The Adams Archives

What? An Entire School Year Gone

2011-05-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

I know. I know! Something tells me no one even looks at our blog anymore because, alas, it has been at least nine months. But, I have to catch it up for family purposes......this is our family "archive" after all (even though the archiver should be fired). So, here we go, nine months in nine minutes (I'll bet some of you pregnant people wish you could say that!):

OCTOBER: We had an "Oktoberfest" at our home in Thoreau. The kids came down and we picked all of our apples, made Harry Potter wands, had a bonfire, and ate cabbage and brats with apple dumplings for dessert. Decided to make it an annual tradition!

NOVEMBER: Had Thanksgiving with the whole Baker family at Mom's. Our first without Dad, but he was there, I know it. Mom and I did our yearly tradition of waking up at 5:00 a.m. and making tons of pies. You can never make enough! (l. to r. Ruth, Me, Mom, Heather)

DECEMBER: We celebrated Christmas with everyone home in Thoreau! Here are the kids on Christmas Eve in their "Santa Jammies", ha-ha, a tradition that I'm afraid didn't stop when they left home.

JANUARY: Hayden and his trombone were chosen for the NM All-State High School Band. He performed at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque along with his friend Conner.

FEBRUARY: We celebrated Kumen's 50th birthday at the cabin with family and friends! It was a fabulous except that our pipes had frozen over the winter and we had no water. We didn't cancel the party, but came back to Thoreau right afterward. Here Kumen is with his 50th birthday dessert. Cute!

MARCH: We celebrated our two boys' birthdays. We went up to Provo for Josh's 24th and Hayden turned 18! Watch out world! Oh, and we began moving to a new house in Thoreau, which we didn't finish until............well, we aren't finished yet, heh-heh.

APRIL: We went with Hayden to an Eastern Arizona College preview day in Thatcher. We were quite impressed with the small size of the campus and the friendliness of the people. Hayden is pretty sure he has found a home for a year before his mission. He is all registered and also received a music scholarship after auditioning on his trombone. He will be a Marching Monster and be in the jazz band!

MAY: Busy times with our Senior Boy! During the week of graduation and while all of our family was here, Hayden received his Eagle Scout, graduated from high school, had a graduation party, was ordained an Elder, graduated from seminary, and took off for Disneyland with his bubs. Wow, time to take a breath!! Now for summer, it's off to the cabin for some reading, quilting, and relaxing! YAY summertime!

Summer Snippets

2010-08-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

At the end of June, we celebrated Father's Day at the cabin with Adamses, Bakers, Beattys, and Davises. So much family, so much fun!!

For our 4th of July picnic, we had Kumen's awesome barbecue ribs, Jill's salsa, and my potato salad at a beautiful park in Provo with our favorite people in the whole world...

then we sat on the grass and played games (accompanied by Hayden on guitar) while waiting to go into BYU stadium...

and got ready for "Stadium of Fire", an amazing patriotic spectacle with Carrie Underwood and the most fireworks I've ever seen in one place.

Next, we dropped Hayden off for a week at EFY in Provo. "Best week of my life." His words, not mine.

Went to visit my beautiful Mama, I love her so much. Had a 78th birthday party for her...

at which Aunt Ginny provided entertainment.

Purchased 2 plots in the Pinedale, AZ Cemetery. Just one of those things that has to be done sometime, you know. The big pine tree will be at our feet :)

Kumen began smoking (meat, that is). Check out the bark on that brisket! Dee-lish!

Now it's off to Colorado for a family adventure: jeep trip, hot springs, and some last minute fun before it's back to school!!

It Will Grow Back, Right?

2010-06-04T12:03:00.001-07:00

So, yes, I cut my hair. Here is a picture of the back because my hair looks better without my face in it. Seriously...I look like the "Little Dutch Boy" or something. Oh well, it will be back by fall hopefully.

For Mother's Day, Kumen cooked the most fabulous meal. He made "Chicken Castellini" from the Olive Garden website, and let me tell you, Hayden and I could hardly believe how good it was. When Hayden took his first bite he said, "What the heck, Dad?" In other words, "Why don't you cook like this all the time?"

My two "peeps" at our yummy dinner. Kumen has the goofiest smile, it just cracks me up! We also enjoyed Jill and David and Katy and Jesse (+kids) coming for Memorial Day, but I thought I had left my camera at the cabin and didn't take any pics. Yes, I am sad about it. Pictures are the way I do genealogy!! Speaking of genealogy, Kumen and I are totally getting into it and going to the family history center every Wednesday night. We have already done a few sealings and have more names to take to the temple, so that feels really good! I also married Jill to David (online, of course)! So cool how we are all linked. The Church is true!!! :)

The Weirdness

2010-05-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

#1 - So, we finally bought a new desktop computer because a virus destroyed our "Dell". Come to find out, our new "HP"computer is not "compatible" with ANYTHING!! No more dial-up internet (which is all the Rez has), no more playing our old games, no more using our HP printer with our new HP computer. So off to WalMart we go to buy another HP printer, even though the other HP printer still works fine.

THE WEIRDNESS: It was $29.00 to buy a brand new HP printer with the ink included, but $34.00 to buy the black and color ink cartridges themselves. Should I just buy a new printer every time I need ink and start giving printers away to friends? Your advice?

#2 - We've been married 26 years, right? Pretty dang blissful. Kumen is so patient, kind, and thoughtful of me. He takes care of me completely.

THE WEIRDNESS: Why is he just now leaving the toilet seat up? Did he just finally decide to rebel? Becoming senile? As Paula and Evan would say, is this a "Sign of the Apocalypse"? Should I start just putting it up for him when I am done? Your advice?

Love You, Dad

2010-04-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

William Elmer Baker, 79, of Mesa, Arizona passed away on April 21, 2010. Bill was born December 9, 1930 in El Paso, Texas to Alfred Henry Baker and Elna Farnsworth. He graduated from Mesa High School in 1950. Bill married Elaine Rowley on October 12, 1950 with whom he enjoyed 59 wonderful years of marriage, and together they raised 6 children.

Bill was an active, lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather who delighted in visits from his grandchildren. He was a farmer at heart, raising cows and horses and growing alfalfa on his "mini-farm" in the heart of Mesa. Bill worked hard as a heavy equipment mechanic to honorably support his family. He founded Baker Machinery in 1983 which has since grown into a successful business.

Bill is survived by his wife Elaine; sons Randy (Patsy), Curt (Coleen), Tom (Ginny), Aaron (Ruth); daughters Melinda Turner (Monte) and Nancy Adams (Kumen); 25 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren. A viewing will be held Tuesday evening, April 27th at Bunker's Garden Chapel, 33 North Centennial Way, Mesa, AZ, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at the Poinsettia Ward building, 977 E. Broadway, Mesa, AZ, at 10:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior.

Hayden's Junior Prom

2010-04-21T09:28:00.001-07:00

Yay! Hayden's first prom (but not his first date, which he will not hesitate to remind you). Here he is with his date Summer Flannery from Gallup. They were such a classy couple, with Summer's dress being the only modest one in the bunch and Hayden's in his "tux" (I actually made his tie and vest and he just wore his suit). Cuteness!!

Our theme this year was "One Night in Paris". My sixth and last prom to be in charge of! Hayden helped so much as a Junior Class officer. He and his friend Kolton actually built this Eiffel Tower. Kumen and I were the punch bowl guards all night, but I forgot to get a picture!

And it wouldn't be Paris without the Arc de Triomphe. Didn't my juniors do a great job? Note the Paris skyline in the background. It all turned out very nice and most important of all, the students had a great time. Au revoir to both Paris and prom-ming!

Happy Celebrations!!

2010-03-29T08:27:00.001-07:00

We've had lots of fun in the Adams Family lately! Celebrated two birthdays and made a trip to Disneyland! When Josh, Jill, and David arrived at the hotel in Anaheim, we immediately began to celebrate Josh's 23rd birthday (we decorated our suite beforehand). Here he is opening his presents.

He was really hoping for a ticket to Disneyland for his birthday (since he came all that way). He was not disappointed, silly boy.

Our three kids the next morning, ready to leave for the park. We were still waiting on Kumen and David.

Here we all are in line for Thunder Mountain Railroad, one of our faves.

We had a "My Disneyland Birthday Party" for Josh where we decorated little cakes, got sippy cups and...

met Mickey and Minnie! Sorry that the celebration was aimed at 2-year-olds, Josh! It was fun anyway. We learned a birthday song that we couldn't stop singing the rest of the trip, much to Hayden's annoyance.

On our second day, we met up with our cousin Leeshy! It was great to have her with us all day. She is also one of our faves. We also saw the Aladdin show that day which was great!

Kumen and I waiting for our dinner at the French Market. We had reservations at Blue Bayou, the restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean, but DANG it was expensive, so we left. We knew it was, from the last time, but we had only been there at lunch. Dinner prices were $40 a plate. No, thanks. At the French Market we had things like seafood crepes, gumbo (spicy!), pommes frites, etc. at much more reasonable prices.

Our family in front of the castle on our last day...

Recognize these guys? We laughed so hard having these done. I bought them both at an exorbitant price to put up in the loft at the cabin, where we watch movies. They were so cute and I couldn't decide between them.

Josh looked so much like the actor, Hayden was so determined-looking, and I love David as Mace Windu!! (Disclaimer: that is NOT Jill's bellybutton, hers is much cuter)

When we got home we were trying to think of a theme for Hayden's 17th birthday! We loved the kitschy "Captain Eo" at Disneyland so much (the kids saw it 3 times, long live Michael Jackson!) that we went with that. I made these badges that Hayden's friends had to wear when we went to a movie and pizza in town. They had NO idea who Captain Eo was, but they were all into it.

Hayden with his Captain Eo cake. Yay! Happy Birthday to Josh and Hayden! It was a great couple of weeks! We really have to do more of this soon!!

White-Haired Gnomes

2010-03-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot how to blog! The title of my post is from a Pat McManus story where the family gets cabin fever from being trapped inside by the snow all winter. After playing Monopoly, making fudge, and basically driving each other crazy, they emerge in the spring as white-haired gnomes.

In January, we had several snow days in a row and luckily I had plenty of projects to keep me busy so that I didn't have to resort to Monopoly and fudge!! Here are pics of some of them:

I made the red purse for myself in the fall, and had the fabric purchased for one for Jill but didn't get it made in time for Christmas. Well, here was my chance!! Hope you like it, Jill!

I had been wanting to try vinyl lettering on my Cricut for about a year. That is how long I had the vinyl! Well, here was my chance to try it......just be brave, Nancy! This was my first attempt and I hated it: too large, placed too high, and just not the right effect. So.....

I peeled it off and made a second attempt in a different font. I like it much better! Now I'm not scared anymore. I can put a saying anywhere!!

Kumen had been wanting me to make some canvas "rolls" for his chisels and lathe tools. I kept putting it off because they are really boring to sew, but now I had time and had no more excuses!

I don't know why I put it off so long. He was so proud of his new tool rolls and couldn't stop talking about them. You are cute, honey. Why is it so easy to put off the ones we love the most?

This serving tray started out as a Target special and was white. I had been wanting to put one on the ottoman for the longest time so that when people eat in the living room, they have a solid surface to put their drinks, etc. on. So I painted it red and made it look old. I love it! I put an old candle on it and it just really adds, and I can decorate it for the seasons. Fun!

I also pieced a quilt (queen size-log cabin-browns and blues), but just realized that I don't have a picture. Will show you later. Anyway, enough of being inside! All my projects were done, couldn't think of any more, so we headed outside. Here I am screaming my head off!

Hayden catching some air!

Me and my youngest! He's such a great kid, we really had fun on our snow days and hated for them to end. Except that we are headed to Disneyland for Spring Break, ALL of us!!! I'll be sure to let you know how that goes :)

Home for Christmas

2010-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Christmas Eve and Day in the Adams Home. BEST of all, our children were all able to be there with us for a few days to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our Christmas Eve tradition is to have the Elders over for a fun dinner, in which the menu can vary. We have made clam chowder, posole, and Japanese food in the past, but this year Mom took the easy way out and we had lasagna. Oh well, it was red! And then on Christmas Eve, a surprise visit from Santa!! We still have no idea who it was.....

Another thing that made this year special was that Mom Adams was able to leave her mission in Salt Lake for a few days and be with us. Jill and David brought her down with them and we were so blessed to have her! Here she is with Santa.....

I totally mortified Jill by having her sit on Santa's lap, him being a total stranger and all. I guess that is just what Moms do, plop their kids on Santa and take a picture, even when we have no idea who is behind the beard. Sorry, Jill.....

The boys with Santa. Josh was so shocked and surprised!

The tradition of Santa jammies continues. Poor kids, I know. Oh well, I think they will use the flannel pants, maybe. But aren't they cute? At the last minute, I ironed on their initials to their shirts. More humiliation, just like Ralphie and his pink bunny suit......but they only have to wear them when they visit :).

I finally finished Kumen's afghan, but then again, it is only big enough to cover his legs when he reads. I used double thread so this was about 10 skeins of yarn and I had had enough. He likes it though.

My boys.....

My Jill and David. Jill is red because I embarrassed her again.....not giving details here.....but isn't that what Moms are for?

Hayden and Josh on Christmas morning showing off their new hoodies, The "Green Lantern" and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", Josh's fave.

