Happy New Year!

2008 – As we ponder it’s events, we’re amazed at how much it was a year of transition: from a threesome to a foursome, from a cramped basement to a beautiful new living space, from carefree living to tightening the belt in an economic downturn. And what does the future hold? Hmmm…we can not tell. We have a feeling it’s going to be good, though. Hard times maybe. We might have to part with a little of this earthly treasure and pleasure. But the blessings will far outway the sacrifices when we keep our lives in His hand. And with that, we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Winter Is Here

The Magic of Winter

Winter and snow is a child's delight - things dreamed of in July;
Sleds and hills, squeals and spills, waving, as the world rushes by.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
Angels they make in the blanket of white, and tomorrow will remember how
Snowflakes felt on their tiny tongues - like magic to them now.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
Snow-people are made and all decked out with colours and a happy smile;
Forts are built with utmost care so they will last awhile.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
Snowballs rolled and piled with glee; tots laughing merrily;
Adults watch, remembering - secrets bubbling free.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
Skiers fly the well-packed slopes, independence lighting their eyes;
Blending with snow as they descend like magic from the skies.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
The ice is cleared so skaters glide and maybe spin a dream
Of triple loops and a sharp edge and costumes of gold and cream
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow everywhere.
At the end of the day all tucked away, they dream of flakes of white
Floating from heaven, in a musical dance - an innocent child's insight.
There is snow on the ground, snow in the air, snow, snow, EVERYWHERE!
~ Joan Adams Burchell

Marilynn Echo Benjamin

Our thoughts are with Dale and Kari as they stand by their Little Baby Marilynn.  She was born Thur. Dec. 4th at a gestational age of only 24 weeks and 4 days.  She weighed in at 1lb. 7oz. and measured 13" long.  Of course this is very premature, and each day she survives is no small victory.  Our hearts are already filled with so much love for her and we hope that all goes well for her in the next few weeks and months.

Jackson Special Meeting

It was truly a special time!

Quite a few came from Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, Pocitello and some from Lander - 32 all told gathered into this little house. We had a potluck before the meeting and, oh my, we had food coming out of our ears! Then we cleaned up, set up chairs in the living/dining room and enjoyed some wonderful messages from Shawna, Sue, and Jim. Jim has been laboring in the Philippines and had so many neat stories from there. Jim spent the night here, so we enjoyed even more visiting over breakfast. Anyway, so awesome to feel our spirits lifted again!

Moments of Blessing

As I reflect on recent privileges and look forward to more in the near future, an image similar to the one below comes to mind as well as the words of this hymn:

"Rich are the moments of blessing, Lovely and hallowed and sweet....."

Wishing you all could be with us Thursday evening. Hope this finds you safe and warm in your winter abodes.

An Arizona Thanksgiving

Here is a little glimpse into Arizona and our time with some good friends.

We left Jackson Wed. morning and headed south through Star Valley, Bear Lake, and over into Logan and Salt Lake City, Utah. We stopped for the night in Cedar City. The boys did well and here is a picture taken the next morning on a high plateau looking down into northern Arizona. It was gray, cold, and rainy, but beautiful none-the-less.
A rare moment, when the boys decided to nap simultaneously!


We arrived in Flagstaff Thur. afternoon and met for Thanksgiving dinner at this lovely couples home - absolutely wonderful to meet each one there. The workers from Las Vagas were staying there, and with Virginia's help, a delicious gourmet feast was served and enjoyed by all - complete with pecan and cherry pie, and pumkin cake roll! Needless to say, we "rolled" out of there, stopped to visit some more friends, and then headed to Brad and Virginia's for the night.

Friday morning we drove up to catch some views of "The Other Grand." These pictures don't begin to do it justice as it was truly breath-taking. I can't imagine the first explorers coming across this high dessert country and stumbling upon this gaping expanse of canyon.

Our wonderful hosts and tour guides!


There is a south rim and a north rim to The Grand Canyon. We were only able to make it to several lookout points on the south rim. The north rim is actually closed in the winter as it is 1000ft higher and recieves more wintery weather. There are several popular trails leading down into the canyon. At the bottom, you can cross a foot bridge and spend the night at Phantom Ranch at the mouth of Bright Angel Canyon. There is a camp area, guest cabins and food. You best make reservations a year in advance though. It is a very popular place.

