Kurly's Place

My beautiful girl...

2011-08-26T01:00:00.018-07:00

I can't believe my beautiful little golden haired baby girl is turning 30 today! Yikes! Where did the time go? Words can never express the joy this beautiful woman has brought to my life. No one can make me laugh quite like Julie.

The most darling and chubby little toddler ever!

My little princess.

People used to stop me in the store to look at her golden ringlets and say "she looks just like a little doll you would buy at Pennies."

Matching Easter dresses - quite a tradition.

What a darling first grader!

Katie, the big sister, was always so proud of her little sister and wanted a sister more than anything!

Easter baskets were always so much fun!

Chillin' with her big sissie.

We all love Halloween!

Christmas pictures are so cute!

She'll kill me for this one.

My lovely girls...

Julie was also very happy when she got a little sister! She loved taking care of Becca when she was a baby. There is nothing a like a sister - big or little!

Julie was so excited to be an Auntie!

Julie was very excited to be a mother.

All babies are cute when they are asleep!

Julie's third birthday.

Julie and Ava

I love this picture of my beautiful daughter with my dear dad.

Jubilant, joyful
Unique, understanding
Lively, loving
Intelligent, incredible
Enthusiastic, extremely funny

Happy Birthday, Jewels! I love you more than my luggage!

Oh, yeah! BUNCO!

2011-08-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

We had a 3 way tie for most "BUNCOS" of the game. We had a roll off. Each one of us rolled as fast and furious as we could to see who could get three of a kind first. The twos were kind to me.

The traditional trip to Big Springs

2011-08-03T20:32:00.007-07:00

We had to go to Big Springs to Johnny Sack's cabin. It is so beautiful there, and we love seeing the natural spring. It is amazing how the water just bubbles up out of the ground and creates such a good sized river that then feeds in to the Snake river.

Ava got brave and tried the water.

Becca joined in the fun.

Julie didn't want to be left out - boy was she ever in for a shocker! That water is always 52 degrees. Waaaaay cold! They decided to have a contest to see who could keep their feet in the longest. Yes, their screaming resounded through the trees and frightened the fish!

It took her a few minutes to catch her breath.

Ava is wondering what the heck is wrong with those two. I think her feet were numb by this time.

My crazy girls!

Moose Sightings and Other Forrest Friends

2011-08-02T20:26:00.001-07:00

We saw Moose galore this trip! Rod and I tried to go out early in the morning and then again at dusk to catch a glimpse of a Moose. The first one we saw was a momma and her twins! The mother looked small to me. I think she was very young and that perhaps this was her first birthing.

I spotted her as we turned into Harriman Park, right of the side of the road and down in a gulley.

One of the baby twins. They were so tiny and cute!

The next Moose sighting was very early one morning as Rod and I hiked around Silver Lake. Rod spotted her down by the shore. We tried to sneak up to get a closer peek, but she spotted us and bolted. She actually ran right to the path that we were using and then trotted on ahead of us for quite a while.

Rod getting his Moose picture.

She turned around and looked right at us

As they trotted ahead of us, we could hear their steps on the wooden bridge. It was so cool!!!

This elk crossed the road right in front of us, then turned around and looked.

Rod is very proud of this baby buffalo picture.

The guys thought they owned the picnic area.

We saw a beautiful deer in the velvet one night by the river feeding in to Silver Lake, and other stags as we drove down some of the forest service roads at dusk. We also saw some amazing pelicans flying up the river in formation just like the Blue Angels. You could hear their wings beating the air.

The mosquitoes were very bad! Wish we hadn't seen any of those!

One night we stayed up very late so we could take the girls out to see the stars. We drove out to the road that goes to Mesa Falls and parked in a pull out. It took our breath away as we looked up and could actually see the Milky Way. There were shooting stars. We all saw a great big one, and Ava said in the cutest little voice, "I see it. I see it!" We all laughed at her joy and delight in this experience of her first shooting star. I will always treasure this time with Rod, Becca, Julie and Ava.

S'more Fun!

2011-07-31T20:02:00.001-07:00

So Julie brought stuff to make S'mores while at the cabin. She got these GIANT marshmallows. Her vision of this whole thing was to make the S'mores in the oven so we wouldn't have to get smoky by the fire. She assembled everything and we stuck them in the oven. I told her the marshmallows were too big. She said no, they were just right. I still cut some of them in THIRDS and the S'mores were still very messy! We laughed so hard. Good Times at the Cabin!

Rod tried to be neat with his...

Did I mention the S'mores were ultra messy??

Gooey, Chewy, Sticky - and delicious!

I think we will always remember these GIANT S'mores and how much fun we had making and eating them!

Such a beautiful place!

2011-07-30T19:48:00.016-07:00

I just want to post some pictures that I think are really beautiful of Island Park and Yellowstone. We went on some incredible walks and hikes and just drank in the beautiful scenes.

The swan was actually fighting with a goose - pretty noisey!

I love Mesa Falls!

Nature makes such beautiful bouquets.

The wild flowers were so beautiful!

Three happy campers - at least for a second.

More Vacation - water play

2011-07-14T18:11:00.028-07:00

All it takes is some grass, a hose and a warm day.

Fill up the tub...

They took turns spraying each other with the cold water.

Then mom suggested the slip 'n' slide.

They loved it! Water was flying everywhere!

Oh, yeah! a perfect slide.


I love this kid's amazing smile. His whole face just radiates! Can't you just hear him laughing?

The perfect landing.

Fun afternoon - filled with sun, water, Popsicles and laughing children. What a great memory!

My Summer Vacation

2011-07-13T17:45:00.004-07:00

THESE faces are why I drive from Phonex to SLC by myself every summer!

Luka is fearless in the water.

Cannon loves to play.

Cooper and Savannah play for HOURS with each other in the pool.

Ava was very excited about her hiking equipment.

I got to attend Karate class with Cooper. I was so impress with his careful attention to form and to complying with every request made by his teacher.

Seriously... how does he do this??

Katie and Julie ran a special 10K in for pregnancy and infant loss. I took Savannah, Cooper and Ava with me to greet them at the finish line.

Here are my two courageous girls - now runners! Years ago, when I was in my late 20s and early to mid 30s I used to run in 10k races. I loved it. But not any more. I guess it has been passed on to the younger generation...

They ran this race in memory of Hayden Nys. This sweet baby boy was born to Ryan's cousin a couple of years ago. He only lived long enough for his parents to hold him and love him before he slipped away. Katie and Ryan were there with them for that precious experience.

It was a fun morning and the moms did a great job on their run! The kids enjoyed running across the finish line with their moms/aunties. I was so happy to be there with them. Brought back fond memories.

In fact, going to the race inspired me to try jogging again. BIG MISTAKE! Even though I had Nike running shoes, they were not right for my foot and I blew a tendon - I ran several mornings and then hiked in Island Park thinking it would get better. Wrong. I finally ended up going to the Dr. when I had been home for about a week. She said to wear an ace bandage, prescribed an anti-inflammatory. Three weeks later the swelling and tenderness has gone down and I an considering orthodics. I want to run again!

Look what I did!

2011-07-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

My Friend had a baby shower for her daughter on Saturday. I told her several weeks ago that I would help her. She asked me if I would cut up the fruit. When I went to pick it up there were two HUGE watermelons, 4 cantaloupe, 4 honeydews, 5 giant pineapples. 3 - 4 lb boxes of strawberries, 2 cases of mangoes, 2 cases of kiwis and two huge containers of grapes.

Oh. My. Goodness!

I did not know where to begin. I decided I wanted to do something fancy, so I sent Rod to the store to get some skewers. While he was gone, I cleaned all the strawberries and carved up one of the watermelons.


My attempt at fruit kabobs.

When Rod got back from the store, I had him help me big time. He peeled all of the mangoes and the kiwis. I chopped up the pineapples and had already washed the grapes. I don't know if you have ever peeled and cut mangoes, but they are real buggers! I cut up the mangoes and kiwis as he was peeling. I also used a melon ball cutter on some of the melons. That was kind of fun! Once the fruit was all cut up, we assembled some skewers and stuck the fruit-kabobs in a cabbage.

This is the baby carriage I made from the watermelon. It was so much fun!

I wish I had more time to do some more fancy stuff, but it took me all morning to cut up all that fruit! I never could have done it without Rod's help! (He is always so willing to help me in the kitchen - or anywhere - no matter what I ask him to do! Thanks, Honey!) I just put the rest of the cut up fruit in every huge bowl I own, and in big foil pans and took it for them to refill the carriage, and make more skewers. There were some very capable ladies in the kitchen that actually had planned on just putting cut fruit into big glass bowls as needed, and I think they were a little shocked and what came. They did make some pretty bowls of fruit, though. It was all very colorful!

I am glad I could help my friend and she was delighted with what I did - but I am also glad I do not cater for a living. Been there, done that - - too much work!

