Rodney and Teresa Blog Page

Happy Birthday to me & Julene -- Breaking Dawn Week

2011-11-20T21:05:00.001-08:00

Julene received an invitation to the LA Premiere of Breaking Dawn AND the After Party. Since it was both our birthdays we decided to treat ourselves. It was a blast!! Unfortunately I wasn't getting great shots with my phone. But you might recognize a few of the stars....

Us with Billy

The replicated wedding scene

This is a waterfall behind the bar

Hmm... I do believe Renesme

Lounging around

Queen Julene

Sandy Beach illusion

Stephanie Meyer

Team Mike!!

The District, Jordan Commons & Gateway-- #1,2,&3 respectively for opening day!

Guess who I met today?

2011-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

He was in my office working with a client on a DVD presentation. I had no idea for about 10 minutes. Then I heard him talk about preforming with various people and there was something about his calm voice. I turned to him and said "Who ARE you?" (My Dad would be proud)

He is one of my favorites. Certainly a highlight of my week!!

Wheeler Farm Halloween Picnic

2011-11-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

All of our little treaters decided to visit the animals at Wheeler Farm last Saturday. It gave us a chance to get together and see everyone's costume and take some fun pictures. But we also has to share the farm with hundreds of bicyclists. There was some kind of event going on.
I hear goats like to eat tin cans. Do you think they like robots?
WHOOO is our little owl??

I have always been amazed at the length of Giraffe's eyelashes!
Of course, papa & his camera
these eyes.... amazing!

The bot family and Oompa Loompa
This is the best picture of all of them that I got. Our little owl is sleeping on the blanket. (Owls sleep during the day and hunt at night)
Getting ready for her photo shoot
Too bad our beautiful Bride had died. She was soo lovely. Cut down in her prime!!
Who knew Ooompla Loompas could fly?
Hmmm, exactly WHO is the princess?
Our little princess is so beautiful!!
Little Giraffe was almost too real
this little giraffe and robot crack me up!
Deciding what cut he would make.
Our wood owl and little Bot with the picnic planners
Ninja sneaking around

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

My mother is celebrating her birthday this weekend. Eighty six years ago she was born in a little log cabin up the creek in Thatcher, Idaho. She was the second child and eldest daughter of a rancher and his wife and their family of four children. She grew up riding horses and a little book worm and was actually quite a tom boy. I kind of envision her like a 1930's version of Laura Ingalls.

Paul & Connie invited us to surprise mom with an evening at Deer Cliff Lodge up Cub River- just East of Preston.

Yesterday was also Serinity's FIFTH birthday~~

This picture melts my heart.
The room was full of Smiths... and a few others. At one point in the evening my mom leaned over to me and said, "Your Dad would have loved this!" I know she misses her sweetheart so very much.

Cant tell they are related. No similarities what so ever!
Great Chocolate Birthday cake tops the night off!

And then a two step with Paul.
Sorry the video is so short. My batteries died while filming.

I was the youngest of seven children. There are five years between my and my next oldest sibling. So I spent a lot of quality time with my mom while all of the other children were off to school.
Things I have learned from my mother: (not in chronological order)

A love of flowers: roses, poppies, lilacs & glacier lilies
How to be-head & pluck a chicken
a love for animals: baby kitties & poodles, horses & lambs & calves
clouds floating in a summer sky that turn into bears and crocodiles
a love for the sky and the marvel of flight
The importance of Thrift in Living
that loss isn't truly losing if you remember what is the most important thing whether that is the loss of something like a wedding ring or a loved one.
The devotion of an eternal marriage through the realities of life
Quilting in a straight line with small regular stitches requires dedication
How to can peaches
The love of creating: sewing, crocheting, quilting, tatting, painting,
The importance of independence
How to curl paper
the blessing of heritage
unconditional love for those who make choices that have taken them from the blessing of the gospel that she loves so dearly
The blessings of serving in the gospel: Relief Society Meetings, Primary President, Serving a Sr. Mission with her husband, attending the temple, doing genealogy & extraction work

There are so many more. This might be a blog list I update as more thoughts come to me.
I love you MOM!!!! Happy Birthday!

A Beautiful Heartbreak

2011-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

I dare you not to cry.....(click the title for the link)

Obituary of a hero

2011-10-22T21:29:00.001-07:00

I was very touched by this obituary I read tonight

Jerzy Bielecki

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The young Catholic man spirited his Jewish girlfriend out of Auschwitz in 1944, saving her life. Yet it took 39 years for them to see each other again.

Jerzy Bielecki, a German-speaking Polish inmate at the same Nazi death camp, lived to age 90 and died peacefully in his sleep Thursday at his home in Nowy Targ in southern Poland, his daughter, Alicja Januchowski said Saturday.

Januchowski, a New Yorker, spoke to The Associated Press from Nowy Targ, where she had been with her ailing father.

The Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem awarded Bielecki the Righteous Among the Nations title in 1985 for saving the girlfriend, Cyla Cybulska. It all happened in July 1944, when the 23-year-old Bielecki used his relatively privileged position in Auschwitz to orchestrate a daring escape for both of them.

Bielecki was 19 when the Germans seized him on the false suspicion he was a resistance fighter, and brought him to Auschwitz in April 1940 in the first transport of inmates, all Poles. He was given number 243.

Cybulska, her parents, two brothers and a younger sister were rounded up in January 1943 in the Lomza ghetto in northern Poland and taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Her parents and sister were immediately killed in the gas chambers, but she and her brothers were sent to work.

By September, 22-year-old Cybulska was the only one left alive, with inmate number 29558 tattooed on her left forearm.

They met and their love blossomed, making Bielecki determined to find a way to escape.

From a fellow Polish inmate working at a uniform warehouse, Bielecki secretly got a complete SS uniform and a pass. Then dressed as SS officer, he pretended he was taking a Jewish inmate out of the camp for interrogation. He led Cybulska to a side gate, where a sleepy SS-man let them go through.

The fear of being gunned down himself reverberated through his first steps of freedom.

"I felt pain in my backbone, where I was expecting to be shot," Bielecki told the AP in an interview in 2010.

For more than a week they hid in the fields during the day and marched during the night, until they reached the house of Bielecki's uncle. There, they were separated, as the family wanted Bielecki back home in Krakow, and Cybulska was sent to hide with a farm family.

They failed to meet back up after the war.

Bielecki stayed in Poland and settled in Nowy Targ, where he raised a family and worked as the director of a school for bus and car mechanics. Cybulska married a Jewish man, David Zacharowitz, with whom she went to Sweden and then to New York.

Sheer chance allowed them to meet again. While talking with her Polish cleaning woman in 1982, Cybulska related her Auschwitz escape story.

The woman, stunned, said she had heard Bielecki tell the same story on Polish TV. She then helped Cybulska find Bielecki in Poland.

In the summer of 1983, they met at the Krakow airport. He brought 39 red roses, one for each year they had spent apart.

Cybulska died in New York in 2002.

Bielecki is survived by his wife, two daughters, four grandchildren and a great-grandson. A Catholic funeral Mass and burial are to be held in Nowy Targ on Monday.

"He did not think he was a hero, but he was. He will be missed," said Stanlee Stahl, a vice president at the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press

Sewing a Chenille Quilt for Jamie

2011-10-08T17:44:00.001-07:00

I used 5 pieces of flannel about 45 x 45. I layered them red/cream/blue/cream/red. I used a temporary spray adhesive to "tack" the fabric together. Then I pinned them with safety pins.

I marked the center diagonal and then sewed 5/8 in lines. I then took specialized Olfa cutter and sliced the top three layers. Then I washed and dried it. Total sewing time-- about 4-5 hours

This is Mercedes on the one I made for her.

October 4, 2011

2011-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:00

Royce Family Day at Hogle Zoo- Labor Day Weekend 2011">" />

Why I love Utah

2011-10-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Sadies' Special Day

2011-09-13T22:13:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by love! I love the day my grand babies are given a name and a blessing! Whether it is in English or Italian, I love that they are surrounded by so much love. That the holy priesthood is used to acknowledge some of the special gifts and abilities that this specific child will have while they are on this earthly journey.

And I love the tradition of creating an heirloom for the event. I have sewn a dress for each one of my grand daughters and quite often the crotchet blanket has been created by the great grandmas. This time Rebekah & Curtis were fairly specific about the style of dress they wanted for Sadies. It was a fun challenge. Though I have sewn since I was like six years old I have never implemented "heirloom" sewing techniques such as lace to lace joining and fabric to lace so you can hardly tell there is a seam.

