Giving Thanks

I didn't participate in the daily thankful list that many did on facebook. It just isn't my thing to do that kind of thing publicly. But that doesn't mean that I am not thankful. I decided to do my list on my blog. 24 for every day from Nov. 1 until Thanksgiving Day. So here goes:

1. I am thankful for my husband, my kids, my grandkids, my in-laws etc.

2. I am thankful for my friends, my neighbors and acquaintences, etc.

3. I am thankful that I am not in debt anymore, except for my house.

4. I am thankful for a job that I love and that actually pays me very well to do what I enjoy doing.

5. I am thankful that I am no longer addicted to games on facebook.

6. I am thankful that I have caller ID on my television so I know who is calling without having to get up.

7. I am thankful for DVR's so I can pause my program and take a call if I want to talk to them and also so that I can record shows and watch them when it is convenient for me.

8. I am thankful for the gospel and that I have it in my life. (By the way, the order I put these items in has nothing to do with my priorities.)

9. I am thankful that God doesn't always answer my prayers and He doesn't always grant me my desires because some of them may have messed up my life bigtime.

10. I am thankful that nobody has "occupied" my yard.

11. I am thankful for my dog and that he cannot talk so that I can believe that he adores me and is 100% loyal all the time.

12. I am thankful for horses. Just because.

13. I am thankful that I live in a country where I can voice my opinion without fear of being put in jail for it.

14. I am thankful that I have been married more than half of my life and that it is way better than my wildest dreams.

15. I am thankful for lemons.

16. I am thankful for C-Pap machines so that both me and my hubby can sleep better. (Oh, in case anyone is wondering, he uses the machine, not me.)

17. I am thankful for Thanksgiving time so that I can have 4 straight days off work.

18. I am thankful for the Book of Mormon.

19. I am thankful for books.

20. I am thankful for music.

21. I am thankful for computers and all the things I can learn and do on them.

22. I am thankful for telephones and especially for cell phones so that we can stay in touch with our loved ones and friends at all times.

23. I am thankful that I am educated and can read, write, type, and blog when I want to.

24. I am thankful for my life.

I Am A Hick From the Sticks and Proud of It

I have had a problem with people who are not from a rural community all of my life.

They seem to think that living in the country somehow dumbs you down. (As if living near lots of other people and buildings somehow makes your brain enlarge or something.) I had a "city" cousin growing up that made it known to me from early on that she was just a little better and smarter because of living in the city. Now I thought this was just a childish notion. And she truly has grown out of it. But there are plenty of adults who still carry this attitude. Somehow they feel they are just a little "better" than country folks. These same adults think they are more educated or at least better educated than country folks. Isn't this a classic example of "pride". Pride is not a good thing. Not when you feel better or superior to others.

What brought on this tirade? Well, there is a man in our community who is from the city. He wants to retire to the country. He is a few years away from retirement but he wanted to get a head start on the preparations. So, he has built a house in Hiko. He works and lives in the city all week and spends every weekend in Hiko. The other day he said that he has always been influenced by many to feel like the people in the country were going to be less educated and not so "on-the-ball" as the city folks. But he said that his experience has been quite different. He finds the people in our community quite the opposite. He says that many of them have more education and degrees that he does not have.

Now I truly understand if someone does not like the country life. Most people are not accustomed to it. They can't do without the entertainment they need or the shopping close by. We, however, enjoy living here and don't mind traveling a little distance to enjoy the same things. We love the environment where our children learn to work and keep super-busy in many activities, which in turn keeps them out of trouble. We understand that if everyone liked this way of life, then that very way of life would go away. But we don't understand the need for city folks to feel superior or better than us who do choose something that they don't enjoy.

Now, I have had my say. And I feel better. Thanks.

Have you ever had a day like this?

WOW. Two posts in one day. In one hour actually. That is an all time first for me and probably last. But while I was working on the last post, it was brought to my mind that I have been having a really weird day. One of those days where I can't believe how utterly clumsy I am. I truly am not clumsy by nature. But every once in a while I have a clumsy day. Here are a few examples of this clumsiness.

