Techno Queen (NOT!)

Although my kids all seem to have been born with a "technology gene", I apparently was not. I think they started giving those out in the 1970's...well past my advent into this world. So I always feel like I'm playing catch up.

Take blogging for example. Who'd have thought that I could actually learn how to do this (with wallpaper and accompanying photos to boot)? Not that I'm good at it yet, but at least I feel like I'm learning the game. It's sorta like the rest of you are playing in the world series and I'm playing ladies slow pitch! But hey--at least I'm playing--right?

So in that light, I want you to know that I have become proficient enough at making Power Point presentations every week for our Sunday School class that I can actually put one together all by myself complete with pieces of text flying in or spiraling down when I want them to! How's that for an accomplishment? I even text on occassion! Are you impressed? LOL

Move Over, Johnny Appleseed

This week Don worked hard on getting a winter garden prepared and planted. We hope to have potatoes (sweet and white), onions (green and red), broccoli, radishes, cilantro, lettuce, and carrots.

Don also finished planting fruit trees (1 orange, 1 grapefruit, 2 peaches, 2 apricots, and 2 walnuts). He also fenced off half of the front yard and seeded grass out there. The fence is there to keep the dogs off of the new grass until it gets established. It has just started coming up, and I can't wait to have a lawn! We hope to put a fire pit and more grass on the other half of the front yard in the new future.

The Two C's: Conference and Candy

This weekend we thoroughly enjoyed watching General Conference. How grateful I am for the Church in these latter-days and for my testimony of the restored gospel! What a spiritual feast!

We also had another kind of feast via Germany. Sarah and Nathan sent a variety of German candies to us...none of which I had ever heard of before. It was really fun to have a tasting party while we watched Conference! Makayle and Paige sent along pictures they had drawn...it made me cry! Even Carter "signed" the letter from all of them in green crayon scribbles. I miss those little ones! I'll put their drawings up next to the last one I have that Makayle drew (which is above my computer so that I can see it every day). Good night little ones--sleep tight! I LOVE YOU!

A Lot of Green

This week we saw a lot of green. No, not money--vegetation. Don seeded grass in half of the front yard (about a quarter of an acre) and fenced the dogs out so that it will have a chance to grow. He also brought in some good soil from the pond and spread it on part of the yard on the west side of the house so that we can plant a garden in the next week or so. We also bought a grapefruit tree and an orange tree to go with the two peach trees, two apricot trees, and two walnut trees. The only green I'm not looking forward to is the weeds that will probably come up in the garden. I'll try to get some pictures soon.

The Branch of the Family Tree Residing in Germany

Nathan, Sarah, and the kids are doing well. It's been a crazy couple of months for them getting Nathan out of officer's training and the family moved to Germany. Sarah has carried her load so well. What a great mom and wife she is! Makayle started second grade on post, and Paige started German kindergarten. Carter is almost 2 years old and loves to sing. The kids are growing up so quickly! We love them SO MUCH and are very proud of them! Below are some pictures of them. We love you, little Thompson family!

The Best Man

Last week was a fun (but very busy) week that we spent with Don's side of the family. His mom came down from Show Low, and his sister Cali came in from Georgia to be here for Jonathon (Don's youngest brother) and Leslie's wedding. Don was the best man. He's not one for wearing a tux, but I have to say that he looked VERY handsome! Below are pictures of Jonathon and Don, Jonathon and Leslie, Don with his mom and sister Cali, and the four of us.

Paul's family was there also, and it was good to see all of them (Paul, his wife Laurie, his son Dale, his daughter Cali, and Cali's daughter (their first grand child), Trinity. Here's a picture of them with Don's mom. The next picture is of the Carter girl cousins: Nicole, Cali and Trinity, and Jenna.

So, it was a very full week, but a fun one. It was nice to have an occassion to get the Carter family together. Congratulations Jonathon and Leslie! May you have a happy and love-filled life together!

Friday--Fun Day!

Last Friday we had a lot of fun with the Slagel side of the family. My mom, Kathy, and my youngest sister, Susan, came out to visit. So did my niece, Angela Anderson, and her two little boys (Aiden age 2 and Tyler age 4 months). Her husband, Jon, is serving his second tour in Iraq and is due back in the fall of 2009. Jennifer and Nicole both made it over for lunch and an afternoon of fun together. This is a picture of Tyler, Jenna, Nicole, and Angela.

This is Aiden playing the piano. He's a fun little guy. It's a good thing that Aiden and Tyler were there because Don was feeling a little bit overwhelmed by all the women in the house. But don't feel too sorry for him. He got some serious male bonding time that morning with a couple of the guys in the Elder's Quorum. They got up and went mountain bike riding on the hills just east of us (which they've been doing for the last few Saturdays). It's becoming one of Don's favorite pastimes.

This is Susan (whose shoulder is healing from surgery) and I. We were getting food ready, and Mom was talking to us. Notice the green space on the wall with the shelf behind me? That used to be all cupboards. But a couple of years ago people broke into this house and stole AC units, eight feet of the upper kitchen cupboards, the screens off the windows, the ceiling fans, part of the chain link fence out back, and stuff from the shop/dog kennel. Anyway, we are slowly getting things replaced. The cupboards, however, can't be matched, so we decided not to try. Instead, Don made a shelf for me to put my cups on, and I really like it!

And this is Don and Jenna. They were playing with the dogs (Jen brought her dog over, too) in the front yard. I got them to stop long enough to pose for me.















Even though nobody went swimming, we played games and had a great day together!