Kumen got a new hoodie also, now he can "represent" his alma mater, ASU!

And the most surprising (but not really) gift of the day? Jill's nunchucks. Can't wait for her and David to perform together!! We had a lot of laughs at David's expense. Sorry, David.

I sure have had to apologize a lot in this blog. I really must remember to be a better hostess next time. Here are Josh and I buried in the wrapping.

The Lord has been very generous to our family this year, and we have been very blessed. It was so sad to take down all of the decorations and frippery, but with my New Year's resolutions, I have promised to "honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The Spirits of Christmas shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!" HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!

Triple Dose

2009-12-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

I have so much to tell, that I am combining what should be three different posts into one, thus the "triple dose" you will now receive of my life. I haven't blogged for a month, and during the holidays, that is too long. So first, Halloween! Here's our Hayden in his self-created ghostbuster costume (borrowed coveralls, vaccuum cleaner hose and part of a light saber with attached glowsticks). It turned out so cool.

I made patches with fabric and wonder under for his backpack and sleeve. He wore this to school so the backpack did double duty.

Kumen and I in costume. Scary, huh? We were the designated candy-hander-outers.

Hayden and his friend Willie on Halloween night. Willie also created his own "Tron" costume. Ha-ha, we all cracked up, it was so cool.

Hayden and his buddies ready to trick-or-treat. I think I have said before that on the Rez, everybody trick-or-treats. It's great!

Philadelphia

The week before Thanksgiving I attended the National Conference for Teachers of English in Philadelphia with two of my fellow English teachers. I had so many firsts! I rode in a taxi for the first time from the airport (a real taxi, not a shuttle) and the driver was so reckless we thought we were going to die. The first night we ate at Hard Rock Cafe. Here I am with my friend Crystal Wood.

Yay! I got to see Stevie Nicks' boots. I had been waiting for this my whole life. No, really. Huge fan.

Me and my purse at the Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background. Awesomeness.

My heart was just filled with patriotism as we stood in the actual room where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Love my country!

Had to have a Philly Cheese Steak. Crystal loved them so much we had them twice. $9.00 will get you the classic with fries and a drink.

This is mine before I dug in. I was disappointed. They say "the classic way is with Cheez Whiz". I say "Yuchhh". Where are the peppers, where is the swiss or provolone? The bread was awesome though. Light and chewy.

I have wanted to visit Betsy Ross's house since I was in 4th grade and did a report on her. Very charming.

Ben and I catching up on old times.

We met so many cool people at this conference. Here we are, Crystal, myself, and Anissa Shaver, waiting for Julie Andrews and her daughter who were the keynote speakers. They have written several children's books together. We were 3 of the lucky 200 that got to meet her and have her sign our books afterward. I said, "It's so great to meet you, my family and I are huge fans!" She said in her beautiful British voice, "Well, thank you. That makes me feel very special." I actually talked to Julie Andrews!! We also met several other authors: Nicholas Sparks, Jeff Kinney, and Michael Scott. I got autographed copies of all their books.

Me in downtown Philadelphia, the "city of brotherly love". The "LOVE" sculpture for which they are so famous is teeny!! We were like, "Is that it?

Thanksgiving

Josh was able to come down the Monday of Thanksgiving week. We went out to the best Italian restaurant ever, The Pasta House in ShowLow. The waitress asked if Josh and Hayden were twins! Ha-ha!!

The spread at Thanksgiving. I never got a picture of the 8 pies I made!! Darn. Anyway, our friends Chuck and Lida had invited us to their place, but since there are several stairs leading to their cabin and Mom and Dad were coming, we moved it to our house. They did most of the cooking!! It was so gracious of them.

Chuck and Lida Barber, our dear friends in Pinedale.

The after-dinner satiety. The three boys were having a beard-growing contest all week, in case you were wondering.

The best part of the week was having Mom and Dad with us. We just enjoyed them so much. Here they are with Jill and David.....

with Josh and Hayden.....

with us.

Oh, and the beard growing contest? Josh won for thickest, David for darkest, and Hayden gave up because no matter what, his blonde beard just wouldn't show up. He shaved it halfway through ( I think, I couldn't really tell). Happy Holiday Season to ALL!

Hayden's Hawk Homecoming

2009-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

First let's start with the football. As you may know, Hayden had to quit the team early last year because his left knee kept "popping out", or in other words, he had to put his kneecap back in the right place too many times. When he began this year, he was so careful to wear a brace on his left knee. He worked REALLY HARD to advance to starting center this year and played all the away games. As he was warming up for his first home game in which he was to start, he turned and all of a sudden was down on the field writhing and screaming in pain. Someone turned to Kumen and said, "Is he faking?" Kumen said, "Nope. He's not faking", and ran down on the field only to find that Hayden's RIGHT knee had popped out this time. Worse than his left knee ever had. Needless to say, that was the end of his 2009 football career. The boy with the glass knees did get to wear his dad's old football number this year by chance, which Kumen thought was pretty cool!

Hayden, being one of the most handsome boys in the school, was in high demand to be an escort at the homecoming assembly. Here he is escorting Candy Mariano, a junior princess candidate.

With this year's football career over, he is back to marching in the band (wearing said knee brace, of course) with his trombone. The band teacher was trying not to show her joy when Hayden was injured in football. Now he sits in the stands during the games and marches during half-time. Here is the back of Hayden in the homecoming parade (because Mom was too slow to get her camera working on time). He is the tall blonde.....

On Saturday night, Hayden had his FIRST DATE for the homecoming dance. Here he is with Shelby Montano, his date, and his friend Conner Shaver and his date Winona House. Don't they just all look so nervous? They went to dinner beforehand, and the parents (us) had to drive them because they only have permits. How EMBARRASSING!!

Hayden and Shelby have been friends since Kindergarten. They are good buddies and good kids. Hayden said they had fun at the dance...only danced together once and then danced with several other friends. We are proud of Hayden and the great son that he is!! Love you boy!!

Josh's New Digs

2009-09-04T08:24:00.000-07:00

Josh and his roomies, who are beginning their junior year at BYU, have moved out of their apartment and around the corner into what is appropriately titled "The White House". Their front porch seems to be the hub of social life. Students come up and sit on it at random, like it is just part of the campus. The other night, someone rang the doorbell and when Josh answered it there were a couple of people that asked if he could turn on the porch light so they could read their books. Hahahahaha! Josh's bedroom window is the one behind the tree.

The house decor can only be described as "early fraternity". The house is old and has high ceilings so they have devised "stadium seating" for all of their movie nights.

What a quaint kitchen! There are signs posted all over reminding them to clean up after themselves. This one reads: "Cleanliness is next to Studliness". Whatever.

Josh in his upstairs bedroom. He has a great view and really likes his little "alcove".

His "college quilt" that also followed him on his mission. I love how he has family pictures up on his shelf, it just brings a tear to this mom's eye.

Kumen, Hayden, and Josh at the computer desk. That is the Ohio state flag (Josh's mission) on the wall. Josh is pretty proud of his "awesome" new computer also, he worked all summer to earn the money.

Poser. Josh is pretty excited to begin his fall classes. He is majoring in advertising (BYU has an internationally recognized program) and will have to complete an internship in some big city back East. What's our "Rez" boy to do?

Buggy Bozeman Birthday Bash

2009-09-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were able to go to Provo and celebrate with Jill for her 19th birthday!! It was so good to be all together as a family again. Here we are the night before at a restaurant Josh and Jill said we had to try, "Mimi's Cafe". It was a New Orlean's themed place (great decor!) and had yummy food.

Our girl on her 19th birthday. We couldn't think of a theme, but one prominent thing in Jill's life right now is bugs! They are crawling in through the windows of her basement apartment like crazy. All types!! Yay for summer and lawns and gardens. She and David have been so frustrated that I decided we should have a good laugh about it for Jill's party.

A special treat! Jill's Grandma Adams was able to drive down from Salt Lake and her genealogy mission for the celebration! I love this picture of the two of them. . .

One of our games was to "place" the spots on the ladybug, only the spots were Oreo cookies that you twisted open and licked to make them stick extra good.

Here is Hayden trying to get perfect placement. . .

even Grandma joined in the fun!!

The spot that was placed the best? That's Josh's! Yay, Josh!! And then we all sat around and finished off the package of Oreos, which was the most fun part of the whole game. After that we had a spelling "bee" with the most difficult words in the English language. Jill won that one!

One of Jill's favorite presents! A huge bottle of A-1 sauce. Her and her dad are addicted.

My three kids. Awesome, no?

For dinner, we celebrated at Tucanos Brazilian Grill. Servers come to your table with all kinds of meat selections and you just choose what you want and how much you want. Grandma Adams especially loved this place.

Josh and Hayden had never been and they also thought it was great. Here is Josh, loading up.

When we were all through, we sat and waited for David to finish. Ha-ha! Amazing!! He loves the place and was the first to introduce us to it.

Hayden, suffering from meat satiation.

They came and sang to Jill with a Latin flair, and the best part was, she had to play tambourine and even dance a little. Cute Jill!! Tons of fun for the Adamses!!

Rocky Mountain High

2009-08-14T08:09:00.001-07:00

For our actual 25th anniversary, we decided to travel up to Colorado to some of our favorite places for a couple of days. Here we are at exactly 10:00 a.m. on August 10th when we had been married exactly 25 years (taken in the car on our way to Durango). Yes, we are somewhat worse for wear, but extremely content and happy.

I was hoping we would have our 10:00 a.m. moment on this ski lift (would have been more romantic than driving in the car). The ski lift ride is only $5 and lasts about an hour. Such breathtaking views and smells! Yes, smells!!

Us with some "rockies" in the background. We were doing most of our own photography which is why the weird angles.

On the ski lift in Purgatory. Ha-ha, that sounds funny. They actually have an alpine slide that was running underneath us, but this time we just rode the lift.

Woo-hoo! From way up high!!

Then we drove to one of our favorite places that we usually only visit in the fall, Ouray, Colorado. We were surprised at how much more fun the town was in the summertime (but also more crowded). Many of the tourist based businesses close down on September 15th and we are usually there in October to see the autumn leaves.

Kumen reserved a bed and breakfast for us for a couple of nights. We had never stayed in one and I was kind of leary about staying in someone's home, but it was awesome. Our hostess was hardly ever there and she was just really casual (and a caterer and gourmet chef besides). We enjoyed the beautiful gardens and the hot tub!

We spread out a blanket in the gardens and ate cheesecake and read old love letters from college to each other. I surprised Kumen with a new wedding band (he never liked his original and wanted a plain band). It is inscribed with the words, "Eternally Yours". Awwwwwwww.....

The next morning at 8 a.m. we were waiting for our jeep tour to pick us up. Here I am under the beautiful arbor that I would like Kumen to replicate someday. Please, Honey?

On our jeep tour we sat next to a newlywed couple. It was fun to think that we were in their place 25 years ago. So glad I don't have to be there again. Marriage just gets better and better! The scenery on our tour was jaw-dropping. After the first 20 minutes I was so glad we had done this.

Yay, we made it to the top alive! It was actually not scary at all (although a lady behind us was freaking out), we had a good driver and we spent most of the time just watching how he navigated the climb. It was not an actual jeep, but a Dodge truck with seating for 8 welded onto the back. Next time we want to rent a jeep and do the trail on our own. We spent about a half hour on top, and I actually started to get a headache which they say is common (no big deal) but Kumen was fine.

The scenery was what I imagine the Swiss Alps to be like. Alpine wilderness with more flowers than grass higher up above the tree line. I cannot figure out how delicate flowers can grow up that high but not trees. Please enlighten me. We saw more waterfalls than you could count. This one was particularly beautiful. Now we know why they call Ouray "Little Switzerland".

Before we went home the next day, we visited some fun shops, especially this one! A factory outlet for chocolate. Does it get any better? Found some great deals on "bloopers" or ugly chocolates that they just sell in paper bags.

Then we stopped at this jerky (Kumen's favorite) shop along the side of the road. Their jerky was crazy expensive, but we got some pepper and spicy teriyaki. Both were excellent. They also had cool stuff like honey roasted pistachios and strawberry/rhubarb spread. Fun food finds! Anyway, our anniversary was great and I am so grateful to be married to such an adventurous sort of person who keeps life exciting!!

You're Still the One!

2009-08-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

Happy 25th Anniversary Sweetheart! This week I am celebrating the first week of our next 25 years together because with you, all of my life seems to be a celebration. I have never been happier, it is so true that love just continues to grow as the years go by and our capacity to love is endless. Just think how it will be after an eternity together!!

Summer Serendipity

2009-07-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

I couldn't decide on just one topic for this post! We are at the cabin for July and it must be this fresh mountain air or something, but my head is full of so many random thoughts. So, you my friend, are going to be the beneficiary:

1) I absolutely LOVE Michael Jackson. So shoot me. Kumen and I were in tears when we heard. I don't believe he was a pedophile, just weird. People are allowed to be weird.

2) Why do people talk so loud on their cell phones? My neighbor is out on her balcony right now talking on her cell, and now I know all her personal business just because I don't want to shut my windows.

3) I love topiaries. Any shape or size.

4) I put wallpaper up in our bedroom here at the cabin. Stop laughing.

