HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, RALPH! From Annette

We have been celebrating Valentines Day together for almost 30 years. Even though a few of them have been rocky, there are still many reasons I love him. Here are just a few reasons why I love the man I'm married to.

He is a man of many interests: Hunting, fishing, music making - plays guitar in two bands, mixes and records music, sings in the ward choir.

He is a man of faith. He read the scriptures and prays daily. He takes his callings seriously and fulfills them with never a word of complaint. He is always willing to serve others.

He is a loyal friend. He has many friends that he still keeps in contact with from his high school days. Once a friend - always a friend. He is gregarious. He stops and talks to everyone because he knows everyone. Don't send him to the store if you need something quickly. He'll be gone at least an hour because he ran into so many of his friends. When we go to the store together, I leave him with the first person he finds and continue the shopping. When I'm finished, I usually find him with someone else.

He is a hard worker and self-motivated.

He runs his own business and really cares about his clients. After a lot of different jobs to keep our family fed and clothed he found a career that makes him happy. He dedicates time and talent to his clients with a smile on his face everyday.

He often does the cooking - mostly because I don't like anything to do with the kitchen - but he seems to enjoy it. He'll even clean the kitchen and do the dishes. The kids complain about his famous mystery stews, but there are many dishes he makes that are enjoyable.

He likes to cuddle on the couch with me after a long day at work and watch Law and Order. His first choice would be COPS! Luckily he compromises and we get to watch what I want.

He irons his own clothes and will often iron mine. He is meticulous about everything being crisp and neat.

He has the ability to make everyone laugh. He could entertain all types of crowds with his wit and sense of humor. He has MC'd different parties or functions, and even amuses fans in his own band.

He likes his home to be clean and organized. He never leaves dirty clothes on the floor.

He is good looking!

He brought four beautiful children, five amazing grandchildren (and two more on the way) into this world with me.

Ralph, thank you for being a great husband and father. I love you. Happy Valentines Day

Guitar Projects with Seth!! Look to the right and play

Please push the play button and listen to these songs to the right

Over the last few weeks my friend Seth Callister and I have been recording LDS Hymns for our pleasure and for our family and friends to enjoy. They are straight forward guitar or stinged instument only with all the parts and noodles to go with it. We've been so pleased with the outcomes that we thought we might even share some of them now. We are putting a group of about 16 to 20 hymns per cd together. We are sitting on 8 right now and two more are in the can right now.

This has been one of the most enjoyable projects that I have ever done. I listen to them on a daily basis and this has helped me to calm down dramatically. I hope it does for you too.



Soo, to my family and friends I ask, what hymns would be good for us to record? What would you like to hear us do for you?



Seth and I were inspired by Michael Dowdle principally followed by Mark Geslison, Goeff Groberg, Small-Clemente Duo and other great LDS Guitarists and stringed instument players. Seth and I will be using various instruments to play these songs. On one of the recordings I used my Dulcimer, my mandolin, and at least one of my 12 strings. Most are recorded with my Seagul and Seth is playing his Martin D-28.





Anyway, we like them and hope you do to! Here is a picture from a few years ago of Me, Michael Dowdle, Seth Callister and in front, Kelly Manwaring (Seth's daughter) from a couple of years back

Saturday Fun in January

What an unsettling week it was for me. things at my work became completely unsettling after trying to negotiate an agreement with a new advisor that wants to be my OSJ. All I can say is that trust is the most important virtue we have in business and any time any one person feels perhaps a bit of manipulation, then it all goes out the window. So went my week. It completely disrupted my entire routine that I've adpoted this year to reach my new goals. Anyway, next week is a new week and it will be better i know.

At least we had a blast with Tony and Julie's little ones out sledding this afternoon. We went to the Erickson School Hill where all of our own children went and sled when they were kids this age. For Annette and i it was like reliving the old memories and yet we were with our Grandkids.

