Signs of Spring and Alan custom farming

Signs of Spring

Here is what is left of Morgan & Andrew's snow tunnell/slide they made when they were up for Easter

Pictures taken Today. I suppose we still are a few weeks away from farming the fields in Ashton.

Finaly some green showing And the first flower

Custom Farming

Bracken and Me drilling grain at Picabo, ID (just about 35 minutes south East from Sun Valley)

Probably the nicest area for scenery we have farmed except for the Squirrel area in Ashton

Bracken unloading extra seed from the seed tanks into a truck. These tanks will hold 270 bu. of seed, which is the amount of a single axel dump truck. This can keep us going for 120 to 190 acres before refilling depending on seeding rates.

I Needeth it to be Warmeth!

I have started walking and I try to go every day, six days a week, but today I looked outside and thought "I can't do it." A blinding whiteout. Yesterday, I walked in the rain and wind; Tuesday in the cold - but no wind; Monday in the cold and wind. When I say cold, I mean it never gets above 35 degrees. Right now, it is 32, and I'm not budging.

I bought a pedometer to measure how many steps I walk and the distance. It clips on my waistband. Yesterday, I got three miles away from home in the wind and rain and because it was sooooo cold and humidity has an effect on me (it causes my muscles to constrict) and because I have a bladder the size of a walnut anyway, I needed a potty break. I looked around and nobody was coming either way - I'm out in the middle of nowhere - of course nobody is coming! And because I was about to have an accident I decided to go right there. I was really nervous, and I couldn't get to my sweatpants because my parka and gloves were hindering me and I finally had to rip my coat and gloves off and then I could pull my pants down. What a relief! When I finished I pulled up my pants, readjusted coat and gloves and was on my way back home - another three miles. I got a little ways down the road when I decided to check my pedometer. NO PEDOMETER! I stopped and looked around and decided it must have flipped off when I so urgently pulled down my pants. I went back and couldn't see it anywhere. A pickup passed me and I know they were wondering what I was doing peering so intently at a place on the side of the road. Who cares. Then I thought, "it must have worked off as I was walking," so I decided to stay on the same side of the road which I had just walked and look for it all the way home. I was serious about getting my pedometer back. Once I thought I saw it in some grass, but it turned out to be the shiny bottom of a crushed pop can. I wondered if someone had run over it and crushed it like a worm. Aas I came over each little hill, I thought that I would see it, but alas, it was not found. I thought as I was walking the last little way, "Did I even get out of the house with it? It probably fell off at home when I went to the bathroom before I left." When I got home I checked everywhere, but I couldn't find it. I was feeling bad, because: 1) I wouldn't be able to find out how many steps I had taken, 2) I was attached to my little pedometer and it had somehow become my little friend on my long walks and now it was laying out at the side of the road somewhere, alone and scared, wondering if I would ever come and find it, and 3) I would have to spend another $20 on a new one that probably would never measure up to my first one. I ate lunch alone and then went to practice the organ for about two hours. I went to the mail and the library and then came home. I cleaned some rooms and did some laundry, then Zack came home and I went visiting teaching. I know, you're wondering if I ever took a shower, well I didn't because I was in too much of a hurry. So last night, as I undressed to have a shower, I heard a familiar little rattling. What? I twisted and pulled the waistband of my pants around and there hooked on to the very back of my pants was my pedometer. And it had faithfully measured every step I took yesterday. I was so glad to see it, my little friend was back (Pun intended). I believe in my hurry to get my pants down yesterday at the three mile mark, I inadvertently slid the pedometer to my backside. Yay!, a happy ending to my day.

Now I've been told that I must answer some questions as part of a tag from Julie. I'm not sure I can remember so far back, but I'll try. Some of these could be embarassing.

1. Who do you love?

I love Alan, yes I do.

Morgan, Zack, and Andrew too.

And of course, I love Leah Jane,

My little smoocheroo

2. How long have you been married? I have been married for 25 years. Who'd a thunk it?

3. Who said "I love you" first. I don't remember this very clearly. I do remember asking Alan if he was falling in love with me once while we were dating. Looooong Awwwwkwaaard Paaauuuuse. I can't remember his answer, but I remember thinking, "I'm so stupid!"

4. How long did you date? Alan and I started dating in January and got engaged in October and got married in December. All in one year.

5. Where did he propose? Who said he proposed? JK. At my apartment in Logan. It was supposed to be at Temple Square the night before, but when we got to Temple Square it was closed. I think it took Alan by surprise that his plans went awry, so he just proposed the next night after USU beat BYU at the homecoming football game.

