, Betsy is one of I think 13 kids, and I have connections with 4 or 5 of her other siblings, and had so much fun catching up with them as much as I could. I wasn't able to stay for long, since Troy and I had tickets to see Peter Breinholt after that, but the time I had there was just so wonderful.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHmTdO3cDUgoTAbRRYMM_1KYR4uM-IYgd3RqSv0QjKmDv970hflh4FTOBjsZeC2oPXz9cIsriIi-CNgBgz95acDBxak_PmUPwRJs7x3VyC_CNDwYa_Iv037UnKXtNn6B_HdOKhIotkZRFXKedwENpxcSAFmodcVrT3Ovw4z-wZ-gDJ4pFqJj/s4032/IMG_8909.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHmTdO3cDUgoTAbRRYMM_1KYR4uM-IYgd3RqSv0QjKmDv970hflh4FTOBjsZeC2oPXz9cIsriIi-CNgBgz95acDBxak_PmUPwRJs7x3VyC_CNDwYa_Iv037UnKXtNn6B_HdOKhIotkZRFXKedwENpxcSAFmodcVrT3Ovw4z-wZ-gDJ4pFqJj/s320/IMG_8909.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Funny story - Romney's Nicholas is still in high school, as I have mentioned. The next dance at the school is the sweethearts dance, not until February, but a couple of people were already asking him. Romney's dear dear friend, whom we call Rollins, stepped in because she is also good buddies with Nicholas. She invited him to go with her, and the invitation came while Romney and Nicholas were together at our house. I thought it was so funny. Anna's invitation poster said, "Sweetheart? (Romney said it was ok.)"</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKfD_JxBPUPXt2Ts6aOo20iypOO_ikeSvqkrR3M-CpU64mU7yqPMLDekDvbFJkw9N4LMCleLL67UdUs7MxBlAfOPevS-BTE2q0WtCXrCYeoRGJTvvY2huB7YAvF0Iqq-7XjfMvempYud1eal2RMjHXAaKARXfZMqQFev8uJML4TjaRzifEW7b/s4032/IMG_8917.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKfD_JxBPUPXt2Ts6aOo20iypOO_ikeSvqkrR3M-CpU64mU7yqPMLDekDvbFJkw9N4LMCleLL67UdUs7MxBlAfOPevS-BTE2q0WtCXrCYeoRGJTvvY2huB7YAvF0Iqq-7XjfMvempYud1eal2RMjHXAaKARXfZMqQFev8uJML4TjaRzifEW7b/s320/IMG_8917.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS27Z3drAdjnJe5cK7OUEVjYUHxeWXVYgsKHQADWFrSUvepx5x7W3phAmKVg42dHPQqbuilL-gD0PSq2yGjjjuNrBwXbO4562HJ7h2tX5kWyCU1hgVqqVBSvau0ghd3zui9esSxDNpJjJGe03qfzxs9r0yIRT31OBXLFbMeExHISjGbsjp19bq/s4032/IMG_8920.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS27Z3drAdjnJe5cK7OUEVjYUHxeWXVYgsKHQADWFrSUvepx5x7W3phAmKVg42dHPQqbuilL-gD0PSq2yGjjjuNrBwXbO4562HJ7h2tX5kWyCU1hgVqqVBSvau0ghd3zui9esSxDNpJjJGe03qfzxs9r0yIRT31OBXLFbMeExHISjGbsjp19bq/s320/IMG_8920.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just before the high schools let out for break was a concert - containing the jazz band, orchestras, community orchestras, and three different choirs. Great music. Also, super long. More than two hours. I feel like that's asking a lot of families, but hey, the kids worked really hard. Romney said next to her dear friend Elizabeth who needed some comforting. So cute.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjq-_-73X1DTjfjF9Av2-MtkWitTk8ktwifTCCym36cupl9cGwe9SkEgNCyWgt6kCf-9RVAjeNWEGhUWKZvOnuxhmZALiTCQmYg_bHLnhJsFjjnp1vqL7vP1ARSN7dAhSX_9-4jxo8mDPHlsgrJT9itdU6KjVdIbqVhRMTcv5IJNzov_iyYjn/s4032/IMG_8928.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjq-_-73X1DTjfjF9Av2-MtkWitTk8ktwifTCCym36cupl9cGwe9SkEgNCyWgt6kCf-9RVAjeNWEGhUWKZvOnuxhmZALiTCQmYg_bHLnhJsFjjnp1vqL7vP1ARSN7dAhSX_9-4jxo8mDPHlsgrJT9itdU6KjVdIbqVhRMTcv5IJNzov_iyYjn/s320/IMG_8928.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the builders who works with Troy's company decided to hand out some treats...really BIG treats....Troy is now in possession of a gimongous bar of dark chocolate that I'm not sure we'll ever get through.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUjfFO8iXUY1r4Z3z5v2S7EWoMTkOKstfsAZymjLC9A27maJdScsS6RIwrVk153v_ET0QqzWHFUjwzqb1svrl-Z73RGZhZ2Eo-Wo1whHK4xfWH9IuZXhAWtQ95BsZ_wpSqdZJbcUucFjI2uol45tGVqOuVSPCQtE9lKlE-1otUa5WqDeuzbFr/s4032/IMG_8930.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUjfFO8iXUY1r4Z3z5v2S7EWoMTkOKstfsAZymjLC9A27maJdScsS6RIwrVk153v_ET0QqzWHFUjwzqb1svrl-Z73RGZhZ2Eo-Wo1whHK4xfWH9IuZXhAWtQ95BsZ_wpSqdZJbcUucFjI2uol45tGVqOuVSPCQtE9lKlE-1otUa5WqDeuzbFr/s320/IMG_8930.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nicholas celebrated his 18th birthday with the buddies. Romney needed a ride over there so I took the sneaky opportunity to come in for a few minutes and chat with his lovely parents and also watch him open his gifts.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FV5A70Y3X5FjctHLOctZ8hxqgDRf81kBveYIdO-ZJl2O-JouGwnQlzpjeoeUJPtl0lE7HTlGIsEqpGJJLMsrezzrFUnlDi7peqOviq7GAc7dvXmFkdR-AKTx1voJkBgj4MepdqK3VS17VowxE_t20VxnkMs6ZvK6G6d1n2P9CTiMXkhM8uSY/s4032/IMG_8936.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4FV5A70Y3X5FjctHLOctZ8hxqgDRf81kBveYIdO-ZJl2O-JouGwnQlzpjeoeUJPtl0lE7HTlGIsEqpGJJLMsrezzrFUnlDi7peqOviq7GAc7dvXmFkdR-AKTx1voJkBgj4MepdqK3VS17VowxE_t20VxnkMs6ZvK6G6d1n2P9CTiMXkhM8uSY/s320/IMG_8936.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4vxVGrCAWB_meiwJLeo-Am0zp73vyCjK1m1QlvCJTE5Yisr2axoWcOaIba2TaJfpm9EEUIKdwxu-OHzzkwZJoaVcGBR9b_L3DzEQt7qb8PrGKrvuc5NzuEykn6s9v4Cua3csYFg9ZdHSNWaOe86KN3jy8KrYJupuXjEQP9Dm4pr3dzBt98j/s4032/IMG_8939.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-4vxVGrCAWB_meiwJLeo-Am0zp73vyCjK1m1QlvCJTE5Yisr2axoWcOaIba2TaJfpm9EEUIKdwxu-OHzzkwZJoaVcGBR9b_L3DzEQt7qb8PrGKrvuc5NzuEykn6s9v4Cua3csYFg9ZdHSNWaOe86KN3jy8KrYJupuXjEQP9Dm4pr3dzBt98j/s320/IMG_8939.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just a couple of days before Christmas the three of us took the opportunity to go to a no-ticket-required performance of Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. I tried and failed to get tickets to their Carol Concert the week before, and I was pretty bummed to miss that. I haven't seen the cathedral this crowded before for a performance of the Britten Carols. We barely got seats, and we were there 30 minutes early. Lots of people stood in the back. It's such a lovely, haunting piece. Only 25 minutes long or something like that. A treat!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5G7c7VFUO09W6JcP3AjLz9M8tLU2RvEbaMYNc-8RL0kTPU6rfjEHmOCa0P7NWOB_vF5wrVLIWTomwF5L1GxdCSaVdDmmjRiZzTwuTWZStepsOZFgwP-4MOT7Uc41toJZuBE3RgIOnz5v7LdKtDvihDVwVWGqIH18iisGeLEeCHrfwGNbE75fs/s4032/IMG_8952.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5G7c7VFUO09W6JcP3AjLz9M8tLU2RvEbaMYNc-8RL0kTPU6rfjEHmOCa0P7NWOB_vF5wrVLIWTomwF5L1GxdCSaVdDmmjRiZzTwuTWZStepsOZFgwP-4MOT7Uc41toJZuBE3RgIOnz5v7LdKtDvihDVwVWGqIH18iisGeLEeCHrfwGNbE75fs/s320/IMG_8952.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLvV-U4K8AbRy9tfHM7mUo5L7oRSy6OlxJbuyIJLlNKplTi_MnFq1Ggt1TlNWQVo8zDue3hWMUchNj4k9U4HibahyphenhyphenyyVXuAzbPnk2Rv6HiHxHVkABSTYEF-GjEunjza6bYJn2Jf40s4K7Ma0MSyAAKnELk7Ak3BZ60psPQbMwg-KtSgzf78-Q/s3088/IMG_8956.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLvV-U4K8AbRy9tfHM7mUo5L7oRSy6OlxJbuyIJLlNKplTi_MnFq1Ggt1TlNWQVo8zDue3hWMUchNj4k9U4HibahyphenhyphenyyVXuAzbPnk2Rv6HiHxHVkABSTYEF-GjEunjza6bYJn2Jf40s4K7Ma0MSyAAKnELk7Ak3BZ60psPQbMwg-KtSgzf78-Q/s320/IMG_8956.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Most years when we are able to get together with the Mayfields for gingerbread house making we do it as early as possible in the month, but we just could not find a date this year! So we ended up there on the 22nd. We decided it made zero difference, just as long as we got to get together. It was great as always.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWth9p9w5kC5Zal0TkbqOr_19RH6fkxGz-MDvUxNJEzcU399qz0eMNFK2bMhRJXzkDkM7TGvaSN2Fn8tEYZo7OHHg9wYt3Q1yPSOoTwRDxt1k_C8ZIwskr-71bNWpnIdHKW0XlN2Dh1ObSp8jSBoKnwiQe7ZL12PfU637jSLP_SRc2e_OBYKD/s4032/IMG_8957.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWth9p9w5kC5Zal0TkbqOr_19RH6fkxGz-MDvUxNJEzcU399qz0eMNFK2bMhRJXzkDkM7TGvaSN2Fn8tEYZo7OHHg9wYt3Q1yPSOoTwRDxt1k_C8ZIwskr-71bNWpnIdHKW0XlN2Dh1ObSp8jSBoKnwiQe7ZL12PfU637jSLP_SRc2e_OBYKD/s320/IMG_8957.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Except my house....was not ok. Actually it wasn't a house, it was supposed to be a cute truck carrying trees in the back. I opened the package and found total annihilation. Oh well. I ended up just chatting with the adults instead of decorating with the kids. Somehow I'm always the only adult working on a house most years. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOuysqVA6i4VCrU-rNaAxtxtqjqviPmyMDRqSZZ6aA2L_w2TSFtrNj9KCiE5GnpkcUREFhkPnnMYrGBiwjOGX-gLkdYr6ARelzJn7IB2-sx9r5FPgU69A3kIZtJr8dQNX17j49Jme0YQkxOCXmuibkrN_3cWO4z8ryF7PJW-l1aTuHiIgIOYH/s4032/IMG_8958.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOuysqVA6i4VCrU-rNaAxtxtqjqviPmyMDRqSZZ6aA2L_w2TSFtrNj9KCiE5GnpkcUREFhkPnnMYrGBiwjOGX-gLkdYr6ARelzJn7IB2-sx9r5FPgU69A3kIZtJr8dQNX17j49Jme0YQkxOCXmuibkrN_3cWO4z8ryF7PJW-l1aTuHiIgIOYH/s320/IMG_8958.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9W5lcnST53h3yrfmh4DSEHjCrb-H5nZunRwlxoMC-HUnewd21VT5z8LWxJI6FUaJy7fC_MdWU3wDr-nUXdOaU_LvK7oWktaP4NH77pzBXIFo2PoZKn6tFZeFd3DASO1ZqVz8W4bOSPOHk_r0xxBAnXlG1pPeGqTYA5F5SkO9hnfxlz5Islnk/s4032/IMG_8959.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9W5lcnST53h3yrfmh4DSEHjCrb-H5nZunRwlxoMC-HUnewd21VT5z8LWxJI6FUaJy7fC_MdWU3wDr-nUXdOaU_LvK7oWktaP4NH77pzBXIFo2PoZKn6tFZeFd3DASO1ZqVz8W4bOSPOHk_r0xxBAnXlG1pPeGqTYA5F5SkO9hnfxlz5Islnk/s320/IMG_8959.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp_mX-OJe6m-79egIbJqBlZQ5CSf2-R3q9vWvgRRA_9tDho-Onc8Gr08Xv9nwiarsTjVD3qRWJgnE_DlCZccQRuDJI9DeWR9b0PvJFpFdHZQR-COtx6wd57HhBR7G0Bv6bHT5lH1TDMDbOUpIk8mIz0q6kGioJYOAuTSvDsTliqkltcufDk6g/s4032/IMG_8960.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp_mX-OJe6m-79egIbJqBlZQ5CSf2-R3q9vWvgRRA_9tDho-Onc8Gr08Xv9nwiarsTjVD3qRWJgnE_DlCZccQRuDJI9DeWR9b0PvJFpFdHZQR-COtx6wd57HhBR7G0Bv6bHT5lH1TDMDbOUpIk8mIz0q6kGioJYOAuTSvDsTliqkltcufDk6g/s320/IMG_8960.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Poor family of mine. Every day they'd wake up and need to ask what was happening that day. I don't think I made anyone do anything against their wills....remind me to ask next year.<p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-48792399723424897272023-12-27T16:42:00.000-07:002024-01-03T16:44:02.646-07:00I MIGHT Have a Problem<p>If you don't know by now what my favorite Christmas thing is then you just don't know me at all. Rachel's favorite Christmas thing is....(say it with me now)....</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666; font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Christmas Carol!!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Why am I not sick to death of it? Why? I do not understand. I absolutely gorge myself on this tale every year and I'm never over it. And this year? Well....It was worse than ever. I didn't mean for that to happen but woah did it ever. Want to know how many times I consumed a version of this beloved tale? I'm a little embarrassed to admit it. </p><p style="text-align: left;">TEN. Ten times! Ridiculous! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here are the versions:</p><p style="text-align: left;">The Audio Books, as read by</p><p style="text-align: left;">1) Jim Dale</p><p style="text-align: left;">2) Hugh Grant</p><p style="text-align: left;">3) Patrick Stewart, although this one is abridged, which is sad because he reads it so brilliantly. </p><p style="text-align: left;">I think I love the audiobook better than any movie because the writing is just the most deliciously beautiful thing ever. Charles Dickens was a complete genius. </p><p style="text-align: left;">The Movies:</p><p style="text-align: left;">1) George C. Scott</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbiLk8MYW6pxTcke4ad0LoVWwC1XBY_8-tj10S6wCVwABlqq4xnzB_bTivRiU8rzZvgEYNj172HM1bGXBVzsDzig_cakBatBgoDjOqY55LOdFzoYB6gBNsZaHeIwlm6nbb98GenZe-UMeOvSHd7cl-XBplb-Rpv8c1B3C3AR_3efQ_zBYCtkM/s293/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="293" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbiLk8MYW6pxTcke4ad0LoVWwC1XBY_8-tj10S6wCVwABlqq4xnzB_bTivRiU8rzZvgEYNj172HM1bGXBVzsDzig_cakBatBgoDjOqY55LOdFzoYB6gBNsZaHeIwlm6nbb98GenZe-UMeOvSHd7cl-XBplb-Rpv8c1B3C3AR_3efQ_zBYCtkM/s1600/download.jpeg" width="293" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">2) Patrick Stewart - definitely my favorite movie version, although the special effects are a little sad. It was a 1999 made-for-tv movie, so what can you do. It's so good.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWft0cFxKwhJgsVZmvkAjpH1d80cA0IfwHI7sud7wv7Cp90-qeyXai5TslFQ9RKKiAmMEB_0uwyYieRWSGpwPsdEAE5VpgTongvFQLrNm65WM2NIExOu8GeQ9b8I_FdbRX6hLVyYDErV6Cb3C1aY0YPXCQXQ5URzCJiLoCZRCE1ZDbG4f7cxdR/s559/carol-1999.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="559" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWft0cFxKwhJgsVZmvkAjpH1d80cA0IfwHI7sud7wv7Cp90-qeyXai5TslFQ9RKKiAmMEB_0uwyYieRWSGpwPsdEAE5VpgTongvFQLrNm65WM2NIExOu8GeQ9b8I_FdbRX6hLVyYDErV6Cb3C1aY0YPXCQXQ5URzCJiLoCZRCE1ZDbG4f7cxdR/s320/carol-1999.webp" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">3) Scrooge - the musical, with Albert Finney. I haven't watched it since my childhood, so I threw it in the mix this year. Not sure I'll do that again - it's not my favorite. I think it's from 1980. But Albert Finney is amazing. He was a young and very handsome man in 1980, and he just disappears into that gross old Scrooge. So, this one will not be every year for me, but from time to time I'll revisit it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcsMfoG6O4CjRIgeQCFaZipdEV-8RC59IqH1tS99HuGcUkWomQGsD8WOysBG0Bhc2rYX1rQS7VMZGgcFfI52vf7NsHtxwv1YjLMULPnwiXP8cTi67D_tA1TzIkUFOAAlDFgJ3dE7fd3tM-gIw9zvcq9pYsxKGYs87d6-YsnPObNBTX03X_fKn/s259/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcsMfoG6O4CjRIgeQCFaZipdEV-8RC59IqH1tS99HuGcUkWomQGsD8WOysBG0Bhc2rYX1rQS7VMZGgcFfI52vf7NsHtxwv1YjLMULPnwiXP8cTi67D_tA1TzIkUFOAAlDFgJ3dE7fd3tM-gIw9zvcq9pYsxKGYs87d6-YsnPObNBTX03X_fKn/s1600/images.jpeg" width="259" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">4) A Muppet Christmas Carol - what could be better? It's our family favorite, and we have come to watch it each year on Christmas Eve as we feast on waffles and wassail. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirTXtM3KzGrl86tZtNWuJmSETLhy7DlxZyYBEom-xnA57gqjD30tx1zu_xcniEju6pqcRFycl5nDxUv5Fl_2bA1K6d7HNxvAPilic42yLiUEApgkI5gFhIob84PP6tj0uMOiW30aQjagI-SnCdVHm3aOcydlDPXB5_h1nNcdU8FftzQk_0PoG/s1600/CIN_TheMuppetChristmasCarol_thumb_1600x900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirTXtM3KzGrl86tZtNWuJmSETLhy7DlxZyYBEom-xnA57gqjD30tx1zu_xcniEju6pqcRFycl5nDxUv5Fl_2bA1K6d7HNxvAPilic42yLiUEApgkI5gFhIob84PP6tj0uMOiW30aQjagI-SnCdVHm3aOcydlDPXB5_h1nNcdU8FftzQk_0PoG/s320/CIN_TheMuppetChristmasCarol_thumb_1600x900.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">And guess what. We found out that some of our very best friends, the Pehrsons, had not watched A Muppet Christmas Carol! I think they had started it once and weren't loving it and turned it off. How is that possible? So. We made a plan. Three Preslars journeyed to their home on a Sunday afternoon for delicious soup, salad, breadsticks, and getting to be the fun old aunty/uncle types with their four kids. After dinner we went down to their basement where they have a giant couch and a projector, so the movie took up the entire wall. We snuggled under mounds of blankets, where Troy's job was to keep me from falling asleep by plugging my nose whenever he heard me start to snore. The lights were off, the movie was on, and I do believe we converted our friends to the fun and delight of the Muppets. Well, I hope we did. Maybe they were lying about liking it after all. We really did have a fun afternoon and evening.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdNgwNESW4SiF1gL7CuAlX6y-PyzEeCPOVEV-4wMrxhvAh8FBUs3wlzZpjk2NVtdarOgSxrZsDieKOJ01ve4JsabOA4rfh5G49HVAbBpYtLD6dxE0H15o5Uc2uAXbuEniQG8r-9YqlFe_f_zL1fAnFoSYbBIJ2QX2tp5GdcS75TEu55ao1VIK/s4032/IMG_2339.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdNgwNESW4SiF1gL7CuAlX6y-PyzEeCPOVEV-4wMrxhvAh8FBUs3wlzZpjk2NVtdarOgSxrZsDieKOJ01ve4JsabOA4rfh5G49HVAbBpYtLD6dxE0H15o5Uc2uAXbuEniQG8r-9YqlFe_f_zL1fAnFoSYbBIJ2QX2tp5GdcS75TEu55ao1VIK/s320/IMG_2339.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rXYYKH5WhLCksGUK7acNVFRlS1tRAGj02n73w_yEIW0e6WtQPlgmcIzhuDhInhYlIF34hUHZYpmpboZh0cpPZesUcSr4EcAOtRMQ7pcpnvZ3kD0atE10gWAgp8I2DoBVDDVATlcF4sKHvoYIZBH39t8oUonrwkM-BYxH-n0Av_y6iGKmcC9r/s4032/IMG_4194.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rXYYKH5WhLCksGUK7acNVFRlS1tRAGj02n73w_yEIW0e6WtQPlgmcIzhuDhInhYlIF34hUHZYpmpboZh0cpPZesUcSr4EcAOtRMQ7pcpnvZ3kD0atE10gWAgp8I2DoBVDDVATlcF4sKHvoYIZBH39t8oUonrwkM-BYxH-n0Av_y6iGKmcC9r/s320/IMG_4194.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu47FxtJQUk2dpGnb7EQLLmAhyphenhyphenCZ_QSWGOvMrYTBUhJ_V6ibLOSlVqbYDjsV9VB_qieOtZkLKpoemaUjeBkHokhVdPrR4RyeDWbHQSPMtCNKGvWnIZmzyxvWPWzVxdQKsoEXajfV13hLrzbpgXaNPq6H670YmNY-EyzBLj4R3y9n7x4XV7Qu7/s4032/IMG_8862.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu47FxtJQUk2dpGnb7EQLLmAhyphenhyphenCZ_QSWGOvMrYTBUhJ_V6ibLOSlVqbYDjsV9VB_qieOtZkLKpoemaUjeBkHokhVdPrR4RyeDWbHQSPMtCNKGvWnIZmzyxvWPWzVxdQKsoEXajfV13hLrzbpgXaNPq6H670YmNY-EyzBLj4R3y9n7x4XV7Qu7/s320/IMG_8862.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWWvpRr1KxEC1n-rzpH8JYtEBx2XPRa1f9EZVJlSSi-Bz0J7MKx7dPhyphenhyphenPtcPf1cP9u578r_oEem7TibgiAZDO1FDsniGqPVnp8E0HMgyYnjQiuN0iI_Go1De5tUO_QJuyFa0pXcd3EfJ1HsD_jfWebFmbPu_cezw2Uk1KcgO0w5uRsiAT1b2n/s4032/IMG_8867.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWWvpRr1KxEC1n-rzpH8JYtEBx2XPRa1f9EZVJlSSi-Bz0J7MKx7dPhyphenhyphenPtcPf1cP9u578r_oEem7TibgiAZDO1FDsniGqPVnp8E0HMgyYnjQiuN0iI_Go1De5tUO_QJuyFa0pXcd3EfJ1HsD_jfWebFmbPu_cezw2Uk1KcgO0w5uRsiAT1b2n/s320/IMG_8867.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For most people, that would have already been way WAY too much Christmas Carol, but oh, not me! Our friends the Tates have two sons who are actors and singers, and they were each in a production of A Christmas Carol. We found out about the younger son getting a role in the Hale Center Theater production first, and bought tickets to see it early in the fall. But it wasn't until early December that we found out that the older son was also in a version, at the Parker Theater. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were very interested in seeing both! One, at the Parker Theater, in the middle of December, and the other, at the Hale Center, just a couple of days before Christmas. Both were wonderful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Parker Theater - not a musical, very small theater, very fun, with an especially spooky ghost of Christmas yet to come. A huge hovering black-hooded figure hanging from the rafters in the center of the stage. So creepy and wonderful. This production will always be memorable because we invited Romney's new boyfriend Nicholas, who just happened to have a date that evening to a high school dance, which was set up before he started dating Romney. Since we were seeing a matinee, we thought it would work out fine. But then he found out there were afternoon activities as well...ooops. So, he did the afternoon stuff, then snuck away for the play with us, arriving only a couple of minutes late, then he had to leave again to go to the dance. Slightly awkward and I felt bad for making things stressful, but it was still fun. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWws6H-1GQb9-WSmmj6ymr4GqsRhvCzALIjveT-CdwrzMWdFlk2yQZa0M5W4BQJNK3rjy9xE5Ut3C1Xhr2iCbRhZDF8D04txAdo0HzC7iAsb0x_JyWMSW808s3GosXr6kD1f_cIr_Nwm9fC42UtohenClx4pmvPKBy825rtPSHi6JdYDqS4FAA/s750/2023-12-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="750" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWws6H-1GQb9-WSmmj6ymr4GqsRhvCzALIjveT-CdwrzMWdFlk2yQZa0M5W4BQJNK3rjy9xE5Ut3C1Xhr2iCbRhZDF8D04txAdo0HzC7iAsb0x_JyWMSW808s3GosXr6kD1f_cIr_Nwm9fC42UtohenClx4pmvPKBy825rtPSHi6JdYDqS4FAA/s320/2023-12-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcynNFBcdtjy7HzoGWnkpd6VNC2SVMdDrcS7zbvag6bx0I1uMeleJwX2VVyNiRCd57ubYkkcjLQOhfcU6NJYUn6sRm9S4Qu_I0IrDXDgdItcglEeMnM7V4YU04XOlKBIsPRp0eOfr26NH_U9Wm_u5iQRCgl6doaaCuLtNF6OsYlmkYhxiAKfA/s2778/IMG_8860.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcynNFBcdtjy7HzoGWnkpd6VNC2SVMdDrcS7zbvag6bx0I1uMeleJwX2VVyNiRCd57ubYkkcjLQOhfcU6NJYUn6sRm9S4Qu_I0IrDXDgdItcglEeMnM7V4YU04XOlKBIsPRp0eOfr26NH_U9Wm_u5iQRCgl6doaaCuLtNF6OsYlmkYhxiAKfA/s320/IMG_8860.png" width="148" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnLl0cJtBUxyK5UEzikrXvADsBLAf91vTY0qpaHpQBtdlBzFPmSnVeRj6yJx1nOie_VWP1CGrvkbGMtuXIYfjkx8HlvcAeQUnJ1EoWcqsGUj4tZmS-jZMx6SvPQqZX8GZ8VlXWrukOPqvlS9jewJOFbHQH__evYxQd3pISLeW419tTVR2Ue0N/s2778/IMG_8861.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJnLl0cJtBUxyK5UEzikrXvADsBLAf91vTY0qpaHpQBtdlBzFPmSnVeRj6yJx1nOie_VWP1CGrvkbGMtuXIYfjkx8HlvcAeQUnJ1EoWcqsGUj4tZmS-jZMx6SvPQqZX8GZ8VlXWrukOPqvlS9jewJOFbHQH__evYxQd3pISLeW419tTVR2Ue0N/s320/IMG_8861.png" width="148" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Hale Center Theater - we were in the jewel box stage, which is smaller and not in the round. Hale always puts together shows with lots of thrills, tricks and stunts. The Jacob Marley was fan-TASTIC. Covered in a cloak of chains so heavy he could barely walk, with a distorted voice. What a great production. I would say that Parker definitely held its own, though. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRIRHS_SnoiSr3HS69MmjSRoRttgXeeixUyILg_TcYoEka33m2FWprLgvD4cxjxx0yWKQVpPOac1MBg__dfoYFu3IbOAwPtOUGu1MVu6KPocJ1lHYvuaUfs1YuObbOUxWyGoTuWhfABPReGYyqYVYzbefjtY0yTD8H9kgEfjamYypvMw1Wn3T/s7952/XZHHGGTIXFAQZELHJ257RCNDMY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5304" data-original-width="7952" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRIRHS_SnoiSr3HS69MmjSRoRttgXeeixUyILg_TcYoEka33m2FWprLgvD4cxjxx0yWKQVpPOac1MBg__dfoYFu3IbOAwPtOUGu1MVu6KPocJ1lHYvuaUfs1YuObbOUxWyGoTuWhfABPReGYyqYVYzbefjtY0yTD8H9kgEfjamYypvMw1Wn3T/s320/XZHHGGTIXFAQZELHJ257RCNDMY.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Oj6gMcR7AXRqUi9dqBOvljldXv8KQS1pebSg2_xuRzZqc6HRKncXBfFiW_I60EMNZI0fF9Msar6IKiGobVQABZuNetESZFtE3jnJ_BnIRuuipHsKsMKTzcNShoOtqxJ2J8CtPlfu44CBKKg523SDbdaLg4z4eq5Gxuf6Yq0FtE7LeG3-U1m8/s4032/IMG_8944.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Oj6gMcR7AXRqUi9dqBOvljldXv8KQS1pebSg2_xuRzZqc6HRKncXBfFiW_I60EMNZI0fF9Msar6IKiGobVQABZuNetESZFtE3jnJ_BnIRuuipHsKsMKTzcNShoOtqxJ2J8CtPlfu44CBKKg523SDbdaLg4z4eq5Gxuf6Yq0FtE7LeG3-U1m8/s320/IMG_8944.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6UoGt2Vhnk4NZwSJUnOnjhCz06sRWtpNeUAhS9xQnbpFrGvgADirnvw971Iz41QwEBn2nhFXIsy8bhn5D-s53e_Tj8wI2YiscqCuAj5O8rdsM2ueDQWr4f06xCnlgus-A7Nf4geesKK_Ny2xfg6Endqy2UYJpe7BWU2fnxoCfx1WIgNWza1l/s4032/IMG_8946.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE6UoGt2Vhnk4NZwSJUnOnjhCz06sRWtpNeUAhS9xQnbpFrGvgADirnvw971Iz41QwEBn2nhFXIsy8bhn5D-s53e_Tj8wI2YiscqCuAj5O8rdsM2ueDQWr4f06xCnlgus-A7Nf4geesKK_Ny2xfg6Endqy2UYJpe7BWU2fnxoCfx1WIgNWza1l/s320/IMG_8946.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0yj-uPsJRT0dximM4MluOymFMHl7RwCrU4GKU1vuUFtbtq_BzWlZ6V_KUO5w0k65pGhTMY8RvFRqna4fz_hg24FeuPbAm2TReHn1VU2kGli_xxN0RrYMqwvB5bUEUusUePwFwMWj7XbaokomcY3RfZCapFT03fuFiRPqDpHrJpxPMcoc0vNy/s4032/IMG_8948.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0yj-uPsJRT0dximM4MluOymFMHl7RwCrU4GKU1vuUFtbtq_BzWlZ6V_KUO5w0k65pGhTMY8RvFRqna4fz_hg24FeuPbAm2TReHn1VU2kGli_xxN0RrYMqwvB5bUEUusUePwFwMWj7XbaokomcY3RfZCapFT03fuFiRPqDpHrJpxPMcoc0vNy/s320/IMG_8948.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So there you go. I am completely nuts. My family very kindly puts up with me and I'm grateful. I seriously wonder every year if I'll feel like just one or two versions are enough but so far, nope. Thank you, Mr. Dickens.