A Trip to Dallas

2011-06-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

My last day of work for the school year was June 9th. On the morning of the 10th we hopped on a plane and flew to Dallas for Rachell's wedding. We arrived late afternoon/early evening, got our little red rental car and found our hotel. Because we had no plans, we decided to make our own fun. We went to West End Dallas and found a Spaghetti Warehouse. We decided to have dinner there for my birthday. It was a huge platter of many kinds of pasta - a wonderful dinner for two that included salad and dessert. That was great fun.


Happy 56th to me.

Rod loves pasta as much as I do!

The next morning we went to the Dallas Holocaust Museum - a very sobering experience. I think one must be there to experience the full impact of what is there, but I will post a few pics.

The most disturbing things to me were the photos of the children. So many innocent people died under horrendous circumstances at the concentration camps. This place is a very well done memorial. I am glad we got to see it and experience it. It is difficult to express how it made me feel, but I am so thankful for our freedom of religion. It is sad to me that persecution of any kind still exists in our world.

We also saw the Texas School Book Depository where Oswald shot Kennedy. A very interesting scenario there. I don't think we will every have the full story on that one.

X marks the spot

6th floor window on the right is where Oswald was located.

Seems impossible that he could have hit Kennedy from the front from this angle. Surely there was someone across the street on the grassy knoll that was involved. After seeing this, that is my opinion.

The wedding was in the afternoon, so we made our way to the Dallas Temple. The reception was later in the evening in Allen.

Happy Bride and Groom

Dad with his beautiful bride-daughter

Groom's cake was unusual, and very cute. Look at the tuxedo strawberries.

Swing dancin' couple on the Groom's Cake

The bride and groom have their first dance as husband and wife. I loved Rachell's red sash.

Cutting the cake.

Father's Day With My Dad

2011-06-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

My dear Dad - 85 years old.

Father's day was very special this year. My sister, Janet, invited all of us to her home for a wonderful dinner with our dad. We enjoyed spending time together as siblings, as this does not happen often. I live far away from everyone, so I miss the family get-togethers. It was so nice to spend time with LaRue and Fred (her new husband!), Janet and Lenny, and Dave and Kelly. I love them all so much! We were able to sit at Dad's feet while he shared stories about his boyhood that we all loved hearing as children. He is as great story teller. I am so glad that some of my grandchildren were able to hear their "Great Harris" talk about his life as a boy. They were very attentive and quite fascinated with the stories. Katie was able to videotape this story time for us. I know we will all treasure this time with our Dad.

Dave, me, LaRue, Dad and Janet.

Janet was kind enough to make it an open invitation to my kids and grandkids as well. She knows I don't always get to spend time with the ones that live in Utah. Thanks, Janet. It really was a wonderful day!

Cooper peeking out from under the bench.

The neighbors behind Janet's home have a beautiful pasture with horses. Often there are deer as well. The deer sneak over the fence and eat her garden!

The kids loved the horses in the pasture behind Janet's house.

My grandkids used to have have horses across from where they lived, and so they were not afraid to feed carrots to the horses. They loved it!

Savannah gives the horse a baby carrot.

It was really fun to see Becca encourage the little ones around the horses. As a little girl, she loved being with them and was never afraid of these gentle giants.

I haven't seen Becca around horses for a long time. She always loved them.

So fun to see my nephews, KC and Jordan - both returned home from their missions.

Luka had fun jumping off the boulders in Janet's yard. He is such a fun little boy!

Luka is so exuberant. I just love his smile!

The drive to and from Logan was so beautiful! We did get rained on and I was somewhat distressed as the temperature was only in the 50s. I am so used to the Phoenix temperatures! But there are no more beautiful skies than in Cache Valley, especially when it has been raining.

I was quite emotional today. My Dad is quite feeble - he can hardly walk. He cannot hear well, so it is hard to communicate with him, but he warmed right up when we asked him to tell his stories. I hadn't seen him that animated for quite some time. He talked on for more than half an hour. We were amazed! When it was all done, he said he was tired and wanted me to take him home. We acutally had a wonderful conversation on the way back to Bountiful where he lives. I have always been very close to my dad. He is my hero. I love him so much and appreciate the wonderful childhood that he and my mom gave me. They always believed in me, and they taught me correct principals by their tremendous examples. Truly, I was born of goodly parents. For that blessing I will always be most grateful.

Something special

2011-06-05T16:02:00.025-07:00

My sister, LaRue, lost her husband last year to cancer. We attended his funeral when we went out for our summer vacation in June. She was blessed to find new love in her life when she met her new husband, Fred. I wish them every happiness. They are a wonderful couple!

LaRue and Fred Campbell

They were married April 28th and celebrated with family and friends on May 28th. We were so glad we had a long weekend so we could be there for this special occasion. They had a reception/dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City. It was so much fun to see her kids and grandkids, especially the ones that live in Alaska. I did not take pictures (boooo!), but Rod got a beautiful shot of the Salt Lake temple out the window.

Hangin' with the clan

2011-06-01T21:59:00.001-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled to the SLC area in Utah. We had such a fun trip! We left Thursday night after work and went to Kanab to stay. We then got up at our leisure and headed up the 89. We decided to take the scenic route: HWY 14 that has amazing lookout points of Zion's Nat'l Park. I could not BELIEVE how much snow was still in the mountains.

We stopped for pictures, but not where there was so much snow that we could not safely pull off.

It was a beautiful sight, but the snow by the road was DIRTY - that is the time of year I really don't miss the snow! And may I just say, have you ever seen a more beautiful blue sky? Ever?

We arrived on Friday afternoon and were delighted with our wonderful welcoming committee that was waiting with lots of squeals, open arms and kid hugs! Oh, how I miss those grandkiddies. Then Rod took off to spend some time with Eric while I got busy with helping get ready for a baby shower for my niece, Heidi. This is her first baby, and we have waited with great excitement for this wonderful addition to our family. All but two of the Harris girls were there!

My darling niece, Krista, and my sister Janet.

Three of my nieces: Holly, DeLayne, and the guest of honor, Heidi. Holly used to live in AZ in Gilbert. I miss her so much! We did enjoy getting together once in a while for birthdays and holidays.

I always love seeing my sisters, LaRue and Janet. They are two of my favorite people!

We had such wonderful food! Nikki and her mom (my sister Janet) and Katie made some incredible salads.

Of course, I wanted to show this pic cause it features Katie's darling kids.

Janet made all of the darling decorations. I have always loved her creativity and her ability to make cute stuff no matter what the occasion.

Sister-in-law, Kelly, with her grandbaby, Hydee.

Heidi got so many cute presents! This will definitely be the best dressed baby girl in all of Garden City.

Nikki and Linzy. Can you believe how beautiful they are??


Fantastic Red Velvet cupcakes. I knew Nikki would do cupcakes! She loves them! Seriously, they melt in your mouth.

Linzy, DeLayne and Nichole. Linzy and Nichole came all the way from Alaska - but not just for the baby shower. My sister, LaRue had a special wedding celebration that we all attended the next day.

This was a stellar baby shower! I wish I had taken more pics because I don't have one of everybody that was there! We talked, we cried, we laughed, and we caught up with one another. There is nowhere we have more fun than when we have a "Harris Girls' Night Out!" The love and support we have with each other is something I keep as a precious treasure in my heart. I love my daughters, my sisters, my nieces ( in-laws and out-laws a like) and all their kids!- Family is everything!

What is a YCL??

2011-04-27T22:29:00.003-07:00

A YCL is many things:

A YCL is fuzzy doin' the tootie Tot.

A YCL is all smiles for everybody.

A YCL loves to sing camp songs and is uninhibited when performing.

A YCL has to do skits to teach about camp rules and regulations.

a YCL knows you cannot over pack for camp.

A YCL welcomes the new campers to the program! She makes them feel special and is a "big sister" to them.

A YCL loves to act crazy and have fun all the time!

A YCL is a capable, loving, enthused Youth Camp Leader that devotes every Wednesday night from January through May to planning and executing the activities at girl's camp. Becca was the president of the YCLs in our stake this year, and she did an amazing job! Her leadership skills astounded me. Her dedication to her calling was impressive, and I am so pleased that she did such a great job, had such a wonderful time leading the girls in our stake. She is an amazing role model and will long remember this once-in-a-lifetime experience. She was so committed to attend her meetings and to do all that was asked of her. Way to go, Becca!

You did a FANTASTIC job!

April Stuff

2011-04-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

We went to the Easter Pageant in Mesa.

We took Tricia and Hector, and baby Elijah.

Isn't he the cutest thing you ever saw?

It was so much fun. We ate Subway sandwiches while we waited for the show to begin. It was a special evening with special friends. We missed Becca - she was at her YCL meeting. More about that to follow.

I Love Relief Society!

2011-04-06T23:03:00.001-07:00

We had a "Jelly Bean" Dinner for our April monthly meeting. It was so much fun! We took a Jelly Bean when we came in and the color of the jelly bean determined which table we would sit at for our dinner. We had wonderful salads and yummy desserts. We also had a very touching Easter Story that Sister Potter read to us. This was my last monthly meeting as Relief Society President. I love these wonderful women with all my heart. It was such a privilege to serve them as their president. I hope they will all know that I love them and that they are incredible, and special daughters of God.


Diana and Gloria - both have amazing testimonies.

