Where Did Christmas Go?

I'm not sure were the time from Thanksgiving to Christmas went but I'm sure it did not involve me.

On Thanksgiving Day, Dru convinced Dallas and I to run a 5K run in Davis County. Dru ran the 10K. I did better than I thought I would and in my age catagory I came in 7th out of 17. I think Dru did well but she was slightly disappointed. Dallas won a 1st place blue ribbon for being the fastest fat guy in the Davis County on Thanksgiving Day. I Am So Proud!

For Christmas Dallas and I decided to get new Granite Counter Tops for our kitchen and laundry room. We spent a lot of time look at Granite and finally found a slab that we both liked and could afford. I will post pictures when it is done on January 8th.

I finally got by car back on Christmas Eve. It looks great and it feels good to be driving my own little car although the rental was nice and I could have this "I don't care" attitude. Mud on the shoes, I don't care. Dog barf, I don't care, except that I did have to use the shop vac to suck it all up, but I wasn't like dang.

Dallas, Dru and I did have a Gingerbread House contest with graham crackers. All three of the house were very creative but it was my purple trailer trash with hitch and old tires stacked behind that won the 1st place prize. I feel pretty good about this win!


Sallie's Award Winning House.

Dru's House.

Dallas's House

Christmas was nice and we were blessed to share it with family and friends.

I hope we have some time to think in January. Although I usually hate January because it is dark and cold, but I could use some time to think and get the carpets cleaned.

I just want to note that I have been blogging for a year now. It was my goal to blog at least once a month and I noticed that I have 16 blogs for the year. I achieved my goal. This is good!

Have A Happy New Year!!!!!

The Crash!!!!!!

I don't know what to say other than a picture is worth a thousand words and it wasn't my fault.

Not So Much Is New

Not much has happened lately which is a good thing. I have aquired yet another church job so now I have 3. I happen to like all of them. I am getting ready for Thanksgiving and hope that a good movie is released in time for Thanksgiving Day. I did run 3.2 miles last Friday (for me this is a big deal o.k.) and I might run in a 5K on Thanksgiving Day if the weather is good.

The Unplanned, Planned Trip!!!

So.... we had planned this trip that we had wanted to do for along time. Take the California Zypher Train from Salt Lake City to Denver and go through this beautiful canyon that a person can only get through on a train or the river. It is supposed to be the most beautiful part of the train ride. But, as our vacation plans sometimes go, I was notified the day we were to leave that there had been a freight train accident west of Denver and the Zypher was being re-routed through WYOMING! Ohhh big wow, I have been there before and I don't know why because there is nothing there. We already had a hotel and airfare home from Denver so we went anyway. It was the first time on a train for us and we didn't know what to expect. The train was a little dirty and worn but we had a great time. We slept for the first few hours since we left at 4:00am and then we ate and played cards and other games in the lounge car for the whole trip. We met several nice people and the train was not crowded because so many people had to get off to be re-routed by bus to get to their destinations.

We pulled into Denver around 5:00pm. We headed for our hotel on 16th street in the middle of the Mall. It was a beautiful evening and we walked up and down the mall. We looked around the historic Brown Hotel. Such grandeur. We walked to a church and then headed for something to eat. We were really tired from getting up so early and not having much sleep so we headed back to our hotel and bed. When we awoke the next morning it was snowing and 18 degrees. Who knows what the wind chill was. BRRRRR!

We ate some breakfast and headed to Walgreens to buy a sweatshirt because all we had were light-jackets. The weather forcast stated that it would be around 60 degrees. Whatever. We walked around Denver and it being Saturday nothing of note was open so we viewed the U.S. Mint from the outside. We viewed all the State and Federal building from the outside. We did however catch a Columbus Day Parade, twice. It was only 10 cars long and was mostly advertising for the Italian population. We were only 4 of about 10 people that even saw the parade. It was pretty funny.

We grabbed a cab and headed to the airport for our flight. Played some cards while we waited and ended up in the last row of seats across from some really drunk guy. The flight attended spilled hot chocolate in my lap which was dry by the time we landed and I had jeans on so no big deal. Dallas left his phone on the plane and had to get a special pass to get down the concourse to retrieve it. We then headed to the car and home. What a fun unplanned trip.

New England Beauty

So, Dallas and I started off the vacation with the all night flight from Salt Lake to New York City on JetBlue Airlines. Everytime I take this flight I vow I will never take the flight again. It is like no sleep for 36 hours. We met up with our friend John in NYC then Dallas and I took a pedicab through Central Park. We had never really seen the whole park and I have to say it was beautiful.

Our first stop was Boston. It was much different than I expected and the amount of history there made me giddy. I love history! We visited all the usual sites while we walked the Freedom Trail. We even stumbled up the Cheers Bar from the television show.