It was interesting because all the same antics were pulled by them on eachother. Snowballs in the face, stealing and appropriating sleds and the funniest part was little E.D. He decided that the school jungle gym and slide were more fun. Well, he was obviously bundled up pretty tight and he decided he didn't need his gloves, coat nor his boots! He slid down the slide a couple of times and then realized that it was cold. We saw him at the bottom of the hill there walking through the snow with none of the above on and crying because he was freezing. It doesn't take a little feller long to get frozen.

We loaded everyone up and came home for some hot chocolate and goodies from grandma and beatings from grandpa! They love the beatings. ( they're not real beatings!) It was fun to take my mind off of the challenges of the week.

Critter Turns 20- Little Party 1-18-09

Well our baby turneed 20 this last Friday. She is such a good little mom. It's fun to watch her grow up, make good decisions and learn from the bad ones. She was always the most bull headed of our kids and like her big sister who is stunningly beautiful, Critter is just Strikingly beautiful.

Anyway, All of the family was here except Missy and Tomasio as they live far away. We had fun. we ate pizza and salad, Chips and some of Annettes homemade (too die for) salsa. After which Jules and Annette colaborated on a cake and ice cream treat. We also had the sacred slush from Julie. Oh baby! Bring on the calories tonight.

All in all we had fun. Little ED and I went downstairs and put in the movie CARS (his favorite) on the bigscreen and the surround sound. We got told to turn it down. Ha ha ha, we turned it up!! Yep, we're training him young so when he joins the band of his own, he'll be all tuned up.

Next birthday will be Ellories! She'll be one

CANDY BAR GAME

This is how to play the candy bar game: Buy a bunch of different candy bars - you need only one of each kind - the more the better. We usually buy about thirty or forty. You will also need lunch sacks for each person and at least one dice. Everyone sits in a big circle. Put the candy bars on the floor in the middle of the circle - spread them out so everyone can see them. Then everyone takes turns rolling one dice. If the person rolls a 1 or a 6 they get to choose a candy bar and put it in their bag so no one else can see it. Continue around the circle until all the candy bars are gone. Once the last candy bar is in a bag, continue around the circle three more times. This time if someone gets a 1 or a 6 they can take someone's candy bar, but first they have to name the person and the kind of candy bar they want. If the person has it, they have to give it up, if not, then the person who guessed just misses out. After three times around, everyone keeps the candy bars in their sacks.

Christmas time in our part of the world

We had a wonderful time this christmas season with all of our family visiting and with all of the festivities!! We actually started way bak at the Festival of Trees in Novemeber with the girls singing and then ended up on the 26th of December with my little nephew Troy and my grandaughter Hali Ann and I Ice fishing at the Roberts gravel pond.

We started on Christmas Eve with our annual candy bar game. The entire Family was there including Nick and Tom ( they are not officially family yet but they are as close as they can be right now right now!) ha ha!

Then we went to Tony & Jewels house on Christmas day at 6:30 to watch the g-kids open their gifts and toeat a healthy breakfast and watched Kung Fu Panda. We then returned home and had our second shift of present opening at our house for Missy and Tom, and My siter Karen, Kevin, Kayla and nephew Troy and of course Annette and I.

After all of that, we went terrorizing the neighborhood on the 4 wheelers and sleds and got the kids from California all riled up!! ha ha Tom Even got in on the fun and hurt himself. Now he knows why I don't ride behind one of these things!!! The drivers always try to launch you in the air and watch you moan when you come down. We just aren't little kids anymore!!!

After that, we went to Critter's to open gifts there with Ellory, Critter and Nick. They are really good to spleep in and started their day so much later!!! We then had games again back at our house and the festivities continued.

The following day we ended up going Ice Fishing. We tried to get Kayler to go but she was smarter than that! All in all it was a great time and it was an appropriate way to spend time together.

The giving of gifts is such a wonderfful feeling and to share in the Spirit of Christ's birth is a wonderful opportunity to give of ourselves!

Mom and Dad

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