</div></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-73413249848177757762023-12-26T21:40:00.008-07:002024-01-02T22:12:35.712-07:00Cornelius Retires<p>I actually have no idea how long ago it was that the Elf on the Shelf started getting popular. It was a while though. I remember liking the idea - having a fun little elf around the house during Christmas that kept an eye on the kids and reported to Santa. It just seemed kind of fun. That was before everyone started doing all the crazy things with their elves - setting up tableaus of extremely mischievous things the elves got up to every night....spilling sugar and writing with toothpaste and cutting hair. That was not the direction I wanted to go with our elf. Nor did I want to get the same elf everyone else has. I seem to recall finding our elf, who became known as Cornelius, at a home decor store. He has been a dear part of our Christmas celebrations ever since, even with the tradition unraveling to become more about elf hide-and-seek than an employee of the North Pole watching the kids' every move. We still have Cornelius, and he's very precious - I'm actually rather afraid of what the kids are going to do to each other to claim him for their own once it's time to divy up the belongings of dear old mom and dad. </p><p>However, Cornelius stayed put this year, just in one spot, on display with a group of Santas. He seems sort of tired and ready to not be moved around every night. Plus, Troy had an idea for a new player in our game of holiday hide-and-seek.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugAfTRe6MlPBexD-bWfFia5FGsakU7Iz6uKi4VOELACrdt1XYQGo76QV_khmOc_L6-AsNB90W40Efpdg-v2zeg4cUQZbyKT9Hc3jCCf8JHNREdxi_ppQDku1Gp8J26kX-M7bMIWQqs2pbr94yDpmBS64-yEVOtLnJdb2ieZxyxYeaw8VCyAQC/s3216/2009-11-30%20056.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="3216" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugAfTRe6MlPBexD-bWfFia5FGsakU7Iz6uKi4VOELACrdt1XYQGo76QV_khmOc_L6-AsNB90W40Efpdg-v2zeg4cUQZbyKT9Hc3jCCf8JHNREdxi_ppQDku1Gp8J26kX-M7bMIWQqs2pbr94yDpmBS64-yEVOtLnJdb2ieZxyxYeaw8VCyAQC/s320/2009-11-30%20056.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this photo is from the year Cornelius arrived at our house</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">For Christmas last year I gave Troy an action figure from a show he loves - Army of Darkness - a movie that is somehow both a horror and a comedy. It's so odd and wonderful. Main character? Ash. And I found an Ash action figure. He's been hanging out in his packaging for a year now, and though we love him, we are just not too sure what to do with him. Then Troy was inspired to let Cornelius retire, and have Ash take on the job. We weren't quite as faithful at moving him around every night, and the kids either weren't here to notice (Chase and Romney) or couldn't have cared less (Emma). That's ok though - we entertained ourselves just fine with hiding Ash and his bloody arm-stump-turned-chainsaw here and there around the house. We made each other laugh more than once as we happened upon him.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnmTAtTPmJUoBxow5b3iNZg8xwjLjBCCag0CICD0Bzaqt6acUUSTL-SbBRBJcz-rmkH5US2TjOsIzn_qWNCSi1ja4RRB0O-QX78esI2-TAorBR3QQLMUFzpBXgkuK5yq560Tc_QxZfazaERiiMcmO205YFj1btyTSrE_4VPTuL0f0_7QuncsL/s4032/IMG_8884.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnmTAtTPmJUoBxow5b3iNZg8xwjLjBCCag0CICD0Bzaqt6acUUSTL-SbBRBJcz-rmkH5US2TjOsIzn_qWNCSi1ja4RRB0O-QX78esI2-TAorBR3QQLMUFzpBXgkuK5yq560Tc_QxZfazaERiiMcmO205YFj1btyTSrE_4VPTuL0f0_7QuncsL/s320/IMG_8884.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwZuXzylKiTLXsgi-8MXO7JtCF-70DpAjH4aBBUN1LT1ZySyiCoQ9gaY6buVLDSm6j0kvYgP-58mTaMbUxpOI-Vga_ChOEHU6a1NjDoXrY3ymUGRUdo1rlGJwK0IkUciaDq6Hh59zPycwkvvflnHZmOR5s32DBefDiFNg8iaoRJrxCOCLwlge/s4032/IMG_8879.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwZuXzylKiTLXsgi-8MXO7JtCF-70DpAjH4aBBUN1LT1ZySyiCoQ9gaY6buVLDSm6j0kvYgP-58mTaMbUxpOI-Vga_ChOEHU6a1NjDoXrY3ymUGRUdo1rlGJwK0IkUciaDq6Hh59zPycwkvvflnHZmOR5s32DBefDiFNg8iaoRJrxCOCLwlge/s320/IMG_8879.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X3n3fyMvqQH4CVeSVnAPIV8m_ifICEZL6sGZ5_-kDgILcgLJ670TbNhk8cfJ3Ct1KW0ITShp5khbk2I3KIngIuJXZ6XspPs2_GFX_q6ACqRyi6nMt9EaTXY9Az5B_4_v63ye4GB25dcCRI5Umh1U6P6G_XFwbs1Q02BTQliu3HPpLkE0LB6i/s4032/IMG_8878.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-X3n3fyMvqQH4CVeSVnAPIV8m_ifICEZL6sGZ5_-kDgILcgLJ670TbNhk8cfJ3Ct1KW0ITShp5khbk2I3KIngIuJXZ6XspPs2_GFX_q6ACqRyi6nMt9EaTXY9Az5B_4_v63ye4GB25dcCRI5Umh1U6P6G_XFwbs1Q02BTQliu3HPpLkE0LB6i/s320/IMG_8878.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ash only has one thing to say. Shop Smart. Shop S-Mart. (If you know you know.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and speaking of adding a little more of Troy's favorite things to our Christmas celebrations, we added a couple of ornaments to the tree this year that are less rustic woodland and more 1988 action flick:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-GnwKliHJOQETo2qU34uYarK3EJMfC4SdxoyuZgVlIBUMI3sMo-Pie2OuclzwVQpjZ6EP_q9SMEg4vuTsFqhyphenhyphenOOStu0dRSWBu3Vnhdnd834qQRbhdMzZBTuqweRxKK_Bd1e8Rj5y0pAzsLINwK8ZYcLFuQXwLnnYSjcI8vG0rHsaKTDSw262/s4031/IMG_8835.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="4031" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-GnwKliHJOQETo2qU34uYarK3EJMfC4SdxoyuZgVlIBUMI3sMo-Pie2OuclzwVQpjZ6EP_q9SMEg4vuTsFqhyphenhyphenOOStu0dRSWBu3Vnhdnd834qQRbhdMzZBTuqweRxKK_Bd1e8Rj5y0pAzsLINwK8ZYcLFuQXwLnnYSjcI8vG0rHsaKTDSw262/s320/IMG_8835.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had to eat a LOT of altoids to clear those tins and get John McClane installed properly. </div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-7234124527885124802023-12-12T19:47:00.006-07:002023-12-12T19:47:46.206-07:00Gluttons for Punishment<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm trying to figure out what it is I love so much about our evening with Sam and Kathleen and co, driving through a light display with super loud and obnoxious Christmas music playing on a radio station. I can't actually put my finger on it. But I do love it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think it might be partly because we don't have many traditions with family members. Everyone on my side is just so spread out, and Sam is the only one of Troy's brothers who is pretty close, plus our kids get along quite well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point, we wouldn't miss this wacky night - we must get Mexican food, then pile in the back of the diesel pick-up under heaps of blankets. Troy and Sam stay in the cab, and generally keep the broadcasted music off, the smart guys. The rest of us snuggle up and enjoy the ride through the lights. It's kind of dumb. I know. But man, I enjoy it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our normal place, Christmas in Color, way out at the Equestrian Park in Draper, didn't have tickets available on the only night that worked for us. Kathleen tracked down a similar event, this time in our neck of the woods, at the State Fairgrounds. That put us right by this fabulous taco spot that serves birria tacos, which we gobbled in mass quantities before our chilly ride through the tunnels of lights. To be honest, these lights were not as great as Christmas in Color. The music was definitely better. I imagine we will head back to Draper next year. I don't actually care that much, as long as we get to keep going. Kathleen and I have already decided that even when our kids are all grown and moved away, we still want to do this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m9YioYib3BuX5dVKs0AgVQgql18yH6k9XNLTQjEX1oqt8iJVGFi1Eb09AEZ30Ux9DQSwdlKThdVr0hXnOEGFgyDbd2JhUIG7bxt-yiDVYcCUaK_hao_LlbJEe-RtB3-HAEuLFZLqH-pIPT0nnA8ODgSoqHgS5mW9BrnMjCCTNKy3n9TAFOOy/s4032/IMG_8850.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6m9YioYib3BuX5dVKs0AgVQgql18yH6k9XNLTQjEX1oqt8iJVGFi1Eb09AEZ30Ux9DQSwdlKThdVr0hXnOEGFgyDbd2JhUIG7bxt-yiDVYcCUaK_hao_LlbJEe-RtB3-HAEuLFZLqH-pIPT0nnA8ODgSoqHgS5mW9BrnMjCCTNKy3n9TAFOOy/s320/IMG_8850.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqu3CsF6gg_ZKgQIYAzE0mfBrFTCwRKbuzWcrF8lwJ_0mfc1AGKmf6b2vYaELHfkvgDKdeSucYXr5za05QtNibfo-gROy1fQSNmEgQW01nzN0z1V3927HQmqyULuPA6yD7UDoH9W9Gpm1AmKsyWOnbc_jvkpKX8Ms4XORFymckCAYrhde2kbte/s4032/IMG_8851.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqu3CsF6gg_ZKgQIYAzE0mfBrFTCwRKbuzWcrF8lwJ_0mfc1AGKmf6b2vYaELHfkvgDKdeSucYXr5za05QtNibfo-gROy1fQSNmEgQW01nzN0z1V3927HQmqyULuPA6yD7UDoH9W9Gpm1AmKsyWOnbc_jvkpKX8Ms4XORFymckCAYrhde2kbte/s320/IMG_8851.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugssuDKdJTwpm8qiVWzN9Dc6A9omhK4aLcpd1kW_KKwF3qE9UknEnQAuBKalMTMNYLeI3APwW7V9mvHsu_y1WFrerwPIIKZ7dYRLOGzq6ZnPyfQvRf29MKHLQ2XrmbnkPaYVEm8MxC1vXha5jYa9-I0t1WV-Hvr8yEn2Inz93ZPI8q5GBbAr8/s3088/IMG_8852.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugssuDKdJTwpm8qiVWzN9Dc6A9omhK4aLcpd1kW_KKwF3qE9UknEnQAuBKalMTMNYLeI3APwW7V9mvHsu_y1WFrerwPIIKZ7dYRLOGzq6ZnPyfQvRf29MKHLQ2XrmbnkPaYVEm8MxC1vXha5jYa9-I0t1WV-Hvr8yEn2Inz93ZPI8q5GBbAr8/s320/IMG_8852.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnOWZ6CRGnq-q1ON-k31MN_4d77hsmZLOG-qW82kKMUyuR4KnaRUd8L8iKpH7WFBpZCFoV_EAagGXC9V6tTvA3hYas0HOJPMyoitVz6X9bdtxc40D6WaJC3FKhDddfFkr3_CUDjJKkWigoaLeDJn1jMTylSRKVK-kTVe8IXSKe1XO21v2SqCT/s4032/IMG_8853.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnOWZ6CRGnq-q1ON-k31MN_4d77hsmZLOG-qW82kKMUyuR4KnaRUd8L8iKpH7WFBpZCFoV_EAagGXC9V6tTvA3hYas0HOJPMyoitVz6X9bdtxc40D6WaJC3FKhDddfFkr3_CUDjJKkWigoaLeDJn1jMTylSRKVK-kTVe8IXSKe1XO21v2SqCT/s320/IMG_8853.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOPzWivq4K1tIuXllmHY-CxWM0gdRLQl3b4_Bmp0J4sbVNEGIW1FWTGyu4g4wYJC-S5VRru8okQGCxPptpu5btDkUUcNqF2ju6WKuS9EkaO2dnPIAExEqglp9ODLN338pdExhPk50c3qptgzbKwVmZnISYojJuB2zPmkw8sBs19UofQUBRP3k/s4032/IMG_8856.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOPzWivq4K1tIuXllmHY-CxWM0gdRLQl3b4_Bmp0J4sbVNEGIW1FWTGyu4g4wYJC-S5VRru8okQGCxPptpu5btDkUUcNqF2ju6WKuS9EkaO2dnPIAExEqglp9ODLN338pdExhPk50c3qptgzbKwVmZnISYojJuB2zPmkw8sBs19UofQUBRP3k/s320/IMG_8856.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYBjzI1M2r3vWOxhi49O-6aUDKiQuP2nx64APuEPK6eB9qD3xbTNdqfuDW8R48VpXbQUNfYE5KyAc7kiznodsW871A2ScVHEYDpAqOSFE0ZgTp0xc1oGSSk8acqSNUMTVvoPu7dXsT_2EnfXVFhgSit3JDgiwyFsW3GyaSEsv_o0zIapUjFKM/s4032/IMG_8859.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYBjzI1M2r3vWOxhi49O-6aUDKiQuP2nx64APuEPK6eB9qD3xbTNdqfuDW8R48VpXbQUNfYE5KyAc7kiznodsW871A2ScVHEYDpAqOSFE0ZgTp0xc1oGSSk8acqSNUMTVvoPu7dXsT_2EnfXVFhgSit3JDgiwyFsW3GyaSEsv_o0zIapUjFKM/s320/IMG_8859.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-45510518550230170352023-12-12T19:23:00.004-07:002023-12-12T19:23:59.518-07:00Romney Learns to Juggle<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Romney has been keeping herself busy this first semester of school. And...when I say busy, I mean, sometimes it feels like she's just barely keeping her head above water. I know lots of college students are much MUCH busier than she is - for example, she only took 10 credits which officially makes her a part-time student. But she's also taking an institute class and plus she joined the Institute Choir, which rehearses a couple of days a week, and also has had quite a performance schedule for the holidays.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides her school responsibilities, Romney also got herself a job. I'm grateful she got the job she did - it pays decently well for a college job, plus she signs up for the hours that work for her. She doesn't have to try to sort that all out with a supervisor or anyone. She just looks at the schedule of needed times and claims them when she can. She's an usher at the UCCU Center there on campus. I think it's mostly been a super easy job, except one time when a bunch of cub-scout-aged boys started to literally climb the walls and she had to get after them. She did not enjoy that at all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And ALSO....I don't know if you noticed but there has been a certain tall young fella who has been in pretty much every photo with Romney since the fall. I don't think I'm really supposed to blog about my daughter's dating life, so I'll keep it short. Romney has a boyfriend. Nicholas. He is up here, still a senior at East, and so Romney comes to Salt Lake. A lot. Even more than she did at the beginning of the year. She is so happy, we are so happy, and also it's hard to be in different towns.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaXJxasF4H4mOYRzaVGaYRRsh0gCktT7Xdro3H6F6EJUQTJRhOCTUVOBPhlcN6cJ0LlnQQnDcpuzKJZ6c19OZFkKxOApFXuB9QPvKhY_45j-U10Up7umBYr78ExO9vGYbRNHJZoB7zj2uE10_BLmx0vryNWdjybaAoYXUOnKuYPF4Q6mQNEW9/s4032/IMG_8847.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihaXJxasF4H4mOYRzaVGaYRRsh0gCktT7Xdro3H6F6EJUQTJRhOCTUVOBPhlcN6cJ0LlnQQnDcpuzKJZ6c19OZFkKxOApFXuB9QPvKhY_45j-U10Up7umBYr78ExO9vGYbRNHJZoB7zj2uE10_BLmx0vryNWdjybaAoYXUOnKuYPF4Q6mQNEW9/s320/IMG_8847.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we are at a performance of A Christmas Carol, the first of a couple performances we are going to this year. This time was at The Parker Theater. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She's juggling a lot! Sometimes my over-empathizing mother-heart gets a little worried about her. I just want her to be happy and not totally stressed out. I honestly think she's managing it all well, though I do know for sure that she is beyond ready for Christmas break to start and to get some rest, with much less time on the train to and from Orem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Troy and I have had the chance to see her choir perform a couple of times. They are just wonderful. They came to SLC and performed at the tabernacle as well as the conference center lobby one evening. And then they put together a special performance at the UVU institute, complete with a Book of Mormon-themed set, and a few choir members in costumes who delivered monologues from the scriptures relating to Christmas, along with all the music. Romney was asked to take on the extra roll of playing cello with with one of the songs. I'm so thrilled she is continuing to play her cello despite moving on from lessons. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOffAbzn11diYV0fG7VvYkA57iAIRWKZR79ldI9JegySrwByH7lFHA02cfEUUu6dplK7-fjzCuCqYEDDfBkuszwp-qIqm2_mubziN8QDLvjuUWN9L3iTeIZl3lgoEeqGJ3ms-orGH1CguXaGO6apfHiBOwOlwWh42om0-x3E4T6qmgFI6UDxYZ/s4032/IMG_2307.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOffAbzn11diYV0fG7VvYkA57iAIRWKZR79ldI9JegySrwByH7lFHA02cfEUUu6dplK7-fjzCuCqYEDDfBkuszwp-qIqm2_mubziN8QDLvjuUWN9L3iTeIZl3lgoEeqGJ3ms-orGH1CguXaGO6apfHiBOwOlwWh42om0-x3E4T6qmgFI6UDxYZ/s320/IMG_2307.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K0K6qlEIf8Jyl76fDU8Eg_7qpoC-LfsirOtYrS5ObY_UPoong0SQo4Fc5BJlZ5uuM80BXIJh3ROCslHo_lrF2vIxNUTpYWXPMQ3_2DKWbloulsRXBTzvxgH9GTzc9UO5QeKhepaRBxnxEVbwkcpxnr4zuhNT9-YDDbDN3_dGWeEcYh78sjYt/s4032/IMG_8676.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9K0K6qlEIf8Jyl76fDU8Eg_7qpoC-LfsirOtYrS5ObY_UPoong0SQo4Fc5BJlZ5uuM80BXIJh3ROCslHo_lrF2vIxNUTpYWXPMQ3_2DKWbloulsRXBTzvxgH9GTzc9UO5QeKhepaRBxnxEVbwkcpxnr4zuhNT9-YDDbDN3_dGWeEcYh78sjYt/s320/IMG_8676.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGogRFGjjf0xMVSdsKJJflrMRvV17JpiahX6R-OMDgTc9rSW3_JWib7HatEH_3ndUOCWNLfaJKgTcYv5XNJm5ml0BoWypgpohvMCNoghzMgETm6-QIElAp50hS34tcTLjMAo4-IHilOtAdB3rQMcb6G9q02qSwLwLcpTeLhi7_i1v60NEek1TL/s4032/IMG_8677.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGogRFGjjf0xMVSdsKJJflrMRvV17JpiahX6R-OMDgTc9rSW3_JWib7HatEH_3ndUOCWNLfaJKgTcYv5XNJm5ml0BoWypgpohvMCNoghzMgETm6-QIElAp50hS34tcTLjMAo4-IHilOtAdB3rQMcb6G9q02qSwLwLcpTeLhi7_i1v60NEek1TL/s320/IMG_8677.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRcVUpf4HYJboSPL4HpZ7X92wTnerCwe3hyY15bviSBlraVBaaqbNryc74VkRtJPfXaPAiQHV1MSBRhMKvNK9qdwURtNaLFze05uTfK5eKqi2Pk-3GqvIwf4HufCIqPo4WiUIgN04qa-feWP_P_a_WgirIIMH3syCyLZpH5FXWtdUDdWA-g8u/s4032/IMG_8678.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRcVUpf4HYJboSPL4HpZ7X92wTnerCwe3hyY15bviSBlraVBaaqbNryc74VkRtJPfXaPAiQHV1MSBRhMKvNK9qdwURtNaLFze05uTfK5eKqi2Pk-3GqvIwf4HufCIqPo4WiUIgN04qa-feWP_P_a_WgirIIMH3syCyLZpH5FXWtdUDdWA-g8u/s320/IMG_8678.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think my favorite pieces that are part of their Christmas program are Is He Worthy by Andrew Peterson and Anthems of Love by Dan Forrest. New favorite spiritual tunes for sure. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o215po4DXVk" width="320" youtube-src-id="o215po4DXVk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well here's to Romney, who is successfully juggling many things. All of them good. I wish for her many naps and lots of time with her besties over Christmas. (Including me.)<p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-29566325385815425132023-12-12T07:51:00.001-07:002023-12-12T07:51:10.465-07:00I Can't Wait For Christmas!!<p>Filling in my December calendar with fun Christmassy things is something that I just love. So much celebrating! As has been stated many times, there's never enough Christmas. I supposed I'd get sick of it after three or four...or five months but I'm just not sure about that. Try me. </p><p>One of the first events of the season was my annual Christmas Date with Becca. The tradition has of course changed a little over the years that we have done this. Most sadly for us, our evening no longer includes a trip to Modern Display, which used to be right on 7th East downtown, and is now in a bigger (and not at all cute) warehouse kind of space out in Murray or something and it's just not as fun to visit. So that's off the list. We have added going to the Christkindle Mart at This is The Place State Park. That has become such a popular event in the city that it has started to cause problems with traffic for a mile or two surrounding, and the parking is almost impossible. We braved it though, and lucked out by finding street parking in the neighborhood behind the zoo. The walk to the park was a little long but not too bad. The event is extremely crowded, so we stayed just long enough to watch some alp-horn players, shop a little, and finally just flee the crowds. We went for the best hot chocolate on the planet at Hatch's, ordered some CupBop for delivery, and landed at my house to watch the fantastically silly The Holiday, which has become our tradition. Knitting ensued. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1OZSnpL7rkSGeSKYfmpJy1MULaDQKtwMMNQtaEwtiBHnJaSv79n9EpD6B-XRzkK5tfY-Ww7ohoB6KhV_gDxTRIovA3_Dae9YPBViHJvP_caUAb66By8zqu9cV8JIpBy-ELi2pGg7vSp1sMDPmPQqz2QV6skAcoYYhv_K2eBTUlNn__azH4gt/s4032/IMG_8821.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1OZSnpL7rkSGeSKYfmpJy1MULaDQKtwMMNQtaEwtiBHnJaSv79n9EpD6B-XRzkK5tfY-Ww7ohoB6KhV_gDxTRIovA3_Dae9YPBViHJvP_caUAb66By8zqu9cV8JIpBy-ELi2pGg7vSp1sMDPmPQqz2QV6skAcoYYhv_K2eBTUlNn__azH4gt/s320/IMG_8821.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNMmEa7LJ7jUUPR2UPc-V4oQEFr5L_nlVGD1p1m9knDvwrRMPoSrJ2kFz7hZZNxQwzv34crlTRIeyrYc1mnn2GND0xovb4OJMx6oQHyfQQtIUXJPnPLdM8X2lSdQ8FigII7tR78HiFrJGaboIN4Ntm5ebxpVpEkVoP3yq0n_Cs0q7aeNCv40v/s4032/IMG_8819.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNMmEa7LJ7jUUPR2UPc-V4oQEFr5L_nlVGD1p1m9knDvwrRMPoSrJ2kFz7hZZNxQwzv34crlTRIeyrYc1mnn2GND0xovb4OJMx6oQHyfQQtIUXJPnPLdM8X2lSdQ8FigII7tR78HiFrJGaboIN4Ntm5ebxpVpEkVoP3yq0n_Cs0q7aeNCv40v/s320/IMG_8819.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another evening that kicked off our holiday was the return of the "I Can't Wait For Christmas" party once held annually by Troy and his buddies while they were in high school. Since we had gotten together for dinner in the fall and had so much fun being together, we decided to reconvene in December. It was such a fun night. We all brought salads and appetizers and desserts, Misty made these awesome pulled pork sandwiches, and we ate and enjoyed talking and laughing together. Then Emily, wife of Craig, pulled out her favorite couples game, Rate Your Mate. It sounds slightly awkward, maybe even aggressive...I wasn't that excited. But it's more like the newlywed game....for oldy-wed people. We separated into the wife group and the husband group, and answered questions in the way we thought our spouse would answer them. Then we rejoined and asked the questions again. If our spouses answered the way we thought they would, we got a point. Troy and I were only one point away from a perfect score. My fault. I second-guessed myself which I should not have done. That's ok. We still totally kicked butt and won the game. We did some good laughing. It was really wonderful to be together. I really love Troy's friends and their wives. We were missing at least two couples - hopefully at our next event we won't be missing anyone. These kinds of friends are what makes life such a blessing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDSVqyB7gYbjy7O8Nxu7219At39cU9yoJnpaKBPK6XavEuZPB95bh_Be46Kq1_YQuW773AZZ-tlRmWKeJMYV8Mxz5Wf1NiYNJQ43xtjBEK3xjhRzRViP_V_PBFe1Y6DAiTmaqj9LM_QK8_SujBuRXUY95ubOSpIqKwL9A_N4ZLP7_mFD_Ujjc/s4032/IMG_8797.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLDSVqyB7gYbjy7O8Nxu7219At39cU9yoJnpaKBPK6XavEuZPB95bh_Be46Kq1_YQuW773AZZ-tlRmWKeJMYV8Mxz5Wf1NiYNJQ43xtjBEK3xjhRzRViP_V_PBFe1Y6DAiTmaqj9LM_QK8_SujBuRXUY95ubOSpIqKwL9A_N4ZLP7_mFD_Ujjc/s320/IMG_8797.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkB3baHrWbUxyfPbKxW4H5fcejGRK8N2jPVjzDy4LhFM8kgJbtvsVx4RkKvNab_ZGdlURh66FnfmNTQu6PzAGV1rFJYceyepzGeCJ9rTtgBRLGL45JlyVQnscpdK3MWwuiD2D8WXQF-ye3UMsj0ncQYVTq97tmO7mG0BeD4s8q-UAnWFM37LWf/s4032/IMG_8791.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkB3baHrWbUxyfPbKxW4H5fcejGRK8N2jPVjzDy4LhFM8kgJbtvsVx4RkKvNab_ZGdlURh66FnfmNTQu6PzAGV1rFJYceyepzGeCJ9rTtgBRLGL45JlyVQnscpdK3MWwuiD2D8WXQF-ye3UMsj0ncQYVTq97tmO7mG0BeD4s8q-UAnWFM37LWf/s320/IMG_8791.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA9Kdsc7-uNy5OVqPEo7Dbq_ZvooKqQ8nkg2DM-vOzOrKkvQpPFdH6PbEUAw5xMSlKPUM6Sxmf0WqJbm-BXn6USiO_AvSI83MbbhpJZPYLNUyPQ-Mja_KlxUjLBV_zT8GWgEoBlUDdHYyR4Vml3R4re_BOZprFWZiOoTMZq6yAqxs7-KXO-rB/s4032/IMG_8786.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitA9Kdsc7-uNy5OVqPEo7Dbq_ZvooKqQ8nkg2DM-vOzOrKkvQpPFdH6PbEUAw5xMSlKPUM6Sxmf0WqJbm-BXn6USiO_AvSI83MbbhpJZPYLNUyPQ-Mja_KlxUjLBV_zT8GWgEoBlUDdHYyR4Vml3R4re_BOZprFWZiOoTMZq6yAqxs7-KXO-rB/s320/IMG_8786.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_v-2fWNzgFoQxX7BtVkttn2eC6vMdrFE7G4BIvIRHqW5iGEeereMcS3KlKcZl81-_iCUJXSaFiy7r9R0txiuYu0yNZpruLsO29IaBxCjDvlsLMlbeZxz8Ff4DPad-gK3OB1aXAMmISNDNVBWyPag0LXEi9nNxlYupS2X2ryelTihPpq396GE/s4032/IMG_8763.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_v-2fWNzgFoQxX7BtVkttn2eC6vMdrFE7G4BIvIRHqW5iGEeereMcS3KlKcZl81-_iCUJXSaFiy7r9R0txiuYu0yNZpruLsO29IaBxCjDvlsLMlbeZxz8Ff4DPad-gK3OB1aXAMmISNDNVBWyPag0LXEi9nNxlYupS2X2ryelTihPpq396GE/s320/IMG_8763.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yay December! Yay Christmas! In the words of my children....Let's GOOOO!!!!!</div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-2944532691800112792023-12-11T22:17:00.003-07:002023-12-12T06:38:26.483-07:00Bear Lake Trip, Episode....14? 15?<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tRFCLnVA_95nThyphenhyphenk5kiZYXcg6FubsEpjxt29VwUJKitGuBuRXuQHaBcO-G5cBrhPTusVqKPzi4w2I7Vb1uZY3KNfqAlbwuM6QsZkXGX4iBIf9EA4ZZywsCM430l0Rdj_Ol958TBrdC1mKJHbOwRy1UIiNItIgf7SDxFOzh23LEGrp-wbNCco/s3088/IMG_8658.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tRFCLnVA_95nThyphenhyphenk5kiZYXcg6FubsEpjxt29VwUJKitGuBuRXuQHaBcO-G5cBrhPTusVqKPzi4w2I7Vb1uZY3KNfqAlbwuM6QsZkXGX4iBIf9EA4ZZywsCM430l0Rdj_Ol958TBrdC1mKJHbOwRy1UIiNItIgf7SDxFOzh23LEGrp-wbNCco/s320/IMG_8658.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir74SaWr2J4SDBMh4VyXaRgqFNo2cOWX5YYLWnFpdQDQ2U6h_oUkfh2jtCz9zkgM9vfspPr3I3XMYBccFPllJM2DmSON2QWAkHxynuvye4maHfiDBG6WVxElOzJojwUjW011YxF7Knw3lFk6xd5h1KGlqFq62iN66pDIxQMN-pvpttqE7kr3aq/s4032/IMG_8648.