Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Slice of Life # 32 ~ Winter Fun

This weeks Slice of Life is Winter fun.

I had a really cool picture that I wanted to share, but I can't find it on the computer.    I found the picture of us when we lived in Minnesota/Wisconsin we would go to the Winter Carnival.  We had a great picture of Dan and I sitting in chairs in front of an ice airplane.  We enjoyed going and seeing the different things that were made.

The first time we went I was so excited as I saw landmarks from the movie "Might Ducks" and it's sequal.  I loved that movie as a teenager (still love it).  It was great living in the land of the "frozen"!  I didn't mind the winters there, but the summer's humidity is too much for me!

Other than that, I am not much of a winter person.  I would rather curl  up with a book or movie and drink some hot chocolate.  I enjoyed living in Arizona and Southern California because it was a lot warmer in the winter.  But my husband says he will not give up his winters to go live in someplace warmer.

This was written for Slice of Life.  Please feel free to join us Here.

Monday, December 20, 2010

A Year in Review with the Burke's & Our Christmas Card


Wow, the year has flown by!  I can't believe it is already December and we are counting down the days until we go to Nana and Papa's house! (Annette's parents).

Here is the Year in Review for us!

January~ We celebrated the twins 1st Birthday with a party and lots of cake!

February ~ The Ruth took off walking and Irene was walking around on her knees!

March~ We celebrated Dan's 37th Birthday.  Dillon and Jennilyn started to Potty Train! Yea for Mommy now this next year hopefully we will see the twins also Potty Train! And Annette and the kids went to Ashton, ID to visit Dan's sister Marsha and her family over Spring Break, ended up driving in a Blizzard coming back home, thanks to her cousin Beau and his wife Joanne for housing us for a couple of hours while we waited out the storm.

April~ Dan took his first business trip to Kentucky, and there is at least two more scheduled for this next year!  Irene took off walking, now with all 4 kids walking you would think I could walk to the van without carrying a child, but 9 times out of 10 the twins still want to be carried to the van!

May~Annette turned 32 in May and we had fun getting out for walks with the kids!

June~ Found us going to back to Ashton, Idaho for a quick trip to see Dan's parents and younger brother and play with the cousins.  We also got to go to the Aquarium with Papa Jack and all of our cousins on mommy's side.

July~ Found us going on our first Airplane ride as a family!  Dillon hadn't been on an airplane since he was 11 months old.  And none of the girls had ever been on one.  We flew to Minnesota for a special Family Reunion and for Dan's cousin Beckie's wedding.  What fun we had spending time with the Great-Grandma's and letting Dan's grandma's and sisters who had never meet the twins meet them for the first time! Dan had to fly back early so Grandma Burke flew back with us!

August ~ Jennilyn turned 3.  Dillon started his 2nd year of pre-school. We also went to the Church History Museum to see the "I am a child of God" exhibit, before it was taken down for good.  We road TRAX for the first time.  The kids seem to enjoy it.

September~ Just found us busy with Dillon in school and going to the park.

October~ Found us with our 1st annual membership to Thanksgiving Point.  We went to the Dinosaur museum, the Children's Garden and to the Farm Country.  We also enjoyed going Trick or Treating with our cousins.  Dan and Annette celebrated 6 years of marriage.

November~ Dillon turned 5 and then the kids went and spent a week with Nana and Papa Jack.  Dan and Annette got to go see their 1st movie in the IMAX, they saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 of course.  Then Annette went down to spend the week with the kids and Dan came down the night before Thanksgiving.  We had a great Thanksgiving at Nana and Papa Jack's house with Uncle Nick, Aunt Alysha, Uncle Josh, Aunt Wendy and cousins Leo, Cole, and Jack.  We even went out with Nana and Papa Jack and Uncle Nick and Aunt Alysha hikeing in the woods looking for a Christmas Tree.  We are thinking next year we want to do this for ourselves.  It was so much fun!

December~ Has found us down to one car.  We decided after Dan's car didn't pass the state Safety Test to sell his car.  We sold it in 2 hours.  It was sad for Dan to see it gone after having it for 17 years, but now he is getting his exercise in walking a mile to work and a mile back each day.

We have had a great year and are Thankful for all of our blessings.  We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Slice of Life # 31 ~ Traditions

Growing up we always went caroling to the families in our neighborhood and to some of my parents close friends, who sometimes this was the only time of year they saw them.  One of my favorites was the "Coca~Cola" House.  This was a friend of my parents who had worked for Coca Cola and had quite the collection of memorabilia.

Growing up I remember between Christmas Eve and New Years Day we would have a Japanese Dinner. As I got older it became a Christmas Eve Tradition.  I love this tradition.  My Dad served his mission in Japan and this is the one time a year that he makes a Japanese dinner of some of his favorite meals when he was there.

