Halloween 2009 at the Spencer Nead's

I know this is a little after the fact, but considering I am planning on using this blog as a journal until I can get my act together and start writing one, I need to talk about my Halloween weekend.
I took the Friday off from school and headed for Boise and arrived there on Friday evening. I wanted to have as much time there as possible and I knew Max had his first basketball game of the season on Sat. morning. It seems like months since I have been there but with school starting and my two surgeries on my cancerous nose (finally got it all removed though) it has been a while. It seemed like little Madison had forgotten me but she soon warmed up to me and snuggled down on my shoulder. Spencer had just been to the store for something and had brought the girls each some stickers so they spent about an hour covering my shirt and hat with stickers. We had so much fun that was worth the whole trip there.
Come Sat., Max & Spence left for a haircut and a new pair of basketball shoes. They returned with Max sporting some fancy black shoes and off to the basketball game. Max has improved so much from last year and between Spence and my incentives, he made two baskets and passed the ball often I don't remember my boys playing ball at seven years of age, but they must have. I only remember the soccer games that we loved.
After the game, Spence took us to a great Mexican restaurant for lunch and I sat with the kids. At one point, I watched a lady about my age leave the restaurant with her bag of food, get in her car (which had a handicapped sticker in it), but she never left. She must have sat in her car to eat her food and as I sat and watched, tears of joy came to my eyes as I realized how lucky I am to have family that loves me (well I think so) and welcomes me into their lives and homes. Things could have been so different in my life but I wouldn't change a thing now that I am at this stage.
After a fantastic lunch, off to the house to prepare for an evening of trick or treating and lots of candy. By now, the Crossleys were due to arrive as I had talked them into coming down to have Halloween with us. Each family got the kids all dressed up cute and then Nichole and Ned emerged from the house. Holly molly!! Ned had on these huge bull horns and Nichole was dressed up as a "Red Neck Beauty Queen". For some reason, I didn't get pictures of them so I can't post them on my blog but they were a scream. A huge group of us took off to canvass the neighborhood and there were as many adults there as children. We had more fun watching the kids race from house to house as the kids did running from door to door. I took charge of Madison and after about an hour she got tired of walking so we went back to the house to get a stroller but she decided to ride her bike. How cute she was, this little princess and her trick or treat pumpkin hanging from the handlebars. She would ride up to each house, dismount, and ring the doorbell. We were a little behind the rest of the kids but she was a tropper. I didn't get a picture of that either. I just can't get used to being able to take as many pictures as I want but I am getting a little better. At least I remember to take my camera with me this time and got at least one cute picture. The Nead's had put a football jersey on their big dog and he went with us. Everyone took turms holding his lease, but I think Ned had him the most. Ned's horns eventurally fell off, but they were pretty impressive.
By the time we returned to the Nead's house with way too much candy, Summer had a great meal fixed and they had people in and out of their house all night and at least 500 trick-or-treaters. It was sure a fun night. We all fell into bed exhaused but with wonderful memories.
The next morning we woke up and because of daylight savings time, we had an extra hour. Max and I sat upstairs and I watched him play the football game I had given him for his birthday. At one point, he had the Idaho Vandals playing and I asked him if he knew anyone on the Vandals and with his no reply, I told him that his Uncle Kelly had played for the Vandals and that his Grandpa Nick played for the Vandals. He was a little puzzled so I told him a little bit about his Grandpa Nick. I can't imagine what children must think when they find out they have a grandpa they don't know but then I can't imagine growing up without a dad either considering how much I loved my dad, but my children did and they have comes to terms with it and I feel in some ways the boys are determined to be good fathers because of it.
At one point in the game, I asked Max if anyone ever got hurt and he laughed and said "No Way." It wasn't too long after that, due to my promptings, Max was doing a victory dance and fell and bumped his mouth on controllers and really got hurt. This may be a first. A player hurt while doing a victory dance. I hope I wasn't to blame for his injuries but he will never forget that dance.
I headed back to my mountain home with great memories of Halloween 2009 in Boise. Thanks Neads and Crossleys for a trip well worth it. See you at Thanksgiving.