Portland, Maine was my favorite place. Small, quaint and so beautiful. This is a famous light house but I forgot the name. We saw like 5 of them right in the harbor.

The following day we sailed in to St. John, New Brunswich in Canada. Not a lot there. Fundy Bay with the Reversing Falls is the big draw. Unfortunately we hit it right at calm time. Nice town with an interesting church that looked impressive in the fog. I really liked the fog when we were on the ship. You could here all the ships in the area blowing their horns to alert each other.

Halifax, Nova Sotia was very interesting and bigger than I expected. The Fairview Cemetary was a nice bus ride away with a ride through the suburbs. Again, not what I expected. The Titanic graves were located in the middle of the cemetary in the middle of Halifax suburbia. Something really cool was that as we left Halifax they had Scottish Pipers playing.

We had an amazing vacation and I saw things I have always wanted to see and they were unlike anything I have seen before.

Goin' Cruisin'

NO! Not Motorcycle cruising, but like a vacation cruise on a ship. I am so excited. We leave next week for 10 days. A couple days in New York City and then we board the ship and go to Boston Massachussettes, Portland Maine, St. John's New Brunswick and Halifax Nova Scotia in Canada. The leaves should be changing (that is what Carnival Cruise Lines says anyway) and the temperatures should be nice. BUT.... If you know anything about our vacations, anything that can go wrong just might. We have had some success the past few journeys, but still.... I just hope we don't get sick, lots of colds and crap going around and it would be just our luck to have some hurrican come up the coast and get us. Be sure to check back in a couple of weeks for details and pictures. If we survive that is!

My Friend Dick

Today was my friend Dick's 80th Birthday. He had a big, big party with lots of family and friends and food. I hope that Dick will at least have one more birthday before he has to go, but I'm not sure. I just love sitting outside on a summer evening with Dick. Sometimes we talk and sometimes not. It is just relaxing. He always tells me when it is time to plant something in my garden. In the winter I like to sit on the leather couch in the house with Dick. It is relaxing. I did this for several months a couple years ago when I didn't feel good. He would read the paper to me and tell me everything was going to be ok. Everything was just perfect today at his party.

Thanks for being my friend Dick!

In Honor Of The Grand Old "G"

I Am A Farmer!

After 103 years they have closed Granite High School. I have mixed emotions about this. Many members of my family are Granitians. It was the 2nd High School in the Salt Lake Valley.

I went to a Good Bye Open House last Friday to have a last look around the school. Not that I have been back since I graduated 31 years ago. Not much had changed. They had bricked up the opening over the entrance in the "S" building. I don't know why. Sometimes when you walked into the "S" building you would get hit by a paper ball or something, but nothing bad. It also let light into the upstairs hall. It was really hot. I remembered the hot days in the fall and spring. It was an old school, there was no air-conditioning and it was ok.

I have many memories because I lived so close to the school. There was open plunge on hot summer days, football games on autumn evenings. My friends and I would ride our bikes around the school and have water fights at the outdoor drinking fountain donated by the class of 1970. It was just a hole in the ground by the time I graduated in 1978. It is no longer there.

When I finally attended Granite High, every morning I was out the front door, down the street, throught the alley, across the student parking lot, down the stairs through the tunnel, up and outside to the "S" building. I had arrived at school and I loved it.

It is always sad to have things in your life leave but I will always have the memories just like The Song of the "G" states!

SONG OF THE "G"

When sight and sound of the campus
Fade in the long, busy years,
Yet will return in our memories,
Echoes of old Songs and Cheers...
You, of the field, track and diamond,
Fighters for clean victory,
You who love the fair, square sport,
You'll hear the song of the "G"!
Fo it Granite! Go it Granite!
Hear the battle cry;
Go it Granite! Go it Granite!
Yours 'til we die...
She will remember,
You'll not forget her,
Though you are far away
She is calling, calling to you ever,
Honor the Grand old "G"!

Sallie in the boys gym in the "A" building

Sallie and Dallas by the seal in the main entrance of the "S" building

Sallie in Sardine Hall of the "S" Building.

Dallas pointing at his Senior year locker #12.

Zoom Zoom Zoom

So.... about 2 months ago we purchased a new 2010 Mazda 3 We have never owed an brand-new car. I love this car. It is peppy and easy to drive. I really love the remote entry and the blue tooth for my phone. I really like it when someone is admiring the car because I don't think anyone has ever admired something that I have been driving before. It feels nice and that new car smell............heavenly!

The Last Graduation?

So, Dru graduated from Southern Utah University yesterday.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude, something that no other family member has achieved.

It was what one would call a bitter-sweet day. President Thomas S. Monson was the main speaker. He basically stated; "Learn from the past, prepare for the future, and live in the present." He also advised to never stop learning and progress to be better in all aspects of life.