Karen, an amazing counselor, Kathleen, ever cheerful, and Vandy - so talented in her sewing and cooking.

My sweet Rachel. How I love her! She brings me so much joy.

Dear Carol - such a positive and upbeat woman. Always willing to do whatever she is asked to do. How I look up to her.

Bethany, Jamie and Tammie, some of the younger sisters in our ward. I don't know how they do all they do and care for their young children. They are amazing!


Beth, I don't know how you eat like you do and stay so slender! I'm jealous!

Standing in line for the food. I love how these sisters have bonded with one another and how much love there is in our ward. What truly fantastic women!

Faithful and true, we will ever stand!

The Birthday Present Finally Came!

2011-04-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Rod wanted a rocket stove for his birthday. We ordered it online and then the wait began... We found out it was made in and shipped from Malaysia. Delivery was promised 8-10 weeks later. The stove finally arrived today! He took it right out to the back yard and started it up. This will be a really great addition to our emergency preparedness supplies. It cooks hot, with minimal fuel.

Here is a link to learn about the stove: http://www.phoenixstoves.com/

Rod took it right out to the back yard to give it a try. He got the fire going very quickly! I sent the first picture to the lady in Malaysia from whom we bought the stove, telling her how much we like the stove. She wrote me back and said her son said the flame looked like a fire fox. She was pleased with the picture.

Rod put some volcanic ash stuff inside for insulation. He is showing here that the outside is not hot. Another cool thing he got is a solar lighter. Here is a piece of hemp in the lighter that is starting to smoke before it bursts into flame.

The solar lighter is quite intriguing.

It only takes a few seconds for this much heat to be generated. If there is sun, we will always be able to light a fire. Another great emergency preparedness item we now have. So one night this week, Rod is in charge of dinner. He wants to fry a hamburger on his rocket stove!

Other things we did

2011-03-19T15:01:00.001-07:00

Played games: Shrek Operation. I would fake them out by going "Bzzzz!" when they were carefully trying to take out Shrek's various organs and parts. It was funny!

Ava would have played this 24/7.

Ha! Julie got the breadbasket...

Lots of games of Monoply.

Made Ginger Snaps and Snickerdoodles (and ate them!)

Picking oranges at Rondaleen's is always so much fun! It is such a great springtime activity - especially now when the blossoms are there. It smells like HEAVEN!

Ava likes the smell of the oranges, too!

Rondaleen shows Ava the twisting technique to get the oranges to release from the stem. She also showed Ava the thorns on the tree. The can be wicked - my hands always look beat up after I pick oranges and grapefruit!

Peek-A-Boo!

Some of my favorite girls here!

Ava liked this fountain at the Arizona Center downtown.

We also got to have pizza at Organ Stop. The girls liked the organ music - very entertaining! I'm so glad that Julie and Ava came for a springtime visit. I miss my Utah girls and grandkids more than words can express!

Phoenix Children's Museum

2011-03-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

I really love this place. It is so full of fun. Ava had a ball.

So cute up in the climbing tubes.

Her favorite thing was the store. She shopped...

...and rang up groceries. Didn't want to stop.

Then she found the kitchen and made some colorful pizza.

A Breath of Fresh Air

2011-03-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful morning! Rod took Ava on a hike to Thunderbird Park while I took Julie to GCC to run on the track. Ava loved her hike with Rod. He had so much fun showing her the desert plants and the view of the city. Ava loved the rocks and the beautiful deserts flowers that are in great abundance right now.

I love these pictures of her. Usually her smile is too posed, but these are all just a natural smile for a beautiful girl that is enjoying the world around her.

I hope she will always remember her desert hike and know how much her Grammy and Rod love the desert!

The park . . .

2011-03-17T19:45:00.001-07:00

It was a perfect evening for a stroll to the park. Ava was determined to do the monkey bars hand over hand. I always marvel at how strong little kids are and how they can use their bodies like that! All pretty in her St. Patty's day shirt. Ava was very proud of her sequined shamrock shirt. Andd she even did her own pig tails. Cute! We were mad because McDonald's was out of their shamrock shakes. Oh well. It got dark while were there, but we did have a good time just hangin' out at the park.

Green Eggs & Ham . . . Would you like some?

2011-03-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

You know it's my tradition! It is a must have for breakfast every March 17th... Another tradition that I love is that Julie makes sugar cookies for every holiday and she did it at my house today! Yay!

Taylor and Becca frosted cookies...

Simbata, Ava, and Julie frosted cookies....

And I got to EAT them! It was fabulous!

Take me to the mall...

2011-03-16T21:01:00.001-07:00

Before I could even give her a good hug, Ava asked if I would take her to the mall to get her ears pierced. I don't know where that came from.

She was pretty excited about picking out the earrings, still confident this is what she wanted to do.

With mom filling out the paper work, she is not looking quite as sure.

1, 2, 3 OUCH!

Trying to look brave as she shows her sparkly flower earrings. Good job, Ava!

Over the dam bridge...

2011-03-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

We always joke about the dam bridge - you know, the bridge that goes over the dam at Lake Powell. It's impossible to miss if you drive through Page and Kanab on your way to Salt Lake City, or take that route from SLC to Phoenix. That's what Julie, Ava and Becca did today. While this lovely lady was driving... ...this crazy child used my camera and photographed herself and those in the car. The American Girl Dolls were very nice passengers. Scenic view . . . love the Vermilion Cliffs in the background, but really my favorite are these road-weary girls that made the long haul to visit their Mom/Grammy in Phoenix!

The Zoo with the Gunns

2011-03-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of March, we went to the Phoneix Zoo and met some dear friends there. We had such a great time and I do love this family!

This is a daddy that really dotes on his little girl.

Just look right over there, Stan. See it?

I love this picture of Jack.
He was so quiet and thoughtful sitting there in the peace and quiet by the pond.

Afton was hilarious with the goats. Don'tcha just love the princess dress with the boots? She is such a girly girl! And she says I am her best friend!

Be gentle, and brush in the direction the hair grows. Each goat had its name in the collar.

Be sure to wash really good! Those goats are dirty and smelly!

What adorable kids!

Stan and Jack are all over the web.

I love this handsome little face!

Happy kids!

I'm holding up the world - ha!

Thanks for a great day, guys! Thanks for sharing your family with us!

Friday Night Fun

2011-03-04T22:37:00.001-08:00

Saw Footloose at the Theater Works in Peoria. We took Becca and her friend, Miriam. Turns out they knew a few of the kids in the cast. This fun musical has tons of lively dancing and really great music. It was a fun Friday night date! Made me want to watch the movie again...

Jeo Hair

2011-03-04T22:19:00.003-08:00

Back Row: Yani, Ivonne, Natalie, Monica, Odilia

Front Row: Sherry, Peggy

Friday was Crazy Hair day at the Primary School. (We share a campus with Cordova Primary School, so all of us "Office Ladies" are together, even though we work for different schools.) Monica started it all by doing the "bump" in her hair. We have a Jr. High student (well several, actually) that does her hair like this all the time. It is the current trendy look. When she saw Monica, she got all excited and told her that her hair was "super FRESH!" We all laughed so hard. Next thing I knew, Monica had set up shop in the ladies' room and everyone was sporting the "bump." It was hilarious. I called it "Jeo Hair" after the student's name, Jeovana. They all told her they were trying to look cool like her. You should have seen the parent reactions, and the student reactions! We all giggled all day long! I do love the girls I work with. They are terrific!

(No, I did not get the "bump" - just not possible with my curly hair! Oh, well...)

Relief Society Birthday

2011-03-03T20:06:00.006-08:00

Tonight we celebrated the birthday of the Relief Society.
Mandy and Mary are filling boxes with popcorn so we can snack while we play the games.
We had a carnival atmosphere, with popcorn and games. Darci Gutman made this beautiful birthday cake:

She made a box of popcorn on the top. It looked so real! She made the popcorn out of marshmallows and painted them with food coloring. (Sarah, have you ever done this? Maybe you can use this idea for one of your fantastic creations!)

We played some fun games, and of course, my team won! Ha, ha, Cyndee! (My dear friend that is as competitive as I am.)

A very fun night, and it is always so uplifting to be with these amazing ladies.

We miss those of you who did not come! You missed a great time!

I love you all!

Suns Fun!

2011-02-23T19:53:00.001-08:00

A nice friend from work gave me a couple of tickets to the Suns game last night. We decided "what the heck" and went to the game. It was so much fun! Thank goodness for the big electronic scoreboard with the screen. That is really how we could see the game at all. It was so colorful and the lights flash different colors with each advertisement. It is hard not to look at it - rather distracting - if you really want to watch the game you sort of have to block it out. Our seats were in the nose-bleed section only third row from the very top. The atmosphere was electric, and it buzzed clear up to where we were sitting. Here is the little blimp that flew around the upper deck. It was below us! ha ha The Suns Fans are obnoxious, the vendors are annoying, and the players are amazing! It was fun do to something out of the ordinary on an ordinary week night. Thanks, Jeanne!

