Purcell Family

Sunrise, Sunset

2012-01-29T11:26:00.001-07:00

I have had a project in mind for quite awhile now, and have finally completed it! It wasn't easy getting it from my head to actually happening! The inspiration for this project were the words from "Sunrise, Sunset" from the "Fiddler on the Roof". It was quite a process getting the pictures in frames that were the right size, and getting them arranged so they were straight. I am very pleased with the finish product! It is even better than it was in my head! The sunrises and sunsets are all pictures that I have taken, some of them right out my front door, some of them in places we have visited!

This is the grouping of pictures on my family room wall! I have a section for each of my four kids starting with their baby pictures, then their first 5 years, then the portrait Darlou sent when they turned 8, then their school years, then a wedding, then a current family picture.

Cindy's section....the sunrise or sunset pictures between her section and Brian's say "Is this the little girl I carried?", and "Is this the little boy at play?".

Brian's section

The center section....Blake and I when we were young, and a current picture. The sunrise, sunset saying is "I don't remember growing older, when did they?"

Randy's section.... the sunrise, sunset words between Randy and Jared say: "Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?', and "When did he get to be so tall?"

Jared's section....since he is not married yet, I put the picture we took before he left, and a current picture he sent home.

Annual West Yellowstone Adventure

2012-01-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Last week we took our annual trip to West Yellowstone. There were some differences this year, though. First off, only 3 of us went on Wednesday, Blake, Randy and I left about 4:00pm and got to West Yellowstone about 6:00. Courtney came up on the shuttle on Firday morning. So compared to the last 2 years when we had 8, it was very quiet. Next, we had two brand new snow machines and one brand new pickup! They all worked really well, much improved over the old ones.

There is not much snow this year, see the small black light pole to the right of the wooden doors? Other years that has been completely covered by snow.

It was really cold on Thursday morning!

Blake and Randy went to Two Top on Thursday, this is a great view of the Tetons!

Randy thought this was cool, the way the wind blew the snow all over this tree and made a hole around the tree. It's called a ghost tree.

After Courtney got there on Friday, and after it had warmed up a little, we all took off for a day of riding.

We rode to Meadow Creek Lodge for some lunch.

Here we are, waiting for our food.

We went to Big Springs.

We did find some trees that had snow on them, but mostly they were green.

Sure not as much snow this year.

Blake at the top of the hill.

Randy at the top.

On Saturday after Blake and Randy got done riding, we went to Gushers Pizza. There were a bunch of guys that rode their machines to get some pizza. We rode in New Big Red.

On Sunday, we went to Sacrament Meeting, then ate a great Sunday dinner, played some games and watched 17 Miracles and some other movies. It was a nice relaxing day. Monday morning, we woke up to a little new snow, too bad it was time to go home!

Pictures from Jared

2012-01-09T20:41:00.003-07:00

I received Jared's memory card in the mail today! It was a real good Monday! He is serving as a District Leader in Columbia, MO in the Highland Ward. His companion is Elder Hansen.

I think this picture was taken in Fulton, pretty cool wall.

Boo hoo, no mail.

Thrust in your sickle!

Very nice quilt from Nikelle.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T16:36:00.001-07:00

Christmas was a little different this year, mostly because a lot of our family have moved away. Randy and Courtney came and stayed for a few days, but Randy had to work Christmas day, so we ate Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and even opened presents on Christmas Eve. My kids (especially one of my children) have begged me for years to let them open presents on Christmas Eve, and I wouldn't ever let that happen. But we really didn't have much choice this year!

We started Christmas Eve morning off with some Monkey Bread

My parents came and opened some presents too, even though my dad really doesn't like to do that on Christmas Eve.

Blake's niece Melinda wrote a children's book about Grandpa Mark Purcell, it was a favorite among everybody!

Courtney reading the book while we all listened. It is a really nice book, written very well with some really nice pictures.

Blake was thrilled with this new tool set.

Courtney was thrilled with her new snowmachine coat! Now she and Blake are really styling because their coats match their helmets.

I wasn't worried about Christmas being ruined because we had already done most of the Christmas activities, because we had something really fun to look forward to! Of course the best part of Christmas when you have a child serving a mission is THE PHONE CALL! It was so wonderful to hear Jared's voice and carry on a conversation with him! We worked it out so that we could hear and talk to Jared on a speaker phone, then he could hear and talk to Cindy in Michigan, and Brian in Texas through skype and speakers! Randy was even able to call from work and could hear and talk to Jared through the speakers on the phones! It was a great Christmas Day!

Forgotten Holiday

2011-12-27T16:08:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I did this! I am always upset that Thanksgiving gets overlooked in the media and stores, and now I have done just that! I just realized that I have not posted about our 2011 Thanksgiving! So, better late than never, right?

We did something a lot different this year because Randy and Courtney were the only ones around. We decided to take our thanksgiving fixings and go to a resort in Ogden, Utah, called Wolf Creek. We left on Wednesday and came home on Friday. It was a nice little get away, and we had a good time! I love Thanksgiving because it always reminds me to be more grateful for my blessings, and I am truly blessed!

Blake and Randy played some raquetball.

We cooked our meals in a tiny little kitchen.

We used the coffee table for a serving table.

Here we are, all ready to eat.

We took a drive up a steep hill, then we had to come back down the hill, I think that coming down was the hardest part!

We had a very nice little Thanksgiving vacation, we definitely made some memories!

Elk Refuge & Salt Lake City

2011-12-22T21:46:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we did a bit of traveling. It started on Saturday when Blake, Randy, Courtney and I went to Jackson Hole, Wy. to the Elk Refuge. It was a fun little day trip. We took a sleigh ride out in a big open area where there were tons of bull elk.

Here we are, all bundled up.

The elk were really close to the sleigh.

Courtney with Jack and Jill, who pulled our sleigh.

Then we drove in the car to another part of the refuge to see some big horned sheep.

One of the them decided to lick the salt off the car, the others just stood in the road.

Then on Sunday, Blake and I had to take his mother and niece to the Salt Lake Airport, so we decided to make a little vacation of it and stayed the night. After taking them to the airport, we went to Temple Square. We were way impressed with all the Christmas displays and lights!

Breathtaking!

"Baby, It's cold outside"

Spectacular!

6 Months!

2011-11-25T19:38:00.001-07:00

Today is Jared's 6 month mark! He is currently serving in the Fulton area, and has been there since October 19th. Fulton is more like Blackfoot, smaller city with a lot of outlying area.

He sent the memory card from his camera when he was transferred, so here are some pictures I don't think I have posted before.

New mode of transportation for missionaries?

Josh's Baptism

Wonder if he was able to teach this guy while he visited him at the zoo.

This next picture is from Fulton.

Trenton's baptism. He didn't say who the people are, I'm assuming one of them in white is Trenton, and Jared's companion is Elder Banks.

Windows are finished, really this time!

2011-11-15T21:16:00.001-07:00

I jumped the gun! I would have waited to post about the bedroom windows if I thought the blinds were coming this week, they were scheduled to come next week. They came today! And Blake had time to install them today! Yay! Now everything is finished and looks SO nice!

Master Bedroom

So lovely! (I know, I know the walls and ceiling need a little work in this room, but I'm afraid it will have to wait til next year.)

