Temples and Trails

Kyle and Miranda got sealed in the Rexburg Temple on Friday, July 26. Cortney came up and rode with us to Rexburg on Thursday night so she could attend the sealing with us.

It was a wonderful ceremony. Cortney and I also went to the Logan temple the week before when Miranda received her endowments.

The are such a cute couple!
We then had family pictures at the temple after. We then went over to a church for the luncheon. It was delish and the Father's said a few words. I wish I could have heard Jon better but they did a good job.

The church was decorated so cute! Miranda likes old things and the room was just darling.

This was the first time that Doran and I were able to visit the Rexburg Temple.

It was pretty warm and when Daddy shed his jacket I caught this picture.

After the luncheon we went back to the hotel and changed in Jon and Denise's room and headed to Driggs. Cortney came with us for the whole weekend. 

Jon and Denise have a condo up there and since no one was using it we decided to stay there and visit Jackson, Wyoming.

They have their old kitchen table up there and when anyone visits we sign our names on the table.

Well since Bar J was sold out we decided to go to Merry Piglets for dinner Friday night.

This is one of our favorite Mexican places to eat. 

It has fabulous salsa!

(We actually bought some to bring home with us)

We were planning on going for a run somewhere but we were unfamiliar with the area.

We decided that we would go up to Targee, as Jon suggested, and run some trails up on the ski hill.

It was over cast when we started and ended up raining but it was nice and cool.

We got lost a couple of times thinking we were on one trail but we ended up on another but they all brought us back to where we started.

It was BEAUTIFUL up there!

I would like to go again and maybe with a GPS instead of just the map we had.

I wish we would have started this sport when all the kids were younger but it is nice to have Cortney join us.

Our poor shoes got so muddy.

We ran/walked for about an hour on the trails and headed back.

When we got back to the parking lot we decided that we would take turns running down the canyon and driving.

I took first driving shift while Daddy and Cortney ran.

After a couple of miles Cortney and I switched places. I wanted to see if my heel could handle the downhill.

We decided to call it quits after a couple more miles. 

The rain was really coming down.

Cortney is a mess

We had a fun time running in the rain!

After our run we went back to the condo and cleaned up and headed back to Pocatello for Miranda's reception. It was held in a nursery and it was so cute!

They served cookies and milk and cereal!!

We headed home after that.

What a wonderful weekend we had!

Temple Service and Bear Lake

Thursday, June 6 we worked on the temple grounds. Doran did a lot of the mowing and I learned how to deadhead roses. No wonder why the temple grounds always look so nice. There is order in their service work and everyone is willing to do their part.

I wish I were better about making our own yard look as nice.

It was a neat learning experience.

I would do this again.

After the service work we went home and hooked the trailer up for our first camp trip.

We went to Bear Lake for the weekend with my Mom and Stan.

We had reservations for Rendezvous Beach.

We aren't much for the water experience as we are to get away.

When we arrived there weren't very many campers and then we figured out why, maybe.

On our drive over Logan canyon we saw helicopters flying over the mountains. We were wondering where they were headed.

Come to find out that they are based at Rendezvous Beach for some training.

Some people were annoyed that they were there because the were flying from sun-up to way late in the night. They didn't bother me, I was fascinated with them.

I asked what it would take for us to ride in one and they said to sign on the dotted line.

Uh...sign on the Enlistment papers.

I am not ready to do that and I admire the men and women that do!

Every time a chopped started up the M*A*S*H* theme song would start playing in my head.

Friday morning Doran and I got up and drove to the top of the summit.

When we were driving before we were calculating how far it was to our camp site.

We figured it to be about 8 miles.

We parked the truck at the lookout and headed down the road.

We were having a pretty good run and then we had a watch die on us so I started my phone.

We stopped and filled our water along the way and used a resort potty.

When we hit eight miles we knew we had miscalculated!!

At about mile 13 we ran out of water again.

There was a rest stop that the water was not working. There was some parks lady there filling a bucket and said we could have some of that water. We asked if it was drinking water but she wasn't sure. She thought so. It tasted AWFUL!

We could see the camp site so we sucked it up and finished instead of calling for a ride.

That was the longest eight miles I have ever run.
We ended at 14 miles!

Such a refreshing treat after a run.

I was so needing to put my feet in some ice so we decided to go and sit in the lake.

Well to get to the water from where we were, we had to trudge through the muck and sludge to get there.

This is as far as I got. It was gross, it felt like quicksand and...sharks!

