catch up (as usual)

Maybe if I just update once a month, & I know that's the plan, then I won't worry so much about NOT BLOGGING more often.

We are truly empty NESTER'S. what ever that means? No baby birds at home, no messes, (ya right), less food in the house, more eating out, wondering around in one's underwear,(too much visual information, sorry), a clean laundry room, less laundry, 2 guest rooms and a grandchild room. empty closets and empty dressers . More time for each other (in theory), anyway the list could go on and on, but it has been nice, I do miss people around, but if you just drop by, call first, remember the underwear and more time for each other!

Our ward has had an huge humanitarian project going, and I chose to learn a new crocheting project and have had some fun with it. I've made about 30 little girl cradle/purses, I'm getting a little better at learning to read directions, but I still need help to get started. MOM and Karen would be so proud.

Kim and I planned a last minute NEW YORK CITY trip. We had a great time. We did 3 days in the city and 3 days up-state. We did all the normal touristy things. Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Subway (Kim became an expert), Time square, Empire State Building, Central Park, Rockefeller Center(outside), Ground Zero, Broadway and the musical Spider Man, (which has it's own fun story), 5Th Ave. and shopped Tiffany's but we forgot to buy anything, we saw the Manhattan LDS Temple, Grand Central Station, Met. Art Museum, and Greenish village, We ate pizza standing at an outdoor counter, hot dogs and pretzels. Watched music groups in the park and subway performing. Then up-state, we went to the Palmyra Temple, Hill Cumorah (they were practicing for the pageant), the Smith family home and farm, the Sacred Grove, the Printing press, the Whitman home, and then up to Niagara Falls and road the boat into the middle of the falls. We drove through Ithaca NY and saw Cornell University and drove along beautiful ocean view country sides. We always felt safe, a little lost at times, had very kind New Yorkers and bus drivers helping us find our way. I was with the man I love, who was always looking out for our welfare and wanted us to have a great time. And we did.

Kim actually took a lot of pictures, more than me, so I am in most of his and he is in all of mine. I really did go on this trip.

Pioneer day my Niece Annie and her husband Ross hosted a fun Bar-B-Q- at their new home in So. Jordon. The food was great and so was the company. Melanie and her family had to go to a family reunion, and Matt had to work, and I missed the kids, but it was a nice day and their new home is absolutely beautiful.

Kim has officially reached Senior Citizenship age, or at least in some circles he now gets a discount. He turned 55. Birthdays get more and more boring, but the exciting part is that we are Still together and that we are Still Around.

An MRI (More Really-expensive Investigations) was done on my back. Since April I have been having numbness and pain in the right leg, thigh and calf, and now it's into my foot and I have numb toes. I keep having spasms that make my first movements very painfully and difficult. So I guess now the next step is to see a Radiologist and then possibly a Neurologist. I have several areas of degenerative spine, (arthritis,) old age crap, just get over it symptoms, and stop all the wining decease.

We moved Jodi and Trevor to Am. Fork into a large, bright, brand new, lovely 3 bedroom basement apt. They sold their home in Syracuse, and Trevor will be starting Law School in 2 weeks. Jodi starts her sort-of-the-same job on Monday in a new locations, with new people in Orem. They go from 2 good incomes to one, lots and lots of space to very little, a 3 car garage to none, to having all their time together to not much at all, having family and friends all around to none, can I make this sound any more depressing. They will do great. Jodi is a great homemaker, loves Trevor and loves making a sweet home environment so this new location will be no different.

I keep reminding her that when I got married I too moved to Prove, with no friends, a new job, a tiny, dark, basement apt. One car, no family, no texting, no computer, couldn't afford long distance calls, a man I didn't know very well, (sounds like an arranged pioneer hook-up) who was very involved and busy with school & with very little money. But like her we had each other, the church, a family that was reachable and that cared a great-deal about us, and the faith that we were doing the right thing.

The grand kids are getting big and even more fun. Kate & Hyrum together had their first sleep-over and I survived. Grandpa took Hyrum on a train ride to visit more trains. I bought them a Tuff Stuff outdoor play set, (KSL.com) which he seems to love. I'm not tiring to by love, I just want them to know grandma's house is funner than just a small box of toys in the corner. When he was taking his bath he kept dropping the soap and after finding it for the 10Th time, he said, "grandma, you are a good grandma". My heart melted. My kids may not say "mom your a good mom" so I'll take it from the grand kids.

These very beautiful flowers were waiting for me one afternoon from my friend, neighbor and walking partner Becky. What a nice surprise, just for being a good friend.

Things to come: New callings, Davis county race, Swiss days, Mt. Rushmore, Jackson Hole, cont. to clean out and organize our home, and figuring out how to be Empty Nester's and handling Old People syndrome. We are a very blessed and fortunate family.

The real reason I hate to blog is adding the pictures, it takes forever and isn't easy. I need a smart computer person to show me an easier way. HINT HINT