A GREAT Utah visit!!

Hi again! While Steve and I were in Utah, we made a trip out to The Little Cedar Valley, to Eagle Mountain, and spent the night and the next day with my brother Garret and my siser-in-law Cori. They have an adorable home and it is so peaceful and calm out there and in their home. After visiting for the evening and the morning, we went into Lehi and took some pictures of the old Lehi Hotel...because the windows are from an older home of my great-great grandfather's at Camp Floyd. And it was snowing, horizontally, but never-the-less snowing. So beautiful, but way cold!! Then we had lunch in a quaint restaurant called Porter's there in Lehi. It is dedicated to Porter Rockwell and served great food. Then we went to Costco because in Utah....they carry LDS books at a discounted price!! And I got the New Testament Made Easier!! So cool. Then we said good-bye to Garret and Cori and we went south to Touquerville where my ancestors built a huge home and grew grapes for the church use at the request of Brigham Young. (My great-great grandfather was raised on a vineyard in Germany...which is still there I might add.) I expected to see a small, antique looking town, but it is now a bedroom community for people who work in St. George and is full of newer, modern homes. In fact, there are only a few original homes left and my great-great grandfather's is one of them and it is protected by the Utah Historical Society. However, it is privately owned and was quite trashy looking. So disappointed! We went to the Toquerville cemetery and Steve took a billion pictures of my relative's headstones. It was cool to find and recognize the names and know who some of these people were. An interesting note is that one of the headstones is for my great-great grandfather, John Conrad Naegle. I was always told and have since read that he was buried in Oaxaca, Sonora, Mexico and then his grave was washed away in a flood. There is no indication on this grave that this marker is just a memorial marker. It seems he is buried there. Hmmm...need to do some research. Then we went on to St. George and spent the night and then we came home! Aren't you glad I posted this loonnggg blog so you can share in our adventure??







What a wonderful way to end this trip: a visit to a beautiful temple: St. George

And....I tend to misplace my phone alot:

Wonderful Utah Weekend!

Steve and I had the opportunity to drive to Utah this past weekend. Steve was invited to attend the missionary farewell of a young man who is the son of a woman that Steve and his companions introduced to the gospel in Sendai, Japan more than 30 years ago. This woman was baptized as a teenager, came to the U.S. to attend college, met her American husband at Rick's, (BYU Idaho,) and has had four children. Currently she has a son serving a mission in Kobe, Japan; a daughter serving a mission in Everett, Washington; and now a third child leaving for a mission to....Sendai, Japan!! It is amazing to me that this young missionary has been called to the same mission where his mother first heard the gospel all those years ago. And it is so wonderful to see the testimonies of this family. Three missionaries out at the same time!!
Steve and both of his mission companions who taught the gospel lessons to this woman were in attendance at this farewell. During his talk, this young elder asked the three former elders to stand and gratefully acknowleged them for their missionary service all those years ago. He said how thankful he was for the opportunity they gave to his mother so that the Spirit could testify to her of the truth and now he has the chance to do the same. Eight years ago, we attended the baptism of her youngest son and all three of these former elders were able to stand and help confirm him a member of the church. Steve had been home from his mission a month when this woman was baptized and it has been so great to see him able to participate in these events. And to once again see all of them together was indeed a blessing to me!
This woman lovingly says these three men will always be "her Elders."


It was SO WORTH the late night drive, getting caught in a blizzard, arriving in Provo at 5 am, sleeping for 2.5 hours, and then driving another 1.5 hours to the farewell. I am so grateful for the wonderful experiences that touch my life and continue to strengthen my testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Monday, Monday!!

Monday is going to be an AWESOME day!! My boy comes home for a 10 day leave !! And for a short time, I will have ALL of my kiddos nearby. I am so blessed!!

What ever happened to MANNERS??

Is it just me....and the fact that I work in retail....or have people really forgotten what manners are? Just asking is all. I would love to hear, in the course of my day:
"Could you please help me find .....?"
or
"Excuse me...could/would you...?"
or
"I'm sorry to interrupt your work, but....."
or
"It's okay, I know it's not your fault the store is out of ....."
or even
"I know it really sucks that you work here for cheap, and I know you are older and wish you were at home taking care of your grandbabies, but could you please help me with.....?"
or
"Thank you. Have a nice afternoon."
Gosh, it was a rough day today!! But it sure makes me pause and think about how I talk to others!!

Now, on to something else:
This weekend we had so much fun. Tracee and Rees and Kristen and Keegan and Jerrilyn and McKenna and Holis were all over!!! Soon Courtney and Trent joined the party. So much fun!!
Steve made me a small garden box out of two of the louvered doors from Tracee's wedding! I have a garden...and a creative husband!! Kristen helped me pick out the plants and she and Rees got the dirt all mixed together. We planted zucchini squash, yellow crook-neck squash, two Anaheim peppers and one Santa Fe pepper and we planted two tomato plants! I'm soooo excited. I'll post pictures as we grow...unless I kill it all!



