Merry Christmas to all. It has been some time since a post as been written here. We hope all is well with you and yours this Christmas season. Remember the reason for the season?! May you all have health and prosperity in the coming new year.
We are off for the next two weeks. Enjoying just relaxing around the house and visiting with family close by and friends hanging around for the holidays.
Life is good for us. May the Lord's richest blessings be upon you all.


Mele Kalikimaka!!!!

Been a while

Thought I would post some new things in our family.

First, Parker received his Life Scout Award last night, on his way to Eagle. He is almost there! He will be taking drivers ed this summer, and he can't wait. He wants to be driving right now. He has lots of friends that are driving and he can't wait.

This is what Presley does when her brothers and sisters are at school. She watched Toy Story or Monsters Inc. with her friends......Do I need to be worried?


This is our new hobby or something like that. We are now bee keepers....Yes you read that right. We are kind of excited to see how this will help our garden (when I get that put in) and the rest of the flowers out here on our property. John and Tina you guys might think about having a beehive also. We miss all you guys and would love to see some pictures and updates with all your families.

Bionic Woman

Mom is recovering well from her knee replacement surgery. She is walking more and more each day and gaining strength and energy too! She is getting antsy because she is limited in what she can do. Actually drove a car the other day while I was in Kingman with the boys golf team. Still more recovery time is needed to return to a somewhat normal activity level. Receiving in-home physical therapy for another week before she has to begin driving to physical therapy. She is not looking forward to that. Wants to keep it in-home, but insurance only pays for so many in-home visits. The images are before and after pictures of the knee. Barbara is awaiting arrival of the surgeon in the pre-op waiting room.

Bathroom Renovation

I have worked on the main bathroom renovating the tub surround after having the tub refinished. It has been a learning experience with an excellent outcome!! Waiting for the contractor to come to texture the sheet rock I replaced and other imperfections from the old vanity and wall cabinet. Next will come paint and installation of the new vanity from IKEA. Then the next challenge, the master bath renovation with a new walk-in full shower!!

Grateful

I forgot I took this picture. I am grateful for you Mom and Dad. Thanks for being great parents and for being wonderful examples to me and my family. I appreciate all that you have done for me and my family. I am especially grateful that you raised us in the church. It is such a comfort to know that there is more to life than our material possessions and that our families are the most important things we have. Thank you for your love and support.

If My Nose Was Running Money!!!

You have to watch this video!! It is the funniest!!

writings of Malia

Malia has always been a very creative writer. She asked me to pick one of my favorite pieces from 7 of her recent writings for her final in Creative Writing. I couldn't choose but I wanted to share a couple.....

My Little Angel

I held the doll there in my arms, I sat on her tiny bed. I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, trying to fight the tears. The pictures and memories flooded in. I saw her chunky Indian face. Her chubby cheeks, her chocolate colored skin and those big brown eyes. I couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears slowly began to roll down my face and before I knew it they were racing down. I couldn't stop.
I remembered when my parents told me what happened. When they broke the news. I remembered how the best day of my life rapidly turned to the worst. I remembered the pewter clouds and the thought that she was gone. Forever. I remember it all. The disbelief, the punch in my gut, the burn in my throat and the pierce in my heart. But the worst part was watching them lower my three-year old sister into the ground. It was all too much for me to handle.
But I had to stay. I wanted to remember. I wanted her to stay alive. Alive in me. I wanted to remember how she would laugh and how she would run around, making the biggest messes. I remember how only two weeks ago she was saying everything, copying all my words, good and bad. Now I missed that. Now I missed how she would climb into my bed in the middle of the night, crying that she was scared. Now I am climbing into her bed, but she is not here. Someone took her life. Now all I ask is......Why?
Why her? Why my little sister? She was just a little girl. She didn't deserve that. She didn't do anything wrong. I know that.
"I love you", I whispered as I squeezed the doll taking a deep breath inhaling her scent. "I will always love you."
A warm feeling curled inside my heart and I knew that she was with me. Forever.


Our Castle

In a dreary-knighted December
You, I'll always remember
It was you where I found love
You are my moon
You are my sun
You are the stars that shine so bright
You are day and you are night
You are dawn
You are the colors to my sunrise
The music to my song
You are my other half
Together we stand strong
Our love cannot be broken
We fly together
Our heart as one

But separate we are weak
With others we are wrong
There is no moon
No sun
No stars
There is no day or night
Our sunrise in colorless
No music to our song
I am only a half
Now that you are gone
Us I'll always remember
In a dreary-knighted December

But the spark is still there
The light is still on
The fire is still burning
The lyrics to our song
Shall never be lost
Our castle still stands tall

With others we are wrong
Together we belong
Our love is true
Forever my love shall be with you
In a dreary-knighted December
WE ARE ONE.


Darfur

Look at our world today
It's just so crazy
They're falling down
They're fading

Mothers are raped
Thier father dies
Homes burn
In the children's eyes

Its happening again
A Genocide
It shows
In the children's eyes

They live in fear
Huddling inside
From the men in camouflage
In the children's eyes

Thier government
How it lies
Killing the innocent
In the children's eyes

The world just watches
They all stand by
As tears fall
From the children's eyes

They topple down
To their goodbye
They fade
The children die