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir74SaWr2J4SDBMh4VyXaRgqFNo2cOWX5YYLWnFpdQDQ2U6h_oUkfh2jtCz9zkgM9vfspPr3I3XMYBccFPllJM2DmSON2QWAkHxynuvye4maHfiDBG6WVxElOzJojwUjW011YxF7Knw3lFk6xd5h1KGlqFq62iN66pDIxQMN-pvpttqE7kr3aq/s320/IMG_8648.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>I've completely lost track of how many years we have gone on our trip to Bear Lake. All I know is that it's been a lot. Most of my kids' lives, in fact! There are so many things about this tradition that are deeply ingrained in our core memories. </p><p>I'm so glad that we have taken to going to the cabin on the day after Thanksgiving so we can drive in the morning and enjoy a little daylight. All of those years we went up in the dark! Oooo....Logan Canyon on a black and bitter cold winter night with little kids in the back of the car....yeah, I love driving up on a Friday morning. </p><p>As our dear Inigo is still out of commission, we drove to Layton, and switched all of our gear over to Mary's Tahoe. What a blessing that she has a spare 4x4. A new thing this year was for us to stop in Logan before the last leg of the journey, because Molly is going to school there, and needed to drop a car and pick up a few other things from her dorm. It's so interesting to see how things have had to change over time as kids have grown up. I was sure missing having our Chase there. Next year, he will be home, but who knows if he will even come on the trip with us, and also Molly plans to be on a mission next year too. We will just have to take these changes in stride as the years go by!</p><p>One extremely lovely thing about the trip was that Mary's brother Tom, who owns the little carriage house, has been staying there recently as he has been overseeing work at a large resort he is creating at the shore of the lake. This meant that the cabin was already pretty clean and was in working order. Get this. When Troy went to start the generator it just TURNED ON. Also it stayed on. For as long as we wanted it. We had full power for the entire weekend. When was the last time this happened? Five years? I can't help but say it made for an especially lovely trip. Spoiled! Yay!</p><p>I had to laugh when we got to the cabin and got all our stuff out of the cars and inside. We settled ourselves, and promptly the Burnett kids began to wrestle. Troy said, "Ah, we are back at the cabin, where the Burnetts rough-house and the Preslars watch anxiously." We all started cracking up - could not be more true! This year Molly and Jack were especially rambunctious with each other and we all just had to keep a safe distance away. Cute Maggie is a pro at ignoring them - she just continued on quietly with whatever she had been up to anyway while her siblings pummeled each other.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzdA-n0dO8CajF7SsBElM7Lw7xqUhyphenhyphenuz98sA7VQnCONqvr2b_pkrhCn-genGCMR_90By8zG4I6jxnqqx3lgodVQDv2JT2I7JdcdDs6wmTIMfKrbh6PEZQcZLASB2pd-EkkYMXYicThxFLaIQR_EbB7Gyb-2xiXURkJN5Ib5ypF-Ne5c9rqaEQ/s4032/IMG_8602.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzdA-n0dO8CajF7SsBElM7Lw7xqUhyphenhyphenuz98sA7VQnCONqvr2b_pkrhCn-genGCMR_90By8zG4I6jxnqqx3lgodVQDv2JT2I7JdcdDs6wmTIMfKrbh6PEZQcZLASB2pd-EkkYMXYicThxFLaIQR_EbB7Gyb-2xiXURkJN5Ib5ypF-Ne5c9rqaEQ/s320/IMG_8602.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4sNfUERdKkZmRbhNqXb-HNE6pawp_K4qlcNXlcZiQ6bJvQYA_OTq_zIxXBmy-DIz0nK3VUpu_zK2N59qmD-eZD-3Vxel0lu9qQ2PdHidnjrpkPpZ0RUMJ6DpP0eQpcTlJhv8Hi0qF3SHrlKzLRPZjgZM5E6ausCnhCliNCdvjftc-JTDYOr6/s4032/IMG_8604.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4sNfUERdKkZmRbhNqXb-HNE6pawp_K4qlcNXlcZiQ6bJvQYA_OTq_zIxXBmy-DIz0nK3VUpu_zK2N59qmD-eZD-3Vxel0lu9qQ2PdHidnjrpkPpZ0RUMJ6DpP0eQpcTlJhv8Hi0qF3SHrlKzLRPZjgZM5E6ausCnhCliNCdvjftc-JTDYOr6/s320/IMG_8604.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZlfyxi4Bkvlk7kA7a277fq9goPQ29hdjkxWqWMSvTooBFqscJoVFGjSTadsvkf6JtpiDGfSrKSX2QpIw64mvAjeEEmPGn2j78w-dgJIALRne3Ju9dOArRWQRzvfJR26lOkjM7srY-JGKmlMDYTeFeXvPk3vt_FiWgOf9K1-9GfJRRdHh6GvH/s4032/IMG_8637.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZlfyxi4Bkvlk7kA7a277fq9goPQ29hdjkxWqWMSvTooBFqscJoVFGjSTadsvkf6JtpiDGfSrKSX2QpIw64mvAjeEEmPGn2j78w-dgJIALRne3Ju9dOArRWQRzvfJR26lOkjM7srY-JGKmlMDYTeFeXvPk3vt_FiWgOf9K1-9GfJRRdHh6GvH/s320/IMG_8637.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Some highlights from the weekend - </p><p>On Saturday morning, our friends the Findlays were a little late getting to the mouth of the canyon so we had some time to mess around. We went and walked around Tom's property, and Troy got some fun photos of Mary and co. on the Morgan equipment:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud5YM2uV8FdgN7ulCsVg_-FhoyVTYQwDvTpX8udWOTJ4uyWH0rEZ1O8t-YatMLei6z-poqN5tfbEoMrMw32GyuH5MurCq0XvsJ9nnzVsw-X8nwbcbrn0NTkehpZIoapTThv1Lvb57H8hTYBFerPynCiCpd7Pu1yDoL2bC-4OXZA7KYVfes4Ok/s4928/DSC_4730.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud5YM2uV8FdgN7ulCsVg_-FhoyVTYQwDvTpX8udWOTJ4uyWH0rEZ1O8t-YatMLei6z-poqN5tfbEoMrMw32GyuH5MurCq0XvsJ9nnzVsw-X8nwbcbrn0NTkehpZIoapTThv1Lvb57H8hTYBFerPynCiCpd7Pu1yDoL2bC-4OXZA7KYVfes4Ok/s320/DSC_4730.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAm5Rh-K-Mj1CziKbPmtEkJCLDbMjSxjN9valhnXh-v2L_r4YtQu65_4kJasuUbX_WUzACroEzpNZc7Mzu8QbeWgL5bohMWOUp9xSuiRTV2ve2lgip9Lt8UgjullZ9Nai7wT83KppxZ-4iJe3sGbbFn7peAK-teqLOqeT6w4J4Myz3v8zh9jIj/s4032/IMG_8608.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAm5Rh-K-Mj1CziKbPmtEkJCLDbMjSxjN9valhnXh-v2L_r4YtQu65_4kJasuUbX_WUzACroEzpNZc7Mzu8QbeWgL5bohMWOUp9xSuiRTV2ve2lgip9Lt8UgjullZ9Nai7wT83KppxZ-4iJe3sGbbFn7peAK-teqLOqeT6w4J4Myz3v8zh9jIj/s320/IMG_8608.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqDX-4iadjgu7DCHN8Nxr6HRTF7N6OsESmb4CGbbBc7l6JlrGieEq8Wyq-FudNKbC6EhO5ndbLrToqrIYo70vuVAWicZ2BaC1JFQpDq1fgEHtw5YZk1wrFrna_EKy0M8k04ZSN98jnCE33MPkLc16sHylkdLiXLRiX2aG2IrS91Ea4cTwmFy0/s4032/IMG_8610.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqDX-4iadjgu7DCHN8Nxr6HRTF7N6OsESmb4CGbbBc7l6JlrGieEq8Wyq-FudNKbC6EhO5ndbLrToqrIYo70vuVAWicZ2BaC1JFQpDq1fgEHtw5YZk1wrFrna_EKy0M8k04ZSN98jnCE33MPkLc16sHylkdLiXLRiX2aG2IrS91Ea4cTwmFy0/s320/IMG_8610.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After touring the resort area, we went back to Gladdy's to wait for the Findlays. Only...it wasn't our beloved little liquor store any more! Ok, we never bought liquor there. I vaguely remember stopping for snacks and a diet coke there more than once. But the place was gone. Happily there was a new business in its place - and it was wood fired pizza. We decided we needed a snack (and thank heavens we did because the tree hunt took a LONG time), and got to enjoy some of the most delicious pizza I've had. You know what the pizza place was named? Gladdy's Pizza. We approve.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEvvJNasquaSZIUyeYNryTM8T3AGd3jqsL4sCLumDKJktyzMHdF2oAyCy2MP6mhoLHg0kbsxUwrBbNsm3QXC8C6qDhoRi7eYaatt_pWdnYde-wvMlOQsGwO43Sh3N8O99sk8eWDAkBt8CTDijpQHZWV_DdrOZvpCFk44uclx7BiSVizgRT78U/s4032/IMG_8616.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEvvJNasquaSZIUyeYNryTM8T3AGd3jqsL4sCLumDKJktyzMHdF2oAyCy2MP6mhoLHg0kbsxUwrBbNsm3QXC8C6qDhoRi7eYaatt_pWdnYde-wvMlOQsGwO43Sh3N8O99sk8eWDAkBt8CTDijpQHZWV_DdrOZvpCFk44uclx7BiSVizgRT78U/s320/IMG_8616.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not much has changed about the actual tree hunt, except for the increased number of people. I expect that will only continue from year to year. We felt very grateful that we had no trouble with the snow in the canyon or getting trapped by other people stuck in the snow. It was smooth sailing. And we found an absolutely massive tree.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ56RmUBCitGeEhxpAnpMQ_D1X1bqLDXHxUhLkMSM_C3zHNFhjnUVndZ9a6Guxf4L6gU_QBNE32gyJkQNCXtub5ShAsTT888N2bU1Wl0psRpUZI809aFqwvyvfFoururAM4foEN39SrgEZBurcmdVNXYfwAohhwXnHwF67tGEZ1Bbw6ZUNsv6/s4928/DSC_4744.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ56RmUBCitGeEhxpAnpMQ_D1X1bqLDXHxUhLkMSM_C3zHNFhjnUVndZ9a6Guxf4L6gU_QBNE32gyJkQNCXtub5ShAsTT888N2bU1Wl0psRpUZI809aFqwvyvfFoururAM4foEN39SrgEZBurcmdVNXYfwAohhwXnHwF67tGEZ1Bbw6ZUNsv6/s320/DSC_4744.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f8sSUgxDhoshIXOC8x1J2E3iHx0gdjf2Cm3_Vem2_IF679JZcOJCqbq0p9uo4s0YTWs40zMcLoKzXVQb4SnKIQhcSRwsoCW6YEmr4BudzTdXkBjYneqOhZZtzd_gdaAY-NwsDxK4cEwAEkvuWRhS98OGYh82E1EC5PG6B-EAzI77TtpQkrqX/s4928/DSC_4750.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9f8sSUgxDhoshIXOC8x1J2E3iHx0gdjf2Cm3_Vem2_IF679JZcOJCqbq0p9uo4s0YTWs40zMcLoKzXVQb4SnKIQhcSRwsoCW6YEmr4BudzTdXkBjYneqOhZZtzd_gdaAY-NwsDxK4cEwAEkvuWRhS98OGYh82E1EC5PG6B-EAzI77TtpQkrqX/s320/DSC_4750.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXK6NxQAoEIe5UyBeZCDqQjM6nQS9H-8m4Ftx4_kbWdewSb0r-IAUfkdhi17PNzSTCr-BfNKsGfqOSqKicYqcfxGE_OeAYKsGqtRcMj0sDP7T4jTZH82iZcKZ2AUbXE_w2tyYCRXJVgqFvq-BjQd-XqRg9O7ICtlZm2Q3hU0RFVa9af7gwPcbi/s4928/DSC_4756.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4928" data-original-width="3264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXK6NxQAoEIe5UyBeZCDqQjM6nQS9H-8m4Ftx4_kbWdewSb0r-IAUfkdhi17PNzSTCr-BfNKsGfqOSqKicYqcfxGE_OeAYKsGqtRcMj0sDP7T4jTZH82iZcKZ2AUbXE_w2tyYCRXJVgqFvq-BjQd-XqRg9O7ICtlZm2Q3hU0RFVa9af7gwPcbi/s320/DSC_4756.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAduF5hJjxqFNMov0Qy8tW3u3CLcsdw9WwPcL2rmCt2D61-GmK4x7g_GWwsXDJ6Iu3jQgTAojfQDkEH2iOOTl2WlGocLjIpBV3iYV9SpSCIKfH69wo5HIcrDsGRqcFHBt98fmDLr-E9HTMhRRItNxTdJkqyeN2HQrxtIGsq8GynS2nZ5LzO_NF/s4928/DSC_4757.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAduF5hJjxqFNMov0Qy8tW3u3CLcsdw9WwPcL2rmCt2D61-GmK4x7g_GWwsXDJ6Iu3jQgTAojfQDkEH2iOOTl2WlGocLjIpBV3iYV9SpSCIKfH69wo5HIcrDsGRqcFHBt98fmDLr-E9HTMhRRItNxTdJkqyeN2HQrxtIGsq8GynS2nZ5LzO_NF/s320/DSC_4757.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHLqWitIAW973b1m9FvqpgC4qMAqdf0IH_DQDvewKVsFD2Yh2MLwEYqtLVb5Fk4Cnzy8FpjKCKemvrY4_zQxHOudTGCVqUq4N9IVC0pbDFiyAEXFHHqdpuE9f3pXwikX428rPnSGmgxqEU5RB1negUfLxmIrtsp9P9uxWvNCcgU-UYERnG0xW/s4928/DSC_4770.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHLqWitIAW973b1m9FvqpgC4qMAqdf0IH_DQDvewKVsFD2Yh2MLwEYqtLVb5Fk4Cnzy8FpjKCKemvrY4_zQxHOudTGCVqUq4N9IVC0pbDFiyAEXFHHqdpuE9f3pXwikX428rPnSGmgxqEU5RB1negUfLxmIrtsp9P9uxWvNCcgU-UYERnG0xW/s320/DSC_4770.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsNjA8OSIOAyKHWLcpKJLhgdg9ULgs3SSNiXj0o1D4bz3Uaj8ok7y8_DZB7_XHQNXIVEmvikQmyQKSciRS_Po3SWDDLmbP5F7oNmbrZMX4F5tbJaercguSDzb45zV1wrjVfvqbkIDew8bsrqOEVW265IHoboVPaf9qzpSqKeS3z8IOMgwCLwO/s4032/IMG_8618.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsNjA8OSIOAyKHWLcpKJLhgdg9ULgs3SSNiXj0o1D4bz3Uaj8ok7y8_DZB7_XHQNXIVEmvikQmyQKSciRS_Po3SWDDLmbP5F7oNmbrZMX4F5tbJaercguSDzb45zV1wrjVfvqbkIDew8bsrqOEVW265IHoboVPaf9qzpSqKeS3z8IOMgwCLwO/s320/IMG_8618.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCdNQylbK_2u7U-a47Mi_4HMIaixZJLiPFNujD05jcmqSlzBD6v36k_u8NehfFK2OyFq9DabxYW-pKlW_LjuP1Bq2gfcuGt8yo1-byb7BuD-dnDoiKibHUzhbTkkQwDIqQ9H5FydcyCpI4tIH24uj4dLue3Qr842AK0hPn4LJ8N22bbnwNwaY/s4032/IMG_8622.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCdNQylbK_2u7U-a47Mi_4HMIaixZJLiPFNujD05jcmqSlzBD6v36k_u8NehfFK2OyFq9DabxYW-pKlW_LjuP1Bq2gfcuGt8yo1-byb7BuD-dnDoiKibHUzhbTkkQwDIqQ9H5FydcyCpI4tIH24uj4dLue3Qr842AK0hPn4LJ8N22bbnwNwaY/s320/IMG_8622.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we were back snug and sound in the cabin, Troy took Romney outside for some target practice. He had never brought a gun on the trip before, and I think they had a ton of fun doing some shooting in the afternoon. I expect that will be repeated in the future.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, Molly pulled out a 1000 piece puzzle and almost all of us spent at least some time, if not the rest of the trip, trying to put it together. There is something so soothing about puzzles, and it was great to gather around the kitchen island, sing along to the Christmas tunes and work on it together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2GEL7T-66lhGKBJWnAjuEkdHJFgleSKozJxCNLkOfCJ3UKMhN3e5_KLufeU0D8gI2-wfk-ddmmd_LQBlK_5cX7hAHieRYptzC1Hsb96MjHa4d43hJ483HFuwHeSzIAVUId9q7cihDKEacdAuGU4mab_lZhyCZ38gPp4UcB6CjMKQZ2yOZDNQ/s4032/IMG_2300.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2GEL7T-66lhGKBJWnAjuEkdHJFgleSKozJxCNLkOfCJ3UKMhN3e5_KLufeU0D8gI2-wfk-ddmmd_LQBlK_5cX7hAHieRYptzC1Hsb96MjHa4d43hJ483HFuwHeSzIAVUId9q7cihDKEacdAuGU4mab_lZhyCZ38gPp4UcB6CjMKQZ2yOZDNQ/s320/IMG_2300.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlvy81wwv9pA9GsrdJAUf9oSuEUvw1ofV5ZSQAc-BZOpzjqkVWGYWBgA3q8jx73R-PaVgXBwP2xxE05xCsAfne_8PhqqdVe7CEgyU00HxVcWVsZj9w8zURyplXJHux2qwQ6CVvdKY9UMWx3Wu-LlFM8JsVPAw1-RK6hMNpS6z56gq7NR23Bm3/s4032/IMG_2301.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLlvy81wwv9pA9GsrdJAUf9oSuEUvw1ofV5ZSQAc-BZOpzjqkVWGYWBgA3q8jx73R-PaVgXBwP2xxE05xCsAfne_8PhqqdVe7CEgyU00HxVcWVsZj9w8zURyplXJHux2qwQ6CVvdKY9UMWx3Wu-LlFM8JsVPAw1-RK6hMNpS6z56gq7NR23Bm3/s320/IMG_2301.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNztsyLsjuLw41WcUeWSBH692aCxcrrN_YSWdgfEp94j1Qm0o1LfguK0Ehcl7KdEEpFXgbHDL6_2MYX4QwYwO9BCH5I5p_KZ_3Jmn8SuVCZgzAMkS78QJmaa7R7MU4lTpeNjlUNST-pqZD8_NuhqGetJLSC8ypZfm63G9jwhVmSVDeyZw3UJ4/s4032/IMG_2302.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNztsyLsjuLw41WcUeWSBH692aCxcrrN_YSWdgfEp94j1Qm0o1LfguK0Ehcl7KdEEpFXgbHDL6_2MYX4QwYwO9BCH5I5p_KZ_3Jmn8SuVCZgzAMkS78QJmaa7R7MU4lTpeNjlUNST-pqZD8_NuhqGetJLSC8ypZfm63G9jwhVmSVDeyZw3UJ4/s320/IMG_2302.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4V0kfwCc4B2UHrQIBKvzD5EyoQ908dbrWuZV2gC9mEteMyJtik1hN-os_ux2W-AK94BAWyUxvT9YNeSW-DZq-GfhJsBhMdH6M0y81ph06sf-WOhq-UYXRKf5gz0Z5GK13aQztL0IR7RbaxBmEirdLdvpw9hsLMm-gpyoKsQ2KIzaZ5j0XRai/s4032/IMG_8625.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4V0kfwCc4B2UHrQIBKvzD5EyoQ908dbrWuZV2gC9mEteMyJtik1hN-os_ux2W-AK94BAWyUxvT9YNeSW-DZq-GfhJsBhMdH6M0y81ph06sf-WOhq-UYXRKf5gz0Z5GK13aQztL0IR7RbaxBmEirdLdvpw9hsLMm-gpyoKsQ2KIzaZ5j0XRai/s320/IMG_8625.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In some ways, this year felt different. We didn't have as much bug removal to do. The kids didn't slip off to the loft to hang out and talk or play away from the adults like some years. We didn't hold our usual sacrament meeting together. We didn't have to do as much cleaning or getting the cabin ready to be unoccupied for weeks. Oh, and the deer carcass, affectionately named Dead Darla, has finally been removed from the fence along the road into the cabin. It's been hanging there for years. But the sense of deep friendship was there as always, and the delight of really kicking off the season...in a fun, old fashioned, family way....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f0_wsHJIfySSAbwg0p52aYlI-YXQroe1quVQquwCG3DmCf6RzEalTkb6p3lKOrwsqjXtYLj3eZuuERZFTT6z6P835XDHmGNDLo8Ha58fnvFaKQK2J-osmkeLZh1YZ8pNE2KOZb9RMfq3Bt6qcXLGbzM8Qbgqtt-bMo_UYtHEn6C5-WEnlDVV/s4032/IMG_2299.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f0_wsHJIfySSAbwg0p52aYlI-YXQroe1quVQquwCG3DmCf6RzEalTkb6p3lKOrwsqjXtYLj3eZuuERZFTT6z6P835XDHmGNDLo8Ha58fnvFaKQK2J-osmkeLZh1YZ8pNE2KOZb9RMfq3Bt6qcXLGbzM8Qbgqtt-bMo_UYtHEn6C5-WEnlDVV/s320/IMG_2299.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucNQD7t5m0BPZU8lBjQjtBSwyfXQctzegXjj5Hf6A9SMc5WtRLMM07iCCrH4xsfWZ0k4od3e8atk4UkgmK3-PajDVHys-_gPqPfd35JS2gcgncXr4VahPDwfZwBMkc8Dz4KUvmaI-B4xYVjP2kPGN8m2YUDPOSTC5IvTQxqpiCBh4DKY4pp3P/s4032/IMG_8628.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucNQD7t5m0BPZU8lBjQjtBSwyfXQctzegXjj5Hf6A9SMc5WtRLMM07iCCrH4xsfWZ0k4od3e8atk4UkgmK3-PajDVHys-_gPqPfd35JS2gcgncXr4VahPDwfZwBMkc8Dz4KUvmaI-B4xYVjP2kPGN8m2YUDPOSTC5IvTQxqpiCBh4DKY4pp3P/s320/IMG_8628.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUhXRI-L0OHBmvHdVnZ7cqT6OuVE3Vq9_dBWjHw1ViMs7ii1MAmdr6DV8ZboLIMJOdnwrAHfcb8YlrzQxd5UTFdlZpqxn4XxNLlzu_-H1CYLmcszfJmz9b9ZtOhuoOkMN9eLwxRTIDHKdQsMRVwdgc8LXXMyJ04YXUDpFhKy2VA25ooBEUZWY/s4032/IMG_8630.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCUhXRI-L0OHBmvHdVnZ7cqT6OuVE3Vq9_dBWjHw1ViMs7ii1MAmdr6DV8ZboLIMJOdnwrAHfcb8YlrzQxd5UTFdlZpqxn4XxNLlzu_-H1CYLmcszfJmz9b9ZtOhuoOkMN9eLwxRTIDHKdQsMRVwdgc8LXXMyJ04YXUDpFhKy2VA25ooBEUZWY/s320/IMG_8630.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4f4p-7A9SsRNpxZLcgTFQaV8HySKplFmSQG7EeIa1SUfGpthJ0XwbbEGBscnELy_Uv2myJ2AgAn-3IRjVcIpEp9CXjbzo6UaMiyCecmgeSUbd2pUV80c6SUl-Ug4tF8noIq4TaQj_kIVIi0CUFq7TaKaohtRmaTQJIAxukIo0j0Lkg-Eb3Sr/s3088/IMG_8638.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB4f4p-7A9SsRNpxZLcgTFQaV8HySKplFmSQG7EeIa1SUfGpthJ0XwbbEGBscnELy_Uv2myJ2AgAn-3IRjVcIpEp9CXjbzo6UaMiyCecmgeSUbd2pUV80c6SUl-Ug4tF8noIq4TaQj_kIVIi0CUFq7TaKaohtRmaTQJIAxukIo0j0Lkg-Eb3Sr/s320/IMG_8638.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9ZZ61Iy4haHOVkt9up4povmiTZwRpkTfSVbFgNqYZuGnbcINvYamytmEceNcCWSoh0t2x63x-MjRBJ7d8Xm1xM0gJV-hmZI48AgjbkHaHS8Nrmk_XwG7qz5WvT3dDhJt_J1tABuRL3wo4yBYqfpwKYH_y-xwvrxmfCN6vMgsTxDnf1yEFqXC/s3088/IMG_8641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9ZZ61Iy4haHOVkt9up4povmiTZwRpkTfSVbFgNqYZuGnbcINvYamytmEceNcCWSoh0t2x63x-MjRBJ7d8Xm1xM0gJV-hmZI48AgjbkHaHS8Nrmk_XwG7qz5WvT3dDhJt_J1tABuRL3wo4yBYqfpwKYH_y-xwvrxmfCN6vMgsTxDnf1yEFqXC/s320/IMG_8641.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkhfnaa8pdMRRgbTddhtctveMhLk-JyRnxTWd3w5lEqJiD7nM1rpMBZboI8yQzixhLGQCxhc92ky82O0hgZYqgfNP6hPNLL6u3SJeXT0yHdL0Kr7xs9Lx1yLL3i3V1yc5HA4dWdUVswq2DWMJyy2R4GbrMOKRs38vtLyH8l45rR91A_TCueAL/s4032/IMG_8645.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkhfnaa8pdMRRgbTddhtctveMhLk-JyRnxTWd3w5lEqJiD7nM1rpMBZboI8yQzixhLGQCxhc92ky82O0hgZYqgfNP6hPNLL6u3SJeXT0yHdL0Kr7xs9Lx1yLL3i3V1yc5HA4dWdUVswq2DWMJyy2R4GbrMOKRs38vtLyH8l45rR91A_TCueAL/s320/IMG_8645.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />We are so lucky we get to do this. And the tree? Well, it's huge. I mean, we always get a tree that is taller than we need and cut it down until it just barely clears the ceiling. (And sometimes doesn't: we have the sap stains to prove it.) But this baby is WIDE - the lower branches stretch so far out into the room that we had to configure the furniture differently than normal just to accommodate it. We adore it. One of the best trees we have ever found.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3LlbgtEuiKxYKLRlR1RG44HwSbdHF1nl1y5cG1SoovS2PsFjQroYFR0uFbPnozBb6OgsEXucQIgFXXh9_sHx-CW8veaPf9W70fQtKLpNqXNASn-Q-ttdW9cWdtN3fgpBGeT1MhZHuZenDSUfyXhxQJAX_2Pcz2N26LH-nN6i8N5yeknzLs0j/s4032/IMG_8671.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3LlbgtEuiKxYKLRlR1RG44HwSbdHF1nl1y5cG1SoovS2PsFjQroYFR0uFbPnozBb6OgsEXucQIgFXXh9_sHx-CW8veaPf9W70fQtKLpNqXNASn-Q-ttdW9cWdtN3fgpBGeT1MhZHuZenDSUfyXhxQJAX_2Pcz2N26LH-nN6i8N5yeknzLs0j/w300-h400/IMG_8671.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Hmmm. It doesn't look that big in this photo. But trust me. She's a beaut.</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-36675373839724876212023-12-08T16:18:00.001-07:002023-12-08T16:18:42.097-07:00Best Thanksgiving Dinner Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before I tell all about how great Thanksgiving was, I need to say that Christmas was already well underway by the time we actually had our Thanksgiving feast. We had been cueing up the Christmas tunes for a couple of weeks already. Usually we wait until the day after Thanksgiving before we deck the halls, but since we were leaving for the annual cabin trip the next morning and we were all just ready anyway, we decorated the week before. And we weren't the only ones! Romney's roommates were in the spirit as well and got a tree up and lights in their hallway too. Here's our Romney, curled up like a cat in her favorite spot:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuXfC-vwo1B5ymEQbwbAa6TWnWhDgr22g3zm3_hZwYgT4xu1I5kcoXrG33XsajkUj4Cpl6oQgfP1KLw2laETbNxmjmqg0Hwhqdz7uBUjvffU5lV-AKQV9Bz9QKsAWpIyKMViFDuKwktT3-1waBthYgCtegcrrzx0RqUfYcHykhhJuu9pFS-_U/s4032/IMG_5325.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuXfC-vwo1B5ymEQbwbAa6TWnWhDgr22g3zm3_hZwYgT4xu1I5kcoXrG33XsajkUj4Cpl6oQgfP1KLw2laETbNxmjmqg0Hwhqdz7uBUjvffU5lV-AKQV9Bz9QKsAWpIyKMViFDuKwktT3-1waBthYgCtegcrrzx0RqUfYcHykhhJuu9pFS-_U/s320/IMG_5325.heic" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's Emma at our house, getting the Christmas village all set up:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyInWme09TyMiZgQN8ns7fk5uY7PZUOrksTr7lmYQKXAxJYf5lc5j4_SjS5Zc38_oOSYwBnCy5aZdTt5dcFGBLPYl228vmCssIxLWIj6Zp28zCRoo3m21lc1j2rQynfROdQp7U4ouopbZQHU4laXSKl2c8bRtPGJIul97U-Z0hKUckZzyH55N/s4032/IMG_8532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyInWme09TyMiZgQN8ns7fk5uY7PZUOrksTr7lmYQKXAxJYf5lc5j4_SjS5Zc38_oOSYwBnCy5aZdTt5dcFGBLPYl228vmCssIxLWIj6Zp28zCRoo3m21lc1j2rQynfROdQp7U4ouopbZQHU4laXSKl2c8bRtPGJIul97U-Z0hKUckZzyH55N/s320/IMG_8532.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here are some Santas, which have now overflowed from the living room into the kitchen, where I think they look especially fetching against the new blue wall. The big cookie jar came as a surprise from Whitley last year:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FHbBN6RSAT3UbICY4w0L2KMSXEhIHm-aTVZXgjBgBMW6zXCWoFvcRt9ROdOqcpFyfsUySGwPsfAAK-nSBayJuOc-z-z7upkbE_AGniB5JjWDWu0JHr3Kc_MZty6bP6wvxLGBJmx-ZaJnYgXE0O3AvgV543sbBRE8LCbjK0RNdSENRw_VOC2F/s4032/IMG_8537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FHbBN6RSAT3UbICY4w0L2KMSXEhIHm-aTVZXgjBgBMW6zXCWoFvcRt9ROdOqcpFyfsUySGwPsfAAK-nSBayJuOc-z-z7upkbE_AGniB5JjWDWu0JHr3Kc_MZty6bP6wvxLGBJmx-ZaJnYgXE0O3AvgV543sbBRE8LCbjK0RNdSENRw_VOC2F/s320/IMG_8537.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh and here are three cute friends having a movie & art night the evening before Thanksgiving:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgiDRtCkkd817NMZ1e3fAeIT1AKU4dTQuOuPP6HwhdoUo02dsQiGWqi3nZqhAZF-fdkM6n-DEnozHWR7d_NRSMmXG0o-Wiab979OUkLCvwIgnq299SpzndHjgXFRSspHOj8mCDfL1F6tRV2ykyvOwyoYsQAogDOycHGprOeCKcwerEnksXyZB/s4032/IMG_8542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgiDRtCkkd817NMZ1e3fAeIT1AKU4dTQuOuPP6HwhdoUo02dsQiGWqi3nZqhAZF-fdkM6n-DEnozHWR7d_NRSMmXG0o-Wiab979OUkLCvwIgnq299SpzndHjgXFRSspHOj8mCDfL1F6tRV2ykyvOwyoYsQAogDOycHGprOeCKcwerEnksXyZB/s320/IMG_8542.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v6j_L3tKKsS7wkYRB5OaMJX20VeFxU19-2fsqXTrukAv5Ex1XA0RJuLzvV2VOeRxPN1xzZA_bj52OKQws0jL5cIgd7cc-rv3IaHN7d6ORH5PLWoA2CTQrKw0wHSssaibodcrj66WU45XFkUp_oB5C09um8CpTnEtGvWYwn8w4ywZ5n1liVFf/s4032/IMG_8544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0v6j_L3tKKsS7wkYRB5OaMJX20VeFxU19-2fsqXTrukAv5Ex1XA0RJuLzvV2VOeRxPN1xzZA_bj52OKQws0jL5cIgd7cc-rv3IaHN7d6ORH5PLWoA2CTQrKw0wHSssaibodcrj66WU45XFkUp_oB5C09um8CpTnEtGvWYwn8w4ywZ5n1liVFf/s320/IMG_8544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year was the Preslar family's turn to gather. I really enjoy our Preslar years - there are so many more family members who are able to come than in my family. Sam and Kathleen very graciously hosted once again, as they have the only home which can accommodate us all. And they do such a nice job. Their house was so festive - both Kathleen and Sam went to great lengths to make it cheery. Sam made these cool candle holders which Kathleen filled with candles in all sorts of fall colors. She put up the cutest little marquee and had fun decorations everywhere. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIGf8erMiXV2YVIEzIUr8s-I6v9XHUr8AHPlR68r_NwyHwFY4yE0MAMX7Euy7O31kfrrXnfAWQyJfwg7r0C-1r4eNW56vP47rhEn15-Ftr6IybnGTlhfLUWtpsstY_KUqYvWRQoimOGLQN3Mt08LOQq1MfOXF65DrYthbSLt1vDggxNIitclW/s4032/IMG_8554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIGf8erMiXV2YVIEzIUr8s-I6v9XHUr8AHPlR68r_NwyHwFY4yE0MAMX7Euy7O31kfrrXnfAWQyJfwg7r0C-1r4eNW56vP47rhEn15-Ftr6IybnGTlhfLUWtpsstY_KUqYvWRQoimOGLQN3Mt08LOQq1MfOXF65DrYthbSLt1vDggxNIitclW/s320/IMG_8554.JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTlNup4Hw4Mf1o5Orhj02adfxoXO1qYHYjgtEYn3TH3_C2RpheJj1gmRkr1VDZzA5KzrM_AkUIixSeyXrDOKjT5G1syIUMOfUg9LMIzGSmDYC7ivHTpoAHq-SZD_3IU1WkG_4AoJ9qgAg_0p29kj-P0xV-njv8rAyT-dnaEucjPTQKPfJjGQ5/s4032/IMG_8576.