life in general

i love to see the temple

Anna's wish came true!  She got to go inside the temple!  And she got to see the temple every morning, afternoon, and evening.  She also got to blow bubbles, go for walks, chase dragonflies, and shoot laser guns with this beautiful temple in the background. 

Grammer Valerie & Papa Dennis' new home is in amazing proximity to the new Twin Falls temple.  Every evening we sat on the back patio and enjoyed this view.  For this pic I'm literally sitting in a patio chair - have not moved an inch.

 

Now, if I get up and take a few steps into the grass . . . . .

You'd think that maybe they planned it this way.  Hmmm.

Monday evening we had a family home evening on temples and for the activity we each got to build a temple with sugar cubes and craft glue.  How cool!

Valerie even printed out little Angel Moroni's to glue to the top.  Or, as Payton would say:  "Ancient of Moroni." 

Scott's temple was definitely the most detailed -- the trusses were built off-site.  My temple was kinda puny.  Conner's was the tallest and soon became the leaning tower.  Anna's temple was, well, in ruins.  And Payton's fit right in the middle.

We chose Tuesday afternoon as the time we would go through the temple open house.  {It began on July 11th and will run until August 16th.  Then it will be dedicated on August 24th by President Monson}.  The tour begins in the brand new stake center next door with a short video and then our guide took us into the temple for a simple tour.  We saw the baptistry (such beautiful materials), instruction rooms (an amazing mural painted on the wall), a giant sealing room (seats 65 with room to spare), the celestial room (gorgeous chandelier), the womens' locker room, the bride's room (so beautiful & dainty), and all the hallways and foyers in between.  At the beginning of the tour we were given pamphlets about the temple and it included pictures of each of these rooms.  It was so cute to watch all 3 kids studying their pamphlets as we went along, matching the pictures with the room we were currently in, and checking them off (in their minds) as we go.  They looked like a bunch of little tourists!

Payton said his favorite part of the temple was the chandelier.  And Conner can't decide what his favorite part was.  Anna, who has been talking about the temple forever, appeared mostly unphased by the experience.  She is 2.

On the drive home yesterday Payton & Anna were looking at their pamphlets again.  This time Payton was explaining the pictures to Anna.  It was very cute to listen to, even though many of Payton's facts were off.  He is 5.

Payton:  This is where members of the church sit.  They sit and look at the chandelier.  This is where people get baptized for the dead.  You get baptized when you're 8, 19, and 80. 

Anna:  No, I don't get baptized.  (being her usual defiant self.  She always has to state the opposite of what you would like her to say, or what is right . . . . even if she really wants & believes things your way.  She just has to be difficult.)

Payton:  Yes, Jesus will dunk you under the water.

We'll be sure to correct him on a few points. :)

The back and front of the temple on our tour day.

Today in sacrament meeting Anna drew the cutest picture - her first real picture other than scribbles.  It showed two people and some water and she explained to Scott that it was someone being baptized.  I wish I had snatched it from her notebook right then, because she went on to scribble all over it.  Darn.  So maybe she did retain something from this temple-going experience.  You can only hope, right?

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For the rest of our visit we

• visited 3 or 4 parks
• Scott got in 2 1/2 rounds of golf
• Conner even got to play 9 holes (with a score of 101)
• the kids played many, many games with Grammer
• Randy came up for a short visit
• I visited the mega-scrapbook store & Valerie's favorite fabric store (got lots of fabric for several projects),
• a fishing & tubing trip to Warm Springs.  This time we actually sat in the "warm springs" -- the kids loved it.  We made sure to stop for giant ice cream cones at the Snack Shack in Shoshone on our way home.   A picture collage is below.
• the boys went to a planetarium show with Grammer
• Scott and I went on a date:  a movie & Coldstone
• ate at all the favorite places:  Maxie's, Papa Kelsey's, 9 Beans
• Scott read 4 Star Wars books, and I read Twilight
• we walked through a house in the neighborhood currently under construction:  8,000 square feet.  Yikes!
• sat on the back patio and marveled at the amazing view.

awestruck

I can't help posting these pictures.  Aren't they beautiful?  Literally took my breath away.

Read the EW article here and about Stephenie here.

And I'm thinking I need to check out Penelope on DVD next week.  It was already on my Netflix queue, but will soon be bumped to the top.

I started Twilight yesterday and ohhh, it's so fun!!!

really?