Sewing/Crib Room

Office

I have wanted blinds like these for a long time and couldn't have them because they wouldn't work with the old windows. I have learned something through all this....there are a lot of shades of white! Who knew, I thought white was white! Oh well, the picture makes it look darker than it really is, but the blinds are a little different white than the casings. I love the new windows and new blinds though!

The last amazing transformation!

2011-11-14T15:25:00.001-07:00

The first time my brother, Randy Chambers came over to get some ideas for the renovations we wanted to do in our home, he commented on the sagging roof above the garage. As he finished up the work inside the house, he and Blake decided to see what could be done about the sagging roof. Blake also wanted to sheetrock and paint the garage. They got to investigating the roof and rafters and found that it had sagged at least 7 inches. So they came up with a plan to "raise the roof".

They got a pole and jacks and literally "raised the roof". They thought they could use this red metal pole, but it was not quite long enough, so they devised another plan using a wooden one.

This time it worked well, and the roof was raised!

Then they got looking at some of the other rafters, they decided that they needed to be reinforced and jacked up some. After lots of hard work up in the rafters, the roof is no longer sagging!

Blake started to clean out the garage, so it could be sheetrocked. Our cat "Baby" was really old and sick, she had not got out of the way and Blake had backed over her, but she was still moving around a bit, but she really didn't like everything being taken out of the garage. Finally after a few days, she became really sick and Blake had to put her down.

Blake started ripping the sheetrock that was in the ceiling down. It made a huge mess!

What a mess!

Next, Blake insulated the walls, this was kind of a scary place to be!

Then we had professionals come and hang the sheetrock. These guys were little teeny men, and were really strong and funny. After they got the sheetrock up, we had someone come and blow insulation into the attic. Then they had some different people come and perfatape and mud the sheetrock. Then Blake painted the ceiling.

After the ceiling was painted, Randy came back and helped put lights up. Funny story about this picture....Randy is not really fond of working with electricity, and I used a flash to take this picture, after the flash went off, Randy said "what was that?!?" He thought the electricity was going to get him. We all had a good laugh.

They put the garage door openers back into place, and also did all the trim work around the windows and baseboard around the edge.

Then Blake painted the walls.

I even helped paint the trim.

The garage floor was so dirty, covered with the white powder from sanding the sheetrock, so Blake devised a sprayer for the broom, worked really well.

We decided to move the fridge and freezer from the basement and put them in the garage. It was a very hard job! Thanks Randy Purcell for your strong muscles!

Blake wanted to put some cupboards up, so he ordered some from Lowe's. He and Randy spent a whole day putting them together.

Courtney helped by reading the directions to them.

Randy Chambers came back for the final installation of the cupboards. Blake is using the pole in the middle of the garage to lean on to watch Randy do some more magic.

They really have made a good team.

Now for some "before and after" pictures.

Before....The west wall of the garage.

After...the west wall!

Before...the east wall.

After...the east wall.

Before...the south west corner.

After...the south west corner.

Before...in front the of stairs.

After...in front of the stairs.

Before...the garage doors.

After...the garage doors.

Before...the wall by the door.

After...the wall by the door.

It truly is an amazing transformation! Once again, a huge thank you to Randy Chambers! Blake absolutely LOVES his new garage, it's just how he always wanted it!

Another Project Finished...well almost

2011-11-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

After we had a new window installed in the living room, we decided that we should put new ones in the three bedrooms as well. So, finally last Monday, November 7th, they were installed. It was a cold day, but we didn't freeze too bad. The new windows are wonderful. We don't hear the wind as much, or the cars going by as much either. We have ordered blinds, but they won't be here for another week.

This is the "sewing room" or the the room with the crib. The man installing the window tried to duck and get out of the picture, but I was too fast.

After the window was installed, before it was trimmed.

All trimmed and finished! (Randy Chambers the magician came and trimmed these windows too.)

The office window before being removed.

I think the hardest part of the office window was moving the desk out of the way!

New window, just waiting to be trimmed.

All finished and so nice!

Master bedroom window before being removed.

No window, looks really weird. Felt really cold!

New Master window!

Randy and Blake didn't get to the outside trim until it was dark, but Randy can even work his magic by flashlight!

From the outside, don't they look fabulous?

Tennis Tournaments!

2011-11-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

When Jared graduated, I was kind of sad that my days of following kids in their sports were over. Well, I have gained another kid in sports! Blake has been playing some league tennis, so I have someone to go watch again! This fall he played in a mixed doubles league, he and his partners won every single match they played in Idaho Falls. His whole team did really well and they qualified to to go to the next level! I can't remember if they call it districts or sectionals but it seemed like he was going to State Tennis! It was in Boise at the Boise Racquet and Swim Club, which is were Jared played state high school tennis. So, Randy and Courtney came with us to Boise. We stayed at the Residence Inn (just like we have for state high school tournaments), and watched tennis in the same courts! Even though Blake and his partners didn't even win a set in Boise, we had a great time!

We are great cheerleaders!

Then last week, Blake played in a tournament at Apple Athletic. He entered in 3 events, singles, men's doubles with Randy, and mixed doubles with a gal named Jen. He ended up being the champion in the singles, and mixed doubles! He and Randy were the runners up! I am a very good spectator and love to watch! Go Blake!

Snowman from FedEx?

2011-10-30T10:42:00.000-06:00

Friday, a very large box appeared outside my backdoor delivered by FedEx. We were busy coming and going and didn't have time to open it for awhile. It said it was from M A Sappington, from St. Charles, MO, addressed to me. Finally we were able to open it, we couldn't imagine what was inside and if it was somehow connected to Jared. Randy was here and it took both of us about 10 - 15 minutes to get all the bubble wrap unwrapped.

The mound of bubble wrap, and the surprise inside! It is ceramic and was in 3 pieces that stack together, isn't it just cute, and big! But, there was no note, I had no idea why or who sent this adorable snowman to me! I got looking at the label and found a phone number next to the senders address, so I called it up. I asked the lady that answered if she had sent a darling ceramic snowman to me. She squealed and said she was so glad that it was not broken. She said her name was Mary Ann, and my son had chosen that snowman for her to send me. She went on to tell me that "those boys" had been coming to her house for a long time, and she loved having them come. She said she always thought if she had a son out on his own in the world like "these boys" she would hope that people would be nice to him. She said that she really misses Jared since he has been transferred, that there was something extra special about him, that she loved his happy attitude and smile! She told me that I should be really proud of him! She said she asked Jared if there was any of her ceramic things I might like, he told her that I like snowmen, so she had this one and wondered if I would like it, he told her I would love it. She made me promise to tell Jared that it got here unbroken, and to tell him that she misses him.

Needless to say, I LOVE IT! Thank you Jared and Mary Ann!

Texas!

2011-10-02T14:05:00.001-06:00

Blake and I decided for our birthdays we would like to take a trip to Texas! We boarded a plane early in the morning on Sept. 22 and arrived at the Dallas Fort Worth airport at about 10:00 am.

We were so excited to see Maden and Brian and Celia.

Maden had to help Brian take our suitcases in.

He showed us how he could be a "Ralphy"

I love this picture...Maden is listening to Blake sing as he sits in the cart at Walmart.

There was a lot of tennis playing, even in the rain.

At Texas Roadhouse, Maden likes to be big and sit on the bench.

On Friday, we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. It is a real nice zoo. Then we went to Applebees for lunch, and later to Rita's for a treat. We loved the time we had at the apartment just to visit and play with Maden.

