On the road again.....

....or I should say, in the sky again....or leavin' on a jet plane....whatever. I'm outta here and I get a little giddy thinkin' about headin' to the old airport (wish it were the new St. George airport...that definitely is in my future but for now,) a quick jaunt to Vegas and I always breath a sigh of relief as soon as I get my window seat, buckle up and settle in for a long winters nap....actually a 3 1/2 hour flight to Loo..vul. I find myself wondering what I should do....should I knit a sock....read a book....sleep....talk to my neighbor? The possibilities are endless and I've actually done all of that at one time or another, so I take plenty of options along with me. I've downloaded a couple of new reads on my Kindle, got a couple of knitting projects and I make sure to sit on the side so my "good ear" is to the person next to me just in case I do choose to chat (usually I don't but I like to leave the option open). Whatever I choose to do, the flight goes fairly quickly and I have to say, I never get tired of gazing out the window and wondering what city I'm flying over....or just wondering. It's a good time to take three and a half hours just to wonder. I've enjoyed my 3 or 4 trips a year to Louisville for the last 9 years...many of those, being able to visit 2 of my sons and their families....

....but we're winding down. I'm on my last 2 or 3 visits there (that is if I make it back for Thunder)....but it's a good thing. We all must move on eventually.....so I will enjoy this visit, as I have the others and start my "good byes" to a place I've come to love to visit. Loo-vul....you'll always be a part of me. Lots of good times and good memories.

Tea for two...

.....and two for tea, yesterday..... it was Joyce and me...(did you catch the rhyme in there?) We ventured down to a little place called "Desert Dove Tea Room" because I had met the owner, Sharon Tuttle, the night before at Book Club. (Please clickity click HERE to learn more about my new friend). She is a lovely lady and Joyce and I had such a wonderful couple of hours, enjoying a light lunch and then meandering about her little restaurant/tea shop. Ingrid was our waitress and delightful to meet as well. This definitely is a place I would like to hang out at each day. When we first entered, I was totally in awe of all the the tea cups and saucers and the tea pots that lined the walls. I've always loved the idea of "tea parties" and as Sharon pointed out many times and it's definitely her philosophy in this little Mormon community....."it's not about the beverage, it's about the friendship"... and I totally agree. There's many times I've sat down with little girls for a "tea party".... either pouring punch in their little cups or just pretending. It's the "sitting down together" that was important and the chat and friendship shared across the table that makes it a tea party. I still love the little brown table I have downstairs that served up many a tea party when I was a child with a little glass tea set that my mom had when she was little. I still love sending my little ones downstairs to "sip a little tea" or, as I say now, "play restaurant".
*************************
Here's Mason and Ashley Ence having their own little "tea party". I figure anything set on a little table with little kids could be a called that......(Mason doesn't really read my blog, just likes the old pictures so this one's for you Mase)....

......and like Sharon said, it's not about the beverage....it's about the friendship so go out there and find a friend and have yourself a "tea party".

I know it's true....

....that you should never try a new recipe when you have to take it to an event but I broke that rule tonight; sure enough, it looked terrible (the picture is what it's supposed to look like) but my, was it yummy......even if I do say so myself so I'm gonna tell you a little bit about it and you for sure will be wanting to try it. Actually, I think I'll make it again tomorrow. So....a while back, Kyle introduced me to brie cheese (HERE) and I ran across this recipe while I was "blog hoppin' " the other night so I decided I would try it for Book Club (we were reviewing the book "The Food Nanny" and we were supposed to bring our favorite recipe) so I decided this would be my favorite recipe. I saw the cheese at Costco today for five bucks and the puff pastry was at Harmon's ('cept I got the wrong kind but didn't know it until I got ready to make the recipe) so I had to run over again and get the right kind which put me a bit late....then I had to get it defrosted....long story short...I didn't get the dough defrosted good enough and it didn't come up around the round of cheese so the cheese spilled out a bit. This is what mine looked like, but I'm not going to give up. You cut the round of brie cheese in half and put a mixture of fresh pears and cranberries that have been cooked with water and brown sugar then wrap it with the puff pastry. I thought it would need some crackers, like a dip but not so. It was more like a pie. Oh, so good..... clickty click HERE if you would like the recipe.
*******************
I actually have been starting to cook a little more lately. I've been putting something in my little crock pot a couple of times a week and that seems to get me through. The Food Nanny's book is about the joy of dining together each night and the value it is to the welfare of the family. She says..."Each person deserves a meaningful dinnertime - even if you're cooking only for yourself. The aromas of dinner cooking can permeate your home every night. I believe this is the most important thing you can do for you and your family each day." Clickity click HERE if you want to learn more about The Food Nanny. Some good ideas....and very true. My favorite meal as a kid was my mom's Tuna Casserole. What's yours?