First, finding the fabrics and laces for this type of sewing was CRAZY! I searched in every fabric store between Provo to Layton. NOTHING-- actually there is a store in Provo but I didn't want to brave the freeway construction. FINALLY! I found a lady in Murray that sells lace on line that would sell it to me out of her house. I found the linen fabric at Little Things Means A Lot factory outlet. By the way-- they have a sale this weekend. Then I had to research the sewing technique. I checked books out of the library and purchased some magazines. But the best place was on-line tutorials-- by Martha Pullen's Sew Beautiful Magazine
created form various pictures and from our our own ideas. Rebekah and Curtis would look at some options and make suggestions, I would sew to that point, then we would continue until it was done. little Sadies' had a few fittings and on the last day a photo shoot with her papa once she was all dressed up. Here are more pictures of that special day. You can also see pics on Bekah's blog

2011-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

Photo by Scott G Winterton-- Deseret News

From The Washington Post On Faith - A conversation of Religion and Politics
Posted at 11:38 AM ET, 09/08/2011
9/11 destruction allowed us to spiritually rebuild
By Thomas S. Monson

The calamity of September 11th, 2001 has cast a long shadow. Ten years later, many of us are still haunted by its terrible tragedy of lost lives and broken hearts. It is an episode of anguish that has become a defining moment in the history of the American nation and the world. This week, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, along with Tom Brokaw, will pay its own homage to the unforgettable events of September 11, 2001.

There was, as many have noted, a remarkable surge of faith following the tragedy. People across the United States rediscovered the need for God and turned to Him for solace and understanding. Comfortable times were shattered. We felt the great unsteadiness of life and reached for the great steadiness of our Father in Heaven. And, as ever, we found it. Americans of all faiths came together in a remarkable way.

Sadly, it seems that much of that renewal of faith has waned in the years that have followed. Healing has come with time, but so has indifference. We forget how vulnerable and sorrowful we felt. Our sorrow moved us to remember the deep purposes of our lives. The darkness of our despair brought us a moment of enlightenment. But we are forgetful. When the depth of grief has passed, its lessons often pass from our minds and hearts as well.

Our Father’s commitment to us, His children, is unwavering. Indeed He softens the winters of our lives, but He also brightens our summers. Whether it is the best of times or the worst, He is with us. He has promised us that this will never change.

But we are less faithful than He is. By nature we are vain, frail, and foolish. We sometimes neglect God. Sometimes we fail to keep the commandments that He gives us to make us happy. Sometimes we fail to commune with Him in prayer. Sometimes we forget to succor the poor and the downtrodden who are also His children. And our forgetfulness is very much to our detriment.

If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember Him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving Him our faith and trust. We too should be with Him in every season.

The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near Him every week and each day. We truly “need Him every hour,” not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to Him, listen to Him, and serve Him. If we wish to serve Him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed.

It is constancy that God would have from us. Tragedies are not merely opportunities to give Him a fleeting thought, or for momentary insight to His plan for our happiness. Destruction allows us to rebuild our lives in the way He teaches us, and to become something different than we were. We can make Him the center of our thoughts and His Son, Jesus Christ, the pattern for our behavior. We may not only find faith in God in our sorrow. We may also become faithful to Him in times of calm.

Thomas S. Monson is president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

2011-09-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by history of Europe between the first and second world wars. I am fascinated by how people lived their lives around some of the most atrocious days of the Holocaust. And this was while my parents were young and falling in love and starting their lives. The little that we know about Rod's great grandparents-- they immigrated to Canada around 1910 and then choose to go back to the Galatia region of Poland (which is now in the Ukraine) in the 1920's. Even though records have them listed as catholic-- with a name like Krajewski I wonder if they converted. Five years ago Rod, Rachael, Gio and I had the opportunity to travel to Krakow and visit Aushwuitz. The next day we traveled over the mountains to Budapest and spent a couple of days there. I don't remember hearing or knowing much about Budapest or even Hungary other then they were a communist block country behind the iron curtain when I was growing up. So when I saw a review about this book LAST YEAR(!) I actually went to Barnes & Noble and bought it. It is a story about 3 Hungarian/Jewish brothers from a small town outside of Budapest starting around 1921. The book then sat around my house for the whole year. I kept hoping someone would read it and tell me if they liked it. But my mom (who reads the ends of the books before deciding to read the whole thing) found it too depressing. Finally knowing I had a weekend trip to San Diego with a lot of down time-- I cracked the cover. And I really enjoyed it. Rarely does a book bring me to tears but at one point when the main character and his parents are saying good bye-- it really hit me -- as a mother, as a daughter, as a human. How difficult those goodbyes were-- not knowing what would be ahead. And also, what difference forks in the road could make. Is it luck or divine providence. And what story is in our history that would inspire people? I recommend this 602 page book and if you want to borrow it-- let me know.

Bear Lake

2011-09-04T17:24:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from our weekend in Bear Lake. My camera was on the wrong setting for the lake shots.
We spent two nights in this nine bedroom house that slept 40. A tube slide connected the three levels and both Rod and I have matching skin burns on our knees.

We visited Minitonka Cave over the Idaho border.

And this is what its all about.....

THAR SHE BLOWS!!!

2011-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Rod and I left the 98 degree summer in Utah to a balmy 68 degree sunny San Diego. While there I filled another bucket list or two. I sailed on a masted sail boat the America and I saw a blue whale-- the LARGEST mammal ever! It was a sunset cruise and it was awesome!

This is America's sister ship "The California". It offers a short harbor tour. Our ship had two masts. The California had two masts and cross masts.

Guess what Rod is discussing with his fellow ship matey? Yup..... cameras, lenses, exposure.......!!

This is how the whale takes in food. See the little hairs? It uses those to brush them into their mouths. This sample felt like fiberglass but it is real whale.

This little one stayed safe the whole time by taking a nap in the "hot tub" right under the captain's wheel

Amazing!!

2011-08-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

ksl.com - Have You Seen This? Climber solo free climbs Zion's Moonlight Buttress

2011-07-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of somer of my ancestors- The Allen's (my maternal grandmother's family) that settled in Wayne County, UT. In celebrating Pioneer Day I was inspired by these two quotes:

This is an excerpt from A Place of Knowing by Emma Lou Thayne

Many years into my adulthood, when asked by a Jewish poet friend why I stay in my Mormonism, I explained it with a story, the details recounted by my mother. It is my mother’s story transposed into an allegory about my believing.
When I was a little girl, my father took me to hear Helen Keller in the Tabernacle. I must have been about eight or nine and I’d read about Helen Keller in school, and my mother had told me her story.
I remember sitting in the balcony at the back of that huge domed building that was supposed to have the best acoustics in the world. Helen—everybody called her that—walked in from behind a curtain under the choir seats with her teacher, Annie Sullivan. Helen spoke at the pulpit—without a microphone—but we could hear perfectly, her guttural, slow, heavily pronounced speech. She spoke about her life and her beliefs. Her eyes were closed and when it came time for questions from the audience, she put her fingers on her teacher’s lips and then repeated for us what the question had been. She answered
questions about being deaf and blind and learning to read and to type and, of course, to talk. Hearing that voice making words was like hearing words for the first time, as if language had only come into being—into my being at least—that moment.
Someone asked her, “Do you feel colors?”
I’ll never forget her answer, the exact sound of it—“Some-times
. .. . I feel . . . blue.” Her voice went up slightly at the end, which
meant she was smiling. The audience didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
After quite a lot of questions, she said, “I would . . .. like to ask . . . a fa-vor of you.” Of course, the audience was all alert. “Is your Mormon prophet here?” she asked. There was a flurry of getting up from the front row, and President Grant walked up the stairs to the stand. She reached out her hand and he took it. All I could think was, “Oh, I wish I were taking pictures of that.”
“I . . . would like . . . ,” she said, “to hear your organ . . . play .. . your fa-mous song—about your pio-neers. I . . . would like . . . to re-mem-ber hear-ing it here.” All the time she was speaking she was holding his hand he had given her to shake. I liked them together, very much.
I remember thinking, “I am only a little girl (probably others know) but how in the world will she hear the organ?” But she turned toward President Grant and he motioned to Alexander Schreiner, the Tabernacle organist who was sitting near the loft. At the same time, President Grant led her up a few steps to the back of the enormous organ—with its five manuals and eight thousand pipes. We were all spellbound. He placed her hand on the grained oak of the console, and she stood all alone facing us in her long, black velvet dress with her right arm extended, leaning slightly forward and touching the organ, with her head bowed.
Brother Schreiner played “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” each verse a different arrangement, the organ pealing and throbbing—the bass pedals like foghorns—as only he could make happen. Helen Keller stood there—hearing through her hand and sobbing.
Probably a lot more than just me—probably lots of us in the audience were mouthing the words to ourselves—
“Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. / Our God will never us forsake; / And soon we’ll have this tale to tell— / All is well! / All is well!” I could see my great-grandparents, converts from England, Wales, France, and Denmark, in that circle of their covered wagons, singing over their fires in the cold nights crossing the plains. Three of them had babies die; my great-grandmother was buried in Wyoming.
“And should we die before our journey’s through, / Happy day! / All is well! / We then are free from toil and sorrow, too; / With the just we shall dwell! / But
if our lives are spared again / To see the Saints their rest obtain, / Oh, how we’ll make this chorus swell— / All is well! / All is well!”
So then—that tabernacle, that singing, my ancestors welling in me, my father beside me, that magnificent woman, all combined with the organ and the man who played it and the man who had led her to it—whatever passed between the organ and her passed on to me.
I believed. I believed it all—the seeing without seeing, the hearing without hearing, the going by feel toward something holy, something that could make her cry, something that could move me, alter me, something as unexplainable as a vision or a mystic connection, something entering the pulse of a little girl, something that no matter what would never go away. What it had to do with Joseph Smith or his vision or his gospel I never would really understand—all I know to this day is that I believe.