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTlNup4Hw4Mf1o5Orhj02adfxoXO1qYHYjgtEYn3TH3_C2RpheJj1gmRkr1VDZzA5KzrM_AkUIixSeyXrDOKjT5G1syIUMOfUg9LMIzGSmDYC7ivHTpoAHq-SZD_3IU1WkG_4AoJ9qgAg_0p29kj-P0xV-njv8rAyT-dnaEucjPTQKPfJjGQ5/s320/IMG_8576.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oid1xPOwJo6H75v4kCL24hHWY3fqvOwOKuiZ65g56PNfwhCvsnN3IyA3qvNwN8P9xsFV34v8C1i-xvEl602o848Urg6NHuBy1amFSJpk-lo1pT3KyzQn4wCor8whJ0TXmKg4yiwc_Ik3aGugtmcZWAi3TiEqidRGsy06CASiCkCXTbWDfylT/s4032/IMG_8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oid1xPOwJo6H75v4kCL24hHWY3fqvOwOKuiZ65g56PNfwhCvsnN3IyA3qvNwN8P9xsFV34v8C1i-xvEl602o848Urg6NHuBy1amFSJpk-lo1pT3KyzQn4wCor8whJ0TXmKg4yiwc_Ik3aGugtmcZWAi3TiEqidRGsy06CASiCkCXTbWDfylT/s320/IMG_8573.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We came early so that we could help build (and then devour) another amazing charcuterie board:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lb7XY70vu9tABX-m8EyVdROf8u1CCBaC0TgEFJAdWPIzzMhd4G9-DDHzxJYnaUL02Hnlelv11Qe57IF2AnGGhXubkXDyr-8utUyzAO9BFIKM4O1sP9zYGiszV-GeD40tdQNsx565u3nT_qT9T_pN6_rE6Eb-0jUVtTkjQtdsQRW18PLDP57o/s4032/IMG_8546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9lb7XY70vu9tABX-m8EyVdROf8u1CCBaC0TgEFJAdWPIzzMhd4G9-DDHzxJYnaUL02Hnlelv11Qe57IF2AnGGhXubkXDyr-8utUyzAO9BFIKM4O1sP9zYGiszV-GeD40tdQNsx565u3nT_qT9T_pN6_rE6Eb-0jUVtTkjQtdsQRW18PLDP57o/s320/IMG_8546.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-pg4xK9K7H9zdVzTEunNpCwEuPUGHOVe0BRoeXYqpWKMnKhQonNPONZrZwCBd-lhiGvrPAJLs7ZS4QObb3HO8xtaA2IsNspRpYYD5_VmP6Z7Rxgb2TeK2LvIlftV0z1QZfxP3nZgzsb7dtUPHXSRRbwn24Q6MR7rtDpFFpJP6l94LENKrq1P/s4032/IMG_8548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-pg4xK9K7H9zdVzTEunNpCwEuPUGHOVe0BRoeXYqpWKMnKhQonNPONZrZwCBd-lhiGvrPAJLs7ZS4QObb3HO8xtaA2IsNspRpYYD5_VmP6Z7Rxgb2TeK2LvIlftV0z1QZfxP3nZgzsb7dtUPHXSRRbwn24Q6MR7rtDpFFpJP6l94LENKrq1P/s320/IMG_8548.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj893yqFjI_n1ST4fqOiW0wBZpEKCEr3oYHXqJP5PctSoz7ynTTLfpZuGSF5CQQJ7c1qmvftD7hBA_zdbRtFldBbtgPma4jY8c9VehCtIkoietdT7FYvGGjNZyfjLP8GBL90ZBtb6RdOjGLXm-a5E37JpYW02aU392yfBY0_8qHG2u-J_RJ4y9l/s4032/IMG_8553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj893yqFjI_n1ST4fqOiW0wBZpEKCEr3oYHXqJP5PctSoz7ynTTLfpZuGSF5CQQJ7c1qmvftD7hBA_zdbRtFldBbtgPma4jY8c9VehCtIkoietdT7FYvGGjNZyfjLP8GBL90ZBtb6RdOjGLXm-a5E37JpYW02aU392yfBY0_8qHG2u-J_RJ4y9l/s320/IMG_8553.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sam made some seriously delicious smoked turkey: <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpAJlE3Pfg4oz6USN8u_v_r-Y41Sl-7tRSEF3c7rIYLhjI9GkfEiCGBEaP8SifAu1582DyLDAcCYtXuwGk1jdp4yLpfjFAbbgKiR3mLpdQZPuZhizGs98VQEnbU4iMlg_rkAP4Iz3-nS9eXaNrpkZB3miozhW8COxNHeGnv7e96naLRTD1imH/s4032/IMG_8555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpAJlE3Pfg4oz6USN8u_v_r-Y41Sl-7tRSEF3c7rIYLhjI9GkfEiCGBEaP8SifAu1582DyLDAcCYtXuwGk1jdp4yLpfjFAbbgKiR3mLpdQZPuZhizGs98VQEnbU4iMlg_rkAP4Iz3-nS9eXaNrpkZB3miozhW8COxNHeGnv7e96naLRTD1imH/s320/IMG_8555.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEPHBxFmFvbreqHMzTl0Fc28rMKWsa18qXh-Aup6ysPY6iyyP0vFy9lfgaAqyB2m5JeTiJS6JauuA_Q2rvi1H-6IJHz4tRkQ700hPJxaEpzNZ1O3wSnpL7ODrXgdOCcTdKNH0yzlWpRnWo4UZCG7AJnVRYlPOHY_FlRiMyy3i_amPz81nbDOy/s4032/IMG_8557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEPHBxFmFvbreqHMzTl0Fc28rMKWsa18qXh-Aup6ysPY6iyyP0vFy9lfgaAqyB2m5JeTiJS6JauuA_Q2rvi1H-6IJHz4tRkQ700hPJxaEpzNZ1O3wSnpL7ODrXgdOCcTdKNH0yzlWpRnWo4UZCG7AJnVRYlPOHY_FlRiMyy3i_amPz81nbDOy/s320/IMG_8557.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Everyone brought really tasty food. I did the stuffing with my own sourdough bread, plus mashed potatoes and two pies. Laie brought these wonderful pies from a shop in Heber - the best one was the cranberry key lime. Heavens that was good. Sam did rolls, Tonja did sweet potatoes and Kathleen made her much-beloved green beans. All was heavenly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You know what was even better than the food though? The company! I am positive that we have never had so many people at a Thanksgiving dinner before. Carol, her four boys, their wives, and almost all the kids. Obviously no Chase, although he was able to call and the phone got passed around for a half hour so everyone could say hello. He was so cute and asked especially to be able to talk to Grandma since he hadn't spoken to her since he left. I was laughing with my friend Mary as we were making cabin plans earlier in the week. She was telling me that they were planning on a very small Thanksgiving this year. I said, "Mary, I think your idea of small and my idea of small are two very different things." She chuckled and said, yes, only 40 people this year. I told her that we were having a massive year with 21 people! Never have we had so many! Now that the grandkids are starting to find spouses and partners, we have a growing group! The best surprise was that two of Rick's boys came, one with his sweet wife, and one with a new fiance, whom we had never met. We all really liked her a lot. The whole first floor was filled with family, everyone talking and laughing and cooking together. I thought it was just the most delightful day!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtIfQywyI56np05qiEHEG14xr0GJu0t47_8dDuhovG_QTSRfrss1gP7FMRtYkYoeXnAFBG6rLcKCKflXJd3zIKe1k2HkVkhxp_4wDbU8jaBMv0mNSSrNK4hPPp0BV3Ef82HQ-l9-pXHwCYQmlXmhHdWAynSnoX7RIXBZpnPd03PWj8hP3L2Qb/s4032/IMG_8559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirtIfQywyI56np05qiEHEG14xr0GJu0t47_8dDuhovG_QTSRfrss1gP7FMRtYkYoeXnAFBG6rLcKCKflXJd3zIKe1k2HkVkhxp_4wDbU8jaBMv0mNSSrNK4hPPp0BV3Ef82HQ-l9-pXHwCYQmlXmhHdWAynSnoX7RIXBZpnPd03PWj8hP3L2Qb/s320/IMG_8559.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF2Ag-cf9_qHJsp0Gq0ioTkjRkfxRyoLebf4lihQlE98tgKroiUeQ7zI-T1ICUiBu9v8OsHXF6Lu8mW3zRCZ0Hx3SAu-DkkwnGALXJpQWr1KJVI9Xt9IXmGrMYgDvxN1vobGCysmpHXipNCl6V-2nFluQwoOAXvlXpCNMbpr2CCVQQjX0iTlp/s4032/IMG_8563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNF2Ag-cf9_qHJsp0Gq0ioTkjRkfxRyoLebf4lihQlE98tgKroiUeQ7zI-T1ICUiBu9v8OsHXF6Lu8mW3zRCZ0Hx3SAu-DkkwnGALXJpQWr1KJVI9Xt9IXmGrMYgDvxN1vobGCysmpHXipNCl6V-2nFluQwoOAXvlXpCNMbpr2CCVQQjX0iTlp/s320/IMG_8563.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmDKqwqra_XBncx6RCU-KM19__zmakM5wK4ZsGqn4UnYNbn0sGcnn1n-0QpbtzwtQxbIsWf4O0JYOX0UIp-muswUow96wauReqbipAFAyIL1_Jbxjk1Wv6XdQj-QjZ7fiO7uTfaOdLaDj2hyU5lsOonbgX5n_luS1KQQbP_54jeED7J6ERD2h/s4032/IMG_8565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmDKqwqra_XBncx6RCU-KM19__zmakM5wK4ZsGqn4UnYNbn0sGcnn1n-0QpbtzwtQxbIsWf4O0JYOX0UIp-muswUow96wauReqbipAFAyIL1_Jbxjk1Wv6XdQj-QjZ7fiO7uTfaOdLaDj2hyU5lsOonbgX5n_luS1KQQbP_54jeED7J6ERD2h/s320/IMG_8565.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hYjc2pwVSZ5swg75BpuOJi2LCGNwyeBFrGqWX99AMqPRxiLpAvTgNuBJJ3sqLyY4hHbLdfg_iM8GNCn2rFEZom3La0og40rYjym_JGvxLXlHXX1D-aQBDX4aKQxckFeLg0cP1BC0nufSta96Rn-RocNWxUmvGlIRNSVlrfH53M5z5VgWazBi/s320/IMG_8584.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A moment that really made me so happy was when Troy's mom was looking around the bustling room and said, "You know, I think this maybe all happened because of me!" It was nice to see her feeling proud of her descendants, and recognizing that she was the root of this great tree. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_L0RC7t39CrSRuAKadCS97ZwlVYMteRcoFc1fMZYjolN_OF455upiFuMQ6peExcdXmluBhhcVYlXxklXf70T6tc_cojXrJUjI43seNAxpPZYpyHf7YxnsiY9X64KDW4dclVT3M-BLtq4VpcPbvGU6XPYDFhCHFpZIDkFTUu5_B-pwxBOt8gs/s4032/IMG_8597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_L0RC7t39CrSRuAKadCS97ZwlVYMteRcoFc1fMZYjolN_OF455upiFuMQ6peExcdXmluBhhcVYlXxklXf70T6tc_cojXrJUjI43seNAxpPZYpyHf7YxnsiY9X64KDW4dclVT3M-BLtq4VpcPbvGU6XPYDFhCHFpZIDkFTUu5_B-pwxBOt8gs/w400-h300/IMG_8597.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>We didn't stay super long into the evening. Partly this was because we were all super tired. We were laughing about over-charcutering ourselves. Plus, my gals really wanted to get home to watch a movie together and get the Christmas season kicked off. And I had packing to do! Thanksgiving weekend is always so busy but I won't complain. It's all just such a blessing. </p></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-74300224274922727692023-12-08T12:44:00.003-07:002023-12-08T12:44:18.528-07:00A Quick Note on True Love<p>Sometimes I try to have a little fun with my phone - I like to have alert tones that make me happy, wallpaper that brings me a smile, and I even like to give my phone a name. In the past I called it "Rachel's Baby" but that seemed a bit weird actually. I thought and thought about what to name it, right at the same time that I was also hunting for a new ringtone. What do I love, I asked myself. Oh, I know! Pride and Prejudice! I found the theme song from the 1995 miniseries and plugged that in to go off every time I got a phone call. And then I named the phone "Miss Elizabeth," and promptly felt delighted with myself. </p><p>I don't know how many weeks later it was that I was out and about with Troy, when I got a prompt on my screen, asking me if I'd like to join the hotspot called "Mr. Darcy." What on earth? I looked up at Troy and started to laugh like crazy. Troy had seen my phone name of Miss Elizabeth and put Mr. Darcy in as his own phone name and just waited for me to notice.</p><p>Oh how he loves me. And I love him back.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRqEODmzDkXQzBuI0XAFqwMVkqGOk1bmDMS67gZvUABXAoDtEyIctT17t6z73UjkOYnizFS18yV54FP2Xs1_tVnTowyTGM398M69z8KyhlS76ztYRlLhHwa4zupnf43w6Anq0WvN8x6xRk7OCoS7z7sF8bgn2fr8YO48YfBRU2jto4mAlaYXb0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRqEODmzDkXQzBuI0XAFqwMVkqGOk1bmDMS67gZvUABXAoDtEyIctT17t6z73UjkOYnizFS18yV54FP2Xs1_tVnTowyTGM398M69z8KyhlS76ztYRlLhHwa4zupnf43w6Anq0WvN8x6xRk7OCoS7z7sF8bgn2fr8YO48YfBRU2jto4mAlaYXb0" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-70103457751050601562023-12-08T12:35:00.005-07:002023-12-08T12:35:50.884-07:00Abundant Congratulations<p>Right in the middle of the Les Miserables performances, I had to take a break from watching the shows to help put on a big party on Saturday night. My dearest of dear friends Emily, mother of four boys, was about to become a mother-in-law for the first time! Her son Cameron had returned from his mission back in February, and had met a wonderful girl while serving in Arizona. Francesca, who goes by the cute nickname Chess. They stayed in touch after Cameron was able to complete his mission in Chile, the mission he was called to. And when he got home? She was there waiting. She is the cutest girl. I haven't been able to spend a ton of time with her, but every time I do, I've been just delighted. A total sweetheart.</p><p>They got engaged in the fall, and decided they wanted to be married as soon as possible. They picked the day before Thanksgiving as their wedding day, and didn't want to put together a huge reception - they decided to save the big party until next summer and have a quiet wedding with family only. However, Emily did want to throw a shower, an open-house for family and friends. I wanted to help her out, and offered to make the food. It took some convincing for her to let me do it. She was feeling very stressed out about the food, and I wanted to be of some help to one of my best friends on the planet, as well as help celebrate her son, who has been a dear friend to our family since Chase was 2 years old.</p><p>I actually felt great about the food. I did these delicious baked ham and Swiss sliders, lemon tarragon pasta salad, chicken curry salad, and a green salad with couscous, cranberries and a creamy basil dressing. Now, I can't take credit for the recipes - I have greedily hoarded those recipes from bloggers and caterers, so I was pretty confident in them. There was just one teeny tiny problem. I made enough to feed about 200 people. Not 60, which was the requested number. Emily was so sweet, and wasn't irritated at all, even though I could have spent maybe half as much as I did. I felt sort of horrified though. I mean, this is not an uncommon mistake for me. I think I have a deep fear of not having enough food when I help throw a party, and thus overdo it every single time. I guess too much is better than too little, but still. Good grief. The Moore family was eating the same menu for a full next week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYFp2431miIQ0SjdCcTEaKCXBFAnnLhkg5S_6UGseemdUlPwkFadzIjRl7gqlA12Cr8IPTbXYko_j4taKq7jR1ltd32ZAfa7Bpt-RIZM35j2Gld7bMS-IDeD9zrbcoR12yEpq5m3QW1_gHdaULZvXE0TiHpucPNiCEQpGiUNqhy2AebTNsXES/s4032/IMG_8492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYFp2431miIQ0SjdCcTEaKCXBFAnnLhkg5S_6UGseemdUlPwkFadzIjRl7gqlA12Cr8IPTbXYko_j4taKq7jR1ltd32ZAfa7Bpt-RIZM35j2Gld7bMS-IDeD9zrbcoR12yEpq5m3QW1_gHdaULZvXE0TiHpucPNiCEQpGiUNqhy2AebTNsXES/s320/IMG_8492.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre9npvj9oyy-dxI5SyxDGG1dLZXfuuhGcj-i9SztRkV9-SEnvjsBmzCEBHkpxr94CrS6sv_tfjptWWU0LsJhaRL6uRd5HLslGCENrss_jniyE1_elvvIUKJrQbPFOiSbfeBPFTzNooGYLbMu-wENhKXuTXEr8BnkarG_rdwkuKT33jqIuCFF2/s4032/IMG_8493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre9npvj9oyy-dxI5SyxDGG1dLZXfuuhGcj-i9SztRkV9-SEnvjsBmzCEBHkpxr94CrS6sv_tfjptWWU0LsJhaRL6uRd5HLslGCENrss_jniyE1_elvvIUKJrQbPFOiSbfeBPFTzNooGYLbMu-wENhKXuTXEr8BnkarG_rdwkuKT33jqIuCFF2/s320/IMG_8493.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeg2yPRppXi-8mWbkQvBp-B1bavch809GvUzc8A9sAXWQm6DQTAF6gF0Q73vhdqYuRf2tMExEbX0lO70ICbLLHPAW4rohwuo2BsaW_TxR44iQpq3QUACIq6KJK0Ei-t-eng-d18OcPlNOCAyh7Z9uL3dBaOlVENvrQb25vBhbfgUy3FopIXGC/s4032/IMG_8494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVeg2yPRppXi-8mWbkQvBp-B1bavch809GvUzc8A9sAXWQm6DQTAF6gF0Q73vhdqYuRf2tMExEbX0lO70ICbLLHPAW4rohwuo2BsaW_TxR44iQpq3QUACIq6KJK0Ei-t-eng-d18OcPlNOCAyh7Z9uL3dBaOlVENvrQb25vBhbfgUy3FopIXGC/s320/IMG_8494.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7w5xpZzQqyCretQkMCUOcKStm9RADQkq9xCMs1DDdS5Z5Ui1ewsA5mMky_1AwpEFS5G04Xntf6PicTPJ9r63hJ0oBO3pTww8-VMpa-P5bMh0C9nYC8fPkleTVnHn5TGDV8r5clBSLvTks6GQRCinfP-jRw0Q436u3XX1IUmWWtdMHIWlEhxze/s4032/IMG_8495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7w5xpZzQqyCretQkMCUOcKStm9RADQkq9xCMs1DDdS5Z5Ui1ewsA5mMky_1AwpEFS5G04Xntf6PicTPJ9r63hJ0oBO3pTww8-VMpa-P5bMh0C9nYC8fPkleTVnHn5TGDV8r5clBSLvTks6GQRCinfP-jRw0Q436u3XX1IUmWWtdMHIWlEhxze/s320/IMG_8495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-58898669992715432092023-12-07T22:15:00.002-07:002023-12-07T22:15:29.904-07:00Les Miserables, 2023<p>After watching her big sister be so very involved in the theater department for the past four years, Emma was really excited to jump right in with both feet. She had listened to so many stories of the exciting ups and downs of taking part in shows and was ready to experience it for herself.</p><p>Here's where I confess that when I first heard that the fall musical was going to be Les Miserables, I was preparing myself for something possibly on the cringy side. I know, it's so rude that I thought that! It's just that Les Mis is such a big and powerful show, with challenging music and themes. I thought it sounded really hard for a high school to pull it off well. And so...shame on me. I was absolutely incorrect. This production blew me away.</p><p>I wish I could adequately convey how much I loved the show! I think that there are several reasons for my big feelings here. In part, it's because I wasn't expecting the kids to be such fantastic singers. We have got some REALLY good singers. Connor, Nicholas, Talia, Grady, Zara, Fran, Emmy, Anna....I'll never forget these incredible singers. Also, I once again had a chance to get a little involved with the costumes. I really did very little, and it was mostly towards the end, when the head costumer Melanie was really needing some extra hands. It gave me the opportunity to get to know some of the kids better, to see all the work that was happening behind the scenes. This side of theater always sweeps me up into its emotion and excitement. I really love the behind-the-scenes of a show. </p><p>And then to see it all come together so well. Man, I could have watched it ten more times. At least.</p><p>Of course the best part of all was that Emma got to be a part of it all. She, being a freshman, didn't have any big roles, but she did have several small ones, including the chance to sing a line or two solo. She worked really hard, and our favorite thing was watching her on stage, seeing how she had fleshed out each her characters, even though she was just a part of the ensemble. We were so proud of her.</p><p>You know what else I really enjoyed? Complimenting the kids. You could tell that they KNEW they had done a good job. I had been so impressed with their performances and I wanted to let them know. And as I payed them each the hearty compliments they deserved, you could see on their glowing faces how much they were soaking in the praise. I think they really felt good about themselves. </p><p>Also...I have NEVER seen the East High auditorium as full as it was for any other play, EVER. I confess to feeling a little jealous! In my day we struggled to get half that big of an audience! So many people came - and several of them were there just to see our Emma.</p><p>Emma's favorite costume was her wedding-guest gown, naturally. Puffed sleeves and everything!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWdHjbgisHI5mWyEPFtaz6D5IUaMDv-Ct_w3mYJHad1JLTmXxm9GWPbUm5mjw2ENk3u30G5ZheVPEPsphbhUQrj3-du9y2pu6YoKI6Xa99ey-Rew-y04RuwJJRdebgH6bLLxTq2A2bK9yukOLEEuFXuWVRpd6tGUJo3hZr8LnhWbXBGKOs0-4/s4032/IMG_8488.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAWdHjbgisHI5mWyEPFtaz6D5IUaMDv-Ct_w3mYJHad1JLTmXxm9GWPbUm5mjw2ENk3u30G5ZheVPEPsphbhUQrj3-du9y2pu6YoKI6Xa99ey-Rew-y04RuwJJRdebgH6bLLxTq2A2bK9yukOLEEuFXuWVRpd6tGUJo3hZr8LnhWbXBGKOs0-4/s320/IMG_8488.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6YR4-kA94UT-hxf2RKh2LL6d1fTGLPqPWEv09qzGEN3cE48KxkU2Gu5LZbN5bowt4lt2G8Vzth5c1Yu0DFv3CigphOXMk7xn9mbFEgMO4ZGrct4Xc9NtbTjNXvnxJV87G4lJaQ-jvHGsMiT5yX-WwfpJIuhbDcpJKenjA5X1WCVFDEhlidIU/s4032/IMG_8486.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6YR4-kA94UT-hxf2RKh2LL6d1fTGLPqPWEv09qzGEN3cE48KxkU2Gu5LZbN5bowt4lt2G8Vzth5c1Yu0DFv3CigphOXMk7xn9mbFEgMO4ZGrct4Xc9NtbTjNXvnxJV87G4lJaQ-jvHGsMiT5yX-WwfpJIuhbDcpJKenjA5X1WCVFDEhlidIU/s320/IMG_8486.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0MZtx3igc3rmF9LeznFPySPskYVv5tUeuXqd6o-69RT73gyQxUAsht9XDYC4SskZBCVPcc_tUdnOPIjNpO2ox-jX5mKXTtWkkBKk91gW4omSi2QueKKqjdCWXw4e3aVp1c5I-4sCQhV1wE-NChR1A-UAjsxKE_PlziaFdF39e8BurmHVcXpm/s4032/IMG_8472.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0MZtx3igc3rmF9LeznFPySPskYVv5tUeuXqd6o-69RT73gyQxUAsht9XDYC4SskZBCVPcc_tUdnOPIjNpO2ox-jX5mKXTtWkkBKk91gW4omSi2QueKKqjdCWXw4e3aVp1c5I-4sCQhV1wE-NChR1A-UAjsxKE_PlziaFdF39e8BurmHVcXpm/s320/IMG_8472.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Romney was able to come to the performances on Thursday and Friday night. She brought a treat for a few of her closest friends - a sparkly drink topped with paper flowers that she and I had spent the afternoon making. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOHOiiPMQVBsNOspUWA5TUIj5t_rTQPBwLlR9hlb8DoT-pxK3jwS7tIy19LF6VHMnv5JnfCC9rLNo-h-fhHjr9Hr-rnz6uesNFT1zxFuBD2Mmi6GBuu1UaumegGwVcV1ymEi3rz6iff6oRknL2smZf-Ew04qXw9xCD-p5onYeJaIoVVSXAuwz/s4032/IMG_8480.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOHOiiPMQVBsNOspUWA5TUIj5t_rTQPBwLlR9hlb8DoT-pxK3jwS7tIy19LF6VHMnv5JnfCC9rLNo-h-fhHjr9Hr-rnz6uesNFT1zxFuBD2Mmi6GBuu1UaumegGwVcV1ymEi3rz6iff6oRknL2smZf-Ew04qXw9xCD-p5onYeJaIoVVSXAuwz/s320/IMG_8480.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAQ79vezeZ_cR8dWA_zDiOrlLaPCt0_i6GY52ZZI-yOBt6-QiKvkEhnsFQmIR2Ho6lR9dxPViXJzFYqWSrZzq3s7bvJRAhzIQmKRT1d1lmc0P1rbW3kF-Vqy1Yq-wLDlhQPupJhI4X7F5QSyJ8zgQ5MKMhnQOrgNK6KG73GqZguedlHApFFbu/s4032/IMG_8475.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAQ79vezeZ_cR8dWA_zDiOrlLaPCt0_i6GY52ZZI-yOBt6-QiKvkEhnsFQmIR2Ho6lR9dxPViXJzFYqWSrZzq3s7bvJRAhzIQmKRT1d1lmc0P1rbW3kF-Vqy1Yq-wLDlhQPupJhI4X7F5QSyJ8zgQ5MKMhnQOrgNK6KG73GqZguedlHApFFbu/s320/IMG_8475.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY9_qpPaCxT3AhvQpO1tewmCuyzFIMkp-Zl1xFMiODJ4mLMrki8Ao-FdzXVXgFY6G6P3oBMnpDPDAffMZyNn2N4kpevxaIsf71KyKS4QNRFI94-izXFRIzOFkhMtbDg0x05NJahur0pPcCjitQ_zyzS1CPYwEfQAP_NCPZEpBjK2dMHLXShn9/s4032/IMG_8463.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDY9_qpPaCxT3AhvQpO1tewmCuyzFIMkp-Zl1xFMiODJ4mLMrki8Ao-FdzXVXgFY6G6P3oBMnpDPDAffMZyNn2N4kpevxaIsf71KyKS4QNRFI94-izXFRIzOFkhMtbDg0x05NJahur0pPcCjitQ_zyzS1CPYwEfQAP_NCPZEpBjK2dMHLXShn9/s320/IMG_8463.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wish I had more of my own photos from the show. Happily, there is the internet. I found several pretty good shots from the play:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhordNLHjLbquwaUF2AOyu_y1lqBUVwbrkbGAgfHbBnRIffFN7ratVEd7RsuJ6M04Xc1OaJ36RpG0A5jq5U7oCpDp-O3Hve4INDOPBjlEJqzP1jt9OMaK7waGReH1CN_x7EcZO-87_UvDFgqyYG01zik9zXDvTMQBmUEf_rxF6wTK81aQhEkHeJ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhordNLHjLbquwaUF2AOyu_y1lqBUVwbrkbGAgfHbBnRIffFN7ratVEd7RsuJ6M04Xc1OaJ36RpG0A5jq5U7oCpDp-O3Hve4INDOPBjlEJqzP1jt9OMaK7waGReH1CN_x7EcZO-87_UvDFgqyYG01zik9zXDvTMQBmUEf_rxF6wTK81aQhEkHeJ" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCeg6shug-YJHy08U5DYQ64FQG84ywfarQES5_fMg8s6WzZUqIxjseN62l1Iha2Yxr5vcKZ87v7SRE7LJpwasqyS3szfrZbvluvHA99im0oMn4NhOFwrr0vYiDtTDE2Z5C4b4OuKVFEQkD_ZlUfw5yI5JGFZZC1li3grvkJR0qMTFHzryWH_qH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCeg6shug-YJHy08U5DYQ64FQG84ywfarQES5_fMg8s6WzZUqIxjseN62l1Iha2Yxr5vcKZ87v7SRE7LJpwasqyS3szfrZbvluvHA99im0oMn4NhOFwrr0vYiDtTDE2Z5C4b4OuKVFEQkD_ZlUfw5yI5JGFZZC1li3grvkJR0qMTFHzryWH_qH" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA2XN7JlFNJgPb0c2Z1E51ETBuqEitnbQzS1VDloQyp9XYRzgzS1Z1z49k2h7TSOV4PXXmlwwSqpMEEL5FCO3RVItMy_Us7n7oI8iNiWfSZYzLpprai6y5yyo98gnxYjYRDwx7SIuBXMvgjtILd3WtjSa5z-DxrGCkSxs8x1S4W3cFf51NQamv" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA2XN7JlFNJgPb0c2Z1E51ETBuqEitnbQzS1VDloQyp9XYRzgzS1Z1z49k2h7TSOV4PXXmlwwSqpMEEL5FCO3RVItMy_Us7n7oI8iNiWfSZYzLpprai6y5yyo98gnxYjYRDwx7SIuBXMvgjtILd3WtjSa5z-DxrGCkSxs8x1S4W3cFf51NQamv" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuntnKA37xjIe_kGDTZ85c1QhcOIaqZMf-i31VJ24qh5P13eEDpe4bO2dM9gYnfrlr8QqzuqrIdm7WkYmxShX5yWd81DI2JO7jpCh8j9GJGlvM48v6eXGChMPwAa4MWPmORcc-By5yIgzDMuhHr070Dr7xHjIMdJ0X9DiQCe_zZzSjGHBXeIoI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuntnKA37xjIe_kGDTZ85c1QhcOIaqZMf-i31VJ24qh5P13eEDpe4bO2dM9gYnfrlr8QqzuqrIdm7WkYmxShX5yWd81DI2JO7jpCh8j9GJGlvM48v6eXGChMPwAa4MWPmORcc-By5yIgzDMuhHr070Dr7xHjIMdJ0X9DiQCe_zZzSjGHBXeIoI" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Looking at the photos is just making me wish I could see it again. Hooray for the theater kids of EHS. They were FAN TAS TIC. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next up? Footloose. We'll see how it goes! </div></div></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-27733507659470179402023-11-30T12:41:00.001-07:002023-11-30T12:41:05.459-07:00The Picture Says It All<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbB-YleSfgsMjFuneHp9Mvc8XdNiGGWhqVT6a28l5P-ART9lbDxjZ2KodPJhx5VbWsiS70arVQireccWSuL9TnAcVDWHx9lu68HiKp5rShVvtdm8sEyImv381WfGv7F2s7QTwIuYcy0RYBspyo9mcLr6dS2FKlN7O3PuvQqXUAEdjsj-Vxjik/s900/97671f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbB-YleSfgsMjFuneHp9Mvc8XdNiGGWhqVT6a28l5P-ART9lbDxjZ2KodPJhx5VbWsiS70arVQireccWSuL9TnAcVDWHx9lu68HiKp5rShVvtdm8sEyImv381WfGv7F2s7QTwIuYcy0RYBspyo9mcLr6dS2FKlN7O3PuvQqXUAEdjsj-Vxjik/s320/97671f.