When I went away to college I was a 12 hour drive to home and a 2 hour flight home.  I made the chose to only come home for Christmas while I lived away.  I did come home 2 of my three summers for a week or two, but never for Thanksgiving, or anything like that.  When I went on my mission I left in Aug and came home in Jan, so that meant I missed two Christmas's away from home.  That first Christmas was hard as I had never been away from home for Christmas.  When my company Sister Wadley and I arrived at the Bishop's home for dinner on Christmas Eve, I was pleasantly surprised that we were having a Japanese dinner, just like I would have if I had been home.  The Bishop was of Japanese descent and this was one of their family traditions too.  They didn't know that it was a tradition in my home to have this meal, so it really made my being gone for my 1st Christmas that much more easier for me.

It has been 11 years since that Christmas, as in Jan I will have been home from my mission for 10 years.  Boy the time sure flies.  I have missed a few of these dinners in the last 6 years as I have not lived close enough to come home for Christmas, but I am looking forward to it again this year!

I hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy doing your own traditions!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Attitude

My mother sent me this poem, and I really liked it.  I know there are times when my attitude needs an adjustment.  Thanks Mom!


Attitude
by Charles Swindoll
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company—a church—a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. ..I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. ..we are in charge of our attitudes.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Slice of Life # 30 ~ Kitchen Disasters

You think doing something like this would be easy right?  Well, I haven't made pies or anything like that in a few years so going to spend Thanksgiving with my parents I brought this along to make as my "desseret".  We were each to bring our favorite pie or dessert with us.  I made it the day before Thanksgiving as Thanksgiving Day is so busy, and I screwed it up!  I put the crust into the pan and then instead of putting the milk in a bowel to make the filling, I poured the milk in on top the crest.  It was still good to eat, but not as good as it would have been if I had done it right.  At least my Rainbow Jello  came out pretty good!

This was written for Slice of Life.  Please feel free to join us here and read more or share your own Slice of Life.

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Slice of Life # 29 ~ Toys



This apple is going to be 40 years old in just a couple of years.  My husband has had this apple since he was a baby (he will be 38 in March).  I didn't take a picture of the back of this apple but it is warped a little there.  But the thing still works great!  There is a story behind this.  When Dan was 2 his dad was away with the Air Force and his mom was staying with Grandma Rene (her mom) and she was about ready to give birth to his little brother Brian.  His parents had a really bright light for their camera, and Dan found it and plugged it in.  He started the bedroom on fire.  This was the only toy of his that survived.  Everything else in the room was gone.  They went and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Burke until after Brian was born.  When Brain and Sarah had their first child Nathan, Mom Burke gave this to them and told them when Dan finally gets married and starts having kids, it belongs to him.  Brian and Sarah passed it on to Marsha when she had John and gave her the same instructions.  When we went out to Minnesota for Grandpa Burke's funereal, I was only 7 weeks pregnant with Dillon, but Marsha brought it with her and gave it to us.  The kids have had a ball with it.  Mom Burke even found another one for at her house too!  Thanks Mom for saving it for Dan to pass on to his kids!


This was written for the Slice of Life.  Please feel free to join us Here.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Tree Cutting

Here is some pictures from going Christmas tree cutting with Nana and Papa Jack on Thanksgiving Day.  We also got to join Uncle Nick and Aunt Alysha and cousin Leo as they were cutting down their tree too.  Maybe next year we will get a real tree with them.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Slice of Life # 28 ~ Ice, Ice, Baby

This group of pictures is from Dec2008/Jan 2009. Spokane got hit with a lot of snow! And it was icy! I was very preganat and was about ready to deliver my twins when this storm came. The roads were shut down for days. I even went out to get something from my car and slipped on the ice, luckly it didn't send me into labor. My mom chewed me out for going out instead of waiting for someone else to go out to get it for me. :) This snow stuck around until March which is unusuall for Spokane.

So far this year is looking like we will have the cold snow and ice stick around early.  Not looking forward to walking on ice every day when I step outside my front door as the sun doesn't shine on it for very long so it stays ice all day.

This is written for Slice of Life.  Please feel free to join us and share with us your stories.
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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Slice of Life # 27 ~ Give Thanks

This weeks Slice of Life is Give Thanks.

This year I am so Thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ.  For the Atonement and that it gives me the chance to repent and to be Forgiven of my sins.

I am also Thankful for my family and friends and the joy they bring into my life.

I hope you all had a Great Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Dillon's 5th Birthday Party

Thursday was Dillon's 5th Birthday.  We had a family Birthday Party for him on Friday.  He was excited when he saw the cake and when I put the glass top on it he sat there practicing blowing out the candles. He seemed to really get into his birthday this year.
He got Money for his savings from Nana & Papa Jack, Boots and Socks from Aunt  Jaclyn and family, A Woody Doll Pillow from Aunt Alysha and family, Buzz PJ's from Aunt Wendy and Family, shoes from Mom and Dad and Buzz Light Year from Grandma and Grandpa Burke.  He loved both Woody and Buzz.  He was willing to share Woody with his sisters and cousins which most of his little cousins and his little sister's loved, but he wasn't willing to share Buzz.  His cousin Jack (who is 2) kept following him around all night trying to take Buzz.  We tried giving Jack Woody, but he didn't want Woody.   It was so cute watching him.  Dillon and his sister's have been enjoying both of them.