Valentine's Day Posies

2011-02-14T05:40:00.002-08:00

Thanks for the beautiful roses, Rod! They are gorgeous, and they smell wonderful, too! I can smell them as soon as I walk into the room. My husband was so sweet and gave me these exquisite flowers on Saturday for Valentine's Day. That way I could enjoy them all weekend!

A Hard Month

2011-02-01T05:17:00.001-08:00

January was a hard month. It seems I don't post when things are hard. But life is not always easy and there are lessons to be learned from the adversities. Many of my grandchildren had serious injuries, and my heart has been with them. It is hard for me to be so far away when my dear ones are injured and I cannot be there to offer my support and comfort to them. And I know my daughter hurts with her children so I have worried about her, too.

My other daughter has struggled with career and education decisions, so I have worried about her and what the future has in store for her. She is an amazing woman, working hard to make a life for her and her daughter.

I have had challenges at work. Many tears have been shed, and I have been looking for a new job. I don't know that a new job is really the answer - many times the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, but then we discover that it is manure - sometimes DEEP manure - that makes the grass greener. Right now I am sticking it out. I have always loved my current job. I just don't like the way that many of the people there are being treated. When they hurt, I hurt. That is part of loving others. I am blessed with the ability to love others, and sometimes that can be very painful. However, it mostly brings joy - so giving the love away is definitely worth it.

Becca and I made our favorite Special K Candy one night. It was fun to be in the kitchen with her and make this addicting and delicious treat!

We also got to have dinner one night at Carlos and Lucy's house with Hector, Tricia, and sweet baby Elijah. When I hold this little boy, my spirit soars. He is so cute and cuddly! Thank you to the Maravillas for sharing their precious little boy with us! We love you! I always love to hear Carlos play and sing. He is so very talented and I feel privileged when we get to have our own exclusive performances! Thanks for a relaxing evening with wonderful food and dear friends!

A Nice Reprieve

2010-12-26T19:23:00.004-08:00

After the disaster with Christmas brunch, Sam and Trudy took us away for a drive later in the afternoon. We went down to South Mountain. It was such a beautiful day! We enjoyed the view of Phoenix and the beauty of the mountain.

Rod and Sam are using the big Bronze Compass to point to different land marks off in the distance.

Here is a close up of the Bronze.And a close up of some of the diagrams on the Bronze. It was pretty cool.

Ahwatukee.

The wind sock showed a nice southeast wind. It was pretty chilly, actually.

The radio towers.

Smile for the birdie! (what does that mean, anyway?)

Merry Christmas, Rod. I love you! You have been such a marvelous gift in my life!

Thanks, Sam and Trudy, for such a nice and relaxing afternoon and evening. Trudy even took us home and made us a wonderful dinner! We are so blessed to have many wonderful friends!

Christmas Brunch Disaster

2010-12-26T17:42:00.007-08:00

As is tradition, I invited like 23 people for Christmas brunch at 11. It is something I love to do! Especially if the people don't happen to have family around. I truly wish I could invite more, but there is only so much space in my house! The traditional menu is breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy. We got up and started cooking at 9 AM. I did 4 pounds of hash browns - done up just right. I put them in the oven to stay warm. Got the bacon in the oven to heat up, and got the biscuits baking, too. We had a crock pot full of gravy heating up. Rod was browning the sausage and I was cracking eggs into a bowl - I had put the hash browns in my huge glass Pyrex casserole pan, covered it with foil to stay warm, and set it on the stove so I could bake the biscuits in the oven. I turned on a burner to heat a pan to scramble the eggs. As Rod was doing the sausage, there was this HUGE explosion! There was glass everywhere! I had turned on the WRONG burner and the Pyrex casserole full of hash browns exploded from the direct heat of the burner. It was a disaster! Just 15 minutes before 11, and the first guests were arriving!

Rod hurried to the store to buy more hash browns and Allen and Nick helped me clean up this awful mess! And I mean it was awful! Just picture 4 pounds of steaming hot hash browns totally infused with shattered Pyrex glass sitting on top of a hot burner. Yikes! I didn't know where to begin. First I turned off the burner (duh). I grabbed a broom and dust pan. Allen started looking for some insulated gloves, and ended up with our good hot pot holder mittens that Rod uses with the sun ovens. They worked great! He scooped the hot mass into the trash can. Really, there was glass all over that kitchen! In places you wouldn't even think of. Nick and Allen scooped and swept and wiped. They used Clorox clean up cloths, which were actually quite a good magnet for all of the little glass shards stuck all over. During the clean up, I punctured one finger with glass, and burned the top of my left hand with hot potatoes.

When Rod got back, we decided not to do the breakfast burritos - it was just too stressful to try to cook 4 more pounds of potatoes and no sausage. We decided not to use the sausage as there were little glass shards all over the kitchen and we felt it would not be safe as the sausage was right next to the exploding pan. We did not want to endanger anyone from our food being infused with glass pieces! We ended up serving biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh squeezed orange juice (thank you to Rondaleen for many bags of fresh oranges!). There was plenty of food, too. I do have some pretty good blisters on a couple of my fingers (can't wear my wedding ring for a while), but I know the burns will heal up just fine.

Thank you so much, Nick, Allen, and Rod. I don't know what I would have done without you! You were all so helpful and supportive. I love you all! I was so shaken and stressed that I didn't even take any pictures! But my wonderful guys were there to help me through it. And the stress really was unnecessary, though very real to me.

So that is my Christmas Brunch Disaster. I'm sure we will laugh about it in years to come, but it was rather stressful (as I mentioned) as it happened! Lots of the people came, and they didn't seem to mind that we had no breakfast burritos! They all had plenty to eat and there was much friendly visiting and conversation. I'm so thankful that we have many wonderful friends and neighbors that would grace our home on Christmas Morning.

A Very Special Night

2010-12-19T21:11:00.003-08:00

Tonight was a very special night. My dear friend (on the right), Donna, was finally baptized! She has been attending with us for several years. Her neighbor, and another dear friend (on the left) Shillene, has been talking to her about the gospel for years. Shillene has been bringing Donna and her girls to church and to activities during all this time. She is an amazing member-missionary. Donna's daughters, Jamie and Tiffany, were baptized this past fall. They were so happy to see their mom baptized tonight. President Perkins performed the baptism. He was Bishop when Donna first started coming to our ward. It was an amazing baptismal service, and long awaited! I am so excited for Donna and will cherish her friendship always. She has an amazing testimony of the Savior, and of Joseph Smith and the restoration. I know she will influence many people for good. She was an amazing missionary even before she was able to get baptized herself!

Congratulations, Donna! We love you!

An Early Merry Christmas!

2010-12-18T18:55:00.003-08:00

We opened our Christmas presents a week early because Becca will not be with us for Christmas this year. We had quite an enjoyable morning with Becca and Nick. They are still kids...

What's in the stockings?

Ah! The traditional Christmas pajamas!

Just what she wanted, a little Cannon digital.

Thanks, Katie!

Thanks, Julie!

It's funny how socks and underwear are quite exciting when you are older... Shoes, and Jeans, too!

Nick got himself this amazing little helicopter. I told him if he would wait, that Santa would bring it to him, but he wanted it NOW!

We had such a fun morning! Merry Christmas, Becca and Nick!

Saturday - what a busy, fun day!

2010-11-30T19:49:00.007-08:00

Saturday was busy from start to finish. We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, and Cooper went shopping with Rod and got everyone a treat to eat a the movie, Tangled. What a cute movie! Then we headed to Mesa to go to Organ Stop Pizza. We got there early so we could get a good spot in line. The kids entertained themselves while we waited.

Cooper found a good climbing tree.

We were first in line, and got to order our pizza and find a good seat. Just as we finished eating, the show started. This huge organ comes up out of the floor and the guy that plays is fantastic! The whole room is alive with the music he makes. What a talented musician! And the organ is beautiful! There are pipes everywhere, and percussion, too. I have never seen anything like it!

Savannah was pretty happy with the whole thing!

Cannon is such a flirt!

Luka loved his pizza, and when the music started he was so excited. He pointed, and bounced to the music.

Even Cannon was delighted with the music.

My beautiful girl.

He played some wonderful Christmas music and lots of popular songs.

Then we went over to the Mesa Temple grounds to enjoy the lights. Two more beautiful girls!

Cooper and Savannah liked the water.

The lights were so beautiful.

Me and my wonderful sweetie. Thanks for all your hard work and support to make this such a wonderful weekend! I love you!

I love the lights at the Mesa Temple. Merry Christmas!

I am so glad that Katie and Ryan were willing to make the sacrifice to drive their four lively children all the way to Phoenix to spend this time with us. What treasured memories we have made! Thanks for coming. We love you and we miss you! I must say, it was a very quiet and lonely Monday morning with no little people around.

Phoenix Children's Museum - Something for Everyone!

2010-11-26T19:08:00.005-08:00

What do you do the day after Thanksgiving? You have your friends come and drag you out of bed, blindfold you, place a birthday girl crown on your head, and take you to IHop for breakfast! After that, you hop in the car and drive to the Phoenix Children's Museum with your niece and nephews. I was totally impressed with this place! It had something at every exhibit for every kid. I think my grandkids were in heaven! There was so much to do and so much to see that we could have spend days at that place!