Weekend With Nana

Had a fun weekend with the Nead grandkids this weekend. Rebecca's brother got married in Montana so she went with her parents to the wedding and Kelly had to work, so considering my only life is the grandkids, I got to babysit for the weekend. What a fun time we had. They were dropped off early Sat. morning and all morning played with my many unused toys I have in the back room. The girls loved the Barbies and Keayen spent most of his time with the legos. He did set up the horses and soldiers and begged Tally to play battle with him, but she was busy. I wished Max, Reed and Will had of been here as they would have had a great time. As it was, Keayen had to battle himself and that wasn't as much fun as battling someone else. The other boys would have had a great time with him, and the little girls would have loved playing princess, Barbies, and getting all dolled up with Nana's glitter eye liner that she used when she was the Statue of Liberty in a 24th July parade.
A little after noon, we packed the toys away and headed for Burger King for lunch. They were a little disappointed to find out there were no toys to play on, but little do they know that we are lucky to even have a Burger King let alone climbing toys. Off to the brand new Kings store that just opened in the valley about a month ago. They have a huge selection of toys and it was a hard decision on what one toy they got to buy. But, they were really good not to beg for more than one, and once the selection was made, off we went to my school to play for a while. On the way back to town, we watched three jets take off and circle around Driggs. It was pretty impresive to be so close to the runway (right next to my school). There was a crowd at the airport so it must have been something special as this is a private airport and no commercial planes can land here. I am anxious for our weekly paper to come out to see what the planes were doing.
Off to the grocery store to pick out what to eat for dinner. Keayen insisted we have something nutritious when I suggested pizza so he ended up picking spagetti and meatballs. Sounded good to me, so off to the canned spagetti and he couldn't understand how spagetti and meatballs could come in a can. He doesn't seem to know how Nana cooks. I have to admit, a lot of time was spent in the kitchen - which I am not used to - so I didn't want to waste precious time doing homemade spagetti. They enjoyed the canned stuff though and even ate the mixed vegetables I fixed them. They were good sports about the food. I forget how much time you have to spend in the kitchen cooking then cleaning it all up. Thank goodness for the diswasher. I don't remember if I had one when I was raising my own children. I sure hope so.
The girls were really good to let me comb and fiddle with their hair. It is so like my two girl's hair. Every time I looked at them, I thought of my two little girls and their curly hair. I think they were patient with me as their reward for letting me mess with the hair was putting on the glittery eye liner. I sent them home all dolled up. I would have never done that with my two girls, that was "grown-up" stuff, but grandchildren are a whole different story. It's probably a good thing they don't live with me. I'm sure I am not the only grandparent that spoils the grandkids. I haven't talked to any of my friends that don't do the same thing. Thats what makes grandparents special.
Sunday morning Kelly came to pick them up after a peaceful nights sleep. They all got to sleep by each other and had a quiet night. We had breakfast together and I got to fix their hair again, then back with the glitter. I hope their mother doesn't care they returned home pretty glittered up. They loved it.
All in all, it was a memorable weekend and they were good kids. I can't recall one complaint for one fight between them. Thanks Nead's for sharing your children with me.
Next weekend a trip to Boise is planned to spend Halloween with the Spencer Nead's. I have been trying to talk the Crossley's into coming down, but I think they have other plans. Halloween at the Nead house is always fun. I'll never forget the time Spencer forced Max to wear the frog costume then insisted he go trick or treating. I don't think there will be any forcing this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting out of our cold weather. Snow predicted for tonight. I am not ready for winter. Later!!

To El Paso and Back

Oh, my beautiful mountain home!! I didn't realize how much I love the mountains until this past week when I returned from the desert for five days. The above picture is of one of the stone formations in the middle of the desert in New Mexico. I intended to take more pictures but after this one photo, my battery ran out and I could get no more. I really wanted pictures of the red rocks outside of Moab, Utah but thats what I get for not checking my battery before leaving.
This past week was my fall break from school (used to be called Spud Harvest) so I packed up my little car/pickup with as much of Jessica's stuff I could get in with the electric piano being top priority. I took off Sunday afternoon and got as far as Provo where I spent the night. The next morning I was up and off early and had the most beautiful drive all the way to Moab, Utah, that I had the whole trip. Leaving Provo, I traveled through Price and through a lot of canyons and the trees were changing colors and it was gorgeous. I then went from the trees to the red rocks of the desert in Utah and the interesting rock formations. Once leaving Moab, I entered the real desert and the beginning of Indian reservations. The big problem with the reservation was there wasn't any rest stops or Maverik stores along the way. I have to say, I had some interesting pit stops and was a little nervous about the contents of my pickup while relieving myself. But, luckily, no problemo.
I got to Abluquerque the next day and spent the second night there. This was the first time I got lost but luckily didn't get too lost and found my way to the hotel with the help of the clerks there. I was beat from all the traveling but forced myself to ride the exercise bike for an hour to try to offset all the snacks I had eaten trying to stay awake through the desert.
Next morning, off to El Paso!! Arrived in El Paso about 3:30 and found my way to Jess's office. I hung around about an hour or so while she tried to wrap things up then we went off to her cute little home. Up the hills of El Paso we went and close to the top she and Tommy have a very cute but elegant condo. What a great place and oh, so Jessica. She has it decorated with all her beautiful pictures and nice, very homey furniture. My nights there were interesting (that is a word we use in my family when we don't know what else to say). In my haste to leave home, I quickly grabbed my four air mattresses not knowing which ones actually held air and which ones didn't. Jess warned me to charge the compressors, but I didn't take the time and I paid the price. We could only get one mattress blown up (due to dead air compressors - gee) but it looked good so we took it down to my room. That night, I only had to blow it back up three times in the middle of the night, but made it through. The next night, we blew up Jessica's comfy air mattress, which hasn't been used since we used it as a trampoline for the granchildren a couple of Christmases ago. We left the compressor hooked up just in case but this time, every two hours I had lost all the air. After a couple of blowing-ups, the compressor lost it's power again so I packed up and moved upstairs to the couch. What I can say about my nights there is that they were memorable.
Jess and I spent my one day there driving around and her talking on the phone. Much to her consternation, I insisted on driving because I am not real comfortable with her talking on the phone and weaving in and out of traffic of the freeway. Besides, we were in my car and if anything happened to it, I wanted it to be my fault. Much to her surprise, we didn't get in an accident and I managed the traffic in El Paso like a pro (I hated it though and wished I were back in my valley with only one traffic light). I didn't mind her working though, as the whole intent for my trip down there was to deliver her piano and see her condo which by now I had accomplished.
On Thursday, I headed back out into the desert and back to the mountains. Taking the Crossley advice, I took a different route home than I did on my way down. But, I really went a different way to see where my son Kelly had spent his mission. I spent the night in Farmington, New Mexico and it got pretty cold due to the fact we were at about 6700 feet above sea level. Because I was in a cheap motel, I left early the next day because I couldn't sleep because I was cold. I don't know which is worse, being warm but sleeping on a hard floor or sleeping in a bed and being cold. It got me out of there early though and I got on my way about 7:30 a.m. It was fun travelling through Kelly's mission area.
I fully intended to only get to Provo, but by the time I got there, all I wanted to do was get home and sleep in my own bed so I just kept on driving. About 11:30 p.m., I drove back into Teton Valley and decided life was really beautiful. We had snow on the mountains, but not on the ground much to my surprise. Even in the dark, it was the most gorgeous place I have seen.
I have no regrets going because the trip was fun and Jess now has her piano which Tommy plays all the time. He is an amazing pianist. On the way down, I listened to three entertaining books which made me laugh all the way. On the way home, I listened to the book about Pat Tillman who was the NFL player that joined the army and was killed in Afghanastan. It was so informative and interesting. A lot of things in common with our family. First off, he had the same agent as Spencer - Frank Bauer. He was an Airborne Ranger and stationed at Ft. Lewis, Wa. as was the kid's dad Nick. In fact, three of my children were born while we were stationed at Ft. Lewis. The book shed a whole new light on the war in the Mid East and tells how Bin Lauden rose to power.
All in all, it was a great trip and a fun way to spend my fall break. I did want to come home with a Navajo rug but I didn't realize how expensive they are. They run about a thousand dollars and above, so I passed on the rug. All I came home with was a lot of memories and about 3,000 more miles on my wonderful little car. No regrets!! I need to close now as tomorrow school starts again and it's back to work for this school teacher.
I just want my family to know I love them dearly. I know I didn't tell you enough while you were growing up, but I hope you felt the love I had and still have for you. You are my life.
In closing, I need to say "Happy Birthday" to Rebecca - Kelly's wife. I think she hits the big "30" tomorrow.
Sorry this is so long but it is as close to a journal that I have. Later!!

