Our new deck and other fun stuff

We've been waiting to build a deck onto our house ever since we moved in, so finally after 6 years, we have a deck!!!

Here Grant and Kristin are, a couple of weeks ago, enjoying the new deck and the beautiful fall weather. At the time, it was warm enough to eat out there and play games.

It's like a giant playpen with a gate. It's intended for grandchildren, but Cubby loves it, too. He's always begging to go outside. He's too fat to jump over the top, so it's safe for him.

Last week some of my friends from the temple gave a baby shower (at my house) for one of our own. The mother-to-be is Julie Baldwin. She's worked at the temple ever since she was single. We've watched her as she was married, then become great with child. The sad part is that she's had to quit the temple. We miss her a lot.
On Sunday, David and Kami had us over for dinner. The fun idea Kami had was to decorate Halloween cookies for our dessert. It was really fun.
They turned out really bright and pretty.David and Kami like rodents. They have two rats and a hamster. We had fun watching the hamster fill her cheeks with food.All of that width you see is her cheeks getting fuller and fuller.By the time she got all of it stuffed into her cheeks, she looked hilarious.

Asher's Birthday and Other Fun

When you're one year old and have probably never even seen a cupcake before, it's hard to know just quite what is expected of you.But, instinct kicks in and "Voi 'lá"

Cup Cake Face

No one else at the party got to eat in their underwear.

Birthdays rock!!

Daddy took videos and Aunt Beth watched.

It was birthday week.

Two days after Asher's party, Nana had her birthday and we went to a restaurant.

Isn't Daddy handsome in his dress blues?
Kimberley with her Grammy and Nana
Kimberley as Tinker Bell

Do you remember E.T. when he was hiding in the closet?
Well, here is Kimberely doing her "E.T. in the closet" routine.

Yep, she's really in there.

We tried to get some really nice pics of the kids with Nana,
but Kimberley had other plans.

Asher loves to play the little pink piano.

Another budding musician in the family.

I took over 220 pics in one week so I had to decide which ones to blog.

I think this one's pretty cute.

And Daddy getting home from work is pretty cute, too.


Cougar, the cat, thinks he is hiding.

But, Asher knows better."I know you're in there, so just come on out, will ya?"

This trip Kimberley and Grammy did glitter glue and paints and a giant sticker book.Next trip to Arizona will be when the baby comes in November.

Empy Nest Denial

Just in case you thought I was sitting around doing nothing, here are pictures of my latest project. I am still working on it, but here is the kid's bedroom in our basement. I am excited

to have a fun room for them when they come to visit. I painted the walls with these fun stripes and I hired a guy to build the ledge shelf around the top. I've made two matching quilt sets so that when the crib is no longer needed, there will be two twin beds. The big green square over the desk will have all of the kid's baby pictures hanging there. I still need to get headboards for the twin beds.
This is the same crib that my nephews Jason and Trevor slept in at Nana and Papa's house and then I used it for Grant and Michelle.As you can see, I'm still nesting. I just can't seem to stop.

Timber Lakes

Last night we just got back from spending the whole weekend at a cabin in Timber Lakes, located just east of Heber City. Here are a few photos of our great weekend.Nana took the opportunity to read and relax.They had a zip line which we had a blast on. Here is Corinne. Her picture turned out the best.


There were Aspen trees everywhere.
Mostly, we took walks and enjoyed the beautiful trees.


We played games, watched videos and ate really good food.

The weather was perfect. The previous weekend it snowed, so we were lucky.

My best friend

Before church on Sunday I noticed that we were both wearing blue so I thought, why not take a picture of ourselves? So, here we are all clean and beautiful(?). I guess that this can be our 39th anniversary photo. But, the point I wanted to make is that hands down, Ken is my very best friend. He's actually much more than that. I know that he will stand by me through thick and thin, through good times and bad. I would and do trust him with my life. I know that he loves me more than anyone else in the world loves me. You always hear about people who say that they love their spouse more after a lifetime together than they did on the day they were married. On the day you are married you couldn't believe that that would be possible. How could I possibly love that person more? I now understand how that is possible. Counting our friendship and engagement, we've been together for forty years. How can you not love someone more after you've been together for that long? We've shared so much. I've come to depend on him for so much that I can't imagine how I will ever live without him, if he goes first. ( you know, kicks the bucket before me.) I know I would rather be with him than with anyone else. My secret fantasy (well, not so secret now) is to be alone with him on a tropical island forever. (Well, at least for a month or two.) That way I would have my two favorite things: Ken and warm ocean water in which to snorkel. I guess I could go on forever about this, but you get the idea. Every day I thank my Heavenly Father for my greatest blessing, my wonderful husband, Ken.

The End.

P.S. I just noticed that I had written 30th anniversary instead of 39th. Oops. So I just fixed it.

The Allegory of the Swallow's Nest

It came to pass that two swallows searched for a safe porch under which to build a nest, wherein they might raise a family. And the father bird said to the mother bird, "Look hither. Behold, I have found a safe spot, that we might build a nest."

Therefore, they began to build, and they brought twigs and mud and dung and builded it up. And the birds said, "Behold, it beginneth to be a nest, but lest it not hold strong against the wind and the rain and the storms, we shall continue to build." And after many days the nest was completed, and behold, it was strong.

Therefore, they brought forth and produced eggs, and they had no fear of losing their eggs therein, because it was strong. And the mother bird sat upon and the eggs, and the father bird stood watch that no stranger might come upon the nest. And the winds blew and the rain dashed upon the porch, but the nest was strong and withstood the storms. And many days passed. And behold, at last the eggs were hatched and the birds rejoiced for they had preserved unto themselves a posterity.And it came to pass that the mother and father birds nourished the babies that they may become strong like unto their parents.

And it came to pass that the baby birds began to grow and thrive exceedingly. And after many days the babies began to learn to fly that they might continue to grow and develop that they might not perish. And it came to pass that after many days the babies were sufficiently strong and had grown like unto their parents and were able to fly on their own.

And the mother and father birds were glad that they had brought forth their young and had taught them to be strong like unto themselves. And they rejoiced exceedingly that they had labored diligently and had preserved unto themselves a posterity, wherein they were glad and could see that it was good. And their reward was precious above all other rewards.

And behold, the nest was emply.

And behold, the end draweth near and the birds are happy and have joy because their babies are yet alive, and are not cast away, but bring forth babies of their own.