The Flying Bathtub.

I thought this boat in the air was hilarious!

Caged up Cooper!

Hi, Cannon!

Luka riding through the Car Wash.

Katie wanted to take these trailer bikes home.

Seems like Luka attracts stray little girls where ever he goes...

The boys loved the Lego table. You can see where Cannon got hit in the face with the swing at the park yesterday. Poor baby! He gets so beat up, but he just wants to be in the middle of all the action! His brothers and sister are so cute to play with him and include him in everything.

Cooper concentrates on construction.

They all liked the air tubes.

Hmmm.... how does this thing work?

The lighted sand table. Beautiful!

Vannah and cooper made paper chains to count down the days till Christmas.

The noodle forest. Cannon had a blast running through there. Katie had a hard time keeping track of him!

Luka is weighing legumes at the store.

Cooper is checking out the groceries.

Cannon is designing his own Pizza.

Savannah shows off her salad.

Maybe it will fit in this end...

Easy Rider.

What an amazing place! A Fabulous Black Friday. We didn't even have to fight traffic or shoppers. We walked down to the Arizona Center for lunch in between museum activities, and enjoyed yet another beautiful November day.

Turkey Day 2010

2010-11-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day . . . this always musters up many memories for me. Rod was excited for this day so he could teach the grandkids how to make marshmallow shooters. He bought several feet of PVC pipe and cut all the pieces he would need to make seven of the suckers. The pieces all needed to be filed, so he put the recruits to work. There were MANY pieces of pipe to smooth out. Each child was diligent in their duty.

Cooper shows us how smooth his edges are.

Savannah and Luka are intent on the job.

These kids stayed busy all morning long on this project. When they started to stray from the sanding, Rod brought them in and showed them the U-Tube video of how to make the guns. They got all enthused again and the sanding and filing resumed. They stayed on task for about 4 hours and had so much fun creating their new toys! Once again, I love watching Luka's little hands at work. It is amazing what small hands can do when they have a meaningful task.

Rod cooked our Smoked Bacon Encrusted Pork Loin and Spiral Ham in the solar ovens. It was a perfect day to let the sun do the work so I could bake potatoes and oranges rolls in the house.

It was nice to see daddy enjoy some cuddles with baby Cannon. At last! The marshmallow guns are done and the kids are learning how to blow the ammunition through the pipes. Savannah and Cooper had a contest to see who could shoot the marshmallows the farthest. (Rod won. He shot it clear into the neighbor's yard!) I think they liked eating the marshmallows, too. When the Kahlers got there, Rod had guns ready for them, too. They all had a blast! Allen stopped by before he had to go to work. We were sad he could not stay for Thanksgiving dinner, but the kids enjoyed playing with him for a while. He had to go to work, but did not mind getting the Holiday Pay! My yard is still covered in colored miniature marshmallows. They had so much fun with those little guns! We were so blessed with a delicious and abundant meal. We also had the Kahlers, Ryan and Katie's friends that live in Tucson, join us for the day. I didn't take any more pictures, though. Dang! I was too busy trying to the the meal on the table by the promised time. With Katie, Rod and Becca helping, I made it! We had such a fun day! The kids played outside all day. They ran in and out and had a great time with each other. It was good to see old friends. and to have some of our dear family members around us for this special Holiday. I have always loved Thanksgiving. It is my favorite holiday. (Well, I really like them all!)

They're Here! They're Here!

2010-11-24T21:20:00.005-08:00

Katie, Ryan and family arrived on Tuesday night, just in time for dinner! We have all been so excited for their visit! They were glad to be out of the car... We set up beds that night and got everyone settled in. I was delighted to wake up to the sound of small voices and the pitter-pat of little feet! We made french toast for breakfast and then Savannah and Cooper asked if we could make Snickerdoodles. We made them last spring when they visited, and the loved those cookies. We had a fun morning baking. After lunch, we decided to go to the park. Cooper pulled his little brothers along in the wagon. It was such a beautiful day! We were so happy that Rondaleen came for a visit. She and Ryan pulled Savannah along on Luka's Spiderman skateboard. Cooper is so strong! I am always amazed at his physical abilities. Luka is wreckless and daring. The little girl behind him sort of stalked him during our stay at the park. Cooper told Luka to chase her, so he did. We laughed so hard because she could run way faster than he did, but he kept after her. When she would stop, he would roar at her! It was hilarious.

A boy, a stick and lots of sand. I just love their little hands.

There is nothing like the way Luka's face lights up when he smiles.What a fun and relaxing day we had, just hangin out with Rondaleen and catching up. I love watching my grandkids play at the park.

Painting the House...

2010-11-14T14:04:00.007-08:00

So Rod took some vacation days at the end of October to paint the outside of our house. It was looking pretty ragged to us, and we had planned this for several months. All week long, he prepped. He sanded, scraped and caulked. On Thursday, I took a day off to help with the actual painting.

I was in charge of masking. I could hardly stay ahead of the painter! I had forgotten how much time it takes to mask! And then it's up the ladder, down the ladder, up the ladder, down the ladder. I was EXHAUSTED at the end of the day!

The security door and the front porch light took the most time! Rod was in charge of the spray painter. He did a fantastic job, too! We picked a light color for the main part of the house, and then a muted terra cotta color for the trim. I think the colors look great with the brick!This was a huge job, and I was worried that we would not finish.

Actually, we didn't finish that day. We only got 3 sides done. We had to go back to work on Friday, so finished up the last side of the house on Saturday (the front). It was really hard work to get this job done. You know how much I love Halloween - - I was too pooped to even dress up for the Trunk or Treat at the church that night. I didn't even take my camera to take pictures :( Rod is still working on finishing the trim. He comes home every night after work and does just a little bit. Should be all finished up this week. Thanks, Honey! The house looks beautiful!!

Can't have all work and no play!

2010-11-11T21:42:00.000-08:00

On November 11th, we had a day off to celebrate Veteran's Day. We decided to go to Sedona to hike on a new trail. We picked Soldier Pass. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. Just look at the blue sky and the gorgeous clouds above that rugged red rock skyline! I was so excited for this adventure. We did have a bit of a problem getting started at the trail head, though. The directions we had neglected to tell us about one street we needed to turn on. We ended up going in circles until we checked on Rod's GPS. We finally found the place. When we got to the parking lot, which only had 10 spaces, there was a sign that we had to have a "Red Rock Pass" to park there. So, we had to go find a place that would sell us a Red Rock Pass. The first tourist shop we found advertised the pass so we went in. They did not have any passes - new management. Boooooo! We had to go further up the road. So we got back in the truck and continued our search, found a place and got the pass. Went back to the trail head, and there were no parking spots! We decided to find someplace close by to just eat our lunch, so we found a skate park. There were some bleachers and we got to watch a little boy fall down a lot while we munched on our sandwiches. It was kind of chilly, too, as it was only in the 50s. We decided to test our luck at the trail head again and FINALLY we got a parking spot! One of the main attractions of this trail is a huge sink hole. It was so big, I could not get the whole thing into the picture! if you look carefully along the edge of the shadow, you can see our silhouette, right where it dips in the center. The next main attraction along the trail is the Seven Sacred Pools. Very interesting place. And very beautiful! We then headed off to find Brinn's Mesa. We lost the trail for a little while, but Rod got us back on track. We climbed up and the view was breathtaking! There were some giant junipers, and I have never seen such huge juniper berries. I really love the red rock country. We were in evergreens, saw cactus, and there were even some wild flowers still in bloom. We had a marvelous hike! When we got home, Rod took me out to dinner. This is one of those days that will go down in my memory as one of the best ever!

The Governor

2010-11-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

The school where I work was selected for the Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, to present a new program for kids to encourage them to complete high school and go to college. It was quite an assembly. Just the 8th grade students were in the audience. Here is the press release:

On Tuesday, October 26, Governor Jan Brewer hosted a press conference at Cordova Middle School launching an early college and career awareness initiative through the 2010 Federal College Access Challenge Grant program. This initiative specifically targets underserved youth, and NAU will work with eighth grade students from Title 1 schools throughout the state including Alhambra. Eighth graders will take the ACT EXPLORE assessment, which offers an early indicator of college readiness and is designed to help students explore the world of possibilities available, helps students plan for high school, and guides them as they prepare for post high school educational and career opportunities. The press conference was a success, but more importantly Cordova’s eighth graders were a phenomenal audience. All of our guests had nothing but great things to say about our students and how well-behaved they were.

Mr. Gunn was pretty excited to have the governor come to Cordova! It was a pretty big deal, actually. There were three TV stations there and a dozen or so reporters. When the Governor finished her speech to the students, she exited out into the court yard where she was totally surrounded by the reporters with microphones jammed into her face. I am a little claustrophobic, and I would be screaming for them to get out of my face and give me some air!! She was only on campus for like 20 minutes. It was a lot of work to get things ready for such a short visit. (We only had 5 days notice and 2 of those days were a weekend.) Her security team was fantastic and they were very friendly. I was impressed with them. So there you have another Codova event!

