Cousins

June 14th-15th:

My two cousins, Amy and Heidi, came and visited me. Heidi was coming through from Texas and Amy was helping her drive with the kids. They stopped and spent two days with me. I just LOVED IT. It has been years since I have seen them, since I missed the last Nef reunion. I think I am into laughs lately because their laughs are so fun and unique. Just thinking about it makes me laugh. We played on the blow up slide, gave horse rides, made doughnuts and just hung out. It is easy for me to say that my best friends are family.

Jack and Denim had fun and fought. Here they both got in trouble for being in a dirt fight, thus the dirty hair.



Heidi.



Amy.



Denim is being a goofy girl. Her dad taught her how to stick her toothbrush to her forehead, and now she LOVES to do it.

Funny story:
I was taking everyone on a little tour in the truck. We were on the dirt ranch road and the kids were in the back, windows down, heads out the window. It was the first time that Heidi's kids had been out of their seat belt and got to stick their heads out. It was like the movie Bolt. They loved it. My kids wanted the windows up and I said, "No way, these guys are experiencing the window for the first time." We all laughed, because it was true. It is funny; the little things in life that we take for granted.

I had a wonderful time, thanks for the visit.

Class Reunion

June 11-12th:

I was able to go to my 10 year class reunion in Vale, Oregon. It was so fun to get to see everyone. I was very impressed with the turn out and I thought that Sarah Arritola did a wonderful job of organizing and contacting people. There were a few people missing, but the majority of the classmates were there. I just loved recalling old memories and meeting spouses. I brought my classmate hand print quilt. I had to add a few hands and hopefully at our 20 yr it will be complete.

I was able to stop by and see some good family friends of mine, the Carpenters. Ben, Kerri, and Susie.



We also went and visited the Johnson family. I just wish we had had more time, but it was great to be in there home for the short time we were there.

Trujillo and I were able to stay with the Saunders family. It was just wonderful. Sue really took out the red carpet for us. She cooked up a storm of the most yummy foods. My favorite was the breakfast doughnuts that she is cutting out here. They have 13 kids and all of them are awesome. Ace had never met such a big family, and he was highly impressed. He bragged about meeting the most amazing family for weeks afterward. I am very grateful to Brenda's sisters who babysat my kids, they are the best. I am also grateful to the whole family for giving up their beds and sleeping on the floor and couches. We had some fun times, great conversations, and very wise advise.



Brenda and I. She is a doll. We were best friends in high school and then we went to BYUI together. She knows my whole story. We hadn't seen each other in years, yet nothing had changed, except she is ever more beautiful. She is the biggest farm girl and guess where she lives........on Wall Street in New York City. She is an accountant and she is single. Call me for her number.



Friday night all of the classmates and their spouses met and ate dinner in Willow Creek. It was awesome to see each other. Ace cracked me up. He is so friendly and outgoing. He would walk around and ask,"Are you Timber's classmate?" "What did you do in high school?" He asked one classmate, Diana, "Did you dance with Timber?" She thought he asked if she wanted to dance with me. She was confused and said, "Well I haven't danced with her yet, I guess I could."








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Kirk Maag and Ace had fun talking. I told him to call once a week and have a political conversation with my husband. He is also single. I'll hook you up, he's a cutie.



Ali and Lacy. We had such fun memories. Ali and I were night owls. Lacy always fell asleep 1st. One time in Junior High we froze her bra in the freezer. Now they are all grown up and mommies.







We were all hiding in this booth, nursing. We called it the nursing table.



Holly Child Stepleton and I. We danced all four years together. She is the same, but a very sweet mother of 3 now. She married her high school sweetheart and our classmate Wayne. They are happy as ever. She is a dear friend.



Mr. Eyler decided to join the nursing table. He taught a very fun history class.



Saturday was the family day. They rented this bounce house for the kids. Adam and Jennifer Tolman barbecued for us. Adam has his own terriaky sauces. They are yummy.



GOOD JOB SARAH! Thanks for all the work. I had a wonderful time.



Chillin on the grass. Gary, Matt, Eric, and Jasin. I tripped as I was taking this picture. I said, "We just stay the same, I'm still a cluts." They laughed in agreement.



Linda McElroy stopped by. My senior year, I dated Gary McElroy. We have some wonderful memories. I was good friends with his mom, Linda. Gary called her and she brought in and gave me the dress that I wore to my senior Prom; A 70's outfit that was hers. It meant a lot to me.



Ryan was one of my best guy friends in High School. We just had fun and did stupid stuff together. I think he always understood me. He threw a big swim party for Trujillo and I on our 18th birthday. We went together to my senior homecoming dance.



There are just too many memories to write all of them, but I did have a wonderful High School experience with amazing class-mates.