My Mom took the other picture of Dillon and Jennilyn at her house later that night.  Dillon is in his new PJ's and holding Buzz.  Jennilyn is holding Woody.  My mom had been trying to take a picture of Dillon in his new PJ's and Jennilyn came over to stand by him and Dillon put his arm around Jennilyn.
The Love Each Other

I want to thank all of our family for helping to give Dillon a Great Birthday!  It was a blast!  I had fun and I hope all of you did too!  He got everything he needed, Thanks!

I hope you had a great Day Dillon!  You seemed to really enjoy the party and everyone coming!

I hope you have a blast this next  year!

P.S. To see the pictures better click on it.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Happy Birthday 5th Dillon



5 Years ago today, we had our first child Dillon Archibald Burke!  As you can see he has been busy the last 5 years.  I hope the next year is a blast for you Dillon!  We love you and are so glad you are a part of our lives!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Slice of Life # 26 Happy Heart Attack

This weeks Slice of Life seems to be a hard one for me.

Sometimes I think we get a lot of unsung Thanks, or we do things for others that makes a different in others lives, and sometimes we or they never really know how to say Thank You for what was done.

I have had a few experiences in my life, but they are too personal to want to share them in the blog.  But when I read this blog it made me think of this article by Jeffery R. Holland.  It really touched me when I heard it in the General Conference in Oct 2010 for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

To all my family and friends Thank You for being there for us and for all you do for us!


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Sunday, November 07, 2010

Slice of Life #25 ~ Be the Bridge

This weeks Slice of life is entitled "Be the Bridge".

As I read about being the Bridge, it made me think of last weeks post on Communications.  Of course now I am thinking of other things that I could have shared with Communications, in regards to my Grandpa and Grandma Dillon and my Great-Grandparents on my mom's side of the family that I knew.  These wonderful people have all passed on in the last 12 years or so.  I do have letters from each of these people that was sent to me on my mission, I am sorry to say that I didn't keep all of them, because they took up too much space, but I did keep some from each of them.  I also took the time to write my grandparents each week on my mission as well as my parents.  Some times it was just a post card, but it was something that I made sure I do.  I fell out of habit of this when I got home from my mission, but I was told later by my mother that one her aunts who had been taking care of my Grandma Winter (my mothers grandmother) while I was on my mission actually enjoyed getting my letters each week.  She said that of all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren I was the only one who would take the time to write.

As I sit here, I am thinking of  all my grandparents.  My dad is the youngest child in his family, so I am one of the youngest grandchildren.  But I had the opportunity to live close by or with my Grandpa and Grandma Dillon most of my life.  They even lived with my parents for the last 6 years of their life.   When I went away to college, it was always great to come home and see Grandma and Grandpa sitting in their chairs and being there to talk to and  to get hugs and kisses from.  When I decided to come home from college and go on a mission, the plan was that they would come down the end of Feb when school got out.  But then I got the call saying that Grandpa Carl Winter (my mother's grandfather) had passed away, of course the funeral was going to be the weekend we were going to move me home, so I made arrangements to take all my finals early and Dad and Grandpa Dillon and my sister Jaclyn came down to Phoenix, AZ were I was going to college to move me home.  Grandpa decided to come at last minute so that there would be two people in each car one to drive and one to help keep the driver awake.  So Dad and Grandpa drove the truck and trailer with all my stuff and Jaclyn and I drove my car back to Utah, and then we turned around and headed to Montana for Grandpa Winter's funeral.

My Funnest memories of Grandpa Winter was when they came to visit from Washington.  I was 10 or 11 years old as we were living in the house on 600 South in Orem.  I got up to get ready for school and pratice my paino lessons and there Grandpa Winter was sitting at my desk writing in his journal.  He told me that he wrote a page a day.  I have always remembered this.  I wounder what ever happen to his journals.

Grandma Winter died in July 2005.  I was pregnant with my oldest child.  But I had the opportunity to have her at my wedding the fall before.  She even signed the picture frame that we did instead of a guest signing book, so every morning when I get up I see this big picture on my wall and I get to see her signature, and remember all the good times we had at her home or when she would come to visit.

Grandma Cronce died in May 2002.  I don't remember a lot of things with Grandma Cronce, but I do remember going to her home in Montana on our way to Washington to spend one of the few Christmas's with my Grandma and Grandpa Alcorn.  But the one thing I do remember that I will always appreciate is when I was 5 my Grandma Cronce sent each of her grandchildren (my mom) some money.  My mom and Dad took that and bought a used piano, that gave me the chance to learn to play the piano.  I am glad my parents decided to use that money for something that we as their children could learn a new talent.