I was feeding the baby calves. When I went to feed the grain to the one that is in a corral by himself, I dropped the can inside the corral. So I get in to get it and this calf thinks I am more breakfast and is so excited to see me inside. He tries to get out of the gate. The gate won't close tight. So I am trying to fix that and this calf is putting slobber and snot all over me. All I can say is that at least it was before my shower not after.

When I was cooking myself some scrambled egg whites for breakfast, I go to stir them and slosh a good portion of them out onto the stove. Not only a mess to clean up but less breakfast.

I have been dropping everything I touch. I guess I could look at it as good exercise picking it up but I don't want to.

While putting on my mascara, I poked myself in the eye. Now that takes talent.

Okay, this isn't a long list but the day is early and I am hoping I don't do anything major before it is over. It is one of those days that I would have been better off if I had stayed in bed.

I AM LEARNING

I am always learning. I think everyone is. But I am trying to do it on purpose. Here are a few of the things I have been learning lately:

1. How to be a landlord. I have learned you have to be businesslike or you can be taken advantage of.

2. History. I love history and have always loved learning about it, but right now I am on a quest to learn all I can about the United States history and also the Church history. Someday I hope to be able to fit in World History.

3. How to manage money more intelligently. Now this one is a work in progress. I know this is one everyone is working on, but I list it because it is on my mind constantly. AND I think I am making some progress.

4. Patience. This is also one that everyone is probably working on. But I have found that it is best applied with the help of the Spirit. And I am slowly but surely making progress.

5. Time management. Life is always changing. What you do with your time and what you have time for changes rapidly. I am trying to learn what the most important things are so I can put them first. But my biggest challenge is learning which things to let go of because I have trouble with wanting to have it all. So #4 goes with this one too.

This is not a complete list, but it is what is on my mind at this very moment. I am sure I will think of a gazillion others as soon as I hit "publish post."

Pictures

I guess I should explain the pictures I have here on my blog to the side. I stole them. I am confessing. But I don't think that the owners are going to send me to jail. Why? Because I have a job they need me to do. That job: Be a grandma to these beautiful, intelligent, wonderful, special, spirits.

Okay, now the question is, why do I only have 4 of the 13 grandchildren on here. Well that is easy. It is because only 2 out of my 4 families blog so that I can steal their pictures. The other reason is because I am on a different computer than my own when I usually perform this theft, so I can't use my own archives. (Not that my own computer has much to offer.)

Well, I guess now that I have confessed my conscience is clear and I can go and steal some more pictures.

Service and Charity

Okay, I had a whole post on this subject and somehow I lost it. It was a truly inspired piece, I might add. I can say that because it is lost and no one will ever see it to judge. But the jist of it was this:

Service makes us happy. Do it.

Charity is a lot in how we think and feel towards others. Work on it.

Oh, by the way, the "Do it" and "Work on it" were meant for me, not you. However, if you feel like it I do recommend it.

I thought I was GOOD at Puzzles!!

One thing that I have always loved is puzzles. And may I say that I am pretty good at them. All kinds of puzzles. Putting furniture together is like a puzzle for me. I love it. Word puzzles are fun. I have to say I do these every day, at least one.

BUT

Today I found one kind of puzzle I am not good at. At least it is kind of like a puzzle to me. I have had my rental house next door thoroughly cleaned. I had my cleaning person take all the curtains down. I proceeded to wash them and dry them and then today I went to hang them back up. WELL, it is indeed a puzzle trying to put them where they were. Somehow there are missing pieces. There are rooms that no longer have curtains. There are rooms that the curtains don't match. There are places that don't seem just right, but I didn't know how else to do it. In thinking about it I have thought about different variations. So I think I will go back an try again. I also may have Kristi help me when she is here this weekend because she is great about noticing things. I, on the other hand, don't. You could wear the same outfit for a week and I would seriously not notice. She will be able to tell you if you wore different shoes each day. She gets this from her Dad. He is always laughing at me because I notice something new and he says it has been there for a year or two. I know he is exaggerating but he is probably right that it has been there for a while.