A huge alligator!

This is about how big the real one is!

Maden loved pushing the buttons and seeing what they said on the phones.

He rode a baby elephant.(or ephewant, as Maden says)

At Applebees, he wanted a lime wedge. He loved it and wouldn't put it down till he had sucked it dry.

Blake loved these trees that were still blooming.

Grandpa taught Maden how to shave! He almost shaved his hair!

We brought him a new tractor that has animals and makes all sorts of sounds (wonder if the battery is still in it, haha), Maden thought "Kegan" and Turtle needed a ride too.

He didn't think sharing Grandpa's frozen custard at Rita's was good enough, he just took the cone and ate it all!

Saturday, we went to breakfast at Golden Coral, then to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. It was really pretty with some fountains and arches and a pond that had fish and turtles swimming in it. In the evening,we went downtown to Sammies for another treat. They make cookies and you choose what kind of ice cream you want to make an ice cream sandwich with your cookies. It was good, but not as good as Rita's.

I wanted to take some family pictures, so we tried that. It was hard getting all three posing right.

Pretty good one.

Little man sitting on a rock.

We did a self portrait using the timer on the camera.

Maden has always loved my camera, from the time he was pretty little. He would hold it up and say, "Say Cheese, Maden." I figured out why the pictures we took earlier were a little fuzzy...he left his finger prints on the lens.

Walking with Grandpa.

Sunday morning we went back to the Botanic Gardens armed with bread and pancakes to feed the turtles and fish. Blake tried to catch a turtle by the tail, but they were to too quick. Then we went to church and just hung out watching movies.

The boys feeding the turtles and fish.

Maden is eating some lunch before church.

Monday came way too quickly. Blake and Brian played more tennis, and Celia, Maden and I went to the park. After the park, we went to lunch at a steakburger place near the airport, then we went to a huge outlet mall. Then we got dropped off at the airport. It was a quick trip, but way better than no trip at all!

Swinging

Maden ran to get Blake and Brian when they came to the park.

More swinging

Going round and round with Austin.

This is how two little boys and a daddy can ride the teeter totter.

Sliding!

Celia sent this picture of a sad Maden after we got out of the car at the airport. I think our faces mirrored his, but with some tears added at least on mine.

Thanks Brian and Celia for letting us come and stay! We had a great time and added some wonderful memories! Can't wait for next time.

Another Elder Jared update

2011-10-02T12:04:00.000-06:00

Jared has been out for 4 months now! He is doing really well. They had their 2nd baptism on the 24th of September. I love it that he attaches pictures sometimes to his emails.

This is a toad just outside their apartment.

He said that this looked like he and Elder Pentz were walking in heaven. I think it looks like the Sacred Grove.

He said that sometimes he can't figure out where he is.

With his District.

At Josh's baptism.

New Window

2011-10-02T11:38:00.000-06:00

The window for the living room finally came in! It was installed on Thursday, it looks wonderful! Almost immediately we noticed how quiet it was, you really can't hear the cars going by on the road.

The center section is taken out, they are still working on the frame.

I kind of liked the clean look of no window! But it might be kind of cold without a window, and we might have unwanted guests fly in!

The window without the casings.

Now look! All trimmed thanks to Randy Chambers talents! It looks wonderful!

The guys installing would crawl in and out of the hole.

Blake and Randy adding some trim to the outside. It looks marvelous!

Magical Transformation Part II

2011-09-13T21:53:00.001-06:00

There has been much more magic happening in my house! It was in need of a facelift, which it definitely got! My brother, Randy painted the ceilings in the living room, dining room, kitchen, entry way and hallways. They had never been painted and look so much better all shiny and clean.

Painting the ceiling is really not very fun!

Blake is doing some patchwork.

The next step was to texture some walls that had been wallpapered.

Randy proved that he had some artistic blood in his veins!

Next came painting the walls. I chose Brown Teepee. I think it's very warm and inviting. After Randy painted all the brown, he replaced all the trim, the baseboards and the door casings which we painted white, or Powdered Snow.

Randy C. did all the rolling of the brown, Blake, Randy P. and I painted the trim.

Now for the Royal Treatment! Randy installed Crown Molding! It is just the perfect addition to this makeover! I LOVE it! It was difficult to install, and Randy C. told us later that he had never actually installed it before, he had only helped a couple of times. Once again, he proved that he is skilled beyond even his own beliefs. Magic at its very best!

Because Courtney is tall, she had to help hold up one end. (Wonder why they didn't pick me?)

The part over the stairs was really hard. You can't see it in this picture, but Randy C. is standing on a small platform on a ladder that is on the bottom stair. I think that everyone was really tired at the end of that day!

Randy installed some bead board in the entry way, and that finished up his magic tricks. We are going to have the window replaced in the living room, and it has not come in yet, so he will have to come back and trim that later.

Dining Room

Entry Way

Stairs - we added a hand rail.

Living Room

Now it is time to call in another magician! Randy's wife Julie is a master decorator! She and I had a fun day shopping and found some great things! She has such good ideas and knows how to place things so they look stunning! She combined the new with some of my existing things for a complete magical transformation! I LOVE it! I have a few "before" pictures.

Now for the "after" pictures!

Dining Room

Fireplace

Living Room

This is the wall in front of the stairs.

Entry Way

Back Hallway

Once again, a HUGE thanks to Randy and Julie! I absolutely LOVE my "new" house! What a boost! You are both so talented, thank you so much for sharing your talents and time with us!

Julie, the magician!

Randy, the master picture hanger, they are straight and spaced very evenly!

These pictures really don't do justice! You need to see it in person! Come visit, you will be amazed! (There is still one more project that Blake and Randy have been spending many hours on, that will be finished at a later date!)

Magical Transformations

2011-09-07T21:50:00.000-06:00

My house needed a pantry, or rather I need a pantry in my house! So after seeing the magic my brother Randy Chambers worked on the laundry room in Idaho Falls, we invited him down to work some magic in our house. As you come in the back door from the garage, there was a little hall that led to a door that went out to the patio. We never used that door, so it was kind of wasted space. I had the idea that it was a perfect spot for a pantry and knew that Randy could make that happen. I don't have a good before picture, but I've got some good ones during and after!

First, the door was removed.

Blake and Randy, framing in where the door was.

Then they had to reroute some of the wiring, so there could be lights and switches in the right places. That turned into a long process, it was hard to figure out! Eventually to get it right, they had to call in some experts...Terry and Doug came down and helped figure out the complicated mess.

Then came the sheet rocking and perfataping...

Part of this space had been a small closet, he had to combine the two areas into one.

Then it was time to build the shelves.

The shelves had been painted once before they were installed, but I got the job of giving them a second coat.

The finished product!

It is absolutely wonderful! Exceeded all of my expectations! I still need to organize it a little, but I love it! I knew Randy could work magic and make a pantry out of some wasted space! He is a true magician!

But wait, there's more! I got a big unexpected bonus! My laundry facilities are a closet in the hall across from the new pantry. Randy had the idea that if we put some cabinets in there instead of shelves, it would make it seem less like a closet...He was so right!

Before...ugh.

During..getting better!

After!! Randy was so right! I love it! It is still a closet, but it really doesn't feel like a closet any more!

