Getting lost on the way home

We spent a wonderful week with Julie & Frank (my sister and brother-in-law) and their children at the first Eisenhauer Reunion. We had such a wonderful time renewing our relationships with all who attended. We spent time around a campfire every night, and visited every day. On Saturday, we finished up the big weekend by celebrating Frank & Julie's 50th Wedding Anniversary.



Everyone knows we always get lost in Portland, Oregon and it wasn't long until we found ourselves on the Oregon Coast. It was a beautiful day!! The sun was warm on the sand, and the waves brought in seashells. There was no wind and we didn't even need our sweatshirts on the beach. I loved it but Rick was not so happy.



Rick loves the coast because he likes to fly stunt kites. He had conveniently put in the kites in case we were close to a beach. We went to Lincoln City, the Kite Flying capital of the U.S. He was so sad there was no wind. We stayed over night and got up to a windless morning. So, we got in the car and headed up the coast on a search for wind.



We stopped along the way at a few beaches. Still no wind. As we drove into Seaside, Oregon, we reminisced of all the fun times we had enjoyed in Seaside. We walked the street with all the little tourist shops and worked our way to the beach. As we stepped on to the beach, we could feel the wind in our hair and see kites flying in the sky. The wind was blowing and Rick was in heaven. He flew his two kites for a couple of hours. We then packed up and headed for Idaho.

All in all, it was a wonderful week. We loved being with family.

We also loved enjoying the beach just the two of us.

I'm thankful for. . .

SNOW DAYS!!!!! We just got word that there will be no school in the Twin Falls School District. Am I excited? Yes!! I don't remember the schools being closed since Ariane was in Kindergarten. She was so disappointed because it was just before Christmas and they had a Christmas program planned. Every day she would ask if she could go to school and cried when I told her there was no school today. (She did get to do their program, it was after the new year and was still wonderful.)
Anyhow, I am looking forward to waffles with Ari, Derek, and Brody tomorrow.
Yeah!! A snow day!!

BYU vs Nevada

Hoping this weeks game with Nevada is more exciting than last week's game.

GOOOOO COUGS!!!!!

Fun At Grandma's

This summer has been such a wonderful summer. I so enjoyed having Ari, Derek, and Brody here. Early last winter, I had promised that I would watch Drage for the summer. I really enjoyed having him here, along with everyone else.

One day, Ari and I were not so aware of what was happening outside. We knew the boys were outside having a good time. This is what we found.

It's always fun at Grandma's house!!!

(And, Yes, he was bathed and clean by the time Mom came to pick him up.)

"Bring it on"

This morning, the bishopric was informed that next Sunday the three wards in our building will be realligned to make four wards and our bishopric would be released. We knew it was coming, as our bishop has been in his calling for over five years, however, it was quite a shock to me to know it was happening this next weekend. This has been a wonderful experience for me and especially Rick. He loves working in the Bishopric as a second councilor. Our home has been engulfed with the Holy Spirit through these last two years. And I have loved to see him grow and progress in the gospel. We love the men he has been working with. They have watched miracles happen and have accomplished much. It has been a good ride. I will miss all the blessings that we receive from service to our God in this capacity. Now, I look forward to what will be. Life changes, the work moves on. What will our role in this new adventure be? Well, as a member of the ward council said today, "Bring it on."

Chillaxin' at the Beach

This is one of my favorite pictures I got at the Oregon Coast. The two people sitting on the log are my granddaughter, Audrey and my son, Justin. They are just chillaxin' on the beach watching grandpa fly his kite (the pink kite on the side of the picture). One of the few quiet moments on the beach during our trip.

All the Blogs you Missed

I got up and got ready to go to the temple. As we drove up the road to ward the temple, I realized I had forgotten to take my recommend. We are so lucky to have it so close, that Rick and I decided to catch the 11:30 session instead, so I thought I would get this blog done.

I have had so many ideas for blogs, but haven't taken the time to actually blog. Here are some you missed.

• Justin's 30th Birthday Wingding!

• Spring Break--A trip to Nevada to bring Ari and Brody home for a week visit. (This included a stop in Salt Lake City to visit with Scott, Lyric, & Gregory)

• A Thai Recipe using Hamburger!! Delicious!

• Idaho Capitol Building!! aka The Castle--a visit with Justin, Becky, and Audrey and a tour of the capitol to prepare myself for our 4th grade field trip to Boise.
  