Gordon B. Hinckley

"Am I an impractical idealist concerning the pioneers? No. There were exceptions here and there, but by and large they were a noble and wonderful people who walked in faith, who lived with loyalty, who were industrious, and who worked with integrity.

Shining above all of their principles and ideals was their solemn and wonderful belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and their Redeemer. They knew Him. He walked with them on that long march to the Elkhorn, up the Platte, beside the Sweetwater, over the Continental Divide, and down through the dry and desert country to this valley of the Great Salt Lake. He was their friend. They offered prayers in His name. They sang to His glory. With humble appreciation they spoke of His great atoning sacrifice. They put their faith in Him" (The Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p. 444).

Pioneers

2011-07-22T07:02:00.001-07:00

http://youtu.be/J2rV0ey6Op0

Summer picnic 50 years ago

2011-07-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

I am the baby in the background being held by Connie & Gordon. Deonne is to my right. I think there is a little bit of me in Charlie at this age.

ksl.com - 'One Dad's Perspective:' To spank or not to spank?

2011-07-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

ksl.com - 'One Dad's Perspective:' To spank or not to spank?

Check out Paragragh #6 of the LA Times

2011-07-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

Box Office: Final 'Harry Potter' film has highest-grossing domestic opening of all time [Updated]

In his final act, "Harry Potter" conjured a masterful spell over audiences this weekend, as the eighth film in the massively popular franchise became the highest-grossing movie opening of all time at the domestic box office.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" raked in an unprecedented $168.6 million at the box office in just three days, flying past the $158.4-million record set by 2008's "The Dark Knight," according to an estimate by distributor Warner Bros.

The film about a boy wizard began breaking box office records only hours after it opened on Friday -- selling more tickets during post-midnight screenings than any other movie in history, and then passing the milestone for all-time highest single-day-gross with $92.1 million. The movie went on gross far more than any "Harry Potter" film has on its first weekend in theaters. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1," released last November, previously held that record with $125 million in ticket sales upon its debut.

Photos: Box office top 10

Abroad, the last "Potter" installment also had a magical touch. As of Saturday, the film had collected $157.5 million in 59 foreign markets since it opened Wednesday in some overseas markets. That put the film's receipts 45% above those of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1" after the same time period in those countries.

Those who saw the film loved it, giving it an average grade of A, according to market research film CinemaScore. "Deathly Hallows -- Part 2," also the best-reviewed film of the series, appealed to a broad audience, though the crowd was somewhat more female (54%) than male (46%). Folks of all ages saw the movie: 28% of the crowd was under 18, while 20% was between the ages of 45 and 49. The film was also the first in the franchise to be released in 3-D, and about 43% of the audience watched it in that format.

Interestingly, a bulk of the U.S. business for “Deathly Hallows -- Part 2” came from Salt Lake City. Utah’s Jordan Commons megaplex sold more tickets to the final “Potter” film than any other theater in the country with $360,400 in receipts. Theaters in New York and San Francisco followed behind, but the fifth highest-grossing theater was also in Salt Lake. The headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is headquartered in Salt Lake City. Jeffrey Roy Holland, a Mormon senior apostle, appears to be a "Potter" supporter and has referred to J.K. Rowling's books in public addresses.

The only film brave enough to open opposite the "Harry Potter" juggernaut this weekend was "Winnie the Pooh," Disney's attempt to reintroduce the iconic honey-loving bear to modern audiences. But the hand-drawn animated film, rated G, mustered only $8 million in ticket sales.

Those who saw "Pooh" -- an audience dominated by families, which accounted for 85% of those who saw the movie -- liked it, giving it an average grade of A-. Disney, which spent about $30 million to produce the movie, can only hope that the strong grade will help "Pooh" hold up well in the coming weeks as the "Harry Potter" buzz begins to fade.

Click this for a Great HP video

2011-07-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter at Jordan Commons

2011-07-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

We are #1 in the NATION for opening day!! Check out some of the pics on MegaplexFacebook page

IT ALL ENDS!!

2011-07-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Excuse me while I end it!!

AND WHILE I END IT YOU MIGHT ENJOY OUR OWN BELETRIX
ksl.com - Butterbeer recipe

Meeting Mercedes

2011-07-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

My boys have always been so good with babies! I love to see how tender they are.

Playing Dress Up at Mimi's

2011-07-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Mickey, Elmo & Buzz come to play

Mickey (Emers) stuck in the mud

We have a new Mercedes!!

2011-06-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

She weighs 6.2 lbs and is 19 inches long! She has a sweet purring engine and convertible seat covers.

Mercedes Shay Brinkerhoff joined our family yesterday afternoon about 5:30 PM. She is beautiful and healthy and we love her!

Hanging out with the family....

27 years ago

2011-06-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Twenty seven years ago I was OVER 42 WEEKS pregnant (11 days overdue) and with a 3 1/2 yr old daughter and a 23 1/2 month old son at home I was desperate! I decided to try CASTOR OIL (!) and then Rod and I took the kids and went to Liberty Park for a German Festival. While there we decided to ride the little water boats around the lake and then we headed home. Shortly after arriving home we decided to get our sweet niece Shaunna to come and babysit and we waddled off to the new Cottonwood Birthing Center. 1 1/2 hours later our little Rory Alexander roared his way into this world and he has been anxious to live his life to the fullest ever since! We paid cash for Rory-- $625 to the OB and $395 to the hospital (no drugs and 12 hr stay)
(sorry about the quality of the pictures of pictures)

Rory got his first tooth at 5 months and walked at 8 months

Ronald Regan was President, Michael JAckson was at his peak and Ghost Busters and Gremlins were playing in the theatres. People wore tight pantss a 60's comeback look with widl hair-- pink mohawks.
On the way home from the hospital we stopped for a shake and chicken mcnuggets. The Olympic torch for the a984 Summer Games in LA passed through SLC.

Rory didnt sleep through the night until he was a year old. I wont mention what happened in the middle of the night when he was in his teens. Lets just say once again none of us slept.....

(I could be bribed to post a more "revealing" picture)

As little Rory grew up he became everybody's best friend. He LOVED(s) tools of all kinds and anything that raises his adrenaline!

Rory is so talented in so many ways. But most of all he is an amazing father!

Today, my son, I am so grateful for you. or your spirit, for your laughter, for the father that you are and the love that you share with your beautiful wife. Happy Birthday!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Moments that matter most

2011-06-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

These little guys......

2011-06-06T05:54:00.000-07:00

Nellie & Rori's dancing princess videos

2011-06-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of our dancing princesses!!

BABY BEARS!!

2011-05-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vJRDpTUIrJI&vq=medium"

What is this??

2011-05-31T07:36:00.000-07:00

I am thinking wild strawberries????