5) I made brownies for the 4th of July and Hayden complained that they were too gooey. He finished off the pan last night.

6) We are tree lovers and killers at the same time. We planted four new trees here and are going to pull up six fruit trees today that are fifteen years old and have never produced a thing.

7) We name our trees: Old Man Willow, Edgar the 1st, Josh (the tree who lived), Jill the 2nd and Hayden the 2nd (because the 1sts died).

8) Wind chimes are beautiful and annoying at the same time.

9) We just got wireless internet here at the cabin and it is a lifesaver because Kumen teaches online classes all summer and I need to blog, but somehow it doesn't seem so backwoods here any more (sad).

10) I had a nightmare last night that our principal made me work all summer.

So much for my random thoughts! Here are some pictures of family and friends. Enjoy!!

Look, we can fly! We had family night last week with the Beattys and the Davises (Kumen's sisters and their families). The kids loved the loft, l. to r. Benson, Hannah, Heather, and Brennan Beatty, and Dallin Davis.

Our newly engaged nephew, Ben and his fiancee, Chelsea. They will be married in the Snowflake Temple on August 26th. Nice work, Ben!

Hayden and his cousin Preston. It was such a fun time because the Beatty kids brought their guitars and Hayden brought his out and they just all played and sang for us. Yes, Hayden got brave and sang alone!

Hooray for the red, white, and blue! Here we are at the 6:00 a.m. flag raising ceremony and breakfast at the Pinedale/Clay Springs ward building. It was really cool and delicious at the same time.

Hini and Panna (their nicknames). They have been enjoying hanging out lately. Preston will be a senior next year and Hayden a junior.

Shaun and Elizabeth (Peppy) Davis. Peppy is Kumen's little sis. We live just a few miles from them, it will be so nice to be near family when we move here permanently. These two just built their own house in Clay Springs, and I mean by themselves!! Peppy had to have carpal tunnel surgery when it was over, go figure!!

Peppy and her girls, Jessica and Avery. Cute!

Our good friend, Chuck Barber, with Kumen. The Barbers live just around the corner from us in Pinedale Estates. They keep an eye on our house for us while we're gone and we really appreciate them for this. Chuck and his wife, Lida are two of the most generous people we know.

Jessica at her 4th of July goldfish booth.

Preston in the 4th of July pie eating contest. He won! Well, that's all I have. Random, I know. But summer should always be serendipitous, don't you think?

Vignette

2009-06-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Renovation Reality

2009-06-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

Let's start with a "before" picture, shall we? Okay, I loved my living room. After all, I am an anglophile to the core and really liked my "Victorian" inspired decor . . . . . but 16 years of looking at this wallpaper was enough. Some may think me extravagant for wanting to change the look, but just you try looking at this wallpaper for 16 years, okay? And the couches are another story . . . . . 19 years of them. They may look fine on the surface, but it was getting embarrassing having to pull my visiting teachers out of them when the visits were over. And vacuuming them is taking your life in your hands what with all the sharp, broken springs hidden underneath.

Thus began my descent into "wallpaper hell" as I like to call it. Two days with a spray bottle of hot water and a plastic scraper. Some mistakes we just have to pay for with blood, sweat, and tears.

I swear I heard choirs of angels singing when the last piece was off the wall. Did you hear them too?

Okay, so my goal for this room is . . . . . wait for it . . . . . English country cottage! Big surprise! I just can't get the anglophile out of me, I guess. So, after a bit of debate over the wall color (Kumen, Hayden, and my friend Alessandra wanted a sage green), I went with the neutral that I had been longing for. Prying off the oak trim left the wall pretty nasty, but that will thankfully be covered with . . . . .

beadboard! Here is my sweetie (and live-in carpenter) nailing it to the wall. He was a trooper and I think he had as much fun as I did (I THINK!)

We painted the beadboard a buttermilk color, here it is prior to the trim being installed.

With the trim! Kumen did the most beautiful job! I love my new walls, they just seem so fresh and clean after the 16 years of wildness.

Kumen opened his Father's Day present a day early because he "really needed it" for some of the detail work. I was happy to oblige. He is so cute, he was looking for all kinds of things to cut with his new Dremel "Multi-Max". Happy Father's Day, honey!

Yay! New couches!! Don't they just look so "cottagey"? I tried SO hard not to make the paint color match the furniture. I even took a pillow to Home Depot with me. I wanted it to be the same color family but lighter, and, I swear, in the store it was. But of course, when I got it home it matched perfectly. Oh well.

This is what it's all about. Kumen and I use the room for reading and Hayden for guitar playing, so it will be just comfy and cozy. Have I mentioned that Hayden is quite the guitar maestro? Well, he is amazing, just so you know. We also ordered an ottoman that is on it's way.

The room as it looks right now. I used my old curtains, just left the middle section out because I decided I really have a beautiful view and it helps the room to seem bigger. My plan is to use lots of red accents on the walls, etc. Kumen is building me a corner hutch for the right corner that I am going to paint red and I am painting an old chest of drawers red for a corner table on the left. Also, a red shelf. Maybe that will be too much red, hmmmm. I have tons of stuff to put on the walls yet, so in a later post I will show the final product. I am also open to suggestions :), just don't suggest green paint. It's too late.

Later, Lawrences!

2009-06-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

We'll always remember:

Holding ADAM when he first came home from the hospital and his yells for ice cream

SAM taking off all of his clothes and running out in only his backwards "Elmo" underwear

MEREDITH always wanting to get on the "watery bed" and wanting to know what's for dinner

JEREMY dancing around while he plays video games and his handsome new glasses

KATY tirelessly working for the building up of the kingdom and her "gamer" spirit

JESSE being the most adventurous YM President ever and one of Hayden's best friends

To quote Jesse:

"Our favorite part was all of it."

Day Six: Our Last

2009-05-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

On our last day we took a tour of Warwick Castle which is in the town of Warwick, England (pronounced War-rick). I was also excited to see the town of Warwick because it is the birthplace of Charles Dickens. As we entered the town, the bus driver stopped on the bridge so that we could take this lovely picture of the castle.

This castle tour was very interactive and there were several groups of school children on field trips that day. On one part of the tour there are Mme. Tussaud's wax figures showing how the castle was in Victorian times. This is the Duchess of Warwick getting ready for a party. It was inhabited up until the 1940's.

Looking down upon the Great Hall with the authentic suits of armor, swords, spears, etc.

We are just entering Stratford-upon-Avon which, translated, is "the town of Stratford that sits upon the Avon River". Here is a shot of the Avon river from the bus.

Me standing in the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon. I am so excited because this has been a lifelong dream of mine (well, at least since 10th grade when I first studied Shakespeare). And now, I teach it to 10th graders of my own!!

We ate lunch at "The Stratford Inn", and again you see the fancy tablecloths and table settings which are standard in restaurants in England. Kumen is pouring our water.

We were so hungry we forgot to take a picture of our "Cottage Pie" before we ate it! Sorry, but it was really yummy. You can also see the requisite peas and carrots which seem to be served with almost every meal in England.

Yay for Shakespeare!

Me, standing in front of Shakespeare's birthplace. It is actually still here on Henley Street. They know that it is the actual place because of deeds, etc. they have found in public records. We got to take a tour which was fabulous, but we were not allowed to take pictures inside.

Back on the bus for a tour of the Cotswolds, an area in the English countryside filled with thatched cottages and beautiful farms. The charm was indescribable. If I was ever to move to England, you could find me in the Cotswolds in the village of Longcompton. Just so you know.

A typical country road in the Cotswolds.

"Rose Cottage". It was still a little early for the roses to be in bloom, but I'm sure they are lovely later in the spring.

On to the town and college of Oxford. This is one of the colleges at Oxford, "Christchurch College". Oxford is actually made up of 20 different colleges, you may have heard of Exeter, etc.

These next pics are for you Harry Potter fans out there! Parts of the movies were filmed at Oxford. This is the hallway overlooking the courtyard that you see quite a bit. Remember when Harry and Luna Lovegood were walking here and having a chat?

The courtyard.

This is the stairway where Professor McGonagall (sp?) stands when Harry and his friends first arrive at Hogwarts and they are waiting for their turn to wear the sorting hat.

The Great Hall with, of course, a different ceiling! The students at Oxford actually eat here and the tables are all set for dinner. It was so funny because our tour guide was trying to tell us all kinds of history about Oxford and all anyone was asking about was Harry Potter!

Kumen at one of the tables. We got in trouble for taking this shot, so I hope you appreciate it!

Standing in the Great Hall with the entrance in the background, and no, the portraits did not come to life, but some of them looked as if they should.

Some Oxford cricket players having a chat. There was also a wedding going on that day and the bride and groom were taken to the chapel in a carriage. It was very cute but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

We asked our tour guide about J.R.R. Tolkien who was a professor at Oxford College when he wrote "The Lord of the Rings", "The Hobbit", etc. We didn't have time to visit his grave and other sites, but she did tell us that the bay window (behind Kumen) was his window and he would sit there and write. Kumen is a huge fan and was thrilled!

That evening when we arrived back in London, we rounded out our tour with Vietnamese food (because we had pretty much tried every other country). It was delicious and very colorful as you can tell. The next morning we took a taxi to the airport at 8 a.m. for our flight home. So sad to leave, but the memories will last forever!! I have to say that we have been bitten by the travel bug and are already planning our 30th anniversary!!

Day Five: Vive' la France

2009-05-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

We booked a one day trip to Paris, just in case we never travel to Europe again, we will have been in the most romantic city in the world for at least one day. Besides, it is our 25th anniversary! What better place to go! We had to leave London at 5:30 a.m. from Kings Cross Station. Yes, you are right. This is the station that Harry Potter left from to go to Hogwarts. I looked in vain for Platform 9 3/4, I did find Platform 9 though. I got weird looks when I started tapping on bricks.....

A lovely nostril shot of us on the Eurostar. The train ride over took about 2 hours and went through the "chunnel" or the tunnel under the English Channel. The chunnel took about 20 minutes and these watertight doors automatically shut around the doors of the train. Claustro!!

After arriving in Paris, we boarded one of those red double-decker buses to tour the city. This picture is taken from the top of the bus, the buildings are much more ornate than in London, with black wrought iron on almost everything.

Our ride down the Champs Elysees, which is actually a tree lined street leading to the Arc de Triomphe. I always thought it was a river because people talked about "walking along the Champs Elysees", but, duh, it is a street. Very beautiful and immaculate.

Okay, the Arc de Triomphe is huge! It was one of the most impressive things I saw the whole trip. I made Kumen stand up quickly for a picture as the bus was making a loop turn and he is trying to keep his balance, poor thing!

This picture is actually out of order, but here I am on the bank of the Seine River waiting for our river cruise. What a lovely backdrop!! The river cruise was great, they played French music and it was so romantic and breathtaking to see the sights of Paris from the river.

My cutie at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Needs no explanation, he is just handsome.

My favorite picture of us at the Eiffel Tower! Hahahahahhaha! I am actually going to have a print made of this to hang at the cabin. It just makes me laugh.

A view of Paris and the Seine River from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. The second floor is about halfway up the tower. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

A nice shot of the tower from the top of our tour bus as we drove around it after the tour.

Here is Kumen outside the Louvre or "Loov-ruh" as the English say. Doesn't this just look so "DaVinci Code"???

So, our tour guide said we had 45 minutes to tour the most famous art museum in the world. Yeah, right. But we had learned that you obey the tour guide or get left high and dry. So we virtually ran! Here is the Louvre: 9 miles of corridors like this with the most priceless art in the world. Our plan of attack? To see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, end of story.

Here she is!! The best shot we could get because she is behind bullet-proof glass and you have to stand about 20 feet away from her. But it really is an "other-worldly" feeling to see the painting.

Me hanging with Mona. The little cubicle where she hangs is lowered into a floor vault at night. So "Pink Panther"! We had heard that the painting is smaller than you expect, but didn't think so. It is at least 24x36 or thereabouts.

Kumen with the Venus de Milo, probably the most famous statue in the world. He told me that his mom had a small replica of this statue in their home as they were growing up, so it was cool for him to see the real thing.

Our tour guide was cool. As an extra bonus, and because we "ran" through the Louvre, we had time to visit Notre Dame or "No-truh D-ah-m" as the English would say. Here I am standing inside so that you can get some idea of the scale of this thing!

Another shot of the inside of Notre Dame Cathedral. By the way, the story of the Hunchback bell-ringer and Esmeralda is true, but of course Victor Hugo took it up a notch. And Disney. I really doubt if the gargoyles came alive.

The outside of Notre Dame Cathedral. There were some men walking on the parapet and Kumen tried to convince me they were re-enacting the Hunchback of Notre Dame. So I watched them for awhile, but they were all wearing suits. Probably security. Bummer.....hahaha!

Me in front of Notre Dame. It is a sister cathedral to Westminster Abbey. They were built about 50 years apart and you can really see the similarity in their architecture (see Day Two).

Back on the bus and headed toward the train station. I had to get this picture of an outdoor Paris cafe', even though we didn't get to eat at one :(. No time!!

We met up with our bus to the train station outside the Paris Opera House. This was the inspiration for the story "The Phantom of the Opera". It actually does have waterways and boats underneath. That would have been a fun tour!! Well, our day in Paris is done, hope you enjoyed it. We were so pooped that when we got back to London, we decided to try American food for dinner and took KFC to our hotel! It is funny in London because it is served with "chips" (french fries) and they don't serve their biscuits (which would be cookies to Londoners) or cole slaw. But, yeah, it was good old American KFC and you don't need a picture of that.

