Friday Fun

On Friday morning we made an escape and tackled a few chores. The sky started out gloomy and overcast, but by 10:00 AM, the sun was out and things were warming up. We shut off the water to the sprinklers, cleaned out the boat lockers, covered the boat, and parked it on the new slab. It was really easy, much easier than the last time I parked it on the gravel for the winter. Of course we paid nearly $2 K so it would be easier.

While Daniel and I were working on my list, Bubby tackled a couple of gardening projects including redistributing the landscaping blocks and replacing them with some of the concrete curbing that was displaced by the new slab. She did a nice job, and tried to keep Andrew out of our hair while we did our thing. We celebrated successful chores by heading to the Cow for drinks, fries, onion rings, a milkshake (Rosalyn), a root beer float (Andrew), and a hamburger (Andrew). It was almost as much fun as going there in the summer. After the Cow, it was nap time.

We celebrated the end of nap time by going to Canyon Park. Andrew wanted to play on the swings, and Bubby wanted to walk the canyon trail in the late afternoon sunshine. Everyone got their wish. Andrew was having fun being pushed in the swing by his Dad.



Evelyn even got a chance to sit in the swings, all though the breeze was a little cooler than she would have liked.



I got a picture of Andrew "rock climbing" (the plastic rock pile had handles so he could really climb it). He also loved the slide and the other toys.



Andrew was a little intimidated by the length of this slide, so he opted to go down with his Daddy. Daniel says he is showing far more caution these days which, in his case, is a really healthy thing. Bubby even went for a slide, although we decided the lower portion of the slide was not designed for adult buns. Both Daniel and Bubby got stuck. It is a good thing that Poppy didn't try.



This last photo shows Andrew, soon to be three years old, climbing a rather challenging apparatus at the park. I was a little nervous, but he loved it and went up and down several times (with hovering adults around to be sure he didn't fall).

It was a great day, and now it is nearing bedtime. I think we took the edge off today, with all of our outside activities. Let's hope everyone sleeps very well. I am sure Bubby and I will.

Poppy

Finally Here

The long planned for Thanksgiving holiday has finally arrived. Sarah and Aaron blew through on their way to St. George on Tuesday night around 9:30. They had to stay with Grandpa Gary and Grandma Marsha because Beany had a dental appointment with Uncle Rex Wednesday morning. Daniel and Family arrived on Wednesday around 12:30 PM.

We have worked hard to keep this holiday low key, as you can see from our Thanksgiving spread above (turkey sands, mac and cheese, Holiday dip, and Dixie Salad). It was a wonderful dinner and we didn't spend all day in the kitchen cooking it. The only drawback was the weather. It started raining on Wednesday morning and didn't quit until Friday morning. We were all feeling some extreme cabin fever by Friday morning.



On of the things we did to pass the time was build with Bubby's new set of Mega Blocks. Andrew makes all the decisions (who gets what color, how high they can build, etc.) but it doesn't matter much because all we are trying to do is occupy his time. We had a fun time playing inside, and of course Bubby is the favored playmate.



We have had a lot of quality time with Miss Evelyn. She is the polar opposite of her brother at this stage of her life. She is generally happy, plays by herself, chortling in her high pitched voice, and is just shy of being "lumpy" (the ultimate stage of babyhood). We are hoping that by Christmas she will be full-on lumpy, and we can set her on the floor and let her entertain herself.

Lots of fun at our house.

Buboppy

Getting Excited for Thanksgiving

We are hoping that our faithful readers are contemplating their many blessings, particularly at this time of year. We, like all you, feel unworthy of the fullness of our blessings. Despite the calamities that surround us, we are healthy, happy, and able to live in a beautiful community in the greatest country on Earth. More importantly, we find the opportunities to serve others and we value those special moments and the friendships that naturally flow from them.

Bubby had an experience yesterday that underscores how blessed we feel. A former colleague at the DESI (Dr. Snow's surgical center) is married to a fine man and they have happily lived in St. George working and raising a family. Yesterday, her friend's husband called SWATC about the truck driving school. As he explained his situation to Bubby, in street-southern "Utahese" (We was . . ., etc.) all Bubby could think was how thankful she was for education, opportunity, and the other blessings we enjoy. These are fine people but the reality of seeking employment in the current climate with a clear lack of options and preparation was quite sobering to her.

Not much to report from last week. We did something besides work, but I can't remember what it was beyond our Wednesday fishing outing. We attended a tailgate party at the President's residence on Saturday and then sat through the first half of the SUU-University of Northern Iowa football game. I got us a couple of steps closer to winterized and fed the lawn. We saw our last home teaching family and found time to go to Bruno's for a chicken pesto pizza and shared-antipasto salad (definitely a highlight).