Reunion Continuation with Andersons

I need to continue on with my reunion week now that school has begun and the dust is settling. The above picture is of the New York cousin Eric Anderson. He is my nephew and the only son of my older brother Steve who passed away in January. Eric and his mother Evie came west with the remains of my brother who had been creamated. My other brother Gordon and his wife Paula came to Tetonia and on Wednesday we loaded Steve up and took the ski lift to the top of the Tetons then hiked as far back as we could. We felt like we were at the top of the world. We had a little memorial for Steve and sat for about an hour and enjoyed the view and the peace. It was a perfect day and I know Steve appreciated his last trip to the Tetons which he loved. It was a memorable day and a nice tribute to Steve.
Eric and Evie arrived in Tetonia on Sunday night while all my children were still there so Eric got to know his Nead cousins now they are all grown up. I hope he knows he has family "Out West" that love him and want him to be part of our family. On Thursday, we took off for Newton, Utah and that evening Gordon's children and their families came over for a nice dinner. Eric didn't know them as well as my children as he spent time with us when he was much younger. He now knows Gordon's family.
Maybe one of these days he will meet his other cousins. He must feel somewhat overwhelmed with the cousins on the Anderson side. He and Evie had to return to the east on Friday so they didn't get to attend the Reed Anderson reunion but maybe next time. Anderson reunion will be the next listing on my blog. I have some great pictures of the Millar and Russell families. Gordon, sorry I didn't seem to get pictures of your family. What was I thinking? I probably couldn't find my camera.
Next parenting tip: Be there. When it comes to spending time with your child, quality and quantity both count. Being there during the small, silly moments is just as important as being present for the big milestones. Work at creating fun, together-moments. Children will not forget these small moments with Mom and Dad. Later!

Fabulous at "Over 60"?

I just need to add a little to my blog that MY DAUGHTER JESS updated with pictures. I did not say I look fabulous but thanks Jess for the compliment. Not bad for over 60 though but not fabulous. Everyone else looks fabulous so it just helps me look better.

Now that I am here, I need to add my next parenting tip on building self esteem in children. Next favorite tip: Praise your child often and be descriptive. Parents are generally quick to tell their children when they've done something wrong, but may forget to give kids positive messages. Be descriptive in your positive praise - tell kids you like the way they completed a chore, applaud a hobby they show interest in and point out when they've made a good choice.

I have to say before I close. I look like I have been hit by a train. I had a couple of sores removed off my face and am now sporting two big bandages. I thought I would have the stitches out by the time school started but the doc can't do it until Thursday so I have to start school covered with bandages - right on my nose to boot. I'm sure I'll make a good impression the first day. Not so fabulous now Jess!

Family pics from the reunion

Here are some family pics from our fun reunion weekend. Lindsey Kunz did a great job if anyone is looking for a great photographer.

This was the original crew, now look what it has grown into............

Top Row: Ned, Reed, Will, Nichole, Tommy Cardon, Maddi Cardon, Jessica Cardon

Bottom Row: Tally Nead, Kelly Nead, Monicka Nead, Boston Nead, Rebecca Nead, Keayen Nead, Nancy Nead, Madison Nead, Summer Nead, Max Nead, Spencer Nead, Macey Nead

Nichole and Ned Family

Jessica and Tommy Cardon Family

Spencer and Summer Nead Family

Kelly and Rebecca Nead Family

More fun pics from the Family Reunion

I do look fabulous, if I do say so myself! Not bad for over 60!