There is a huge difference in climate between the top and bottom of the canyon. This was my first time to see real cactus growing in the wild. The bottom of the canyon is about 30 degrees warmer than the top, so the leaves on the trees were just starting to change color down there.

Here's a little mountain lion cup we found climbing around in the rocks!

We took a short hike down the Bright Angel trail - one would go on this trail if they were headed down into Phantom Ranch.

One tired little hiker.

Sunset on The Grand Canyon.

Then, we spent Sat. relaxing, playing, hiking, napping, and visiting. Keith visited Brad at the hanger. Then he took a drive down to Sadona, which is similar to Jackson, but very southwestern in style. He took pictures on a disposable camera, so maybe I can post those later.

These are views of rural Flagstaff taken from a hill we hiked up.

Saying good-bye. Thank you, Brad, Virginia and family for sharing your Thanksgiving weekend with us, for your warm hospitality, and for all the delicous meals!

Pointed back north again. The long road out of Flagstaff.

And here are some scenes from the trip home.

Teething and a Little Toddler Trauma

Well, Boyd's second tooth has arrived. And he seems quite happy about it!

Tyler is happy too, not about the tooth, but about his fingers healing up.

It happened on Sunday. We were having a wonderful day; meeting at Roy and Betty's, followed by a delicious lunch, playtime for Tyler and Jaiden and a nap for Boyd. Then it was off to 3 o'clock gospel meeting, some visiting afterward, and a quick trip to Sam's.

Tyler was getting pretty tired at this point (5:30pm), so we decided to grab a quick bite at Subway and head for home. I held Tyler's hand and led him into the Sub shop while Keith came behind with Boyd. I pulled open the heavy front door and was looking around inside for the restrooms when it came crashing closed with a dull thud. I thought, "that didn't sound quite right." Sure enough, I looked down, and there was my very surprised, wide-eyed toddler, staring at his freshly smashed fingers!

And then the tears began to flow, as well as a small amount of blood, which made the sandwich-makers behind the counter more than a little concerned. I whisked him away to the restroom where we washed and examined his finger, but no amount of consoling would stop the tears. Back out in the restaurant, Keith had him wiggle his fingers and an employee brought out a bag of ice and a chocolate chip cookie. The crying quieted a little, but did not completely stop until we had finished our dinner, were tucked back in the car, and headed for home. And, yes, you guessed it, he had fallen asleep, his hand still resting on the bag of ice.

Well, as I mentioned, he is much happier now, and his fingers look pretty good. I will spare you a picture of them though as he did loose a good patch of skin. Poor fella!

Happy Anniversary Dale & Kari (11/23/05)

Looking Ahead

I never worry about the future. It comes soon enough. ~ Albert Einstein

The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem. ~ Theodore Rubin

Money is not required to buy one necessity of the soul. ~ Henry David Thoreau

To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to loose everything else. ~ Bernadette Devlin

For I know my thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. ~ Jer. 29:11

Just a little inspiration as you head into the weekend. Hope you all have a good one!

Boyd's First Tooth

Boyd's first tooth popped in over the weekend. We were sitting around the table at Jim and Gwen's, dining on a scrumptious Sun. dinner with Bob and Mary and Johnny, listening to Johnny's stories from their recent trip to Ecuador. I had my finger in Boyd's mouth, trying to keep him calm and quiet for a bit, as I was so interested in the stories. He was gnawing quite vigorously, and suddenly I realized there was a sharp little tip of a tooth poking through his bottom gum! So that explains the restless nights (Fri. and Sat.) He's sleeping better now, but still a bit on edge, so maybe the second one is close behind - we'll keep you posted!

Thinking of Michelle and Family

Today our thought are of Michelle, her influential life, her courage, and faithfulness to God. And He brought her so much joy in what would have otherwise been a very dismal existence. We're also thinking of her family and many friends as they mourn her passing. If you would like to read her story, go to: Sanity and Happiness.

Early November

HAPPY ON MY WHEELS - THANK YOU COLTER!