The past 2 weeks it seems that we have been in a big purging/organization mode.  First it was the scrapbook room.  I spent a week sorting through everything, throwing away, giving away, re-purposing, and re-organizing.  Then Scott attacked the garage.  With some new shelving and a trip to the dump it looks pretty dang good in there.  Scott says that he is in his "happy place" now.

In the garage we had several large tubs (about 3-4 each) full of our childhood memorabilia & stuff.  We decided it would be a great party to sort through those together and say good-bye to a few things.  I mean, really, do I need four 18-gallon rubber-maid totes full of birthday cards, school papers, and dolls?  No.

 It has been years since either one of us sifted through these tubs.  It provided a lot of entertainment & laughs, a lot of memories shared, and a lot of "why the heck am I saving this???"

Here's a few choice examples:

Pink foam curlers, circa 1986-1988.  Really?  Yes, my mom would put these in my hair at bed-time so that I could have an amazing curly hair-do the next day.  Yes, I was really cute.  But do I really need to hold onto these?

Remember the photo in the last post?  Yep, I've still got my swimsuit and my swimming caps (which I hated).  See how one of them has melted to my time sheets?  I guess the attic in our old house got pretty warm.  But, really?  I have photos, I saved 4-5 ribbons, a certificate or two, and my trophy . . . . I think my memories of the swim team will be sufficiently preserved without this chlorine-reeking swimsuit!

 Oh my goodness, this one makes me crack up!  In 4th grade we had an Invention Convention and I came up with this full-body protective eating gear for my baby brother Mason (made from a vinyl/plastic mat that you would put on the floor under a high-chair).  There was a hat as well, but it's missing.  Do I really need to keep it?  I think I'll be okay if I let this one go.

Now a peek at Scott's "really?" stash.  His fencing glove with the inscription "prepare for your death"; a Montreal Expo's hat he got a baseball game while at the National Scout Jamboree in 1990??; purple face paint (I think Scott's mom will be happy to see this one go); and a barf bowl that he clung to after his sinus surgery.  He had a heated confrontation with a nurse when she tried to take it away.

Really, Scott?

a hodge podge: 

My senior economics term paper on Zaire.  Really?  A address & photo directory of my pre-school class, 1983-84.  That egg thing is actually made out of sugar, I think, and I believe that it was a cake topper at my baby shower, in 1979! 

And my piano lesson notebook.  I had a hard-time with this one.  It's open to my very favorite page.  Look closely at the right hand page and the wonderful illustration of a steak.  "You HAVE to memorize it or you're dead meat!"  I loved my piano teacher. :)

And finally, this one takes the cake.

My glasses.  I wore glasses everyday from 1st grade to 9th grade.  Seeing those thick, magnifying lenses (the left was 2x thicker than the right) brought back memories of the optometrist's office. . . . and then seeing them on Payton's face made realize how incredibly '80's these frames were.  Really?  They need to go.  Well, maybe I'll keep just one - my first pair.

I hope I haven't impaired Payton's vision.

From 4 tubs down to 2, I think I did a pretty good job.  And don't worry mom, I didn't get rid of any of the really important stuff.  My princess dress, Strawberry Shortcake crayon pail, and Little Miss Gustine crown have been saved and preserved for my posterity.  I hope they enjoy it. :)

flashback

{tagged by Rochelle}

20 years ago

It was 1988, I was 8 years old . . . . . so that means I was probably swimming and my hair was green!  That year my brother and I joined the swim team - The Westside Stingrays.  Not only did we spend every waking moment swimming in our own pool at home, but now we had practices several times a week and swim meets every Saturday during the summer.  I remember arriving to those meets early in the morning and being forced to dive into the cold, cold water at 7:00am to do warm-ups.  Oh, I hated warm-ups.  The swim meets themselves were fun -- always lots of running around.  On Friday the coaches would write our race numbers on our forearms with a big black permanent marker.  Over the day the races would be called out over the loud speaker and all you had to do was check your arm to see when you were up.  During the in-between times we sat around on blankets in the grass, I remember eating lots of bananas, raiding the concession stand for otter pops and Fun Dips, watching our teenage teammates and thinking they were so cool, and making friendship bracelets.  At the end of the summer I got a trophy for "Most Improved" in my age group.  I was so proud!  Just a few days ago Scott and I were sifting & sorting through our childhood stuff (a post on that later) and I came across that trophy and still cannot let it go!   