Time Out For Women

2010-11-07T17:49:00.002-08:00

On October 16th, five excited women set out to conquer the down-town Phoenix area by attending Time Out For Women at the Civic Center. We had a blast! Thanks, friends. This day will be a treasured memory forever! The speakers were amazing, the music powerful, and the spirit was abundant. We were walking on air when we left. Let's do it again, next year, girls!

Peoria Pride - October 23rd

2010-11-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

On October 23rd at 7:00 am, HUNDREDS of willing Latter-Day-Saints from the Peoria Stake gathered in a neighborhood of Peoria to serve others. These people ranged in age from 14 on up. They each gave up their Saturday to help brighten some one's life. We ended up painting at least 8 houses, and doing the yards by weeding, moving massive piles of rocks, raking rocks, sweeping rocks, and building new fences. It truly was a labor of love. I am in awe of these amazing people.

Rod and Bethany are signing in.

Careful, Mandy - don't fall.

Becca and some of her friends are painting the trim. They were at a house down the street from us.

Steady hand, steady eye. That's Dallas for sure!

I hope this family knows how lucky they were to have a professional like John painting the outside of their home. He did a beautiful job!

I love Jennifer's brilliant smile - and her chocolate chip cookies weren't too bad, either!

Reid was our ward captain. He did a great job keeping us all on task.

Miriam and Taylor, two very cool girls. They were much cooler when they got their glow-in-the-dark fluorescent shirts. ha ha!

Elder Ware and Elder Juchau - I love the elders!It was an indescribable feeling to be part of this huge project. Even though we have done it before (it is an annual event) my heart was very touched by the camaraderie, the work, and the feeling of love that was almost tangible.

More Birthday Pics of Becca!

2010-11-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is what we found in the morning on Becca's birthday. Some of the YW and their leaders decorated her car and our entry way.

She cleaned it all off before she drove off to seminary. It made them mad! They wanted her to drive around all day with a decorated car.

Becca wanted a cherry cheesecake for her birthday, instead of a traditional cake.

Surprise, surprise.

She word these birthday glasses in between classes. (hey, I made a rhyme!)

Think about your wish...

Hope your birthday was a happy day, Becca. ily! You deserve the best of every thing!

Happy Birthday, Becca!

2010-11-04T07:11:00.003-07:00

I love this girl!!

I can't believe she is now 17 years old. Becca has really matured in the last year. Maybe it's the driving. I don't know... Here are 17 things I love to do with Becca:

Watch our favorite movies.
Laugh about her antics with her friends.
Attend church and then talk about what we felt or learned.
Make Green Chili Stuffed Chicken Quesadillas!!
Have a breakfast shake whenever we are in the mood!
Go to the midnight premiers of Harry Potter and the Twilight movies.
Krispy Kreme donuts.
Play games with Katie and Julie.
Look at her fantastic photos.
Listen to her play the piano.
Listen to her play the guitar.
Listen to her sing with her amazing friends.
Go for a walk at night.
Read the Hunger Game books.
Look at cute pictures of her nieces and nephews.
Give her hugs every day!
Drink our bed time Perro while reading.

Becca has added much joy to my life and I love being her mom. It is so great to have a daughter that is willing to do what is right. I want to thank her for a few things: Thanks for getting yourself up for seminary. Thanks for making good choices. Thanks for having good friends. Thanks for being trustworthy. Thanks for being kind. Thanks for your fantastic sense of humor. Thanks for being such a great auntie, sister, daughter and friend. I hope you have a fantastic birthday today, Becca!

The Storm

2010-10-07T06:53:00.004-07:00

Many Arizonans did not know what this stuff was until Tuesday. And then we had piles of the little icy balls! --along with lightening, thunder, wind, and torrential rains. The kids at my school wanted to pick it up, eat it, make snowmen, and in general frolic in the stuff. This is one of the downed trees on campus. There are still leaves, branches, palm fronds and other debris in the roads and yards all over the Phoenix valley. When the water was rolling of the roof like a waterfall, I got a little concerned and thought "it's going to come inside!" Yep, I was right. This is the workroom floor. And our lobby got some major flooding, too. It smells like wet dog and was still very wet yesterday. On the way home, I hot hit with another huge down pour. I was worried, and pulled off into this Shell station on the corner of 35th and Dunlap. I tried to get under one of the islands for protection, but there were no spots. I pulled in as close as I could to the cars parked there for protection, and called Rod. While I was on the phone with him the hail came down so big, fast, and furious that I could not hear him over the pounding on the car. I was terrified that our car windows would break! I knew the car was getting all banged up and there was not one thing I could do about it! I just had to sit there and wait it out. Once the hail stopped I could go home. The streets were covered in hail. The hail stones were as big as quarters, and very rugged. I have never experience anything quite like it. And now my car looks like hell - I mean hail? I am very thankful that the now pock-marked car is the only damage we suffered. Many of our friends had broken windows in cars and homes, damaged roofs, and other losses. Our thoughts and prayers are with them!

Conference weekend...

2010-10-03T17:21:00.003-07:00

I decided to do something productive on Saturday during conference, so while I listened to the conference via LDS.org, I made 1o sets of baby leg warmers. I so appreciate of the wonders of modern day technology. Our local channel no longer broadcasts conference,and since we don't have cable channels, we watched it on the internet. It was great! And I am most grateful for my sewing machine. I have had it for over 35 years, and it is still going strong! When I visited Katie over Labor Day, I saw the baby leg warmers on a display for her upcoming monthly Relief Society meeting. Her ward was making them for Primary Children's Hospital. The leg warmers can go on the baby's legs or arms when they are in the hospital with tubes and wires everywhere on their tiny bodies. It helps keep them warm when they cannot be dressed because of the wires and IVs. I was very impressed with the idea and with the project, so I decided to try it. I think we will be making them for Phoenix Children's Hospital in our ward during "Souper Saturday" in November. I found the knee socks at Target for $1.00 per pair. So all you Sahuaro Ranch Ward sisters, start buying up the knee socks on sale. We want to make a worthy contribution with this service project!

They were very quick and easy to make. Hopefully, I did them right!!

Conference was so uplifting. I loved every single talk. I can't wait to listen to all of them again. Rod always makes me a CD of the talks from the church website. My car will play Mp3 recordings, so I can listen to the talks when driving to and from work. It always makes my day better. I can listen to the messages several times, and I get something different each time I listen to the talks. I love our general authorities. They are all truly men of God. My spirit was deeply touch as they testified of the Savior and of the doctrines on which they expounded. It makes me truly want to be a better person, and a more devoted daughter of God!

Nick had a birthday!

2010-09-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, Nick. I can't believe you are 19 years old!!

I know this post is very late. His birthday was August 14th. We went to the Texas Roadhouse for prime rib. It was a fun family dinner. It's really weird to have all grown up kids.

Another Gorgeous AZ Sunset

2010-09-10T21:10:00.001-07:00

I really love a beautiful sunset, and there are so many here. This was one we happened to see when we were looking for an address in Goodyear. I totally reversed the numbers in the address, so the GPS wouldn't recognize it. But we finally found our destination. Even though we were late for the party, we did get to see this gorgeous sky.

Loveable faces...

2010-09-07T19:15:00.003-07:00

I love all of these faces! They make my heart sing!

Labor Day Weekend!

2010-09-07T18:47:00.009-07:00

Thursday night we did the packing. One thing I did not want to forget was this little dress I made for Savannah's American Girl Doll. This is what we gave her for her Baptism. I knew everyone would give her necklaces, bracelets, scriptures, money, etc. I wanted to give her something no one else would give and that she would love. She did love it! She ran right upstairs and put the dress on her doll.The boys even stopped for a quick photo. It was so fun when we arrived on Friday after an 11 hour drive. There were lots of shouts of "Grammy!" and lots of hugs. We passed out presents of books to everyone. We always try to take them some books. I miss these guys. Later on Julie and Ava came over, too. Saturday morning, Katie fixed Savannah up in her "Cinderella" hair-do. She looked so beautiful! Her dad was very proud of her. He was able to baptize and confirm Savannah as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. How grateful I am for a wonderful son-in-law that is worthy to use the priesthood and care for his family.

Had to get a profile shot of the star of the day. She is so darling!

All ready to go to the church for the big event!

Princess Savannah spinning in her ball gown.

She received many beautiful gifts and cards. She is one loved little girl!

Savannah dresses her doll every day for the appropriate occasion.

Cooper and Luka were all dressed up too!

Katie fixed a wonderful meal for 70 people - Cafe Rio salads. She can throw a great party. Julie always helps, too! My dear old dad was the great granddad that was there for this special day.

I hope that Savannah will always remember this day, and all the people that tried to make it very special for her. We are so proud of her decision to be baptized. I know this decision will always bless her life. She is making wonderful choices and she will always be happy when she chooses the right!

CrrrrrAAASHHHHH!

