Four Wheeling

Saturday morning we headed up to Monte Cristo to take them four wheeling. It was a hot beautiful morning and the sky was so blue. Dave and Alecia were thrilled with the gorgeous scenery as we drove over Trapper's Loop and up to Monte Cristo. After flat old Texas they were impressed with our mountains!

When we got to the top of the mountain we started unloading our bikes. We had borrowed grandpa's bike too, and had given Dave a quick lesson in how to drive a four wheeler in the church parking lot the night before. As we unloaded all three bikes a couple of guys headed past on their ATV's and stopped to ask us how far the road went. We told them you could go all the way to Randolph on this road - it went for miles and miles and miles. So off they headed. Within five minutes they were back and said - not today ... they were headed back to their truck to get a chain to pull a Toyota pickup out of a snowbank.

So we headed out ourselves with Ilvia and I on my bike, Jeff, Ed and Eric (Parker's five year old grandson) on Ed's bike and the Guenthers on dad's bike. We only got about 2 miles down the road when we ran into a snowbank about 50 yards wide. So we had our picnic right there!! We still had a wonderful view of the mountains and valleys and we finished off our meal with a rousing snow ball fight!! FUN

On the way back to the truck we stopped and helped another truck get out of another snowbank. I bet the snow is all gone this weekend because it was practically water under the top layer of ice - We had a marvelous time even though we only got to go half as far as we had planned. This is a picture of Ed's mighty truck to the rescue. They tried pulling it out with four wheelers but it took more power than that.

The skies were blue, the weather was warm, we had some wonderful friends and a marvelous time. What more could we ask for!! On the way back down the canyon Dave told Alecia that they were going to get some ATV's....fun!

Where did June go??

By the way Jamie - how do you like my layout???

Its amazing - here today, gone tomorrow. Life is soooo busy and Ed and I've had a wonderfully fun month. We started with a trip to Texas at the first of the month. Father's Day came along quickly and then our good friends the Guenthers came into town FROM texas!! While we were down there visiting them we found out they were headed to Utah later on in the month and so we invited them to save a day in their schedule while here and we would take them Four wheeling. We met Dave and Alecia in San Marcos when we lived there in 2001/2002. They were one of the four couples that got together to go out to eat or to do something fun together at least once a month. They are the ones that drove us all to Mexico for a fun weekend back in 2001. They are a dear couple and we love them very much. The Parkers (Jeff and Ilvia) were part of that same group and the Templetons were the other couple. Jeff and Ilvia were members of the LDS church (though inactive) and the Templetons and the Guenthers were Catholic. We had some marvelous times and they are all the reason why we loved our time in San Marcos so much.

The Guenthers showed up about the 19th of June, and we met them at the Parkers home, in Farmington, for dinner that night. Then on Friday Ed had to work but the Parkers and Guenthers took me along with them on their sightseeing trip - fun fun day!First off we headed to Kennecott Copper Mine - I haven't been out there for decades - it is huge. The whole operation is huge - from the hole in the ground to the trucks to the tires. This is a picture of the Guenthers on the left and the Parkers on the right. Special friends from our time in Texas.

The off we went to eat at a really great Mexican restaurant on North Temple - Shawn has probably been there. Both Ilvia (Parker) and Alecia (Guenther) are from the Guadalajara area of Mexico and I think this cuisine is the closest to their native foods. Then we headed up to the Capitol. It is so beautiful - the restoration work is all done and it simply shines.



After we left the capitol we headed to Temple Square - Dave and Alecia are not members but they wanted to tour it, and Jeff and Ilvia are not active so it was fun for them too. It was so beautiful and refreshing - we had two real cute sister missionaries lead our tour and one of them spoke fluent Spanish so Alecia and Ilvia had fun visiting with her.

I had forgotten how lovely the pipes for the organ in the Assembly Hall were. We see the Tabernacle set up all the time but these pipes are gorgeous in their own right.

