Memorial Day Work & Check Out Missy Singing ->>

Well, there hasn't been much to report lately other than things are going just fine. Work is still quiet, relatively speaking), life is good and our biggest news is that i've been called to be 1st counselor in the Young Single Adults Branch of our stake. I made the mistake of going fishing with my good friend Deano (second counselor in the Stake Presidency) and mentioned to him that the best kept secret in the church is teaching Sunday School and how there are no early morning Priethood Leadership , nor Auxillary meetings to go too. Well, that was a mistake. After a mere two weeks, I got called. It's cool though. I'm serving with my good friend s Lamont Hanson Pres. and Roger Harshbarger 2nd counselor. We will have fun for sure. I know most of the kids from when I was their Stake Young Mens President and or the High Council talk assignments.

Also, we had fun working around the house on Memorial day weekend. Other than the gig I had with the band on saturday afternoon, the rest of the weekend was dedicated to my beautiful bride and my family. We worked on the yard and the fences and just had an enjoyable time.

Tony and Julie are visiting Aaron and Crytal in Florida at Disney World where Aaron works and we had their little ones with us for the weekend and we'll have them again this weekend.

Poor little Hali was out of sorts because her mom and dad were gone. She would never admit to it but she missed them so very much. She spent most of the time by herself just moping around quietly and out of everyones way. Kinda cool to see an emotional little girl again. Anyway, she was in the upstairs bathroom taking a 2 hour soak and I came in from outside and spoke to her through the door. I yelled out to her "Hali! Who loves ya?" She responded, "You do Gramps" rather discouragingly. I asked her again "Who else?" She responded "Grandma!" I added, well i think everyone loves you. She proceeded to tell me about a girl at school who hated her and turned many of her friends away from her. ( I think she was just down and needed to vent!) I said to her " She really doesn't hate you Hales!" She responded that she was sure she did in her best Eyore tone. I responded by reccomendeing to her " Well, tell her to go to Hell!" (Grandma did not approve) Hali just started laughing her loud deep from the bottom of her belly laugh and she had me laughing. She thought that was funny and then she quickly said to me, "Hey Gramps, you owe me a buck" "I almost forgot because I was laughing so hard" Ya see, everytime I cuss, I owe her a buck. Julie tells me that I will singlehandedly fund her education! Little Poops!

Our Trip to Caldwell to See the Twins

So yesterday, we all loaded up into Tony's van and left Idaho falls and made the 4 hour trek to Caldwell to see Davey and Steph and also Kenzington and Rylee. We had a blast.

The only little person to go with us was Ellory. She was fun. I'll just say that it was an honor to give the girls a blessing and to spend even if it was just a few hours with our newest grand girls. They are beautiful and PUNY!

We hated to leave and if we would have driven, we'd have been there until the hospital staff would have had to to get the retraining order in place and remove us! It was nice to be together with Tone, Julie, Missy, Critter and Ellory to see Davey, Stephie, Kenzi, and Ry.

Kenz & Ry are here!!!! Wahooooo!!!

Well, they came last night around 6:45. Both of the girls are Healthy and doing good. Kenzington was 1st weighin in at 5 lbs 1 oz and Rylee was a whopping 3 lbs 14 oz's. Here are two piuctures that Dave sent.

I talked to Steph this morning and she is doing great. She says the girls are doing excellent. She said that Ry was eating a ton (she has to catch up to her sis). She figures it's cuz Kenzington's butt is finally off of her and she can eat!

They were 2 weeks short of a full term! We are going to see them tommorrow.

Hali's "101 Dalmations" Play

Yesterday evening we went to see Hali's play. Her G.A.T.E. program put on "101 Dalmations". these little actors were great! They did excellent.

Hali played a Chihuahua and she was as cute as a button. Afterwards we went to Arby's for dinner and proceeded to get soaked with spilled pop and slimed with ketchup from our little group. It reminded me of when my parents took my sister Martha and I to a real nice restaurant in LA when I was just an 8 year old kid and Martha and I spilled things and we were crawling around on the floor picking things up and eating them. All the while embarrassing my mom and dad.