That night we went to Pickleville Playhouse to see "El Bandito Rides Again".

It was hilarious!

Saturday morning was the Bear Lake Half-10k-5k race.

Doran thought about running the half but since we had already ran a grundle of miles the day before he wasn't sure he was up to another 13 miles so we went out to the road and watched for a couple of people we knew were running.

The service men and women were volunteering at a couple of the water stops. So cool!

We all took our bikes with us so we rode around camp a few times.

Sunday morning Doran and I went in to town to attend Sacrament.

It definitely was a great weekend!!

What's on YOUR plate?

Gah!! It's that time again!

You know, the time where you feel overwhelmed. 

Where you are so disorganized you don't know where to begin.

Where you put so much on your plate at the same time.

My home office is in shambles.

My work office doesn't look any better.

My closets are a mess.

My kitchen needs help.

I can't see out my windows because they are so dirty.

My callings are keeping me running,

not because it is busy and hard (which they are, in a way)

but because I created HUGE activities that will take a lot of organizing, work and cooperation from others.

My finances are out of control.

The dust is building up.

My fitness is slacking.

My motivation is shot.

I fell off the blog world and I want to come back!

My job is ehh...but I am thankful I have one.

Thank goodness my marriage is intact.

I want to CONTROL my life again.

Not my life control me!

One. Day. At. A. Time.

Looking Through Windows

The other day I stumbled upon Mindi's blog. I can't remember how I got there but I read one post and commented. Have you ever commented once or twice or several times on someones blog and never hear a response? Well Mindi actually commented on my comment. So...I thought I would visit again and read the next post and this is what she posted. I loved it so much I wanted to share it too, to those two people that read my inactive blog.

Anyway...

Is it time to clean your windows?

Laughing Companion

I just love it when Joni and I get together!!

As she puts it, "We get each other."

 We can be laughing so hard with tears rolling down our faces and everyone else is just rolling their eyes because they don't "get us."

It is so sad that they are missing out.

I can always count on a good gut wrenching, eye crying laugh we when are together.

She is a sister I never had or a friend that I should have had all my life!!!

She moved to Tennessee and I haven't convinced them to come back yet.

But hopefully one day they will come back.

In the meantime I hope that we can see each other AT LEAST once a year, even if it is for just a few hours.

Joni arrived in Utah Monday and had to get her girls to Youth Conference being held in Logan this year.

She then headed over to my house. She beat me by 1.5 hours so she had to make her own bed....and sleep in it. I was kind enough to wash and dry them for her though.

We had a nice visit. Jake finally made it over to visit also, then I made dinner.

We got talking about the Sen Sen and realized that Jake hasn't tried any yet.

Well he was going to have NONE of that!

Joni tried to con/talk/convince him into trying some but he refused.

As we were busting up laughing because of her "tactics", Jake just sat there with a smirk.

Not quite sure how to take his mom and I.

In the end....

he did NOT try the Sen Sen.

When I woke up the next morning I went and plopped on her bed and we just visited in our pj's and morning breath. Only true friends can do this right?

We finally got up and showered and then headed to breakfast.

After breakfast we headed over to the temple to walk around. She wasn't able to be here when we were having the Open House.

After walking around a bit, and wishing we would have thought to get up earlier and do a session, we ran home and put on a skirt so we could at least "tour" the inside of the temple where we could.

Hopefully they can come back to do a session before they head back to Tennessee.

I LOVE YOUR GUTS JONI!!!!

Thanks for being my friend, sister, laughing companion

and always there for me when I need to do a long-distance vent.

Doo Doo and Delivery

Last Saturday Daddy got up early and went running while I.....

didn't.

I took a shower so I could be ready when he got home so we could leave as soon as he showered.

We were going to Smithfield to pick up a bed for our friend April.

She was lucky and got to take her two little girls to Lagoon instead.

Wait...Lagoon with little ones?

Maybe WE were the lucky ones.

Anyway, by time we got ready to leave I got a text asking if we could wait until later in the day because the weather postponed their (bed owners) boys' game.

So we did some much needed yard work.

Our neighbor, Dixie, has been awesome to weed the garden since it has been planted!

I weeded the front yard, if you can call it that. We actually have two side yards and a back strip.

While I was working on the bigger flower bed Daddy comes over to me and asks me:

"What does that smell like?", while holding out his gloved hand.

I bout gagged and he just starts laughing.

He was trying to tell me what it was but he was laughing too hard.

