Beached Whales (game) is still alive and well

April 27-2009 dear family I for the life of me can't remember how , why or when the beached whales games began--but its been a family favorite for years--its so similar to the "quiet game" that I don't know what makes it so much more fun to play--but below is a picture of dad and I and some of the kids playing it for old time sake on Sunday afternoon--after dinner---silly but fun--still living on.

exercise /goal update

Dear family

I WANT TO BE HEALTHY -and WELL AND MORE FULLY ENJOY--DAD' s and all of YOU KID'S COMPANY WAS WELL AS ALL MY GRANDKIDS COMPANY-FOR MANY YEARS TO COME

-SO TO DO THAT I HAVE TO WORK AT IT:SO HERE IS MY PLAN:......... Iin order to do that

I continue to --I challenge myself-to stick with the riding bike-(SWIMMING when summer comes) and doing some workouts with my exercise tapes--checked out from the library in the comfort of my own front room and also by lifting weights in the computer room.
...I have been riding my bike around the grant elementry school this afternoon it was beautiful!

I may report in next week --how its going--the nice weather makes it easier to do more outdoors--and having a push from healthy utah--exercise program --has all re-motivated me

I am finding success in exercising and reporting to you on the blog--much like some people like to report other things on the blog like miles run--years married--days without sugar--and such

but just wanted to post this up for some odd reason--(the pic is one the Jenni call took one day at our house--I mean that girl is a fabulous professional pic taker--in my opinion---she's hired!)

tower...to the ceiling

sorry the one pic is sideways I don't know how to flip it--shows the general idea...

Dear family-as you know one of the favorite activities around here is to build towers--this one made it to the ceiling--you know I enjoy watching dad --take time to build these with the kids even though he has a hundred things to do--what a terrific grandpa--for this and many other things--(maybe I should wait till june on father's day to post this- but its too good--cause it is so typical of his taking time for kids...

Part of hayley's letter I liked best---

this pic was from back at a castle in Porto--our first pic of her there looks neat huh?

HAYLEY WROTE:
okay this week was excellent i guess like i said we went to castles today. we got to go inside one and it was so cool i will send you pictures soon. it was a castle build in 900 ad i think i can´t wait to send you pics.
okay so the work is going good here. we have 2 new investigators that i am really excited about. one is a lady named adilide and she is a little older but so sweet and we taught her a quick first lesson and she responded really well and even gave us candy at the end. she actually is a landlord of a girl that we have been trying to teach that never keeps her appointments so it was cool that something good came from something that never works out for us.the other one is a college student named felipe. this is good because we need younger people here there are hardly anything and the church is going to die out soon cause all the members are old here so i am excited about this. elizabeth lady in the crazy house is totally making a change in her life. seriously she is so much happier now and you can tell a difference in her face and just being around her you can totally tell that she is changing. its . .alright i really want to write more because we had a lot of really amazing experiences happen this week with lessons and contacting people and God placing people in our path that needed to hear our message but i really can´t write them because i want to be obedient. but i really just want to say that i love you all so very much. our family is amazing and thank you so much for taking the time each and every week to write me it really means so much to me! brad congrats on the getting the job.
. love you all so much
love hayley
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My favorite part was when she said that the lady was changing and she could see the change in her--neat huh?

also she made it sound like she doesn't read all our emails--but yet she said she loves our weekly letters--they mean so much --so as a favor to me would you keep sending notes- to her --bet she reads them eventually (:

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snow is April--who knew?.

the white specks are the snow--it doesn't look as daunting in the pics as it did that day--I didn't even dare drive out to Tooele--but it was pretty to watch it fall

Dear family

I was all set for spring--and then it snowed last wed On April 15th -- who knew? but it was all sunshine yesterday (sat april 18) the is the fun part of living in Ut. they say if you don't like the weather --just wait "five minutes' and it will change ha!

I guess that is how our lives can be at times too--all spring like weather and then a snowstorm sprinkled in here and there--so thankful for the gospel principles that "don't change" even when the weather and our circumstances do" I was thinking how my cup runneth over and how much love I have for so many things--just to name a few-(below)

just one more thing first...-on American Idol--someone in the crowd yelled to david cook--"we love you" and he said back "not as much as I love you" and that got me to thinking how much I love Dad and all you kids and grandkids--so in case I forgot to tell you--I'm tellin' you now--"not as much as I love you"!

