Halloween party at work (on Friday)

Someone actually came up to me and asked if I was the lunch lady! I nearly slapped them. I don't like dressing up in costumes anyway and when someone can't figure out Alice In Wonderland? Goodness sakes! Going out to Maren's on Monday so will be posting more Halloween pictures then.

Neal’s East High Study Group

Last night we went to Neal’s study group.  I thought it would be fun to take a picture or two of the group.  There were a few of them missing.  Stan and Barbara Owens, Jan and Bill Evans, Doug Miner,  Gil and Virginia Sanders and Steve and Tricia Stoker.  Also Joe and Kathy Wirthlin are on a church assignment in Europe.

Left to right:  Judy and Rick Parry, Mike and Joan Madsen, Bobbi and Rod Snow, Christi and Dick Kimball, Jim and Lynn Backman.  Front Row:  Neal and Ron and Jean Miya.

These are the East High Grads.  Back Row:  Mike Madsen, Rick Parry, Rod Snow, Jim and Lynn Backman

Front Row:  Neal, Dick Kimball and Ron Miya.

Another fun St. George Weekend!

Neal and Ron doing their very favorite thing – golfing.  The weather was absolutely perfect and the golfing superb!

Judy and I are a bit competitive with each other, which is good.  It isn’t often that I can out drive her but this was one of those rare and very exciting moments when we both had good drives from the tee and when we located our golf balls – mine was in the lead!

There is a story to this picture. Ron and Judy were already in St. George when we joined them a couple of days later. They had been having problems with the toilet flushing and Judy wanted to get a plumber over and get it fixed ‘right’. Ron felt like he could do it him self and didn’t need any assistance. Judy made he comment that maybe they would have to put a sign on the toilet letting people who might rent the condo from them, that they needed to hold the handle down until everything flushed down!  Ron took some offense by that comment and said he would get it fixed.  We left for golfing and when Judy and I went into the bathroom at the golf club house, there on the back of the toilet was a sign.  We busted up laughing and just had to take a picture of it to show Ron that, yes, people do leave signs on toilets! 

It was Ron’s 68th birthday so after golfing we went to the spaghetti place and had dinner.  I told the waitress that it was his 68th birthday and she said she would take care of it.  I had know idea what she had in mind until she brought a pizza in the shape of the numbers 68!  Fun time.  Happy birthday, Ron!

Another project finished

My new project started.  This music one actually is going to Julie Stringham, our choir director.

The twelve days of Christmas will probably eventually get framed and hang in my sewing room.

Our annual picnic at the park–planned by Lyndsy. A big thank you to Lyndsy for putting this together every year!

Mallory turns 13 and Andrew loses two front teeth!

We were invited out to Jeff and Lynda Ann’s for Mallory’s birthday dinner.  While we were there Andrew was proudly showing off the space between his teeth.  He has had quite interesting incidents with his baby teeth coming out.  He swallowed one, another fell out during school and the third he lost on his way to the park.  He also informed me that one of his teeth was under his pillow for three nights before the tooth fairy found it!  In fact, he said he quit checking after the third morning and Emmi had to press him to go check just one more time when he finally found the tooth fairy had finally came.  Boy, she must have been really, really busy all those nights!  Good thing Andrew man is patient!

Three girls on scooters

Tucker sent me this picture and I loved it. I just had to add it to my blog. Cute picture of three darling girls.

One of Neal’s favorite things:

Cookies right out of the oven on a cold night after teaching all day.  These are oatmeal, coconut.  Neal doesn’t really love oatmeal, but I notice that they go down just as fast as plain ol’ chocolate chip cookies.  Variety is good.

My visiting teaching October packages ready to deliver

If you remember, I mentioned that each month I will take around a goodie with the recipe attached and the visiting teaching message attached to give to my four inactive sisters. This was the October goodie.

By the way, this is a great recipe and it turned out delicious and very festive looking.

Lila Mae’s 80th birthday lunch and shopping

We met at The Cheesecake Factory for lunch.  Susan and Sara are down at the end but both refuse to have their pictures taken.  Susan has been that way for as long as I can remember and I guess Sara has taken up her mother’s cause.  Susan had asked me about a good present for her mother’s 80th birthday and I suggested she get all of her siblings together and have a professional photo taken.  But that idea went right down the drain.  Lila Mae’s kids and pictures just don’t seem to work. 

We had a great lunch and Neal, who kind of crashed the party, ended up paying for all the lunches which was very nice and very generous. 

No one was hungry for dessert but we had to have one piece of chocolate cake to celebrate.  All the waiters and waitresses joined with us in singing Happy Birthday to Lila.  After lunch we headed for Quilted Bear, then ShopKo and then home.  It was such a fun day.  Happy Birthday to my dear sister, Lila Mae.  I LOVE you!!!

This was Emmi at Quilted Bear.  She found these hand puppets and we just had to snap a picture of the alligator going after the turtle. 

Our first snow storm of the season

The snow actually hit the valley floor.  It didn’t leave much, but you can see by the Mt. Olympus that it was quite a storm.  It is always amazing to me how the weather in Utah can go from 70+ degrees one day and 30+ degrees the next day.  Burrrr – and out comes the winter wardrobe.  Doesn’t this seem early to you?

Sad, sad day for Mallory

Annie called me yesterday to let me know that Pudge, Mallory's guinea pig, passed away on Sunday night. What a sad day. Annie said that Abby was the best little support for Mallory. Abby was the one who actually picked up Pudge and gently laid him in the prepared material lined shoebox. Pudge has been buried in a special spot in the back yard.

I remember when Spook, Lynda Ann's parakeet, died. We had gone to Lake Powell and when we got back Spook was lying on the bottom of the bird cage. It was a sad time. We had Spook for years. She was a very friendly parakeet. When the kids would come home from school they would always say, "Hello Spook". Spook soon learned to say that herself and you would often hear her saying, "Hello Spook" over and over. We tried to teach her to say, "Oh no, it's the Bishop." But we never succeeded. Spook would fly freely around the house. She would ride on our finger or our shoulder. When the kids were in the shower she would pace along the top of the shower wanting to fly in with them. One time she actually did and got soaked. We had to dry her off very carefully. She loved to jump on our toothbrush while brushing our teeth and ride up and down, back and forth. She also loved to fly onto the table after we were through eating and go from plate to plate pecking at the food. We all loved that parakeet and like Mallory, Lynda Ann was very sad when she died of old age.

Mallory, I think that there is a special place in Heaven for animals and especially those that we took care of and loved.

Taylor Judy turns eleven years old!

Neal and I road out to Greg and Maren’s between conference sessions to give Taylor her birthday card and money and to wish her a happy birthday in person.  Happy Birthday Taylor – we love you!

Our Saturday adventured continued:

Coming down from the cave.  It s always nice when people are willing to stop and take a picture for you.

We had a wonderful time hiking and picnicking in the canyon.  Jeff and Neal hurried off to play 9 holes at Forest Dale before the Priesthood Session.  Annie and the kids and I headed to RC Willey, Costco and then home.  When the men got home we played a round of the four handed game, which Annie won, and then the Gertsons waved goodbye and headed home.  Thanks, Annie, for planning a very, very fun day.