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Any idea what that is a photo of? Look closely. You'll see a delivery from Chick-Fil-A. And where is it? Outside of a Church. In Spokane, Washington. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's what happened:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksqasSsAH6uKamIajVJvHrA_pvYIs2TqV4bDyIBKQx10D-eK51nTcxy7fwTpfqUYarFSoY9QIrsQPDR8HAx7Z3MTbdz-B49aoynCZa9FxgkQzdVwOr9nbxDwPcBw6ZL2PVE-ktX3OS3RiTPnFgDa5v-euCwJ9rSwWYkI6jHlAOuWIM0RLACKz/s2778/IMG_8332.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksqasSsAH6uKamIajVJvHrA_pvYIs2TqV4bDyIBKQx10D-eK51nTcxy7fwTpfqUYarFSoY9QIrsQPDR8HAx7Z3MTbdz-B49aoynCZa9FxgkQzdVwOr9nbxDwPcBw6ZL2PVE-ktX3OS3RiTPnFgDa5v-euCwJ9rSwWYkI6jHlAOuWIM0RLACKz/s320/IMG_8332.png" width="148" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind_9VrydY8KJOKNahm0fNInTRIjOdKDnVvzyK6FwEDmSKn8rizAeyrVuS98tf9TSg6P_zsOCBT0gXFlEQREFh3aoYGkr_MiRQ-q_kIsly2JpIcvptE5GF2ghdflKxuHRJ041SfHRdfcgN7H1tF_qrI_1_32spCLauL893ynsvhywvErO42QPS/s2778/IMG_8333.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind_9VrydY8KJOKNahm0fNInTRIjOdKDnVvzyK6FwEDmSKn8rizAeyrVuS98tf9TSg6P_zsOCBT0gXFlEQREFh3aoYGkr_MiRQ-q_kIsly2JpIcvptE5GF2ghdflKxuHRJ041SfHRdfcgN7H1tF_qrI_1_32spCLauL893ynsvhywvErO42QPS/s320/IMG_8333.png" width="148" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I had wondered when this was going to happen. The fact that it took over a year is a pretty good thing, I think. It sure had Troy and me laughing. It sure made for one happy missionary!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRBAhJ_WTakkKl-RsWPsvFV1G73zfaVMoFa4C2mb1bZTAqADVxWT7tYtxF5B_rcSQ968bx5dB6ZdQR7QPE5Oxnv4Jk21zGvutGzS5aSbnSIMEkwjmYjIIKbSY5X_-0F9Co__9n1AlOtymMzMF9PAIkGy_tK1GZcYOJC3wUad3_JxGYBRXSV8s/s1920/IMG_8331.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGRBAhJ_WTakkKl-RsWPsvFV1G73zfaVMoFa4C2mb1bZTAqADVxWT7tYtxF5B_rcSQ968bx5dB6ZdQR7QPE5Oxnv4Jk21zGvutGzS5aSbnSIMEkwjmYjIIKbSY5X_-0F9Co__9n1AlOtymMzMF9PAIkGy_tK1GZcYOJC3wUad3_JxGYBRXSV8s/s320/IMG_8331.jpeg" width="151" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I won't make a habit of it, but sending him a treat like that just once (so far....) was kind of delightful. And now I am, as Chase said, literally the best. I do love him so. </div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-48733798330851559522023-11-30T12:33:00.001-07:002023-11-30T12:33:42.481-07:00All-Hallow's Hijinks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Troy and I have had a lot of fun the past few years putting together couple's costumes. First came H.I. and Edwina from Raising Arizona. Then came Mr. Rooney and his secretary from Ferris Buhler's Day Off. Last year was less of a hit - we donned a green and blue t-shirts and became the Kratt Brothers, complete with Romney as Zooboomafoo, our lemur. However, we didn't look much like we were wearing costumes. It was just that Troy looks so very much like Martin Kratt, we always wanted to try it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year I felt like putting a bit more effort into the costumes, but not so much as to kill me. We juggled a lot of ideas. Everything from Bender and Claire (The Breakfast Club) to Jareth and Sarah (Labyrinth). I would LOVE to be Sarah sometime, but I think it would have been too depressing to don a gorgeous white poofy dress and yet not look very much like Jennifer Connelly, especially as she was about 16 and I'm 50. The winning idea didn't hit until I opened a package I had ordered of a really cute Halloween dress. (Doesn't everyone have a Halloween outfit?) Someone said it reminded them of Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. That was it! Ms. Frizzle! And Troy could be Mr. Rogers. No, they weren't on the same show, I know. But they were for sure PBS Kids buddies. (And according to my research, were deeply in love. See photo below.)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_JJPfJje9BA2qA9FTmdtDBJ5v85cRez2GrTPVQLF8cKJASRn1v946rI7kiNji8bKOOt40LSt9jDt9iq510DZ3NgZXjQzsPzko56ObumuM6Pahverpm-uArK9CW8ijsUosWdT9Fiz1Ym9_CTYTiINc-tofEXIlogCJRJon_osovSHtPFs4X_S/s3088/IMG_8394.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_JJPfJje9BA2qA9FTmdtDBJ5v85cRez2GrTPVQLF8cKJASRn1v946rI7kiNji8bKOOt40LSt9jDt9iq510DZ3NgZXjQzsPzko56ObumuM6Pahverpm-uArK9CW8ijsUosWdT9Fiz1Ym9_CTYTiINc-tofEXIlogCJRJon_osovSHtPFs4X_S/s320/IMG_8394.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nV-9CCvUu0DamSbki1jBuoDANOuxGvP8IL4uQWt9gaHwej48-lOmEKuP3A6mjtn6iIvrupEJcmf4csfszP4iRzhCMJgK0sEKcklTGCbaZZs2HY_wx-YPBgSDZxG1AdaohIUHhrJtsD33SYn1hgsqoifSmf6_VByHsgrJGIRka4egaqq6HysF/s4032/IMG_8395.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_nV-9CCvUu0DamSbki1jBuoDANOuxGvP8IL4uQWt9gaHwej48-lOmEKuP3A6mjtn6iIvrupEJcmf4csfszP4iRzhCMJgK0sEKcklTGCbaZZs2HY_wx-YPBgSDZxG1AdaohIUHhrJtsD33SYn1hgsqoifSmf6_VByHsgrJGIRka4egaqq6HysF/s320/IMG_8395.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6YqPHZrPPNIDTY5q4lYU0lDYliVpQAAOSlvGp5Q6FcLO_jbtDV1DLCnMKwyi7fdxMCPoApkHRP6BvE4OWQ3yvQEXiPPsUMFSWfjTGEe5VRyH9Qx2n60_Qy8Pwy8rwSmpYIEaBV_vjn98vYEg2K_jhhcJo6qVWdVfzlEtsAzn5qSxKmhBbcu9/s4032/IMG_8397.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6YqPHZrPPNIDTY5q4lYU0lDYliVpQAAOSlvGp5Q6FcLO_jbtDV1DLCnMKwyi7fdxMCPoApkHRP6BvE4OWQ3yvQEXiPPsUMFSWfjTGEe5VRyH9Qx2n60_Qy8Pwy8rwSmpYIEaBV_vjn98vYEg2K_jhhcJo6qVWdVfzlEtsAzn5qSxKmhBbcu9/s320/IMG_8397.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were able to wear our costumes twice - once at the ward Halloween Party/Chili Cook-Off, affectionately dubbed Spooks-N-Beans. I am no longer in charge of organizing the event, so I felt ok about submitting a chili to the contest. I kind of knew it was cheating to enter this chili - it's the recipe of my sister-in-law, Whitley, and it wins every single contest it's ever been in. I shouldn't have put it in. It's just that it's so good. And I wasn't thinking when I offered any assistance needed to the event organizer - she asked me to be in charge of buying the prizes. I got spoons and dish towels and thought I'd be hilarious and get a cheap tiara for the grand prize winner. Which...I then won. I felt really stupid. Luckily there was a very cute granddaughter of a friend at the event and she was in desperate need of a tiara. Lesson learned. Next time I'll try my luck with a different chili recipe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other event was at my friend Becca's house. She threw a poetry group dinner which was delightful. She has gotten into Halloween only in the past few years, like myself, and we both have found that once we settled on a vibe we liked, we both became pretty gung-ho about the holiday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPLx1EzkudbgLOZ_qOGnbJhGJ42ZTwNNkTyEKqgdRYpPskx7f4t4tGVpTVKG0KhF7tI71oIvlA6dGuprHMBSbPDbOk6QhNP5D_nMIhNWu8iGXTsrl-nDc5xLLrm2ooonfQ9twh81KsRiXWFnPfaqRV_LkASOAmoSw2s0CZHVIfcvlq7LI4JIg/s4032/IMG_6840.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPLx1EzkudbgLOZ_qOGnbJhGJ42ZTwNNkTyEKqgdRYpPskx7f4t4tGVpTVKG0KhF7tI71oIvlA6dGuprHMBSbPDbOk6QhNP5D_nMIhNWu8iGXTsrl-nDc5xLLrm2ooonfQ9twh81KsRiXWFnPfaqRV_LkASOAmoSw2s0CZHVIfcvlq7LI4JIg/s320/IMG_6840.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gz3QU2T9ucUQlO6RwGueE9tw2R5k6UFFQ8U10Hcdpn9lyFCJVgX4NqRm19GIX9d22BQ83WdpgztRwQKk1XkuFW37jaVqSMP-wuVCsglVllbUUI-gL75uxR2aHMUjfCneVwsq5r68Til5eG96zibfJS1aCzJfzl6ECjkXVZb_nJA3PieSZq0J/s2592/IMG_8727.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="2592" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gz3QU2T9ucUQlO6RwGueE9tw2R5k6UFFQ8U10Hcdpn9lyFCJVgX4NqRm19GIX9d22BQ83WdpgztRwQKk1XkuFW37jaVqSMP-wuVCsglVllbUUI-gL75uxR2aHMUjfCneVwsq5r68Til5eG96zibfJS1aCzJfzl6ECjkXVZb_nJA3PieSZq0J/s320/IMG_8727.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and we got a surprise appearance from Romney at the Spooks-n-Beans. She was up in SLC (not a rare thing, as you may have noticed) and she and two buddies decided to throw together a Kiki's delivery service theme and they showed up. Really cute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkZVyf-AthanhBTw6lTQk2EJSA1eNFWoT3VjpkZ68Rx9vNRTfkHJLFbFiChhreamCewjD8ecELeRH-29jB5_Q8-zD6f2KX3qNbUrFS4L6MHu_eNcGZuDH-muAx6GvCxWuq89OsegNOUzer3bIcwPhWy_s36bbjWMk2feRwZiK9HNcV6IFhnhc/s4032/IMG_5520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzkZVyf-AthanhBTw6lTQk2EJSA1eNFWoT3VjpkZ68Rx9vNRTfkHJLFbFiChhreamCewjD8ecELeRH-29jB5_Q8-zD6f2KX3qNbUrFS4L6MHu_eNcGZuDH-muAx6GvCxWuq89OsegNOUzer3bIcwPhWy_s36bbjWMk2feRwZiK9HNcV6IFhnhc/s320/IMG_5520.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other good fun of the season, Romney came home for one last Lagoon trip. She and her buddies donned costumes and headed to Farmington, where they learned that guests were not allowed to wear costumes to Lagoon. So...they went to In-n-Out and then went and watched movies all evening. Isn't Romney's sweatshirt cool? Her roommate made it using bleach! She asked Romney to wear it around as an advertisement. She obviously got her friend Nicholas interested and he bought one too, along with two or three other people.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93gwAtO1lTxbbUaZOUKf8OL7uOaMZboHoPApQB2tGxAxcajCwucZUfEQ8uFHYhna-V3_s6WBG_9UNxzWsOUvAv8DZdJKcdDwAF12gaEOLIhfHBKib9SyHuIFAqtZkb11TyMw1TFt_jJapVX-YYXoUh8picy2yXPP5r44mnJRIbPSJbhKwtghd/s4032/IMG_8407.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93gwAtO1lTxbbUaZOUKf8OL7uOaMZboHoPApQB2tGxAxcajCwucZUfEQ8uFHYhna-V3_s6WBG_9UNxzWsOUvAv8DZdJKcdDwAF12gaEOLIhfHBKib9SyHuIFAqtZkb11TyMw1TFt_jJapVX-YYXoUh8picy2yXPP5r44mnJRIbPSJbhKwtghd/s320/IMG_8407.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKHzL7pnMyphiZt0HPIKT4EzpHDmMpUMUYA_DH0zF5q3Ap71V4uiAGW6BHRahyphenhyphenj0VHPeWTuRJaeHBmNlvQtP5hEircehdRx9uwvkNlwGv5umeweNn2PgO0Ke_snBj3vxyIoCBW_KTdi-5kCzF2FHzMBdOxt0U_Ce7vpMn9rneYBYYwCA8DRXa/s4032/IMG_8408.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSKHzL7pnMyphiZt0HPIKT4EzpHDmMpUMUYA_DH0zF5q3Ap71V4uiAGW6BHRahyphenhyphenj0VHPeWTuRJaeHBmNlvQtP5hEircehdRx9uwvkNlwGv5umeweNn2PgO0Ke_snBj3vxyIoCBW_KTdi-5kCzF2FHzMBdOxt0U_Ce7vpMn9rneYBYYwCA8DRXa/s320/IMG_8408.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm glad Troy and I didn't end up dressing up as characters from The Breakfast Club, partly because I felt a little weird about wearing costumes from a rated R movie to a church function, but also because for official Halloween, Romney and friends also went with a Breakfast Club theme. I think they look fantastic.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpxbqsROaC-zvLjQyZy7yKrHW4vzKktL57S3Ntn6ouEquoEpAYrOmc7rKpOgMaJaQ3qF_TM3LrEhuawtxeT5ONWLy4EeeZPc029WnTTh5vlex8m0U0qQdvj8UiI2_P7UT47oHMO_oah0_uF0hAoX-WsuHcHSp5t0osoVr2ADGTTgftieDwg4C/s4032/IMG_8432.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpxbqsROaC-zvLjQyZy7yKrHW4vzKktL57S3Ntn6ouEquoEpAYrOmc7rKpOgMaJaQ3qF_TM3LrEhuawtxeT5ONWLy4EeeZPc029WnTTh5vlex8m0U0qQdvj8UiI2_P7UT47oHMO_oah0_uF0hAoX-WsuHcHSp5t0osoVr2ADGTTgftieDwg4C/s320/IMG_8432.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKnbAlIfagNbrEuHD_lX814WLgGZK3nKCUo0WxA9AkmDPaYGfg23ojq0MyvoPi8gGTSMxqkGANiZB_X9L4A0-GzUPcFRXkvpgLF-Wwtb5LHmx58XsGk13veRvoWFfO_rDJwCt8khtkMFcCEU2SKb45Us_ICQFICFO9HUJ9mc_J-N1RYxyt-Bn/s4032/IMG_8433.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKnbAlIfagNbrEuHD_lX814WLgGZK3nKCUo0WxA9AkmDPaYGfg23ojq0MyvoPi8gGTSMxqkGANiZB_X9L4A0-GzUPcFRXkvpgLF-Wwtb5LHmx58XsGk13veRvoWFfO_rDJwCt8khtkMFcCEU2SKb45Us_ICQFICFO9HUJ9mc_J-N1RYxyt-Bn/s320/IMG_8433.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Romney played Allison. I should have gotten her some pixie stix.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bb7jclbqjhosquPIkr43pHEH_HdA-fxYGqEGRna4ApUW5BSJsER2nm-9NBJ3B8y9M-92hT9440ZU5KPaXMCg8CHlfjPr2PKH0PMisWwfJkt9MdaJdEwpeWe_jzTLbcGhG2dJQEeDlMMcmrLR1EmHOGXNH9iG3bXgCVH6k7S4768uXUB5A0-5/s1284/IMG_8436.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="951" data-original-width="1284" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bb7jclbqjhosquPIkr43pHEH_HdA-fxYGqEGRna4ApUW5BSJsER2nm-9NBJ3B8y9M-92hT9440ZU5KPaXMCg8CHlfjPr2PKH0PMisWwfJkt9MdaJdEwpeWe_jzTLbcGhG2dJQEeDlMMcmrLR1EmHOGXNH9iG3bXgCVH6k7S4768uXUB5A0-5/s320/IMG_8436.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsJoKwV2zANDkMUlms_NQ_eOHG3Nh65UCCos-EUtTwG-Hg-cR0ce_Rj449skBvVPiFB4CizUMVQZ_2yGlD-v50RaVn6CzZyRFm6ueaU2H8Ko6miSixI6UPK83wV06cVod8srPNYVaCo46Dp3qFBOWTfnMBQBVQkCivD6-N5mA4gzRi_HroxqM/s1731/IMG_6232.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1731" data-original-width="1131" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsJoKwV2zANDkMUlms_NQ_eOHG3Nh65UCCos-EUtTwG-Hg-cR0ce_Rj449skBvVPiFB4CizUMVQZ_2yGlD-v50RaVn6CzZyRFm6ueaU2H8Ko6miSixI6UPK83wV06cVod8srPNYVaCo46Dp3qFBOWTfnMBQBVQkCivD6-N5mA4gzRi_HroxqM/s320/IMG_6232.jpeg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrG1iZ9X7w2uKZeTNb9VUKmP7WOIEq11DdCaa9Ksxy3NCENDJJ0Hye8MWeAJH3FFThuOitv51v7GvM2Q7cujS8rwyQpg74qeF8O-bGpWj2syTae77x6EzdlIW9kcqGTqQelp516nT2kWmsp4QEL5F_AJrxbFwB-MWroAsKOMzbbePCfUAu3Hi/s1316/IMG_8437.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1284" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrG1iZ9X7w2uKZeTNb9VUKmP7WOIEq11DdCaa9Ksxy3NCENDJJ0Hye8MWeAJH3FFThuOitv51v7GvM2Q7cujS8rwyQpg74qeF8O-bGpWj2syTae77x6EzdlIW9kcqGTqQelp516nT2kWmsp4QEL5F_AJrxbFwB-MWroAsKOMzbbePCfUAu3Hi/s320/IMG_8437.jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxW4I6n8Zt185bO3M3hb_s0oTgfx-Ns3LymXTF36ySIfJIFo0a38Js_gd5qg9Nr7x8bdnD1qn8BUOt57Yr32NuhMw4PaPq9PSFZeXoUIBkNZ8Lip8_d4dK_RFki__rs98LsmIEqrPPBGnbqiZDANM0sBtpp3DoLtihS6c3wApuxmbwthYKh0d/s4032/IMG_5971.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvxW4I6n8Zt185bO3M3hb_s0oTgfx-Ns3LymXTF36ySIfJIFo0a38Js_gd5qg9Nr7x8bdnD1qn8BUOt57Yr32NuhMw4PaPq9PSFZeXoUIBkNZ8Lip8_d4dK_RFki__rs98LsmIEqrPPBGnbqiZDANM0sBtpp3DoLtihS6c3wApuxmbwthYKh0d/s320/IMG_5971.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cute Emma messed around with a couple of different ideas - she was a witch for the chili cook off. And on Halloween night she got invited to do some trick-or-treating with old Jr. High friends. She dressed as a hobbit and had a lovely time. She is so stinking cute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzJYk2KSZp2bdmIsUcuXWp63lg_MXfuAnrguj6K-WA0EHPx73Egkl_JXIJYmSLp4KET__iGTvsix8u52kr6aFqstTMjGUpuaJq72Xu8wt1dgAO3gqUqoF5CXl14zDbv1-v-2YE3H_ObE22BpJMmab-a5Eq0Yo0MWaPftnv9P8OuZiRuRerC-p/s4032/IMG_8428.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqzJYk2KSZp2bdmIsUcuXWp63lg_MXfuAnrguj6K-WA0EHPx73Egkl_JXIJYmSLp4KET__iGTvsix8u52kr6aFqstTMjGUpuaJq72Xu8wt1dgAO3gqUqoF5CXl14zDbv1-v-2YE3H_ObE22BpJMmab-a5Eq0Yo0MWaPftnv9P8OuZiRuRerC-p/s320/IMG_8428.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraNVWCZNixN56CfoNKldtbzVUrZJ6Xd4OqyNVFhAg_bWlFkk6_fArN6z3MdjSiPmkK5Vo4Phd8BnetnY9FPuD7M-JYOsh30aOoqvZ1byu-L46hNnr7wXgePgF3OCHvwjLOqVufRKjetRQHHHWtDUbjaJuQ6EDV4cIaasauJne0ZBr60tA6m0r/s4032/IMG_8429.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraNVWCZNixN56CfoNKldtbzVUrZJ6Xd4OqyNVFhAg_bWlFkk6_fArN6z3MdjSiPmkK5Vo4Phd8BnetnY9FPuD7M-JYOsh30aOoqvZ1byu-L46hNnr7wXgePgF3OCHvwjLOqVufRKjetRQHHHWtDUbjaJuQ6EDV4cIaasauJne0ZBr60tA6m0r/s320/IMG_8429.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLR7SVZG52K0qTznUfy43M60h607gQ5IKTRkC_BRKQK_Qu_A4jp7A7ZoiX_FI2wCgy-NebY2nNuqtTPU9n0W_DAFgzqbRbALPFQl-8e_bOP6WBY1v2atZaV0reShwR8gvLtnV6sMo69Njfx9sgfXpXrSgAU3mByr4wWwUcCMcbcS6elUdy3Ck/s4032/IMG_8430.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLR7SVZG52K0qTznUfy43M60h607gQ5IKTRkC_BRKQK_Qu_A4jp7A7ZoiX_FI2wCgy-NebY2nNuqtTPU9n0W_DAFgzqbRbALPFQl-8e_bOP6WBY1v2atZaV0reShwR8gvLtnV6sMo69Njfx9sgfXpXrSgAU3mByr4wWwUcCMcbcS6elUdy3Ck/s320/IMG_8430.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-59184172677644402332023-11-29T11:41:00.004-07:002023-11-29T11:41:45.790-07:00Happy Birthday, Mr. Missionary<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LVBYZfaQdiZV2wAf1joCIE2mR0S9NieFGz4xT9HR9jZimm24XrD9Xd_Rw8k-lKN6YwT4n8DuGdN-LF4bfMa7SWUlTzoGo-dFr3_Thu7yZNSZqq7Xe5EKHo4zNg0udJt9SSkrKG0wlj4GTLj2rBtGleeYM3rL9fPjtsUAiIoel_dw4nfdOC0j/s1697/IMG_8414.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1697" data-original-width="889" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LVBYZfaQdiZV2wAf1joCIE2mR0S9NieFGz4xT9HR9jZimm24XrD9Xd_Rw8k-lKN6YwT4n8DuGdN-LF4bfMa7SWUlTzoGo-dFr3_Thu7yZNSZqq7Xe5EKHo4zNg0udJt9SSkrKG0wlj4GTLj2rBtGleeYM3rL9fPjtsUAiIoel_dw4nfdOC0j/s320/IMG_8414.jpeg" width="168" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This adorable missionary had a birthday at the end of October. I can't believe my wee little preemie baby is now 21 years old. Isn't that crazy?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When Chase first left on his mission, I felt like we were constantly counting UP, like 1 month, 2 months, 3 months....and there were all of the firsts like his first Thanksgiving away, first Christmas away. Well, we are on the opposite side of that now. We are counting down. 10 months left. Both birthdays away, check! Both Thanksgivings away, check! How the heck did this all go so quickly? And yet, when I think about the entire seasons ahead of us before he comes home, it still feels like forever and ever and ever. That was exactly how my mission felt. The time behind me was faster than an overflowing river, and the time ahead of me was solid ice that would never pass. In spite of all those relations to and thoughts about time, it just keeps marching ahead at the same pace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9qth6bVFcA553-9tXh5atArG8XKFW7QWa2x6fJuo6p1HDwZUqf0Gd9pgFmAM5Ck7E38HGtkfz5jLSqNSfnga0Gg7aNGIutyKt0-XHiKX2SMHt1pdrMOdBP_KW48veKRizv91os-ZIOlFltjnUXyvrS1D-jcFXy1nvq9x2rTvnqtOq4L_HDnf/s1920/received_651808867158566.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="973" data-original-width="1920" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9qth6bVFcA553-9tXh5atArG8XKFW7QWa2x6fJuo6p1HDwZUqf0Gd9pgFmAM5Ck7E38HGtkfz5jLSqNSfnga0Gg7aNGIutyKt0-XHiKX2SMHt1pdrMOdBP_KW48veKRizv91os-ZIOlFltjnUXyvrS1D-jcFXy1nvq9x2rTvnqtOq4L_HDnf/s320/received_651808867158566.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the goofy face Elder Chase loves to pull in pretty much all mission photos. He's at his favorite little Mexican spot in his area in Spokane.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was quite hard to know what to send for his birthday. We have already sent him loads of socks and ties and a few games and things like that. I did find a couple of treats to send his way. He had been telling us about a talk he listened to about Shackleton and his amazing survival story in Antarctica. When I was in Maine with my sister I found this little story book that I thought was very cool, and bought it for him.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTw8TEbPDpTQHK-KfJgrCR83Z0zAE1Shf_q0H4yagNhN5ZWmGrSZ8DGQiiq7AYCmk-lRZV1k26ZsaCE6zcHZuuz0asyv-uysbE6uGqssR0edtemy5BZoa6uyYQaZzJcCNtbUL49Q1JJviBmz7PfK5Qj2rV-SO1ychlHgrUxYrIQ4kor6TnE5ET/s4032/IMG_8377.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTw8TEbPDpTQHK-KfJgrCR83Z0zAE1Shf_q0H4yagNhN5ZWmGrSZ8DGQiiq7AYCmk-lRZV1k26ZsaCE6zcHZuuz0asyv-uysbE6uGqssR0edtemy5BZoa6uyYQaZzJcCNtbUL49Q1JJviBmz7PfK5Qj2rV-SO1ychlHgrUxYrIQ4kor6TnE5ET/s320/IMG_8377.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, the 30th anniversary of Chase's all-time favorite movie came and went, and I found this magazine a few months ago. I've been saving it for his birthday every since.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ftHioPbMmo7j5BsffGIcJ3TYQyYaeEeTn9Dsbf_92hkyJjVce86nf9XNIjzvbZ_8Tov5yYrmEQK6YgLA1JOTps1YlUJdMEC0NQcmxb2NAJguzS_NjIA9LEUGHFhhA87_1ROISB-kpsxUgR73u7zz4wp4qW1nQpcmW8KWCupu183-Y5TweRUR/s4032/IMG_8376.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ftHioPbMmo7j5BsffGIcJ3TYQyYaeEeTn9Dsbf_92hkyJjVce86nf9XNIjzvbZ_8Tov5yYrmEQK6YgLA1JOTps1YlUJdMEC0NQcmxb2NAJguzS_NjIA9LEUGHFhhA87_1ROISB-kpsxUgR73u7zz4wp4qW1nQpcmW8KWCupu183-Y5TweRUR/s320/IMG_8376.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And naturally, new socks. How could I not? Is it even a missionary package if there aren't socks in it? </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAJA_5R2ICKfoFSk0t8iE2Gyzbw68AKneqzssnhBVukTcC4o0sGwamoHfjeCLDL41E8WFJpUrBLWYBMWXz0aru5TXY_NIPXDkkjf2vOXEoIk9wzJirUwCAfKTz0zgVpqryzgGmxAXr73_3QPmmMnI0rB2DmNF45NrnedB7uWB34OFXbWIZSMy/s4032/IMG_8375.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAJA_5R2ICKfoFSk0t8iE2Gyzbw68AKneqzssnhBVukTcC4o0sGwamoHfjeCLDL41E8WFJpUrBLWYBMWXz0aru5TXY_NIPXDkkjf2vOXEoIk9wzJirUwCAfKTz0zgVpqryzgGmxAXr73_3QPmmMnI0rB2DmNF45NrnedB7uWB34OFXbWIZSMy/s320/IMG_8375.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>We are incredibly proud of Chase and so grateful for this time in his life. We miss him like CRAZY but I also know this is a time to be cherished. He recently told me that he's never been happier in his life. I know things will get more complicated when he gets home and has to juggle real life with all he's learned. so although I'm dying to see him, I also treasure this. I just love him so much. </p><p>Happy 21st, Chase!</p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-8875640347174981602023-11-28T16:45:00.003-07:002023-11-29T11:47:47.313-07:00Temples and Tarzan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have a wonderful friend and neighbor, Christy, who long ago worked with my dad at the University of Utah. She's such a lovely and kind person. She bought a condo in St. George because she likes to stay there for long stretches of time and volunteer as an usher at the Tuacahn Theater near the mouth of Snow Canyon. It's such a fun place to see plays. And Christy has taken notice of the fact that our family are theater fans. She's able to earn points somehow for free tickets and she chooses to share a few with us each summer. Isn't that nice? This was the second year she has sent us to Tuacahn, and we already have dates lined up for 2024.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a happy alignment of the stars, the tickets coincided with the open house for the St. George temple. That's the temple I went through for the first time, 29 short years ago. It has been completely remodeled, and I really wanted to see it as well as show it to my daughters before its rededication. It was actually so hard to get tickets! Luckily we worked it all out, and I was able to keep Emma out of school for a Friday for the trip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly, it also just so happened to be the same weekend that Peter and Sheri were going to be away, taking a break-neck trek across the Grand Canyon and back again in just two days. We were bummed that we wouldn't be able to spend much time with them. But since we were coming Friday morning instead of Friday evening, we did get to see them for a little!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First came the temple open house, which was a very popular event. There were so many people there! Cara came along with us - she and Emma held hands pretty much the whole time. Oh how I love how much they love each other! Despite the long wait and the very warm air, we really enjoyed seeing the temple. It's such a beautiful place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUoDn6qyqPN4TqfJnWKJzCC6Ti3CsUkn2FsqmmPM_RpR1uesrS4O776_PLF_VtSt5-rHuNTdUqE9iWoHmXSnTw-95xqT5nuBgKDWQePd4G8corRrf1D_yVTxKSdhfzYtTVu5fm0hIswAvCU1GiU1FPweUF7pP8zEXTOQMh_OoDDIO9HXyKY-u/s4032/IMG_8344.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUoDn6qyqPN4TqfJnWKJzCC6Ti3CsUkn2FsqmmPM_RpR1uesrS4O776_PLF_VtSt5-rHuNTdUqE9iWoHmXSnTw-95xqT5nuBgKDWQePd4G8corRrf1D_yVTxKSdhfzYtTVu5fm0hIswAvCU1GiU1FPweUF7pP8zEXTOQMh_OoDDIO9HXyKY-u/s320/IMG_8344.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfunDtDfiluH0udysiovrEv4DdPasGKWD65S2otDOrh8-BDYtLwY2joMwBxkNIBBECHRyOXgXMg5zH-x9DWginx5w6VBzWrJddMyYi1_ZMlqM-f8TH7ULJh7Y9yCl3MM1rkFz1dPreY5sP4YGjGnzGxUVx8te_FEujSQYQFHg2SiNLPpytM0E0/s4032/IMG_8345.