I love you all (the fam)

I love the gospel

I love cooking

I love watching dad & the grandkids play

I love planting our garden

I love flowers popping up

I love spending time with family

I love being in the house in my slippers

I love animals

its a wonderful life--if anyone has time please remember to drop Irma Call a line-- and make her day happy-I originally started "news in a minute on the juno-/ and blog to keep everyone in touch--but you've all done that well by having your own blogs-here's my old version of newy news in one minute: on my mark set go-:

* yeah for Brianne graduating this month

* yeah for Stephen making it through another set of med. Boards

*Yeah that Kerri is making a difference with her poulvauting team

*yeah for all of your progress Irma Call on the language and being a great missionary

*yeah that -we are proud of all of you and all that you are doing(even if not mentioned here)

*yeah for and grateful and happy for that brad got the GA --(graduate assistance job )& all that goes with

*yeah-we are grateful abbie can play soccer

*yeah we are glad that Kaci & family

got to see the pink flowers in VA

*yeah that bryan helped his young men--complete a fund raiser and power rake lawns

*yeah that dad --got our house and shutters washed down so we can't paint this spring

love mom

Easter weekend

hunter and mayley finding treats in the backyard

dear family
I love to try to tell the Easter story about the events surrounding the resurrection so that you you kids and my grandkids will know that story as well as you know that story of the Nativity and Christmas story--because it is such a wonderful --story-
so -although informally-again this year -I used the Easter eggs with --the dice /(that the soldiers cast lots for the robe and red cloth(they gave the savior a robe to mock him/ and stone(was rolled from the tomb/ and spices(were used to put on those who had died in the days of the Savior ) --and the empty eggs (represent that the tomb was empty when mary came) and that because his tomb was empty we shall rise again and the sacrament water cup (to remind us that each week we take the sacrament- I hope these visuals help--I like seeing a song together --and I only wish we had had family prayer at the end of the informal family -gathering--but we forgot so next time-- thanks for helping me give that little lesson each year and sharing the story in your own FHE.
also I really enjoyed the weekend ..and the pleasure of seeing Easter through a child's eyes and also enjoy the finding of the candy and treats on the Sat./and Sun depending which day we were with you.
again this year as a visual trying to teach s

SMA & the times we pull together

It is with profound heartache and sadness that we let you know that Kyle (nancy and stephen's baby) has been diagnosed with SMA. (spinal musculard atrophy) We do not know if it is type I or type II --which one we don't know yet. That will only be determined when the symptoms start to manifest themselves. He will be given some medication in the mean time that should help delay the onset of symptoms. He is currently strong and healthy and not showing any signs of the disease. (this is a genetic disease that is very rare--his sister megan also has the disease --she is confined to a wheel chair and has no use of her legs--and it may debilitate other parts of the body that that spine affects--as well--time will tell--)
Nancy and Stephen are saddened at the news. but they are thrilled to have helped another spirit obtain a mortal body and to have another member of their family. We take great hope in Jesus Christ and the resurrection that will remove all physical ailments and heartache.
hope that the trials in your life--are getting better--I think of you often --

I often reflect on my dad saying how much Easter meant to him and of all Sunday's it was his favorite--I can echo that now in my own life . This picture includes flowers breaking through the snow

flowers coming out in the spring remind me of the renewal of life and that the resurrection is real
I hope that each of you have wonderful Easter Sunday-

-How thankful I am that the atonement makes things right both in this life and in the next life . (Things like SMA) -that don't seem quite right to us here and now--the atonement covers so much more than just our sins--it covers our joys and our sorrows and it makes all the difference. . If you know me at all you know I've shed many tears and offered many prayers--and have come to know that. Heavenly father loves us more that anyone--His love is perfect, and unconditional he is the perfect parent. I feel of his love and of our Saviors love at this time.

I feel a unity at this time--I feel strenghth as we have pulled together at this time of the diagnosis for little Kyle

Surely ..This Easter Sunday will be even more reflective than usual and our appreciation for the Savior and his love for us. I feel humbled and grateful on This Easter time. I Bear testimony that the Savior is the truth and the light and the way. I love each of your very much and feel of your testimonies for the things of greatest importance in life.

According to tradtion--the tramp is up so spring has sprung

bryan & his kids on the trampoline

action shots--*(here and below with grandpa and kirks on the trapoline)

April 6, 09
dear family I love april 6th--often in the dead of winter--I think to myself--no worries
stick out the cold before we know it it will be april 6th --the day the church was organized --the day --that we are told may have been when Christ was born--(but the calendar--got changed around through time--for lack of a better explanation)
and the day that the spring flowers bloom--well as you see--from the pics
we did hang on for spring all winter (and all spring too) and now the time came to set up the trampoline-
-so everyone get over here and jump and let the spring/summer fun begin !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ps just go easy on grandpa k? he getting kind a old ha!