One year ago it was so easy to wrap Tyler up and stick him in the back pack or jogger or sled and head outside for a little adventure in the fresh air. His enthusiasm for adventure and fresh air has not diminished, however he no longer likes to be strapped into various transportation devices. He prefers to use his own two feet, which is great, but does pose some new challenges for Mom.

Last week he announced he would like to go visit Daddy at his office. No problem. After a good afternoon nap, we bundled up, loaded Boyd into the sling, and headed out the door. "I want to ride my bike, Mommy!" Hmmm.....all the way to daddy's office? "Okay, let's get it out and see how it goes." We looked a bit funny headed down the street, going this way and that, baby on one hip and bent over holding onto Tyler's handlebars to help him steer. We made it though, all 11 blocks, 2 four-way stops, and a stop light. We had fun telling Daddy about our accomplishment and then rode all the way back home again! It proved to be much more of a workout than I expected, and yes, much more fun than I anticipated too!

SITTING UP!

Boyd is now sitting on his own. He much prefers this position to laying down now. He has accomplished this one month sooner than Tyler did, so it will be interesting to see if crawling and walking will come sooner as well.

That's it! Have a great week!

A Picture Worth Sharing

I came across this picture on Robyn's blog and just thought you might enjoy a little head scratching and a good laugh! We sometimes claim to know these two - just kidding - we'll always claim them, and we sure miss them around our house. *Kyla, Colter, and Maya - don't try this at home ;o)*

Hope you're all having a wonderful week. It's sunny and cold here today. Snow King has three machines going, busily making snow. Tyler asks to be lifted up so he can look through the window and see the mist blowing out of the machines (about 10 times today.) We found a toddler set of skis for him at a garage sale this summer, so it will be fun to try them out in another month or so.

Today at lunch Boyd was happily minding his own business, playing with the chip clip. Tyler decided he wanted the chip clip and very nicely asked his brother to hand it over. Of course there was little to no response, so I told Tyler to find another toy for Boyd and try to trade. He brought a little rattle which Boyd grabbed with his free hand. He was still gripping the chip clip tightly, so I helped loosen his fingers and hand the clip to Tyler. To our surprise and amazement, our little docile 5-month-old threw a little fit. He actually cried and stamped his feet! Hmmm...maybe #2 isn't going to be so easy going after all.

All for now. Have a great rest of the week!

Yes, we are still alive...

...and well! And finally a moment to update the Blog! My children are asleep, my kitchen is clean, and I'm not completely exhausted.....guess that leaves me with no excuse, so here goes....

Here is the plumb pie we made with your plumbs, Uncle Johnny. We made two, actually, and they were right tasty! The pie recipe can be found at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Plum-Pie/Detail.aspx

Here we are frolicking in our early October snow. We had six inches on the ground, but it is all gone by now.

Boyd enjoying Sun. dinner with Sam and Nick and Blakeman's.

We enjoyed our time with Connie and Robyn in October as well. These two could be related - don't you think?

Here's my hardworking mother, masking the cabinets so my hardworking sis and I can glaze the kitchen walls. What a fun project! Thanks for your help, guys...I mean gals:) By the way, does anyone know that little monster down in the right hand corner of the above photo?

Uncle Keith enjoyed his time being an uncle when the Harris kids came to visit!

Grandma and her grand kids under the Tetons at the Moose Visitor Center.

Window shopping, downtown Jackson. We sure enjoyed these munchkins.

An evening shot in the park.

Our little Boyd Bear.

Cruisin' on Uncle Rick's motor cycle. You can guess what came next...yep..."Mommy, I need a motor cycle!" Hmmm, don't you think we're starting him out a bit young, Honey. Like maybe he should learn how to ride the peddle kind first:)

Auntie Kay and Boyd.

Relaxing at Auntie Kay and Uncle Todd's house this weekend. It was Uncle Rick's 25th birthday and a good excuse to get together. We also got to officially meet Julia! Thanks for coming, everyone, we really enjoyed our time!

Painting the trim at Kay and Todd's.

Cousin Aiden and his big dozer.

Happy times!

Well, that's about it. Thanks to all that have visited and corresponded with us here. We appreciate each and everyone of you! Hope you're all having a wonderful Fall.