We are excited that Daniel, Rosalyn, and the kids will be with us for Thanksgiving. We are doing turkey sandwiches and lots of pie. I have saved a few strategic chores outside so that we can give Andrew an outing. Hope the weather holds. We will probably be able to see Aaron and Sarah and family later in the weekend. I think we are headed south on Saturday for shopping and a walk on the trails. Probably some good Mexican, too.

We are interviewing candidates for five open positions in the College of Science, and I get to meet them all. I wish our institutional financial situation was more certain, but we are pushing forward with our searches and will make decisions when we can. At least we have clearance to hire for the chemistry position Daniel is interviewing for.

The good news is that the T-Birds are running tonight, and after my presidency meeting and a trip to the Pub for their holiday turkey salad, I'll be there!

Love to all,

Buboppy

Last Outing of the Year?

Bubby and I ran down to Sand Hollow yesterday afternoon. Temperature was in the low 70's and not a spec of wind. A beautiful day to be on the lake. We were fishing by 2:30. Bubby got to navigate the boat out of the docking area while I rigged a couple of rods. She has been a little intimidated by the thought of driving the boat, but was certainly smiling when I took her picture.

Water temperature has dropped below 60 °F, so the fishing has really slowed. I threw a lot of things at them . . . had one Senko bite (missed him!) and two jig bites (caught both of them).



There were some guys who had driven up from Las Vegas to fish, and when we were loading the boat they said with three of them fishing they had not even had a bite. That would be discouraging, but I thought I might get skunked, at one point. I think they are the folks who come and load up on sunfish all the time. I have seen the boat before.

Anyway, I am not sure if I will take the boat out again this year. It may be time to cover it and put it on the new slab in the backyard. Three bites in as many hours is not what I call hot fishing. At least one of the fish I caught was in the 2.5-3 lb range. Green curly-tail grubs strike again. We had a lovely time on the water. Bubby curled up on the rear deck like a kitten in the sun. She slept for an hour or so.

We did make our accustomed stop at Alberto's on the way home, and I even got to get a debriefing from Daniel about his SUU phone interview yesterday afternoon.

Buboppy

From Bryce to Sugarhouse

The past weekend was a busy one. Bubby and I left Cedar City at 6:30 on Thursday evening, and headed over to Ruby's Inn. We got to the Bryce Canyon Pines just in time to have some dinner. Bubby had an open-faced turkey sandwich with cranberries and mashed potatoes and gravy. I had the usual Club sandwich, which is excellent at the Pines. We shared a piece of boysenberry pie for dessert.

After a restful night at Ruby's, I went off to my board meeting and Bubby amused herself at the Inn. She was sorry she didn't bring her swimming stuff, because the pool was warm, beckoning, and empty of other swimmers. We hooked up at lunch time and enjoyed a lovely BBQ lunch provided by the BCNHA and cooked by the Park superintendent. We even had pie from the Pines for dessert (one of our newest board members is one of the owners). This time it was a three layer lemon affair, really good.

When my meeting broke up at about 3:30 we headed north. It took us an extra 45 minutes to get there, but we were able to arrive in SLC before 10 PM, with a short stop in Provo to see Andrew and Evelyn before they went to bed. I was worn out. This photo was taken when we arrived. Andrew was just out of the tub and getting his pajamas on. I can't tell if he is enjoying my attention, but I was enjoying his!



Sarah had an interesting day, having turned her ankle at the foot of her stairs and then spent most of Friday on the couch, waiting for Aaron to take her to Insta-Care. Of course while she was incapacitated, the kids went for the jugular and shredded the house. It's no fun being the mom of a young family and unable to keep up with their antics. The doctor pronounced the ankle unbroken, but recommended that she stay off of it as much as possible (Ha!).



On Saturday morning, we rose early because Sarah had arranged a photo shoot for her kids in a local park. This photo shows the girls, all combed and ready to step out the door. They looked really cute, but I don't know if any good photos were taken. Most of the ones that had Lydia in them were taken of her backside as she ran to the next activity. She doesn't hold still for very long.



To give the kids a thrill, I put on Sarah's Penn State sweatshirt, and of course raised all kinds of concern from Lydia. She kept insisting that it was her mother's and that I immediately take it off! The nerve! It is a nice, roomy sweatshirt, I should steal it sometime.

Daniel and Rosalyn joined us on Saturday afternoon, and we lay low so that Sarah could keep her feet up. Rosalyn went shopping, and the boys walked to 7-11 for a slurppy. We ended the day with dinner at the Olive Garden. Andrew was dog tired, but cleaned up his mac a cheese anyway.

