Last Day of 2008

Crazy, another year has passed and I spend the first three hours of the last day at the computer. I have got to get a life.
Please note the new song on my blog. It is an oldy from Rare Earth, "I just want to celebrate", a good way to bring in the new year.
I would like to share some odd thoughts about the past year:

1. The Bachelorette picked the wrong guy. I knew it wouldn't last. (Admit it Lyric and Scott, He was a fun, nice guy but no experience in commitment)

2. The United States is ready for a black president but not a mormon. Odd. However, blacks were freed before Utah was recognized as a state. A sad note, women didn't get the right to vote until long after both. A long wait for a woman president.

3. The motorhome was moved three times, the Williard Reunion, Labor Day weekend to Ketchum, and the move to the new house on Monroe Circle. A good reason why not to buy a new motorhome.

4. Lesson learned: Don't watch a marathon of Criminal Minds, it will blow your mind.

5. I can find my way around Vegas (or at least from the Riddle's to the Sunrise hospital)

6. The Twilight books are great reads, but can take up your whole summer.

7. Thanksgiving dinner at Golden Corral isn't too bad. But if you don't want to wait in line, go after 2:00 pm.

8. I may actually become a good teacher. I was really excited all summer for the new school year to start, and I have really never lost that enthusiasm.

9. I have had 4 new cell phones this year. I finally got the phone I had dropped in the toilet traded for one that worked better. Then Dad decided to get a new phone and ordered me a new phone on the new AT&T plan. It came back black, which was hard to swallow when his was a green. I threw a fit and dad sent that one back and ordered me a pink Sony/Ericsson. Over Christmas vacation, I somehow dropped it on the driveway and Marc and I drove over it. It worked but the face was broken. So back to AT&T for another pink phone. This is ridiculous. No wonder dad gets frustrated over my phone situation.

10. I finally decide to be a 'silent' BSU fan so I could cheer on a team that would win and then they lost!!! I give up. I think I'll start cheering for BYU Idaho!!!

Bring it on 2009!!

Grandpa is in Heaven, He has another baby to hold.

Ariane and Derek arrived today to spend the holidays with us. We are so excited. We have got to hold our new grandson and enjoy his sweet spirit. Grandpa is proud of himself as he has gotten him to sleep. It's going to be a great Christmas.

Cleaning out the Cell Phone Camera

So, I needed to take a picture with my cell phone the other day and it was full. I thought I would share some of those pictures I have taken this last month.

Gregory's Visit in November

Randy and Janice Nieffenegger at His mother's funeral.

This was just before we called Scott so President Neiffenegger

could visit with his missionary.

Fireworks from Christmas in the Nighttime Sky.

I wish I had more memory. I would of had more pics on this blog.

The Christmas Village is up!

I know it's the 29th of November by the time I am doing this post, but my heart is still in the 28th of November. After I read Becky's blog about her anniversary, I put up my village. I felt like I had walked down memory lane with these two kids as I put up my village. Let me share some of those thoughts.

Justin and Becky bave me this piece after they were married. It was in remembrance of the year we both took Astronomy at CSI.

This piece was given to me the year I spent at the dentist office. I must of done a lot of complaining to get this piece

This was given to me last Christmas. It was to remind us of the year Justin and Becky started the adoption process. This year it, as I pulled the Law Office from it's box, I remembered the sweet little girl who is part of our lives. What a wonderful, growing year this has been.

Happy Anniversary, Becky & Justin!!

Happy Birthday, Ariane!!

Twenty four years ago today,

Ariane Michelle Vipperman

was brought into this world.

The world has been a better place because of this angel.

Mom Vipperman, Ariane, & Grandma Mecham

Ari asleep at Grandma Mecham's House.

Happy Birthday Ariane!!

Your Mom and Dad loves you!!

Time for Bed!

It's almost 2:00 am. It's a good thing we get to turn the clocks back tonight. But I had to share this priceless picture of dad before I wake him up and put him to bed. Goodnight.

Happy Halloween!

Halloweeeeeen!

I really don't like halloween. If my children have fond memories of Halloween, it is because of their father. Right now, as I write this blog, he is in the living room watching for more trick-or-treaters. I offered to clean the temple tonight, but dad isn't going because there might be more little goblins showing up after I need to be there. When the children were little, I made sure we had something to eat before the children started on there quest for candy. If you remember, it was dad that painted your face and got excited over costumes. It was dad who stayed to hand out candy while I took you 'treating'. It was dad who helped carve pumpkins. He loves halloween like his father and father-in-law before him. So, may you all appreciate your father for the memories he has given you.