So I guess the puzzle will be put together, and if not, then I guess it won't.

What Has Happened to Me???

Sometimes I don't know myself anymore. What I used to like or do has changed. What my motivations are have changed. Now how am I supposed to figure myself out all over again. It took me ?? years to figure myself out before. I'm not sure I want to start all over again.

What brought this on? The blog post, I mean, not the change because I don't have a clue about that. No, what brought this subject on my post about. Well, Rocky went hunting this morning. He will be gone a couple of days. This has always been the times I have looked forward to. I could have a little "me" time. I could clean the house and it will stay clean. I can read, scrapbook, sew, or whatever to my hearts content and have no interruptons. But how do I feel now? I feel no motivation to do any of that. I just want him home. I want him to interrupt me for a kiss or to ask me to go with him out to feed the calves. I want to know he is right there in the other room if I have a thought I want to share with him.

It isn't that I'm not okay. I want him to go and do what he loves to do. I am fine with coming home and doing my own thing. But WHY don't I love it anymore?

A Phone Call from a 2 almost 3 year old.

Oh how I love phone calls. ESPECIALLY when there is this cute little voice that says "Hi Grandma. I am going to come and visit you on an airplane". Now what could be better news than that? He talked a while longer, most of which I didn't quite understand, and then he finished off with "I love you".

After talking to his mother, I found that this visit will be in December and that it will last a little more than TWO weeks. Now I really have something to look forward to. This is going to be a wonderful year for Christmas. I needed that.

IMPROMPTU "FUN" DAY

We had a day off, Rocky and I, and probably most other people. Yea for Labor Day!!

Well, we decided Sunday evening to go to Cedar City and see Ryan's house he is renting and make sure he had all he needed. So we called him and he was all for it. Next we called Luke and Kayce. They were all in too.

It was getting late so we didn't call Kristi until morning. She dropped everything and came, too. What awesome kids I have!!

We met for lunch, then went to IFA and hung out for a bit. That may not be everyone's favorite place to hang out, but it worked for us. L.E. and Dalley played with the squeaky toys that they have a whole rack of for dogs, I think. You could hear all kinds of noises going on all over the store. (No one complained) (Love that store)

The three older kids and I drooled over some pet rabbits that were for sale. These kids already have a rabbit apiece, but they don't have a beautiful furry white one that looks like a pretty kitty with bunny ears. I was willing to pay the price to get them one, but alas, their Mom said no. I think the main objection was that it was a male and they have all females. I guess I can see why that would create a problem with rabbits. The kids promised to keep them apart, but I think their Mom is wise to kids and their promises. (They are meant in all sincerity, but you know how that goes.)

Meanwhile, everyone else was enjoying their section of this fantastic store. Soon it all came to an end and Luke and Kayce headed home. The rest of us went to check out Ryan's living quarters. I have to admit, I was impressed. The place was adequate for two guys and it wasn't a mess at all. (Yet) ( Well, I will try to have more faith in my son keeping this up.)

We did some more shopping. Ryan wanted to go golfing, but it was threatening to rain, so we spent money instead.

Then it was time to head home. But Ryan wanted to get one more free meal in, so we accomodated. We headed for Chinese, detoured to Mexican, and ended up at Applebee's. Everyone was happy. We split up and left and went home with a happy smile on our faces.

I LOVE MY FAMILY.

Back from Washington!!!

I got back from Washington last night. I had a great time there. Not great like we did sightseeing or activities that were a blast. But I had a woderful time because I spent 3 full days with two sweet little grandkids. And I had them to myself most of that time.

I don't think anyone could disagree with me that those two were quite easy to take care of. Neither of them seemed sad to have me there without their mother. I know they missed her, but they accepted me as a perfectly good substitute.

Arvella has to be the easiest baby to tend. She eats, needs her pants changed, and takes naps very easily. And in between she is very independent and crawls around the floor vacuuming and testing to make sure everyone's shoes are clean for the next wearing. She spent zero time crying for no reason.