He finally got out that he had picked up some dog doo doo because he THOUGHT it was dry and he didn't want to run over it with the lawn mower.

It was NOT dry.

Oh he thinks he is funny.

I think my trust level has fallen.

But it was worth it to see him laugh so hard.

Even if he DOES laugh silently.

We then went over and picked up the bed and stopped at Home Depot to get me some new yard lights and headed back to town.

We mostly beat the storm and luckily we were able to pull in the carport to unload the bed.

We got that all set up at April's, ran to get a couple of things at the grocery store, went home to build some dinner and called it a long, sweaty, stinky and productive day.

THE END

I thought you were my friend...

A couple of years ago my friend Joni showed me some "schtuff" that her dad had. When he passed away she took the rest of it. She really likes it and had me try some.

I was afeared but did anyway because HEY! She is my friend.

She wouldn't give me harmful things right?

Well fast forward to a couple of months ago.

Cortney was up visiting and we were Skyping with Joni. 

We were talking about Sen-Sen and Cortney was wondering what it was.

Sooo Joni mailed her some.

The next time Cortney was visiting she received her package from Joni.

I had to get Cortney's reaction so we could send to Joni.

Yep!!! This is about the same face I pulled when I tried it.

So JONI!!!

We thought you were our friend??!!

BRAVE

We can be BRAVE!

Conference Weekend

I LOVE Conference Weekend!!

(Even though I have been sick since Friday and Doran had to work Saturday all day and Sunday morning.

Bright side...we will watch it again together!)

A few weeks ago we were able to get 3 tickets for Saturday afternoon session.

Well Doran ended up having to work that day so I told Cortney to find a friend and I would meet them in SLC. I would then follow her home and stay with her for the night and fix breakfast with her and her friends Sunday morning. Then I would head home after the morning sessions and get home about the same time dad did.

Friday I was sick and hoping to get better by Saturday morning but that did not happen.

I knew the Sister Missionaries were going so I called them just after 6:00 am. Good thing I didn't wait until 6:30 or they would have been gone.

They were already outside waiting for their ride so I threw some slippers on and ran the tickets over to them so they could take them to Cortney.

I sent Cortney a text telling her to call me as soon as she got up.

When she did I told her to find another friend because I couldn't go.

As I sat in my jammies all day Saturday curled up on the couch with some juice and a blanket I thoroughly enjoyed conference.

I love the talks,

inspiration,

guidance,

spirit and humor.

What a wonderful way to spend a sick weekend.

We then had mom and Stan, Chelsea and her family and Sarah and Ben over for dinner.

I warned them all that there would be no kisses from grandma today and if they wanted to chance coming over I had dinner in the crockpot.

Cortney and Camri was not able to make it.

That is why we had our real "Easter Family Dinner" Friday night.

One of my favorite sayings this conference is:

Marriage is a gift from God to us.

The quality of marriage is our gift to God.

I also LOVE listening to President Monson tell stories from when he was a boy.

The fire and weeds story was good!

Need more?

You can pick from many talks. There was something good in EVERY ONE of them!

What was your favorite talk or saying?

Easter Sunday

What a wonderful day!

I love Easter Sunday!

And since Doran didn't have any meetings in other wards today, 

I had him all to myself.

Well I shared with the ward.

We had amazing speakers in Sacrament and we sang some amazing songs as a ward.

My favorite song was

Gethsemane

It was one of the most powerful songs we sang.

I hope that the audience felt the same emotion and power we felt.

Even during practice I could not sing this song without getting chills.

I hope you had a fabulous Easter.

Also
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Susette!

It pays to visit your parents

After our Family Dinner and Volleyball night, Cortney and Camri actually stayed the night.

We planned on running with Cortney but we ended up just getting ready for the day and get things done.

We were able to spend Saturday together doing CAR things and PHONE things.

Chelsea went to Salt Lake for Easter parties so we didn't get to see them today and I don't know what Sarah was doing today.

We dropped dads car off to get new struts on the front,

Cortney's car to get it rotated, balanced and 4 wheel alignment,

Camri's car was dropped off to get inspected.

I picked up Daddy, Cortney and Camri and we all went to breakfast.

We then picked Daddy's car up and took it home.

We picked up Camri's car and took it across the street for a new windshield.

Then we went phone shopping.

I actually bought two used phones from an individual that switch carriers.

One for me and one for whoever needed it.

Cortney decided that she will join the phone internet world with the other one.