"It do hurt"....

....was I sure I heard that? I listened again and for a second time, one of the football players on the New York Jets tonight said that at the after-game interview...."It do hurt"....and I'm sure it does. It's gotten me thinkin' about a few things in my life that "do hurt" and I've realized that often times those hurts do "define" us for a time but it should be our goal to make sure that in the end, life's trials and disappointments ultimately "refine" us. As the boys played baseball in their younger years, it got quite competitive at times...in fact, in the really early years when just playing the game should have been the most important part, it was a pretty huge feat to "beat the Gulls".....and from that point on, winning became the most important part of the game. Good thing we had, or at least it seemed, more wins than losses in their short careers but there were many times they came home with that same sentiment...."It do hurt!" and it wasn't a pretty sight around our house. As in sports....so is life. We want "the win"...but it doesn't always come. Scott always said that a loss once in a while "builds character". When he coached, he'd always tell the kids..."I'll never get mad if you'll just do your best." That's all....have a good week.

"Play hard, play tough, have fun....go Rangers" (Hey, what did the photographer tell you guys to say here? Just wondering.....)

..been seein' a lot of UFOs lately...

(Un - Finished Objects)...and today I decided to do a bit o' housecleaning and rearranging and deciding to get my life in order...um...I'm not gonna go that far but I have decided to make a "pact" (with myself, I guess, I hate to call it a resolution and "goal" just sounds too ominous) to get started on finishing a bunch of these poor, neglected projects. As I've said before, when it comes to crafts, I always get excited about starting something new but I'm definitely not a "finisher" (I actually finish a lot of things so I need to give myself some credit) and I need to decide to either finish them or throw them away (out of sight, out of mind). I'm also doing a little "blog-cleaning" today as I have a bunch of stuff on my computer desktop that I've been meaning to blog about. This week I've found myself wondering again why I blog....which question has led me to some professional bloggers (click HERE and HERE and HERE for just a few of them) that I've really enjoyed getting to know and it's helped me realize that I pretty much blog for the same reasons they do....a creative outlet; for me it's someone (I mean something) to talk to and I'm here to tell you that on any given day, week, or month, no one asks me how I feel and don't we all want that? (Maybe you don't but I do).... Just someone once in a while to say..."so, how do you feel about that"...and on a blog, you can state exactly how you feel, what you are thinking and it's out there, and then you can be "done" with it. Loved this article: "Why I Can't Stop Reading Mormon Housewife Blogs"....

...this made me laugh and it has been on my desktop for a while and since my sense of humor got severed during my last C-section, I do take great pleasure in the few things in life that make me laugh, and this is one of them. I found it on this site called "Cake Wrecks" I check this site periodically when I need something to smile about...and it very easily could have been me that took that cake order!!!! I'll be the first to admit that I'm "losing it"....slowly, but surely so I'm also making a pact to write my "mem-wars" this year. If I die and you're wondering where they are, please go to My Documents and it will be listed under "Things I Remember Now".....and I'm not sure why I'm feeling the urgency to get this done. I'll tell you later, maybe it's because I've been reading histories of my ancestors, I don'no. Maybe it's because the older we get the more invisible we feel....and I don't want to just "fade" away so I'll figure out something to put on paper to leave behind (but it will probably just be added to my other UFO's; but I can try, right?)

....and I found a bargain. I've become aware of "bargain shopping" as of late just because I watched a show about these people that were hauling out thousands of dollars worth of groceries for just really small amounts of money....I'm talking $1,500.00 worth of groceries for $267.00. I got looking into coupons and I couldn't figure out how they could do that when the coupons are usually "buy one, get one" but there are websites that you can actually find free stuff. I guess I don't like free stuff 'cause I got a headache just browsing through 3 sites so I'll continue to be the one that stores make their profits from...(not a very correct sentence but you get the picture). Anyway, it has made me aware of bargains. So Joyce and I are in Michaels and we run into Ester and we were standing by some marked-down Christmas ornaments. I think they were originally seven bucks, marked 30% off. Ester almost bought them, I thought about it but passed. Yesterday, the same ornaments, still there; wanna guess what they were marked down to?.......cha....ching.....69 cents a box.....I got them ALL....they are cute little ornaments/place card holders....8 boxes/48 ornaments. Ester, if you read this, call me.....we can negotiate!!!!!!