10 years ago

1998, I was 18.  AKA - "The Summer of Love."  {sigh}  Scott and I met & dated & got engaged during the summer of 1998, so it definitely has very fond memories for me.  July 5th was actually the date of our first kiss and this photo was taken earlier that day.  I had been at my grandparents house in Mt. Pleasant for the 4th of July.  My mom and brothers were there as well.  We went to the rodeo, watched fireworks, and that night my mom & I shared a bedroom.  I remember laying in bed as she asked me about this special guy I was dating.  I told her all about him, how fun he was, the way we just matched & went together really well, and how much I liked him.  I remember her saying "I see a sparkle in your eye when you talk about him."  That was true. 

I drove back to Provo the next day (I'm pretty sure it was a Sunday).  I'm not sure if I made it to church or not.  But I met up with Scott as soon as I could.  I went to his apartment and we hung out for bit, just cuddlin' on the couch.  We had been apart for one whole dayso we were really missin' each other.  :)  Then, Scott tried to go in for the kiss -- the first kiss.  I panicked for a minute because this was not the place that I wanted to have our first kiss!  We were in his scuzzy apartment on a nasty old couch.  Plus, if you remember how we met . . . his roommate was my ex-boyfriend of just a few months, so there was all kinds of other history related to that apartment.  So I turned my head and said, "not here."  I felt bad for giving him the dodge, and I know he felt a bit rejected too.  So we quickly changed the "subject" and decided to go for a drive in the canyon.

Not just any drive, but a photo taking extravaganza.  We grabbed his camera & a tripod and scouted out several picturesque locations in the canyon to take our picture together.  Why?  Because we thought we were so cute together.  I'm just being honest.  The above picture was taken on that day.  There was one moment when we were posing in front of a waterfall that I thought & hoped he would kiss me then, but it didn't happen.  I'm sure his wounds were still a little raw.

He took me back to my apartment & he went to his.  Dinner, change clothes, and a few hours later we had ward prayer.  Afterward, he said that he needed to kidnap me.  Okay??  This was a surprise.  So he got me in his car and proceeded to blind-fold me.  Then he drove me somewhere, and I'm sure he added extra turns and time to his route so I would have noooo idea where we were.  We arrived and he had me stay in the car, still blind-folded, while he took care of a few a things.  He went back & forth several times.  After several minutes he pulled me from the car, led me through the darkness, and took away my blindfold.  We were at a park and he had set up a dessert picnic.  There was his purple blanket, two purple candlesticks that were lit, and two purple bowls filled with brownies & ice cream.  (Yes, purple was a favorite color of Scott's & still is).  I was totally surprised and it was so sweet!  Now that I've spent enough time setting up the day I'll spare you the details of the rest and share quickly.  We ate the brownies, we cuddled, we kissed, and then played around with giant 3 foot long sparklers with giant smiles plastered across our faces.  I have photos. 

3 years ago

summer 2005, I was 25 and pregnant with Anna. Behold, the belly.  

 

28 weeks (July 14, 2005)

1 year ago

2007, age 27

This was a good year and a good summer.  We visited both families, went to the zoo a lot, a couple sessions of swimming lessons, I could finally put pig tails in Anna's hair, I was doing scrapbooking classes/lessons with a girl in our ward, I was just called to be the Primary Chorister, having a good time with friends, did a bunch of de-cluttering (which ended up being helpful when we put our house on the market a few months later), and fell in love with the Twilight series.

Not much else.  Just having a good time. 

yesterday

I began potty-training Anna - yikes!  We started the day with 2 accidents then got into a pretty good rhythm where she was telling me when she had to go potty.  Which was about every 20-30 minutes.  And she would actually pee every time.  I quickly made up a little chart for us to keep track of her progress.  Titled, "Anna's Super Potty Chart" with columns for pee-pee and poo-poo -- she can put a sticker on the poster each time she goes on the potty without an accident.  So after her first success I showed her the poster and said, "Anna let's put a sticker on the paper."  She says, "No.  Anna want sticker on my hand."  And she spent the rest of the day completely ignoring the poster and the cute heart stickers.  She only wanted the smiley stickers for the back of her hand.  I have to admit I was a little perturbed she didn't want to do things my way, so I ended up adding stickers to the poster myself. 