And lastly: Here is good'ol Rufus. He loves to find sunny places to sleep. This time he found the top of Kristen's Hope Chest in the extra bedroom. Silly, long, skinny dog!

My head hurts!!

I don't have many opportunities to vent, well, maybe I do vent a lot, but today I am going to vent on my blog!
*Saturday, I went to the gym to work out, (because Steve thinks we need to get into shape before the Trek, not because I like it) and as I was moving some weights that a rude, inconsiderate weight lifter unethically left on the bar...I tore a muscle in my forearm!! Not nice.
*Sunday, Steve and I were asked to go to another ward to make a Trek announcement. They asked us to wear our "pioneer" clothing. On the way back to our home ward, our car has mechanical problems and we pull over. We get out...on Cave Creek Road...in the rain...in our "pioneer" clothing to check out the car. Because it is raining, I have my bonnet on and Steve has his hat on. I'll bet we got some really strange looks. I'm glad we didn't have a sign on our car advertising we are "Mormon" while we were standing on the side of a road in those outfits!!
* On Monday at work, I was talking to my boss and walked a couple of steps backwards as I finished my conversation with him. As I turned around...I ran face first into a sign. My feet went on either side of sign and my forehead, nose and teeth smacked right into it! My head ricocheted back. Eyes began to water like a faucet, nose began to run, teeth began to throb!! Boss laughed his rear off!! So stupid!!
*Steve and I had the ultimate pleasure of having Keegan for a few days just for fun. Monday afternoon, we took him up to Camp Verde where we met his parents. That night, Keegan had a nightmare and told his mommy that he dreamed she "went away!" I think I have traumitized my grandson!
*Found out today that the Target Food Court will be closed for THREE weeks starting in March. Is everybody trying to get me to stop drinking Diet Coke??? Susan, my friend that runs the food court, (yes, I know the names of the food people at Target,) said she was waiting to tell me because she was afraid of my reaction!! Then she laughed. Not funny!!
*Today, I had to pick up stuff ALL OVER Michael's because somehow people forget what aisle they find things in and then they change their minds and just drop it wherever!!! How would they like it if I just unloaded the truck and put stuff any where I wanted instead of where it goes, huh?? They must think I am just some old lady making minimum wage. Well, I am but...that's not my point. What was my point again??
*Now I have a headache...probably from the concussion I got when I ran into that sign. I think I need a Diet Coke! And a hug from Keegan!!

Fun weekend!!

Sorry folks...no pictures. I forgot to take my camera. Anyway, we spent the last two days in Flagstaff to celebrate our grandson, Keegan's, 3rd birthday. It was a full and fun weekend. Kristen and Jamon did a fantastic job planning out a great day for Keegan. Tracee and Rees came up on Saturday, too and stayed for dinner and the evening party. Steve and I spent the night and then Courtney and Trent came up for today. I can't believe The Keegs is three. He is so adorable and unbelievably smart!! He is soooo funny, too!! He makes us all laugh so much! Today, I was bent down picking something up off the floor...my white t-shirt was peeking out from under my sweater...and Keegan came up to me...looked down at my hiney where my t-shirt showed and said, "Punkin, you wear diapers?" Then he and his mother made up a little tune about "Punkin's" diapers! He is a funny kid! Reminds me of his Uncle Josh so much!
As I was in the car riding home tonight, I began to miss them all over again! I am so grateful for all of my kids! They make me so happy!!

Just stuff!!

Hi Everyone! I hope your New Year is looking bright! I really don't have much to blog about, but I will ramble for a moment:
Steve's cancer seems to be in remission still! He had a PET scan a week ago and the dr's office said, "no news is good news." We haven't heard from them, so we believe all is well! However, there is never a dull moment with Steve...and on December 31st, as he followed a rescue sled down the Snowbowl mountain, he fell carrying Courtney's snowboard and Courtney's snowboard binding went into his chest and cracked a couple of ribs. Hurt like crazy! But, he is recovering from that, slowly! He is getting really excited about his sabatical from Intel in two weeks!! Oh yeah baby...I can't wait until he is home ALL the time!! Really....
And why was Steve following a rescue sled down the Snowbowl mountain you ask?? Well, Courtney bit it really bad on her snowboard and dislocated her left shoulder! It was gross to say the least and I only saw it in pictures! It was about minus something degrees on the mountain and by the time they got her down to the ER, she was pretty much in shock and had her first ever morphine to calm her down! She said the pain was unbelievable! She is doing really well now and is already back at school doin' hair. Thank goodness! Physical therapy is great stuff!
Here are a few random pictures:

Joshua in Korea. I am such a mom! I miss this kid so much. How did I survive his 2 year mission?


Here are my beautiful daughters on Tracee's wedding day at the Mesa temple:


The bride and groom:


Courtney is blonde again!!


The cutest grandson and his plate of goodies for Santa: Don't you love how little kids have the weirdest smiles when you tell them to "smile?!"


Snowboarders...enough said! Jamon on the right and the one in a heap is Trent, Courtney's boyfriend!


I love being a "Punkin!" Beautiful artwork to decorate my fridge:


Have a wonderful weekend!!