Chanel & Rori Ana Dance Recital

2011-05-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Ward Road Show Video- MIssions Impossible

2011-05-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is a fun short video Christy Harris put together for our ward road show

Happy Birthday to My Beautiful Daughter

2011-05-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

25 years ago my Heavenly Father choose to send a little piece of sunshine into my life. I have said many times over the years that he was making up for sending me the two rambunctious boys with the previous two deliveries.

Rebekah completed our family. She evened up the count- 3 girls to 3 boys (Rod & I included). She was drug around and made to keep up with the rest of us. She brings life and energy into any room she enters and blesses my life with her friendship.

She is an amazing wife and mother and I am in awe of her endless creative domestic talents

I love you Rebekah! You will never again be half of my age! But even at 25 you have so much ahead of you! I love to watch as you discover it!!

Thank you Rick Steves!

2011-05-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

The BEST Traveling Companion for Europe!!
(ohhh, he didnt send me these. They were posted on a hotel wall in Hallstatt)

Our last week in Germany/ Austria

2011-05-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

Visiting with Bro. Stadele and Amy is a wonderful blessing in our lives. Rod baptized him in 1975.
His Spring Wild Flowers
His hobby is bee keeping. Even though he is a retired post master and bee keeper, he has 4 hives in his back yard. We met up with Melody & Gary. Then we traveled onto Beartchesgarden; a beautiful alpine village in southern, Germany- - the birthplace of the 3rd Reicht.
Obersalzberg -- Hilter's Underground tunnels at The Eagles Nest in Southern Germany
Melody coulnt figure out how to get out of the tunnel at the end so she pushed the button. Apparently it was for emergency exit only.
The northern tip of Lake
The Konigssee Harbor and luge run
The actual "Eagles Nest" at the top of this hill was closed for the winter.
But this is the view from the bunker area. Isnt Germany beautiful!
Alpine meadows as we drove into Austria. These are the hills that are alive with the sound of Music-- The VonTrapp family was said to have traveled over these hills for freedom but apparently in truth they took a train out of Salzburg.
The water is so clean and looks so cold.
Hallstatt Austria was on my bucket list. I have never felt such serenity! You can hear a swan glide over the lake!!
Hallstatt is built on the side of a mountain that has the worlds first salt mine inside. Since the arely 1300's this little town has been important for trade

The cemetery is amazing. They bury 3-5 people deep and then dig out the oldest ones and put their cranium in the church

The creaky old hotel we and booked to stay in for 50e per night turned out to be 50e per person! so Rod found us an apartment to stay in where we had our own kitchen and a washing machine!!

And an amazing view from our balcony!!
Driving through the lake district of Austria. It is beautiful!
We decided to visit Mauthausen Concentration Camp. It was a quarry work cam and then towards the end of the war became a death camp as many of the other camps were freed, the prisoners were sent on death marches only to end up deeper in the German hold. This camp was liberated May 5, 1945.

On the lighter side, we visited the church that was used to film Maria's wedding for the Sound of Music

We stayed at a little house high on a hill on a couple of spare bedrooms. They hang a sign on the road that says "Zimmer Frei". Maybe I will try that with my 4 empty bedrooms...
Mel & Gary in Salzburg
The Cemetry used for The Sound of Music

In Old Salzurg they have very stringent signing ordinances. Even McDonalds has to comply

Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg--
Finally Rod and I make it to the last afternoon of our trip. This is in Munich and on the street where Rod lived as a missionary. Some things never change. Apparently some of these shops were in business 35 years ago.

And we finally had WeisWurst, purple cabbage and a knudell!

We finished it off with one last gelato. Munich was full of people even though it was Sunday afternoon and all of the shops were closed.

Black Forest

2011-04-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

Rod & I traveled by train 3 hours north out of Milan to Switzerland to a little town off the side of Lake Lucerne where Theo picked us up and smuggled us over the German border. It was a beautiful drive and we even saw the Bern Temple off of the freeway. We traveled up to the German/ France/ Swiss border towards the Black Forest area. I had really hoped that we would be able to visit a little town calle Staufen (pronounced Stow-fen) that Rick Steves loves, but Theo had invited us to stay with him at a good friend Lydia Pluhar who lived in Mullheim. As we traversed the little back roads weaving in and out of villages set in the vineyards, we passed Mullheim and drove into Staufen!! I was surprised because I hadn't said anything to Theo. Lydia lives right in the heart of Staufen00 and it is a wonderful charming little town! I highly recommend it. There is this magical castle on the hill and the town is full of multi colored houses with a little brook running through the streets.

I am grateful that there are plaques placed throughout Europe that reminds us of the resilience of the people.

ISnt this amazing? Taken right out of my bedroom window at Lydia's House!

Lydia is amazing! She is nearly 80 years old and this woman is wonderful! About 38 years ago as a single divorced mother of 5 (?) she invited the missionaries over to teach one of her son's friends. The missionary was Rod and her son's friend was Theo. Now years later their friendship endures for eternity. We truly love Theo. Thank you Lydia for so very much.....
I love Lydia's simple kitchen. She has a dishwasher! I didnt see a clothes washer and I am sure there is no clothes drier, TV and she travels by train & bus to do geneology a couple of times a week at her LDS church.... but a dishwasher is very modern!

We spent two nights and a day with Theo & Lydia. We traveled to the French border at the Rhine. Spring was in full bloom and it was beautiful! Then we travelled to Friberg and visited the Cathedral. The church has beautiful stained glass and exterior carvings. This door alone has hundreds of little figures carved in red sand stone. Because it is sandstone it is constantly being renovated.
When the stained glass windows were made each of the windows were sponsored by various entities of the town. This window was sponsored by the local barber (see the scissors). It was fun to find the window sponsored by the baker and tailor.... I love traveling with Rick Steves guidebooks. He sure makes a quick visit to a local landmark fun!!

2011-04-08T22:05:00.000-07:00

We are home safe and sound now and catching up on our sleep. But I also plan on catching up on posting highlights from our trip because this is how I journal.
Isaac was blessed on March 27th. Later that day we did a fun little photo shoot. His mommy made his blessing outfit. She did a great job!

Charlotte dressed up ready for church. I went into nursery with her. It was great!! Her new teacher spoke as much English as she did Italian so it was easy for me to understand what was going on. It was so cute to see all of her friends in Nursery. Besides Charlotte there was an Italian, a blue eyed blonde hair American, a child from South America and one from Africa. It was truely a wonderful group of little ones!! I wish I would have taken a picture.
Isaac doing is "homework"

Charlotte wanted to sneak into Mimi's luggage like Woody does in Toy Story

Lottie singing with Mimi

A weekend retreat

2011-03-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

For his business Rod purchases through a company called Louise & Company. They had invited some of their US Distributors & sales people to a town called Rimini that is on the Adriatic coast about half way down. Rimini is a summer seaside resort town with 1000 hotels along the sandy beach. (more on this later). Rod had made arrangements to hook up with his salesman that planned to be here to tour the SCM factories and tag along for the day. So the whole family decided to make a weekend break for it since Gio had Thur & Fri off of work for the Italy's celebration of 150 years of unification. Besides, it had been raining in Milan for tthe past week and some of us hadnt even left the house for a few days. Rod & I rented a car since there is 6 of us and we followed the Criscione's toward Ravenna-- out first stop on the trip. Rachael & Gio's car
Little Isaac excited to see more of Italia.

We follow Rick Steve's travel advice and seek out suggested hotels. This is Hotel Diana close to the center. The rooms are very small but very comfortable and they come with Italian continetal breakfast of juices, coffee (hot chocolate for us) and pastries along with meat & cheese plate.

The Italian contryside along the road
Driving along the narrow roads of Ravenna. If you are a pedestrian you have to watch closely. This town is big for locas to bicycle around. We loved how crooked this tower is.
We walked around the crowded streets, found an amazing restraunt-- One of the best meals we had experienced.
As we walked around the old town after dinner we found this lit up building down a side street that was open. And let me tell you -- it was amazing. Ravenna is famous for its mosaics-- Art made from small pieces of glass as big as your fingernail that are attached with a cement mixture like tiles. The colors and the way the light hits it is amazing! And many of the pieces in Ravenna were created in the 1st Century-- Only a few years after Christ's death. There are depictions of what these peope believed in and many of the expressions follow my beliefs.
This is in the ceiling of the small building. Inside was a baptisrty. And this art was on the ceiling. The 12 apostles surrounding a depiciton of Christ's baptisim by John the Baptist with Gid the Father to his right and the Holy Ghost symbolised by the dove. We saw many other buildings with amazing mosaic depicitons in the day that we spent in Ravenna and then we drove on to Rimini.