Grandpa Dillon and Grandma Dillon died while I was on my mission.  They died 7 weeks apart.  I have lots of  memories as I mentioned before.  Grandpa had a shop in his basement, I remember going and playing in his shop.  That shop was later tuned into a master bathroom for him and Grandma when I was about 14.  A month before I turned 16 Grandpa had some medical problems and gave up his driver's licence.  Since I was turning 16 Grandpa let me drive his car and I would take  him shopping each week.  Most of my sister's and I got to do that with him before he died.  Those were fun times, going shopping and getting ice cream for the freezer, and what ever Grandma had put on her list.

When I was 5 years old I was diagnosed with a hearing loss and have wore hearing aids ever since.  Grandma Dillon sat with me and taught me to read lips.  She was always busy cooking, crocheting, or even quilting.  Since I am one of the youngest grandchildren I remember Grandma quilting quilts for my cousins for their weddings.  She also did a baby blessing dress for each of us.  She actually started this when my cousin that is younger then me.  I also have a Barbie that she did a dress on for me and a poncho that that she gave me for my 8th birthday.

I am glad to have these wonderful people in my life.  I miss them all now that they are gone, but
What fun it has been for me to walk down memory lane.

We have some family reasons for naming our kids to help us remember some of the great people in our lives.

We gave our son Dillon his name since it was my maiden name.  His middle name is Archibald.  He is named Dillon Archibald after Dan's Grandpa Bolstad who is the inventor of scotch tape.Our daughter Jennilyn's name is Jennilyn Annette after the tradition of my mom's family of giving the oldest daughter the mother's name as the middle name.  Ruth is named after my Grandma Dillon.  Her name is Emily Ruth, but since I have a sister named Emily we decided to use her middle name as our daughters name, she is Ruth Lois (Lois is my Grandma Alcorn's name).  Irene's name is Irene Marlyn, Irene is both of Dan's grandmother's names.  One is Irene Marie and one is Irene Marget, and both of their last names started with the letter "B".  Marlyn is my mother's name.

The pictures are some that I had scanned in.  For some reason's I don't have many of Grandma Dillon.  And I don't have any of Grandma Cronce.  The baby in the pictures are me.  The one's from my wedding are with my Grandma Winter, Grandpa and Grandma Alcorn, and my mom in the one.  In the other is with my grandparents and Dan's Grandma Burke.
Click on them to see them better.


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Monday, November 01, 2010

More Family Pictures


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Family Pictures



We had family pictures taken at the first part of Oct, by a friend of mine that I have known since Jr. High. I am learning to play around in Picasa with their collage and then posting them in Blogger. I am coming up with some great ideas for Christmas cards and such.

Enjoy as I post some of these over the next few days!
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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Slice of Life #24 ~ Communications

This weeks Slice of Life is Communications.  Join us here to read others or share your own Slice of Life.

Mmm, Communications I always hated talking on the phone while because of my hearing disability.  And never thought I would work telecommunications, but after my mission I got a job doing telecommunications and have done that almost ever since.  I also like talking on the cell phone better then the land line as for some reason I can hear better on it.

Tonight I realized that the cell phone was missing.  We only have one cell phone and it is our only phone for our home at this time.  We looked all over and went out to the car looking for it.  Dan had put the phone on vibrate as he walked into church today, so after looking all over we thought maybe it fell off at church.  about 9:30 pm tonight the door bell all of a sudden rang which surprised me as we had no trick or treaters tonight, I opened the door, as I was the only one up (since the kids and Dan are all in bed asleep) and there was a guy that I had never meet but knew that he was in the Bishopric for the Singles Ward and he handed me the cell phone.  He said that it was on the pulpit in the chapel.  Since we both spoke in church today, it could have fallen off his belt while he was sitting down behind the pulpit, or when he picked up the girls after we spoke in church maybe it fell off, we don't know, but I am so glad we got the phone back!

Thanks stranger for putting my mind at ease!

Until next week!

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween 2010

We went trick or treating with my sisters Jaclyn, Wendy and Alysha and their kids (well most of them). Jennilyn was a fairy, but most people thought she was little red ridding hood becuase of her red coat. Dillon was Musue from Mulain and the twins were faires. Our trick or Treating got cut short because of the down pour of rain we got, and I mean down pour. My shirt and pants were soaked through! But we had fun and we look forward to it again next year!
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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Slice of Life #23 ~ Costumes

This weeks Slice of Life is Costumes.  I remember dressing up a lot as a  princess for Halloween while growing up.  Wearing some of my mom's old dresses from different times in her life and her tiara that she wore with her veil at her wedding, and that each of my sisters and I but one have worn as well.  I have been giving that tiara so I can pass it on to my daughters. 

In 2008 Dillon was a Pirate with his aunt Stephanie and Jennilyn was a bumble bee.  Dan was just a dad, and I was a very pregnant mother of twins.  The twins were born almost 3 months later.  I am sitting in the picture with my daughter on my lap so you can't tell that I was 6 months pregnant.  