Actually dressed up after church and SMILING ;O)

Games at night. The these adults didn't always get as much sleep but it was by choice!

Best way to get the kids where you want them to be, make it a race.

Two buddies.

Lining up to try to kill themselves on the slide at Darby Girls Camp.

The jumping house was fun for a while but would have gone much better in nicer weather. And just a tip for anyone looking to rent one; 1/2 a day is the way to go, it's very tiring, even for kids.

All on one sofa! The Reunion House is the perfect place to get together.

Sure it looked nice to start but ended in the SNOW! They weren't all smiling when they got back.

Reunion Weekend

I'm going to have to take this in small segments as the last two weeks have been a whirlwind of family reunions. First, on Thursday my own family began arriving at a beautiful "Reunion House" we rented for the weekend that sits right below the Tetons. Every family had their own room and each family had been assigned one meal. I had spent all day Wednesday shopping and delivered the groceries to the house amist a fantastic lightning storm late Wed evening. All but Kelly's family arrived Thursday and Kelly's family arrived Friday morning after he had worked and hadn't slept in about 36 hours. He was his happy self though and we had pictures taken from 11:00 to 1:00. Each family got their own pictures and we had about a million full family pictures taken. Everyone was a good sport. Not one complaint from any grandkids. I was impressed. I think they are all going to grow up to be models. Friday afternoon was spent at Darby Girls Camp which sports a long slide which only my family could turn into a competition.
Sat. most of the adults rose early, braved the cold, rainy weather, and left to hike up Table Rock (a 12 mile hike up the Tetons). Jess and I got the grandkids fed and went to my house where I had a bounce house rented for the day. It was so cold, the kids played inside most of the day so I felt the bouce house was a waste of time and money. Due to a pouring rain, we left home and went into my new school and the kids had fun drawing on the chalkboard, playing golf in the hall, and racing up and down the log hall. That evening the hikers returned to the house totally exhausted. Kelly and Becca have to be given the "Brave" award as they hiked with little Boston on Becca's back. They only turned back because of the rain and fear that Boston was cold. Wow! Tommy has to be given the award for being the fastest up the hill. He was dressed for the occasion though as all the others were in shorts not knowing they were going to encounter snow. The group stopped on the way down and built a fire to warm up before finishing the hike. What an accomplishment for them all. It will be a hike they will never forget. They need to attempt again when the weather is not so nasty so they can enjoy the beautiful scenery.
In spite of Saturday's events, the whole family showed up early for church and we had the grandchildren practice my mother's song "We're a Family Forever." Jess had been practicing with them throughout the day on Saturday and I have to say they stole the show. My whole family spoke in Church, even the grandchildren. I was so proud of them. That will probably be the last time I will have them all together speaking for a meeting except my funeral and then I won't be there to enjoy it. I had so many compliments on the meeting it was well worth all the nagging I had received from my children. Again, as usual they were all good sports and made me so proud. We all spoke on how God helps us in our life. Thanks to all my daughters and daughter-in-laws for practicing with your children.
Sunday afternoon was a relaxing one - especially for me. The men played a lot of horseshoes and the kids kept busy with legos, etc. Sunday evening my sister-in-law and her son Eric arrived from Boston and New York.
I need to close for now. Next entry will be the departure of my children and my adventures with Evie and Eric.
I ran onto this article in my hometown newspaper on how to nurture self esteem in children that I would like to share with any of the young mothers (mainly my neices) that might read my blog. I will just give one hint at a time, but I felt the advice given is invaluable. I notice that my students that have the highest self esteem are the most successful in school. So bear with me as I pass on a little advice for young families.
The one step I felt most important is: Teach good decision-making skills: We all make decisions every day, but kids don't often realize that's what they are doing. When you see your child in a situation where they need to make a decision, help them clarify the problem and the choices they can make. Discuss the possible solutions and the consequences of each. When your child chooses a course of action, respect his decision. If your child is unhappy with the results, you can discuss how he or she may have done things differently. (Watch for more hints) Later!

Trip down memory landland and Max's birthday surprise

I am mad at myself as I don't have a picture to post. The last couple of days have been eventful and fun for me. It was Max's birthday Wednesday and thinking I was going to visit on the weekend, I didn't get him a card in the mail plus I love giving him balloons as he loves to use them as punching bags when the helium begins to get old. I decided to order him balloons from a florist shop and after spending about an hour on the phone, when they gave me the total - with shipping included, I said "I could deliver them personally for that price," and cancelled the order. On Wednesday, I jumped in my little trusty subaru and headed to Boise to hand deliver my ballon bouquet. I had to go to Twin Falls anyway to return a cooler I had bought and didn't like, so I figured a few added miles would be worth it if Max got balloons on his birthday. Again, my angels were watching out for me as just outside Idaho Falls, Spence calls to see what I was doing. When I informed him I was headed to Boise, he tells me his family had not gotten home yet from their trip to California and they are in transit. We decided to try and hook up on the road in Twin Falls. I couldn't believe my luck. I was planning on returning home the same day as I have things to do at home so this would save me $50 in gas and about five hours time. I loaded my car with balloons in Pocatello and checked in with Summer. She was just leaving Utah and we would meet in Twin Falls. I'm thinking an hours wait time would be worth it, but I had only been there 10 minutes and here they are. Wow. Unbelievable!! What great angels I have. I gave Max his balloons, we shoved them in their van, and off we went. Me back to the mountains and them on to Boise. Of course, I had my camera sitting in the front seat of the car but in our haste, I forgot to take pictures of Max on his birthday with his balloon bouquet. Rats!!
I returned to Pocatello and spent the night there and the next day took a little trip down memory lane. I walked the track at my kid's old school and drove past all our old houses. I visited with friends I don't see often then spent a couple of hours with a dear friend who has MS and is not getting better. I vacuumed her floor and cleaned around the wood stove then helped her into the car to get her to the hospital where she could await the arrival of her 27th grandchild. I then headed home and stopped at the cemetary in Idaho Falls to clean the headstone of my sister Diane (I am sure she was prompting me). I didn't do a very good job though so will have to return with some stronger cleaning solution.
Off to my beloved mountains and anxious to get out of the heat. What a beautiful sight as the Tetons came into view and I new I was getting close to my little humble home. What a trip!!! Thanks angels for watching over me.