Thank you, Randy for working your magic! I love it all! But wait, there's more! I have so much more to show off, but there's a few finishing touches that include another magician before I show it all off! Stay tuned!

From Garage to Laundry Room

2011-08-14T20:33:00.001-06:00

When Brian and Celia moved to Texas, we decided it would be a good time to freshen up the house before Randy and Courtney moved in. They painted the whole thing a nice light brown color. Then we got the idea to move the laundry facilities from the basement to a room in the back of the garage. The only problem is, there was no room in the garage. Well, my brother, Randy Chambers just happened to have the abilities, skills and time to build that room. He is amazing, he designed, then built a very nice laundry room! Blake and Randy Purcell helped him quite a bit, and enjoyed working with him, and spending time with him.

This is what happened in the garage.

This is how it all began.

This is how it looks all finished! If you think that's amazing, just wait till you see inside!

Removing the door, so they can put it in its new spot, proved to be one of the most difficult tasks.

The new door frame.

Building new stairs, cause they covered up the cement ones that were there.

I don't have many pictures of the inside work happening, but it looks really nice! Here they are, moving the dryer in.

Randy C. and his amazing work.

From the living room looking into the laundry room.

Randy C. thought it would add a real nice touch to have this little bench, shelf and cupboard on the wall opposite the washer and dryer. I agree! It looks wonderful! He built it all!

This is how it looks from the living room. If you didn't already know that it was added on, you couldn't tell.

Thank you Randy C.! We sure do appreciate your talents! Randy and Courtney will appreciate you even more every time they do laundry!

Update on Elder Purcell

2011-07-25T14:52:00.000-06:00

Today, Jared has been on his mission for 2 months. He told us in his email today that a man named Doug Green was baptized on Saturday, July 23rd. Jared confirmed him on Sunday, July 24th. He has said in previous letters that he is amazed with Doug's strength and testimony.

Jared with Doug Green

Doug, Elder Pentz and Elder Purcell (such a happy gentle giant!)

2011 Summer Vacation, Part II

2011-07-20T21:28:00.001-06:00

For the 2nd part of our vacation, we drove 5 1/2 hours from Cindy's to Nauvoo, Illinois. We were meeting my parents, my sister Lynne and her family, my brother Randy and his wife and son, who had all driven from Idaho and Utah, and my sister Suzanne and her family drove from South Carolina. We stayed in some condos about 2 miles outside of Nauvoo.

On Thursday night after we had all arrived, from 3 different directions, all through many corn fields, we went into Nauvoo so we could see the Pageant. Before the pageant, the people who will be performing the next week put on a "Country Fair" with all sorts of activities for old and young alike. It was great fun.

The teenage, and almost teenage kids, and Julie had a great time square dancing with the "pioneers".

Mom and I had a great time watching and taking pictures of the dancing.

Suzanne, Lynne, Julie, me and Mom watching all the activities.

Dad and Blake watching too.

Lynne and I matching in color!

All seated and ready for the pageant to begin.

The pageant was amazing. It was the story of Nauvoo, and performed by volunteers from all over the country. They have a core cast that is the same for the whole month, then there are others that are there for one week of performances. At the very end, the temple behind them is lit up, it was a very breathtaking scene.

The next morning we took Tanner, Michelle, Dallin, Joseph, Alexis and Adam to the temple so they could do baptisms for the dead. I felt very fortunate to be able to go inside the Nauvoo Temple. It is a very humbling experience to be inside that sacred building on that hallowed ground.

Afterward, we went to the visitors center and watched a really good movie about the restoration of the Gospel.

We spent some time in the Women's Garden and had some fun pictures.

We went to a play performed by the Young Performing Missionaries. It was excellent! Those young people are extremely talented.

We went to several of the homes and buildings that have been restored. It is amazing and inspiring that the early saints could build that city in such a short time.

After dinner, we went back to Nauvoo and walked around some of the shops, then around the temple. It seemed that we could not get enough of the temple, your eyes were drawn to it from every side.

This monument is depicting Joseph and Hyrum Smith's last ride out of Nauvoo before being martyred, very sobering statue.

Saturday morning we went to another darling play by the Young performing missionaries, once again very amazing! We saw some more restored sights, there just didn't seem to be enough time to see it all.

We took a wagon ride around the city to see more of the sights.

This is the Young performing missionaries band. It was absolutely excellent.

The adults took the time to go back to the temple and do some family sealings. It was a very special experience, I'm so glad we made the time to go back to the temple.

Saturday evening we went to another performance by the Young Performing missionaries and the Senior Missionaries. It was also amazing. So many dedicated and talented people giving of their time and talents.

Blake, Michelle and I waiting for the show to start.

After the performance, we walked down the "Trail of Hope". This is the street the early saints took as they were leaving Nauvoo to cross the Mississippi River as they headed west.

Along the Trail of Hope, there were signs with quotes or statements from many of the saints, once again it was very sobering.

Blake standing on the bank of Mississippi River

Randy, me, Dad, Mom, Lynne and Suzanne

We found the name William McKeachie on the memorial to many saints who did not make it to Salt Lake. William McKeachie is Blake's 3rd great grandfather.

We found this little friend on our doorstep when we got back to the condo.

Sunday morning, we went to Sacrament Meeting with all the Nauvoo missionaries. It was really a wonderful meeting, with tons of missionaries. I felt really close to Jared, not just because I was only 2 hours away from him, but seeing all those people with their black name tags made me think of him constantly. After church, we went back to the temple and took some pictures on the steps.

All 22 of us!

We drove about 1/2 hour to Carthage. Once again a very sobering place. Carthage is where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were shot and killed. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith and his faith. I know he was a true prophet and that he was chosen by God to restore the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth once again.

A statue of Joseph and Hyrum outside the Carthage Jail. Isn't little Steffie cute standing back there?

This is the room were Joseph and Hyrum were murdered. Blake is standing in front of the window that Joseph fell from after being shot.

After leaving Carthage, Blake, Randy, Julie and I hurried to see a few more of the restored buildings in Nauvoo. We still didn't see everything, but we saw a lot.

We learned how they made boots.

Randy and Blake in front of the tiny Boot making shop.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Nauvoo. We learned a lot, and experienced a lot that we won't soon forget. Thanks Lynne, Suzanne and Julie for all the planning and arranging so we could all enjoy being together in Nauvoo!

2011 Summer Vacation, Part I

2011-07-20T20:03:00.001-06:00

This year Blake and I kind of combined 2 vacations into one. On July 2nd, we boarded a plane heading for Chicago. When we landed we rented a car and headed for Stevensville, Michigan to visit with Cindy, Ken and Sydney. It was Cindy's birthday and we were anxious to get there for a little bit of her birthday.

We arrived at about 8:30pm.

After greeting the Three Manteis and Stormy, we went inside and ate a late supper, then we went for a walk.

I had told Cindy that I really wanted to see fireflies, and we did! They were all over! If you look close, you can see them in this field.

After our little walk, it was dark enough to do fireworks in the driveway, just like when Cindy was young! We always did fireworks in the driveway on her birthday.

We enjoyed Ken's firework display.

The next day, July 3rd, we went to St. Joseph to Silver Beach Pizza. To quote Blake, "it's the best pizza in the world!" It is really good pizza, and we stuffed ourselves clear full and still had some to bring home.

We found a good place to take some pictures!