The other pictures are from our night last night at the dinosaur museum Halloween party.  My husband had the camera and didn't take very many pictures.  I will take more on Halloween.
This year to save on money, I had bought some fairy wings at the dollar store and Irene has a dress with an easter theme, so she is going to be the Easter Fairy.  Ruth has one with a Halloween theme so she is the Halloween fairy.  Jennilyn will be wearing her Rosetta Fairy costume that she got for her birthday from Grandma and Grandpa Burke.  And Dillon is Captain Hook.    I think we will have fun this year.
I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween this year!

Slice of LIfe # 22 ~ Treats

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I am behind on my Slice of Life entries as I have gone more then a week without access to the internet.  But we finally got it hooked up last night.

This weeks Slice of life is Treats.  There are a lot of times in my life were I got special treats.  In 9th grade for my birthday, my group of friends had a surprise for me in each of my 7 classes.  It was so neat that they remembered me like that.  Finding treats from my Mom and Dad on Valentines Day.  Walking out on Valentin's Day when I lived in Arizona, just before I moved home to go on my mission and having my front door and sidewalk heart-attacked by our hometeachers.  Having my room decorated with cards in the picture by the other sister's that we shared our apartment with on my mission, or not telling anyone in my mission it was my birthday and being surprised with a birthday cake also in the picture.

Everyday seems like a treat with my wonderful husband and kids!

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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Thanksgiving Point ~ Farm Country

Today, the kids and I went to Thanksgiving Point again and this time we went to the Farm Country.  The kids enjoyed seeing the animals and riding a pony/horse.  They all rode without any help!  We had a lot of fun, and the kids did great!  I am glad it is getting easier to go out on adventures with them by myself!














Thanksgiving Point ~ Dinosaur Museum



We recently acquired a Annul membership to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT.  They have a movie theater, dinosaur museum, farm country, gardens and soon a science exhibit.  When we take family and friends with us they can get in for 50% off.  Dan's sister Marsha came to town with her kids this last weekend and we took her and her kids with us to visit the Dinosaur museum.  These are some of the pictures.  We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to going back again for the Halloween party as even the dinosaurs will be dressed up in costumes!  We are also looking forward to exploring some of the other areas each time we go!  It was fun to get out of the house for a while with the kids.  I am excited to take the kids and do some of these things while Dan is at work.

Until next time!





Sunday, October 10, 2010

Slice of Life # 21~ Trick

This weeks Slice of Life entry is on Tricks.

Of course I do have some pictures  but they are on the other computer that I  don't have access to this week.

I think the funnest trick I have ever helped with would be on Sept 14, 2002.  My sister Emily was married on the 13th in Logan and did her reception on the 14th in Pleasant Grove.  Our good family friend Trevor and I  went to the hotel that my sister and her new husband was staying at, we had gone to the store and bought banana's, root beer, and Oreo cookies. We then went to Midvale to their hotel and we had brought with us professional Saran wrap like what you buy at the moving stores to wrap your big items up with.  We wrote just married on the windows and started to wrap the car, then we put in the package of cookies and two cans of root beer.  Then every so often we put in a banana and a can of root beer and then at the end finished off with more root beer and banana's.  We put the bananas and root beer so they could enjoy eating and drinking something while they undid the car and the cookies at the end to eat as a treat.

The next morning they came out and had to unwrap their car.  My brother in law wasn't very happy with us!  And then to find out he doesn't like root beer, we should have gotten sprite or coke!

But that was so fun!  Of course I didn't think to take a camera with me, it was the first time I had ever done anything like that!  And I haven't done anything quite like that since.  Thanks Trevor for taking me!

Monday, October 04, 2010

Slice of Life # 20~ The Harvest

The Harvest time always seems to be a bitter sweet time for me.  I grew up watching my parents and grandparents doing it, and have canned and made fruit leather myself before I was married. I even made some Jam a few years ago, and more recently when I went to visit my grandmother last year she helped me use all my dry beans and can them so that they were ready to use. And I am proud to say that I have used  all the bottles of beans that we canned last year.  I have found that I like to have the beans canned as it saves a step later when I want to use them.  I love getting fresh fruits and vegetables.

One of the reasons I don't can much right now is I live in a small apartment with 4 little kids ranging from almost age 5 down to twins that are 20 months old.  And I don't own my own equipment to do it.  Last year when I did some with grandma, she had all the stuff and there was plenty of people around to watch my kids while I was working on it ( a year ago the twins were only 9 months old).

The other reason that I don't do it right now with the ages of my kids and small space is because of a fear that happened with a canning accident when I was in the 3rd grade, now this is from my memory, and even though I was at school when it happened, it did effect me and my family.  I guess right now I just want to record this so that I don't ever forget it.