  

• Schools out for Summer

• Cleaning like crazy to prepare for the summer activities

• A Greyhound ride to Las Vegas

• Bringing Derek, Ari, and Brody to Idaho (Derek got a job in Twin Falls. They will be living with us until they decide what to do)

• Gregory Visits for a week!! (this picture shows how Gregory can eat with his toes)
  

• The LDS Missionaries move into the Basement

• Williard Reunion at Newport Beach

• Finally Warm weather, Maybe summer can start.

If you are interested in one of these blogs, let me know. I can try to catch you up. In the meantime, summer is finally here, things have settled down (as well as they could with a house full of people) and Summer vacation is here.

I think I had better head to the temple.

For My Grandchildren!!

Don't forget to dance.

After watching the dance video on Hannah's post, I remembered this "new version" of the poem, 'Footprints'. This will be a good place to put it so I don't loose it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. And, don't forget to dance.

FOOTPRINTS
A NEW VERSION

Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road together.
For much of the way, the Lord’s footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your footprints are disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.
For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord’s, soon paralleling His consistently.
You and Jesus are walking as true friends.
This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus’ are now walking precisely in His footsteps.
Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one.
This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change. The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.
Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints; they have become one.
This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Gashes in the sand. A variable mess of prints.
You are amazed and shocked. Your dream ends. Now you pray: “ Lord, I understand the first scene with zigzags and fits. I was a new Christian. I was just learning. But you walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you.”
“That is correct.”
“And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps and followed you very closely.”
“Very Good. You have understood everything so far.”
“When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like you in every way.”
“Precisely.”
“So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first.”
There is a pause as the Lord answers with a smile in his voice.
“You didn’t know? That was when we danced.”
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to weep, a time to laugh,
A time to mourn, and a time to dance.
(Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)

"I Love to See the Temple"

My new picture is of the Salt Lake City Temple. This last December, I was able to join the YM/YW of Twin Falls 8th ward to enjoy a day at Temple Square for a youth conference. It was amazing. This picture was taken from the top floor of the Joseph Smith Building. What a beautiful building and day.

And the blanket of snow on this nativity shows the reason why the Savior wasn't born in December in the Salt Lake Valley.

Christmas Forever?

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't enjoy Christmas, because I do. And it's not that I want that Christmas feeling to go on forever, because I do. But I would like to change my blog to something more timely. However, it's the end of the quarter and report cards await. So, until they are done and I am caught up......Merry Christmas!
(In other words, I know my blog is out of date!! I will try to change it soon)

Joy to Everyone

Check out this link. It's a very good video and an awesome new Christmas song.

Joy to Everyone

Before I leave Thanksgiving Behind. . . .

After reading Becky's blog, I reminisced to the wonderful holiday and all that happened. Here are some of my thoughts.

Wednesday, November 25
It was a busy day, filled with shopping and preparing for the Thanksgiving feast. As Scott, Lyric, and Gregory drove in I knew the holiday had officially started. And as we waited for Derek, Ariane, and Brody to arrive safely, I took my first picture of the holiday weekend, a turkey floating in a tub, and posted it neatly onto my blog.

Thursday, November 26
Picturable moments:

• Marc and Derek returning from the YM Turkey Bowl
• Grandchildren getting to know each other.
• Justin, Becky, and sweet Audrey driving in for the big day.
• A 28 lb turkey making it's entrance into the kitchen.
• Drage taking a tumble down the stairs
• Food galore and all of us enjoying it
• Football in the background
• Adult children visiting and renewing their friendships until 1:00 am.

But no pictures, just a picture of a turkey floating in a tub. Maybe tomorrow.

Friday, November 27

Picturable moments

• Pumpkin Waffles
• No early shopping, just laying around waiting for turns to the showers
• Worried parents watching grandchildren play around my glass coffee table
• Brody learning how to go down the stairs
• Ari, Lyric, Ashlee, and Maudie were escorted to New Moon by Derek. How sweet that he was willing to make sure we got there safe.
• Everyone bundled up and headed to Christmas in the Nighttime Sky (local fireworks)
• Gregory's eyes when he realized he was on a school bus!!!
• Brody warming up to his grandfather.
• A late night of playing games and visiting.
• Listening to my children laughing around the kitchen .What a beautiful sound!!!

But no pictures, just one picture of a turkey floating in a tub. Maybe tomorrow.