And to deflate my big plans even further, I had already decided that I would offer a larger incentive to her as well to keep her motivated during the week.  I told her that if she did really good going potty all week then I would take her to the store and get her a new baby doll.  So here's what she says to me. "No, Anna already have baby"  But you can get a new baby.  "No, Anna already have babies on Anna's bed.  I don't need baby."  Well, maybe you can get some new clothes for your baby or some bottles or something.  "No, Anna already have clothes in here" (pointing to her little suitcase of doll clothes).  At that point I was like, fine, why do I even try!  Man, shootin' me down at every turn.

today

Low 90's today so we went to the pool.  First the indoor big pool so Conner can play.  Then the outdoor wading pool so the little kids can play.  Afterward, it was ice cream cones for all -- scarfed in about 3 minutes.  And then I've been messing around with this post on and off throughout the day.  My plan is to finish reading The Host tonight.  There are only 24 days left until Breaking Dawn comes out, and I wanted to re-read the first 3 books as a refresher.  Considering the pace that I read, I need to get movin'!

tomorrow

I have an appointment for a cleaning at the dentist.  Shocker -- I don't think I've maxed out my benefits this year . . . .yet.  The piano tuner is coming over.  I'm thinking that while he's doing his thing I'll keep the kids upstairs and do a major cleaning out of the boys' room.  It needs it baaaaad. 

in the next year

Hopefully, by this time next year we will have a beautiful backyard.  It needs some work.  It would be nice to have people over again -- I always love summer time get-togethers.  And it would be nice if the kids could run around in the grass in their bare feet.  Shoes are required at this point -- too many embedded pine cones.

Wow, I just don't really know what the next year holds for us.  Other than the kids in school, and work that keeps on workin' . . . . . I don't know what will be going on.  I kinda feel like we're moving into a stage where life just keeps rolling.  You know, during those first few years there are a lot of changes -- new jobs, moving, adding children -- a lot of big life-changing events.  Then eventually you settle into a groove and you get to live life, moving along day to day . . . . the "coasting" stage (although that is not quite an accurate word for it).  I feel like we're upon that.  No life-changing events for years to come.  Now is all about raising the kids, spending time together, building a strong family, and hopefully teaching them all the things they'll need to make good choices. 

Right now, I just really hope that Anna chooses to keep her Pull-Up on in the middle of the night.

jeeps, kayaks, and motorcycles (part II)

betcha thought this one would never arrive.

My dad recently purchased 4 kayaks from where else, but Costco.  With Denver home, our family visiting, and Sam & Heidi & kids up for the weekend, my parents thought it would be the perfect activity for our Saturday-o-fun.  In their little gated neighborhood there is a pond/lake thing (not sure what to call it).  And while that would be the perfect area to just play around in the kayaks, paddle about, etc. . . . that wasn't enough.  They decided to spice things up by adding the element of competition.  A relay race with couples as teams (Denver & Mason were paired together) and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

The plan was to do the race much later in the day (say, after dinner) when the sun wouldn't be beating down on us.  So we spent the afternoon having a pool party and took the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the kayaks in the pool.  Denver even thought it would be a good idea to try to learn how to do a barrel roll . . . .

I really, really, really hoped this skill would not be necessary in our race.  We checked out the lake 2 days earlier and it was green.  It was going to be bad enough that I had to put my feet in it.

About 4-ish we got a call from Brian, saying that they were having a lightning storm over in his town, but it was perfectly clear at my parents' house.  About 45 minutes later some ominous clouds started moving it, the temperature dropped 10 degrees, it was so muggy, and the wind was picking up.  We figured if we wanted to do this race we better go down to the lake sooner rather than later (it only takes 1-2 minutes to get there).  As we begin driving the thunder starts rolling and lightning is making it's appearance every few minutes.

When we arrived on scene my dad and brothers were already unloading the kayaks, but I was not feeling good about heading out in a kayak on open water with lightning still striking all over the place.  Maybe I'm a wuss, but not my idea of safe okay!  Then it started to rain.  So we put all the kids in the jeep and decided to wait it out a bit.  Meanwhile, lightning & thunder are still going strong and Denver, Mason, & Sam are out testing the kayaks.

Eventually the rain passed and the lightning & thunder moved farther away.  With the weather drama behind us we were ready to begin!

 At the starting block we have me, dad, Denver, & Heidi.  The object is to paddle to the opposite end of the lake, touch the bank, and paddle back to tag your partner.  Simple enough, right?

On your mark, get set, go!  And they're off! Denver's in the lead with dad right on his tail.  Shannon and Heidi trail behind, vying for 3rd position. 

A few snippets of our conversation:  "oh, I'm sorry for bumping you.  I'll get out of your way.  I really hope I don't tip over!  Just take it slow and steady.  Ahhh!  Look out for the bush!  How do you turn?  Sorry again!  I'll stay on this side."