Fun at the waterpark in Boise - July 2009

Look at me!! Two posts in a month. Thanks to my patient, understanding tutor-daughter Jess who has pretty much taught me everything I know about this blogging stuff, it is getting easier for me. For anyone that reads this, I hope to to better and practice more so it is not such a chore for me.

The above picture is one of all my grandchildren except Tommy's daughter which we hope to get in the picture in August. Everyone (except our Texans) met in Boise about three weekends ago for a great day at their fabulous water park. It was fun watching the grandchildren have fun and even funner watching my own children trying to keep up with their children (never ends). Speaking of keeping up with children, Spencer challenged me to a ride down what I now call the black hole at the end of the day. Not wanting to look like a coward, I finally agreed not knowing he was going to try and drown me at the bottom - that was after he scared the heeby jeebies out of me on the way down. Of course, we had to sit on a double tube with me on the front and him (a two-ton tillie) on the back. I should have been suspicious then. We drop into this pitch black tube and whirled around as fast as possible while we dropped about 10o feet. I think he even tried to tip the tube as we went down. It only lasted about 20 seconds but it was the scariest 20 seconds of my life and what a relief to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Well, as we drop into the pool at the bottom, our tube tips over - probably with a little help from two ton tillie - and I go under with the tube and Spencer on top of me. All I could feel was his huge leg holding me down. But, my biggest concern was my cute little sparkly hat (that he hates) and my contacts. So, when I finally surface and stand up, I have one hand on my hat and reaching out for help getting out of the pool before someone lands on us but I couldn't open my eyes for fear I would lose my contacts. So, I pretty much looked life a helpless old lady and my children got a big kick out of that. That is a little adventure I will never forget and probably will never attempt again. By the way, Spencer, I am writing you out of my will and getting you off my insurance policies so you won't be tempted to end my life again at this young age.

My closing quote for the day: "Don't let the things you don't have get in the way of the things you do have." I thank God everyday for my good health and a wonderful family and now I thank him for surviving the "Day at the Waterpark."

Week with Nana in the Valley

I know why I don't do this often. It has taken me an hour just to load the image I wanted. I had better either quit or do it more often.

As you can see by the picture, I had a great week with three of my grandsons. My daughter Nichole spent the week at girls camp so I got to have the two little boys and Max (Spencer's - far left) wanted to come back to Tetonia with us. We packed my little car and off we went leaving Boise after a fun weekend at the water park with the Crossley's and Kelly Nead's (that will be my next picture and entry). It was a longer ride than they thought it would be and we made various stops along the way. Thank goodness for the little portable DVD player I had. Made the last two hours of the trip a little shorter (thanks to Red Box and $1 video rentals).

At any rate, these three boys had a blast doing just "boy" things. As you can see, they are armed with their weapons. We had bow & arrows, shot guns, handcuffs, and of course light saver swords.

The first day was a killer for me. I'm not used to having three little boys relying on me for food, entertainment, etc. The second day was better and by the third day we had established a routine and were doing great. They went nowhere without their bow & arrows. Max had his first hunting experience. They came running in the house at one point and asked if they could shoot birds with their bows. I said of course, so off to the park they went. Wasn't much later Max comes running back to inform me he had shot his first bird. I was a little surprised, and asked him what the bird did when he shot it, and he said "Well, he just flew away." He loves telling the story about his hitting a bird with his bow and arrow. We spent time at the football field where they played and I walked then a lot of time in my new classroom which they enjoyed drawing on the board, kicking the soccer ball around, playing in our beautiful new gym and of course target practicing with images they had drawn on the board. We had a great time and it made lots of memories for me and the boys. (Good thing you have children when you are young and full of energy - much harder later in life. Hats off to grandparents who are raising young children).

I need to keep this short or it is hard to read - just in case anyone reads this. I do it mainly because it is as close as I get to writing a journal. Just a word of advice for your mothers - keep a short journal of things your children do. My grandchildren love to hear stories of when their moms or dads were children and I wish I had written down events that went on in our lives when my children were young. It doesn't need to be long - just a short entry that will jog your memory as you look back on this time of your life.