Sunday was the Primary program. Katie and Jake both took part. It was fun to see them. They are so grown up. We left SLC and headed home. It was nice to get back, but we had a really fun weekend with the kids.



On Monday morning, I caught Bubby modeling her new swim cap. She is fresh out of bed and headed out the door. She says the cap works great. I say it is very flattering, what do you think?

Buboppy

Photoless, Again

We have no proof, but we did do something this week. I can't remember many details, and I won't try too hard. UP and AK dropped in on us, having just returned from their cruise to the Mexican riviera. They had a great time and it was really good to see them. We attended part of a couple of basketball games, unable to free ourselves up for the entire event.

Saturday was our big day. We rose early, were out of Walmart by 6:30 AM, cleaned bathrooms and mopped floors, and as soon as it was warm enough outside, started our chores. We needed to rake up a few leaves, clean out the front rain gutters (which are full of leaves), and I wanted to mow and feed the lawns. Of course, once you start, other plans creep in. We decided to hang the Christmas lights, and Bubby decided to do some serious bush trimming. I had to take a break to assist in our stake's care and share food drive, and when I returned, Bubby had filled my truck bed with cuttings. We had to run them to the dump, and the lawns never got mowed or fed.

We did see a movie, which I would not recommend, and had dinner out. Sunday was Sunday, but not as crazy as they have been. We enjoyed a nice dinner and evening together. It was good to talk to everyone, although I missed Daniel's call. He had his first phone interview of this job hunt. I am sure he will be very practiced before the season ends.

Buboppy

Those of you who also read Evestigation will know much about our weekend activities. We left Cedar City at about 12:30 PM and headed to Las Vegas. We are listening to "Three Cups of Tea" at present and enjoyed the ride down, if for no other reason than the opportunity it provided for us to listen to our book. When we arrived, after having a tough time finding the place, we found Daniel and Evelyn, trying to keep each other company. Rosalyn broke away from her meetings and we ran to Trader Joes (this was Evelyn's first trip!) and finally, Frys Electronics. Of course Daniel and I had a wonderful, but short, time in Frys and wished we could have spent more (time and money). We completed the evening with a lovely Japanese dinner, a trip to Toys R Us, and wander through the Meadows Mall. The last two stops should make Sarah, Daniel and Matt nostalgic for days gone by.

Rosalyn dutifully attended the last morning of her conference, and we went to breakfast at Weiss Deli (formerly Samuel's Deli) in Green Valley. Evelyn slept while we dined on fresh sesame seed bagels with cream cheese, and enormous plates of eggs, homemade hash browns and fresh fruit. It was a wonderful stop. We even brought a cheese Danish home to share with Rosalyn. I hope she got some. Sarah called us that morning certain that we were stopping at Weiss' for breakfast, and of course she was correct.

Evelyn was a delight. She is so very sweet and a darling, cuddly, armful. She just goos and giggles and smiles most of the time. Bubby just loved having pleasant conversation with her. We were all packed into the motel room, and I swear I never heard much from her during the night, although the evidence that she had been ministered to was present.

We tried to help Daniel and Rosalyn pack up for their trip home and watched Daniel load everyone's gear into the rather "blue" eight-passenger van. Here is Daniel posed with his crew, minus Rosalyn who was trying to check everyone out and get the needed receipts for reimbursement.

I call this one "Evelyn in the Oleander". Of course, if she was in the grabby-reachy phase, we couldn't have pulled this one off. We were waiting for her Daddy to load her car seat and I was trying to keep the sun out of her face. We couldn't quite get the smile, but she had just finished one.

Bubby and I had to return to Cedar City and get ready for the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference, which I conducted. It was a very good session with great talks and music. We even got to see the second half of the SUU Lady T-Birds disappointing defeat at the hands of the DSCU Lady Rebels.

Sunday morning was the general session of Stake Conference, and I had to speak. That means getting up early and practicing my talk in my work office for a few hours. The session went well, and Bubby and I were able to have lunch together.

We had some stale-dated half and half we needed to use, so we made clam chowder. I had purchased some beautiful, and over sized, jalapeno peppers the previous week, and we seeded, stuffed and wrapped them with bacon. This is Beany's favorite preparation and we decided to pose this picture of the last one, just for him.

We had a pleasant post-conference afternoon and evening, visiting on the phone (and Skype) with all of our kids. We particularly enjoyed seeing Leo. He is growing and looking very big. He holds his head up well, and doesn't seem to mind his father's ear fixation too much.

Buboppy