Lauri and Kerry and family

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

He thinks he's human

Quate' thinks he's human and loves to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. He tries to steal tomatoes off of the vine through the fence, when in reality if he were smart enough to remember he can jump the little fence around the garden he would have unlimited access to all of the tomatoes he wants. In this case I was canning apricots and he had a taste of one and was stealing them from this container. So I decided that I would catch him in the act.

I guess he knew what I was up to because it took over 30minutes for him to work up the courage to swipe one.

Ooops, caught in the act!

But it didn't stop him, he kept trying.

I finally gave in and let him have one, but that was the end of leaving the container on the floor. If it had been full of tomatoes he wouldn't have taken as long to steal one.

Hard Work

Tonight I picked the last of the green beans in our garden. As I pulled the plants up and pulled all of the beans off I reflected a lot about my Mom and Dad. They always had a garden and worked hard to can and build up their storage. I have since discovered the love Dad had for his garden and why. It is a place to work and produce but also a place to go and think and to reflect. I think about a variety of things from family and things I have to do to gospel principles. I can take music out with me but I often just go out and think. When I was younger I really didn't like when I saw the beans come in the house because I knew it meant hours of snapping, now I like to sit and snap them and get them ready to can, I think of my Mom and the hours she spent canning year after year. I also understand the wonderful feeling of filling the shelves with bottles
that you have done yourself and that is a comfort. Tonight I couldn't help but think how hard they worked and taught me to work. They were a great example to me, I miss them very much.

New Discovery

He can stay still and calm while being outside,

if he is by himself, But step out with him and he is non stop and focused on the demons in the grass!

What says relaxation much better than this

Monday, September 7, 2009

There is nothing quite as sweet as an innocent little baby. This past week has been so wonderful as we have had time to spend with Cydney. Ken and Nora.

I'm missing holding and snuggling with this little doll, but I am grateful to have had some time with her.

The long trip home-July 6th

When we left to go back to the hotel for the evening we began the process of saying Goodbye because we planned on leaving early the next morning and didn't want to wake them up before we left. As we were getting ready and loading up the vehicles Cydney called to tell us that she and Nora were awake and she wanted us to come and say goodbye. So on our way out of town we stopped to say a very hard goodbye.

The morning started out with a beautiful sunrise.

Having made the trip just a couple of days before it seemed like the road was even longer going back.

This time we made a quick stop in Arvada, I wanted to drive through the old neighborhood and just see how things look. It was pretty sad to see how run down the whole area was. The old house looked so different as well as old friends homes. I had been doing a search on Face book for some old friends from High School and what I learned when I got home was that one of these friends was there at her mom's when we drove by, I have been looking for her for about twenty years, so close. What I have also learned is that she lives in the same city that Cydney lives in so I hope to see her the next time I go back to Kansas. I am having a lot of fun with Face book and connecting with old friends and even extended relatives that I have not seen or talked to for years.

This is the gas station that we always used go to when I was growing up, of course it is a new one in the same spot. Notice the trouble still cleaning the windshield.

After getting a quick bite to eat we got back on the road again for the last leg of the trip home. Next time we do it in two days.

Nora's Blessing

The shoes I finally found were almost too small for her feet so Ken really had to work to get them on her.

She looked like a little Princess in her blessing dress.

Afterwards she had quite a photo session with all of the cameras pointed at her. She was hungry and ready to be out of the dress when we were finished.