As Dru was entering the auditorium with the other graduates I thought WOW! I can't believe the time has actually come. My last child is graduating from college. It was something that always seemed so far in the future that it could never actually happen. Here we were in the moment, it had happened. Then I thought, man, I feel kind of old. This was some goal that seemed a thousand years away and it had actually come to pass.

Each member of our family has a Bachelors Degree. What do we do now????????

Off the Treadmill, out the Front-door and onto the Parkway!

The other day it was so beautiful outside, so I decided that I would jog to the park. Nature is so beautiful when you allow yourself the pleasure of experiencing it. I left the ipod and headphones home and let the birds be my music. The chirps, tweets, whirs, peeps and cheeps blended perfectly and made the most relaxing and uplifting symphony.

I first passed the tulips in my own front yard, then down the street to the Parkway and noticed the new leaves on the trees and bushes.

I also noticed that the Beavers had been busy. I love the Beavers but I hope they don't continue to chop down all the trees along the river.

As I ran I looked over and saw a group of pelicans. WOW! I had to stop and watch for a couple of minutes and take pictures. I have not seen them on the river before.

I continued on my way and noticed the little purple flowers in the native grasses on the side of the path and bank of the river.

I ran under the freeway and onto the bridge over the river. I noticed the black and red birds flying from tree to tree and talking to each other. All the birds seem to be doing this. I passed the golfers and watched as one swung his club, hit the ball and head it splash in the river. Finally, I came to Winchester Park and saw the ducks and geese floating in the little pond at the park, a couple were walking around and honking and quacking to each other. I turned around and headed back toward home. I felt energized and uplifted except my knees hurt from pounding the pavement. I had experienced a few small pleasures of life from Heavenly Fathers vast creations. All I had to do was get off my treadmill and go out my front-door. What a great place to live!

Officially Spring!

It is officially Spring. I love Spring, the antisipation of warm sunny days, the disappointment of the cold snow, the sound of the birds, the light breeze that moves the daffodils and tulips and best of all it leads to Summer!

I like to work in the garden and clear out the old dead leaves and foliage and uncover the new growth of the bulbs that are popping out of the ground and see the color of the pansies that have made it throught the snowy winter.

I love to watch the small green buds on the bushes grow bigger and unwrap themselves into beautiful leaves.

With Spring comes Easter, my second most favorite holiday. My favorite being the 4th of July. I love the decorations, I just can't stop myself from buying something new every year. I love buying all that fun stuff to hide for the easter egg hunt and there is really no expectations like with Christmas.

I think that Easter has the best candy. Ooooh.... the Cadbury cream filled eggs, the Peeps, the Malted Milk Eggs, the pastel colored M&M's, the foil wrapped Hersey Eggs, the chocolate bunnies, the CHOCOLATE of it all. I'm done I have to go get chocolate now!

The Cruise!!!

Well, we are home from our cruise. We flew to San Diego and boared our ship last Sunday. If you know anything about vacationing with our family you would probably avoid it. We never have smooth vacations. We were able to arrive and depart according to plan, which is sometimes a problem for us, but we encountered some very rough seas on Monday. I attempted to make the best of it by utilizing the gym equipment. Let me tell you running on a treadmill while pitching and rolling is a unique experience. I did fine though and returned to my room to shower and dress and attend the class on towel folding. Not that kind of folding - I think I should know how to fold towels after doing it most of my 40 some years of life. It was folding into animals, I was so excited! Well, trying to roll and fold while on a bobbing ship was more than I could deal with so I returned to the cabin took some Dramamine (which we hid from Audrey) and went and had pizza with Brooke. The family then took a nap in our cabin. Finally, they got us to a little cove and the ship stopped rocking so much and we went and ate more food. It was raining and a little cold so there just wasn't much to do.
The next day we finally made it to Catalina Island and we spent some time shopping until it started to rain. We went back to the ship had a late lunch which made me too full to truly appreciate the great dinner and the ohhh... soooo... gooood Tiramasu deseret. Probably my favorite desert in the world.

The last day was great we spent the day in Ensenada Mexico. The girls and I went on a horseback ride. The scenery was beautiful, the mountians and ocean and even a great few of Ensenada. After the ride they had some killer taco's for lunch and a Mariachi band with dancing until the bus arrived to take us back to the ship. We did a little shopping and then called it a day. We were all a little sad because the weather had finally turned nice and it was our last night at sea.

The next day we debarked and rented a car. We first found an In & Out Burger then proceeded to Coronado Island. We walked on the beach and around Hotel del Coronado for a couple of hours then drove to the San Diego Temple. The grounds were so beautiful, new flowers and the smell of fresh grass. Oh, the Spring Fever!!! It was time to go back to winter at home.