Day Four: All By Ourselves!

2009-05-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we had a day all to ourselves, with no tours and no rushing!! We slept in a little and then went on a stroll to Pimlico station which we discovered was even closer than Victoria station to our hotel. There are little flower stands like this all over the streets of London, and the flowers are so fresh!

An outdoor vegetable stand, that I just thought was charming.

We bought an all day ticket to ride the underground "tube" which cost us about $6.00 each in U.S. dollars. We are going to try and be brave and find our way around the city, because there are a couple of things we want to do and see that are not on our tours!! Here's Kumen waiting for the train.

Our first stop was the British Museum. Kumen has been looking forward to visiting this place forever! He figures that since Britain had the biggest empire, they probably stole the most stuff, and therefore have the best museum. He was right about that, there is no way you could see the whole museum in a day. We took about a hundred pictures, but I just picked out some highlights...

Kumen by the Rosetta Stone. He teaches his students about this stone and he was so excited to actually meet it in person. It has the same passage written in three ancient languages, and it wasn't until this stone was discovered that some of the languages could be translated.

A medieval chess set.....

some Viking artifacts recovered from the Sutton Hoo burial...

and tons and tons of mummies. These have not been unwrapped, but have all been x-rayed to find out different things about their gender, age, manner of death, etc.

We ate lunch across the street from the British Museum in a Japanese restaurant. I guess we are determined to try every cuisine of the world while in London! Kumen was very excited to have authentic Japanese food, but then we decided that the food he learned to cook on his mission is better! So we will keep making our version...

Back on the tube and off at Baker Street! I'll bet you can guess why we stopped off here...

for that famous guy who lives at 221B Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes!! Kumen and Josh are big fans, so is Kumen's mom. So we just had to take a tour of his home and museum. He is a fictional character of course, but they have this Victorian home at the exact address that they have fixed up just as described in the stories.

The sitting room by the fire. Mr. Holmes' and Mr. Watsons' hats and pipes are on the table in the middle. It was the most charming old Victorian home, with about four floors and the "loo" on the top floor.

Back down to the tube. You have to ride these extremely long escalators down underground, and you are definitely grateful for them when you have to come back up!

We then took a walk along the Thames for a closer look at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Of course, the original burned down in the 1600's as Shakespeare's last play was being performed. This was rebuilt just 50 yards from the original. I was just in awe because I teach this stuff!! I just couldn't wait to show my students the pictures.

We went inside and were able to see a rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I was naughty and as we left, I turned around and snapped this picture from the doorway. It was magnificent!

Our last stop on our walk along the Thames River was the London Eye. It is like a huge ferris wheel with these clear pods that hold about 25 people. It takes 30 minutes to rotate all the way around. It was built to celebrate the new millenium in 2000.

A view of Parliament and Big Ben from the London Eye. Kind of fuzzy because I was in the pod.

As we walked back to our hotel from the tube station, we saw a little Indian restaurant. Hey! We haven't had that yet! Here is the chicken curry and garlic naan that we had. I could have eaten about 3 more pieces of the naan (sp?).

My cutie!! In the back you can see the two gentlemen that own the restaurant. They were so proud when we liked their food. It was really great. Tomorrow, off to PARIS!!

Day Three: Windsor, Stonehenge & Bath

2009-05-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

It's only Tuesday and we've seen so much already! Here I am at about 8:00 in the morning at the tour headquarters. Our tours always left at 8:45 so we were always about the first to line up behind the sign to make sure we didn't miss the bus for the tour we had booked that day. I am so excited for the day!

Our first stop was the town of Windsor, above which Windsor Castle towers beautifully. It was such a quaint little village!

This is Windsor Castle, the Queen's weekend home. Of course, this was Tuesday, so she was back at Buckingham Palace. We were playing cat and mouse with the Queen all week!

A view from the castle. You can see why they decided to build here, where there is a great view of the surrounding countryside and invaders could be seen from miles away. In the foreground is Eton College, where Prince William and Prince Harry went to school.

The guard at the back of the castle. He started walking toward me and I freaked out and started snapping pictures. The hats are real bear skin. Cool, huh?

St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. We couldn't take pics inside, but this is Henry VIII's final resting place. Right underground in the middle of the chapel he is interred with his "favorite" wife, Jane Seymour, the one who finally bore him a son. So... we stomped on him a few times (just kidding).

On the drive to Stonehenge, we drove through so many charming villages. Can you believe the wisteria on this house?

Outside the Stonehenge Inn where we ate lunch with our tour group.

It was cute and cozy inside.

Lunch was roast beef (a favorite in England), roast potatoes, peas and carrots, and an English popover! Fun! Very tasty and filling. For dessert we had a choice of mandarin orange cheesecake or caramel cheesecake. We ordered both and shared. Yum.

Yay! We were really looking forward to this. It is just as awesome as you think!! Just in the middle of nowhere, with fat sheep grazing all around! We decided it is probably the oldest standing temple on the earth :).

Just the awesomeness...

This picture is the best wallpaper I have ever had on my computer!! My students ask me, "Is that real or a fake background?" I showed my students our trip pics on Friday and they actually loved it.

We are just arriving in Bath, a beautiful town just nestled in a green valley. Very medieval and quaint.

For all you Jane Austen fans out there!! The white door is her home in Bath where she lived toward the end of her life. Someone actually lives there now, and their "rubbish" is out on the front step. This picture was taken from the bus, sorry for the glare.

The Roman Baths which were buried in mud for hundreds of years until someone found the spring still bubbling out of the "ground" and decided to make their own spa. Lo and behold, they dug up the ancient Romans' bathtub.

The water is nice and warm, but smells strongly of sulphur. It is the only hot springs in England.

The ancient lead pipeline where the water was pumped into the pool. Too bad they didn't know about lead poisoning then, huh?

So, back in London that night, we decided to try an Italian restaurant near our hotel. It was delicious, but very overpriced. It was probably very authentic, but I'll take Olive Garden any day. They charged us one pound each to have 1 slice of bread with our meal, which is $1.68 for us. Bring on the free refills of breadsticks is what I was thinking!

Our waitress took this of us, we are both so sunburned and tired. But, a good kind of tired...

Day Two: Experiencing London

2009-05-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Our first tour was on Monday and was called "The Total London Experience". Well, we got the total experience all right! It rained on us all day but it was the only day that we had to use our "brolleys".

We came down to breakfast and found this charming little dining room all set like it was ready for a tea party! The continental breakfast had croissants, ham, cheese, fresh fruit, clotted cream, cereal, juice, and milk. Then a "waitress" in a black uniform with a frilly white apron came by every day and asked if we wanted "coffee or tea" in this deep, gravelly, cockney voice. Pretty scary. She would also bring toast in this cute little rack. The bread was really good, the toast was Kumen's favorite every day.

Kumen at breakfast. He is suffering from jet lag, because for us it was still midnight. But he is cute anyway!

Our first stop of the morning was Westminster Abbey. The two white towers are unmistakable!! This is the church where many former kings, queens, poets and authors are buried including one of my faves, Charles Dickens. The kings' and queens' coronations are also held in Westminster Abbey. It was also in this church that Princess Diana's funeral was held. It was really raining, I put my "brolley" down just long enough for this picture.

A nice view of the Abbey from the ground. Very majestic. The cloudy, gray, and misty day was very fitting.

This is a quick shot of the changing of the guard at the Royal Mews (Stables). It was raining so they didn't go through their whole ceremony, they just put on their red cloaks and rode away! Oh well.

We had lunch at a pub in Covent Garden with our tour group. Here is the famous "bangers and mash" which was basically these really salty sausages on top of mashed potatoes with brown gravy. It was very warm and comforting, though, for this chilly, rainy day.

Ready to eat my bangers and mash. We ate with a Taiwanese dentist and his wife from Seattle, who were in our tour group. They were a very sweet couple.

This was a little candy shop in Covent Garden that we went to. Isn't it adorable? It reminded me of the candy shop in the original "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie. It was very retro inside, vintage 30's and 40's.

A ground shot of St. Paul's Cathedral. If I had room I would post so many more pics of this place. It was breathtaking and one of Kumen's favorite places we visited. It was just awesome inside. You can just picture medieval Britons converting to the Catholic faith just because their cathedrals were so awesome. Talk about something larger than life.

The entrance to the cathedral. These were the steps that Princess Diana walked up in her wedding gown to marry her prince (who turned out not to be such a prince after all).

On to the Tower of London. This is the actual tower, but it is surrounded by several buildings and is sort of a compound. We saw Henry the VIII's suits of armor which got progressively larger throughout his life!

This is Traitor's Gate at the Tower of London where the heads of Thomas Moore and others were put on spikes for everyone to see, just because they wouldn't recognize Anne Boleyn as queen!

The Bloody Tower where the two young princes "mysteriously" disappeared when their uncle, Richard III wanted to be crowned king.

The exact spot where Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, wives of Henry the VIII, were beheaded. There is a small memorial pool at the spot.

So, a close up of the spot. If you look straight ahead at the building, just imagine that this was the last thing Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard saw in their lifetimes. Creepy, I know.

Kumen, on the grounds of the Tower. As a World History teacher, he was in heaven.

Me in one of the guard towers at the gates of the Tower of London.

This is Tower Bridge, which I always thought was the Tower of London! This trip really straightened me out on a few things. This view is from right outside the gates of the Tower of London.

Another shot of Tower Bridge while we were waiting to board our boat for a cruise of the River Thames.

While we were on the boat, we glimpsed Shakespeare's Globe Theatre!!! So excited to tour it on Day 4!!

Going under the London Bridge!!

We got off the boat at the perfect place for shots of Big Ben!! I had a serious blonde moment at this point. I had been asking Kumen for the time the whole trip because I didn't take a watch. I was so excited to hear Big Ben chime, so I asked Kumen, "What time is it?" as I stared at the face of Big Ben. And, as if to prove that blondes should only marry each other, he looked at his watch and answered me! Ha-ha!!!

Yes, I took this while Big Ben was chiming six o'clock! Yay! Stay tuned!

A Tale of Two Cities: Day One!

2009-05-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have been home for almost 2 weeks already and I am barely finding some time to blog! I missed all of you cool people! Well, first I want to say that we had the dream trip of our lives!! It was all so fascinating, wonderful, and we had so much fun, that it was really hard to leave. Everything went smoothly, no disasters, and we have definitely been bitten by the travel bug and are ready to go somewhere else now!! Here is a dorky nostril shot of us on the plane. Off we go!

Here's a shot of the plane we flew into London Heathrow airport on. I had never been on a plane that large. First class actually had beds, but we just folded our legs up under our chins. As we flew we actually lost 7 hours of our life and we arrived in London at 6 a.m. We had pre-booked a shuttle to take us to our hotel. Everything was so efficient and we marveled the whole trip how everyone always showed up on time to pick us up!

An outside shot of our hotel. It was a converted Victorian building and had squeaky floors, narrow stairways, and loads of charm. We couldn't check in until 1:00 p.m., but they were kind enough to hold our bags, so that we could go for a walk and get down to exploring London!!

There are so many tiny cars like this one. Smart, because there isn't any parking. I can totally see why they need the "tube" and buses to get to and from work. Gas was about 1.75 pounds for a liter, so that is probably $8-10 a gallon !!! We did not see a pickup truck AT ALL the whole time we were in Europe.

On our walk, I found this blue door and it just reminded me of the movie "Notting Hill". Love the doorknob right in the middle.

Yay! The red phone booths that are so "London". I sure look like I've been flying for eleven hours, don't I?

One of the most charming things is that every couple of blocks, there are what they call "key gardens", fenced in areas of beautiful gardens, grass, benches, some with tennis courts, fountains, etc. You only have a key if you live in that area. It is for the residents to enjoy because they just don't have "yards" like we do.

I have to say that we went at the perfect time of year. Everything was in bloom, except for the roses which were just beginning. This is a closeup of the key garden fence with lilacs in bloom. The scent was so tremendous, nothing like the lilacs I've grown on the rez.

We were just a few blocks from Victoria tube station, so we booked all of our tours out of this area. We were able to walk from our hotel every morning and saved paying bus or taxi fare. We walked there on our first day even though we didn't have any tours, just to orient ourselves.

So we walked a few more blocks, and lo and behold, Buckingham Palace! The Queen's home when she is in London! Here is my cutie in front of the palace. The Union Jack is flying, but it is only when the Queen's standard is flying that she is home. This was on a weekend, so she was probably at her weekend home, Windsor Castle. We also relaxed on a bench in the palace gardens, which were so beautiful, with some of the oldest trees we've ever seen.

On our walk back to the hotel, we stopped at a pub (there's one on almost every corner) for lunch. Isn't it charming?

Of course! We had to order "fish 'n' chips" for our first meal in London!! The green stuff is "smashed peas".

Our waitress took our picture, we had a table looking out some open French doors onto the streets of London. So fun!

We finally were able to check into our room!! Here it is. So tiny, there was about a foot of space on either side of the bed, but it was very clean and the bathroom was nice and spacious.