....and my new favorite snack....(if there's no chocolate in the house). Yep, it's just frozen grapes (but they have to be really good grapes, sweet not sour) and string cheese. I also like those little bites of cheese, that come in triangluar shapes and are really soft but string cheese is really good too. I don't know why I'm telling you this but there you have it.

....and one last thing I've been meaning to blog about... I crocheted this cute little hat the other night while I was tending. I whipped it up in a couple of hours and was quite proud of myself. Notice the hole in the top where her little pony tail can stick out. It got me wondering why I don't LOVE crocheting as much as I LOVE, LOVE knitting. It's easier, way faster.....and I can actually finish projects in one sitting....I'm just wondering, don't know why, but just wondering....and dear reader, if you've made it this far, bless your heart!!!!! Thanks for stopping by.......

Speaking of grandpas.....

....today is my Grandpa Barber's (my mother's father) birthday. Frank Barber was the 3rd son of David and Esther Jane French born January 20, 1882. They lived in Centerville, Utah. When Frank was a young boy, he lived through a severe epidemic of diptheria. In reading about his life, I came across some interesting stories from his early life one of which happened in 1906. Frank was working in Garland, Utah where some members of his family were living. While playing baseball, one of Frank's fingers was torn off. Blood poisoning followed. Frank was fortunate to lose only one finger and not his life. Frank served a mission for the church in the Central States Mission. His father, David gave him three words of parting advice as he left for his mission; "Work, work, work." He returned from his mission and worked in the nursery business. In 1909, he planted the first nursery stock in Hurricane, Utah. Every year at Peach Days, he is honored for his legacy of bringing the first fruit trees to the Hurricane Valley. When he moved to Hurricane, he met a beautiful, young school teacher named Sarah Ida Webb. She returned to St. George in the summer and Frank would travel to court her. While there, he became violently ill with chills and fever, a recurrence of the malaria that he had contracted on his mission. Sarah took care of him for seven days and was a gentle and devoted nurse. After lying in bed for seven days, Frank went to the St. George Temple. David H. Cannon, president of the temple, gave Frank a blessing, promising that he would regain his health and never again have malaria. The disease did not bother Frank again. My grandpa was a man of great faith, very devoted to his family and his religion. On September 15, 1909, Frank Barber and Sarah Ida Webb were married in the St. George Temple. They had eight children. My mom was the youngest.

On the picture to the left, Frank and Sarah are with their two sons, Webb and Ralston. Two more sons would come, Keith and Garth (Garth died at an early age from an absessed tooth). Their 4 daughters on the right are Beulah, LaRue, Leila and Ruth. Sarah became ill and died when Leila, the youngest was only 2 years old. My mom stayed with grandpa and LaRue, while the middle two were sent to live with their Aunt Annie (Grandma Sarah's sister) at Cane Beds. They stayed out there for a year then came home. My Aunt Beulah remembers how they always tried to talk the mail man into taking them back home to Hurricane. I always remember that every Mother's Day, my mom would give my grandpa a present; she always said that he was her mother.

After the kids were raised, my grandpa met Margie Dalton. They were married in 1945. She would be his constant companion for many more years. They spent their lives in Hurricane, traveling once a week to St. George for many years to be temple ordinance workers and then working at the visitors center. I remember taking Sunday dinner down to them while they were on their shifts. I have lots of wonderful memories of my Grandpa Barber. He would hide Easter eggs in his big trees on his huge corner lot there in Hurricane and we would go over there for our Easter picnic and always enjoyed meeting with our cousins and finding the treats hidden all over the yard. If I could give him a present it would be these. He would need some new boxes because I remember as a kid, he would always offer them to us when we would visit him but lots of times they were just too old to eat....some of them even had mold on them but he always had something (usually candy) to offer the kids. He would probably be pleasantly surprised to find out that we have different kinds of Orange Sticks today; not just orange but raspberry and dark chocolate as well. He would probably eat some with his dinner and he always loved his sweets with his meals, not after. He lived to be 90 years old. We would go over to visit him most every Sunday evening. One Sunday, he was outside cracking nuts. I asked him why he was cracking nuts on Sunday and he told me that when Sunday meetings were through, so was the Sabbath. I'm sure my grandpa is in the celestial kingdom....he was a good, faithful man to the end. Happy Birthday, Grandpa Barber.