Saturday, November 28

Picturable moments:

• Audrey helping Grandma with the Breakfast Burritos
• Justin, Becky, and Audrey pack up and leave
• BYU Blue day as we prepare for the game
• Tacos for game day
• Ariane and Derek packing up to go home
• BYU win over Utah in Overtime
• a quick trip to target for fun

But no pictures, just one of a turkey floating in a tub. Maybe tomorrow.

Sunday, November 29

• A slow relaxing morning
• Sacrament meeting with dad conducting
• A roast that Marc and Ashlee donated
• Goodbye's to Scott, Lyric, and Gregory

There are many memories etched into my mind from a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday along with one picture of a turkey floating in a tub.

May Christmas bring more pictures.

Thanksgiving

Well, we are now into Thanksgiving Day, 2009 for 30 minutes. I think you should all know what is going on at my house.

I was so excited when I found this huge, 28 lb turkey at Winco today. But I forgot I would have to thaw it before I cooked it. After it sat in my kitchen sink for most of the day, Ashlee suggested it might be a good idea to put it into the tub. So here it sits, defrosting in my tub. If my calculations are correct, I should be pulling it out and getting it ready at about 2:00 am this morning. The good news is, that should be about the time Ariane and Derek will be driving in from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lyric and Scott arrived at around 6:00 pm this evening and we had sloppy joes with them and Marc and Ashlee here at home.

tomorrow, Justin and Becky arrive. It is going to be a great Thanksgiving. I just hope we are able to have Turkey.

I guess I had better go check on the turkey.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a great time Labor Day weekend. I took two pictures, on of Saturday morning and the other one is Monday Morning. We enjoyed the weekend at the Bruneau Sand Dunes with Ed & Barbie Weigt and their three boys, Adam, Charles, & Cody and their friends. It was so good to spend time with all of them. Here are some things we did.

• Saturday morning Breakfast Burritos and several attempts at setting up the satellite so we could watch the BYU-Oklahoma game on ESPN. (this was one of several places tried but not the last & final spot that gained the signal and gave us the enjoyment of the game.)

Other things that we did:

• A trip to Walmart in Mountain Home
• Buying watermelon and cantelope from two cute little girls at a fruit stand outside of Mountain Home
• Lots of food
• BYU Football game in Barbie's motorhome
• More food
• Trip to the Observatory where we looked through several telescopes. Looked at the moons on Jupiter, a nova, and close-up of the moon.
• Searched and found scorpions with blacklights. Coolest thing ever, the scorpians are a flourescent green under the black lights.
• A nice quiet sunday enjoying one another's company
• A game with money moving all around the table a nd eventually into someone's pocket
• A visit with Justin, Becky, and Audrey. (you'd think I'd get a picture of them)
• Rick's Dutch Oven Cobbler (chocolate, it was amazing)
• Monday was Breakfast and a quick gather up to head for home.

Here is Drage, the next weekend just chillin before the big BYU-Tulane game.

Go BYU

Camping????

It's Labor Day weekend and we are camping. 'Camping?' you say but you are adding to your blog. I know. Crazy. This is not the way I grew up camping but I love it. We are at the Sand Dunes near Bruneau, Idaho. I am sitting in an air-conditioned motorhome watching the BYU-Oklahoma game and adding to my blog on Uncle Ed's computer. Ed & Rick spent the morning setting up the Direct TV dish so we could watch the game this evening.
Also, this is one of two state parks in Idaho that has free wifi for computers. How fun. We have all enjoyed checking our email and surfing the Internet.
Happy Camping.

Summer Vacation is over?

I have been overwhelmed with school. Starting a new grade has really thrown me for a loop and I have struggled getting it together. It's sad to look back and realize that summer is over and school is in full swing. Here are the pics I was going to blog about. Enjoy.

For Ari & Lyric:

This last weekend was the Vipperman Reunion. This family reunion is unique as we all come together on a Sunday afternoon and listen to some talented family play music. Others float the group, visiting and catching up. And, of course, there is always plenty of food. Some of you may not enjoy this blog but I know that Ariane and Lyric will love it.

Uncle Rod, Aunt Barbara, Aunt Carolyn & Uncle Don

(That's Sid Vipperman in the back between Aunt Carolyn

and Uncle Don. His son is to the right with Dale)

Becky & Audrey enjoying some dessert.

Tejay and Addey enjoying some quiet time. (Ashley didn't come)

Drage is enjoying his mom and dad's attention.

(That is Alexis White's head)

Justin & Chandra catching up.

Your Aunts enjoying one another.

We missed you girls. Maybe next year.