GELATO!!

2011-03-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Italian Gelato!
There is nothing like it. What is offered in the states is like Mesquite trying to be Las Vegas. It just isnt the same. This place that is close to the center offers a squirt of chocolate inside of the cone before they load it up with gelato. I picked blood orange/vanilla custard. We were trying to take it easy because we planned to go from here to appretivo for dinner.

Give me bricks of chocolate any day!!

They also made belgium waffles that you could choose to top with chocolate & gelato -in the window behind Rod.

A Trip to the Market

2011-03-15T03:45:00.000-07:00

A Trip to Italy is not complete unless you take a trip to the market. We have been here a week and a half and have visited 3 different street markets AND have gone to I think maybe 5 different Esselauga's (a local grocery store chain). On Saturday we left Gio napping with the kids and took a quick trip to the market up the street. It is like a T. The clothing and shoe vendors are all lined up down the street under big pop up tents and their cars stationed behind them. The food vendors are lined up down the center of the T.

I find street markets fascinating. There are so many different foods there: cheese Vendors selling 100s of cheese varieties, meat vendors selling chicken and veal and rabbit and pig, tons of fruit & vegetable vendors with fresh produce ( you wouldn't believe the strawberries Rod and I bought last week). But what is also fun to see are the variety of people pushing their way through the crowded stalls.

When you come to a big city like Milan you have to dress warm and carry your shopping bags. I thought this woman was sweet in her fur hat and collar

This is one big stick of bolognia that Oscar Meyer would be proud of.
The meat trucks serve raw meat on one side and a small cooked section on the end with roasted chicken and fried vegetables to snack on.
Olives, capers, and other brined items and salted dried fish
Cheese stand (notice the wheels-- these trucks can fold up and drive away)
Check out the cool cauliflower. It looks like an alien life form.
This guy selling fis was also eating a sandwhich with his other hand. (kind of grossed me out a little after I just completed my food handlers safety permit at work a few weeks ago)
Rachael and Rod buying strawberries, artichokes (in season now 10 for 3 e),
This is the stack of boxes beginning to form from the food vendors as they get ready to pack up for the day.

Rod commented on how all of the young women are hot but what happens when they get older? The we saw this lady all decked out in her fur, sunglasses, leggings and high heeled boots for her trip to the market. Very elegant!

In the end we rushed through the market, picked up a couple of things and I found a pair of sparkely ink Lilly & Kelli shoes for Lottie for 15e. I would have payed $25 at Nordstrom Rack for the same pair. So it was a good trip. Sometimes you dont find anything.

Lets go play!

2011-03-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

When Lottie Bug wants to go play, there is a variety of little parks around the house. One park is behind the building, over a busy road and tram way and past the doggie run (you cant just play on the grass because doggies go potty there and it isn't usually cleaned up). The playground we took Lottie to was fun. There are a couple of slide sets and a couple of swing sets and a couple of spring riders. Lottie loves the slides. She swings from the bar at the top of the slide a few times and then down the slide she goes. I am actually really grateful they fence in the area. You dont have to worry about her fast little legs taking her someplace she shouldnt be going.

On the street where you live

2011-03-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

Lets go visit the Criscione's. See the building on the corner? That is where they live. See all of the cars? Every night they have to find a place to park their car. Along with everyone else that lives close by. Gio takes a bus to work in the Center of Milan. It takes about 15 minutes to get there. Quite often the transit workers like to strike. Today is one of those days. But they usually only strike from 9 A- 4PM so people can still get to and from work. There is a grocery store behind me about a block. So Rachael can put the kids in a stroller and roll down to the store for milk and bananas. Right behind their house is the green metro. It is a rail system. This city is easy to get around IF you get your bearings and know where you are. It is built like a big spirograph. Not the circle ones but the oval ones that go in crazy spiral circles.

This is the entrance to the building the Criscione's live in. The doors to many buildings in Italy are big heavy wood doors. (not the glass ones where Rod is standing but the wooden ones folded back against the wall) They are open during the day when the door man is there. But at other times there is a small door cut into the bug wood door for entrance. I think it is very charming as you walk down the street too see what is behind the big wooden doors and into the courtyard & entrance. Also, this building has some fun character. It has corbels and stone pillar balconies. SOme of the other buildings arent as nice. Inside of the big doors looking back into their courtyard where people keep their bikes. The trash containers are back there too hidden behind a wall. The little room to the right is Lido the door man's office. It is so cute to see little Lottie run past this office-- look up to see if Lido is there and then regardless, wave and yell "Cioa Lido!!"

This is the evelator shaft that is in the center of the left wing. It is a small elevator that fits 4 adults or 3 adults and Rod's camera case. Charlotte prefers to take the stairs. So that means Mimi takes the stairs with Charlotte. The Criscione's live on level 3 which in USA terms means the 4th floor (Terra plus 3).

This is the entrance to the Criscione home. I love how Rachael does a wreath that makes it feel more like back home. When Lottie was born we put a little pink mouse in the wreath she had up at the time. Traditional Italian protocal calls for a big bow in either pink or blue to signify a birth in the family. I think they are kind of tacky but we havent come up with an option this time.

Paris

2011-03-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Mon cherie a'more....
The last time I flew to Italy for Charlotte's birth, I took a red eye to NYC, took the subway into the city and walked around all day including a ricky first time all by myself shopping experience with the black market on Canal Street. Then I boarded another overnight flight to Charles deGaul. As we landed about 5am I looked out my airplane window and saw about 2-3 inches of new snow with a little tonka truck sized plow and knew we were in trouble. I wove my way through the very confusing airport, trying to decifer the difference between Terminal F & Termindal F2. Eventually I found my way back through security and to my connecting flight gate only to realize that very few flights were leaving Paris that day. That would mean my third day sleeping either in an airport or ?? They unchecked all of our bags but now there were thousands of bags piled up with 2 days of stuck travelers. I realized my best option was to try and get a flight out and connect into Milan. Fortunately I was able to get to Rome, then a connecting flight into Milan that night arriving about midnight. Honestly it was a miracle I could get out of Paris at all. If ever you are stuck in Paris, look up and appreciate the architecture of such a beautiful airport. Because, besides its beauty and Chocolate croissants, its was recently rated #1 worse airport in the world. But this time Rod and I had no problems. And neither did our luggage! We were even able to stop for a croissant. Now Paris is redeeming it self.... slightly.

Sunday with Isaac

2011-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Isaac LOVED the potato bug position
Mimi is so in love with little brother
Isaac playing "little fingers" with Lottie

Sweet heart & sweet tooth

2011-02-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! My Valentine cooked me a steak and brussell sprouts and I cooked him a chocolate molten lava cake.
I can highly recommend two out of the three. I will let you decide which two.

Hangin' with Oli

2011-02-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

Oli and Jack have been hanging out with Mimi & Papa this week.

Helping with the laundry

eating his breakfast

in disguise

2011-01-29T17:07:00.000-08:00

Where's Waldo-- some of the ward family at the mall for a YMYW activity. Hide yo chilen, hide yo wives!!

Happy Birthday to me! (a few pics from my November Surprise Party )

2011-01-24T17:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas memories

2010-12-29T05:50:00.000-08:00

I must have been about 6 or 7 years old-- about the age of Jameson. I loved living on a farm, tromping through the fields and playing with my brothers. In the winter we would sled down the frozen alfalfa fields and build snow forts. I loved playing with my babies and dolls too. And having tea parties with my mommy. One year I tramped down to the basement and saw a little white cabinet being made by my dad. I was told it was something for my sister Deonne who lived far away. I didnt think too much about it until Christmas morning when I woke up and found a cute little white cabinet with stencil flowers and a little china tea set that Santa had brought down the chimney. I think it was my confirmation that Santa sometimes needed elves to help him in his duties because some things are just too hard to bring in his sleigh. I loved that little cabinet and carried it with me when our family left the farm a few years later. It was in my room as I grew into a young woman and traded tea parties for dates. I took it with me to my first home as a young mother and then moved it to Green River and back to Sandy where Rachael played with it until finally wore out. But I still have the little tea pot and a couple of the service pieces. And some day I plan to have a little tea party with Chanel & Rori. I might need to have Rod build me a little white cabinet. Thanks Santa, for such a great memory!

2010-12-27T16:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 brought some great memories- It brought our neighbor Adam home from Afghanistan on Christmas Eve. This is his mom waiting in the driveway -- sadly my camera died right after this picture.