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfunDtDfiluH0udysiovrEv4DdPasGKWD65S2otDOrh8-BDYtLwY2joMwBxkNIBBECHRyOXgXMg5zH-x9DWginx5w6VBzWrJddMyYi1_ZMlqM-f8TH7ULJh7Y9yCl3MM1rkFz1dPreY5sP4YGjGnzGxUVx8te_FEujSQYQFHg2SiNLPpytM0E0/s320/IMG_8345.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5KrNQcWpCsR40uzGWYK_lVuGBAlVJd-_Jq6bXLqwn_g13VZQvJtkT0vtjbOA-WLnglKLxrYM2RIf4EBLcb2Hdu3snk6D7_jqi1DfqwWMNLEPzf4Fq1FEHOOtCOfbb5w6OsweOSgaPslfT992NCupjq79BFLNhmTDPG52qt2nbY9ntW2wFL3X/s4032/IMG_8346.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5KrNQcWpCsR40uzGWYK_lVuGBAlVJd-_Jq6bXLqwn_g13VZQvJtkT0vtjbOA-WLnglKLxrYM2RIf4EBLcb2Hdu3snk6D7_jqi1DfqwWMNLEPzf4Fq1FEHOOtCOfbb5w6OsweOSgaPslfT992NCupjq79BFLNhmTDPG52qt2nbY9ntW2wFL3X/s320/IMG_8346.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpehztu6vIsD5yjP6jg8qRb_m7vXffP22xvBBbFE2RYdJktusaSVNYJTJMU3yllmHGUbRvxjzbRlPnpzft_b15p01nXsKsg4bLlVZqobIrDyuwqTncvW1egt8H3gtkKrq0iUc9msikmdESC1G83kzcIWXxl672UDTAZ9RUp0Sg5CWSEqIf4Xh/s4032/IMG_8347.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpehztu6vIsD5yjP6jg8qRb_m7vXffP22xvBBbFE2RYdJktusaSVNYJTJMU3yllmHGUbRvxjzbRlPnpzft_b15p01nXsKsg4bLlVZqobIrDyuwqTncvW1egt8H3gtkKrq0iUc9msikmdESC1G83kzcIWXxl672UDTAZ9RUp0Sg5CWSEqIf4Xh/s320/IMG_8347.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVxbUQ23JlfD1uqWsTo8EMQhe90V-9xoGCTF57v3EbnYK8yOCRlM5YCyKKZl5kDNk4YbnXHD0RbmK0LUCnzKZLq3skVpPSeJn5nesmw8V54yBXuHiHX7AW8kFOM5DnkBJB97FavDZ_2PUZYbiYctrGOSuUtpBjUsgUI7owyLUsBHqiDxvKhlc/s4032/IMG_8350.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNVxbUQ23JlfD1uqWsTo8EMQhe90V-9xoGCTF57v3EbnYK8yOCRlM5YCyKKZl5kDNk4YbnXHD0RbmK0LUCnzKZLq3skVpPSeJn5nesmw8V54yBXuHiHX7AW8kFOM5DnkBJB97FavDZ_2PUZYbiYctrGOSuUtpBjUsgUI7owyLUsBHqiDxvKhlc/s320/IMG_8350.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KHON3sFwGCZ4EgV0AX0iOv4YhkrW7b1dJ4W6WEqIsRht2bIgA5A9KOfsSfiXSfBhegz_Q1PiDt6NY7Oq17mtbYtSH4LsNBYnO_UUEayfdmISBdQPm9B4GlZlbBFr8JqqSPfHeBMQgscid6nY6D7kz0XURsQQww51JkVnH6J9HaN5pjllfrtk/s4032/IMG_8351.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KHON3sFwGCZ4EgV0AX0iOv4YhkrW7b1dJ4W6WEqIsRht2bIgA5A9KOfsSfiXSfBhegz_Q1PiDt6NY7Oq17mtbYtSH4LsNBYnO_UUEayfdmISBdQPm9B4GlZlbBFr8JqqSPfHeBMQgscid6nY6D7kz0XURsQQww51JkVnH6J9HaN5pjllfrtk/s320/IMG_8351.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoI5XkouBsmmYwCQHOmKcHqw5NH0eeMa6TX4EFJVwSZjWaWCvs-LFtTMhZdK4PhvPg-2r3Fvh23doIpPn8zV_ZXZWsUcZLk_AxQJgYY5jhA8pqoaVDTVgAOJ8rUt2CxYsScHWyqc0Xm0mX8BHCzfCRJMQZGbXJQXgnO2xTuRumXKuwnN_D3A3e/s4032/IMG_8352.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoI5XkouBsmmYwCQHOmKcHqw5NH0eeMa6TX4EFJVwSZjWaWCvs-LFtTMhZdK4PhvPg-2r3Fvh23doIpPn8zV_ZXZWsUcZLk_AxQJgYY5jhA8pqoaVDTVgAOJ8rUt2CxYsScHWyqc0Xm0mX8BHCzfCRJMQZGbXJQXgnO2xTuRumXKuwnN_D3A3e/s320/IMG_8352.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSX4i83n1ogBKDStrrdQAlGG1qsVIjqMfWBt0wSKkeBAZuwRCyGuNPNkYzr6vhJ8aEJwlclbvTU76DlInh8B3Bu2IWCMlPjYy5em2oujASIgEQ0kMIXfMe9O1bBzlf3e9FQUM0jpvldWeMl1I8a_mvrxlYJdqE7Nay9WzI4OopDbMxHeHNDvM/s4032/IMG_8353.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSX4i83n1ogBKDStrrdQAlGG1qsVIjqMfWBt0wSKkeBAZuwRCyGuNPNkYzr6vhJ8aEJwlclbvTU76DlInh8B3Bu2IWCMlPjYy5em2oujASIgEQ0kMIXfMe9O1bBzlf3e9FQUM0jpvldWeMl1I8a_mvrxlYJdqE7Nay9WzI4OopDbMxHeHNDvM/s320/IMG_8353.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That evening we saw our first show - The Hunchback of Notre Dam. Our first surprise was that our tickets were not in the location that Christy and I had discussed on the phone. We were in the PRIMO seats! They had cushions, came with complimentary water bottles, and were seriously front and center! Thank you Christy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The play was amazing. I mean, AMAZING. The voices, especially Frolo's. The set! It was all very breathtaking. Interestingly, the music from the Disney movie was used, with some additional songs. However, the plot of the play stuck much more closely to that of the novel, sad ending and all. We were absolutely blown away. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwfwuDi6x-M4k9KfRRGz2KGr-Ig8ZvYHw84w24Dbdzo8Itqv6L3UOVXxPORzFTj_n1DzpHlK2BGgK9eiulpIL-kfrcobLMwYEhPmQchyjq4Z3hoKsJFLhRTSu-Y6Z2puATGG2-tg716zXu10V3vr_HcI3QuOirsWcrLsuvHw9i-YCis6_LWwq/s4032/IMG_8359.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwfwuDi6x-M4k9KfRRGz2KGr-Ig8ZvYHw84w24Dbdzo8Itqv6L3UOVXxPORzFTj_n1DzpHlK2BGgK9eiulpIL-kfrcobLMwYEhPmQchyjq4Z3hoKsJFLhRTSu-Y6Z2puATGG2-tg716zXu10V3vr_HcI3QuOirsWcrLsuvHw9i-YCis6_LWwq/s320/IMG_8359.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRWzp3RidUtim4fwZSzpb9jbY6-YElripcMaem7PVu_lWZjEQGNF5enySb1ivqaaYzjTDcqRkge2aCwqnOHYiRwToDxjuKPj9gZR4ltjDco_q7K9rA20MZnqg0QIhlIVHTLG0ODTRcfOG7C50NujmHCwpfA3FB0W0PmHa2qNq05JqI6ZJPdAJ/s4032/IMG_8361.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRWzp3RidUtim4fwZSzpb9jbY6-YElripcMaem7PVu_lWZjEQGNF5enySb1ivqaaYzjTDcqRkge2aCwqnOHYiRwToDxjuKPj9gZR4ltjDco_q7K9rA20MZnqg0QIhlIVHTLG0ODTRcfOG7C50NujmHCwpfA3FB0W0PmHa2qNq05JqI6ZJPdAJ/s320/IMG_8361.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-6CaHbXnAKpgn7eJA8Utnj5-ZLx33b9CyHEquTNVMkJ4zGoP9sQ3GPxWwZlZBVgxHkdHHlMnMWv9fRtZ8t7Q5iqGd7lnirqWU5SkXcEb6ZgQ3Hc-FWUkT2avhQ_vXR22-dhr-04NwHIoEO2DKR7WysbuZOp-7jy2rpjAXEyQeXCibdWi-X-z/s4032/IMG_8364.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja-6CaHbXnAKpgn7eJA8Utnj5-ZLx33b9CyHEquTNVMkJ4zGoP9sQ3GPxWwZlZBVgxHkdHHlMnMWv9fRtZ8t7Q5iqGd7lnirqWU5SkXcEb6ZgQ3Hc-FWUkT2avhQ_vXR22-dhr-04NwHIoEO2DKR7WysbuZOp-7jy2rpjAXEyQeXCibdWi-X-z/s320/IMG_8364.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday gave us some hang-out time at the house, including some snuggles with their old dogs and lots of playtime with their sweet new puppy, Tucker. He is so darling and sweet, especially for a puppy. It's sad how old their first two dogs are getting! Gabby just wanted to snuggle and sleep. I know the feeling, sister.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91nu1IR_C0bqIQPD_OIWlOKd63X5J4LRc79gkw9qjMnex5yT5ax6Gd81-aZGmEeZAJgnjRKoFBfUQn11gVT2SzS30j0pemPttWai34v0osqFFTeksYVsTM2qYKr3Qy3K2taun0C1SxbjeMuimyIegbHYB15DBR_znKkgCrEpiJ5nCtWbZfu2e/s4032/IMG_8370.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91nu1IR_C0bqIQPD_OIWlOKd63X5J4LRc79gkw9qjMnex5yT5ax6Gd81-aZGmEeZAJgnjRKoFBfUQn11gVT2SzS30j0pemPttWai34v0osqFFTeksYVsTM2qYKr3Qy3K2taun0C1SxbjeMuimyIegbHYB15DBR_znKkgCrEpiJ5nCtWbZfu2e/s320/IMG_8370.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fxvQkshe7PsPhY8A5uDgn4anyI2RsMRwHnYNhbtkW03qhred3NmjpHGyK01u5q_vwNciMcXH5nrhUhdkOrOuWI4JCImDqCl54sow7RmKGm7Usu2aSYwJ87JHmfnpICKqzMXopkM-n6mstGz0WTLdDlYjq2-hRZKfEjI0jH9Hyc2G2CZ3vsbW/s3088/IMG_8371.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fxvQkshe7PsPhY8A5uDgn4anyI2RsMRwHnYNhbtkW03qhred3NmjpHGyK01u5q_vwNciMcXH5nrhUhdkOrOuWI4JCImDqCl54sow7RmKGm7Usu2aSYwJ87JHmfnpICKqzMXopkM-n6mstGz0WTLdDlYjq2-hRZKfEjI0jH9Hyc2G2CZ3vsbW/s320/IMG_8371.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday morning, I dropped the girls off at the farm down the street, where Halloween is celebrated all fall long. Cute Siena got a job as one of the performers, a witch who became known as Twitch, since she was the only teenaged-witch of the group. They have a breakfast you can buy tickets to called waffles and witches. I only got two, and was happy to have Romney and Emma see the show. I think they felt a little silly, since almost every other guest was 8 years old or younger, accompanied by a parent. But they had fun watching Siena do her thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijC0Ntr1eSkM7_dVMsgEA3Z6WJKUL5_H_VV3vJm4kyhCH7o1caQOGA_RgLLWg7ytxFgozhMHzjHdaDTPMfjQxQCIc_FzHdSpePFuQAgQGp38TaMbeeCdyriw74PVxtcTDZgyyguN77WdiKoORXsL_6iimoKpQQUnxyhsVf9M-QqQnxS7mS9AO/s4032/FullSizeRender.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijC0Ntr1eSkM7_dVMsgEA3Z6WJKUL5_H_VV3vJm4kyhCH7o1caQOGA_RgLLWg7ytxFgozhMHzjHdaDTPMfjQxQCIc_FzHdSpePFuQAgQGp38TaMbeeCdyriw74PVxtcTDZgyyguN77WdiKoORXsL_6iimoKpQQUnxyhsVf9M-QqQnxS7mS9AO/s320/FullSizeRender.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That evening was Tarzan. We did not get the fancy seats this time, which had its advantages and disadvantages. The only downside was that we had seat-neighbors who seemed to be really sad they were at the play and would have preferred to be watching hockey on their phone, which they did for the first few minutes. Luckily the guy knocked it off 5 minutes into the show. The advantage was that that although we were a bit farther away from the stage, we were right underneath the wires that carried actors through the air down to the stage. So we had gorillas and Tarzan and Jane flying right above us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The show was once again magnificent. The best part was that the actor playing Tarzan was the original actor from the Broadway show. He was just wonderful! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLeK0QkGaLrQKwewhN0L-QFrV7OQy7Pc9UHkscyrxvlzhDvhJP1xnjNOIFKTM3GDavyXylYkd1k_z-Uw58fR4gm0gM3LicRTUkxeyhMmxl1Hj4OUafxnzVoBEwJhK-8_EsRxTLdnV3ltQTnwvdSIqZUsZUk6iewdLn2AoA6cetnb2OzJ2_MHK/s259/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaLeK0QkGaLrQKwewhN0L-QFrV7OQy7Pc9UHkscyrxvlzhDvhJP1xnjNOIFKTM3GDavyXylYkd1k_z-Uw58fR4gm0gM3LicRTUkxeyhMmxl1Hj4OUafxnzVoBEwJhK-8_EsRxTLdnV3ltQTnwvdSIqZUsZUk6iewdLn2AoA6cetnb2OzJ2_MHK/s1600/images.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div> <p></p><div>Oh, one last thing. I can't write about this weekend without mentioning an event that I consider to be a real miracle. I'll try to keep it short - I have a dear friend who lives in Texas. She has a daughter who got home from a mission several months ago, and is now living at BYU in Provo, going to school. I've meant to contact her forever, but haven't. This cute girl came to mind as I was preparing for the trip, and I tried to contact her. It turns out I didn't have her number, so I contacted her mother in Texas. Mother let me know that it just so happened that the daughter was waiting for news on whether or not she had gotten into nursing school, which was her dream. Over the weekend, the mom let me know that daughter, just as feared, did not get into nursing school. I decided to put together a little care package for daughter to drop off on the way home. Now, this might not seem like a big deal, but when you think about it, it absolutely was. I hadn't thought about this gal for ages. Then to suddenly not only think of her but actually do the work to get in touch? Just when a major disappointment came her way? And I was in a position to see her, hug her, put my arms around her when her mom was so far away? It was clear to me that there was a purpose in her not getting into nursing school this time - her Heavenly Father knew what was happening. He hadn't forgotten her. He knew, He cared, He sent a message to make sure she knew this. I was able to bear witness of these feelings to sweet Nicole and assure her that all would be well. Just as Chase wasn't able to serve a mission right when he wanted to, she needed to wait. For a reason. It made us all cry.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok. Miracle noted.</div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-3283179791469671402023-11-21T22:18:00.001-07:002023-11-21T22:18:10.499-07:00Strut-Worthy<p>Just because the summer was over, didn't mean didn't still have work to do on The List.</p><p>A couple of bigger items on there were putting in some new pathways. One was in front of the chicken run, with a patio area in front of the coop, and then finally <i>finally</i> replacing the pathway in front of the house between the driveway and the porch. Long ago I had wanted to put in a cute path and I used bricks and all this fake rock that had been on the wall behind an old wood-burning stove in the living room when we bought the house. I did the pathway absolutely 100% incorrectly. I don't think I put anything underneath it at all, and it basically just disintegrated away. It became such a challenge to walk on that it was just easier to walk around it on the grass. Not ideal.</p><p>So, I thought I would be really brave and just start digging. I started with the chicken coop. And I re-learned something that I will not be able to adequately express in this post - it is unreal how much dirt comes up when you do a little digging. The area doesn't seem that large, but the PILES and HEAPS of dirt you end up with just don't seem physically correct.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nYMRioi3Cr7xHqc1TSbBZfCHb8gxM7_o53JkmGIOrxLqCNz4yZ1QU6pcqtibdsZy1w3H0WeD5cbmiCJQwtJNXiLcOobuW6zfuXEgWKASabcCvYobtWcwRSqwUux-Mx7VJ4ebLW2tRSHhYSD98CzdMymCh6n9tmBvjEX36wxbMMQ0iaPYaX_N/s1284/IMG_8525.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1284" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nYMRioi3Cr7xHqc1TSbBZfCHb8gxM7_o53JkmGIOrxLqCNz4yZ1QU6pcqtibdsZy1w3H0WeD5cbmiCJQwtJNXiLcOobuW6zfuXEgWKASabcCvYobtWcwRSqwUux-Mx7VJ4ebLW2tRSHhYSD98CzdMymCh6n9tmBvjEX36wxbMMQ0iaPYaX_N/s320/IMG_8525.JPEG" width="320" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1vV8D6vQhjD2r-NOS2SwOQW6zeWKQDF5qkpqfIiRypUdugm8AnoMVkrExf5Qa1DLDVCqT9eQFinb1c2hxbfAqMEatsx0Rhk4rr6o8QyltRJ2zxScS-PqzBhQjxqZDErwspA2oQQx98ZK1AF8iXRzdKpQr2PlyqJ67L9YjiAHtmQx4yoDnxXi/s945/IMG_8526.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="945" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1vV8D6vQhjD2r-NOS2SwOQW6zeWKQDF5qkpqfIiRypUdugm8AnoMVkrExf5Qa1DLDVCqT9eQFinb1c2hxbfAqMEatsx0Rhk4rr6o8QyltRJ2zxScS-PqzBhQjxqZDErwspA2oQQx98ZK1AF8iXRzdKpQr2PlyqJ67L9YjiAHtmQx4yoDnxXi/s320/IMG_8526.JPEG" width="320" /></a></p><p>The other thing I already knew but had to experience once again is that the amount of paver base and sand and also the number of paving stones needed for projects is astronomical, and always adds up to more than you can fit in your vehicle, and also always adds up to more than the math you do says you need.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHHlLAVk-GmTmjKlo0KRcQX5SbtPoPdJMQE4GZMrZoQHLcCkjmu1QNImcAuSDL4qSTF4inR9I8USUJQCf9UqBklFxeXNdW7bP8nombdJhiOJOsu8LEOCMykpQUg8Jht3Ervljqrh2gEbP7SwymHJAswY9ndIYjrMFtcUNinQ_1HDe81fhIiWX/s713/IMG_8527.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHHlLAVk-GmTmjKlo0KRcQX5SbtPoPdJMQE4GZMrZoQHLcCkjmu1QNImcAuSDL4qSTF4inR9I8USUJQCf9UqBklFxeXNdW7bP8nombdJhiOJOsu8LEOCMykpQUg8Jht3Ervljqrh2gEbP7SwymHJAswY9ndIYjrMFtcUNinQ_1HDe81fhIiWX/s320/IMG_8527.jpeg" width="267" /></a></p><p>Basically I commuted to The Home Depot multiple times a day for a while. This time I was without my trusty teenage son and had to do all the lifting and lugging myself. Actually, that's not quite true. I think three times in the parking lot, I found myself getting wordlessly helped by a man who saw my middle-aged self trying to lift things into a minivan and just had to intervene. They were so nice. </p><p>Anyway, trying to dig the right amount of dirt and buy the right amount of materials and get it to the house and get an even layer of dirt at the correct depth and getting everything level is a major, massive, horrible pain in the rear end. However, once you get to the part where you are laying the paver sand down and tapping those paving stones into place, it's all worth it. I love creating those pathways. They look so beautiful! And then, you add that polymeric sand, which, by the way, we have now dubbed "crack sand," since I can never remember the word polymeric. It fills in all those cracks, and solidifies after you sprinkle it with water and makes it all one surface. It's tremendously satisfying. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpfSG0GhyZVLzpx1I31bww3qfVlUUgfrMaK1XqsPplRI-Lw5OBewPU1yoPWXVhVqu9aoc7nkRv3-1E9_PUDj-gTWpsYgRnN-NViHAcLMoocrNqiyJXROCxwD9Jm1jazUN4gNQxqw_WLbJwizhTVYdZR27RFfLVJn-1W4ZzejVtJzWRKYtZ-8U/s4032/IMG_8308.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpfSG0GhyZVLzpx1I31bww3qfVlUUgfrMaK1XqsPplRI-Lw5OBewPU1yoPWXVhVqu9aoc7nkRv3-1E9_PUDj-gTWpsYgRnN-NViHAcLMoocrNqiyJXROCxwD9Jm1jazUN4gNQxqw_WLbJwizhTVYdZR27RFfLVJn-1W4ZzejVtJzWRKYtZ-8U/s320/IMG_8308.JPG" width="240" /></a></p><p>The walkway back by the chickens is nice, but we really just wanted to add another layer of predator-prevention around the perimeter of the coop. It's the walkway in front of the house that we love the most. It feels so luxurious so have a flat and sturdy surface to walk on. Troy even declared that the only proper way to cross the walkway was to strut down it like a runway for models. I concur. Strut worthy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA41WQ9uVAF7sF0p5Rw2gZpo9Iwifzv1X3O9AM-AgBHU9Ql9GVT0kolc2O-AGqcHjIPpHYDnwCEZ7a8bPq7wT5PjxqW4TDM9HIuUk3XySGbRbUC6k78-JCNZM95KpIe5L-N-OPDNNvrHh_ROkx-5GBAap3NfFND4ROXZpgC-Z-etYWsbDHqBl/s4032/IMG_2160.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA41WQ9uVAF7sF0p5Rw2gZpo9Iwifzv1X3O9AM-AgBHU9Ql9GVT0kolc2O-AGqcHjIPpHYDnwCEZ7a8bPq7wT5PjxqW4TDM9HIuUk3XySGbRbUC6k78-JCNZM95KpIe5L-N-OPDNNvrHh_ROkx-5GBAap3NfFND4ROXZpgC-Z-etYWsbDHqBl/s320/IMG_2160.heic" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9nJPqDRKVusak8xUh1xeOooOEKT9yHsTt9m3-ayyDac6yG8hVRU64OnIMYo9D6r3s8jTaeWhLTdm7rk_m5XI2IzdhFMGaYkmRElSuBNcBpklclZeJuzDTcjI0RQ0-FFlA-U9KkQx1xiCQLyHIw79j3i70447oDQGD7_imAb6jxY25nqfI3gT/s4032/IMG_2158.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9nJPqDRKVusak8xUh1xeOooOEKT9yHsTt9m3-ayyDac6yG8hVRU64OnIMYo9D6r3s8jTaeWhLTdm7rk_m5XI2IzdhFMGaYkmRElSuBNcBpklclZeJuzDTcjI0RQ0-FFlA-U9KkQx1xiCQLyHIw79j3i70447oDQGD7_imAb6jxY25nqfI3gT/s320/IMG_2158.heic" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKgDgJNIJbjUHzu5SkEAoCx_HZ08Ulji7tZrhGhRTwdt8FqMijCfF6KPfoAuC5kOrym_v5qZ7w-Hm0R3ZzLxQfKGGeZcH33Uv2fygvreY6UFRHSEoPGtko12RmzXT46GFKtpIS0CgtlrnRxmL52-rxjFgl-yQGJEnkbCCpl5V_aKVubuX0cSK/s4032/IMG_2159.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKgDgJNIJbjUHzu5SkEAoCx_HZ08Ulji7tZrhGhRTwdt8FqMijCfF6KPfoAuC5kOrym_v5qZ7w-Hm0R3ZzLxQfKGGeZcH33Uv2fygvreY6UFRHSEoPGtko12RmzXT46GFKtpIS0CgtlrnRxmL52-rxjFgl-yQGJEnkbCCpl5V_aKVubuX0cSK/s320/IMG_2159.heic" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUu65iSpd5Lyirh1v5fRBDVraPook1ysCAzMvtcVjFnTE_Hh8xgo0pg6JhgkIiYBMosMHb-1B_uSzgz1WPikMOp64kw0AfGwBL8TD5CLJ4P2mQh3JPMMmIVfKrIom5fWUzM13EK2om1oA_jyO-aghkkDd7yRDeAlFoiO-t4G9DviSyi0FgQ8f/s4032/IMG_2157.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUu65iSpd5Lyirh1v5fRBDVraPook1ysCAzMvtcVjFnTE_Hh8xgo0pg6JhgkIiYBMosMHb-1B_uSzgz1WPikMOp64kw0AfGwBL8TD5CLJ4P2mQh3JPMMmIVfKrIom5fWUzM13EK2om1oA_jyO-aghkkDd7yRDeAlFoiO-t4G9DviSyi0FgQ8f/s320/IMG_2157.heic" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i7m751dl2_-B9rldQ6iAE1pNPya5d7WcSfLp4TAbAasdu-eeZG4ihT7LLz61S85AMxIFCHKd4E8_tT-zRVIJFvXbOFFYReQYAnRP7cF5usJAlkTyZOoQyJL-dpBAPLZTceN5q9V-_F_daZvHB__HjxIqHq4H38etmwviEbb20of432zrQA08/s1045/IMG_8523.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="909" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4i7m751dl2_-B9rldQ6iAE1pNPya5d7WcSfLp4TAbAasdu-eeZG4ihT7LLz61S85AMxIFCHKd4E8_tT-zRVIJFvXbOFFYReQYAnRP7cF5usJAlkTyZOoQyJL-dpBAPLZTceN5q9V-_F_daZvHB__HjxIqHq4H38etmwviEbb20of432zrQA08/s320/IMG_8523.JPEG" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwG7lPZjzGPNaRKUMRRAvVLgvhslPFgMRtP23Fjk2uusJ8DowHzg5QVxrgTyhue_DAZWEsrcCNAmuZOJnBco699D1a7FYNNz73Byx49i2un6Np48ItfkGGAGKvMcnkUZNLKKHBVcL_c9CubzFY4ZQVv-0kCiFN8C7d3Y_jT6eMWTroYSD9_z9/s1284/IMG_8524.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1284" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwG7lPZjzGPNaRKUMRRAvVLgvhslPFgMRtP23Fjk2uusJ8DowHzg5QVxrgTyhue_DAZWEsrcCNAmuZOJnBco699D1a7FYNNz73Byx49i2un6Np48ItfkGGAGKvMcnkUZNLKKHBVcL_c9CubzFY4ZQVv-0kCiFN8C7d3Y_jT6eMWTroYSD9_z9/s320/IMG_8524.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-53236365758594657642023-11-16T17:14:00.000-07:002023-11-16T17:14:30.035-07:00Field Trips Forever!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't think it's been much of a secret that I am not a fan of going on field trips with my kids. But that was just because they hadn't been in college yet. As it turns out, I adore going on field trips with my college kid. And let me be clear, I never minded being with my own child on field trips. It was just all the other kids around that made me nuts. Even Emma's 8th grade class last year made me almost leave a Rachel-shaped hole in the wall of the Utah Museum of Natural History. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow. I wouldn't have guessed that field trips were going to be a part of college. I'm thrilled to be wrong! I suppose that many college kids do these trips on their own, but I'm so glad ours wanted us to tag along. Romney is taking an anthropology course this semester, and she had to choose a group of projects to complete. There were several choices, such as a group of 10 essays and things like that. She picked the project of visiting 4 archeological sites in Utah and writing about them. The problem? Actually getting to the sites. She hasn't had her car with her and also doesn't feel great about going on long trips on her own. That's how the problem became the fun part for us - taking her!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Her first visit was to Nine Mile Canyon in the Price area. Troy was the lucky one to spend a Saturday with her, making the long drive and visiting many cool sites along the way. They got up very early in the morning and hit the road. Romney <i>loves</i> going on road trips. This couldn't have been any happier for either of them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQThhyR06rxK6p2160yZ6zOMjC8p6T4dWSLoYMY5izqMcbGB9_ND_QaL_cSzX6-lbYaiK2rcl8GJyELsdxUrJ4QbtJvMvuYxJGFlxdRrqer4iBdRcxPHqSZlo-5f4azaNrQaSKiMPpbBI6aEc5ftyUNVGxF6i__sU01wgd84ArgJAjIPPTDULd/s4032/IMG_8107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQThhyR06rxK6p2160yZ6zOMjC8p6T4dWSLoYMY5izqMcbGB9_ND_QaL_cSzX6-lbYaiK2rcl8GJyELsdxUrJ4QbtJvMvuYxJGFlxdRrqer4iBdRcxPHqSZlo-5f4azaNrQaSKiMPpbBI6aEc5ftyUNVGxF6i__sU01wgd84ArgJAjIPPTDULd/s320/IMG_8107.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTKpos8-18Xcfr6TWRg1RLOSGz4K7yKAcflGVACPlzFWcgRH8SYgD6ggqm3_a_OHKh4SCW-52e5gOhAxeiQRSZ6Ce_0MWXTLrkXviL4QIv5REMKuJu97nBOsCMp65TRfbGaLWgJoG5alewyuLCKESvP3uRSNUePzywxumSxJWgIIT-CeNyvoz/s4928/DSC_4588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTKpos8-18Xcfr6TWRg1RLOSGz4K7yKAcflGVACPlzFWcgRH8SYgD6ggqm3_a_OHKh4SCW-52e5gOhAxeiQRSZ6Ce_0MWXTLrkXviL4QIv5REMKuJu97nBOsCMp65TRfbGaLWgJoG5alewyuLCKESvP3uRSNUePzywxumSxJWgIIT-CeNyvoz/s320/DSC_4588.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h00dxUxJzLZtza6w4tx2iczwgMMRSwWVM04fNI1pOamxwDXnnaS9K5hbWCwXCNzXyKdgPH39Zj5WL7OgEoDQ5Ce0P-WrxWIcJL4xAI1od6O4ELRmPt2J1dCkjr7JWSF3wJJyM-wH4ZgITjOnt_rH8WXLFmBcbwyir5MjgR4DI3sGqJZ6qcR7/s4928/DSC_4589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h00dxUxJzLZtza6w4tx2iczwgMMRSwWVM04fNI1pOamxwDXnnaS9K5hbWCwXCNzXyKdgPH39Zj5WL7OgEoDQ5Ce0P-WrxWIcJL4xAI1od6O4ELRmPt2J1dCkjr7JWSF3wJJyM-wH4ZgITjOnt_rH8WXLFmBcbwyir5MjgR4DI3sGqJZ6qcR7/s320/DSC_4589.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkI2Mqyz4N1sdGlAfPAs2ED3d2zDq85dd5w0jVFFDbsMeGLM4DDJ-4kvK7MgzjjVe6r-Qoqh1iMve8LYrbGKzzJcqf6dja_WBdmfVQlYo3MAsPW8MunSCckagJUiilAVSSG33VZeHGyR-kFZfoc6rtBfhWXNMxonCB0zyBqD7Mt0numF6yGmC/s4928/DSC_4600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkI2Mqyz4N1sdGlAfPAs2ED3d2zDq85dd5w0jVFFDbsMeGLM4DDJ-4kvK7MgzjjVe6r-Qoqh1iMve8LYrbGKzzJcqf6dja_WBdmfVQlYo3MAsPW8MunSCckagJUiilAVSSG33VZeHGyR-kFZfoc6rtBfhWXNMxonCB0zyBqD7Mt0numF6yGmC/s320/DSC_4600.