It was the day after labor day and I had gone to school like any other day.  My lunch recess usually allowed me to see my little sister Emily as she came for afternoon kindergarten.   This day I had saved my cucumbers from my school lunch to give to her since she loved cucumbers, but she didn't show up.  When I got home from school, Sister Dunn (a neighbor) was there doing laundry and told me that my sister had an accident and was at the hospital.  I was to later learn, that she had gotten up on to the table and asked to help my mom with canning.  Mom told her no and to go back outside and play in the back yard with the other kids.  She had gotten up to the table right by were my Mom had a electric crock pot keeping her lids hot for canning.  So Emily got down but got down on the other side of the chair then where she had gotten up.  She tripped over the cord and it brought the crock pot down on top of her.  The scolding hot water missed her head and her hands.  She had 2nd to 3rd degree burns all over her body.  She spent 3 weeks in the burn unit at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.  They shaved off her hair to take skin from her scalp for skin graft.  I seem to remember her hair grew back a lot prettier then it was before.  She had a lot of treatments for a couple of years, but has grown up and has a family of her own now.  I am grateful for the quick thinking of my mother and her friend who was their helping her that day.  Mom hasn't let this stop her from canning and teaching us to can.

So as you can see from that story, I have a fear of canning with little kids around.  But I am sure as I move into a home and can plant a garden of my own, that I will over come that fear.

Until next week.

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Monday, September 27, 2010

Slice of Life #19 - "Get Into My Car"

The year is 1993 and I was 15 when I started to learn to drive my dad would take me to large empty parking lots and have me practice on a Sunday afternoons.  We would use his car which was a Pontiac but I don't remember what model.  And then as it got closer to getting my license we used the Nissan mini-van that we owned.  Of course a month before I got my licences they sold the mini-van and got a large blue suburban.  Which I drove a lot.

But the month before I was to turn 16 in 1994, My grandfather had some health issues and gave up his drivers license.  That summer, my sister and I moved in my my grandparents, since my parents were moving into a small 3 bedroom apartment and with 6 girls it just wasn't going to work.  So I got to drive grandpa's car.  He had  a 1984 Century.

In Oct 1994 I was in a car accident that wasn't my fault and totalled the car.  He then bought this 1986 Ford Taurse with all the bells and wistels.  I drove that until I left on my mission and while I was gone it died.

When I got home from my mission I bought my first car.  A 1999 Toyota Corolla.  I loved that car!  Of course I had driven Corollas on my mission.  We sold this car in Jan 2009, just before the twins were born because we couldn't fit 4 kids in it.  We bought a 1998 Dodge Caravan.  And it is alright to drive, not my favorite.

 What  I would really like to drive is a 8 passenger Toyota Sienna.  I love the space in that thing.  One day  That is my dream car right now. And someday that may change.

We own a 1994 Honda Civic and I have never driven it.  Dan got it when he got home from his mission in 1994.  It is still running good and he plans to drive  it until it dies.  The reason I have never driven it, is I have never learned to drive a stick.  My dad bought his first stick in about 15 years when I bought my Corolla.  So I never learned, as I had my car and never needed to borrow Dad's car.  And with 4 kids under the age of 5 it is hard to get out and have Dan teach me.  Maybe someday we can still do it.

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Slice of life #18 ~ Random Picture day

This weeks Slice of Life is Random Picture day.  Because I seem to have lost a scrapbook with a lot of my old pictures from me as a child (think it is in one of the boxes that I haven't ever unpacked).  I chose a picture that I had scanned into my computer.  This is when I was about 10 day old.   I was born at 28 weeks and my twin sister Lynnette didn't make it.  I weighted in at 1 lbs 14 ozs and 12 inches long.  I was in the hospital for 12 weeks after I was born before my parents could take me home.  This is how my Mom and Dad got to hold me  at first.
There is a story about my birth.  My parents were living in Rexburg, ID when they found out they were having twins.  They found out about 2 weeks before we were born.  My Mom was going into labor just after Mother's Day and the Dr's knew they didn't have the set up to handle preemie babies(remember this was 1978) so they sent her by ambulance to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.    The only ambulance that was available was a brand new one that had no radio.  The ambulance goes speeding down I-15 to Salt Lake City, and the Highway Patrol is trying to get a hold of them to find out what the emergency was,  and can't because there was no radio.  So the Highway Patrol thought it was a stolen ambulance.  And they then got enough cops there to surround the ambulance south of Pocatello or so.  When they found out what was going on, they called a helicopter from Salt Lake City to come and get my parents.  They got my parents to the hospital and I was born at 10:10am.  My parents had lost a baby just nine months before I was born, so when they told my mom that there was a good chance I wasn't going to survive, she just knew that I was going to.  I have 4 younger sister that were born in the 7 years after I was born, and my mother was on bed rest for most of her pregnancies to help them from coming early.  When I was born my lungs were not fully developed, and I have a hearing loss and wear hearing aids in both ears that is said to be a side effect of being born so early.