It brought little superheroes super powers and wooden maple animal rings

And a new train for the little conductor

more video fun for James and dolls, dolls, dolls for our girls. (Ava was sleeping)

We celebrated Christmas day with Waffles & Chorizo Potaotes(yum)& Fondue. Skyping to Scicily and a first time nativity play. And then had the family back on Sunday for a rack of smoked ribs from Papa's new electronic smoker.
It was great! Cant wait for the new year, two new grandbabys, another trip to Italy and we hope much more family time!

Happy Birthday Daddy! From your little pest spelled "p-e-t"

2010-12-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

My Photo Book

2010-11-21T19:04:00.001-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

sock it to me!!

2010-11-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today I was going through my sock piles. I have a basket with white socks, a basket of colored socks and a basket of dark socks -- all unmatched and a basket of matched socks. Most of these socks have survived years at my house. I determined it was time to move some of those unnecessary socks onto D.I. or the trash bin. There are wool socks and toe socks and Hot pink socks and Christmas socks. Some socks even had labels on them and had never been worn. I the process I found a pair of medium blue socks that still had the label and decided to trade them for the black anklets that I had chosen to wear earlier. So I pulled off the tags and went to stick them on my feet-- when guess what I found?? $10.00!! Sure enough!! I think its a present from Grandma Lova! She was known for tucking money into odd places. I will find something fun to do with that $10. But I DONT plan on buying any more socks!

PW Corn Chowder-- yummmmy

2010-10-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

I added cooked diced potatoes and used frozen corn from last year. Loved it!!!

Before My Heart Stops

2010-10-02T06:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Jameson! We love you!

2010-09-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Flipped

2010-09-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Working in a movie theatre I get opportunities to see movies that I might not normally see unless they are on video. Flipped is such a film. I saw it today and it is a gem! It will warm your heart and touch your soul. It is about first love and looking beyond. Go and see it or make sure you rent the video. It will be a family classic.

Chillaxin at Powell

2010-09-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Big Boys fishing

2010-09-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Babies in the water

2010-09-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

Pt II Babies playing in the bunks

2010-09-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

Pt I Babies making lunch

2010-09-04T07:39:00.000-07:00

Joy!

2010-08-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

Little Charlie's big blue eyes!

Best $25 I spent all summer!

One of my favorite pictures of the summer! (I stole it from Jennine)

Smith Family 2010

2010-07-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Smith Family 2010

2010-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Twifest at Megaplex

2010-06-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

UFO

2010-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was driving to work around 9800 south and the East I-15 frontage road I looked West towards the Oquirh Mountains and saw 3 very small air borne objects. They looked like geese flying and playing, looping around in circles and chasing each other. They would fly south and then north and up and down. I pulled over to watch them and try to figure out what they were.
It is possible that they could be F15 jets doing maneuvers but they would have had to be flying over Magna for me to see them and I dont think they could do the tricks that I saw them do. What do you think they are?

look to the upper right over to the center a bit for the two silver objects

This last picture is a zoom in of the above picture

Welcome to the family little Charlie

2010-06-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

meeting brother

His futures so bright, he's got to wear shades...

Last years crop are growing up!

Precious life

2010-05-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

Life is precious. In March a good friend of Rod's found that the pain in his neck and stiff arm wasnt really a slipped disk and a sore muscle but that a large tumor had gown on the outside of his lung up through his chest and up by his arm putting pressure on his spine, arteries and causing a blood clot. At that time I would have thought he had 3 weeks left to live. He had unsatisfactory care at one local hospital- and ended up at LDS hospital. Since that time it has been amazing to see his friends and associates rally around him, counseling with him and buoying him up. Things seem to pick up as the tumor responded to radiation therapy. A radiologist suggested maybe he would have 3 years with the type of cancer he thought it could be but they wouldnt be able to get rid of the tumor. And everything seemed to be going well until about 3 days ago.

Then he fell off the cliff. That happens with Stage 4 cancer. The tumor had grown to his heart and around the aorta and into the lungs. At first Bill had asked to not be on life support, then he asked to be saved if possible. And back and forth. In the end the tumor won. And Rod and I were there. We entered the ICU waiting room as Bill's wife and his adult step children sat waiting for news. Their minds couldnt get wrapped around what was happening only a few feet down the hall. Is there time to go home and feed the dogs? Is there time to go outside for a cigarette? Is there time??? But no, there is no more time. If you had been given 3 months to live what would you do? 3 Weeks? 3 Days?

After the family was allowed to go and see Bill after he had passed, and they had gone home, Rod and I stepped into the ICU. Through the big metal doors, around the desk and down the small hall of the open unit into Bill's room. We spent a few moments. Rod saying goodbye to this dear friend who deserved so much more of life. And as we left the room, it hit me. Like a I had run into a brick wall. this is exactly where I stood twenty years ago as I watched my sister fight her battle with leukemia. This is the doorway where I was standing when her nurse left her room after witnessing her small children say goodbye to their mother. This is the room that held my sister in her last breath. And I realized once more just how precious life is.

2010-05-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

When I was a young girl my world revolved around my mommy. I was the youngest of seven children and they all went off to school so I had her all to myself. That would be me and all of the responsibility of a farmers wife raising seven children. My mom has always been one of my very "bestest" friends. That relationship has helped me pattern my relationship with my daughters, daughter in laws and my sweet little grand daughters. These women mean so much to me. I am also so grateful for my sisters and sisters from another mother. Today has been full of highlights. Thank you to my family and so many who made my mothers day special.

Easter jammies

2010-04-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Spring- Renewing life

2010-03-28T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our extended family has had our share of grief. Our first unexpected loss was Deonne in her late 30's over 20 years ago. Following Deonne my nephew Elis lost his struggle with Muscular Dystrophy. Just a few years ago Deonne's fourth child, Christopher Marc was killed in an accident leaving his beautiful wife and children. A couple of years ago my beautiful niece Becky Ann developed a rare form of cancer and this sweet young wife of Chris and mother to Anna passed away. All of these deaths were untimely. They had not had the opportunity to live to the fullness of their life's potential. Like it or not, it is part of the deal of having a human body. We are all subject to the rules of how that body can function through stressful and in some cases terminal situations. This week I have been inspired that Spring is about re birth- renewal of all that our Heavenly Father has given us. And the opportunity for a new life. Yesterday we celebrated the beginnings of a new family for Becky's Chris and Anna. Today we celebrated the beginning of a new life-- Christopher Marc Drawe son of Michael and Stephanie. Carrying on the spirit and love from his Grandmother and Uncle in Heaven. What a gift to awaken to the first sounds of the robins in the morning and know that the flowers are poking their little heads out of the cold soil and that life goes on. And we can celebrate. Our hearts will never forget those that are gone, but we will know that they are happy in our joy and that spring is here.

Check out our Wonderland Event

2010-03-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

We had an AWESOME Pandora to Wonderland event last night at Jordan Commons. It was one of the funnest events we have ever done. Tons of Mad Hatters and Red Queens. We had a Bunking Bronco and on screen video gaming and tons of prizes. You can see some pics through the web site. www.fanphotos.com/megaplex

When you walk through a storm

2010-03-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

I have a new "old" favorite song. A few days ago I posted a link to a comercial from Procter & Gamble where moms sang to their kids at various stages of their life. Then last night I flipped the TV to a KBYU just as the song was being performed in Carousel. The Rodgers & Hammerstein production is a little slow but the message is so beautiful. It is now one of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6V9EbnNx6U

In my dreams........

2010-02-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Guess what I have been dreaming of????

yup-- new chairs in my dining room! And I got them!!!
Anybody want some old office stack chairs in a beautiful teal with scratched gold metal trim?

Actually now its funny that I have my dining room table complete with dining room chairs instead of office chairs -- I find it odd that my dining room table is being used as an office. Oh well- one battle at a time............

Watch Team USA Videos

2010-02-24T20:20:00.001-08:00

Watch Team USA Videos & Highlights - P&G ThankYouMom.com

Posted using ShareThis
Go to this web page and watch the commercials. I really love the "Never walk alone"

Lets go to the BEACH!! CR Pt5

2010-02-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

The first thing we did in Manuel Antonio was head for the beach! For Oliver, Ava and Rori Ana this was their first time in the ocean. For everyone else, well lets just say we are all beach bums.... some more then others.
We found a great little 4 wheel drive road that took us right down to the beach. Apparently this beach was at the top of the "gay" beach where immediately our family of all of our kids were rather smirked upon. But we had a great time. This stretch of sand runs for about 1 1/2 miles into the Manuel Antonio State Park.