The view out of our hotel window. These "flats" rent for about 375 pounds a week. So about $2,000.00 per month. They are very charming, but these people really pay to live in the city.

Another view out the window. Look at all the chimneys, I guess one for each "flat". It is against the law to burn coal or wood in London now because their air quality was so bad for so many years, but I can see why in "Mary Poppins" they needed so many chimney sweeps!! Ha-ha! Okay, only four more days to blog, hope you enjoy!!

I Am Freaking Out!

2009-04-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just got on my blog after not being on for awhile and my countdown says 5 days, and 12 hours to London and Paris!!!! Oh my goodness, I cannot believe it myself! I have been so "all-consumed" with prom for the last little while that I have not even allowed myself to think or get excited about our anniversary trip. Now that prom is finally over (more on that in the next post), I am free to freak out!

So, we are definitely not world travelers. We know nothing! Other than Kumen serving his mission in Japan, we have never been out of the United States except for the following:

1) 40 minutes in Nogales after we were first married, but there was a pack of men following us and whistling at me (go figure) and Kumen said, "We are out of here" and we were.

2) A couple of hours driving through southern Canada on our Church History tour, just to see what Canada was like. After a tussle over a shopping cart with some random Canadian woman, I said, "We are out of here" and we were.

So, what possessed us to plan this trip for our 25th anniversary? It has been a longtime dream. I am an "anglophile" in the strongest sense of the word. My ancestry dictates it. I love Shakespeare and teach it, love Jane Austen, love Charles Dickens. I read any good British biography I can get my hands on. Love the Queen and the whole messed up royal family, love the pomp and circumstance, the jewels, the whole "afternoon tea" thing and wish I had a British accent! Ha-ha! Kumen is a World History teacher, enough said, but he also loves Tolkien and adventure is calling to him, just as it did for Bilbo Baggins. So off we go!

Well, not so fast! We are pretty much clueless about travel. We have exchanged some money through our bank for pounds and euros, we have our passports, we bought new luggage, we booked all of our tours and hotels, but I am scared to death. I have never flown over an ocean or been in a strange land for a whole week (we will be in London primarily, Paris for one day). Do any of you have any travel tips? Flying tips, money tips, hotel tips. Please share.....I will be packing my bags this week!! It's finally here!

D is for.....

2009-04-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Time to play a little game! If you want to play, leave me a comment saying so and I will assign you a letter. My niece Hannah assigned me the letter "D". So...here are the things I LOVE that start with "D":

DaRLiNg: as in Kumen, my eternal sweetheart!

DeCoRaTing: as in moving furniture, changing colors, driving my darling crazy!

DesSerT: as in most things made with cool whip or cream cheese, heh-heh.

DaD: as in the best father in the world! Love you Dad!

DaViD: as in the best son-in-law a mother-in-law

could ask for.

DisNeYlanD:

as in the "happiest place on earth".

DimPles: as in those in my mother's cheeks and those little ones on the backs of babies' hands.

DishWaShers: as in I want to hug and kiss whoever first invented them.

DAugHter: as in the most beautiful, sweet, and thoughtful one anyone has ever had.

DoUghnuTs: as in my favorite "buttermilk" which are of the cake variety Yummmm...

DaiSiEs: as in the happiest flower! Just look at them! I just finished planting tons of seeds!!

The Foodist: Love It or Hate It?

2009-04-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

So I ran across an article the other day that listed the top ten foods people either love or hate. Here is the list and what I personally think of them (you'll get your turn in a minute):

1) White Chocolate - the word "chocolate" is so deceiving here. Too icky and too sweet unless you dip strawberries in it, then it is perfection itself.
2) Cilantro- can make or break a salsa, but the key here is moderation. Some think it tastes soapy and rotten, but when minced fine I think it's heavenly.
3) Eggplant - Where is the flavor? Pretty much a giant purple sponge (similar to Barney).
4) Coconut - One of the loves of my life. I used to coat every birthday cake in it (it is great at hiding decorating imperfections) but then Jill got sick on it on her 4th birthday and hasn't touched it since. So she gets her fix buying coconut shampoo (for the smell I guess)! I love macaroons and Almond Joys to the death!
5) Tomato - Hated them when I was younger, love them on burgers now. And pretty much just on burgers. It is a texture thing for me: slimy, kind of like eating snot (not that I ever have).
6) Anchovies - Have never had them in my life. I mean, look at the picture! Could not eat food that is staring at me, and don't they just leave all the bones in them? Are they used in anything besides pizza?
7) Black Licorice - I hate the red, but pretty much love the black. I buy bags of just black jellybeans at Easter, and I love Good 'n' Plenty, I think having that extra sugar in the jelly beans and the candy makes the black licorice more tolerable. The Australian black licorice? Not so great for me.
8) Stinky Cheeses - I'm pretty much convinced that feet or laundry are somehow involved. We had a basket of these once on a "romantic" getaway (along with the fake champagne and french bread). We haven't stopped laughing (or gagging) since.
9) Mayonnaise - Okay, I grew up with Miracle Whip. I didn't even know what mayonnaise was until I got married. Miracle Whip is the ONLY thing to use with tuna or in potato salad. But I have to admit that good old Best Foods is great on just about everything else.
10) Bell Pepper - Why do so many people hate this? I love it in and on everything: pizza, meatloaf, etc. But some people just have to pick out the "green things". How much they miss.

So now it's your turn! Which foods do you love or hate and why?

Happy Birthday Hayden!!

2009-03-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

My baby is 16!! I can hardly believe it. Wow, that empty nest thing is approaching fast! We celebrated for Hayden all weekend long. Here he is with his second birthday cake, the one we had at his dinner on Sunday. A guitar was the only choice for the kid who constantly has one in his hands.

On Friday, we took Hayden and his friend Kolton and his other friend Jesse (his YM President) to the 3-D movie, "Monsters vs. Aliens". It was so funny and kept us laughing the whole time. Here they are in their cool 3-D glasses.

This was the cake he had on Friday, an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (mint chocolate chip by request). Here is Hayden blowing out his 16 candles. Guess what? He will get his wish!

This was such a special weekend. Hayden was ordained a Priest on Sunday, and his brother and brother-in-law came home for the weekend to help (this was all a surprise for Hayden). Here we have Kumen, Bishop Eby, Jesse Lawrence, Hayden, David, and Josh.

Our family after church in the foyer. It was so nice to have everyone home for the weekend. On Friday night, Kumen and I just laid in bed and said over and over, "All our kids are home. All our kids are home." It is the best feeling to have them all under one roof, where you know they are safe and you are all together, if even for a little bit. Just imagine the Celestial Kingdom!! Our family motto? No empty chairs.

Josh pretending to sleep and hold Hayden's music while Hayden serenaded him on the guitar. Jill and I were also able to do a darling Easter craft while they were here. I'll show you in my next post! Happy Birthday and Congratulations Hayden!!

The Foodist: A Cookie Tasting

2009-03-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Foodist's first annual cookie tasting was held last weekend in Provo, Utah, where there were plenty of starving college students who could fully appreciate five different types of homemade cookies!
The five cookies being judged were: Molasses Sugar, Monster, Ohio Buckeyes (in honor of Josh's mission), Oatmeal Raisin (by Kumen's request, his favorite), and Thumbprint Cookies.
All five cookies were judged on Taste, Texture, and Appearance with a total of 90 points possible over all.
The clear winner, with 86 out of 90 points, was the Ohio Buckeye, a peanut butter concoction that is dipped partially in chocolate to resemble a real buckeye. In second place was the Thumbprint with 78 out of 90 points, a shortbread cookie rolled in chopped pecans topped with a dollop of creamy frosting.
The Buckeye received comments such as, "Better than a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup", "Sensational", and "OH-IO!" (the official chant for the Buckeye's).
The tasting was really fun and will definitely be an annual gathering, held wherever there are starving people in need of good home baking. The winning recipe is posted to the right. Happy Baking (and eating)!!

Who is Molly Mormon?

2009-03-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

No, really! We hear her name all the time, but can anyone really describe her? Is it a positive or negative connotation to you? After reading my niece Paula's blog and the comments therein, I realized that this topic fits perfectly with my lesson for Sunday. There is so much hate for her, but I have yet to hear anyone describe her! The women who claim to hate her actually fit my picture of her, and the men who claim to hate her are actually married to her. So what gives? I have my own thoughts as to what makes a Molly Mormon, and I will share those as I reply to your comments. Please give me your description of a Molly Mormon as soon as possible. WARNING: Your comments may be used in my Relief Society lesson on Sunday. Question: Does it make me a "Molly" that I am preparing a lesson before Sunday morning? You tell me.

Happy Birthday Josh!

2009-03-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we spent with all of our kids in Provo to celebrate Josh's 22nd birthday! These weekends are always so nice and we just hate it when we have to leave. This cake was so funny, it was supposed to be a giant cupcake, but for some reason, no one could tell. Jill said, "Mom, it's so brown!" So it would have been cuter with white frosting and sprinkles. Josh thought it was a tiki hut. Other comments were: a mushroom, a hobbit house, a pile of poo.....oh, well.

We all went to Brick Oven Pizza for dinner, it was yummy (Garlic Chicken Alfredo Pizza, anyone?) and lots of fun. Here is Josh with his date, Emily.

A cute picture of Hayden and Kumen. Oh! APOSTLE SIGHTING ALERT!!!! We saw Elder L. Tom Perry. We were just sitting there normal and visiting, and in walks this really tall man with white hair and his family. I just stared at him because he looked familiar and he was staring right back at me (did I look familiar? ha-ha) and then right before he passed by I realized who it was and I waved at him and HE WAVED BACK AT ME!! Yay! Then everyone wanted a better look (not me, I was satisfied with my wave) so when they were done eating, they went walking "nonchalantly" through the restaurant until they found his table. They said it looked like the Last Supper with Elder Perry in the middle of the table with all of his family seated around him, ha-ha! They refused to snap pictures of him for my blog, however. Can you believe it? Ha-ha!

David and Jill, between the apostle sighting and the arrival of the food. Aren't they cute?

Me and my oldest boy. He is 22 and exactly half my age. We were trying to figure out this phenomenon because this is the only time he will be half my age, and then we realized that, OH! I was 22 when I had him. Then he freaked and said, "I can't imagine having a baby right now!" Ha-ha!!

This is the creepiest picture I have seen in a long time. We got Josh a pair of chattering teeth (because he is in pre-dentistry) to put on his desk just for fun. So he decides to try and fit them in his mouth (he barely got them out). His jaws were frozen for awhile and it is still questionable as to whether or not Emily will go out with him again. Crazy boy! We sure love him!!

The Foodist

2009-03-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Food is one of my favorite hobbies. A new recipe? A new restaurant? I collect both. And, I actually prepare the recipes, thus refining my craft. I subscribe to Bon Appetit' and pore over the articles each month. I am looking for the best of the best. I taste and compare to better my knowledge. For example, did you know that the Mining Camp Restaurant's barbecue sauce contains orange zest? Who cares? I do. These are the sorts of details I look for and thrive on. Thus is born my new column, "The Foodist" which will appear periodically in my blog.

So, this weekend I tested three new recipes, one of which bombed (apple tansie, anyone?) and two that were fantabulous!

I have been on a quest for the perfect biscuit since I first tasted the Colonel's biscuits in the 1980's. I have tried so many biscuits: crumbly messes, hockey pucks, and those only fit for the stray rez dogs outside my door. But now, (cue heavenly choirs), I have found the best! I tested them on Kumen and Hayden on Saturday and received four thumbs up. This weekend, I'll test them on Josh and the Bozemans and then I will post the recipe. I think they call this quality control or something like that, ha-ha!!

We will also be having a cookie tasting this weekend and I will be posting pictures and the best recipes from that. So stay tuned to "The Foodist"!!

Kumen's 48th Birthday!!

2009-03-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

This last week we had our first Spring Break and we were able to celebrate Kumen's happy day for a whole week! Our first stop in the celebration was in Provo, where we got to see our kids!! We had a wonderful dinner together at the Olive Garden, but then the next night we had to go to about three different take-out places to satisfy everyone's taste, ha-ha!! It is actually kind of fun when no one can agree. Here are Josh and Hayden (the two bubs) at the Bozeman's apartment.

Enter "Crazy Dave"! Jill was in the shower, so I didn't get her in this shot. But David more than makes up for it. Josh and Hayden look like they are not quite sure what to do with the crazy man in the background, ha-ha!! Jill and David had their apartment all decorated in Kumen's favorite colors and had a gift waiting for him. They are so thoughtful!!

On Wednesday, we traveled to Mesa to Mom and Dad's. This is Kumen on his birthday morning, happily anticipating his presents :).

Still waiting to open his presents.......we wanted to wait for Mom and Dad.......we had such a nice visit with them, and enjoyed them so much.

Yay! It was totally worth the wait. Kumen got lots of boring stuff like woodworking tools, but you can see the he is pretty happy about it. He also got some new scriptures and other cool stuff.

We went to Golfland in Mesa to do some "goofy" golfing. Hayden got a hole in one on his very first hole!! Kumen and I just looked at each other and said, "What the heck?" But then, I ended up getting two in a row and Kumen made one also. Alas, the birthday boy won the round (as it should be).

And the winner is........the birthday boy!!