I looked down on grandpa's farm....

......all layed out in patchwork charm....there were no baa-baa sheep or bow-wow dogs...(actually there was one dog but Haylee doesn't bow-wow much)....but no oink-oink pigs or croaky frogs.....no moo-moo cows, or meowy cats....just lots of blue sky and sunshine and things like that!!!!

...and we really were looking down on Grandpa Wells' farm and it's always fun to come to Scott's old stomping grounds and tell the kids what "used to be"....

We always love bringing "first-timers" up here and Brian Geddes and his kids came along today and seemed to enjoy the hike and the beautiful views.

Trail head and trails-end pictures are always fun....Matty, of course wore herself out on the hike. Ya gotta love these Monday holidays. MLK day was awesome and as Lauri started out the day with "...everythings goin' my way".....well, I think it certainly did. Hopefully she and James got home safely and everyone had a good time today. We sure did!!!!!!

Another birthday today...

.....and I add my accolades as I read Traci's tribute to Russ and appreciate the qualities that he brings into their family....especially those that allow Traci to be a "stay at home" mom to their 3 little boys. Happy Birthday, Russ.

In case you didn't know....

....Lauri is having a baby and today was the "par---tay".....and it was fun. We decided the most fun of all was seeing everyone...no silly games, no elaborate decor.....just talking, laughing, eating and enjoying. The gifts were nice too and I think Lauri is a bit overwhelmed.....(I don't think she really "gets" what it takes to dress a baby girl but she sure did get a good start today). Lot's of really fun stuff. Thanks to good friends and family that came out to support her, little Lucy will be one well-outfitted little gal.

Happy Birthday to my Great Grandmother....

.....on my dad's side, Mary Ann McMullin Sullivan, wife of William Duncan Sullivan, Sr. She was born January 14, 1866 (so that would make her 155 years old if I've done my math right).

William Duncan (I think they called him Duncan) met Mary Ann in the Winter of 1880-81 at the old Leeds Church at a dance. The meeting blossomed into romance and they married on October 22, 1883. Their children were William Duncan, Jr., Frank, Ethel, Verda, Estella Julia, Cleo Archibald, Erma, Leland George, Evan Lazell (my grandpa) Mary Reah, Dellas Eli, Lillian and Mary Ann. To quote from the history...."William Sullivan's wife was a patient, self-sacrificing woman and never complained at anything. There was hardly a morning in her life but what she gave her family hot biscuits for breakfast. That seemed her main object in life, to make her family comfortable and happy. The large family with its added cares and few of the modern conveniences told on her strong constitution and she passed away to a glorious reward May 8, 1936 at the age of 69."

I flew in from Houston last night....

.....and boy, are my arms tired. I had a really great time with some grand friends, laughing, eating, watching movies, eating, talking, chatting, eating, visiting Janny's family, eating some more....whew.....that's about it. Thanks Janny and Kath.....we need to do it again real soon. Getting together with the girls is good for what ails ya!

Speaking of flying.....I got home in time to catch the ribbon cutting ceremony at our new airport today. Took us a whole hour to get out there (herendous traffic) but we made it and saw it all. I put a few pics together so I could remember the adventure....also got to see Pres. Uchdorf give the dedicatory prayer and watch a couple of planes take off. It officially opens for business tomorrow. This will be one for the history books.....

My niece, Colleen, and Debbie's daughter, Amber got to ride on one of the first planes to take off today. They won contests that they had entered. I'll get more details later. Maybe they made the Spectrum.....

Enjoy this video as you think of Spencer.....

Happy Birthday Spence...
Ever wonder what Spencer does? Click HERE....and check it out.

Son #2....Happy Birthday to you...(Mon. Jan. 10)

.....family man extraordinaire, the dad of this fine family. I'll keep it short and sweet and as you've noticed by now, I'm not giving gifts; a "happy mom" is all you get and I'm pretty sure I'm happy right now 'cause I'M ON VACATION....but I do have time to think of you and let you know I remember that day, January 10, long, long, ago that you came into this world.

Have a happy one and party like it's your birthday!!!!

What's the 4th largest city in the U. S. of A.?????

By the time you read this, I'll be there.....Houston, Texas; here I come....(just gonna hang out with a couple of my "sista friends" for a few days.) However, just before I go I want to give a shout-out to "sisters"....soul sisters, real sisters, sisters in the gospel, sisters in the neighborhood, sisters from the past, sisters we haven't met yet....just anyone "female" who means something to you but as I was visiting with my mom and her sister, my Aunt Beulah, I just knew I had to do a blog about them 'cause they are pretty dang cute.....