Sorry that this is so bleached out-- I promise Rods pics are much better. (coming soon..........)

Costa Rica- "The road well traveled" PT 4

2010-01-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

After three amazing days in La Fortuna we smashed all of our bags and bodies into our three cars and drove on to Manuel Antonio/ Quepos on the central Pacific of Costa Rica. Our friend at Kokoro told us the best road to take- since there are so many options. What looks like a fairly straight line can really be a road with huge potholes or missing road pieces or that twists and turns and leads to car sickness. Even with that, what we thought would be a 5 hour drive really was more like maybe 7. As we passed through the outer area of Monteverde, a beautiful cloud forest area, Rory called us on our cell (each car had a cell phone) and told us they needed to pull over. We were the lead car with the GPS so we pulled over to the side of the road on a shoulder. After they had a quick potty break they were back on the road, but by then we realized we were stuck. Sunk into the mud. We tried all sorts of ways to get out-- I even jumped out and ran to the opposite side of the road (because I was wearing bright orange) to make sure any oncoming car will know we have a problem. Soon a car pulled over and pulled out a tow strap. We hooked that up and pulled out. This must be fairly common occurrence in Costa Rica. After about 3-4 hours on the road I realized we better stop for a potty break and just get the kids out of the cars for a minute. We found a little town - it was bout 1PM Many of the towns people were walking around the town center park. This park had a big gazebo. After realizing that the kids cant play on the grass because there is broken glass shards throughout it -- and that there are no public bathrooms to be found AND that we better not leave the cars-- too much possibility of having everything stolen, we were ready to pack up when one of the local police officers starting pointing to us to look up in the trees. There were 2 sloths, I think a 2 toed sloth and a 3 toed sloth. And 2-3 different types of huge iguanas roaming around. It was great fun to see our first sloths-- right there in the middle of this little town. It is a lesson that even though things can be tough and a little trying (for many of us still looking for the potty) but that if you just look up there it can be worth it. So finally back into the cars and driving a little further down the road when I finally said-- we have to stop!!. We pulled into a little soda-- a road side food stop-- and had the best fajitas ever!! Once again -- taking joy in the journey! As we got close to the Pacific the landscape started looking drier. But still tropical. It is amazing to drive through acres of palm tree plantations. Kristi had pre-arranged for us to take items to a branch in one of the little towns that we were passing through. And finally we all arrived at dinner time in Quepos. JR had found Villa La Macha online. (Rebekah posted pictures from the Villa La Macha web site) It is a wonderful vacation villa down a dirt road that you really need a 4 wheel drive to access. It is perched atop the hill above the ocean. The main house has a swimming pool, kitchen a great front deck and pool deck, 3 bedrooms -- one of which was an amazing master bedroom. The guest house has a wonderful guest apartment and a 5th bedroom by the garage. There is a house manager- Joda, his mother and wife who came everyday to cook and clean and do our laundry. And at night we had a night guard who would stand just out side the garage for the entire night with a flash lite and at times a machete. I dont have a lot of pictures as my camera always was misplaced-- please view Kristi, Jennine, Rebekah's and Rachael's to the side of my blog. I do plan to pull some of Rod's pics to post on here soon-- but there are 100000000's to go through. My next post will be about the wonders of Manuel Antonio.

Royce Family Jungle Adventure Pt 3 La Fortuna

2010-01-25T19:35:00.001-08:00

Originally when researching our family trip we looked at cruises (too hard to nap the babies) hotels (too expensive to feed all of the ages and not flexible enough) and rental houses (just right). We had searched many houses and I believe I printed off just about a ream of paper in researching options through Florida, the Caribbean, and finally Costa Rice. Jennine had first found an amazing house in the Dominical area but it was a rather difficult beach access. Now knowing the country a little better, the Dominical area would have also added maybe an hour to the trip. JR found some great options in Manuel Antonio and farther north but when he found Villa LaMacha we knew it was the right fit. And the reviews said it came with cooks and house keepers included! The owner normally books a Saturday- Saturday and since we were Wednesday - Thursday he was only willing to book the partial Saturday- Thursday for us. Then he said he would possibly allow the additional first 3 days only 30 days prior to arrival. Most of the group wanted to see a second location (and we eventually talked the rest of the group into it). We chose La Fortuna for our first 3 nights; It was a different environment then the Central Pacific area. I had perceived from pictures that the area around the volcano was flatter, but in reality, there are beautiful rolling hills and the roads perch atop the hills and wind up and down and into the valleys. The weather was a little more chilly then usual as a cold front had come from the north. But to us it was temperate.

After much research on Trip Advisor We arrived a little after dark at Kokoro Resort. It is 3 years old with separate cabins for the rooms and an open area reception/ dining area with a wireless computer set up. In the morning they feed the birds left over fruit from breakfast and the variety of birds flocking really add to the atmosphere. The live Arenal Volcano looms in front of us but it is covered by clouds. Only once at night could I see the glow of lava when the clouds slightly parted. At Kokoro the separate cabins were great for our group. It gave everyone a chance to be together as their own small family unit but close enough that with baby monitors we were able to be at the pool or in the hot tub or eating breakfast while babies napped and still feel safe. The first night Kristi and I ventured to the hot tub with Emerson and found a frog doing laps. Not ready to touch an amphibian (since many are poisonous in this country) we asked Felico to get it out for us, He said it was a very common occurrence. They love the warm water. That night we tried Costa Rican take out pizza. It was ok- certainly not the best pizza.

The next day we drove to La Fortuna Waterfall. I found the information about this waterfall through a web video I found http://www.travelcostaricanow.com/ . These two guys live in La Fortuna and through their videos chow many great travel tips for Costa Rica. What I wasnt prepared for was the steep hike down into the canyon to be at the base of these falls-- actually it was more the steep hike back UP the canyon that got me. But led by Kameson we all made it! This is where we saw our first monkey- a howler monkey. The falls were beautiful and everyone had a great time playing in the river or in the sand. A couple of girls stopped and talked to us. They guessed we were Mormons right off because we were so family oriented. But they also assumed that both Rachael and Rebekah were married to Giovanni. They had see too many episodes of Big Love and didnt realize that show doesnt depict our specific beliefs. We set them straight that there is one husband for every wife. The next day we spent at Los Lagos Resort. They offered a group rate for us to Zip Line and the day at their hot springs with a (petting) zoo included. We chose them for their great price but also because they allowed Jameson to zip line (he is 6 yrs old) It was an awesome experience. As I am a little afraid of heights and to be connected high over the canopy was an amazing experience. And it was fun to do it with our group. The girls did the morning and the guys with Jennine took the afternoon slot. The babies played and napped at the pools for hours.

We decided to try and see the volcano from the west side but it was also socked in with clouds. But we did catch an amazing sunset over Lake Arenal and the boys got a 4 wheel adventure in. Some of us even saw wild pigs. Then it was in town to eat at La Parada -- another recommendation from Trip Advisor travel forum. We ate most of our purchased meals at "sodas". These are road side stands that serve home cooked meals. Kind of like a "cafe" here in the US. The next day we bid farewell to Felico and his black panther and hit the windy mountian roads to Manuel Antonio. We loved La Fortuna even if we didnt have our lives in peril from a potential pyroclastic volcano blast. On to temp our fate on the roads and what should be a 5 hour road trip. My next post-- The road of opportunity.

Royce Family Junlge Adventure Part Dos- traveling with the babies

2010-01-24T14:16:00.001-08:00

After our last family trip of almost losing Rory and Jennine on Hawaii flight delays, we were able to book all of us on the same flight (with exception of our Italian family on the inbound portion). This gave us plently of hands to hold and entertain babies. One of our tools are I-phones downloaded with kid and baby friendly games or a small travel TV with kid size head phones. Also a lightweight comfy blanket to cuddle up in. But we did learn that only one lap child was allowed per 3 seats.

We arrived late at night in San Jose and took 2 full taxi vans to our hotel - The Adventure Inn. They had some creative art work hanging in their breakfast area- Toucans made of tires. After a traditional Costa Rican breakfast of beans, rice, eggs, fruit and juices (or should we say fruit puree) we stuffed all of our 30 apx bags, 4 strollers, 5 car seats and 17 bodies into 3 cars and headed north west through a beautiful country side, through cloud forests and arrived in La Fortuna at our Kokoro Resort. My next post will detail the La Fortuna experience.