Before leaving Temple square I took them over to the reflection pond so Alecia could get some good pictures of the Temple and then finally we walked over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. I explained that it was built in the late 1800's as a hotel and the architecture and interior is something they had to see. Dave loved it - there was a lady playing all sorts of easy listening music on the grand piano - he walked over to her and visited with her and came back all amazed because she wasn't paid to play - she donated her time! We probably sat there in the old hotel for a good 30 minutes just listening to the music.

We had a fun day - lots of talking and catching up on each other's lives. We dropped the Parkers off at home and headed back to Layton (did I mention they stayed in the Willden Hotel for three nights!!)

This blog is long enough. I will continue it next month!!

A Son At War

I mailed the letter and the package to Dirk today. I was almost in tears when I left the post office. It was so weird. I have known Dirk was clear on the other side of the world but somehow sending him that box of goodies that we all put together and mailing it just brought it all home!! (By the way Dirk - that package was put together with love from our whole family. Most of us contributed junk food (who's gonna fight with that?? But I was impressed that Mauri got online to see what soldiers needed over in Iraq and Afghanistan - so the interesting items are from Mauri!! Way to go Mauri!)

My son is in harms way. They have taken him and put him on a plane and sent him halfway around the world to a country we know so very little about. Not only has he left behind a beautiful wife and two darling boys, but they have totally disrupted his daily activities and the comforts around him. He is probably sleeping in a sleeping bag on a cot in a cement bunker. He is told when he can eat and he can't enjoy Da's good home cooking. Hopefully they have plenty of Dew over there - I don't think the army can exist without Mtn Dew! He has been thrust into a country with little water, lots of dirt and dust, lots of poverty and lots of angst. And he is told to adapt!! It's gotta be tough on all our soldiers!

I totally believe in what he is doing...I just wish he had a soft bed and a nice air conditioned office and room to enjoy it in with all the tv, internet and normal every day activities. That's a mom's wish - and I guess a mom's real wish is that there was no war - any where - that man could learn to live and work together towards peace each and every day. But like that is NOT gonna happen.

Dirk - I know that you are able to get online enough to read the blogs - I pray that you will read this one. I love you so much and want so much for the year to go quickly and that in that time you can accomplish what you have gone over there to do. - protect our country from those who would harm it and help the people of Afghanistan to know that we are normal people that live and laugh and love and try our best to help our fellow man. There are good and bad people wherever you go, but for the most part we are a God fearing nation - we have a long way to go to be perfect but we try.

In USA Weekend - a little circular that comes in our Sunday paper had the neatest story about a dad serving overseas. I have copied and pasted it below (in italics) -

The red balloon comes home
Chief Petty Officer Dain Anderson, Navy
My husband, Dain, said goodbye to our four kids in 2005, heading to Iraq. Our son Daimon, then 2, felt lethargic. He had an E. coli infection and was critically ill. Our son Dawson, just 11 months old, also came down with the same disease. Thank God they survived! Dain was distraught at being away and dealing with possibly losing his two boys.

After they both got better, Daimon received a red balloon at a birthday party. As he left with his Grandma Bev, the balloon flew into the sky. He was upset, but she said, "Do you think the balloon is going to Iraq to give Daddy joy?" That made Daimon feel better. We told Dain about this. Two weeks later, he e-mailed us a beautiful picture of him holding a red balloon, telling us how happy he was to receive what his son sent. When Dain returned home just before Christmas 2006, he came off the plane carrying a red balloon. I've never seen such joy in a child as I saw in Daimon that day. Kristi Anderson

Maybe sometime during the next year Benji can get a red balloon - and let it go up up into the air so his daddy can get it. Who knows.

I love you son - your whole family is so proud of you and we are all praying for you - I pray that your Grandpa Cec and Grandma Nielson are up there watching out for you. I am sure that Merrilee is too! Lots of guardian angels! Take care of yourself -

love,

mom

What Personality Are YOU?

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm. Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Okay - I'm fat and I don't like it

I started to post a reply on Shawn's website to tell the world I am dieting...and I am gonna lose weight. Then I decided that I needed everyone's support and the only way I can get that is to admit it to everyone!