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RAO2RUNfG-4e3I4NRhLEMqCM_uUZF9OQF1mAJfWCF8PrdJRyDc0Jrzgq26havHMEc26EBqh9cHkaixPo1KWZGXZIOnU1DM0wyTrDCBslVELgokRdRuU71f3H1Ys5NCQnqObw1sIr0tJLEETQfiL3TgmHd-VEL-850x-zE2kS23TJ39by7ppK/s320/DSC_4622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSY7BGQHZg2-1LPVd4jfu1ncFNyHCm2Kdcua4PxkCnSSh9JxsSuoEiDy5GfeRCqGWxRoxtj1SUANbek0kcg2b-3vbhiy4mFAVxLnqeMwx6iXOJUOtSIKBimI7JqbL457IHnLM8r3NS3QWD0eNLsmkiP6Fixo9E-qNv9OuU9SMOH0blUzASt0Z/s4928/DSC_4661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSY7BGQHZg2-1LPVd4jfu1ncFNyHCm2Kdcua4PxkCnSSh9JxsSuoEiDy5GfeRCqGWxRoxtj1SUANbek0kcg2b-3vbhiy4mFAVxLnqeMwx6iXOJUOtSIKBimI7JqbL457IHnLM8r3NS3QWD0eNLsmkiP6Fixo9E-qNv9OuU9SMOH0blUzASt0Z/s320/DSC_4661.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLm9bcHyOLGfH7e6cbt2ZksweMUPml0dYivi_oIphV-x5X4UcGnk9sHAi6w3t39Q_4qAWQN07sqDtyHiTh5vPOZw7LQgxmmCXNCNA_c8TP_Eu2hPYG9aN4PlQZ7cyX3vy3RWVwVuI1fG4cFbCM7YBGS914-zvIrO4vRX-mlo_nwCvjYi4l5Gd/s4928/DSC_4664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="4928" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLm9bcHyOLGfH7e6cbt2ZksweMUPml0dYivi_oIphV-x5X4UcGnk9sHAi6w3t39Q_4qAWQN07sqDtyHiTh5vPOZw7LQgxmmCXNCNA_c8TP_Eu2hPYG9aN4PlQZ7cyX3vy3RWVwVuI1fG4cFbCM7YBGS914-zvIrO4vRX-mlo_nwCvjYi4l5Gd/s320/DSC_4664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second visit happened to be along the way to St. George, where I took the girls in October to see some plays. (More on that later.) It was called the Parowan Gap. We didn't stay that long or take that many photos but it was still fun to see. In fact, there are zero photos of the actual college student.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemTv6Ia3dlmEd_MBIN1bWvikz7_hHtWVXk2snOw2ODaC44FRKelIbo_fg_mMFyvE6bS66j0ARjEd1PgB9Vo8Wt8Vnf_Tcv191fpqld_huV_nMF1xyn8yrTIU60Y7BS4vwHSLLKyf8yGWO0QErJWYYXN_eF5A6QQW8M23mKmAN1p-o3S-zzI23/s4032/IMG_8339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemTv6Ia3dlmEd_MBIN1bWvikz7_hHtWVXk2snOw2ODaC44FRKelIbo_fg_mMFyvE6bS66j0ARjEd1PgB9Vo8Wt8Vnf_Tcv191fpqld_huV_nMF1xyn8yrTIU60Y7BS4vwHSLLKyf8yGWO0QErJWYYXN_eF5A6QQW8M23mKmAN1p-o3S-zzI23/s320/IMG_8339.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyNwIPoMfpepcPXfATg_QxwgDswgYlNIMTpTQD1-sbDU8hjQrLl-oNU40fM09wgGA26G-9o_OpUA5eeLznKvV2pNbvk3EZ1fRkKdhrcqI8NR2eISu-mY58n7Igi2p9tZIw_s2Fnjcuf53sPT3JQEebcQ6Lz4mCu4LXqR3KN7iVAcoLh_ignq3/s3088/IMG_8340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAyNwIPoMfpepcPXfATg_QxwgDswgYlNIMTpTQD1-sbDU8hjQrLl-oNU40fM09wgGA26G-9o_OpUA5eeLznKvV2pNbvk3EZ1fRkKdhrcqI8NR2eISu-mY58n7Igi2p9tZIw_s2Fnjcuf53sPT3JQEebcQ6Lz4mCu4LXqR3KN7iVAcoLh_ignq3/s320/IMG_8340.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The latest was a trip to the Natural History Museum of Utah. This time was just the two of us, and was considerably more enjoyable than the previous time I had been there with my own hoard of a dozen crabby eighth graders I had to be in charge of but failed pretty terribly. (Still traumatized? Me? What do you mean?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have one more trip coming up, and I'm looking forward to it. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3hJ8V_qPuXu9J1-ahbYJrVyx7zrMKjE3gCquXLGpILxkBdTdjVrzc8EmgN4H60f4PMGxGk5NN8MTusLZN59Nnq31GVl-RzXkHwEGSs4xVcvntYD3gTEe4jayVurUVrzIRZudlfw4MVBsPtrx0QDuwcVsbHaIuV29MQjQ3ccJ3j07CnHhcCfS/s4032/IMG_8405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3hJ8V_qPuXu9J1-ahbYJrVyx7zrMKjE3gCquXLGpILxkBdTdjVrzc8EmgN4H60f4PMGxGk5NN8MTusLZN59Nnq31GVl-RzXkHwEGSs4xVcvntYD3gTEe4jayVurUVrzIRZudlfw4MVBsPtrx0QDuwcVsbHaIuV29MQjQ3ccJ3j07CnHhcCfS/s320/IMG_8405.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-16218275695503373632023-11-16T11:28:00.001-07:002023-11-16T11:28:09.516-07:00Sisterly Reunion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many months ago, more than a year even, my sister moved to Maine. To make a long story short, she went there to visit a friend and just fell in love with the place, enough to move there. She soon bought a house, so old it makes my 1883 house look almost youthful. It's from 1830 or so, and she's just loved it. It wasn't long before she started talking about me coming out for a visit, and I loved the idea. Then along came my 50th birthday, and Margaret very sweetly gave me the gift of a ticket to visit her.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I confess that we were giggling a little - this was the 2nd trip I was given for my birthday. And they pretty much could not have been any more different from each other. From one sister I was given a mad dash to Disneyland, with lights and noise and colors and laughing and screaming and also exhaustion and blisters. From another sister I was given a very quiet and still trip to Maine, with walks and alone time and lots of conversations, time on the ocean and time exploring a lovely little town. Both were just wonderful and so completely the opposite. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was so grateful for the chance to go see Margaret as it had been a couple of years. The dates that worked ended up being just before her birthday, so I decided that before I went, I'd knit up a gift I've been wanting to make for her. Behold, Frog and Toad:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7rtVYCDU4KMq8n3ElfPsfyAf0Mq46e4D1FSkGY3tmRWFFCk5wuwgEyOqzh6SoZIuN1jVISQ7lbZ2Jy13PeXfXj_XvLIpdKrsZqnoX3JAWoO1qyYRhHMzbnyks0VHegyOVau8vwrnI_KtUCSBrqz322ElQBrj-pA4roYJy81aXEhE9eaibzBd/s4032/IMG_8122.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7rtVYCDU4KMq8n3ElfPsfyAf0Mq46e4D1FSkGY3tmRWFFCk5wuwgEyOqzh6SoZIuN1jVISQ7lbZ2Jy13PeXfXj_XvLIpdKrsZqnoX3JAWoO1qyYRhHMzbnyks0VHegyOVau8vwrnI_KtUCSBrqz322ElQBrj-pA4roYJy81aXEhE9eaibzBd/s320/IMG_8122.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ever since I saw this pattern, I knew I had to make it for Margaret. There is just so much about our childhood in these little characters. I think about this a lot, that Margaret and I are different in so many ways, but she is also the only person in the world who has my same roots, who speaks the same language of childhood that I also speak. I was so happy when Frog and Toad were finished - they were more adorable than I had hoped and I was so excited to give them to my sister!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The travel out to Maine was pretty interesting - it began with an early morning flight which consisted of me walking what seemed like at least a mile to get to my gate, but the gate only led to a ramp, which led to the tarmac, which led to a bus, which drove us to a teeny little plane. It was so small, we didn't even bring our carry-ons onto the plane. They got loaded up underneath. It kind of felt more like a prison transfer than the start of a vacation. It was the oddest way to start the trip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOtxkyQMsXWhW4PD68a-AEywBD6nfzKEZWodL9xcjRlazSpf9lPGGOY9ar5gPH7XmVZ4X9bGyPL3lrRN6TefSVuxaDnj3qPrVbnFUoZ1J-jxa4lGommxR5PpIji5QmO7dB7DRIt_F_edqqbz92xmdzyOx6QogSv7p_BQgXDhhuJh669-O7WO9/s4032/IMG_8123.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOtxkyQMsXWhW4PD68a-AEywBD6nfzKEZWodL9xcjRlazSpf9lPGGOY9ar5gPH7XmVZ4X9bGyPL3lrRN6TefSVuxaDnj3qPrVbnFUoZ1J-jxa4lGommxR5PpIji5QmO7dB7DRIt_F_edqqbz92xmdzyOx6QogSv7p_BQgXDhhuJh669-O7WO9/s320/IMG_8123.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What made me laugh was that the plane was absolutely full to the brim, except for one seat, which just so happened to be next to me. Also I was placed in the one row with extra leg room. Did I feel guilty? Well, yes, a little bit. But not enough to swap seats with anyone. It was just luxurious. And what's more, after a 2 1/2 hour layover in Chicago, I was once again on a very full flight with just one empty seat....next to me. Again. A vacation miracle!</div><div><br /></div>I finally landed in Maine, and was greeted first by the sight of some taxidermy. Interesting. And then a better sight - my sister! She was standing at the bottom of an escalator, ready for a hug, and with a bag of treats. After a long hug she opened her bag and asked if I wanted salty or sweet (chocolate or chips) and caffeine or caffeine-free (diet coke with or without caffeine). Isn't that nice?<div> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBms6IiaedQ4AKJXAR_eMSuCRVtWpHJf2qvOk2gXX_dvchj4xBkzensofcnFS0orHI_mw4dAlXeeV9ZwCKp9nz8ymPeR_oHkMf-Jurq61nJaNjRhTSQAslHu7DebiRYrZeK84okmLwRxWq5O-5TXSoSzNK0bkGULkGVG-LDL3lKA1z5d2z9ZAq/s4032/IMG_8130.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBms6IiaedQ4AKJXAR_eMSuCRVtWpHJf2qvOk2gXX_dvchj4xBkzensofcnFS0orHI_mw4dAlXeeV9ZwCKp9nz8ymPeR_oHkMf-Jurq61nJaNjRhTSQAslHu7DebiRYrZeK84okmLwRxWq5O-5TXSoSzNK0bkGULkGVG-LDL3lKA1z5d2z9ZAq/s320/IMG_8130.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We got out to her car, and that is a far as I could get before I just couldn't wait any more and made her open up her birthday gift. Here's her reaction, which couldn't have been any more gratifying:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QICbbG_LR_jCwmmoDbzOaDOdnfBIGWPcK5hjOQYhI5HDk57I1TsRqMzG3WzB_Sln8Kjd6XHKfy8TBQytLcK4-L5Hk2xsLfgS4AjDFDIK5JT132KHFIQc_sVNkVyJGc4A1UCaDRWjDvyD8QsXITIJlBFyeJfN30Ix-pvE7FCnMKUTeR3ZYPsO/s4032/IMG_8132.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9QICbbG_LR_jCwmmoDbzOaDOdnfBIGWPcK5hjOQYhI5HDk57I1TsRqMzG3WzB_Sln8Kjd6XHKfy8TBQytLcK4-L5Hk2xsLfgS4AjDFDIK5JT132KHFIQc_sVNkVyJGc4A1UCaDRWjDvyD8QsXITIJlBFyeJfN30Ix-pvE7FCnMKUTeR3ZYPsO/s320/IMG_8132.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She had also very kindly preordered some dinner for us, which we picked up, then ate as we drove the hour and a half to her little town of Rockland. It was so fun to see Margaret's space, her home, her cats, her art, her kitchen, the nutty layout of her house, her sweet barn, so full of possibilities. I loved being there.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk_6aIDufR7lriTJS0dqCCR4tRIhZ7Lyjk1CDVyv0LOh99kBpBSJKHBHg3c1CKdxI0QPT0Jzlq4bro9o8WJ4-U2aXTcn903uWSgyJcbVArs2caZ5mCqu633-JGJL3NB2p4cyG67EGUIt91-SXnBwX1ypjf073UTegacaO8JOt-MFdHMaRyEl6/s4032/IMG_8136.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk_6aIDufR7lriTJS0dqCCR4tRIhZ7Lyjk1CDVyv0LOh99kBpBSJKHBHg3c1CKdxI0QPT0Jzlq4bro9o8WJ4-U2aXTcn903uWSgyJcbVArs2caZ5mCqu633-JGJL3NB2p4cyG67EGUIt91-SXnBwX1ypjf073UTegacaO8JOt-MFdHMaRyEl6/s320/IMG_8136.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88ma3ve0xEDyPmQ7uu-y2k3FsdbE7fbwOmrLME9KuP3FtyYuraYP9A7_ilLfYOts8O3hNHXQu2hZg9Zg3_zgoZiQtG8e_Lf_WKbiwSZCwJu6XxIXeNO8xD-bWmcdhLHZQ1LTXN-SWWkQ57OiQvG2AeeQQi-KJeqfkZlQUvO1KWcgAT9Su5cf_/s4032/IMG_8141.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88ma3ve0xEDyPmQ7uu-y2k3FsdbE7fbwOmrLME9KuP3FtyYuraYP9A7_ilLfYOts8O3hNHXQu2hZg9Zg3_zgoZiQtG8e_Lf_WKbiwSZCwJu6XxIXeNO8xD-bWmcdhLHZQ1LTXN-SWWkQ57OiQvG2AeeQQi-KJeqfkZlQUvO1KWcgAT9Su5cf_/s320/IMG_8141.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Margaret's town is right on a bay called Penobscot Bay, which is super exciting for me since we are the proud owners of an actual Penobscot canoe. So cool to be there. We did a lot walking along the shoreline of the little Rockland Harbor there. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh6pp4aXhC1qMyZbq3aXqlXsnisOOEDdu6RvVLZzli1-dE3nmg_yeL3j-UGpxqFSsOhjmIagwUmr5FOB11vR_RwwTEjgS7iBs8Gi0yJKqdfCFYApXp8GhUgilQFjRvW6lQaE7VKINN6O3FtHjekhJwd9em5iaFVqzrq5AB0Gfo_lKFMeKDSUR/s4032/IMG_8146.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAh6pp4aXhC1qMyZbq3aXqlXsnisOOEDdu6RvVLZzli1-dE3nmg_yeL3j-UGpxqFSsOhjmIagwUmr5FOB11vR_RwwTEjgS7iBs8Gi0yJKqdfCFYApXp8GhUgilQFjRvW6lQaE7VKINN6O3FtHjekhJwd9em5iaFVqzrq5AB0Gfo_lKFMeKDSUR/s320/IMG_8146.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZMvF_sHcOUJWZpE4nPhapdBHAgsnFaJRAO3UsoB0H7HAjrDeRMscz-Vin0fxs1SmuUzqKGDbbjwyOh7dgzlmEbqgWZZxVAozwrZ2TM23RkTsEoN3sP8qP4iU4znwZdYrYolnJJu0zyIOGQn0Yv707bZK2t2C1Vv4j2aH7HhbwUqV4iJ_omtf/s4032/IMG_8148.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZMvF_sHcOUJWZpE4nPhapdBHAgsnFaJRAO3UsoB0H7HAjrDeRMscz-Vin0fxs1SmuUzqKGDbbjwyOh7dgzlmEbqgWZZxVAozwrZ2TM23RkTsEoN3sP8qP4iU4znwZdYrYolnJJu0zyIOGQn0Yv707bZK2t2C1Vv4j2aH7HhbwUqV4iJ_omtf/s320/IMG_8148.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On our walk we wove our way through a little farmers market. Of course I made a bee-line for the yarn. I did not buy a single skein of yarn. Aren't you proud of me? What I did buy was a sample of very curly wool that will make a great replacement for a beard on a knitted Santa that I'm not satisfied with. The best part was that as soon as I picked out the wool, the woman who was selling it handed me a little card with a photo of the sheep the wool came from. I believe the sheep's name was Delightful, and the woman told me all about her, and how before she was shorn you couldn't even get your arms around her, she was so huge. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHL64n7XRHRzqSBgCeqy5ckzwduTd6ui1J5Bjbxdz0Y6aeGuf0tszzlRvyRZr_uNCW5OKimJQI3OrF3VnFmbko2qJ0kdqVrvJdZLOkL6gCDLfKmbGN59LtwhyphenhyphenW6j3jFqtyHlMLNKG9xs8k4m0SX7IcN7tjgFIe1SaUfQi46E1G7QTPb55kW91i/s4032/IMG_8150.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHL64n7XRHRzqSBgCeqy5ckzwduTd6ui1J5Bjbxdz0Y6aeGuf0tszzlRvyRZr_uNCW5OKimJQI3OrF3VnFmbko2qJ0kdqVrvJdZLOkL6gCDLfKmbGN59LtwhyphenhyphenW6j3jFqtyHlMLNKG9xs8k4m0SX7IcN7tjgFIe1SaUfQi46E1G7QTPb55kW91i/s320/IMG_8150.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFmkPJgQyRRYFpebct5iPrQfMrEWr7M0RNjWd8r0mW0KbYy5gQH7uJDv0MAkyYPfp6kZLkgPjWO4d9dgl9F-KNSu4FbP2jd9JnbeGgAt1Ixw54ugfMKm6lpPzEre-zcJtpcI3XEjCaA8M6ha-mruUYaV-nWFkMGORKazqlT8tObKTXfLLKvNm/s4032/IMG_8154.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFmkPJgQyRRYFpebct5iPrQfMrEWr7M0RNjWd8r0mW0KbYy5gQH7uJDv0MAkyYPfp6kZLkgPjWO4d9dgl9F-KNSu4FbP2jd9JnbeGgAt1Ixw54ugfMKm6lpPzEre-zcJtpcI3XEjCaA8M6ha-mruUYaV-nWFkMGORKazqlT8tObKTXfLLKvNm/s320/IMG_8154.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok so I can't actually remember the order of anything we did, so I'll just look at what photo comes next in my post and tell you what was happening. For example, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local shop. Margaret got scallops, but I felt that it would be basically sacrilegious to not get a lobster roll. Oh my gosh it was so delicious. And I'm not a person who just dies over lobster. But I would have eaten two if I had let myself. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeNyN7VOgr49Z6IFpCrtZJpM3cj0RYJ8k2CvbgeOte9jc7Ydbouj78hdlGZuLjoNGQ326A3hKnyf-9vOjGkMbjwUUG8xdN3fjQrGX3YCVyG0TfDokp7l-YloEqoDwhs-RWyxGgWlecnypSe2JK8NflAVbWUxcbx6nHlqymgnuzp0ycKAkiSB2/s4032/IMG_8159.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeNyN7VOgr49Z6IFpCrtZJpM3cj0RYJ8k2CvbgeOte9jc7Ydbouj78hdlGZuLjoNGQ326A3hKnyf-9vOjGkMbjwUUG8xdN3fjQrGX3YCVyG0TfDokp7l-YloEqoDwhs-RWyxGgWlecnypSe2JK8NflAVbWUxcbx6nHlqymgnuzp0ycKAkiSB2/s320/IMG_8159.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFjV0Bp40W1mcL8NttmkMqu0HZdIYcL59CGZDOE-WNQLQzcHPU_K8Xlfmh7I0pCfPxaYR6oV3CfMqDs5-6wf3uXMMZSXoVJ7hu-YZ-xOBJBX9YyWwy6HEnuPiPs61NB05Jl_PRP75cP5ObrxFbvnRHr8cHX84i24v-XhB7xgQxSzvMVVoiK-I/s4032/IMG_8161.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFjV0Bp40W1mcL8NttmkMqu0HZdIYcL59CGZDOE-WNQLQzcHPU_K8Xlfmh7I0pCfPxaYR6oV3CfMqDs5-6wf3uXMMZSXoVJ7hu-YZ-xOBJBX9YyWwy6HEnuPiPs61NB05Jl_PRP75cP5ObrxFbvnRHr8cHX84i24v-XhB7xgQxSzvMVVoiK-I/s320/IMG_8161.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCbGVvY6LaCmFRquF0C2zID1oQW5wFQ1pl1UH1yFy6Hi3dc3VDcts16vaGMknmj_QfFMOi2eX5Csc1HGOC5Fad-AbedS8qmCZL-TgpJrSIqXDm8zifPgfp-X8QyKmQRLG5z1rl_5DZIQWEDhnhIdfOL5Mq6E35H4l8OK-W4zA7TiBFn5b735L/s4032/IMG_8162.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCbGVvY6LaCmFRquF0C2zID1oQW5wFQ1pl1UH1yFy6Hi3dc3VDcts16vaGMknmj_QfFMOi2eX5Csc1HGOC5Fad-AbedS8qmCZL-TgpJrSIqXDm8zifPgfp-X8QyKmQRLG5z1rl_5DZIQWEDhnhIdfOL5Mq6E35H4l8OK-W4zA7TiBFn5b735L/s320/IMG_8162.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Margaret still had plenty of work to do while I was there, and it was actually kind of nice to have no demands. Like one day, when she had to work, I just climbed back into my very comfy bed which was in a chilly room and had a massive down comforter - no better combination, if you ask me - and proceeded to take a two-hour nap. Other times, I'd sit in her living room and knit, which always resulted in getting a cat on my lap. Little Alice is a very affectionate cat. Wally allowed my presence but wouldn't really snuggle with me.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPIn356FXWDIKsU0seAAfHGMX-u2YXKG5Hkx2Q0reUvQ8DjlX5TjrFL0nmke779qBRSsvKVHACAKvNACiPtlQzvaQQbGjU57qrHtYQLCUG1N7-v-vSt4z81Hz5QrQNK2kWCXDOj2tkmNlYKz33IU67u4QV-4bzmPETT0csO06Ult3S9ZeOGTG/s4032/IMG_8164.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPIn356FXWDIKsU0seAAfHGMX-u2YXKG5Hkx2Q0reUvQ8DjlX5TjrFL0nmke779qBRSsvKVHACAKvNACiPtlQzvaQQbGjU57qrHtYQLCUG1N7-v-vSt4z81Hz5QrQNK2kWCXDOj2tkmNlYKz33IU67u4QV-4bzmPETT0csO06Ult3S9ZeOGTG/s320/IMG_8164.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQheT3ccY98lW1qedS01QJ4l0_66k1qzfMPqyhgknY4b6i9ziVu3ILMD4ZYgqXIfNFEDENEU2cFdnmHq96ZxvNTMDyjEFsseCHc8qhlYFmPHtNaj6Y06HumJWUJNMmBAvY9LAJLWf_YXQhdS8g3U3qvMNLe0jyiIBt8ocR1OMboCtI2mglBrSF/s4032/IMG_8169.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQheT3ccY98lW1qedS01QJ4l0_66k1qzfMPqyhgknY4b6i9ziVu3ILMD4ZYgqXIfNFEDENEU2cFdnmHq96ZxvNTMDyjEFsseCHc8qhlYFmPHtNaj6Y06HumJWUJNMmBAvY9LAJLWf_YXQhdS8g3U3qvMNLe0jyiIBt8ocR1OMboCtI2mglBrSF/s320/IMG_8169.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One morning we drove up the coast to the quaintest of quaint towns I've ever seen - Rockport. Not Rockland, Rockport. It has a little coffee shop that Margaret just adores and we had a great time getting breakfast there, then walking a bit and driving a bit.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-sF3cpqkN2aPr6J9Kx4sPEfYeMaSpd_OtEcLQHkCyw1QMYRWsHGXgF2tgr5bA6ytOfcaoLo2vml2k3Y2Cqgc7caFMzrg66l8Dye3wcM4I-v4K4wTZp6SR48G4BwCVF3mlxZy-dUUc2iS08ftd_0Y4mQ-pErXOmYH66k6i5hyphenhyphenfRdp-s7EQkMj/s3088/IMG_8170.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-sF3cpqkN2aPr6J9Kx4sPEfYeMaSpd_OtEcLQHkCyw1QMYRWsHGXgF2tgr5bA6ytOfcaoLo2vml2k3Y2Cqgc7caFMzrg66l8Dye3wcM4I-v4K4wTZp6SR48G4BwCVF3mlxZy-dUUc2iS08ftd_0Y4mQ-pErXOmYH66k6i5hyphenhyphenfRdp-s7EQkMj/s320/IMG_8170.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDom_lJC_NNIuPXyc24RvmIJfBaCiWtIgVsepSWFUUVXakeuXZbaNwuRLnkUW0owvhGhLDRrlGwCby2WnZOs6n9L2XVrfaH2rQQ22qKvwtx8yvAHieO6XgpDH40pagUJ9Uh4LjJFnW82AnaL02jzRgzAJGe9xsjiCMR2qXeO6qjWq3VswRpg2I/s4032/IMG_8173.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDom_lJC_NNIuPXyc24RvmIJfBaCiWtIgVsepSWFUUVXakeuXZbaNwuRLnkUW0owvhGhLDRrlGwCby2WnZOs6n9L2XVrfaH2rQQ22qKvwtx8yvAHieO6XgpDH40pagUJ9Uh4LjJFnW82AnaL02jzRgzAJGe9xsjiCMR2qXeO6qjWq3VswRpg2I/s320/IMG_8173.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSxnck_qdw5un5A4oBhFddbN-aSF8iuigZJhXMGbGHr4yI3877WfHr8oTyJwA_8Rwakh5uIpbuSg0F-d_7LFD5GjvnD0RFT2mIAgYbfQ8Dk0IaBL3UQFlK2kk1l6dsvFCYKA5eeLE6vgMCwcf8d_iCyu_vHEJyayasOlKMPgpLjeGDrz3yFU0/s4032/IMG_8176.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSxnck_qdw5un5A4oBhFddbN-aSF8iuigZJhXMGbGHr4yI3877WfHr8oTyJwA_8Rwakh5uIpbuSg0F-d_7LFD5GjvnD0RFT2mIAgYbfQ8Dk0IaBL3UQFlK2kk1l6dsvFCYKA5eeLE6vgMCwcf8d_iCyu_vHEJyayasOlKMPgpLjeGDrz3yFU0/s320/IMG_8176.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-66AXpnxP1iAIpsqazULGNivlMzUSzxZ_EVOw_HAFDwSUxPNtPfF4IY86vlj2N1EY8ehLJ-fA-v-OTgkJfhNRw8E0B5MP81wF9GwjCgmgzMAhSGyfylR3zBCi5jRb6keD_4YoTlemv3VJ2girbX_9DyQ4nvrTAav6hkdC7jPR5_mml1NQhaA/s4032/IMG_8177.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-66AXpnxP1iAIpsqazULGNivlMzUSzxZ_EVOw_HAFDwSUxPNtPfF4IY86vlj2N1EY8ehLJ-fA-v-OTgkJfhNRw8E0B5MP81wF9GwjCgmgzMAhSGyfylR3zBCi5jRb6keD_4YoTlemv3VJ2girbX_9DyQ4nvrTAav6hkdC7jPR5_mml1NQhaA/s320/IMG_8177.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the very foresty neighborhoods near Rockport was a sort of public park type place that had an outdoor chapel that was just so peaceful and lovely. We walked up to it and just sat quietly for a bit, worshiping the ocean and the trees and breeze and salty air. What a treasure of a place.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkZ811V3dUQf1jO0ft2_cc10nWJy4O0fL_s3n89D5GP1SAGJ_mwp__eUZZvjlxA-TTJDJ7YOsjDsYVb1sMvPeY0RJBhwhdZpBorooJVd9bfUxBLe5unmzq7vg7vspwr1Lu8PTdaMFDXzJ3ZoyoDxzIj-AtSiRkJHHfgI_hiczF70B8BppXxcX/s4032/IMG_8180.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkZ811V3dUQf1jO0ft2_cc10nWJy4O0fL_s3n89D5GP1SAGJ_mwp__eUZZvjlxA-TTJDJ7YOsjDsYVb1sMvPeY0RJBhwhdZpBorooJVd9bfUxBLe5unmzq7vg7vspwr1Lu8PTdaMFDXzJ3ZoyoDxzIj-AtSiRkJHHfgI_hiczF70B8BppXxcX/s320/IMG_8180.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGkOIb8DiubxaGk6VZwkpH3_ySD-1u-nsZq95ya8Snj4sU5vgNx6Y-ruo4U9pxlrSUEkiGVn4n3v5M-0VJd4S5aN0MXr165dTrqgDXxtJEaoL3QCXAxBrs69MYmiz_PK_q5eiaErB9qbCqYZBD8lW9_LqP1ljOpkr8RsNZYCK51hDrOpV67nr/s4032/IMG_8185.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGkOIb8DiubxaGk6VZwkpH3_ySD-1u-nsZq95ya8Snj4sU5vgNx6Y-ruo4U9pxlrSUEkiGVn4n3v5M-0VJd4S5aN0MXr165dTrqgDXxtJEaoL3QCXAxBrs69MYmiz_PK_q5eiaErB9qbCqYZBD8lW9_LqP1ljOpkr8RsNZYCK51hDrOpV67nr/s320/IMG_8185.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9n0IUdIqOjgfwC5oCamTUy0uJd8J6hpZiAZ_MDP60L7k0-Y7FNLetLMpetV07QMMOHMe8tRRiEp0ShRcquADgeNcrfWIhP3Vl9Rp11fhgwev7k5mtGz-MVm8Azv3ES8VIgDaVv0OXM9VI4zIPgVyddTY8OTYCfIhHRkE6XIZLafnIZ1sZxC7/s4032/IMG_8183.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9n0IUdIqOjgfwC5oCamTUy0uJd8J6hpZiAZ_MDP60L7k0-Y7FNLetLMpetV07QMMOHMe8tRRiEp0ShRcquADgeNcrfWIhP3Vl9Rp11fhgwev7k5mtGz-MVm8Azv3ES8VIgDaVv0OXM9VI4zIPgVyddTY8OTYCfIhHRkE6XIZLafnIZ1sZxC7/s320/IMG_8183.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh and the roadside Markets! So charming it was almost tiresome. Just kidding. I loved them so much and Margaret kept laughing at me because I exclaimed so much over them. I mean seriously, just look:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr95cX5zm428jgyE_PvegKzlM4oj2i9rPGEk1eaxvIncCD9dw1BreOw4KP66L27fWCQ8ZQmYyfoFDD2gd61UHukBn2VJzr92Rooih_hb_4P1xFwbUWFEWt8Edkfa_mEsB0andrncP8buVfP44_Mc5QKMpvfEyR7Qmk6QQ5XDoD83pjCQIw-Sf/s4032/IMG_8197.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr95cX5zm428jgyE_PvegKzlM4oj2i9rPGEk1eaxvIncCD9dw1BreOw4KP66L27fWCQ8ZQmYyfoFDD2gd61UHukBn2VJzr92Rooih_hb_4P1xFwbUWFEWt8Edkfa_mEsB0andrncP8buVfP44_Mc5QKMpvfEyR7Qmk6QQ5XDoD83pjCQIw-Sf/s320/IMG_8197.jpeg" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Sq3WscyEp47ycfghvP4BftL3iWg6BNE_qQ81A5UPmDLgFKE-E-UqPTitAIgu_4iG9BnFFFa2Pw5zqRzZI2bouWy1BFy1nNO6AVDOw127vFFUGKG7W2wF-mujbBwBNabUCMoLzbLGUeQznoA_zO9tJait2o6URZW8fFOuxDe8yveR2mBNDN3J/s4032/IMG_8269.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Sq3WscyEp47ycfghvP4BftL3iWg6BNE_qQ81A5UPmDLgFKE-E-UqPTitAIgu_4iG9BnFFFa2Pw5zqRzZI2bouWy1BFy1nNO6AVDOw127vFFUGKG7W2wF-mujbBwBNabUCMoLzbLGUeQznoA_zO9tJait2o6URZW8fFOuxDe8yveR2mBNDN3J/s320/IMG_8269.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These were two different markets. The second was the market for one specific farm, and it had such gorgeous produce. They also sold warm apple-cider donuts and Jamaican Jerk chicken. Margaret bought vegetables and I bought donuts. Naturally. </div><div><br /></div>We also stopped by the Lee Nielsen tool factory - Troy and I have been getting their catalogues for years, and even one of their tools once in a while. I wished he could be there. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMxHOpDrwAKviUJIbNouF6ZeuOL5A_i-uAHWDi4jneAv_XLVoiwbUWsIo9KarwxVFkI3rlgHaK48OkI_f2NVjdTPJRnxfzt8f0Kd0vyXMzOxtZYiVawBLCjfLgWHne8sYtRxMG66DzgYnYquce-5TbR9625aA8fP8OKIpkID0Q2_4aIVxeIsm/s4032/IMG_8200.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMxHOpDrwAKviUJIbNouF6ZeuOL5A_i-uAHWDi4jneAv_XLVoiwbUWsIo9KarwxVFkI3rlgHaK48OkI_f2NVjdTPJRnxfzt8f0Kd0vyXMzOxtZYiVawBLCjfLgWHne8sYtRxMG66DzgYnYquce-5TbR9625aA8fP8OKIpkID0Q2_4aIVxeIsm/s320/IMG_8200.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjff9soKPXprrj0RhdaNEPhWjNBggrlKsaln5bcxzjmzmKvKYUzyMC05Ga6Ro0jl1VbOslGREnnzEjcLcpWp1uKLKdWCR2IWJECku_afbeg3Pe1Ue0uCXjDauhLPAOOSZaz3pnIm-7KQPmip3MEcYaKbvo-tiRMSSvILTG7PtMxMeScuvooHcMW/s4032/IMG_8207.