Then we went to Mining Camp Restaurant in the Superstition Mountains. We love this place! We haven't been since we moved to New Mexico 21 years ago, but in all that time, we have never been able to forget their barbecue ribs!

Aren't the Superstition Mountains the coolest backdrop for this picture of the coolest kid? Hayden and David went hiking up in them last Spring in search of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, but came up empty. Hayden bought a book in the gift shop about the mine, with the history and old maps, so he is ready to go searching again!!

My cute Kumen waiting for his food. The restaurant is really cool, with long wooden tables and tin plates and cups. The dinners are served family style.

A close up of the most succulent and yummy beef ribs on the planet. They are served along with homemade rolls and cactus jelly, baked beans, coleslaw, chicken and roast potatoes, stuffing and ham. And they keep bringing the food until you say stop! Hayden really loved the place. His only regret? Not eating more.

The birthday boy enjoying more ribs....

My sweetie with his birthday cake. I was going to make him something really cute, but by his request I made him the same oatmeal cake that he requests every year. It is yummy-licious. I think I will post the recipe today for all of you. You can even use the leftover oatmeal from breakfast! All in all, we had a great week. It was a lot of traveling, but totally worth it. Happy Birthday Kumen!!

The Writer's Cafe

2009-02-18T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love teaching high school! Last week I organized a Writer's Cafe for our students in which they were able to perform their own work in front of a live audience. These are most of the students that performed. Aren't they just cute?

This was all on a voluntary basis and the students submitted their work beforehand, polished and perfected their pieces, and had huge cases of nerves! We had several essays, pieces of poetry, and even some lyrics written by students.

We invited the community, parents, and friends, and served cheese and crackers, fruit, mini cupcakes and punch. I actually wrote a grant at the beginning of the year and was awarded some money from the McKinley Education Foundation that helped to pay for decorations and food. Yay!

Some of my students mugging for the camera and flashing some sort of sign that I have no idea the meaning of. Sorry if anyone is offended. Sometimes it's good to be naive. Hahahaha! It was a great night and keeps the students excited about writing and, more specifically, writing quality pieces.

"I Love Your Blog!"

2009-02-12T14:38:00.000-08:00

I have been awarded the "I Love Your Blog" Award. With the award comes a tag, so I have to answer each question with one word only.

1. Where is your phone? Bedroom

2. Where is your significant other? Outside

3. Your hair color? Blonde :)

4. Your Mother? Generous

5. Your Father? Meek

6. Your favorite thing? Laughing

7. Your dream last night? Bizarre

8. Your dream/goal? Traveling

9. The room you're in? Classroom

10. Your hobby? Cooking

11. Your fear? Death

12. Where do you you want to be in 6 years? Cabin

13. Where were you last night? Gallup

14. What you're not? Skinny

15. One of your wish-list items? Landscaping

16. Where you grew up? Mesa

17. The last thing you ate? Kisses

18. What are you wearing? Sweater

19. Your TV? Fun

20. Your pet? Never

21. Your computer? IBM

22. Your mood? Excited!

23. Missing someone? Kids

24. Your car? Paid

25. Something you're not wearing? Contacts

26. Favorite store? Costco

27. Your summer? Memorable

28. Love someone? Kumen

29. Your favorite color? Red

30. When was the last time you laughed? 5th Hour

31. Last time you cried? Friday

32. Something you crave? Desserts

33. Why you blog? Posterity

I now award five people the "I Love Your Blog" Award:

Jill
Alessandra
Stephanie
Katy
Tracy

Leftovers

2009-02-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

An uneventful week calls for desperate measures in the blogging world. So... in my fridge last night I had the following leftovers:

1) a couple of cooked and seasoned chicken breasts (from last week when I was going to start a diet)
2) mashed potatoes (from Sunday dinner)
3) a few slices of bacon (that really needed to be cooked because they have been thawed and refrozen so many times going back and forth to the cabin)
4) frozen mixed vegetables (broccoli, squash, and carrots that I bought last summer at Costco and that no one will eat because the squash and carrots taste gross)
5) chicken gravy (I have no idea where this came from, but it smelled okay)

By this time I was feeling adventurous and excited. Nothing could stop the pure flow of creativity. So I sprayed my pan and spread a couple of spoonfuls of the gravy over the bottom. Then I picked out all the broccoli from the frozen veggies and put that on top of the gravy. I fried the bacon and left the yummy grease in the pan, in which I sautee'd the onions and chicken. Then I put the chicken and onions on top of the broccoli. I scooped the mashed potatoes onto the top and sprinkled on some grated cheese and a couple of chopped up pieces of bacon. Then I put it in at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until bubbly. Voila! Dinner is ready and my fridge is clean!

Happy customers who come back for seconds? Priceless. You may notice the paper plate and plastic fork. I fully confess that I am addicted to paper goods. But that is another blog for another day. Happy fridge cleaning!!

Baker Bunch Reunites!

2009-01-29T11:39:00.000-08:00

Or should I say, "Baker Bellies Reunite"? (It's hereditary.) A couple of weeks ago, Kumen and I traveled to the Valley for an historic event! All of the children of Bill and Elaine Baker were going to be in the same place at the same time on the same day (which hasn't happened in a few years). Here we are standing behind Mom and Dad, oldest to youngest, left to right: Melinda, Randy, Curt, Tom, Nancy, Aaron. I love this picture!!

It was just a really peaceful, loving, close evening. After a nice tostada/enchilada dinner, we visited and looked at old family pictures on Randy's projector, heard wonderful stories (we got the "official" rattlesnake story), and laughed A TON!! It was so great and Kumen and I really enjoyed the evening. Thanks Randy and Patsy!!

Rate My Space!

2009-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of the good things about having your children grow up and leave home, is that it leaves space for other things. I actually would rather have my daughter back than have the space, but this is the next best thing I guess. So......drumroll........ I now have a craft/scrapbooking/quilting/sewing room!! I am so excited, I hardly want to get it messy! We put in a taller table so that I can stand at it to cut out quilt blocks or sewing projects. No more laying fabric out on the floor! No more tired back! For Christmas, Kumen gave me a "drafting chair" that is higher so that I can also scrapbook at my tall table.

I just took the colors from Jill's old comforter and pillows and went with it. Kumen installed these great shelves and I found little blue and green baskets (bottom shelf) to hold scrapbooking/crafting supplies. I also put a green vinyl tablecloth (because hot glue will peel right off from it) and my chair is blue. We were also able to keep a double bed in there for company, or for when I am pooped from scrapbooking or sewing and want a nap :).

I love the middle shelf because it is 13 inches tall and I am able to put 12x12 papers and pages on it. I need to get some sort of paper storage thingys because I want to organize my paper by colors. The top shelf is the perfect size for my Cricut cartridges, and everything else is still kind of empty and random, but I'm sure the shelves and containers will be filled up in no time.

I just can't tell you how nice it is not to have to drag out everything to the kitchen table to work on a project and then clean it all up. I now have a sewing desk! See my cute little machine (ca. 1948)? I love it, it is a workhorse and will sew anything! I sewed most of my clothes in high school on it, both my wedding dress and Jill's, and countless quilts and other projects. I would never part with it. I have had offers from my husband for a new machine, my mother-in-law felt sorry for me and wanted me to have her old one, but I don't want anything but my little Singer Featherweight..........ever. I love having a bulletin board also, for cute ideas I get or cards and projects I want to try.

The final touch! Hayden made this charcoal drawing for me for Christmas. It has a place of honor in my new room! This room has been a fun project; I didn't show you the closet because it is full of.......FABRIC! Yes, I am my mother's daughter. I will get it all organized and post it later, because it really is beautiful fabric and has SO much potential. For what? I'm not sure, but it is FABRIC!!

My Beloved

2009-01-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

This post is about the most loving, supportive, forgiving, and selfless man on the planet. Stop reading now if you want to avoid cavities, because I am going to gush about my Kumen.

As many of you know, Kumen was released as the Bishop of our ward a couple of weeks ago after serving for 6 years. He also served as a Branch President at Pueblo Pintado for 6 years before that. This man has served the members in New Mexico faithfully and loyally for 20 years and has never complained once. I love him for that...

I got used to not being able to close our closet door for those 12 years, because instead of putting his church clothes on a hanger, he would just toss them up over the door, so that they were ready at a moment's notice. I love him for that...

He is a wonderful example for our children and for me. He is always, always, always doing the right thing and does not tell others that they should be doing it, he just leads by example. I love him for that...

He finds joy in the happiness of others, and finds happiness himself in simple and fun ways. He loves reading his scriptures in the early morning, Clive Cussler novels and anything Tolkien in the evening, and when he is tired of reading, you can find him watching M*A*S*H or Hogan's Heroes. Either way, he is home with me. I love him for that...

He loves woodworking, is well on his way to being a master woodworker, and teaches classes at the college in the evening to earn extra money for his tools (although he usually ends up using the money for others). I love him for that...

He is always asking me what I am looking forward to, which keeps my heart light and happy. I love him for that...

It is a joy to be married to him and best of all, he married me for eternity. I love him for that!

Best Christmas Ever

2009-01-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

In the year 2008 our Josh returned home from his mission and our Jill was married. Josh was eager to be home for the first time in two years and return to the Christmas traditions of his youth. Jill said, "I didn't know that last Christmas would be my last one at home", which made me cry and made her want to be home again for this Christmas with her new husband.
I really have to tell you that Christmas 2008 was just idyllic....like out of a storybook, or out of a dream....all of our children were home, it snowed all of Christmas Day, and....well here are some more reasons why:

1) WE RETURNED TO OUR TRADITION OF "SANTA JAMMIES". On Christmas Eve, this is the one present the kids get to open. This year it was all about pajama pants, which everyone wore every day for the rest of vacation (except when we went places). Aren't they cute?

2) JOSH POSED FOR US ON CHRISTMAS EVE to show us how his weightlifting class at BYU had developed his muscles (??!!??). Ha-ha, don't strain too much there, son!!

3) THE COYOTES ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. In our family, on Christmas morning at exactly 6:00 a.m. the kids have to howl like coyotes to let us know they are awake and ready (but not before 6:00 a.m.!). This year was so funny, with David joining in (poor guy, the traditions you have to adopt!) and Josh, who started mooing like a cow. Here is Josh at 6 a.m. (half asleep) with his new computer speakers.

4) WE GOT TO ADD ONE NEW MEMBER TO OUR FAMILY to join in the fun! Jill and I sewed David a stocking to match the rest of the family and he really liked it. Here are David and Jill with new books and their new camcorder.

5) WE STILL HAVE A TEENAGER/CHILD who gets more excited than anyone about Christmas morning. Here is Hayden with the long awaited X-Box. We didn't see him for the next two weeks (except at meals).

6) I FINALLY FINISHED JOSH'S MISSION SCRAPBOOK, which only took 2 1/2 years. It ended up being 100 pages. I had so many friends and family pitch in at the last (thanks Diane, Jill, and Kumen), and Jill and I bound it 2 days before Christmas. Josh loved it, which made it all worthwhile. I expected him to just store it in his closet or something, but he took it back to BYU with him!! That made me happy....

7) WE HAD GOOD TIMES!! We played so many games (some which almost came to blows, kidding), and went to some movies and dinners out. Grandpa and Grandma Baker treated us all to dinner and a movie. Here is Jill with two of her favorite men at the restaurant.

8) MY LOVE for my husband, my family, and the gospel of Jesus Christ grew ten-fold. I am so grateful for the gift of my Savior's birth that we were able to celebrate at this special time of year!!

Hayden's Christmas Concert

2008-12-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last night for Family Home Evening, we went to Hayden's band concert. It is something that Kumen and I look forward to every year, since at least one of our kids has been in band every year for the last 9 years! Here is Hayden looking really embarrassed because his mom wanted to take a picture with all those people around. Isn't he handsome? Hayden's comment about this picture? "Gross."

Here he is getting ready to play. Hayden is the only trombone in the advanced band, so he has to carry quite a load. He looks so much older than the other students. Everyone thinks he is a senior but he's only a sophomore! Even his orthodontist asked him the other day if he was in college. Ha-ha!

All in all they played six beautiful Christmas carols and we just loved it. In my own biased opinion, the lone trombone and the trumpets carried the night. It was just lovely and in our small town, it was such a feeling of community. After watching the First Presidency Devotional on Sunday and listening to this concert on Monday, our Christmas season is off to the best start!!

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

2008-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving at our cabin, with just our little family and Shaun and Elizabeth (Kumen's sister) and their family (minus Ben who's on a mission in Canada). This year we got to have our own missionary home for Thanksgiving!! Here he tosses the salad (poser) while Hayden looks on and they both drool.

Jill created this lovely "Martha Stewart" table. So creative!!

Jill also did a beautiful Thanksgiving "vignette" in the entry. She is so awesomely talented!! Kumen painted the still life about 20 years ago, but alas, most of his paintings were commissioned by his mother and she has them hanging in her home. This one she did not have on the wall when we went up there in October, and she asked if I wanted it. Now we finally have one of Kumen's paintings hanging in our cabin. Yay!! Maybe someday he will paint more....they are so rare they are probably worth money!!

Hayden contributed to the table settings by drawing a picture of each guest and then we made them into place cards. These are the ones he did of our family (he also drew the Davises). They were so good that I had to take photos (sorry some are blurred). I accidentally deleted mine.....no REALLY!! Hayden got the artistic gene from his Dad for sure.