I have to close with a powerful statement I heard from a book on tape. It was short and to the point, but has made me take a different outlook on life. An African lady is giving advice to her boyfriend as he is criticizing some co-workers. She said "You will find what you are looking for." I pondered this statement for quite a while and realized how true this is in life. If you are looking for the good in someone, you will find it. If you are looking for the bad, you will find that also. This goes for any situation. Just remember: "You will find what you are looking for".

Schools Out!!

Just in case anyone reads this, I just want you to know I am not dead. I have been crazy busy for the past month or so but things are going to slow down some as school is out. This is my second day without students and I am having a hard time changing from the fast lane down to the slow lane. I hate to admit this, but I have been sleeping in until 9:30 for the past two days. One reason is we have had not-stop rain and it is now depressing. At first I was grateful for the moisture, but now I am tired of it. I can't even get my lawn mowed because it is always wet. It is sure green though but we haven't been able to enjoy it. I got my second-hand swing out of the shed and have gotten to sit in it once!! But, I am off to Boise and McCall tomorrow for a week with the grandkids so maybe I will see the sun some where along the way.
I plan to catch up on the last couple of months when I return. Just want to thank my family for the fun phone calls I got on Mother's Day. I loved having them on my recording machine because I listen to them over and over again. Will report in later - maybe when the sun comes out.

Spring Break in El Paso

I am sooo proud of myself. I actually took a picture, got it from my camera onto my computer, then from my computer to my blog, without one little mistake. I feel like I have finally arrived in the computer era.
Above is the only photo I took of my spring break (now I need to remember to take pictures). I am in El Paso, Tex. in front of the great fence of Texas. Looking out, you are looking at Mexico. You see border patrol everywhere. I was afraid I was going to get shot just standing by the fence but I guess I was to blonde for that.
Took a quick trip to El Paso over my spring break to visit Jessica. I saw a lot of the front of her office as she couldn't tear herself away from her desk. Just kidding Jess. I wandered around the first day I was there and enjoyed the warmth. I finally thawed out from our frigid weather up here in the mountains. The second day we spent most of the time in the car as it was very windy and dirt from the desert was everywhere. We had fun seeing the sights of El Paso though. I left early the third day to head back to Idaho. Spent a very short time in Boise then we all left and headed to Rigby for the blessing of Boston Anderson Nead (Kelly and Rebecca's fourth child). Thanks Summer and Spencer for making the trip over to support family.
The last hour of my journey was the most treacherous. It was snowing and blowing as I traveled the last 40 miles home. I arrived home and said a prayer of thanks that I got home safe. Had a whirlwind trip and went to school the next day exhaused but with lots of memories. It was fun to see where Jessica and Tommy live and work. Thanks for the memories Jess.

Weekend in Twin

This past weekend I met the Nichole and Ned family in Twin Falls so they could celebrate their 15th anniversary. Thanks to Spencer's generousity with his bonus points, we got to stay at the new Ameritel Inn. I took the boys in my room and Nichole and Ned got their own little suite just down the hall. I think the highlight of the trip for the boys was chasing ground squirrels in and out of their holes in a vacant lot right next to the parking lot. I bought them play rifles that makes realistic noises and and lights up at the end, so the minute a squirrel would poke his head out a hole, off wend the guns. Being so close to civilization, the squirrels were pretty brave and we got to see a lot of them. Will's gun had a mind of it's own and began firing randomly and didn't want to stop. Will kept saying "stupid gun." He soon learned the trick to making it shut off and that helped some especially when it went off in the hotel when it was not supposed to.
Nichole and Ned went to the temple Friday night while me and the boys swam and lounged in the whirlpool. They all then went to a birthday party while I exercised and then crashed early. Nichole and I had a trip to Jackpot planned but we were too exhausted by the time they got back to the hotel.
Sat. morning, me, Ned and the boys got up early to play around Twin. We visited Shoshone Falls, Sportsman's Warehouse (where the picture was taken), watched about eight young guys base jumping off the bridge, watched four-wheelers race, and shopped at Walmart for new pants for the boys. What a great morning we had while Nichole wasted her time sleeping (I bet it was like heaven). We returned to the hotel and wanted to chase some more squirrels but when given the choice, the boys took the swimming pool over the squirrels. Ned and the boys swam and Nichole and I went shopping. It was then off to a wedding reception for them and off to the exercise room for me.
I took a short nap so I could be awake when they returned as I had promised Nichold I would accompany her to Jackpot. We actually went and all I can say is we didn't come away losers. I made Nichole leave with her winnings in tow and we returned to the hotel about 4 in the morning. We had fun. She gambled and I watched.
Sunday I slept in while they went back to their old ward in Hollister and attended church. I actually intended to start home early but I just couldn't get off the bed. We said our goodbyes about 2 p.m. and the boys were sad because we didn't get a last trip to the vacant lot to chase more squirrels. Next trip.
All in all, it was a great trip. Thanks again Spence for your little gift. We loved the hotel. By the way, I am proud of myself for taking pictures, getting them on the computer, then getting them posted on my blog. Jess should be proud. I didn't have to call her once.

Anniversary weekend in Twin Falls

This is a picture of Ned who couldn't stand the fact there was an empty horse on the ride at Walmart. What a great dad he is!! After playing in the pool with a couple of "dadless" boys, the grandma mentioned that she was trying to figure out a way they could rent him for the weekend. We then came up with a new business for Ned: "Rent A Dad". I think he could make a fortune. His boys don't know yet how lucky they are.