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjff9soKPXprrj0RhdaNEPhWjNBggrlKsaln5bcxzjmzmKvKYUzyMC05Ga6Ro0jl1VbOslGREnnzEjcLcpWp1uKLKdWCR2IWJECku_afbeg3Pe1Ue0uCXjDauhLPAOOSZaz3pnIm-7KQPmip3MEcYaKbvo-tiRMSSvILTG7PtMxMeScuvooHcMW/s320/IMG_8207.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Margaret surprised me with a couple of very ocean-y experiences. On Saturday morning we met up with friends who go rowing together. I guess people can just sign up to go rowing. She's been doing a lot of this and really loving it. It was so fun, except for the part where I learned what "crabbing" is - when your oar catches in current and the handle knocks you off your can so hard that you end up on your back with your arms and legs flailing in the air. It only took one such incident to understand why it was thusly named, and I'm proud to say that I only went crabbing once. I mean, it actually happened multiple times, but I popped my oar out of the water fast enough each time that I only landed on my back once. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were lucky enough to see a lot of wildlife. There were seals (sea lions? I can't remember) all over the place, and they were very curious about us. I also loved rowing out near to the loveliest little lighthouse. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yhryoo-krJJDA3a-wLnYEio9bQw15Xhr4JpNiJBqyNEeEV3hTK63IEYCBgPqkLsk2kzCc02qxojjPBVxxV-0aHqCliZ0S-XjPHwheW-yuwFWjkfrqIy0WFxz3idFSwByulQTj4rX9bQmQnlWGSCIcsYTspTr6rUpAgui8gIDwJbZf7gM_W2c/s3088/IMG_8212.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Yhryoo-krJJDA3a-wLnYEio9bQw15Xhr4JpNiJBqyNEeEV3hTK63IEYCBgPqkLsk2kzCc02qxojjPBVxxV-0aHqCliZ0S-XjPHwheW-yuwFWjkfrqIy0WFxz3idFSwByulQTj4rX9bQmQnlWGSCIcsYTspTr6rUpAgui8gIDwJbZf7gM_W2c/s320/IMG_8212.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhyphenhyphenX_lparflHjNTxzrahSloc3nWyTpRae7dS6pBfUKIRji3nWyVt6ruq5Ulb3m3vernwoJEBSX_hE7f9-VslRikH_H569FOzYbazJ0-Jjilkrdxt-A5aV6ny7r1v5_yXbGE3KOoes_SYBBWza7uKDQZtLAFtf0NILbMpF4FW_ls-Ahxxk3W-L/s3088/IMG_8217.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhyphenhyphenX_lparflHjNTxzrahSloc3nWyTpRae7dS6pBfUKIRji3nWyVt6ruq5Ulb3m3vernwoJEBSX_hE7f9-VslRikH_H569FOzYbazJ0-Jjilkrdxt-A5aV6ny7r1v5_yXbGE3KOoes_SYBBWza7uKDQZtLAFtf0NILbMpF4FW_ls-Ahxxk3W-L/s320/IMG_8217.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6pQr4nHbo68QUZaWI1K7NrlCwQMP3VnClxoYsygf42D8bp4320aIlDIcSJrMSU9VvEspuWE0NlHyRoCTXJg-TDklQCyKgU3TIsLXsenuZ0wZViO21M9sDXzTGsbP7Qvh1CaD6ID8pqvz3mcM5tEq2Gq-POEHPmDTF6cb39k0yCb21yk8spnb/s3088/IMG_8214.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6pQr4nHbo68QUZaWI1K7NrlCwQMP3VnClxoYsygf42D8bp4320aIlDIcSJrMSU9VvEspuWE0NlHyRoCTXJg-TDklQCyKgU3TIsLXsenuZ0wZViO21M9sDXzTGsbP7Qvh1CaD6ID8pqvz3mcM5tEq2Gq-POEHPmDTF6cb39k0yCb21yk8spnb/s320/IMG_8214.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gphZ2mmsRzSVoUehj0SgfxPiNsUp_1xVp7OC0rO99oC3PAeTYrv7u-gau9phyphenhyphenukJ-RsBRrOzmUONr7CwpUPIJmr-HgJvHvfKD5yy2NusXBoByO13RN-Mr_grgy_sGDpCtz4fAb2HgIaS_dshHx8XsrBOGm99358KP97LTeDuejDezKMhFiE2/s4032/IMG_8231.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gphZ2mmsRzSVoUehj0SgfxPiNsUp_1xVp7OC0rO99oC3PAeTYrv7u-gau9phyphenhyphenukJ-RsBRrOzmUONr7CwpUPIJmr-HgJvHvfKD5yy2NusXBoByO13RN-Mr_grgy_sGDpCtz4fAb2HgIaS_dshHx8XsrBOGm99358KP97LTeDuejDezKMhFiE2/s320/IMG_8231.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gh8YFcKtLlZojeItbdrzfrzYDeSXmFzr0rJ3YZQP4qAEZhni0Bu0JaJ_URVx8grRhJ1u6or5zTX3WNaVKiY18W5FmkGon79h3h8t03Ti2D4d_H7QuoGM6qj-2OnR0mQOmOAo8sfQ-OPSivtor-tS1ggSI8lXpHpezdlzN18CS0F8u74ArxKK/s4032/IMG_8232.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Gh8YFcKtLlZojeItbdrzfrzYDeSXmFzr0rJ3YZQP4qAEZhni0Bu0JaJ_URVx8grRhJ1u6or5zTX3WNaVKiY18W5FmkGon79h3h8t03Ti2D4d_H7QuoGM6qj-2OnR0mQOmOAo8sfQ-OPSivtor-tS1ggSI8lXpHpezdlzN18CS0F8u74ArxKK/s320/IMG_8232.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bigger surprise was that afternoon - Margaret had booked tickets for us to take a 2 hour sailboat ride through the harbor and out into the bay. It was such a lovely sail boat. Sadly, there was no wind. So we couldn't actually use the sails much. Luckily there was a motor so we still got to tootle around a couple of small islands, find more sea life including porpoises and bald eagles. Also, I got to raise one of the sails. I was very cool.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JU5Tu9XXpbXh_ioGHMEKuW4Um0Dpac6fihOMVwHo7sR-puAJqmT-wD3M2K7A28yl4wTigRynqBHMQ-3XaOiYU0s2F0osZ-qIiWtA2-SYV49xyUwRptwOhNnouwSx8qna0GcMXWZAUyJurSeC3af9D18FdhNtmPrxjQ2MkBGYgerSg1bUPrpg/s4032/IMG_8236.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JU5Tu9XXpbXh_ioGHMEKuW4Um0Dpac6fihOMVwHo7sR-puAJqmT-wD3M2K7A28yl4wTigRynqBHMQ-3XaOiYU0s2F0osZ-qIiWtA2-SYV49xyUwRptwOhNnouwSx8qna0GcMXWZAUyJurSeC3af9D18FdhNtmPrxjQ2MkBGYgerSg1bUPrpg/s320/IMG_8236.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYmjd_6pFXqr4RtaUwrPgedTSfvt98KmYxKVmh4sj4C-iB-CTsPddlkkXXI-Zb3GxdgkAIfJhqv2sfpfh1rYh8i6pv0MWqgDrKIKXhE4BgZyGDNG1woGbRtLAyEbEeneLyqtSmjdCMOM8-khQOGw5x9sT4aC4e39q9CB95Fha1P8z75XnL96N/s4032/IMG_8233.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYmjd_6pFXqr4RtaUwrPgedTSfvt98KmYxKVmh4sj4C-iB-CTsPddlkkXXI-Zb3GxdgkAIfJhqv2sfpfh1rYh8i6pv0MWqgDrKIKXhE4BgZyGDNG1woGbRtLAyEbEeneLyqtSmjdCMOM8-khQOGw5x9sT4aC4e39q9CB95Fha1P8z75XnL96N/s320/IMG_8233.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmrLiCYLcPOwwtII_JH_duSxw8uLcbqR3BBIqzNh2iB-nyMHAd3YF5H25nAXaeMixlZmoMAvudnI_gF1W3ynklQ2kVpbhd1fFF-UKJfPIAH2X1SkDuFEwDmcV6lxWm2DQdwRZCS9RlxzM1DmCebc79HE4OalrNUwyKpvb43KG_IZSy2ly1E8j/s4032/IMG_8242.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmrLiCYLcPOwwtII_JH_duSxw8uLcbqR3BBIqzNh2iB-nyMHAd3YF5H25nAXaeMixlZmoMAvudnI_gF1W3ynklQ2kVpbhd1fFF-UKJfPIAH2X1SkDuFEwDmcV6lxWm2DQdwRZCS9RlxzM1DmCebc79HE4OalrNUwyKpvb43KG_IZSy2ly1E8j/s320/IMG_8242.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOHPd6zEdZm-e09cCUq4C5OsGESlNwbtZxdDUPkolBOfqkprDfVH19xSt-vFxVsVAAat6jy1eO9GaS6Iav_sWgna1LE9EvYnbEtVai9mup9aW_P7AVebWnj_HxEIVCs2lwvXXGRYBn4FSgX-WLEHirJx0Oq48VTEUkrafnC6JG3H0f_DvkCmP/s4032/IMG_8241.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQOHPd6zEdZm-e09cCUq4C5OsGESlNwbtZxdDUPkolBOfqkprDfVH19xSt-vFxVsVAAat6jy1eO9GaS6Iav_sWgna1LE9EvYnbEtVai9mup9aW_P7AVebWnj_HxEIVCs2lwvXXGRYBn4FSgX-WLEHirJx0Oq48VTEUkrafnC6JG3H0f_DvkCmP/s320/IMG_8241.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYWKsYb9sriQxBBddwV4oMWC-aY46UaM3qkK_luJZD9nGl4m9TDJn7T0_ERr_EcBOupAbiXxmW_n4IQK_9LdPtrW-zp-TFwRxLuMXjmp3-xlmZLMS5dZClk_piEcw7ZHy4m3AaOvcPIrkorhlIhuFAXeQGnLXJSpQW8OUOnRaRzJu9WcfDVyB/s4032/IMG_8243.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYWKsYb9sriQxBBddwV4oMWC-aY46UaM3qkK_luJZD9nGl4m9TDJn7T0_ERr_EcBOupAbiXxmW_n4IQK_9LdPtrW-zp-TFwRxLuMXjmp3-xlmZLMS5dZClk_piEcw7ZHy4m3AaOvcPIrkorhlIhuFAXeQGnLXJSpQW8OUOnRaRzJu9WcfDVyB/s320/IMG_8243.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLs5Secr_FATMBuJnvX28rbsdlXlAussej91tzEyatnAhSiYm0OHNN4-GP_x6By4bWsk_YgmFpWVV9cubNsIxxfQ3enHJDibdRDwED5FvYMG9DAStwP8d1D6FrQt79FBxHIfWJlQ8LTU7WtrNntdfNSGQPSDgPUMfrbB5ygiGq2s33rSGQHBK/s3088/IMG_8259.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLs5Secr_FATMBuJnvX28rbsdlXlAussej91tzEyatnAhSiYm0OHNN4-GP_x6By4bWsk_YgmFpWVV9cubNsIxxfQ3enHJDibdRDwED5FvYMG9DAStwP8d1D6FrQt79FBxHIfWJlQ8LTU7WtrNntdfNSGQPSDgPUMfrbB5ygiGq2s33rSGQHBK/s320/IMG_8259.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On my last evening in town, we enjoyed dinner with one of Margaret's favorite new friends, Danna. Danna is a jeweler with a charming little shop on the main street through town, which just so happens to be dotted with many many charming shops. I especially loved the bookstore. Danna is very vibrant and funny and personable. I can see why Margaret connected with her right away. That was one of the things I was most impressed with - she has worked hard to meet her community and gather them together. She goes to rowing events and zumba classes and movie nights, and once a month, hosts a soup night at her house where she invites pretty much everyone she knows. I got to be there for soup night and really enjoyed meeting her friends and neighbors. With Danna, we went and ate delicious Indian Food from a hotel looking out over another harbor. I felt like I was in Anne of Avonlea. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8PXZHM8go_0EY8qgP-sBGtfR_VlRQMct3ruEJQLDJz-qHuXrGOTru19PeJ2aDyBJVUNkun0MepIOpQ5Qb52d89NphtEccrDYf4EOKwFfo8AxA7kj2FlA9zCM3yjEJ13LeSuLPyQD1RIZKebYz8VIh7JhbaBe9fGZBNplfPqaB-2EyaYzllu5/s4032/IMG_8273.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8PXZHM8go_0EY8qgP-sBGtfR_VlRQMct3ruEJQLDJz-qHuXrGOTru19PeJ2aDyBJVUNkun0MepIOpQ5Qb52d89NphtEccrDYf4EOKwFfo8AxA7kj2FlA9zCM3yjEJ13LeSuLPyQD1RIZKebYz8VIh7JhbaBe9fGZBNplfPqaB-2EyaYzllu5/s320/IMG_8273.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6iQ5GqAZ5v5Wmi8e9iVZE2s49vbrklOlw0wT1E1taU0CzXF25VZGZExZDlF_RzGfTpFi701lTONN43qU33755AuYoM5W8aSXZBbOPG8ESAfpAQ7laq0xfVYbEo4Rh3zJY2jMn2UD25-UEOrGgArJhR7_uIOI1GzIDXXqv2sh3AKvOpUc-MWd/s4032/IMG_8272.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6iQ5GqAZ5v5Wmi8e9iVZE2s49vbrklOlw0wT1E1taU0CzXF25VZGZExZDlF_RzGfTpFi701lTONN43qU33755AuYoM5W8aSXZBbOPG8ESAfpAQ7laq0xfVYbEo4Rh3zJY2jMn2UD25-UEOrGgArJhR7_uIOI1GzIDXXqv2sh3AKvOpUc-MWd/s320/IMG_8272.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The trip of course flew by too quickly. It was such a treasure. Here's me on the plane ride home, which was not quite as magical as the trip to Maine. Not only was I not alone in my row, but I was lucky enough to get seated next to the chattiest person I have ever met. EVER. Two and a half solid hours of hearing the personal details of this person's life. I can now tell you quite a lot about her and can truly say that I wish her the best, though I needed a nap on my flight out of Chicago.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTCUHE5datqu3FjD8KyuXsyjpm1wfb8aazb5Zz7N3Lq0A2Zxa5AgF37W0mwF_sFqc5fUCIOUg0s2a-9cHdQGmL3beFwOpx3nHOgOMx9dT7uvg7u3EpDbeWQkg5h37rI7NLzTupns87IGtwuaj1JZLgDhyphenhyphenngg6FOFHnV49AvAwzW0vxivqGUqc/s1530/IMG_8275.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1530" data-original-width="1149" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTCUHE5datqu3FjD8KyuXsyjpm1wfb8aazb5Zz7N3Lq0A2Zxa5AgF37W0mwF_sFqc5fUCIOUg0s2a-9cHdQGmL3beFwOpx3nHOgOMx9dT7uvg7u3EpDbeWQkg5h37rI7NLzTupns87IGtwuaj1JZLgDhyphenhyphenngg6FOFHnV49AvAwzW0vxivqGUqc/s320/IMG_8275.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So thank you, Margaret, for gifting me with this treasure of spending time with you, seeing your world and letting me take some of it home with me in my heart! I hope it happens again - next time with Troy. I think he'd absolutely love it there. You can tell it's a pretty great place when I got sick of using works like charming, quaint, lovely.....I need a thesaurus. </div><p></p></div>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37316537.post-15863449856585879382023-11-08T20:21:00.002-07:002023-11-08T20:21:52.899-07:00September Heights<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So many lovely things filled up our September.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpDGestHXvTsEp3I1UatoHcEWWmC-GTxGPrMKOODrgTBQ6Z9pcLT9w5giTwHToFmdJJUqWaoV03AuFevrPS8H-PYl3BunTVIHybB9VWm2Va4cxCYw-_UCYSNX8sJtDGGzlq8PxWalsCmSI8uigzj5kTOZBQpugVH6zxtSTtIl849L8loNdL_8/s4032/IMG_7965.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHpDGestHXvTsEp3I1UatoHcEWWmC-GTxGPrMKOODrgTBQ6Z9pcLT9w5giTwHToFmdJJUqWaoV03AuFevrPS8H-PYl3BunTVIHybB9VWm2Va4cxCYw-_UCYSNX8sJtDGGzlq8PxWalsCmSI8uigzj5kTOZBQpugVH6zxtSTtIl849L8loNdL_8/s320/IMG_7965.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first fun thing was of course Labor Day - Romney came up for the weekend (I will not keep mentioning the weekends she does this, since it is almost every single weekend. Which I'm not really sorry about because we love being with her.) We had a very rainy and chilly Labor Day, so instead of a breakfast up a canyon we went out for some greasy-spoon diner food, at the Over the Counter Cafe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNCjDKJWodvdX1pFBQP8U7GPilsTQuj2XTyjdiPVNECpk7Qq1VVHdC1EADCb1BL_HFnBxJzgtqTxfNgrKHwxjbS8q1zGQiwqYBn39_dBEPx3tQvsJw0XJXuzoehf533jV1C_tWoEEgh4JgvOKypVsaOpfweFVWW4cz8IKhSXH_H3cS9AYyOZi/s4032/IMG_8018.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNCjDKJWodvdX1pFBQP8U7GPilsTQuj2XTyjdiPVNECpk7Qq1VVHdC1EADCb1BL_HFnBxJzgtqTxfNgrKHwxjbS8q1zGQiwqYBn39_dBEPx3tQvsJw0XJXuzoehf533jV1C_tWoEEgh4JgvOKypVsaOpfweFVWW4cz8IKhSXH_H3cS9AYyOZi/s320/IMG_8018.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZzCC9FLTSCsAvlO06qpHabcnY4PKcIBKR9cNyLUMzTyhN2ma4K9qoCDf-42ezi4ZjiMjOOW68XNJJU-QUN3i1iZ3SzGxVrMsCYMOoNiHTB-OuW1-uUWMbarHvvSnuxKwlIZOMxz8Amjn_Wm4J95XGZ6ITVOG89BYXoIQMX0JpinFnNjPu9kl/s4032/IMG_8019.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZzCC9FLTSCsAvlO06qpHabcnY4PKcIBKR9cNyLUMzTyhN2ma4K9qoCDf-42ezi4ZjiMjOOW68XNJJU-QUN3i1iZ3SzGxVrMsCYMOoNiHTB-OuW1-uUWMbarHvvSnuxKwlIZOMxz8Amjn_Wm4J95XGZ6ITVOG89BYXoIQMX0JpinFnNjPu9kl/s320/IMG_8019.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, both of our girls had success with auditions. Romney found out that the LDS Institute of Religion at UVU has a choir that you have to audition for, and she went for it. I'm so glad she wanted to get involved with something extracurricular like this. She was pretty nervous - she has a very sweet and clear soprano voice, often described as a choir-boy voice. And as she sat, waiting for her turn, she overheard some other auditions, and noticed how very broadway-esque they sounded, with tons of show and vibrato. She thought she might not make it into this choir, but happily, she did, and she's had a great time with it. A few performances already, an ALL-day retreat in Midway, and an upcoming performance in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is Romney and her sweet friend Elizabeth who came to hear her choir sing at a fireside in Orem:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ZZb30ELPdujj1t_dQUF9jZ7zkWM8VjjOPCcKfwvql2J-1UXhVW4mfW5o7w6RhGWgkjUtdbxeqSMRWKdFfTFZ4JrLWgpJOtlHp1utDRDvfakENJI_z7ZfT-ukrUUwkzG5y75OGpT1vw7EkBbZXgFZTUxXvVjW5ZrVd3rR0z6wfgPq1aOPfmA/s4032/IMG_2123.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ZZb30ELPdujj1t_dQUF9jZ7zkWM8VjjOPCcKfwvql2J-1UXhVW4mfW5o7w6RhGWgkjUtdbxeqSMRWKdFfTFZ4JrLWgpJOtlHp1utDRDvfakENJI_z7ZfT-ukrUUwkzG5y75OGpT1vw7EkBbZXgFZTUxXvVjW5ZrVd3rR0z6wfgPq1aOPfmA/s320/IMG_2123.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Emma had her own audition come up right after school started. The theater department scheduled Les Miserables as the first show of the year, and Emma couldn't help but get involved. She loves theater and after all the shows she saw Romney perform in, she always knew she wanted to be a part of things. As a freshman, she couldn't expect to land a really big role, but she did get several small ones such as a nun, a dancer in the wedding, a peasant and a tavern customer. She has three costumes and is seen here and there throughout the play. It made her fall very busy in a great way, with friends everywhere and place she feels she belongs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Speaking of Emma, Emma did some speaking! After she had such a wonderful experience at FSY camp the first week of summer, she actually mentioned that she would like a chance to give a talk in church to share some of the things she learned. So late in the summer she was invited to do just that. Our stake president Ben heard about it, and asked Troy and me what we thought about her speaking in stake conference. We told him that we would ask her, expecting her to be really nervous and maybe even unwilling. But when Troy mentioned it, she lit up and said she'd love to!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our stake has been holding its semi-annual conferences on Temple Square in the Assembly Hall since we don't really have our own stake center, and sadly, this conference was going to be the last one since that historic building is about to be renovated and refurbished. It was a special day to be there, and we were grateful that Troy's mom Grandma Carol plus his brother Sam and family could be there to support Emma, who did a fantastic job.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lgq1bQpAdZGFsQcEsubn-4MiJ739TIWBY8mJHUQFATMHJve08AZcABnGuf4_dIOHCqOpALy94NuaDEu1-6jjrRybl0JDe6p-FgA48-tTiiRG2WXQwWe9S3arRvj_Gs8roFSxPHU80nhrabcdS9L_mz5kJeDT_i-X1VxxTSkfecaSyB31FvXt/s4032/IMG_8076.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0lgq1bQpAdZGFsQcEsubn-4MiJ739TIWBY8mJHUQFATMHJve08AZcABnGuf4_dIOHCqOpALy94NuaDEu1-6jjrRybl0JDe6p-FgA48-tTiiRG2WXQwWe9S3arRvj_Gs8roFSxPHU80nhrabcdS9L_mz5kJeDT_i-X1VxxTSkfecaSyB31FvXt/s320/IMG_8076.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPGH09bnVwIRAK2sBVMjYVVBRneoFPb1Ipl5JM1qz7I0NdLY6xfkVbKdXNXfdyQ9rk760uD91BBsFCl2CZlho_tWa8fG2R_nQCPGknkGIp4Akn6SGuqqMjbsblvarFFtjDdwk4r8-VjNli5C1jitcbNK_Ve7gyd_dq_7oXXvl0eX-NTqK89XU/s4032/IMG_8078.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPGH09bnVwIRAK2sBVMjYVVBRneoFPb1Ipl5JM1qz7I0NdLY6xfkVbKdXNXfdyQ9rk760uD91BBsFCl2CZlho_tWa8fG2R_nQCPGknkGIp4Akn6SGuqqMjbsblvarFFtjDdwk4r8-VjNli5C1jitcbNK_Ve7gyd_dq_7oXXvl0eX-NTqK89XU/s320/IMG_8078.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYjg8p-Ha2kNQjneQfCUeTN8HcweR3BHezagSoXZjYFtZtZ6AgGb8jR0wJyShptSJfRc_5GbqXAT9MstH2YcZZQSPAEhcDRjWwQLNXmroNkmyC63VdSZ7uAVlVX15NSZIut484Mjj829ezFe4FAezVjfapE8lHX-viybzxXeBXODg47CIdrIm/s4032/IMG_8081.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhYjg8p-Ha2kNQjneQfCUeTN8HcweR3BHezagSoXZjYFtZtZ6AgGb8jR0wJyShptSJfRc_5GbqXAT9MstH2YcZZQSPAEhcDRjWwQLNXmroNkmyC63VdSZ7uAVlVX15NSZIut484Mjj829ezFe4FAezVjfapE8lHX-viybzxXeBXODg47CIdrIm/s320/IMG_8081.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ZPBRbtcTw4l5gY8b0DH9ZT307RqcKRIUvsJyFkvus2cEptfD1oNFKTgrFiLUtma8AQyURRiQjMD3CyaFktgcfc3V54BpiKekDw6qHP_7an99arfjygz6UH-3X0gw5PclLXyGfzJIMU0K_34DmLVKszu5MkQObMXjWhNlkbanelp02RZOhJz/s4032/IMG_8079.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ZPBRbtcTw4l5gY8b0DH9ZT307RqcKRIUvsJyFkvus2cEptfD1oNFKTgrFiLUtma8AQyURRiQjMD3CyaFktgcfc3V54BpiKekDw6qHP_7an99arfjygz6UH-3X0gw5PclLXyGfzJIMU0K_34DmLVKszu5MkQObMXjWhNlkbanelp02RZOhJz/s320/IMG_8079.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every once in a while, the stars align and we are able to find a time for Troy's gang of high school friends to get together. We made it mostly happen in September, meeting up with the Freezes, Mayfields, Munsons and Tates. We missed a couple of other friends who couldn't be there! We enjoyed dinner at Thanksgiving Point, and spent a long time talking. The husbands were gathered on one side of the table, and the wives on the other. It was a little funny - the men were making each other laugh in the best way, while the women were having heartfelt conversations that made us all cry together. Talk about stereotypical. It was just great though, and hopefully it won't be too long before we can gather again.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWu_rdeyaeq-2gki1LeQiEbGGJle8vPc370iQxYyWJOGLiHRF4brduyPtEhvrLtghSDWFeI7uH_WDOolRzeB3iycUFpRiwjCnRCGfIy5XHs9UMUuG9GRq4vgIRWf4O20zPkKe_jxemUNtCf1oxcdx4zrjzn3n-vmvmRUDvtIKmgWs_f8wAn7h/s4032/IMG_8113.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWu_rdeyaeq-2gki1LeQiEbGGJle8vPc370iQxYyWJOGLiHRF4brduyPtEhvrLtghSDWFeI7uH_WDOolRzeB3iycUFpRiwjCnRCGfIy5XHs9UMUuG9GRq4vgIRWf4O20zPkKe_jxemUNtCf1oxcdx4zrjzn3n-vmvmRUDvtIKmgWs_f8wAn7h/s320/IMG_8113.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W5aLW03jhmT4sKkxs0sdjAFd9hGvuFIJXiIgQfzhmQqUXWEBglcOz6srugM-NGdz1jpwpOFK2K4Dt-Gn94_IL2X81f9FUrm7a5xIIymcgsaPuRUUk3PXN3LoU23cN5tZA0sk1ZzJg7ECkiEyDJBen1LUhxjYlNwFgCkrvRBMENr-YLZ6b0B3/s4032/IMG_8114.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0W5aLW03jhmT4sKkxs0sdjAFd9hGvuFIJXiIgQfzhmQqUXWEBglcOz6srugM-NGdz1jpwpOFK2K4Dt-Gn94_IL2X81f9FUrm7a5xIIymcgsaPuRUUk3PXN3LoU23cN5tZA0sk1ZzJg7ECkiEyDJBen1LUhxjYlNwFgCkrvRBMENr-YLZ6b0B3/s320/IMG_8114.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcIJV1zk5wB_VhV_9V5IAaSqgR1lz4Cqq75n_k2cU9un0MUZQj6crFjnuGr34l6OIKnJpv3UI_ZjEwaBI58Qr5DW0ybfY43TY61GbdRMNbGelC1GM6e6DrH_EVNC8uZzlZTahtNW7Dg3swmflTOEuKcwsf0TmRQX2zryg-pLhmcBoDmB0qd75/s4032/IMG_1925.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcIJV1zk5wB_VhV_9V5IAaSqgR1lz4Cqq75n_k2cU9un0MUZQj6crFjnuGr34l6OIKnJpv3UI_ZjEwaBI58Qr5DW0ybfY43TY61GbdRMNbGelC1GM6e6DrH_EVNC8uZzlZTahtNW7Dg3swmflTOEuKcwsf0TmRQX2zryg-pLhmcBoDmB0qd75/s320/IMG_1925.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh my gosh! So many great things! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Poetry group happened on our porch for the first time in more than a year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUVoKCHhnqywSx1y6YlADU-u91jI-9I-x1_ADi2Q3vwn7WDIUKSdTB539KOnflMBHtnITZPiZkNAq4Z-mR_1Q0k8F-savZ-kuyVI3RzWDZLLtbO7b_qLebPkRXU9Yfu8C8rhzDJpMzFo3uVF1RzsqUXc-PqB9_p-nDuI4jPr2LYwaT9sUn74N/s4032/IMG_8102.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUVoKCHhnqywSx1y6YlADU-u91jI-9I-x1_ADi2Q3vwn7WDIUKSdTB539KOnflMBHtnITZPiZkNAq4Z-mR_1Q0k8F-savZ-kuyVI3RzWDZLLtbO7b_qLebPkRXU9Yfu8C8rhzDJpMzFo3uVF1RzsqUXc-PqB9_p-nDuI4jPr2LYwaT9sUn74N/s320/IMG_8102.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQiu2rmxUGWmt9E4jt_9W-JbSaSlbHuil_VrOyNTzg1uI2alvrOG6Y54htMqmZk_WG2pR6KgMW0i0iXIDcXkB76xIsIrJfoJQ_jrLXZbKukmuOQxGzqiGyFrPU-0XdZpbkKxQmODbfC3tibxnifPVccjUXqff0O-iUECTTohhZ-NSrYQzeaqL/s4032/IMG_8100.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQiu2rmxUGWmt9E4jt_9W-JbSaSlbHuil_VrOyNTzg1uI2alvrOG6Y54htMqmZk_WG2pR6KgMW0i0iXIDcXkB76xIsIrJfoJQ_jrLXZbKukmuOQxGzqiGyFrPU-0XdZpbkKxQmODbfC3tibxnifPVccjUXqff0O-iUECTTohhZ-NSrYQzeaqL/s320/IMG_8100.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were so excited to welcome in the Football Season: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6k9i9foMs7A1wuOrgwgbHkniu1hCv7kYKpVN5CYF-MMWDqC6hzDJJxooKMXkGzkdipugeZ84h0TyEzMpyRdcIhtlizyhC1wk2BYHfObxpYIuEukzW87lPlSsPRTBeALla_20jc3jhc7c_CUAuLkCtleSgsnLHw54nHp-qvN2DFcMuBcT3Iwx/s4032/IMG_7999.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6k9i9foMs7A1wuOrgwgbHkniu1hCv7kYKpVN5CYF-MMWDqC6hzDJJxooKMXkGzkdipugeZ84h0TyEzMpyRdcIhtlizyhC1wk2BYHfObxpYIuEukzW87lPlSsPRTBeALla_20jc3jhc7c_CUAuLkCtleSgsnLHw54nHp-qvN2DFcMuBcT3Iwx/s320/IMG_7999.jpeg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi6H86gjlkbtq-zhyphenhyphenkTvr4TP-TqJ0ZZOr7Y5DrkYmbM1dV-5HzkgHLIbxTSzdwtF4-_vkCwHWgbTaWwENXJPADcKNGDz4nRLFyEnGGxPl1m5InGFwWA8tgCm03G-8WDSt-W_Nw9Zr0dBlkMAFE6MYZMvEKKF1fo5-0ZfRYoarcwdhCyu3MeTN/s4032/IMG_8002.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwi6H86gjlkbtq-zhyphenhyphenkTvr4TP-TqJ0ZZOr7Y5DrkYmbM1dV-5HzkgHLIbxTSzdwtF4-_vkCwHWgbTaWwENXJPADcKNGDz4nRLFyEnGGxPl1m5InGFwWA8tgCm03G-8WDSt-W_Nw9Zr0dBlkMAFE6MYZMvEKKF1fo5-0ZfRYoarcwdhCyu3MeTN/s320/IMG_8002.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Troy got to celebrate his 35th High School Reunion, but I don't think we have photos. Also not pictured was a dinner I got to enjoy with my favorite teacher from my days working at Dilworth, Jane. And us going to see our old college favorite, Peter Breinholt. It's always so fun to go to his shows. Plus, on that same night, Emma got to go to her very first concert - Roseburg, with the Buchert family, in Orem.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See what I mean? It was a great month. Plus, Chase hit his one-year mark of being out on his mission. He said something about it that just warmed my heart. He said, "I'm just not ready to be half-way done with my mission." He's so happy, and I'm so grateful. </div><p></p>Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06153988077220811146noreply@blogger.com0