It has been 32 years since this day, and I am grateful, that the medicine and technology was around to help keep me here on this earth, even though it has come a long ways in the last 32 years as well.

Ruth & Irene 7 days old
In Jan 2009 when I gave birth to my twins, my husband didn't want to be in the room with me.  He didn't like the thought of them cutting me open for a c-section, I was privileged to have my Mom in the operating room with me, and I think she enjoyed getting to see the birth of the next generation of twins, born from one of her twin daughters.  I love you Mom and Dad, Thanks for being there for me!

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Slice of Life # 17~ Chores

This weeks Slice of Life prompt is chores.


When I was about 14 my Dad decided that all of us were old enough to start cooking some of the meals and doing our own laundry.  My Mom had gone back to school, and to help ease the burden he wanted us all to do two things besides our normal chores.  We were to each have a night to cook dinner and we each had a day that we did our laundry.  My Dad told us that he wanted us to learn to cook things other then Mac and Cheese, Hot Dogs and Raman!  Since there was 6 girls we each had a night and Mom and Dad cooked on Sunday.  If we couldn't do our assigned day then we had to get one of the other girls to trade with us.  Our laundry day was on a different day from our dinner cooking night, so that we could get homework done and stuff.  If we didn't do our laundry on our day then we had to ask the person who's day it was if we could do a load with their stuff.  I think it worked out pretty well.  I am glad my dad came up with this plan so that we could all learn.  My youngest sister was 8 at the time and I am the oldest of my sisters and I was 14, and my foster sister was 15.  Sweet times.  Now I wish my kids were old enough to do this with, but I know in time they will be and I am going to do this with them.

P.S. The pictures were taken off line!  My dishes never looked that good!

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Monday, September 13, 2010

How old are you?

This is Irene, she is 20 months old.  Saturday night was a rough night for sick kids in our house.  First Irene came and climbed in bed with me at 1:30am and then her big brother Dillon joined us shortly after.  Then my 3 year old daughter came in at 2am crying because she had wet her bed.  I get up and help her and try to get Dillon and Jennilyn back in bed with a lot of fighting and when I got up I though Irene had gone back to sleep on my bed.  While I was trying to get Jennilyn and Dillon back to bed and going to sleep, I notice the TV coming on in my room.  Irene had gotten a hold of the remote and turned on the TV and Blue Ray player and was watching the credits of Star Trek (the newest one) and she was just laying on my pillows watching with the remote in hand.  I took her to her bed and she went right back to sleep.

I just had to laugh that a 20 month old little girl could figure out the remote and just lay down and watch the movie that was in.  Funny little girl!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Slice of life # 16~ Jobs

This weeks Slice of Life is Jobs.

I started working when I was 14.  Cleaning house for a neighbor.  And I have had many jobs sense then.

But I think the crazies time is when I worked 3 part time jobs the Summer of 1996.   The day after graduation I had to be to my first day on the job at 12 noon after being up all night with the High school graduation party.  I worked as a bagger at Smith's food and drug store.  Then I was hired at Madsen dry cleaner in Provo across the street from BYU, I was a shirt presser.  Then I worked doing secretarial work and house cleaning for my neighbor that I had started working for when I was 14.  I did this from May 30~ Oct 15 when I left for college in Phoenix, AZ.  That was one busy summer.  It seems like I was never home, because I was always at work.  But as a bagger, I got to help Marie Osmond out to the car with her groceries, and then in 1999 when I worked at Harmon's grocery story I got to check out Steve Young the football player.  I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to work and help pay my way through school and my mission.  Now that I am a stay at home mom, I miss the friendship and change of pace that work gave me.  Now it seems all I do is take care of the house and kids and I never get to go out and meet new people.  But maybe in the future that will be an option again.

Until next time.
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Thursday, September 02, 2010

Look A Like meters

My cousins wife did this, so I decided to see what it said about our kids!
I thought it was interesting that Dillon was 17% more like me.  Jennilyn 3% more like Dan, and the twins wow, Ruth was 6% more like Dan and Irene was 6% more like me!  Crazy!

Burke Look-alike Meter - Burke Web Site
Burke Look-alike Meter - Burke Web Site
Burke Look-alike Meter - Burke Web Site

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Geneology

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Slice of Life # 15~ School Daze

This weeks Slice of Life prompt is about school.  My oldest starts his 2nd year of Preschool tomorrow.  And the School District still hasn't called to tell me what time they are picking him up.  But that is not my story.  I have a memory that I am pretty proud of in high school.

I was a sophomore in high school and I was in a world history class.  I don't remember who my teacher was, but it was a male teacher.  We had a history torment for a mid-term review in prep for the mid term.  The class was divided into two groups and then we each took turns answering the questions.  I had studied hard, but I tend to forget things when I am under pressure and being put on the spot.  I made it to the 2nd round and then for the final round I was the last one left in my group.  I ended up beating the other team with the winning question being answered. For my prize I got an A on the mid term and I got to play hooky during class the next day while the class was taking the mid term.  I have always been pretty proud of the Title of History Queen that my teacher gave me.  And you held the title until the end of the school year.   Until next week!