Royce Family Jungle Adventure!! pt 1

2010-01-22T06:45:00.001-08:00

Our family returned late last night from a great family vacation in Costa Rice. Being concerned about posting that my house was empty for the past 11 days I didnt want to update my blog until I returned. Now I plan to post away! I plan to post various aspects of how we travel the way we do with resources, experiences we had and pictures of the trip. I will be doing this spread through multiple posts so if you read my blog check back often. Also, you will be able to click to any of my kids blogs to the right and see the trip through their eyes. Both Kristi and Rachael posted from their I-phone while we were there. And I am sure that Jennine and Bekah will also be sharing.

Pt1 -- Why we travel & finding the DEAL! --
Rod and I had our 4 children very close together- 2 boys and 2 girls in a span of 6 years. I was born and raised in a small town in southern Idaho. Living on a farm gave us very limited travel opportunities because we always had to be responsible for milking or feeding animals or a planting a crop et.... Rod grow up in the beach in southern CA and he was always tied to his family business. But as we grew we were both able to experience new places -- fishing off the coast of Oregon, British Columbia. But then Rod served a mission in southern Germany and we returned when early in our marriage to visit the area.
Royce Family European Vacation Pt 1 & Pt 2--
One day about 12 years ago I saw an internet advertisement for travel between Denver to London for $199 round trip. Rod happened to be in Lake Powell at the time and un-reachable. But I knew we would regret it if we didnt jump on that fare. So I bought tickets for all of us --for (16 Rachael, 14 JR ,12 Rory ,and 10 yr old Bekah). That meant we had to get passports . We drove to Denver because the flight from SLC to Denver was more then the flight Europe. We then flew into London and backpacked through europe, staying in youth hostels and bed and breakfast and used Eurail passes- often sleeping overnight on the train. In 2 weeks we visited London, Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Venice, Austria & Germany, through Paris and on the chunnel back to London. Of course the trip was not without issues like the time we ran for a train with 3 of us making it and 3 of us not -- with mom holding all of the tickets and passports as we passed over a border check. Not to mention the occasional arguments, not only between the kids but also the parents as travel can bring stressors that we dont have in our day to day home lives. But it also brings amazing experiences-- the first time tasting a weisswurst in a bum from a street vendor in Germany, beating the hodlum pick pocketeers on the streets of Paris and having our children meet the people that Rod worked with on his mission and see his love for them. A couple of years later we followed that trip with a return Christmas trip to Germany/ Austria. This time renting a van -- highlited by an overnight sleeping adventure in the car in Innsbruck, Austria on New Years Eve. Europe is a favorite travel spot for us. Not only because we love the variety of life from Germany to Poland to Italy, but also because we have a little bit of our family that lives in Milan. And as our family has grown we have also traveled to Hawaii. First on a family trip 5 years ago to Maui with Kristi and then as we added Giovanni, Jennine, Jamison & Chanel three years ago a trip to Maui and Kauai.
So now our family consists of 5 couples ( 10 adults) 2 kids and FIVE lap children. (that is what the airlines consider children under 2 that you dont buy a ticket for. So this was a prime time for our family to have a trip that would be adventurous for the adults and safe for the little ones. And COSTA RICA was the right place!
I had been searching the internet for airline deals and vacation house rentals on places such as vrbo and Home Away Our goal was to find a house that was beautiful, beach location, pool and 5 bedrooms that would consider renting to a group that had FIVE babies. Some places said no- their locations had dangers or that the septic tanks couldnt handle that amount of people.
I searched airline deal sights such as travel zoo, travelocity, Expedia.
About 2 months ago in October I was watching a SLC to Paris fare on Travelocity and on that list gave all of the fare deals out of SLC. And there I found SLC to San Jose, Costa Rica for $188+tax Round trip. And there you have it. All family members were in. We found someone selling a voucher for the airline on Craig's List and KSL classifieds that helped off set some of the pricing and purchased our tickets to paradise!

Happy Birthday Little Lottie

2010-01-09T21:44:00.001-08:00

Grammie has been thinking about you all night and how one year ago you were born and you joined our eternal family! We love you sweetheart and cant wait to see you (and your mummie & daddie) this week and give you slobbery kisses on your neck! Maybe Grammie will sneek some red licorice to you!

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Christmas at the Royce's

2009-12-29T18:48:00.001-08:00

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpas house starts on Christmas Eve with a traditional fondue dinner followed by opening one present- This year blankies & robes for the little ones, cuddling socks for the mommies and head flashlites for the daddies. The next morning we started at Rory's house where we saw the kids after Santa visited. The back to our house for waffles a& more presents like Zoobie blankies and dollies. And what is that hiding behind the tree but a red rider air riffle for our little Ralphie. Maybe he will get the dasterdly wood pecker this year....

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-24T23:40:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Rodney & Teresa
2009

Some of our highpoints for the year:
-- Rod & Teresa celebrated 30 years anniversary in Las Vegas (Photoshop convention in October)
-- Adding Charlotte Raya Criscione (January), Oliver Mitchell Brinkerhoff (June) and AvaLyn Royce (July)
-- Visiting friends in Italy, Germany and France in January
-- Into The Woods completing beautiful cabinet jobs including another out of state job in La Jolla
-- Traveling with Emerson, Lottie, Kristi & Rachael to visit Grandpa & JR and other cousins in sunny
southern CA.
-- Boating with the family-- Introducing all of the babies to life jackets, James up on skis and
Chanel water skiing with her daddy.
-- Movie Blockbuster openings ie.. Harry Potter & New Moon that keep Teresa busy at work
-- Teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in multiple church callings-- Increasing our testimony
about Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon
-- Spending time with extended family and friends
-- Planning a family trip to Costa Rica for January!! We hope to see Sandy Claws!!

Christmas Craft Night at Mimi's

2009-12-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Lead by our fearless crafter Rebekah, we conqured wood blocks, vinyl letters and match boxes.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

As I sit here and down load the camera so many little pictures dance across my screen. It makes me think about all of the things I am grateful for. (as did Rachael's inspirational post) -- and not necessarily in order--
I am grateful for a wonderful relationship with my best friend and husband if over 30 years.
I am grateful for each of my children, their awesome spouces and my most favorite 7+ grandbabies-- the best in all of the world!!
I am grateful for wonderful parents and the blessing that they choose to have me- their last of 7 babies. I was their biggest pest spelled "P-E-T"
I am grateful that I grew up on a farm and grateful that I finished growing up in the city. I was too young to milk the cows but old enough to feed the calves when we moved.
I am grateful for wonderful relationships with all of my siblings and extended family members.
I am grateful for great friendships - some that came through the years for various purposes and some that have been with me through the years that will always be part of my life.
I am grateful for amazing job opportunities through my life. I have an awesome resume and a vast pool of varied employers-- but all representing products or services that I loved promoting!!
I am grateful for TRAVEL!! I LOVE IT!!
I am grateful for amazing clients that I have bonded with through the years. More then just business but friends. But I am grateful that I no longer arise at 6AM every Sunday morning to unlock the doors for Rock Canyon Church. -- Thank you Tyler & Dean.
I am grateful for my daughters and daughter in laws that are my best friends and such wonderful mothers to my grandbabies.
I am so grateful to my sons and son in laws for being such great providers and loving fathers for my grandbabies.
I am grateful for loving pets -- both my onw through the years--even Sherman the mouse-- and those who I have been able to love from afar.
I am grateful that we have been able to raise our children in the same fields that our ancestors settled -- Alexander Beckstead and Samuels Egbert.
I am grateful for Autumn View and Lava Hot Springs and Thai Food.
I am grateful for old movies and color TV. I didnt have color TV until I was married.
I am grateful for gelato and flan and chocolate and steak and lettuce wedges with blue cheese crumbles.
I am grateful that Delta Airlines and Air France found my lost luggage last year and that a miracle happened and I made it in time for Lottie's birth.
Speaking of births, I am so grateful for the safe delivery of all of my grandbabies and that this past year I have been able to see 3 brand new spirits fresh from the arms of Heavenly Father join our family.
I am grateful for spider monkeys and sloths because soon I will be able to see them in their natural enviroment.
I am grateful to have the gospel of Jesus Christ be a central part of who I am.
I am so grateful for so many things, but right now I am grateful that my husband has run a hot bath for me and tomorrow it will be time to start another week.