Blake forgot to bring a hat, so Cindy GAVE him her superman hat. He wore it all the time!

After pizza and ice cream, Blake, Syd and Cindy washed up Stormy.

Then, we played some games, yes you are seeing right, Blake did play too!

We skyped with Brian, Celia and Maden. That made it almost like we were all in the same room.

Cindy took this picture of Maden with the web cam while we skyped. He was showing off his stacking and sorting skills.

One of the small towns nearby had a fireworks show that night. It was in a large field of grass, and about 200 or so cars parked in this field, then they lit the fireworks not very far away. It was a really good fireworks display for a small town.

Cindy brought some big bubbles to play with while we were waiting for the fireworks to start.

Here's the proof, we really did see fireworks!

In the morning on July 4th, Blake and Cindy went and played tennis. Blake was really impressed with how well Cindy played.

No one was there to take their picture while they were playing, so they improvised with this self portrait.

We went out to a friends house that has a pond in their yard stocked with fish. It was a wonderful yard, with the house set back in the yard down a little lane.

There was even a pet duck, Oliver, he acted just like a puppy wanting to be pet and steal food. (We have heard that Oliver was killed the next week)

Blake and his little fish.

Ken and his little catch. It seems the bigger fish were not hungry.

Cindy and I being the spectators!

Cindy has Stormy, the Great Dane and four cats in her house. I'm not that crazy about animals, but Blake likes them and they like Blake, especially Stormy.

Duda decided he didn't care if I liked him or not, he wanted to sit on my legs.

On Tuesday morning we piled in the car and headed for the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. It is a really nice zoo. It was really hot, so it was nice that a lot of the exhibits were inside and there was a lot of shade. It was also really nice that it was not very crowded, we parked close and could get right up front to see the animals.

Us girls rode the carousel, it was hard to choose which animal to ride!

We wished this peacock would spread it's feathers.

Inside the butterfly house, there were millions (well maybe not really, but it seemed like it) of different kinds of butterflies, really fascinating.

Cindy's favorite thing ever, the stingrays!

It is a big pool with lots of stingrays.

We saw a dolphin show, always so fun to watch them.

Not sure if this is a zebra, or horse and I can't remember what it is called, but pretty much the strangest creature we saw.

We saw these majestic giraffes, but no elephants.

On Wednesday, Cindy and Ken had to go to work, so Blake and I did laundry and shopping to get ready for the 2nd half of our vacation. After they came home from work, we went and played some tennis. It was really hot, but fun. We left on Thursday morning and headed for Nauvoo, Illinois. It was so fun to see Cindy, Ken and Syd. I really wish we lived closer so we could see them more!

Elder Jared!

2011-07-16T09:35:00.001-06:00

We got this cute picture from Jared with his letter this week. He looks very happy!

Pictures from Jared

2011-06-24T21:02:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures Jared sent home from the MTC. He didn't tell us who any of these people are, but we love getting pictures.

He left the MTC on June 14th, it was so fun for Blake and I to talk to him on the phone! We love getting his emails and hearing how he's doing!

With President and Sister Clark in front of the St. Louis Temple

Jared is serving in O'Fallon, MO, it is about 1/2 hour northwest of St. Louis. It is a residential/agricultural area.

I had a wonderful surprise last night! I got a picture text of Jared! I was so surprised when a picture of Jared popped up from a number I didn't recognize. He was on splits with a Brother Gonthier, who is the High Priest Group Leader in the ward where Jared is serving. They were waiting for his companion to finish his visits, so Brother Gonthier took Jared to Dairy Queen for some ice cream. What a fun surprise to have a picture of him pop up on my phone!

This was the message that came with the picture..."Dear Sister Purcell, I am having a DQ ice cream with a terrific new Elder. You might know him. We love him and he's doing great." I texted back, I have to admit with tears running down my cheeks, "Wow thank you, whoever you are! Tell him I love him!" Then he texted me telling me who he was and what he and Jared had been doing. Totally made my day, or for that matter many days to come!

Mission Tracker

2011-05-31T14:48:00.000-06:00

I found this mission tracker online, so I decided to do something a little different for Jared. I really like it!

Picture of Maden

2011-05-28T11:34:00.001-06:00

I love that Celia sends pictures and videos of Maden! It's the highlight of my day when I get a new one.

Elder Purcell

2011-05-25T21:21:00.000-06:00

Today was a great day! We took Jared to the Missionary Training Center in Provo. We are so proud of him! Making this decision to serve a mission has taken extreme courage and we admire him! He will be in the MTC for 3 weeks, then will head for St. Louis, Missouri.

Before being set apart.

Having one last teeth brushing party.

Loading the car.

Driving to Provo

Lunch at Good Woods

Killing a little time at the mall.

Pictures by the Provo Temple.

The drop off! We love you Jared!

To Texas and back...

2011-05-25T20:52:00.000-06:00

4:00am on May 14 found Blake, Randy, Jared and I loading up in the Red Pickup and Brian's green car heading for Fort Worth, Texas.

Here's a view of the trailer (which is all loaded with Brian and Celia's belongings) from the green car. We were somewhere in Wyoming.

We drove for 14+ hours and made it to Raton, New Mexico. We were also travelling with two animals. We were the rides for Ralphy the dog and Perry the cat! We stayed in a "Pet Friendly" Motel that night. We left Raton at 6:00 am on May 15.

Finally reached Texas...too bad we still had eight hours of travel!

As we neared Amarillo, a tire on the trailer lost some tread, so we had to stop and change the tire.

We got to Brian & Celia's apartment at about 6:30 pm. We unloaded some essential items and went to bed. Brian and Celia were glad to get their bed and couches, since they had been "camping out in their apartment" for five days.

We had to park the trailer quite a ways from their apartment so we didn't block the driveway into the apartment complex.

My job was to keep Maden out of the way. Such a hard job, but someone had to do it.

We finished unloading the trailer on Monday, and the guys bought a new tire. Brian had to go to orientation every day, so we went to Weatherford to meet him when he was done.

Walking into the hospital.

In the garden near the hospital.

Tuesday, the guys and Celia played tennis again and we did some shopping and went to the Fort Worth Stockyards. They have a cattle drive down the street, that was kind of fun.

Maden watching tennis.

Maden's a happy shopper!

The cattle drive, those are some long horns!

Waiting.

On Wednesday, Celia and I went to a play group at a park with some gals from their new ward. Then we went to a couple of nice big malls.

Swinging at the park.

Maden loves to play with his stroller.

Any time Maden can, he tries to buckle buckles.

He got to ride in this fun little car.

He and I got to ride the Merry go round!

Thursday morning found us back in the Red pickup heading back home. Not too much fun to leave my kids and grandson there!

At just about the same spot outside of Amarillo, we had more car trouble. This time it was the turbo hose coming unclamped. It was an easy fix and we were on the road again.

We drove to Firestone, CO (just a little north of Denver) and stayed there for the night.

We had to drive through fog and snow in Wyoming, but we made it home safe and sound, but with kind of heavy hearts.

May Begins

2011-05-11T21:17:00.000-06:00

May marks the beginning of a lot of changes for us. Brian, Celia and Maden moving to Texas, Jared leaving for his mission, Blake starting a new venture with his career....

Brian and Celia got everything loaded up in the snowmachine trailer.

Brian, Celia and Maden came to watch Blake play tennis. Maden wanted to go find Grandpa.