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Saturday, August 28, 2010

I love to see the Temple!

Yesterday, Dan and I were getting ready to leave for the temple when, Jennilyn told us that she wanted to go to the temple too.  Dan told her she had to wait 9 more years until she was 12.  She then climbed in my lap and said "I want to go to the temple to, Mommy" I told her she couldn't go.  She then told us again she wanted to go to the temple, so I told her we would go tomorrow to the temple and she said ok.







This morning we got up and we got everyone ready.  We rode Trax to Temple Square, as two kids under the age of 6 can ride free with a paid adult.  so we figured it would cost us about the same to drive and park as it would to take Trax.  The kids loved riding Trax.  We got to Temple Square and we met up with Marj Condor, a sister in my ward and a bunch of others.  We were early, so we had to wait for the Church History Museum opened.  We then went in and saw the "I am a Child of God" exhibit, that is getting ready to close down this next week.  Marj and helped to design the exhibit, so it was fun to listen to some of her facts about it.  The kids had fun playing in there.

We then walked over to Temple Square and took some pictures with the temple.  Then we got on Trax and rode it home.  Irene feel asleep on the way, but she was up really early.

We had fun.  Thanks Marj for inviting us to join you there to see the exhibit.  I think we will have to do this more often with the kids.

Enjoy the Slide show of some of our pictures!

Monday, August 23, 2010

It was Hot!

I saw this baby bird fall in to the bike tires on Saturday.  It was so hot that Dan could see it panting.  The bird and lost energy.  We left it alone and when we came back from the park it was gone.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Slice of Life # 14 ~ Snakes

I don't like snakes!  


But I do  have a story for snakes.  Two years ago we had been unemployed for 6 months and had to make the decision to move from Hudson, WI to Spokane, WA and move in with my in-laws as this was just months before the government extended the unemployment benefits and ours was running out.  We rented a big U-Hall for the move.  We made the trip with no incidents, but when we went to unload things out of the truck.  I noticed that there was a hole in our box spring that hadn't been there when we loaded it up.  But we didn't think anything about it until later that day when my sister-in-law Shawnda found a snake in the family room.  They grabbed a large garbage can and put over it.  It was just a garden snake.  They took it out to the garden and let it go.  That night my sister-in-law Stephanie was sleeping on the family room floor and she was attacked by a mouse that jumped every were.  This mouse was not a native to Spokane.  All we can figure is that some how the snake and the mouse got into our stuff and got moved into the house.  Since Stephanie wouldn't let her mom kill the thing it escaped and was never found again, but was heard in the walls from time to time.

If you want to read other stories on snakes or would like to share your snake story with us please join us here.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Meet Brian & Sarah

I want you to meet Brian & Sarah.




Sarah and I meet her first Sunday at church when she had just moved to Phoenix, AZ in Oct 1997.  I was asked to give her a ride home from church by the Bishop, and was glad to do so.  She lived in an apartment complex across the street from mine.  She had non-LDS roommates and had trouble with some of them so she would come hang out at my place.  In Feb 1999 Brian moved into the ward.  Sarah and I become roommates in 1998.  Brian and Sarah started dating in 1999 while I was on my mission and got married in Feb 2000.  They were blessed to be able to have their son Nathan who is now 9.  But, they have been unable to have more children.  They would like to have more kids, and their son Nathan keeps asking when he is going to get a sibling.  


If you know someone who is considering adoption, could you please, as delicately as possible lead them to these wonderful people.


To learn more about them please go to ItsAboutLove.org.  And look for Brian and Sarah.


Or you can go to Here to read their Facebook Group page.


We love you guys and our prayers are with you!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Sacrament Meeting

A co-worker of my husbands sent this onto him and I loved it.  I am going to try and find this picture of our home.  I hope you enjoy! 


Sacrament Meeting


 I just kept getting goosebumps looking at this!!! It is beautiful!


"This painting was unique from its very beginning. It would be great if I could take credit for the composition and message it conveys but in my mind, that would be like Moses taking credit for bringing water from the stone in the desert.


"Usually when I have an idea for a painting it starts as a simple seed and it grows as I play with the image in my mind, moving the characters around, imagining the lights and shadows, the values and the colors, eventually deciding on its composition after what might be weeks or even months of pondering and sketches, but this painting was different. There was no seed, no moving of characters, it was totally different.


"I was sitting in church on a Sunday afternoon as the Sacrament was being passed and bang, there it was, the image was instantaneously placed before my mind's eye just as you see it here. This experience has happened to me only three times and it has been very special each time." 
-Doc Christensen


       

-- 
 "He lives, my one sure rock of faith, 
The one bright hope of men on earth" from the hymn "My Redeemer Lives" lyrics by President Gordon B. Hinkley 

"If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today, I still have a dream."
--Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible." --Christopher Reeve