So - I hate this extra weight I have put on and even though I am walking almost daily I have let myself get back into the snacking mode FULL TIME. This has been the most difficult thing to control because everyday the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning is what can I eat. And the last thing at night is the same. ALL day long I am constantly nibbling on something. And it is definitely an obsession with me! I am constantly craving sweets nonstop. I am back up to a weight of 200 pounds and I will lose 25 of those!!! And I want to lose most of that prior to our Cruise to Alaska on August 23!

So - this is what I am doing:

1 - continuing the walking
2- drinking lots of water
3- controlling my cravings with a low glycemic diet.
This week I am on mainly protein shakes and protein bars with additional fruits and veggies tossed in to fill me up. I have discovered that a snack of three dried apricots and six almonds will stave off the cravings for something to eat for at least TWO hours!!
4- I am eating three small meals and three snacks daily. Right now it is totally low glycemic foods to keep my sugar levels constant. My cookbook has lots of good ideas and I am learning a new recipe or two every day.
5- After a week of level one on the glycemic diet then I will start adding additional foods so that I don't get sick and tired of the same food every day. I am sure that I will continue with the protein shakes for breakfast and lunch but I will add good foods for my snacks and eat a normal meal with Ed. I have never had a problem with portion control ... just junk food.

I am attempting to lose weight totally differently than Shawn but I think we will both succeed. He is simply working out more to fight his battle. I know that I lost weight when I was diagnosed as having diabetes by cutting out all the junk food I was eating and walking three-four days a week. I am now walking 4-5 days a week - (still the 2 1/2 miles that I walk with Cheryl). By controlling my sugar highs and lows I can control my constant craving for junk food. It should work.

Hopefully Shawn will soon look like his 29 year old self and I will look like my 39 year old self! :-)

FEET!!!

It is 2 am and here I am trying to keep my mind off of my itching burning hurting feet. I even took an ambien tonight to help me sleep and it woke me up and I am sitting here with a combination of diabetic neuropathy and restless leg/foot syndrome.

I hate it!!!! I haven't slept for more than three hours straight for weeks. I do have some medicine that will help it (Lyrica) but it numbs me all over and I have been only taking a half dose - something needs to give though cause this can't go on!! I meant to ask the doctor about Neuroton and instead asked him about Neuragen which is a topical ointment that I would rub into my feet. I am going to buy some on Monday and see how it helps.

I talked myself into staying on the Lyrica (half dose) and going back on the vitamin B12 nasal spray - I quit taking it about two months ago thinking that it wasn't helping but just realized this last week that my feet have been getting worse and worse and worse this last 6-8 weeks ...duh! maybe it is related!!

If I knew how to find a cute picture on the internet to represent my burning itching feet I would insert it right here!!

Well, nuff complaining - maybe I'll just take a Lortab!! :-)

A very wet walk

I wish I had a picture of myself this morning as I got back home from my walk. I was drenched - not only drenched but soaked. I came in the house and immediately went downstairs to the wash room and stripped of my jacket, gloves, shirt, jeans, shoes, socks, right down to the garmies. My hair and face were dripping too! I hung everything up to dry in the laundry room.

EVERYTHING was soaked all the way through!! I think I had one dry spot on my jeans where the shirt and jacket protected it but they were dripping - actually it looked like I had black leather pants on instead of just jeans! My shoes were soaked - my reeboks - but my nice thick expensive socks were dry everywhere except on the bottom of my feet. Thats good to know as I paid ten bucks for them!

I love my morning walk and it was so fun with the rain coming down softly - it wasn't a cold rain- just steady and it got stronger as we walked but there wasn't really a wind with it. The ducks were loving the water and yet hungry too - The little stream through the park was just roiling with the rain waters added to the normal stream.

I love that walk - each day is different - and right now it is so green and gorgeous. It definitely was the wettest walk I have ever taken.

Kelly's new toy

For those of you that have heard about this but haven't seen it - here is Kelly's newest toy. He is JUST a little excited about it. He called me at 8:38 am to talk about it and then showed up at my house early afternoon to show it off.

He said that he and Jamie rode it out to Antelope Island yesterday.





Of course - as a mother I had to make sure that he knew how to be SAFE and drive defensively. He assured me that he did.


All I can say is Enjoy it but be careful son!