Resting with his blankies on the court.

He loved sitting in the ball basket.

They stayed at our house after their belongings were all loaded.

Courtney introduced Maden to her niece Peyton.

Celia and I took Maden to Baby Animal Day, he wasn't too thrilled with the animals, but he liked the tractors and gator.

We went on a wagon ride in the rain.

We played some basketball.

On Sunday, Mothers Day we rode over to Twin Falls to hear Jared speak in Sacrament Meeting. He did a real good job! It was interesting taking Maden to a Young Single Ward.

At 12:30am on Monday, May 10, Brian and Celia and Maden left for Texas. They arrived in Fort Worth late afternoon on Tuesday. So, they have begun a new era of their lives! Ralphy and Kitty are here staying with us until Saturday when Blake, Randy, Jared and I start the trek for Texas!

Happenings for April

2011-05-11T20:54:00.000-06:00

April found us spending as much time with Brian and Celia and Maden as possible, because they are moving to Texas.

Maden loves to be outside.

Helping Grandpa fix the lawn mower.

Riding his trike.

He loves pushing things.

Jared fixed this toy so the handle was just right.

He loved the toys at the oil changing place.

At Texas Roadhouse

Playing with Grandpa

Quick trip to Portland, Oregon

2011-04-27T21:15:00.000-06:00

On Friday, April 15th, at 6:00am Blake, Randy, Courtney and I hopped in the car and headed toward Portland, Oregon. Randy's best friend, Michael Packer was getting married in the Portland Temple on the 16th. We drove to Twin Falls and met Jared and Nikelle for breakfast, then continued on our way. It was a long drive, but we arrived near Portland at about 6:00 pm, then it took us another hour to get through the rush hour traffic in a downpour to finally arrive at our hotel. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn less than a mile from the Temple.

Saturday morning, we went to the Temple for Michael and Alexis' sealing. It was a beautiful ceremony, and a beautiful temple.

Blake & I near a beautiful flowering tree.

Randy & Courtney

Near the pond in front of the temple.

Mike and his beautiful bride coming out of the Temple.

Best Buds

Funny story...Courtney wanted to get a picture of the Temple sign, so we waited in the car while she went across the street to get a picture, then cars started coming, so she ran back to the car. She didn't know that Randy snapped this picture from the car.

After the sealing, Packers invited us to a real nice luncheon at Olive Garden right by our hotel. After eating all we wanted, we decided to take a ride to the coast. It was about a 1 1/2 hour drive. We went to Cannon Beach, and saw Haystack Rock. Randy loved the beach with real waves. It was a beautiful area. It was pretty windy and chilly, but beautiful.

This is Haystack Rock. The tide was low, so we could walk right out to it.

Some more rock formations. Looks like a picture from a calendar.

There were all kinds of "creatures" stuck to and under the rocks. We saw some starfish too.

Randy checking out the waves.

This sailor greeted us as we walked down the lane to the beach.

Tsunami warning signs.

Randy on an actual beach!

We stayed at the beach for about an hour, then drove back so we could make it to Mike and Alexis' reception. They had a program, Mike even sang a song to Alexis. It was really nice. We got to blow bubbles on them as they left the church.

Sunday morning we went to Sacrament Meeting, then started home. We got to Boise about 7:00pm, and stayed in the Residence Inn. We got up early Monday morning and were home by 11:00am. It was a very fast trip, with lots of sitting and riding, but it was really fun and I'm so glad we went.

We were amazed at all the moss on everything.

On the way home, we saw this herd of big horn sheep right by the side of the freeway. They were pretty cool.

We also saw this beautiful waterfall right off the freeway.

Jared's Mission Call

2011-04-07T20:26:00.001-06:00

In January, Jared told us that he had decided to serve a mission. He said he wasn't going to tell anyone else until he had received his call. We have been very good at keeping the secret, even though it was hard. Only a few people besides just our immediate family knew, not aunts and uncles or even Grandma Purcell. The papers were sent to Salt Lake on Feb. 24th. We waited, and waited and waited and it finally showed up in the mail on Monday, March 28th. Well, Jared couldn't come home from Twin Falls until Saturday! I had to hide it so I wasn't too tempted to open it! Finally, after General Priesthood Meeting on Saturday night we all gathered for the grand opening! Cindy was on Celia's video call, and Courtney was on speaker phone because she was in Utah.

Drum roll please.....Jared will be serving in the Missouri, St. Louis Mission! He enters the MTC on May 25th! We are so proud of you Jared. We admire your courage and your willingness to serve the Lord!

Conference Weekend

2011-04-07T20:08:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was the LDS General Conference. As luck would have it, Blake had two tennis matches on Saturday, so we didn't get to hear/see much of Saturday's sessions. After his first match, we went over to Brian and Celia's. Celia had bought some pots to plant some seeds in, Maden thought they were the best toys ever.

He stacked and unstacked them over and over and over and over.

Blake and Celia played their next match at noon, I stayed with Maden so he could have a nap. When they came back, we went to Wingers. They came to our house later so Brian could go to Priesthood with Blake. Jared came from Twin Falls and met them at the Stake Center. Jared's friend Nikelle came with him, so Celia, Nikelle and Maden and I just hung around waiting and waiting for Priesthood to get over.

Maden found some more stacking toys at my house.

Priesthood seemed to take forever! Finally, it was over, and the men all came home. Randy had been working, so he came down after work. We were all gathered in anticipation of Jared opening his mission call! The big white envelope had come on Monday, and I had to hide it so I wouldn't just stare at it all week. It was a very long two hours for Nikelle to stare at it during Priesthood!

Jared will be serving in the Missouri, St. Louis Mission!!! He enters the MTC on May 25th!

Brian, Celia and Maden stayed the night, so we got up on Sunday and had Monkey Bread and watched conference.

Jared and Nikelle and Baby "watching" conference.

Brian and Celia "watching" conference.

Blake "watching" conference.

Maden entertained us all during conference!

Nikelle taught Jared to play "Called to Serve" out of the simplified hymn book, so he gave a little recital. It was very fun, Thank you Nikelle. Maden had to help.

Brian gave a little concert, too with Maden's help of course.

It was Celia's birthday, so we had BBQ chicken and rice upon her request. Then we had cake and ice cream.

I think it's a great birthday when you get to stay in your jammies all day! I hope Celia thought it was a good birthday!

Spring Break?

2011-04-05T17:34:00.000-06:00

Randy and Jared both had spring break the same week, even though they go to different schools, so Blake, Brian and Courtney took some time off work and we all headed to Garden City Utah, more commonly known as Bear Lake on Monday, March 21st. We stayed at the Worldmark resort. Brian and Celia and Randy and Courtney fixed some really good meals. I appreciated having them do a lot of the cooking! Thanks guys! On Tuesday, Brian, Celia, Randy and Jared went out into the fresh powder. It had snowed all night and there was plenty of it!

Brian in deep!

Just stopped in the powder.

Randy pointing something out.

Jared resting.

Even saw a lot of deer.

While they were out in the mountains, Blake and Courtney and I were entertained by Maden!

He sat on Grandpa's lap and sang songs and played with Grandpa's comb and pen.

He loves my camera and would come running as soon as he saw it to put the lens cap back on.

He thinks my reading glasses are funny.

He had a grand time opening and shutting the cupboard doors.