I'm making my final approach.  Heidi and I had a near collision that ended up sending us in opposite directions.  Mason has already tagged in and nearly made it to the opposite bank.  And mom tries to figure out what the heck she's doing.

Come on kids, cheer for your mothers!

Heidi and I make the trade-off to Sam and Scott for the final leg of the race.  Mason has a commanding lead, Scott squeaks by Sam to position himself in second, and mom. . . . See the orange paddle peeking on the far right?  She's over there after a slight detour towards the dock.

And we have a winner!  The Denver & Mason kayaking team coasts into the finish line and walks away with a shiny, new . . . . . gift card to Target.  Woo-hoo!

Back on the water, an intense struggle ensues for second place.  And we've gained an audience.  Two kids & a dog from the house across the lake have come down to cheer on total strangers.

In the end, Scott nabbed 2nd place for us and doubly gift cards to Jack in the Box.  Sam took 3rd and it looks like he'll be taking Heidi to the movies with the movie tickets they won.

What a fun race!  No one was hit by lightning. It was a great time . . . .  Wait a minute, where's mom?  Hey kids, look for Grammer she's lost.

Oh!  There she is!  How'd you end up over there?!

Never fear, Sam will come to the rescue!    

Our brave hero saves the day!  See the look of determination on his face?  Well, maybe something more like determination to get to shore because that is actually a look of pain.  While fetching mom near those poles, he stepped on something sharp and put a nice gash in the bottom of his foot.

You are now fore-warned that the following picture contains blood.  I have to post it - the brothers want to see the carnage.  But to accommodate the squeamish it is a small picture, but scroll quickly.  Boys, click on the photo to get the full view.

It was a fun, fun time.  I felt more comfortable in the kayak than I thought I would.  Hmm.

Well, one race is all we had time for.  We were anxious to get back to the house and throw some shrimp on the barbie!  Literally.  It was sooo good.

happy birthday America!

       

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finger jell-O   

• 1 large box Jell-O 
• 3 Knox gelatin packets
• 3 cups boiling water

mix the dry jell-o & gelatin in 9x13 pan.  Pour the boiling water over & stir until fully dissolved.  Refrigerate until set.  Cut out shapes.  Or pour the mix into Jell-O molds.

This recipe comes from Scott's family and usually sparks an Idaho contest.  Everyone grabs a square/rectangle/piece and nibbles around it until they create the perfect Idaho-looking state.

grilled corn on the cob

mix equal parts of melted butter and oil (usually a half cup each).  Sprinkle in some garlic salt and Mrs. Dash seasoning.  Roll the corn in it, use it to baste . . . . and grill.

jeeps, kayaks, and motorcycles (part III)

motorcycle

um, ya . . . that look on my face.  It could be categorized as

10% - not yet ready for the photo

62% - some fear & anxiety.  It's been 10 years since I was last on a motorcycle.  And after Sam got a steel rod put in his leg following a motorcycle accident, I've been a bit leery of them.

15% - my jeans are too tight.  Seriously, I could barely stretch my leg over the bike to get on.  We eat well at my parents house and this was day 7.

13% - the helmet is squishing my face together.

How did the ride go?  It was fun!  Once I came to grips with fact that we're speeding down a windy road with nothing to keep me from falling off this bike and breaking every bone in my body and then picturing the horrible road rash I'd get all over my exposed arms . . . . . I was okay.  {chuckle}  I figure it's just a fact/risk you've got to accept, and then enjoy the wind ripping across your body!  Maybe that's the reason why my mom has not ridden with my dad yet -- she isn't ready to accept that.

I was also partially relieved to hear from my dad that he only drove us at half the speed Sam did with Heidi.  Ya, so get this - Sam took the bike out for a ride with his sweet wife and drove that thing up to 100 mph!  Ya, this is the boy with a steel rod in his leg.  And this was his first time back on a bike since the accident 10 years ago.  Hello?!  Do you want to orphan your children?  {sigh}  whatever.

jeeps, kayaks, and motorcycles (part I)

My dad always seems to have a collection of toys.  The toys vary in the type of play that they offer . . . be it fast, dangerous, just plain fun, or something that is new & totally different.  And it also seems that the toys don't hang around for a long, long time -- there's always a healthy rotation in play.  Over the years it has included ATVs, jet-ski's, a ski boat, cross-bows, motorcycle, 1970-something Corvette, paintball guns, dune buggy, a zip-line . . . .

and most recently a jeep, 4 kayaks, and a spankin' new motorcycle.

jeep

You're always learning new things about people, right?  Well I recently learned that my dad has always wanted a jeep for playing around in, off-roading, and just to have a good time.  Last year he found the right one.