2010-08-30T06:18:00.006-07:00

Saturday evening, Rod and I were relaxing in the family room. I was on the computer and he had the TV on. All at once a storm warning interrupted the program. "Severe electrical storm warning through all of Maricopa County until 6:00 PM." I looked at the clock. It was 5:20 - "That's us!" I exclaimed. "WE are in Maricopa County." At that time, there was no wind, no lightening" I felt all safe and snug in my home. As I was cruising blogs, and peeking on on FaceBook, I heard a huge crashing noise. "CrrrrrAAASHHHHH!" What on earth...? (It was 6:00 straight up)Rod and I both jumped up. Seems that the electrical storm decided to target our yard. A strong wind had come up and it blew over a storage closet we had sitting in the middle of our back patio. It blew it over into the green house window in my kitchen and shattered it.

Rod moved quickly and threw the closet aside to assess the damage to the window. Looks like it bent the frame a little, too. Dang!

We were going to get rid of the closet, anyway. As part of our "refurbishing" we got rid of a bunch of "stuff" we didn't really need anymore, and the closet was one of the items.

Rod starts picking up the broken shards of glass and rescuing the objects that weren't broken.

I got out the utility knife and started cutting cardboard to cover the broken areas to keep the heat out.

This is now what I see when I glance out the kitchen window...

Lovely.

All grown up and now to conquer the world!

2010-08-21T14:06:00.006-07:00

Flashback: Nick showing off his homemade battery (6th grade)

Freshman year on the drum line.

Yes! Nick graduated from Cortez High School in May (I know . . . that was 3 months ago). But I still want to remember this important milestone event! He had such a great time at Cortez and did a fantastic job! This is the boy and the smile that I love to picture as he started his high school memories.

No longer a boy... "sniff" He really is all grown up! Wow - where did the time go?

Gotta show off the medals!

Nick, we are so proud of you!

Allen & Becca are celebrating right along with you!

Nick picks up his "real" diploma after all of the pomp and circumstance is over.

Memorial Day Camping

2010-08-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Rod and I love the Grand Canyon. We also love camping, which we have not done much because it is hard to take our car into the wilderness. But now we have a truck! So over Memorial Day (yes, I am very late in making this post) we went camping on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We took a forest service road and got as far away from other human beings as possible.

Yes, that is snow. It was FREEZING!!! But we made a huge fire and hunkered down for the night, snug in our little tent.

Our Coleman stove did not work, so we just cooked our dinner right on the open fire. Simple fare - weenies and beans. The were fabulous! And hot chocolate, too!

It really was not very comfortable because of the cold, but I would certainly do it again! The next morning, I got up and sat by the fire in the sunshine to warm up. As I was enjoying my book, I heard a noise that I had never heard before . . . I looked up and there was this huge, black bird flying by. The sound was his wings beating the air. It was my moment to commune with nature. Very cool!

Of course, we did go to the "tourist" place where the people are so we could view the canyon. There is nothing quite like it...

On our way home we drove past the Vermilion Cliffs. Very beautiful red rock country. There is no camera that can capture the grandeur or beauty of this place. I will treasure this little overnight getaway with my favorite guy forever!

Living in a construction zone - Part II

2010-08-12T20:15:00.008-07:00

Here is a little background on our refurbishing: Eric (Rod's oldest son) and his wife, Em, had come for a visit in March. While they were here, Eric said they wanted to do something for us and he said they would come and lay some new tile floors for us. We had wanted to do this, but it is quite cost prohibitive to remove the old floor and have someone lay new tile. Because they were willing to do this, we decided to go for it! We set the date for the last week of June. Eric measured the rooms and let us know how much tile we would need to buy. We got more and more excited about the project and decided to paint several rooms, carpet the living room, and get new counters in the kitchen. Our counters were awful!! We have been in this house for 5 years and never done anything like this, so we were anxious to redecorate and make it ours. Now back to the project:

So .... we lived with concrete floors for two months, with tons of dust from the tile removal and painting. Nothing was where it should have been. During that time we did the painting, picked out new carpet and hired a cabinet maker to do our counter tops. At the end June, we had two wonderful visitors that came and went right to work! Eric and Em did not waste any time in starting in on getting things ready to lay the tile. The family room was so bare, and it would echo when we talked.

After all the thin set was chipped off the floor it had to be swept, vacuumed, mopped and then all of that done again so there wouldn't be any dust or sandy particles anywhere. Then they painted on the sealer. I was shocked that it was bright red!

This is what lies beneath...

Once the sealer was dry, they started in on laying the tile. Allen and Nick helped. They all worked so hard! They did a fantastic job! Here is what the entry way looked like right after the grout was done, before the tile was cleaned off and the mop boards replaced:

While the boys and Em were busy with the tile, Rod replaced some boards under the eve of the house in back. Actually it was sheet rock that should have been plywood. It was a mess! There had been some water damage, and when he pulled it down, there was a HUGE bird's nest. Those dang pigeons!

Rod did a really nice job on that little project. It turned out very nice.

Here is a close up of the carpet and tile:

This is a shot of the family room. Just look at that gorgeous floor - thanks Eric! I will never have to hide that with a rug like I did the one before! I also love the picture of the temple - thank you to my girls for the lovely gift!

Here is the living room right after the carpet was installed. They had to take off all the doors and we had to trim them to fit because the carpet was way more plush than the old one. It is way fun to walk barefoot in this thick, soft and amazing carpet!

Now all of the furniture is back where it belongs and there are actually some pictures back on the walls. I really hated to put nails into the beautiful paint job! Ha!

Truly - home, sweet home, my place of peace. I love to sit in here. It is so clean, and beautiful. I love the peach paint on the walls and how there is no clutter anywhere! Yes!

Here is the kitchen counter, and the new stainless sink. I love it!

I really wanted a sink that had one side bigger than the other so it would be easier to wash the big pots and pans. And did I mention that I love a stainless steel sink?

I am so pleased at how the tile matches the counters, the wood and the walls! And it is so wonderful to not have that nasty white tile anymore! We can never thank Eric and Em enough! And Allen and Nick, too! We always think of you when we comment on how nice our home now looks. You have totally blessed our family!

Be it ever so humble....

Truly my cup runneth o'er.

We Are Responsible For Children...

2010-08-11T06:45:00.003-07:00

Who put chocolate fingers everywhere, who like to be tickled, who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants, who sneak Popsicles before dinner, who erase holes in their math workbooks, who can never find their shoes.

And we are responsible for those who stare at photographers from behind broken windows, who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, who were born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead, who live in an x-rated world.

We are responsible for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish, who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money, who cover themselves with band aides and sing off-key, who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink, who slurp their soup.

And we are responsible for the ones that never get dessert, who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, who watch their parents watch them suffer, who can't find any bread to steal, who don't have rooms to clean up, whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, whose monsters are real.

We are responsible for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday, who throw tantrums in the grocery store, who pick at their food, who like ghost stories, who shove dirty clothing under their bed and never rinse out the tub, who get visits from the tooth fairy, who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, who squirm in church, scream on the phone, whose tears sometimes make us laugh and whose smiles can make us cry.

And we are responsible for those whose nightmares come in the daytime, who will eat anything, who have never seen a dentist, who aren't spoiled by anybody, who go to bed hungry, and cry themselves to sleep, who live and move, but have no being.

We are responsible for children who want to be carried and for those who must, for those we will never give up for those who don't get a second chance, and for those we smother and for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

The above sentiments were give to our entire school staff by our principal on the first day of school yesterday. It made me get a huge lump in my throat. We have many underprivileged children at our school. If you look at them, each one is beautiful. Our responsibilities to children are huge. It doesn't matter if they are our own - the are all children of our Father in Heaven. My vow this new school year is to remember this - and to "mother" every child with whom I am fortunate enough to come in contact. Remember how much the Savior loved children...he admonished us to become as little children in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

Living in a construction zone - Part I

2010-08-09T19:57:00.008-07:00

Early in May my house became a construction zone. Lots of stuff was moved into the garage:

Lots of stuff was out on the back patio:

We tore out the tile in the family room, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, and the little front entry way. Wow! Our back yard looks so bad! (PWT) And it just gets worse and worse throughout the project, cause lots of stuff got thrown away, too! This is what all of the floors looked like when the tile was gone. What a mess! We swept and vacuumed and mopped and swept some more to get up all the dust and broken pieces of tile.

Once all the grit was cleaned up it wasn't so bad. I just kept telling myself that it would be worth it when the whole project was finished. It was time to refurbish! We have lived in this house for 5 years now, and haven't done anything to it so we decided to bite the bullet and fix it up a bit. We decided to do the tile floors, paint, get new kitchen counters and sink, and new carpet! Yes!!

We taped off cabinets, rooms, and furniture to try to keep the dust from the tile removal to a minimum. Didn't help at all! We taped off lots of rooms in the house when we spray painted our vaulted ceiling in the living room - but there was still "paint dust" in every little nook and cranny. I even had to vacuum it out of the upholstery that was so carefully guarded- even moved out to the garage.

Nick was the best painter ever! He could sure use that spray gun! He did a FANTASTIC job on the ceilings. Who ever knew that sprayed cottage cheese ceilings could look so good!

There was lots of spray in the air! Glad we don't do this every day.