Twin Falls Weekend

This is a photo above Shohone Falls just outside of Twin Falls. We had a great time touring around Twin Falls while Nichole slept peacefully in the luxurious hotel room Spencer rented for us with his bonus points. I should have taken a picture of the hotel but didn't think about it. The boys and Ned had a great time throwing rocks over the edge and watching them hit the water.

Trip Down Memory Lane

I took an unexpected trip down memory lane this morning as I was cleaning out a box of "stuff" after re-arranging my little office. I ran across a manila envelope with pictures and cards that my mother had given me some years ago which I had forgotten about. Actually, I don't think I ever looked at it after she gave it to me. What memories this brought back. It had pictures from my Vietnam years, lots of pictures of my wedding, tons of pictures of family members, and the cutest little cards my kids had given her and dad one grandparents day. For any nieces and nephews that read this blog you will understand. First for my dad:
Nikki: To Grandpa: I love you because you give us treats and you take us to the garbage bend. Love Nikki
Jessica: To Grandpa: I love you becauce you love me. Love Jessica
Spencer: I love you because you have such a beatyful house. You give me hugs. You fix old toys and give to me. You let us stay here for a week. Love, Spencer
Kelly: (translated by Nancy): I love you because: You give me lots of hugs; You have a pretty Christmas tree; you take us to the dump; You love me. Love, Kelly
For Grammy:
Nikki: I love you because: your so nice and sometimes you take us to the rest homes. Love, Nikki
Jessica: To Grandma: I love you becauce, you teach us to dance. love, Jessica
Spencer: Grandma: I love you because you let us come visit. I love you because you teach us good songs. Spencer
Kelly: (translated again). Grandma: I love you because: you married grandpa; you teach me to dance; you bake us cookies; you have a fun house. Kelly
All these cards had a cute little picture attached to them. They must have been very special to my parents because they kept them so long. I can't remember doing this but if I came up with this idea it was a brilliant one. What a special gift for grandparents (I now know as I have reached that stage in my life and have my own grandchildren.).
Speaking of granchildren, I am getting cabin fever so am planning a road trip to I'm not sure where next weekend. Meeting up with the Crossleys and maybe the Spencer Neads or maybe just a gambling spree in Jackpot (I know we have been advised not to gamble, but I have to try out my new system for winning on the roullette table - just this once.) Can't wait to see the grandkids!! (Well, and my own kids too)

I'm told I need to add some pics to my blog so thought I would add this picture I took of the Tetons this summer just before sunrise. Pretty isn't it. This is for those of you that read my blog but have never visited the valley. This view is one reason I remain here. This shot was from my front porch. Speaking of porches, I was watchig Oprah the other day (which is rare) and they had a special on the tent cities popping up all over the country. I'm thinking hippies (or whatever they are called nowdays) but come to find out it was people my age that had lost everything they had. Most of the ones they interviewed had grown children that didn't know they were living in tents. I again was so thankful for my humble little home here in the shadows of the Tetons. I now call my little place "cozy" for lack of other words for being small. But, it is all I need and it prevents my children from moving home to live with me. (Just kidding, you know you are welcome anytime but you will all have to sleep in the same room).
I need to keep this short as it is late and six a.m. comes early. I hope to write a little more this weekend but I always think that and months go by and I never get around to it.
I do want everyone in the Reed Anderson Family to know that I am inviting them to Idaho on Memorial Day this year. I would love to have a little get together at the cemetary where my parents and two sisters are buried. I am also offering to pay for a motel room here in my litle town of Tetonia for any of you who would like to make the trek up to the valley. I have been asked to do the sacrament meeting in church that weekend and I am hoping I can bribe my children to come home for the weekend and speak briefly in church. I haven't asked any of them yet so this will come as a surprise to them. But, again, I am throwing out the invite to any nieces, nephews, cousins, or whatever to visit me here in vacation land. I will pay for a motel room for you. Can you beat that offer? As you can tell, I don't get many visitors up here in the back country.
Last thing. Lester Wade, my boy's basketball coach, died suddenly a few weeks ago and Spencer made the trip up to the viewing. When we went into the church, the line was a mile long but there was a group of his friends close to the front. We actually snuck in line with them and got through about two hours quicker than we would have. I have never been able to shake the guilt feeling though for "budging" in line (it's the school teacher in me). But, the whole point of this story is that it was really fun to visit with all his old friends - mainly the Kunz boys. They even stopped at my house for a few minutes on their way home. Brought back a lot of good memories of what is for me "the good old days".
Time to go. Word of warning to my children. Mark you calendars for the last weekend in May - Memorial Day. More info later.

It has been forever since I posted on my blog site. This shows how well I do at journal writing. Oh how I wished I had kept a journal as my children were growing up. Now I am trying to put together our life history and all I have are pictures (thank goodness for that). So, be prepared my children, you will probably be asked to submit memories of your childhood years to match your pictures.
I have had a busy last month. I have been spending a lot of time with Elvis (no joke!). The beginning of January I got a student teacher and his name really is Elvis. How many of you have Elvis in your cell phones? I do. I told the students they couldn't call him Elvis though but I couldn't resist the first time he walked out of the room to say "Elvis has left the room!"
I didn't realize having a student teacher was so time consuming but it is getting easier as he takes over more of the teaching.
I am going to write more later on my last few weeks but as I was trying to find my desk this morning I ran across a quote I jotted on a piece of paper that puts my whole outlook on life in perspective since I hit the big 60 a year ago (yes I am 61 but I try not to think about that). I wanted to share this with anyone who reads my blog as it is a good rule to live by.
"Let us relish life as we live it, feel joy in the journey and share our love with family and friends. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows."
Later!