...and I'm glad I have a sister....

...and I'm sure these two are glad they have a sister.

....so here's a big "hoorah" for sisters...and if you have one, you don't need a therapist; and...as someone once said...."What's the good news if you haven't the sister to share it!!!!!".

The mom of this adorable family....

....is having a birthday today and I'm hoping she has a great day and knows how much she is loved.

Happy Birthday, Mandy......

Remembering those that came before...

....and in the spirit of paying honor to my ancestors, let me introduce my great-grandmother, Amelia Jarvis Webb born Jan. 3, 1853, the fourth child of George Jarvis and Ann Prior Jarvis, pioneers of the first company to arrive in St. George on December 15, 1861. This is on my mom's side, whose mother was Sarah Ida (Badcock) Webb; this is her mother.

The family left Liverpool on March 18, 1857 on the ship "George Washington". There were 817 Mormon converts making the voyage. Soon after they reached Boston, Amelia came down with measles which delayed their going to Utah with the other Mormons, so her father put his money in a Boston bank and it was all lost in the year of the "great panic". Another start must be made to get the money to come to Utah. There was much opposition in the church at that time. The family lived near the famous Bunker Hill, and played on the grounds where the monument now stands.

In the spring of 1860, they left Massachusetts, going as far as St. Joseph, Missouri, by railroad. From there they took a boat up river, to Omaha, Nebraska, which was then a supply station for people coming west. Then they traveled to Florence, Nebraska where they stopped for their father to work for a while as a tent maker. They were able to cross the plains but the family had to walk. The children had no shoes on their feet. When they reached Salt Lake, they obtained land in the Sugar House district. When the call came for volunteers to go to St. George, this was one of the first families to volunteer to go. The Jarvis family was among the first to move onto their own lot.

Amelia was about 13 years old when she went to live in the "Big House" of Artemesia Snow; the first wife of Apostle Erastus Snow. Here she met William Badcock (Babcock) and when she was sixteen, they traveled to Salt Lake City, where they were married in the Endowment House. She had many trials and troubles during her married life, but she also had great faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which was a source of great comfort and happiness to her. (Thanks to Sheryl for compiling this history for all of us).

This is what I woke up to this morning....

.....and it is so beautiful and "still"...

.....but I remember earlier times when it was "excitement" and my kids would scramble for any and all snow clothing they could find which was sometimes just socks on their hands for warmth because we didn't own gloves (or all our snow stuff was in Pine Valley) but it never kept them from running outside to take advantage of the few hours (or moments) of snow for the year.

"Hurry and go build a snowman....it'll be gone by noon"......

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"......but just today!!! Aw, we are so spoiled here in Dixie. I do love it the once a year it comes though!!!!!

Just thinking of my dad today...

....and remembering what a fun-lovin' guy he was and how much I miss him. Also, I've been impressed that Anita has taken the time to research her ancestors and is creating a blog to honor them on their birthdays. Check it out HERE to see what she is putting together. I would like to honor my dad on what would be his 83rd birthday.

I'm just glad my kids got to have him for a grandpa 'cause he was a really fun guy to be around and they all knew he loved them and they were all his favorites.

Never a dull moment as you can see, especially if you remember to wear your overalls.

He would come see me every day on his way to work and play with the girls, if even for just a minute or tw0....it was fun to know he would come and enjoy them before he got on with his day.

My dad was a good, good man....faithful husband that loved and honored his wife, the best home teacher ever and a hard, hard worker......and the best dad a girl could ever have. He loved to laugh, to dance, to tease and to tell a good joke.

If he were here today, we'd all be gathering for either dinner or cake and ice cream and all of us (about 25 or 30) would be gathered in the family room and he'd stand up and call us to order and say something like...."...and to think I am responsible for all of this"....with a bit of a tear in his eye then he would probably mumble a little prayer and blessing on the food and he would be lovin' every minute of it and would be totin' a 3rd generation of little kids around by their over-all straps; then when it was time for all of us to go, he would say somethin' like ..."sure glad you got to see me tonight"!

Don't ya love this picture with the temple right there out our front door? I hope y'all had a great New Year's Eve. I did. I actually walked around the temple grounds tonight with some dear friends from my mission, Rob and Linda Fisher. We've had a great evening, visiting, riding around town and just hangin' out.

Happy New Year one and all....and Happy Birthday, Dad....I sure do miss you.