Then Rod and I attacked the walls and painted the family room, living room, hallway, and kitchen. It was lots of work. I would go to bed so dead-dog-tired at night. I sure can't work like I did when I was in my 30s! I can really feel the difference in my body! I was so sore after painting the ceiling in the kitchen, I didn't think I would ever recover! What a way to spend the second half of my summer vacation.

But I sure love the way the walls looked when the painting was done! Everything is so light, so beautiful! More to follow . . .

2010-07-14T20:53:00.009-07:00

Katie had photos taken of her kids recently. The photographer did an amazing job! Amanda B. Photography. Aren't these incredible?

Now can you see why these amazing little people just melt my heart!?

Look Out World!

2010-07-07T15:51:00.002-07:00

Here She Comes... My baby got her driver's license today.

A funeral: tender, sacred, special

2010-06-12T21:01:00.001-07:00

My brother-in-law passed away on Wednesday, June 9th. He had been very sick with cancer for the past couple of years. He lived much longer than the Doctors predicted when he was diagnosed. It just so happened that I had planned on driving to Utah on the 11th to spend some vacation time, so I did not have to make a special trip to attend Brent's funeral. I am so glad I could be here with my girls, and to support my sister at this difficult time in her life. I am also glad that Rod could be here, too.

The services for Brent were amazing. Each of his children spoke and paid wonderful tribute to their father. He was always very firm in his testimony of the gospel and of Jesus Christ. He passed that legacy on to his children. Each one mentioned his amazing work ethic and how he taught them to work hard and to love work. They also mentioned that they never heard their dad swear his whole life long. LaRue also gave a beautiful sermon - the best I have ever heard at a funeral. She is firm in the gospel and firm in her belief of eternal life and our potential as children of God. She has been such a wonderful big sister to me all of my life. I love her so much!

The wind was blowing so hard at the cemetery!

Above are Brent's three sons: Cody, Chuck and Kendall (all three are dentists!). Holly, the oldest daughter is sitting to the right.

Brent was in the National Guard for a few years, so LaRue was presented with a flag.

My brother, Dave is helping my dear old dad walk to the car after the dedication of the grave. It was hard for my dad to see LaRue lose her husband. He sat beside her and comforted her as best he could. He knows what it's like to loose your sweetheart.

All of the Harris cousins were there except for KC, who is serving a mission. What a wonderful tribute to Brent and LaRue to have all of these amazing nieces and nephews there. Katie thought it would be fun to get a picture of my dad with all of his grandkids. I love my Harris family so much! Each one is talented, smart, good looking, and part of a wonderful eternal family. There is nothing like family!

I know there will be some difficult days ahead for my sister. But I also know that she is strong and determined. She will move forward and continue to grow and have joy. She has many amazing qualities and talents that will bless us all, and everyone she knows, as life goes on. We know that death is part of life, and that it is NOT the end!

Vacation Time

2010-06-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Rod, Becca and I left Peoria at 4:30 AM and drove all the way to Woodscross, UT today. As we watched the temperature drop each hour of the drive, we wondered what we were getting in to. Clouds were forming and the wind was blowing hard as we drove up Interstate 15. The rain started just before we hit Provo. It didn't stop. It ended up at 50 degrees. We had just come from a week of over 100. It is freezing here! I mean really! It's June!

This is the welcoming committee. I went through the garage and knocked on the door. I could hear the squeals and my darling grandkids saying "It's Grammy! She's here!" They all ran to the door and we had lots of good hugs and kisses. I have missed them. I gave them some fancy suckers that someone at work gave me for my birthday.

The next morning, they got all spiffed up as I got ready for the day. They love to put on my make up. Cooper fixed his hair, so Luka had to fix his hair. The girls wanted me to put braids in their hair. We always tell the story of Rapunzel when we fix hair. These little people are such a joy. I love them so much.

I'm as close to 60 as I am to 50

2010-06-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yep. My birthday. Rod gave me the most amazing little camera! It's smaller than my phone. I love it. We are waiting to celebrate with dinner at the Olive Garden. Thanks, Rod! I love my new camera. Can't wait to take it to Utah with me tomorrow.

Some Sun Oven Cooking

2010-05-16T20:39:00.002-07:00

We have been cooking in our sun oven quite a bit. It has been fun to experiment and try different things. We have done a turkey two different times and it turns out just wonderful! I made a really good Mexican dish in the sun oven for Sunday dinner. I put in rice, black beans, corn, chicken broth, frozen chicken tenders, and then topped it off with some salsa. Cook for about three hours. Mix well, and serve with sour cream an guacamole. You can even roll it into a burrito if you want. It was delicious!

Fun with the little people

2010-05-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, we went to Cooper's baseball game. It was a beautiful day. Julie has a special place in her heart for Luka. Here they are:

Becca and Ava are cheering Cooper on. The mighty Cooper at bat, with his coach (Dad) standing close by. Coop, you'll never hit the ball with your eyes closed. That ball is so close to you it was a little scary. Looks like it's just sitting on your shoulder... He did get a hit and now he's sliding into home! I took Ava and Savannah over to a lilac bush and showed them how pretty the blooms are and how wonderful they smell! Last but not least, Mr. Cannon has a ready smile for everybody, too! And his beautiful mama. We had a great time at Coop's game. Everybody in the family is so supportive and attends the soccer and baseball games. I was so happy that I got to see Cooper play ball. He is an amazing little athlete. His body is strong! and he is so cute!

A goal is reached

2010-05-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Hooray! After a hard decision and much determination, Julie went back to school, and she graduated from the University of Utah on May 7th. Becca and I flew out the night before so we could attend the ceremony and help Julie celebrate. Ryan and Katie helped a lot and were big supporters while Julie was in school. My three beautiful girls. I love them so much! I was so lucky to be with the for Mother's day this year. Sharon and Brad are very special friends to Julie and Ava. Thanks for all your support for my two girls! Ava is very proud of her mama. Brad took Ava for a nice long walk while were waiting to be seated for our celebration dinner. She came back with a special graduation present for her mom. While we were waiting to eat, we finally got a place to sit down. It was pretty good for a while, and then this HUGE woman sat down next to me. I was quite terrified when she came at me with her behind and I just knew that she was not going to fit in the spot next to me. She sat anyway and pretty much squished me. I finally wiggled my way out from under her. Becca was laughing her head off . . . she said when I got up that the lady's butt actually moved over and took my whole spot, too! It gave us a pretty good laugh.

PROM!

2010-04-24T19:10:00.002-07:00

Is this a good lookin' kid or what? He does clean up good.

Becca wishes Nick a good time at his Prom, too.

So Nick went to his Senior Prom. He saved his $$ for a long time to get his tickets and make sure he had enough money for dinner, flowers, etc. I think he had more fun at the "after Prom party" than at the actual prom, though.

Yummy!

2010-04-16T18:35:00.003-07:00

Behold: my latest culinary experiment. Rod and I went to the Cheesecake Factory last Saturday night. I ordered the B-B-Q chicken salad. It was so good, that I wanted to try making it at home

For the BBQ Ranch dressing I just mixed 1/2 ranch and 1/2 BBQ sauce. Toss it with chopped romaine lettuce (about 8 cups), 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, 1 can black beans, one large tomato chopped, 1 large avocado cut in 1" pieces and some BBQ chicken. I separated it into 4 large salad/pasta bowls and then garnished with a row of corn, a row of beans, a row of tomatoes, a row of avocado, and a row of BBQ chicken. Then drizzled a little more BBQ sauce on the chicken. Viola!

To make the BBQ chicken, I just cut up 2 very large chicken breasts and sauteed in a pan, then added BBQ sauce. I was very easy. I did reserve some of the corn, beans, etc. for the garnishments. It was delicious! Rod and Becca loved it. Becca even said, "mom, you should make this again!" This is my child that does not eat much salad.

I will make it again - it was quick easy, delicious and nutritious!

Easter

2010-04-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

We got to have a special visitor for Easter!! Julie flew in on Thursday night of that weekend and spend until early Monday Morning. Rondaleen came and spent the day Friday, cause I had to work. I met them for lunch at Sweet Tomato. Friday night, we drove to Mesa to see the Easter Pageant. Julie had never seen it before, of course, so we thought it might be fun. We had a great time. This is a shot of the angels getting a group photo together. It was fun to watch them.

Julie and Becca in front of the Mesa Temple entrance.

Waiting for the pageant to begin. While we were waiting, we had a fun surprise. Iona Burbank walked up and said hi. She and Warren were there with some friends that live by them. It was fun to see them. They hadn't seen Julie since she graduated high school. Iona worked with Julie in the Children's Theater Group in Corcoran when we lived there.

I couldn't resist posting this photo of some flowers that were at the temple grounds. They were gorgeous! It was so much fun to have Julie here. We enjoyed every minute. She got Becca and me playing cards and we stayed up til 1:00 am Saturday night playing "Hand and Foot." We also were naughty and played during the afternoon session of conference, though we did listen when it was not our turn!

Thanks for coming Julie! I thought it was funny that these girls would sit together with their matching computers and get on Facebook. They were probably "chatting" with each other. They do that...