Okay, I am pretty proud of these because they look just like my mom's!! Jill and I made these eight pies on Wednesday night, five pumpkin and three apple. It is a mother-daughter tradition wherein the daughter makes the pumpkin filling while the momma makes the crust and then we do the apple together. I missed my mom really bad during this part of the holiday, and it was weird being the mom and having Jill make the filling although we did have lots of fun and laughed a ton. Last year, we had three generations working on the pies; think we'll do that again next year. It's hard when you miss your momma.

Jill with her pumpkin pie, Avery with her pecan pie (super yummy!!), and me with an apple pie. Wow, we had lots of pie......I still have some in the fridge!!

Visiting before dinner, L to R: Uncle Shaun Davis, Jill (with a wild "give me some turkey, NOW" look in her eye), and David.

Josh trying to kiss Hayden (who's fighting for his life) as Avery enjoys the hors d'oeurves (green chili cheese ball).

Preston, Dallin, and Jessica Davis just being silly (and cute).

Finally!! Time for dinner!! L to R: Preston, Avery, Jessica, Jill, Kumen, Elizabeth, Shaun, David, Dallin, Josh, and Hayden (I'm taking the terribly dark picture). We are SO thankful for our family!!

Halloween, Schmalloween

2008-11-19T13:49:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it is November 19th and I am barely posting Halloween. I wasn't going to, because I was so far behind, but then what would my posterity say??? There would be a blank for all time in the Adams Archives and future generations would say, "That was the year Grandma was too busy." Oh, we cannot have that.....didn't Hayden carve the coolest Jack-O-Lantern? SPOOKY!!

So, our celebrations all began with the Thoreau Ward Halloween Party which is pretty much our social life on the Rez. If there is no party at the ward, then there is no party! The two pretty pink princesses are the Cothran girls and the Cain kids are the purple princess and Luke Skywalker. Cute!

Katy Lawrence with her awesome spider cake. All of the Relief Society sisters brought cakes for the cake walk. This one was snapped up fast, my cakes are always the last to be chosen for some reason......ha-ha!!

I just love creative costumes!! Ivonna was the prettiest blonde Samoan I have ever seen (I have actually never seen one), and Liberty was an awesome Geisha. Taisali makes a cute frog, huh?

Here, we have "Sarah Palin" and her bodyguards. The party was a few days before the election, of course, and tensions were running high.....ha-ha!

Rex and Louise Eby in the kitchen getting the chili ready for our chili dog dinner! Cute!!

Okay, these are some of my crazy students in 5th hour. They just make me laugh!! I missed getting a picture of the "tin man" (a student wrapped himself completely in tin foil). They were all so glad to get a day off from dress code polo shirts!

Hayden slicing into the pumpkin for our traditional Jack-O-Lantern, with Conner's approval (notice Conner's tats!) Silly boys.........

This is Kolton (freaky person), Hayden (riding the flamingo) and Conner (freaky person II) ready to trick-or-treat. Yes, this is the Rez and EVERYBODY trick-or-treats. I mean EVERYBODY!!

"Crazy Jesse" the pumpkin-headed man! (This is Hayden's Young Men's President). I can't believe he actually wore this around, it had to be HEAVY! I was asking him about it and he just said, "Ummm, sorry, I can't hear too well right now." Ha-ha!!

"Crazy Jesse" headed off into the sunset (or the horse poop on the sidewalk). Oh the things you will see, when on the Rez you be! Happy Halloween, the beginning to a fun and exciting holiday season!!!

Momma Mary's Milestone

2008-11-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

We had a surprise party for Mom Adams' 70th birthday at Sam and Cari's home in Nampa. Aunt Janice, Uncle Boyd, Cousin Karen and Kumen, Sam, and Jennifer's family were all there. She was very surprised and a little embarrassed, but happy!

All of the family, extended family, and family who could not attend, wrote special letters of tribute to Mom. Megan compiled them in a binder and scrapbooked the most beautiful cover with a picture of Mom on it. I wish I would have gotten a close up of the book!! Here is Mom reading her letters. She hardly put it down the whole night.

All of the grandchildren sent in their "right" handprint on a piece of muslin, which Jennifer and Megan lovingly made into a quilt. On the middle block is an embroidered tribute along the lines of "Choosing the 'Right' with the help of our Grandma Mary Lynn Adams" or something like that. Again, wish I would have taken a close up.

Singing "Happy Birthday"! Look at the cool "quilt" cake that Jennifer and Megan made! They had a little frosting disaster, but it turned out beautiful and delicious (and we enjoyed sneaking into the kitchen to get fingerfuls of the "reject" frosting still in the bowl).

Kumen and his sister Jennifer being silly.......it was so great to see the Idaho family that we haven't seen since Dad's funeral!!

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

2008-11-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Our last stop on our trip was Nampa, Idaho, where we went to celebrate Mom Adams' 70th birthday! The minute we hopped out of the car, she took us back to her little yard and flower garden. She could not wait to show us her beauties!

Isn't she loveliest among the flowers? Her dahlias were something to behold. We were so lucky to have arrived the day we did......the flowers froze that night.

Kumen and his Momma!!

This picture and the following ones are testament to her wonderful garden skills. How DOES your garden grow??

Stay tuned for picures of Mom's 70th birthday party!!

Yellowstone!!

2008-10-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, I am still blogging Fall Break, I know I am slow.....so after we visited the kids in Provo for a couple of days, we went on up to Rigby, Idaho, to visit with Kumen's sister Jennifer and her family. We had a lovely time, they made us feel so at home! One of the highlights of this stay was that we were able to take a day trip to Yellowstone National Park, which none of us had been to before! Jennifer loaded a picnic and Hayden, Kumen and I, Jennifer, Kenyon, and Marissa piled into the van!

Here we are posing by the waterfall at "Artist's Point". Here is where you see why exactly they named it Yellowstone!! The canyon is full of "yellow stone", really!!

Here, you can see it better in the foreground. Of course, the pictures will not do justice to the grandeur of it all!!

Here is Hayden posing in a spot called appropriately enough, "Hayden Valley". The name Hayden means "hedged valley" and Hayden had always wanted to know what that looked like.

Kumen, Hayden and I on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. The lake is HUGE and the water so blue!! It was very cold and windy that day, they were expecting the first snow of the season that night. And they got it!! We chose the right day to go for sure.

Yay!! I have always wanted to see "Old Faithful". The geyser now goes off approximately every hour and 20 minutes. We had a little bit of a wait, but the park pretty much predicted it right on!

"Thar she blows!!!" Wait...is Old Faithful a boy or a girl? I picture it as a boy.....okay "Thar he blows!!" It was worth the wait....so spectacular, and a once in a lifetime sight!!

Our niece, Marissa near one of the many pools of boiling hot water that dot the landscape of Yellowstone. This one was so bright blue!! Isn't she cute?

No, not Kumen and I.....wild buffalo! We saw so much wildlife, but Kumen was disappointed that we never saw a bear. Oh well....he pictured Yellowstone as bears crawling all over your car, etc. So did I, actually....ha-ha!!

Some elk just wandering down the road. Kind of scruffy looking. We did see a buck (is that a man deer?) with huge antlers (wait, do elk have antlers or what?) but the picture was really far away. Okay, I will stop writing now....I am obviously "wildlife illiterate", I like scenery myself......

College Kids

2008-10-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

So, it was great to see the kids in Provo during our fall break. Jill is adjusting well to her freshman year at BYU and Josh is doing great in his studies and working at the MTC. Here is Jill off to class! She rides her bike the few blocks to campus every morning and is glad for the exercise because......

her part-time job is at "Popcorn Popping" and as you can see, she likes to sample the product!

No, she is not a hard-partying college student!! This is the "apple-beer" that they sell in the shop. It is actually very yummy, and if you come across some, you should try it.

Yummy popcorn that David was bagging up to send to a UVU game. He has really helped the shop by bringing in all sorts of outside business, ie. games, haunted houses, etc. That David is quite the businessman!

The happy newlyweds working the same shift!! Aren't they cute?

The Bozeman's Bounty

2008-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

So after a night in Colorado, we arrived in Provo and Jill and David were so excited to show us the tomatoes in the garden!! They were beautiful and they were just amazing to see after the puny garden we had in Thoreau this summer (not that Kumen and David didn't try, though). Stephanie and Mike did a great job of getting this garden started!!

A close up shot of nature's bounty. It was cute because they saved them for us to see and pick!

Hayden and Kumen with bags of yellow and red tomatoes, peppers, and squash! Time for salsa!! Yummm!!

Who is that masked salsa maker??? We laughed so hard at David who was trying to keep from crying as he chopped onions!! Always the ingenious one (no matter how dorky he looks)!!

Wait, just ONE more look!!! Ha, ha, ha!!

Colorful Colorado!

2008-10-20T13:37:00.001-07:00

Our Fall Break was wonderful this year!! It all began with our annual family tradition of a trip up the million dollar highway into Colorado! The first week in October is always the best time to see color, and this year we hit it right on!! This photo is in Purgatory, Colorado, just above Durango.....

Kumen and I at the top of Twilight Peak. The views are so breathtaking and stunning that photos do not do them justice. It was a cold, cloudy, and rainy day, so we did not stop at the waterfall we like to because it would have been a very muddy trek.....

Our handsome Hayden on Twilight Peak. We sure enjoyed him on this trip. He keeps us entertained and gives us someone to spoil. The other kids really wanted to join us for our annual tradition, but work and school got in the way. We met up with them later as you will see......

Ouray, Colorado, or "Little Switzerland". We always stop and spend some time here in this little Victorian town. We enjoy the charm of the little shops and the beautiful scenery and attractions: hot springs, waterfalls, Box Canyon Falls, candy shop, toy shop, etc. It was cold and rainy on our walk through town, so we headed 45 miles up the highway to Montrose, home of the Russell Stover chocolate factory. We shopped in the outlet where we bought outdated and "ugly" chocolates for a $1.00 a box. We loaded up for Christmas and thought of a million reasons why we should have bought more!!

Come Mooning with Us!

2008-10-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is our secret shame. We have to do it immediately when we arrive in Mesa. We have even got our parents to join us every time! We have never been able to moon properly in New Mexico!! Our children were raised mooning!! We have converted others! Our new son-in-law wanted to moon for the wedding luncheon!! If you would only try it, you would be a mooner for life!!

It is now time to honor properly our ALL TIME FAVORITE restaurant in the whole world/universe......AUTUMN MOON. This is THE place to go for Chinese buffet. You can find it on Country Club Drive in Mesa, Arizona. It has its imitators and even had a second location at one time, but this one has been in business for 30 years and there is absolutely no other. Here is our family posing by the sign this past summer (the following pictures were taken on two different "Mooning" occasions).

Now, the most important part: THE FOOD. Here we see the chow mein noodles with cabbage, topped with a tender egg foo yong, surrounded by succulent sweet and sour pork and garlic lemon chicken glazed with lemon sauce. I am drooling.....

Dig in honey!! Notice the right cheek, swollen like a cute little chipmunk!!

Ready to attack the chow mein with a wild look in my eye!! I could eat these noodles forever....

Jill, with her swollen cheeks full of yumminess.....

Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmmmoooonnnnn........

Josh and Hayden after the feast.............some people just aren't cut out for life at the "Moon". If you have read this consider yourself "mooned". If you comment, let us know if you are also a "mooner".

Hayden Waxes Poetic

2008-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of having your own son in your sophomore English class, is that you get to read everything he writes and sometimes you are very pleasantly rewarded!! Hayden took a sensory detail assignment and made a poem out of it. I loved this and I just have to share it with the rest of you.....

I walked around the school today
not knowing what I would find
but in the pool of sunlight
there were these thoughts in my mind.

The smell of the orange peel on the ground
and the waving "goodbye" of the leaves
and the warmth of the sun without a sound
wasn't trying to fight the breeze.

"The leaves are giving up!", I said,
"I can taste it in the air!"
The belief that summer was here to stay
didn't last, and it isn't fair.

When wind hits the green tree leaves this day
they will bruise to yellow and red
The winds I say, are the color thieves;
the winter chill makes all good things end.

So I will wait for the winter mists
as the leaves bid their final adieu,
and I will sit and reminisce;
They're ready for winter, are you?

Three Blessings for Thoreau

2008-09-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, September 20th our little ward was triple blessed. Three of our Navajo sisters received their temple blessings for the first time. Here is a picture of a few of our ward members who attended (some of them had already left, including one of the newly endowed). L to R: Bessie Spicer, Nancy Adams, Jeannette Davis, Arlene Loretto, Rex Eby, Louise Eby, Loralei Burbank, Larry Burbank.

Sister Davis was also sealed to her late husband and daughter. The Albuquerque Temple president said that this day was a record for the temple with 12 new endowments in one day. So we were extra happy because 3 of them were from our little ward on the Rez! What a beautiful day!!

Me, with my good friend Arlene, whom I have served with and enjoyed for the last 20 years. She is full of laughter and happiness. What a special day for her! She has been a member of the church her whole life, went on placement as a teenager, and has raised several children and grandchildren. Her husband is not active in the church, so this decision was a difficult one for her. What a great example for her family, and what a legacy she will leave for them!! I love you Arlene!!