Of course, last night, I didn't even get mad at the fact that pop was spilled all over me. It was fun because it was my grandkids. Anyway, here's a clip of her last night

End of March Photos!!! What a difference today!

Ok, so this was the view from our door on Sunday the 29th of March. The markets were gloomy (but improving), the weather was relentlessly reminding us of the nasty grip of winter and it seemed as though we should have remaned Idaho Falls to something Siberian! Maybe even Chernobel or something that would fit for the times. Here's another two:

As you can see, it even feels cold to look at these pictures!!! and now we are in full swing of Spring. yesterday, Annette, Ellory, Critter and I were working in the garden areas getting them all prepared for planting some fun stuff. I moved a bunch of shade loving plants from the back yard that were'nt doing so well after the apple tree that used to shade them so well had split in two and had broken. Since then the plants had done just terrible. So, along the front of our house, it faces north and we always need shade lovers there. So, we'll see if the transplant actually works. I guess that slowly, one by one the projects will get done around here. Annette wants the big pine tree gone in our front yard. I say please not yet. I like it and I know the neighboorhood kids would sure be upset. Years ago, our little Critter and her friend put up or had me rather, put up two swings in the pine tree. Now, years later, every neighborhood kid plays on them. It's really kinda fun to watch and to hear! I know, I'm starting to sound like a nostalgic old man!! ha ha

Easter Weekend 2009

We started the weekend by going to Annette's uncle's funeral. Seems to be that all we do now is go to relative funerals. I suspect it will only continue as we all seems slide over a chair in life as we get closer to the end. It was good to visit with family and to spend that special time with everyone there.

Once we got back well, here is what we did with the grandkids. They were instructed that they could only hide eggs in the upstairs family room, the dining room and not out in the livingroom, any bedrooms or bathrooms nor anything downstairs in that family room nor any other bedrooms downstairs. It just had to be right in the family room and out on the deck. It was a balmy 56 degrees out there and so it was nice and toleable for them. We had fun and they did too.

Today My Little Boy Leaves I.F.

Our Little David has been working towards becoming a lineman. He's been an electrician for the last 8 years. He's a full fledged journeyman and has worked his way up to a forman and worked crews. After all this time he has made it clear he really wants to go in a different direction. We're proud of him and so pleased that he wants to continue to make good choices for himself and his beautiful wife Stephanie. These choices include he and Stephie moving to Boise where he will be attending school and from there, well, who knows where this world of opportunity will take my little boy. I wish him all the best and hope that his dreams come true because he deserves them.

So last night, Tony and I helped him move the last of his and Stephie's stuff to Michelle's basement and also into his truck. Tony went home after our lirst load to Michelle's and then it was just Dave and me. It was fun working together. We worked together until 2 a.m. I loved every minute of it. I was with my little pal who was always a quiet little feller to take along. Now, I look at him as an accomplished and focused young man. He's funny, and just good. He wanted to leave this morning at 2 and I encouraged him to sleep so that he could travel safely and get to Stephie in one piece. When I left this morning (7:25), he was asleep on the couch (just like he did when he was living with me) and he looked at peace. I gave him a big hug and a squeeze and a kiss and he slept right through it.

I looked at his truck out in front of the house all tied in with his stuff and shed some trears of joy for him and Stephanie and their new little babies that are coming. Tears of joy anyway and not of sadness. I guess it's really the first time that Dave has really ever left! Well, he did leave to work in Big Sky Montana for a winter and then there was the time he left to go live in Columbus Ohio. Back in those days, it was probably ok for Davey to leave. In fact, I believe we held the door open for him. ha ha. But, through all the stuggles that his sweet mom and I had, he always came home and he was always here. Probably, he never knew how much I so appreciated him being here. I guess he was a rock to me just like all of my kids are. He just was always there. Sooo, I'll have to get used to going to Boise to see him. At least for the time being.

Good for you Davey! I love You Kid!

Dad