To Brenda, Amber, Karli, and Mandy. I found the picture at my mom's house. I REMEMBER!! I made you guys do that and it was HILARIOUS! I almost posted the picture, but then realized that my children need me alive at this point in my life. HA HA!

To Angela. Do you remeber the seminary video with Poopsi the dog. You crack me up.

To Courtney. Thanks for coming. I am so glad that I got to see you.

To Ali and Lacy. Long live the dog sled video.

To Ron and Andy. Navy Seals baby.

To all those classmates that couldn't or wouldn't come (you know who you are), I missed you terribly and wished I could have seen you. Andy, Dan, Nicky, Lacey, Ethan, Stephen, Dennis, Veronica, Shelby and all others.

On Sunday we went to our old ward. The thing that I thought was hilarious was that people still sit in the same area as before. I knew right where to look to find the different families. All of the people made such a good influence on my youth, it felt like coming home.


On our way home we stopped and saw Kevin and Crystal. Crystal and I were roommates in college. Kevin came off of his mission and swept her off of her feet. ha ha. She fell in love at first sight. They have 5 adorable children.



This one is hilarious. The world turn for her.



Crystal and I . She is such an example to me. She is a great mom and wife, and she deals with her trials like a simple grain of salt. I am going to be more like her. I just love Crystal and her laugh is addicting.



It was a long long long trip, but it was worth it.

Down Memory Lane

June 12, 2010

Take a walk with me...

Back in time...

To a wonderful place...

That holds some wonderful moments...

Down my own memory lane.





My family moved to Vale, Oregon when I was 13 years old. I started the 7th grade, Junior High School there. We lived in Vale until I graduated and went to college. Since my parents moved to Southern Utah the summer following my graduation, I haven't been back in nearly 9 years. I had the opportunity to take my family back and let them experience a little bit of my life. It was very wonderful.

Trujillo and his family went with my family through our old house. The family who owns it now was kind enough to allow us to have a walk through. They were so very gracious. It used to be blue, new white siding has been put on. The trees are HUGE. They used to be only about 2 stories.



Our pasture. Dad put in these sprinklers to have grass for Shalena, my mare, and some sheep and a cow.



There are two sheds because one day I was playing with my sisters, house, and I left a candle burning inside. I burnt the whole insides. From then on we used the left burnt one as a milking barn and dad bought a new saddle shed.



Dad made the hitching rails, they still look exactly the same.



They new family has improved a lot of things. The front walk used to be a straight cement walk. They put in a new door.



I remember walking through this front entrance and jumping up the stairs, "Mom, I'm home." Trujillo used to slide down the railing, and on the right wall we had rodeo pictures of us kids.



The living room. It used to be all carpet. New windows have been added and all the dark panel has been removed.



This is the kitchen area. It is still pretty much the same. A few decorations have been added, but for the most part walking in the kitchen felt like coming home.





The owner told us she had something we might like to see. She took us to mom and dad's old room and opened the old doors. On the door, just before Trujillo's mission we had all stood and marked our height on that door. The marks and names are still there.



McCarty's name was to my waist.



I haven't grown an inch since I was 19, but Trujillo had.



I got behind the crowd. When I walked into the upstairs bathroom, I became very overwhelmed by the presence of my grandmother who died of cancer in our home my Junior Year. I remember taking care of her. Up to this point, Darlin had been a tad fussy. When we walked into the bathroom she stopped. I didn't realize it until I looked at the pictures, but she is smiling. I wonder if she is smiling at Grandma.



Syringa's and my room. My closet was the left one. Our room was always spotless unless Syringa didn't clean her part. Ha Ha!



Trujillo's room. Sierra and McCarty often slept in Heo's room. I remember the drum set in the corner.



Our pantry. The square little door dad jigsawed out to be able to load food storage from the garage.



The deck hadn't changed at all. It was still the old stain. I wanted to leap and dance on it like old times. I did contain myself though. The owner told us that she had heard countless stories of my younger sisters jumping off onto the trampoline. Man I can't believe someone didn't break a leg. It seemed a lot higher than before.



The good old silage pile next door. The wonderful aroma brought back more fabulous memories-that one I didn't mind forgetting.



Mrs Albert, Trujllo, Me, and Darlin.



I must say that our spouses were real troopers, following us into our memories. Charlotte and Heo.



Darlin, Me, Ace, Denim and Blazen by the front door. Yes, I was cheesy and dressed us all in yellow. Ace refused, but he was wearing a shirt with a few (nearly non-existent) yellow stripes in it.



I also took my family on a tour of Vale. I took them to the football field. VIKING PRIDE!! I took them to the schools, church, and down streets. I even took my kids inside the swimming pool.