This is a picture of what we think is the organ that my grandmother had out in her storage shed that us grandchildren played on all the time. It is a pump organ and was given to this museum/farm in Utah. They restored it and it is on display. It is a beautiful organ and although I don't remember how it looked I remember the times my sister and cousins played with it. This picture was taken with my two grandsons, Will and Reed when we visited the farm with my sister-in-law Paula. We had a great time and the boys were fascinated with the animals but refused to ride the ponies when given the opportunity. The day was beautiful till Reed found the bees.

Another fun picture from the farm. We listened to a few fun stories from this mountain man but the boys weren't impressed. We had a great time until Reed got stung by a bee. That pretty much put a damper on the visit so we left. Great memories though but I don't think Reed will remember anything but the sting.

Nancy's Big Day

Well, this is my first attempt at adding an immage to my post but I wanted anyone who reads this boring blog to see the beautiful card I received for my birthday. It was a great day!! I tried to do all my favorite things this year for my birthday. Had my favorite cake - Carrot Cake; went on a road trip which is one of my most favorite things to do; went bowling (haven't bowled for years but got one strike and got the same score as my 6 year old grandson); ate one of my most favorite things for my birthday dinner (Cobb Salad from Red Robin); and spent time with family. It was a memorable birthday and I hope I have many more coming but at my age anything can happen. People all around me are dropping like flies so I am trying to make the best of my mature years.
I want to thank all my children for the nice things they said about me. I couldn't have received a better present (well, maybe a million dollars would run a close second). Even though I know I did the best that I could do in raising my children, I sometimes get in this "pitty party" mood and feel bad that I hadn't been able to give my children more and feel bad for them that they had to be born into my family. I try to not allow myself these little parties very often but they happen occasionally and for those that know me, of course the tears always ruin my mascara and make my eyes puffy and red. But, after hearing what my children had to say about me, I guess life wasn't as bad as I make it out to be. There are so many things that I wished I had taught them and done differently, but I can't change that now. I did my best and I am proud of the results. I love you all and appreciate the fact that you make me feel loved and needed. Thanks again for the nice things you said and thanks to Summer and Spencer for showing me a good time on my birthday. Max asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday and it just popped into my head to go bowling. What an adventure! We all bowled, even the little girls. Maddy (the 2 1/2 year old) had a good time until she pinched her fingers then slipped and fell on her rear end. That was enough for her. Summer was a real trooper. She probably would have beaten us all if she hadn't kept slipping across the line and having the buzzer ring and not getting a score. Thanks for the memories we made!!
It was a birthday I will never forget. Next post is going to be some Christmas pictures but I have to make sure I can do this before I attempt another one.

We love you Nana!!!

Nancy is the most generous person I know. She worries about her family so much, that none of us ever need worry. She is the coolest Grandma (we call her Nana~those prideful baby boomers) ever and I know her grandkids adore her.

She provided the most wonderful home life for us growing up, even with all her struggles and trials. I cannot fathom how she didn't kill all of us at the end of every day. She never got a break from being a Mom when "the Dad" came home. She was it. I know how tiring that is, and I only have 2 kids whereas she had 4 plus all our friends, plus daycare kids.

I don't ever remember playing a game when she wasn't in the bleachers. I don't ever remember being with a sitter. I know we must have been, but I can't recall. I don't ever remember feeling poor, although I know we were poorer than church mice.

I remember having fun. Travelling and singing in the car. Big mug refills. Long bike rides. Playing in the dome running around like wild indians while she walked. I remember Mom, rubbing my legs at night when I couldn't sleep because of growing pains. I loved having crimped hair and Mom would frequently braid it in a million tiny braids just before bed. I remember her playing the piano and singing "Good night" to all of us. I remember sitting on the front row at church so we would behave. Mom sang a lot! We always had music going. I hated Neil Diamond growing up but now I can't get enough. Thanks Mom!!

Mom sacrificed tons of time for me to learn the piano and I'm truly grateful. I have beautiful teeth that the dentists CONSTANTLY compliment me on because of Mom's hard work.

I remember being paged to the front of the store when she was done shopping at Fred Meyer. I remember one time going through a check out line and she told the checker she wouldn't pay for my items because she didn't know who I was. ARGH!!! I was embarassed.

I remember so many fun things that I can't list them. Thank you Mom!!! For loving us, for sacrificing for us, for raising us without bringing a string of boyfriends through our house. I know how lonely you must have been and I am so glad you gave up a lot of your needs so we would be safe.

I LOVE YOU MOM!
You are my

story time

How boring could my stories be?

Brother Returns Home

Just a quick note on my blog. My brother Steve passed away last night and has returned to his family above. I know mom and dad were there to welcome him home. He is now able to breath normally and won't be visiting the hospital so often with minor heart attacks. Steve, you were loved and we will miss you and your cowboy songs and poetry. He asked that he be creamated and his ashes spread over the Tetons which he loved. We will have an informal memorial service sometime this summer and ride the lift to the top of the Tetons and spread his ashes according to his wishes. He asked that I write these words on paper and spread them with his ashes: "This old mountain man has gone as far as he can and now he is headed for peace in the valley." Bye bye Steve. Rest in peace.