This way the phone is free to try but her bill would go up.

After we got the phones working we headed to pick up the rest of the cars and headed home so the girls could head on  home.

However....Cortney and I got playing with our phones (they are the same) and Camri was our phone instructor. She informed us of some of the Apps that were a must and how to use them and obviously no one was in charge of pictures for today either.

(This means I got to enjoy my girls company for a little while longer.)

I LOVE it when my family gets together

and 

get-along!

Great day!

(We won't talk about how much the day cost)

That reminds me....

I am overdue for service with my car.

Friday Facts

Today is Doran's day off so....that makes it MY day off too.

I try to get enough hours during the rest of the pay period that I can take the same day off.

Doran headed up for his 8.3 mile canyon run.

I, on the other hand, went running with Dawn.

We went 4.8 miles and YES, I ended on that off number.

I was done!

Dawn made me run the killer hill again.

Her goal is for it to get easier each time.

Psha!

We enjoyed 

FAMILY DINNER and VOLLEYBALL at the church.

The Sister Missionaries joined us too.

Grandma and Grandpa even played volleyball!

I am hoping that they will be able to move the next day, especially grandma, because she fell.

EVERYONE had fun.

I do believe that this will be a Do-Againer!

NEXT time we will get pictures.

Happy Birthday Denise!

Fish and Candy

Right after work before I could put too much thought about running Daddy and I hurried and just got ready to go.

There are too many times I can talk myself out of going because I am always so tired after work and who will make dinner if I go run?

We needed no ride this time.

I don't know why I torture myself.

I don't run for DAYS and then I tell myself I can run up the canyon and back as long as I have Daddy with me.

I told daddy if he ran my pace I would run UP and DOWN the canyon with him.

I do NOT like fish but I DO love candy so I interpret our run much like...

running UP the canyon is like a FISH dinner,

I struggle to chew and swallow all the way up.

running DOWN the canyon is like enjoying a candy bar after you finish your fish dinner.

8.3 miles

Good thing daddy let me walk LOtS and he carried my water.

You are my hero Daddy!

She delivers

No not a baby...

Sitting home on a Sunday afternoon while daddy is at meetings

*I was craving some orange juice.

*I sent out a request for Chelsea to text me some...

and...

SHE DELIVERS!!

the REAL thing.

Thanks Shultz!

El Bandito

Last summer we had plans with my mom and Stan to go camping in Bear Lake and go see El Bandito at the Pickleville Playhouse.

We were so excited to go on this trip!

Reservations made.

Tickets bought.

Trailers packed.

On our way...

until we get in Logan canyon.

The suburban broke down.

FRUSTRATIONS!!

We missed the show AND the dinner at Pickleville.

We have such wonderful neighbors, No Bawlin's, that came and saved us.

We had a tow truck take the truck back to a truck hospital and No Bawlin came and hooked up the trailer to take us home as we sent mom and Stan on their way to at least make it to the dinner.

Daddy and I would regroup and either come up for a visit or try to get a cabin/hotel.

We didn't even get home before Clive talked us in to taking his truck and continue on with our weekend plans. What a sacrifice for him and even though it is hard to borrow something like that, we went ahead and took him home and continued on...anyway....

Fast forward...

I found out that El Bandito was playing in Logan!!

I bought tickets for Daddy and I and mom and Stan.

We enjoyed a meal at Chuck-A-Rama and went across the street to see the show.

It was 

FABULOUS!!

Had tears in my eyes and Daddy even kept laughing.

Guess what we will be doing THIS summer?

AND hopefully

with the WHOLE family!!

Stake Talent Show

With Doran's position on the High Council he is responsible for several things that he used to avoid doing and going to. I guess this is a clue that we should be anxiously engaged in the gospel or you will end up getting callings to MAKE you go and support these things?

This past Stake Talent Show we had a the high school.

Luckily for Doran there was someone called to be over this activity.

Doran had minimal involvement other than to

make sure it happened, to offer help and give the closing prayer.

Brother Naumn notified and assigned each ward in the stake, weeks and weeks prior to the talent night, a topic or part of a song that he wanted the youth to get pictures portraying a verse.

The song he chose was 

FOLLOW THE PROPHET

He then took all the pictures and turned them into a video.

It turned out really cute but too short.

There were displays of talent out in the halls of paintings, scrapbooks, books, quilts.

I think I may have found my talent but that is for another post.

FIVE YEARS

Happy Birthday DAD!!

I still miss you!