He took the kids and I for a calm ride and each of them got a turn to drive.

Conner was very focused during his turn.  He was really excited about this opportunity to drive a real car & took it pretty seriously.  I think he wanted to prove what a good driver he was.  All that practice on Mario Kart needed to prove for something.

Payton.  Oh, Payton.  Honestly, he's better than Conner on Mario Kart.  But man, oh man.  This boy was all over the road!  One second my dad would be reminding him (for the 10th time) to watch where he was going, and the very next second his head is turned to the side or the rear!  Taking in the scenery, I guess.

driving by . . . .

Anna took charge of the wheel and was pretty sure of her self.  She had been "driving" for about a minute when she glanced over to my lap and said, "need Anna's purse!" (which I was holding).  She promptly set that purse on her shoulder and continued on her way. 

homecoming

As I've mentioned before, our trip to CA last week was primarily for the purpose of welcoming my brother Denver home from his mission.  He has spent the last 2 years in Sao Paulo Brazil sharing the gospel, baptizing, getting attacked by dogs, by knives, taking his "worm" medication, living in some interesting conditions, and most importantly discovering a change in himself.

For those of you who were reading my blog back in March 2006 you may remember this letter.  Click on the link -- you'll get a good laugh.  And no, he never had to purchase a leotard for his mission.

Here are some pictures from the airport. 

I made t-shirts for my family to wear.  "Bem-vindo!" on the front, which means "Welcome" in Portuguese.  And one of Denver's famous quotes on the back.

I think the smiles in this photo says it all.

Later that day I was able to go with my parents, Denver, & Mason to the stake center so that Denver could be released by a member of the stake presidency.  I was surprised that the stake counselor wanted all of the family in there, but it was definitely special to share that meeting together.  I kept glancing over at Denver and he looked somehow out of place - I'm not sure he knew what to do with himself!  But as whole, his re-entry seems to be going just fine.  Each night we watched a movie to help him catch-up and he has been fully immersed into Rock Band. 

Also, he gave a wonderful talk in sacrament meeting.  We're glad to have him home now, although the kids are struggling with the gaping hole left in their prayers by having to eliminate "bless Uncle Denver on his mission."  Luckily they only have to wait 9 months or so to fill it with Uncle Mason.

Welcome home Denver!  Welcome home!

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a sealing

My uncle John (my mom's brother) his wife Libby and their two adorable girls Ashlee and Mikayla were sealed in the Oakland Temple the next day.  So many family members came from Utah, Idaho, and Michigan to be there for this momentous occasion.

a priesthood ordination

After church on Sunday Mason was ordained to be an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood.  When did all my brothers get so old and grown up?!  He was also presented with a plaque for completing his Eagle Scout.  A Court of Honor is planned in the near future. 

and if I haven't mentioned already

my 26 year old brother Sam was called to be in the bishopbric in his ward about a month ago.  Like I said, when did all my brothers get so old and grown up?!!

     

the rolling hills

I'm not sure why, but I love this scene.

the old country road, the golden rolling hills, the barbed wire fences . . . . I guess it does remind me of the foothills near my hometown.  Always the backdrop to our everyday.  But now

these images, this winding road gives me the feeling of anticipation.  Knowing that there is something, someone, special just a few miles away.  

And what a special week it has been.  A missionary homecoming, a temple sealing, a priesthood ordination, and time with family.  Lots of good stuff.

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As we left at 6am this morning the red sun followed us in a smoky haze.

Saturday evening there was a lightning storm that sparked fires all over the area.  My dad was called in with his bulldozer and spent the next several days making fire breaks or sitting at the fire station (he's still there now) & taking shifts with his brother Brian so he could still spend time with us.  On Sunday, I believe, he said that there were 400 fires burning in the state.  And we could see & smell it.  Each day the visibility decreased more and more. 

Less than 10 miles away from my parents place we came across this on our way out

Holy smokes!  A little sad to see, but those golden hills will be back next year.

And as we traveled north this was our constant view

That is not fog, or haze, or smog.  It's pure smoke.  We did not once see the sun or blue skies until we reached Shasta -- over 300 miles.  Just crazy!