6. Who is taller? Alan and I are the same height.

7. Who is smarter? I know he thinks he is. Really, we're both smart in very different ways.

8. Who does the laundry. I do and Alan does. I wish he wouldn't, because his laundering methods are so bad for my clothes. At least he sorts into lights and darks now. It's the filthy grimey levis and my church skirts and tops all in one load that get me bothered.

9. Who pays the bills? I used to when everything was on paper and no computers, but Alan does now. It's complicated.

10. Who mows the lawn? I mow the lawn. It is something I am very particular about. It needs to be done by an expert and I am the expert.

11. Who cooks dinner. I cook. Too scarey to think of Alan cooking anymore. Alan can cook breakfast foods. He likes cooking crepes, pancakes, German pancakes, eggs and toast.

12. Who drives? We both drive. I'm glad that I don't have a husband who insists on driving all the time. Sometimes it is just better if I drive and he sleeps. You know what I like? When I look over at him and he is asleep. He knows me and trusts me to take care of us.

13. So now I will tag Stacy and Rebecca, my sisters-in-law. Just answer the same questions, or make up some of your own if these don't apply to those you choose.

Quotes from a Pretty Good Movie

I went to the library and found a movie I had seen once but wanted to see again. I get to keep the movie for a week, so I can take my time and watch it. A funny but sad movie too, because you just feel the pain. Anyway, two quotes that made me go back and watch them again and again.
1. "This corn is like an angel."
And
2. "You are a murderer of love!"
What's the movie?

Such Doings!

Today is Friday, and Alan has left for Southern Idaho. He has lots of fields to drill and is very busy. Zack has only one month of school left.

Today after school Zack is going to Rexburg to choose a tux for prom. He will also need to order a wrist corsage for his date. Her dress is a royal blue and so I think he could get a one with hot pick roses, or yellow or even peach. Whatever, I guess he needs to ask her what she would like. Any ideas from you guys on what he could do for a fun date that day?

May 29th is Zack's graduation night. We heard last night that he will recieve the Farm Bureau Scholarship. We're happy that he is graduating. College is another subject. He has been accepted to BYUI for Winter/Summer track (unacceptable) and so we have some things to work out. Anyway the graduation is coming up and we will send out the announcements with pictures. We are excited about that. We know it is a bad weekend for family being able to come - just a few days after Memorial Day , aka my birthday.
News on the another front: I have been called to be our Ward's new Primary President. I haven't been in primary for years - I think 15. So it will be an adjustment. I don't have too many ideas, because I'm so unfamiliar with the programs. I kn0w there are baptisms, achievement days, scouts, faith in God, primary programs; all of which cause me anxiety, but I hope it will be a good calling that I can really come to love and enjoy. I don't know many of the children in our ward, so it will be fun to get to know and love them.

Another position I have been asked to fill: President of the Sariah camp of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers in Fremont county Idaho. Not as excited about this one. they really took me off guard. I was visited at my house by a bunch of older ladies who all yakkedy yakd about DUP and how I would be a good president because they had all taken a turn and they needed someone young to do it. Young? So I unenthusiastically said ok. Then they said it would be for two years and could I please get a fundraiser going? How do I get myself into these things? I'm such a sucker for old ladies in polyester pants and gray permed hair.
So, that's that!

May promises to be a busy month. Lots of things to do and commitments to keep.

I'm Writing This with a Little Tear in My Eye.