As for me, with Halloween over it means I can start thinking about where my Christmas Village is going this year!!!

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Audrey and Gregory

Pictures of our grandchildren on the weekend of Marc and Ashlee's Open House. What a fun weekend, even if we had to share it with the snow.

Notice the toothpick. We have pictures of Justin with a toothpick in his mouth when he was younger. Pretty cute.

Lorenzo & Donna Mecham

There was never a day in my life that I ever doubted that my father loved my mother. He was the same age as Aunt Marge and during his growing up years, only knew my mom as one of Marjorie Wilcox's little sisters. He met Donna at a dance. They loved to dance and Preston Idaho had a place that held dances every Wednesday and Saturday night. They had dance cards in which they would enter the dance, fill out the dance card with those people they were going to dance with and proceed to dance with those on the card. You usually danced with your date during the first song and the last song of the night and sometimes before and after intermission. It was just a great way to socialize. I don't know how long they dated, but one night after a dance, Lorenzo asked Donna if she would marry him. Mom told him she wouldn't answer that question unless he asked it in broad daylight. Well, he did.

Lorenzo's dad was worried because he wouldn't be able to help them much. It was at the beginning of the Great Depression and money was scarce. But Grandpa said that when a young man's heart was set on something it didn't matter. They were married in the Salt Lake City Temple on September 13, 1931. (Dad said he had to wait until after mom's birthday, August 31, so she was 18 when he married her.)

Great Grandma and Grandpa Mecham were not able to attend the temple. And Grandpa Wilcox had died when mom was a young girl, so Lorenzo, Donna, and her mother, Julia went together to the temple. Mom said it was rather funny, because after the wedding, her mother took her shopping for some clothes. Lorenzo had to follow them around while clothing and hats were bought. That was the beginning. Lorenzo and Donna spent the next 8 years in the mountains at a sheep camp.

Grandpa Mecham

Well, we will try another blog. This coming week will be the anniversary of Grandpa Mecham's death. (September 9, 2003) So, I am thinking I will dedicate a few blogs to him. Memories of him. This picture was taken a few days before he died. Aunt Julie and Uncle Frank had taken him on a church history tour. He really loved it. He loved the gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved to serve everybody, from Pearl, who he did all kinds of errands, to his family. There were a lot of widows that were pretty sad when he left this earthly experience. I believe he is still serving. Here is my testimony of this truth.

A month or so before Lyric and Scott's wedding, Dad and I were in the Boise temple on a ward assignment. We were doing sealings and happen to be with a couple who had many family names. It was a small sealing room and it was even smaller when I shut my eyes and felt all the spirits in the room. Even the sealer mentioned that he had other records we could be doing, but felt there were many here for this work to be done, so he was going to continue with the family names.

As I enjoyed the feelings of the temple veil so thin, a 'door opened' and my dad's presence walked into the room. In my thoughts, I expressed my love for him and mentioned Lyric's approaching wedding in the temple. I also conveyed that I would not feel his presence as I knew I would be quite caught up in everything else. He conveyed to me that he would be there but that he had things to do now. His presence left the room.

He had worked in the temple for several years after his mission and before mom's death. He loved every minute of it I'm sure he was thrilled with the chance to continue the work on the other side.

My First Post

Well, I have joined the ranks of bloggers. It's about time as I have been enjoying other blogs and I should probably have my own. I don't always feel I have something important to say. We will see how this goes. Today, Rick is at Scout camp. This gives me time to play on the computer and do absolutely nothing. After a phone call from my daughter Ari, I decided to take her advice and go to Target for something to do. I thought I should drive to the school and pick up a few things there, first, and then go to the Dollar Tree and Target. It would be a nice ride (so I thought). It has been cloudy here all day and had tried to sprinkle a little rain but nothing to get anything really wet. So I gathered up and headed out toward the school. The farther south I drove, the more water on the roads. As I got close to the Bickel school, I looked down. I was covered with brown and black polka dots from the waist up. I couldn't believe how bad my shirt looked. So, I decided to come home and get the mustang. When I walked into the door, I looked at my self and was shocked to see this:

I know i am not very pretty to look at, but if you look really close, you can see the spots all over my face and shirt. Pretty funny, huh. I was not undaunted. I cleaned up, brushed my hair, changed my shirt, and went to Target in the Mustang. Probably a good idea.