Wednesday, just the men went out on the machines. It was a bright sunny day, so Celia dressed Maden up in his snow clothes and we went outside.

He wasn't sure what to think of the mittens.

He really wasn't too happy about it all for a little while. He didn't even appreciate that someone had made a snowman for us.

Finally we took him to the sidewalk, and he decided it was kind of fun.

Celia wanted him to pose for a picture, he didn't like that idea too much, but it's a really good picture of Celia!

Brian, Celia and Maden left on Thursday morning, so the rest of us went out on the sleds. It was snowing and fogged in the mountains, so we couldn't see very good and didn't stay very long. We went back into Garden City and had pizza at a little restaurant.

This picture was actually taken on Tuesday. we didn't take any on Thursday. But Jared had a great time in all the snow!

A New Era

2011-03-25T20:54:00.001-06:00

Well, something a little interesting has happened to me this month. I have become a working woman! I am working at Curves, the job just kind of fell in my lap! I haven't worked since Cindy was born, and we all know that she is getting OLD! I had to fill out an application and submit a resume, even though I had been told the job was mine. I will be the first to admit that the resume looked pretty silly! It's a fun job, and I enjoy it. It's only part time and I'm not making very much money, but I am contributing a little!

A Very Nice Surprise

2011-01-21T18:20:00.001-07:00

Blake's sister Darlou is a very talented and accomplished artist. She lives with her husband, Nathan and kids Garin and and Alia in Hampton, NH. They came home for a visit in November. Blake was able to pick them up at the SLC airport, and then take them back when it was time for them to go home. He was also able to get some help for Alia's sore toe. It was really good to see them. Well, on Tuesday we received a package from Darlou!

It was this painting! This picture turned out a little fuzzy, but you can see what a nice picture it is. We love it! She painted it from a photo she took on a previous visit to Idaho. It was taken somewhere near where Blake grew up.

We decide to hang it above the fireplace. I think it looks really nice there. Thank you so much, Darlou! We feel very special to have one of your originals!

West Yellowstone

2011-01-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity for a winter vacation in West Yellowstone last week. We left on Tuesday, Jan. 11th and stayed until Sunday. We stayed at the Worldmark resort in West Yellowstone. Blake, Jared, Randy, Courtney and I stayed the whole time, and Brian, Celia and Maden were able to stay until Friday morning.

Maden loved the swimming pools and hot tub!

Even Grandpa got to spend some time with Maden in the pools!

We ate good food, watched some "programs", read some stories and even played some games.

There was tons of snow!!

The snowmachines got plenty of use. Everyone got turns to go riding!

I really do just "ride"!

There was a little freezing rain on Friday, it kind of stuck to the glasses and goggles. We were planning to go to Island Park to Meadow Creek Lodge, but decided that the top of the mountains would be fogged in, so we turned around and went back.

Randy and Jared love playing in the open areas. Jared wears a yellow helmet and Randy wears a green one.

It was a great trip! We were able to go to Sacrament Meeting in the West Yellowstone Ward on Sunday, it was interesting to walk up the tunnel of sidewalk to the chapel. Some people came to church on their snowmachines!

Brian's an RN!

2011-01-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Brian has been doing an LPN to RN course online. He finished the course and had to fly to Madison, WI to take his final exams. He left on Jan. 6th and came home on Jan. 10th. He was very nervous, but with some divine help he passed!!!!

Blake, Celia and Randy took Brian to Salt Lake on the 6th to catch his flight, that meant that I got to keep Maden for the day! We had a great time!

He played with magnets, balls and lots of toys. We went to Walmart and just had a grand time!

Then on the 10th, Blake, Celia, Maden, Jared, Courtney (Randy had to work) and I drove to Salt Lake to get Brian.

Maden loved walking around the airport while we were waiting for Brian's flight.

Celia made a sign for Brian!

A very happy reunion!

After Brian got in, we celebrated by going to Rodizio's in American Fork! We are proud of you Brian!

That's Life Continued --- December 2010

2011-01-02T21:42:00.002-07:00

Brian And Celia had a birthday party for Maden on Dec 4th while Celia's mom and brothers were here. We had pizza, cake and snacks.

Maden wasn't sure why this cake was on his tray, he really didn't like touching it.

Opening presents!

Maden started really taking steps at his party!

Cindy sent these elf pajamas for him!

We had another little party at our house on his real birthday, December 5th. He was so cute, he clapped when we sang Happy Birthday.

He loves our baby cat, he would even try walking to chase her.

Brian let him try some egg nog, he loved it!

A milk jug and measuring spoon is all he needs to entertain himself!

Loving some hot tub time!

Blake and I went to Brian and Celia's ward party to help tend Maden because Brian had to work and Celia had to help with the party. He loved walking all over the church. One little boy asked it he was a real elf!

He wasn't scared of Santa, just checked him out real good.

Christmas was pretty low key this year. Blake and Jared got new snowmachine coats. We just had a great time being together, eating and playing games. Wish Cindy, Ken and Syd could have come!

We went bowling on New Year's Eve. Maden would have been glad to spend the whole time cuddling and singing with Grandpa, wasn't very happy when it was Grandpa's turn to bowl.

We had some good Grandma time while everyone was bowling. He walked all over and loves to be "chased".

Courtney even got some cuddling!

Brian and Celia letting Maden have a turn!

Getting ready to push the ball...

Oh, it's going!

Looks like a pretty good shot!

That's Life -- November 2010

2011-01-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

We got to tend Maden a few times in November while Celia was working. He is so fun! He loves the dishwasher!

"Grandma" Billie bought him this "walker" to help him learn to walk. He almost ran behind it, then would ram it into the wall or couch and be stuck.

He is very easy to tend, he plays with toys and entertains himself really well.

He loves his Grandpa and would point to this picture when you asked him where Grandpa is.

It was nice enough one day to go outside and swing!

Maden really likes music, he loves Grandpa to sing to him.

The leaves hadn't all fallen off before it snowed. Randy is trying to blow them off the snow!

Maden loves my camera! Now whenever he sees it he wants it!

Blake is plowing the driveway for the first time on November 20th.

Maden loves popcorn at Wingers!

We had a blizzard on November 23rd. Randy got the plowing job that day.

Jared finally made it home during the blizzard, he loves playing with Maden too.

Isn't he just about the cutest?

Maden just played with a newspaper while we ate at Rupes.

We had Thanksgiving at my parents house. Maden is smiling so big because he wants to get my camera from Blake!

This is Maden's favorite thing, to cuddle and sing with Grandpa!

Blake and Randy played in a tennis tournament for two days after Thanksgiving. They did pretty good, Randy had never played in a tournament before, he thought it was pretty fun.

Hawaii!!!!

2010-11-07T11:55:00.001-07:00

October 23rd found Blake and I aboard an aircraft heading for HAWAII!!! We had scheduled a CME (Continuing Medical Education) for Blake to attend at the Hyatt Regency Resort in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.

This is our first view of Maui!

After we landed, we got our rental car and headed for the hotel. It took about 45 minutes to drive there on Highway 30. We became very familiar with Hwy 30 before the week was over. It is windy and twisty road, following the coast. Sunday morning, Blake had class until about noon, then we found a Sacrament Meeting to attend, then went to a Tropical Plantation.

This was our first view of the ocean Sunday morning as we walked from our hotel room to the place where Blake's classes were.