Ode to Fiesta Mexicana

2008-09-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Shall I compare thee to Matta's?
Thou art more lovely and more filling.
Location and time make our visits all too rare,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the salsa of heaven burns,
Even so the lack of chips comes about;
And Autumn Moon in Mesa sometimes wins out,
By chance, or nature's changing tastes untrimmed;
But thy eternal deliciousness shall not fade
Nor lose the combo appetizer that thou ow'st,
Nor shall Death brag as it does for Matta's,
When in eternal lines the franchise grow'st.
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long live your rellenos, for they give life to thee.

(My apologies to Shakespeare)

We spent last Saturday at the cabin and in ShowLow, eating at our FAVORITE Mexican Restaurant. Here are Kumen and Hayden posing by the sign. Sorry they're so dark.....

The requisite appetizer, chips and salsa, and Kumen's hand which could not wait! The salsa is so good we once ordered a half gallon of fresh salsa to take home but didn't finish it before it spoiled (no preservatives). It is delish!!

Hini, the proud owner of the combo appetizer plate. As Rachel Ray would say, "Yum-O!"

Poor Hini, trying to eat as his mom takes pictures. I know the owners thought I was a food critic or something for the paper. I was snapping pictures all over the place.

Come on, Hayden!! You've only eaten 1/4 of your food! Hay-den! Hay-den! Hay-den! We tried chanting, but he gave up easily that day. It could have been the whole can of Pringles and the entire box of Gushers he ate before we got to the restaurant. Ya think?? Anyway, if you ever get to ShowLow, Fiesta Mexicana is painted bright orange and is on the main drag near the "Video Dome", and I know most of you have seen that!

We also visited Aunt Peppy and Uncle Shawn in Clay Springs and were so impressed with how the outside of their house is looking! Aren't the logs and trim beautiful?? Good job guys! They are putting the cabinets in the kitchen now and the heating in the floor. They have begun laying down the wood floors in their bedroom also. So exciting!! I told Peppy she should be blogging the whole process and she looked at me like I was crazy.....like building her own house was not keeping her busy enough or something!! Ha-ha!!!

My Cup Runneth Over

2008-09-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Can I just blog about how blessed I feel? This will not be a brag blog, where I list all of my blessings out for you, but I just feel so immensely blessed by my Heavenly Father that I want to share it with everyone. I am definitely counting my blessings today......anyone want to join me?

BYU or Bust!

2008-09-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

So Hayden is officially the lone child at home now, destined for three more years with the "shrivs" (shriveled old people). We took Josh up to BYU on Labor Day Weekend and got him moved in to his apartment, which took a total of five minutes. Jill and David were already in Provo, of course, and Nancy had fun helping Jill do some upholstery and make curtains for their cute, cozy apartment. Josh and Jill both started school on Tuesday, September 2nd. From what we hear, things are going great, although they are both a little tired-sounding on the phone.
Fun Fact #1: Josh saw Elizabeth Smart; she works in the WellsFargo Bank in the BYU bookstore.
Fun Fact #2: Jill's Book of Mormon teacher is Clark Monson, President Monson's son.
Yay for BYU, and all of the Mormon trivia that abounds. Enjoy the pictures of our trip!!

Here we are at one of David's favorite restaurants, an authentic El Salvadoran eatery. Yummm...

Josh in his apartment, unmade bed and all. Love the iron as decor. Tres' RM Chic!!

Josh with his roommate Mark, who is from Phoenix. He is in the apartment with 5 other guys that he roomed with before his mission. It was neat to see how they had all "changed" in two years.

Look! I can type with one finger..... Josh at his "ancient" desk with his "modern" laptop.

And now, we enter the Bozeman Residence. Cute sign, Jill!

Jill and Nancy reupholstering the rocking chair Jill got for free from a former teacher. Neither of them have done upholstery on ANYTHING before........

TA-DAH! Not, bad for first-timers, huh?

David, the king of his castle, at his "home office". Cute!

Jill, sewing the tiebacks for the curtains. Even cuter!!

One of the windows with the finished curtains. Jill has such a flair for decorating, she had so many cute little arrangements of things around her apartment, and we got all of their pictures hung where she wanted them.

Their kitchen with plenty of pantry space. The squash on the table and the peppers in the window came from their garden (planted, tended, and wept over by Mike and Stephanie), which will yield hundreds of large tomatoes in the next few weeks. Jill will also be very busy canning the tons of peaches off of one of the trees in the back yard.

Kumen relaxing in the Bozeman's living room. Jill really loves the coziness of it all!! We had a great time there and felt very welcome (sorry about the mosquitoes, Jill and David!!)

The Sports Physical

2008-09-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

So, it's that time of year again. School has started, and football, cross-country, and volleyball are in full swing. Hayden, who is 15, needed a physical to begin football practice. Because of indecision on his part, and forgetfulness on mine, we were way down on the list to get a physical at our regular clinic. They could not schedule him until the middle of September. After we told a few people about this, we began hearing of "ways" to solve our little problem. We got a couple of doctors' names from coaches who are desperate to have a 6'2", 200 pound student as their tight end. Coach: "There are always ways to get a "quick" physical...heh-heh-heh." So, armed with the physical form we sped off to Gallup one afternoon and found the little clinic/thrift store/residence, of the "doctor".

Right away he demanded $20 cash ONLY before he would even look at us. Having only a debit card, Nancy ran off to find an ATM while Kumen, Josh, and Hayden waited and admired all of the plastic flowers, Christmas decorations and jack-o-lanterns in the waiting room. When Nancy arrived with the cash, he welcomed us, took our form, and ushered Hayden into a back room. Kumen said, "We should ask if they do abortions here."

After about 30 seconds, Nancy, becoming increasingly creeped out, asked Kumen to go back where the "doctor" had taken Hayden. Two minutes into the "physical" the phone in the waiting room rang. The "doctor" ran out, answered the phone, said, "Bring $40 cash!" and hung up. He was both the "doctor" and "receptionist" at his little business.

Meanwhile, in the examination room, the "doctor" asked Hayden what kind of physical condition he was in. He said to Kumen that his blood pressure machine wasn't working, so "What do you think a good number would be to put down for his blood pressure?" Kumen came up with some awesome numbers and after shaking Hayden's and Kumen's hands for the eighth time, the "doctor" signed his form.

Total Time: 4 minutes, 45 seconds, including the time the "doctor" took to answer the phone. Amazing, huh? And all for $20. Who needs health insurance when we can get this type of healthcare for $20? What have I been paying for all these years??? When the doctor came back out to his waiting room, there were at least 10 more students lined up for their "physicals". $20 x 5 minutes = $240 per hour. This man does not need to work but one month a year to make my yearly salary. I should have gone to medical school.....and practiced in Gallup, NM. I know, I know, it's procrastinators like us that keep him in business.....

Our Disneyland Tradition Lives On

2008-08-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

In the middle of July, as kind of a "last hurrah" family trip, we kept up our tradition of taking the family to Disneyland every couple of years. We had not been since Josh's senior year of high school and with Jill getting married and Josh only home for the summer....it was time....and so worth it!!!

Here are the kids right after we got off of the Matterhorn. We were randomly chosen to receive free Mickey Mouse ears as part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration. Yessss! It has always been our dream to get SOMETHING free at Disneyland!

On our first day as we entered the park. For those of you who have been there....it never gets old, does it? Walking into Disneyland is like entering another world: one that is clean, innocent, and entirely unspoiled.

The kids on the teacups..........sillies........

We had always wanted to eat at the Blue Bayou, the restaurant overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and we resolved to do it this time. We had to get a reservation a month in advance, but the ambience was awesome. We had the famous "Monte Cristo" sandwich, which is ham, turkey, and swiss on bread which is then dipped in batter and fried. They serve it with berry preserves. The reviews were mixed, but this restaurant made it famous, so we had to try it!!

Jill, Josh, and Hayden in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Wait....Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty? Or was it Barbie? I forget....

Very tired action heroes trying to look like they're escaping from the giant boulder in Indiana Jones. Cheap job......ha-ha!!

Waiting in line for the Jungle Cruise, one of our favorite rides. The jokes never get old, just funnier!!

There is a picture on Kumen's camera of us at the end of the two days at Disneyland where all of us are just sitting on the benches and sobbing because we know it will never be just our little family at Disneyland again.....but, on to a bigger and better Adams Family Tradition!!

The Daisy Razor Picture

2008-08-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

I was asked by our niece, Rachel, to post the "Venus razor ad" that we imitated and had on all of the tables at the reception. It was actually for Daisy razors and was a picture that Jill tore out of a magazine about two years ago and taped to her wall. The picture really resembled her, and she used to ask, "I wonder who the guy behind the flowers is going to be, Mom?" Well, she finally found out!

Wedding Pictures

2008-08-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am new at this blog thingy...I could not get the pictures to go below my text so I am giving up on making this uber-beautiful...please just enjoy.....

Getting Cinderella ready for the ball began the night before at Aunt Ruth's nail salon...Jill received a pedicure (complete with cute flowers) and a manicure...thanks, Ruth!!

The morning of the big day!! Jill and I woke up at 4:00 a.m., talked until 4:30 a.m., and then started getting "beautiful". Here I am styling her hair as she kept saying, "Hurry, I don't want to be late!" She did not want to keep her groom waiting or make him think she wasn't coming!!

On our way to the temple!! That's right, honey, buckle up!! The rest of your life is going to be quite a ride!!!

At the reception in Thoreau, Jill helps her maid of honor, Becka, with her tie belt. They have been best friends since grade school.

The groom and his handsome groomsmen. L to R: Hayden, Jesse, David, Josh, and Kumen (father of the bride). Jill and I sewed the vests and the bow ties. David's vest and tie are out of the leftover brocade from Jill's wedding dress. Aren't they all so cute? Thanks to Grandma's garage for the bolt of shiny, yellow, satiny, fabric. We had SO much that.....

we also sewed the bridesmaid dresses out of the same fabric. Turned out beautiful, no? The three beautiful bridesmaids are L to R: Jessica Davis (Jill's cousin on the Adams side), Alicia Baker (Jill's cousin on the Baker side), and Rebecca Spitz (Jill's BFF). The gorgeous bouquets and corsages and bouttonnieres were made by our high school principal, Monique Siedschlag, as a gift to Jill. She has such a talent! Thanks, Monique!!

The bride and groom with the Lawrence family. L to R: David, Jill, Katy holding Adam, Jeremy, Meredith, Jesse holding Sam.

The proud, happy, and relieved parents of the bride, Nancy and Kumen. "Whew! One temple marriage down, two to go!" It really is the best feeling in the world, to know that your children "walk in truth".

Jill with two of her former piano students: Loreena Cain and Adeline Triplett. Three of the cutest girls ever raised on "The Rez"!!

Jill with her two brothers, Josh and Hayden, at the luncheon in Mesa immediately following the wedding in the Mesa Temple. I love this shot! I'm so proud of my three kids!

Jill is pointing to the quilt I made for her using scraps from things I had sewn for her as she was growing up. My mom did the same for me and that quilt is a treasure!! I have to admit that I was glad to finally get rid of the box that I have been saving them in for the last 18 years!! Advice if you plan on doing this: It is SO worth it to save the scraps for all those years, just be sure to save as much as you can. Some of my scraps were too small to do anything with.

Here is a nice detail shot of Jill's dress. We had so much fun and made so many memories as we sewed together. I think this is also a tradition that is well worth it. We made this dress for about $200 by watching for sales and getting a whole bolt of organza out of.......GRANDMA'S GARAGE!! Jill hand sewed each pearl onto the sleeves and the hand-beaded/flowered bodice fabric was about half of our budget, but there are just some things you have to have. One of Jill's former teachers did the three beaded tiers on the sleeve and skirt. Thanks, Mrs. Wood!!

Another picture from the luncheon (we don't have our temple pictures yet). This is Jill with myself and her Grandma Baker showing the veil, which also happens to be the same veil I wore 24 years before. Jill also wore the shoes that I wore to be married in....."something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue" (that would have had to be her eyes, since she was too embarrassed to do the garter thing).

Stay tuned for more!!

The Wedding of Our Favorite Daughter and Her One True Love

2008-08-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

On August 8, 2008, Jill and David sealed their love for all eternity in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. Everything was so beautiful and perfect, we could not have asked for a better weekend of celebration or more love to be shown by family and friends. Their happiness is contagious!! We have gained a valiant son-in-law who cherishes our only daughter and we love them both for the good decisions they have made in their lives. They are now living in Provo, with Jill attending BYU and David working full time and taking online classes toward his MBA. We are so proud of them. I have a few pictures to post now (thanks, Paula!) , and will post some more when the professional photos come in.

2008-08-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

Celebrating 24 Years of Happiness!

On August 10th, Kumen and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary. How? By staying home and recuperating from Jill's wedding and reception! We also had to gear up to start school the next day...but before you feel sorry for us, we have an awesome weekend planned at the cabin to celebrate! Next year, for our 25th, we plan to go to Europe for an 11-day whirlwind tour. Can hardly wait!!

Welcome to Our New Family Page!

2008-08-15T09:32:00.001-07:00

"Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar."

- J.R.R. Tolkien in "The Hobbit"

Now, no matter where you are, or how busy you may be, you can always take a minute to be with family and friends on "The Adams Archives" Enjoy!!