Yes, of course, something like this was bound to happen. I took six settings of china, the Lenox , six gohlets, six nice beautiful napkins, and six settings of my beautiful silverware down to the church today and I set up a table for the mutual etiquette dinner. Everything looked beautiful and so did all of the other table settings. I went home and Zack went down to the church. At about 8:10, I decided to go down and gather up my table settings just to make sure I got everything home with me. The evening had gone well, and the dishes were being washed and sorted. I got my box and started packing all my things. And - one of my teaspoons was missing. My sterling silver teaspoon! They asked what it looked like and I said(very calmly, but seriously), "it looks like all these other silver spoons in my hand. " They said Julie hadn't worried about hers too much when they couldn't find one of her forks, because she said she could go to Kmart and get some others. They looked at me and I wasn't smiling. I said mine didn't come from Kmart, they were my mother's silverware given to me and it was sterling. All the adults got in a tizzy and started going through the garbage, they even went out and got one bag of garbage out of the dumpster, that they had taken out. They searched high and low. They said they would find it, and they would call me. It's funny how a thing like that can upset you so much, that you think you might say or do something that might offend. I felt almost shock leaving the church knowing I didn't have one of mom's spoons. It made me feel awfully bad. As I drove home, I thought about it and I realized that earlier I had been glad to share my table settings with the mutual. I know I can get another teaspoon on ebay, and I don't think that the price of the spoon is worth having a fit about. Yes, I feel bad, but I would feel worse if I told them "no," I can't share my stuff with anyone because it is too important, or if had been one of the adults in charge of the dinner where a beautiful cherished spoon was lost by me. I hope they can find it, and I know that they really feel bad about it, but now I have to reassure them that my good will does not hinge on my teaspoons, even if they were my mother's. The silverware is beautiful, and mom bought it with the intent to use it and love it. I use it and I love it and I will offer again to share it with others. That's what it is for, to be beautiful and be shared. Now I'm going to go look on ebay for a teaspoon.

In Need of Some Table Setting Opinions

Tuesday night is an etiquette dinner for the YM and YW in our ward. It is supposed to be a very nice night and a very tasty meal. I have been asked to bring down place settings of china for six and to set a table with dishes, crystal and flatware and a centerpiece. Since I have four different china patterns at my house, I can't decide which pattern I like best for the night. I like them all and think they’re all very pretty. Help me decide which one to use by leaving a comment. Thank you.

This is china from Alan's grandmother. She gave it to me, but you know I already had my own and so I've boxed it up and put it in the basement for Zack if he wants it. This china is called Phoenix. You could say it is kind of Harry Potterish. These are my Franciscan Apple dishes. I only have plates and goblets. So I wouldn't be able to set even a salad plate. But they are nice, aren't they?

This is Morgan's Spode called "Chelsea Garden." It is so beautiful. Again, this china came from her great-grandmother. She has eight place settings, maybe ten. I can't remember.

This is my Lenox china called "Lacepoint." The pattern is real small so you may not be able to see it very well. It has gray, pink and green with a platinum edge. Beautiful green Lenox goblets go with it. Don't you like Mom's silverware with each pattern?

I thought you would like to see the beautiful pinkish linen tablecloth up close. It has never been used on a table, and I know this because it still has the sticker on it. It was upstairs tucked away in a drawer.

Thanks for helping.

This is how I remember them.

1. This was Seth when he was just three years old. He had been eating fried fish, but he thought it was chicken. Somebody told him it was chicken so he would eat it.

2. Whitney said this when her family was traveling home from Montana where they had been for Jim's grandpa'f funeral. Jim had got an armoir from his grandpa's estate and had tied it to the top of their car. Obviously Whitney got the armoir and the coffin mixed up and thought they had the "dead man" with them.

3. Madison said this when she was in Ashton for a visit with Jenny and Jim's family. The kids had been playing "Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites" which is a game that requires the getting of many golden plates in order to win. Somebody challenged Madi and got her gold plates. She started to flip out (she was still little then), and Jenny said she needed to sleep. She sobbed this as she was led out of the room. Very dramatic.

4. "I not Mr. Rogers. I Zachary!" Sara was admiring his nice red church sweater as we were in sacrament meeting in Ashton. She said, "It makes you look like Mr. Rogers." This was his indignant and very loud reply. Everyone heard and started to giggle.

5. "Fiberverks," was Rachel when she was about two years old. We were sitting on the front lawn of Lizzy's or Jenny's home in the subdivision and watching the Orangeville city firework display on July 4th. She was so excited and was just getting some of those big words down.

6. Morgan had a Skipper doll and was swishing her head-down in the ditch in front of our house. She was pretending the doll was swimming. The last time she came up headless and Morgan flipped out. By the time I got outside Skipper's head was long gone.

7. One of my favorite lines from Whitney was this one about the shrimper. We were down at grandpa's house in the bathroom and I was crimping Morgan's hair. Whitney came in and saw what we were doing and made these comments. She was so serious, and I just cracked up.

8. This was Zack. We were having a double birthday party with one cake for Grandma Baum and Zack whose birthdays are one day apart. She was supposed to blow out the candles first. She blew and blew but couldn't get them out. Grandma Baum is well-known for her gigantic sneezes that are disturbingly loud and whooshy. So Zack's smart comment when he was about eight or nine was "Why don't you just sneeze on our cake." Everyone laughed because we knew it would have worked.