This is just a little of the greenery we saw at the plantation.

More of the scenery from the plantation.

Monday, Blake had class in the morning again, so I roamed the beach and the resort. When he got finished, we went on a snorkeling adventure. We were just lucky enough to be in Hawaii while they were having some yucky weather, which consisted of a lot of wind. There were sustained winds of 30mph most of the time. Because of the winds, the boat to take us snorkeling could not go out to a little island that it usually goes to. So the captain took us to a little alcove, just below Hwy 30. It was really pretty, but we didn't see as many different fish as we would have at the island.

I saw these PENGUINS as I was roaming the resort. Thought that was kind of funny. There was an atrium with all kinds of plants and birds.

Loved the crashing waves!

On the boat heading to the alcove.

It was so windy on the top of the boat!

All ready for snorkeling!

Blake's down in the water ready to go.

I'm not as quick to get in the water.

This was a cool little fish.

Blake's looking for more fish.

The waves crashed into the rocks of the alcove.

I didn't last as long as Blake did in the water.

Beautiful sunset back at the Resort.

Same sunset from our balcony, the palm trees were really tall, we were on the 5th floor.

Blake had class in the morning on Tuesday again, so we planned to go for a helicopter ride in the afternoon, but it was too windy and cloudy. So, we found an aquarium on Hwy 30! Then we went to a Luau at the resort in the evening. It was outside, with the roasted pig and a really good buffet. It was raining a little and soooo windy, that we didn't stay for the entertainment.

At the aquarium there was a big tank with stingrays and sharks, they had divers in there with them.

A rainbow that followed us back on Hwy 30.

At the Luau, with the wind whipping the rain ponchos they gave us.

Blake didn't have class on Wednesday, so we flew to the Island of Ohau. We were able to go the the Laie Temple Open House. It was very beautiful and interesting. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center, which was really fun. We stayed the night in a hotel on Waikiki beach, but didn't get back to the hotel until 10:30pm.

Laie Hawaii Temple

As you can see it was still windy!

Absolutely Beautiful!

One of the many wonderful things at the PCC.

At the PCC you "visit" 8 different island countries. We did weaving at one of the countries.

After we had visited all the countries, we had a nice dinner, then took a tram back to the temple and for a tour of BYU Hawaii.

While at the temple, we went to the Visitors Center. We met a man named Mark Eubanks. He was the weatherman on Salt Lake channels for many years. I recognized him and we took our picture with him. He explained why it was so windy.

This is from the show at the PCC. It was very good!

Thursday morning. we got up really early and got on another tour bus heading for Pearl Harbor. That is a really humbling place. It was incredible to see what I have heard so much about. After touring Pearl Harbor and some of the city of Honolulu, we shopped at the international shopping center, then caught our flight back to Maui.

This is the monument built right over the sunken USS Arizona

This is the anchor from the Arizona

Blake trying out one of the big guns.

On the monument, with the USS Missouri in the background.

Friday morning Blake had class for the last time, then we checked out of the hotel and headed up Hwy 30 toward the airport. We didn't fly out until 9:15pm, so we had time to go on the helicopter ride! It was still windy, but not as bad. It was magnificent! Then we flew all night and got home about 2:00pm Saturday! It was kind of a whirlwind (pardon the pun) trip. We saw a lot of beautiful things, and experienced things that you can only do there!

Blake teased that this life preserver was his parachute!

All ready to go!

Flying in a helicopter is way different than an airplane.

We saw many waterfalls. The pilot would fly right in next to them and spin around so everyone could get a good view.

This rainbow followed us for quite a ways!

Made it safely back on the ground!

Chicago/Michigan

2010-10-06T20:17:00.000-06:00

September 22nd found Blake and I boarding a plane in Salt Lake City heading for Chicago. We stayed the night in the historic Congress Plaza Hotel in downtown Chicago.

The next morning, we toured downtown Chicago from an open double decker bus.

We saw lots of cool tall buildings.

When we were done visiting the sites in Chicago, we got in the rental car and headed for the Stevensville, Michigan....our real destination! We were excited to see Cindy, Ken and Sydney. We arrived at their home before they got home from work and let ourselves in. Blake immediately began making friends of the animals.

Stormy wasn't so sure at first, but it didn't take her long to figure out that Blake was a great friend!

Pretty soon 3 of the 4 cats came to see who was invading their house.

When Cindy, Ken and Syd got home we left for Silver Beach Pizza. Blake loves the pizza there, he must have said a dozen times that it was the best pizza he's ever had. I do have to admit that it is good pizza.

When we finished eating we went down to a new fountain by the beach. Syd loved it and ended up getting soaked. They were pretty interesting fountains.

On Friday we went to Grand Rapids to a Botanical Garden that also had art and sculptures. It rained on us for a little while, so we looked at the flowers and displays inside and after lunch in the cafe we were able to go outside and see the entire place. There were some very interesting flowers and exhibits.

After leaving the gardens, we planned to eat at "The Melting Pot", but it wasn't opened yet, so we saw the movie "Marmaduke", it was a pretty cute show. "The Melting Pot" is a fondue restaurant, it was pretty fun, and pretty tasty too!

On Saturday, we went to an apple orchard. We went on a hay ride to get to the apples, we stopped and picked some raspberries and some apples. Blake, Ken and Syd went to a haunted house, Cindy and I didn't want to go there! After we picked all the stuff we wanted Cindy, Blake, Syd and I rode on a ferris wheel. Then we left to go home. We made apple pie and Cindy made a raspberry pie/dessert that was wonderful. I didn't get very many pictures of the apple orchard, so you'll have to check out Cindy's blog for more.

Here we are picking raspberries.

We had a great time, Syd and I played some games, Cindy and I played one game, we watched some TV, Blake took Stormy for many walks, we ate good food. Thanks Ken and Cindy for the fun, food and the great bed! Sunday morning found us getting ready to head home.

Stormy telling Blake goodbye!

Tennis

2010-08-29T20:57:00.001-06:00

Jared has been playing on a tennis league in Idaho Falls this summer. His team has done really well, they qualified to go to "state" and represent Idaho Falls. That was while we were in Washington. They won state which qualified them to play in the sectional tournament. There were teams from Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. The sectional tournament was held in Salt Lake last weekend. It is played in a Round Robin format, and the winner goes to nationals. It was a very good tournament and Nevada, Utah and Idaho were basically tied at the end, each one having only lost one match. When it got down to brass tacks, Nevada ended up winning because they had lost less sets in their five matches. It was fun to watch tennis on that level. We stayed at a Residence Inn, in downtown Salt Lake. Brian, Celia and Maden came down to watch, too. Randy, Julie and Tanner were able to come and watch the Saturday morning match, it was fun to see them, but silly me didn't get a picture of them!

This match was played at the Salt Lake Swim and Tennis club, it was a very nice facility. Some of the matches were played at Liberty Park, which was also very nice.

Here's Celia watching Maden crawl around on the grass outside the courts, it was on a hill so he could go really fast down the hill, but was a little slower coming up.

Playing with Maden after a match.

Blake has started playing in another league this fall. It is a mixed doubles league, he is playing with a someone he had never met, but he is enjoying the playing time.

Brian, Celia and Maden came to watch Blake play. This is how Maden watches, by crawling away! He's like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going....

So cute!