March 2012

March was a busy month for Blake and I, we started the month off with a trip to Boise. My nephew Tanner Chambers played basketball for Rigby High this year, so we became Rigby fans. We enjoyed going to as many games as possible during the season. Well, the Trojans were the district champions and were playing in the state tournament the first weekend of March. They ended up also being State Champions! It was great fun to see them win the championship!

Look at us being Rigby fans!

Randy and Courtney went to some of the games during the season and came over to Boise for the Championship game.

Tanner in the Championship game.

The Rigby Trojans with the trophy and banner!

My brother Randy with his grandson Colton after the game in the holding pen where the parents and family could congratulate the team. What a happy day!

The next weekend was my niece Michelle Leifson's wedding. She married Adam Cook in the Bountiful temple on Friday, March 9th, then their reception was on Saturday the 10th.

Beautiful bride and groom.

My Grandpa Chambers was at the sealing. It was a really nice day outside for pictures.

My sister-in-law Julie was the wedding decorator. So Blake helped put up the false ceiling.

All transformed from a church cultural hall to a beautiful reception center!

Courtney invited Blake to dance after the reception was over.

The 3rd weekend of March, we took another trip to West Yellowstone for some snow machining. We had planned to go to the Bear Lake but had seen that there was not enough snow there, so changed our minds. There was not very good snow in West Yellowstone either. In fact, it rained while we were there. It was not a very good year for snow machines. But it was a nice relaxing weekend.

The last ride of the year.

The weather started warming up, and with that comes yard work.

Blake is raking up pine needles and pine cones.

Mowing for the first time.

Warmer weather doesn't just mean yard work, it also means tennis!

Randy and Blake playing for the first time in 2012.

On the last day of March, Blake and I took a trip to Salt Lake City to watch a Jazz game. We got there early enough to go to the new City Creek Center downtown Salt Lake, and to Gateway Mall. The Jazz were playing the Sacramento Kings, with Jimmer Fredette. Jimmer played quite a bit and that was fun. It was not fun that the Kings won the game because the Jazz missed a shot right at the buzzer.

In the nose bleed section at the Energy Solutions Arena.

Jimmer in a Kings uniform.

All the trees were in bloom in SLC, which we thought was wonderful, but it turned out not so great. They stink! They really don't smell good, not at all like a pretty flower should smell!

Elder Jared

As of March 25th, Jared has been out 10 months! The last few months have been a little frustrating for him, he has suffered with constant headaches. After many tests, we still don't know what caused the headaches. He went to a Dr. Beard who is a member in the Highlands Ward where he is serving in Columbia, MO. Dr. Beard has called us a few times and even arranged for a conference call with Jared. After determining that there was not a major problem causing the headaches, he decided to treat him with some medication, it seems to be helping and Jared is feeling better. Dr. Beard called us last week and said that when Jared walked into his office he thought, "now this is the real Elder Purcell", because Jared was laughing and smiling. We are so proud of him for continuing to work hard even if he wasn't feeling so good. Here are some pictures Jared has sent recently.

I got this as a picture text on Jan. 23 from the Schramm family. They said that Jared was their after dinner entertainment.

In front of the "Mizz U" tiger.

With his district in February.

Being domestic by cooking a pizza.

Hunting possum? Kind of funny missionary work.

I received this picture in an email....A new mission car? No, it's Gary's (an investigator Jared is teaching) Porsche. Jared wished he could drive it and not just sit in it.

Taking some time out from being a "fisher of men" to do some real fishing at a pond in someone's back yard.

These are the fish that Jared and Elder Hansen caught.

Watching "the little bub"

Blake and I took another trip to Texas! We flew in on Wednesday, the 22nd of February.

Blake was worried that Maden wouldn't know us, but he did! He loved holding our hands!

Maden has always loved my camera, and that has not changed, but what has changed is that he figured out how to take pictures with it!

Coloring at Texas Roadhouse.

On Thursday, we went to a place called Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. It's a really cool place, takes up about 1700 acres, you drive through and see all sorts of animals. But the best part is that you can feed the animals out the window. You can't open your door or get out of the car, but you can open your window to feed the animals.

We took "surprises" in our suitcase for Maden. We gave him a surprise every morning. He loved the puzzles best, especially the abc one.

Having a teeth brushing party before we left.

Blake is feeding this Red Deer.

Of course, Blake had to pet them too. Boy do they stink!

The "Billy Goats"

Getting ready to throw some food out the window.

The zebra didn't take the food right out of Blake's hand, he had to drop it on the ground.

The giraffes were the most fascinating.

They are HUGE!

They had to bend way down to get to your hand.

Brian sat on the window sill of the car and snapped some pictures. The bottom of their bellies was taller than the car.

Halfway through the park was a petting zoo. Maden liked to brush the goats with two brushes.

Maden had not been feeling very good, he had a cough and would fever up once in a while. He would say the funniest things, and really didn't act that sick. He would put his hand on his forehead and ask himself "Do you have a fever?'. Later, Thursday night we went to Rita's for some frozen treats! Just as we got in the parking lot, Maden coughed hard enough to make himself throw up. It got all over his shirt, so Brian found one of his shirts in the trunk. 

He didn't care that he was wearing a huge shirt, just wanted his Rita's!

Jumping on the couch in his huge shirt.

Friday, we played tennis, and then went to the Children's Museum, then drove over to Weatherford. 

Playing tennis with Grandpa.

Romping on the bed with a lot of pillows. When he looked up and saw me taking pictures, he said, "Grandma's watching the little bub". Blake has called him the little bub since he was tiny. I laughed and laughed at him saying that.

Maden going down the "intestine" slide.

We watched a little 4D movie.

Blake and Maden herding cattle.

On a swing at a park in Weatherford.

Saturday turned out a little different than we planned. Maden really didn't feel well and woke up feverish. Brian and Celia took him to an Urgent Care to have him checked out. We fully expected them to say that he had ear infections, but they found something totally different. He had bilateral pneumonia and strep throat. They gave him a shot in his leg and some antibiotics to take at home. Poor baby!

Resting on Daddy's lap before they came in to give him a shot. When we got in the car, he told us that his leg got hurt.

Sunday, we decided that Maden should not go to church, so Blake and I stayed with him while Brian and Celia went to Sacrament Meeting. After they came home, and after dinner we went to the park where the turtles are.

"Resting" with Grandpa.

Looking for turtles.

Look at all the turtles!

Maden loved kicking the football from the swing.

We had to fly home on Monday. It is so fun to go see the Texas Purcell's. We skype with them all the time, but it is so fun to see them in person, and actually hear and see the funny things Maden says and does. He is so smart and knows so many things. We are sorry he was sick, but were so amazed at how good he was even if he didn't feel good. 

Sunrise, Sunset

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.