9. Zack was about three or four when he said this. Zack and I were driving home from Rexburg and as we were going through Chester he just made this weird little comment.

10. Miranda was just little and had this cute little lisp and couldn't say her SS.
She asked me for a soda. I also liked the way she said Minnesota.

11. This was also Madison. I believe we were at Chuckarama saying good-bye to each other. It was either when Sara or Joshua came home from their mission. It was time for the Jorgensens to go and Madison got all dramatic and thought she wouldn't see any of us again.

12.This was Zack and is on one of our family tapes. He is about 2 1/2 and is trying to keep up with Morgan as they are playing in the snow in our backyard. He was really upset with her because she was teasing him so bad.

13. At our house on a hot summer day either Tenny or Miranda or both said this. Jenny was lured from the house and immediately got drenched by Whitney, Morgan and Leslie. Jenny was in it then. I have to say, Les is one of the strongest waterfighters I have ever encountered in action. She pushed me in the ditch and wouldn't let me up or out and I almost drowned. JK. I did get a cut on my nose because she hit my glasses with her water bucket. Those darn girls!

14. Remember Jr. Miss in Couer d'lene? Saturday night before the program and Alan and I were arguing and this is what he said to me, so I did. Remember the 10 ppoint turn Jenny?

Calling the devil was Banner. Morgan, Banner and some other children were driving with me from Orangevill when I saw a license plate with 666in front of us. I told Morgan that was a number for the devil and I would get it changed. After quite a while Banner's sweet little voice from the back of the car asked this question.

The other one was Whitney. We were doing the bikathon out to the swinging bridge and Whitney got tired. She got off her bike and was refusing to go any further. she sat down and said she was going to wait for her mother. Lizzy and I said she would have a long wait because her mother was not coming for hours. Her face was so resolute. She cracked me up. I think Ben and Morgan helped talk her into continuing. It turned out to be lots of fun. Our adventures always are, arent't they?

Hope you enjoyed my little stories. If you think of any, post them. I will too.

Add Ons

I just thought of two more that cracked me up. Who said:

1. "So, if you want to call the devil, you press 666?"

2. "I'm not going any further. I'm sitting right here til my mother comes."

Who Said That?

When some of you posted on your blogs funny things your kids said, I couldn't think of any funny things my kids had said, but last night at about 9:30 I started to remember a whole ton of funny things, not just my kids said, but neices and nephews too. So I thought I would put some of them on and see if you can guess them.

1. "I lika have some more of that kicken."

2. "Is the dead man in the box on our car?"

3. "I worked so hard to get those golden plates." (sobbing dramatically)

4. "I not Mr. Rogers!"

5. "Fiberverks!!!"

6. " Ahhh! Skipper's head is gone!"

7. "My mom has a shrimper too. She shrimped my hair."

8. "Why don't you just sneeze on our birthday cake?"

9. "This place smells like a bad taco."

10. "Aunt Shelley, I want a thoda."

11. "I'll never see them again." (sobbing dramatically)

12 "Don't run away. I'm your friend! Morgan!!!!" (Screaming)

13. "Banner fell in the ditch and we can't get her out!" (Screaming) This started one of the biggest water fights I've ever been in.

14. "Just get in the car and shut up!" (Technically, this was not a kid who said this, but that day he was acting like one.

Aunt Dorothy

Aunt Dorothy's funeral was today. She was married to Alan's great uncle (Oliver's brother). Aunt Dorothy was one of the nicest and refined ladies I've met. She was fun to visit and we loved her very much. She was born in December 1911 and so was 96 years old. I guess she was pretty frail the past few years. We haven't seen her since we went down to San Diego about four or five years ago. Bonnie and Ann and their families came for the funeral and it was nice to see some of Alan's second cousins.

These are Dorothy's daughters Anne and Bonnie (back left) and the rest are nieces and nephews

Grandkids and grand nieces and nephews

Alan , Stephanie (Jay's wife), Jay, Kris ,Steve(Teresa's Husband), Teresa

Janice, Renee, Kent

The funeral was held at the Methodist church and the crowd wasn't really big, just mostly family and close friends from their church. We had a chance to visit with the family last night and again today after the funeral. So good to see all of these people that we love so much. They were amazed at the amount of snow that is still here. For that matter, so are we. They will be leaving for California and Washington tomorrow and Sunday.

Tonight is the ward shrimp social. ALL you can eat shrimp. Wish you were all here to enjoy it with us. I'm baking 25 large potatoes for my assignment.