Ira is complete joy. He talks up a storm and can play at one thing for hours as long as you will "get on the floor with him". If you have something to do that isn't playing with him, then he is very content to sit on your lap for hours while you do "your thing". If you must clean or take care of Arvella, then he wants to "help". He loves books and will actually let you read the whole page before turning the page. I could spend hours reading to him. When his Dad came home at night he wanted nothing more than his Dad's complete attention, which he got. It warms my heart to see those two together. Now the only thing Ira and I had trouble with is that he loves to throw things. Anything, big or little, soft or hard. There could be little missles flying all over the room if you don't keep that in check. And the other thing is that he loves his sister way too physically. He loves to hug her like a football player loves to hug the football. He just couldn't understand that his hugs were a problem to anyone. Most people love them. What is up with Arvella. Can't she take a little love. But other than those two things, not a minutes trouble from him.

It is always good to be home, but I have to admit I miss those two. I am hoping to see them again soon. REALLY soon.

To Blog or not to Blog

Well, it seems that blogging is not as popular as it was before Facebook. I am not saying everyone, but everyone on my list. None of them have blogged for quite some time, including ME.

So, I was wondering if it was something I wanted to keep doing. I keep in touch with everyone on Facebook. If I have any news I can put it there and more people will get the news than on my blog. I don't think a whole lot of people read my blog. Not that I blame them, it really isn't that interesting. So that brought my thinking right around to the fact that blogging was never for anyone else. It is an extension of my journaling. It is a little something for my grandchildren to read someday and enjoy getting to know their grandma. I made a book out of my blogs last December and gave each family a copy. I can do that again down the road.

I guess my opinion stems from the fact that I would absolutely LOVE to have words from my grandparents that I could read and get to know them better. My grandma meant the world to me. She was my idol. How valuable a blog book from her would have been!

SO, I guess I will keep it up. It may not be as often as I should, but whenever I have a little tidbit to put in, it will be Blogged.

Confusing Times

This summer has been and continues to be the biggest whirlwind I think I have ever experienced for a summer. Now it is possible that there could have been others, but my memory isn't what it used to be, so obviously I don't remember if there was.

It all started with trying to plan to be there for Kristi when she had her baby, and at the same time trying to fit a trip to Colorado in beforehand. (The trip to Colorado never happened and it doesn't look probable that it ever will.) Here is a list of the events that needed to be addressed:

1. Trip to Colorado

2. Crystal's graduation

3. The arrival of Kristi's baby

4. A Keith Whipple Trip all paid for and planned.

5. Kate's baptism

6. A fishing trip for the guys.

7. Rocky's family reunion.

8. My Mother's family having a reunion.

9. A trip to Vancouver to tend kids while Stina is in Hood to Coast.

10 And then just this last week my Uncle Bill passed away and I have a funeral to go to.

Well, if we did every one of these we would be gone every single week, at least part of it, except a very few in between. Soooooooo, we have had to pick and choose what we can do. We canceled the trip to Colorado. We went to the graduation. I was there for Kristi when she had her baby. I was gone a little longer than planned because of complications she had. We went on the trip and LOVED it. We attended Kate's baptism and had an awesome weekend. The guys are going on their fishing trip while I attend the funeral. I have plane tickets to go to Vancouver. BUT we had to bow out of the two reunions. There was just no way to do them all.

The confusing part of this has been orchestrating it all. Especially the part where I go to the funeral alone. Obviously I don't want to drive to Ogden or Pocatello by myself to attend. I would work it out, then something would change, so I would start over and then it didn't fit right, so I was just not feeling it working. However, I was determined to go. Then a light turned on in my little brain and I thought maybe Kristi would go with me. What a treat that would be to spend the time with her and the two kids anyway. She was great!! She said she would go. So that is the plan and I am sticking to it. NO MORE CHANGES!! No more Confusion.

Summertime!! : Anniversary, Trips, FUN

I love summertime even though I hate the heat.

Most of the time the heat doesn't bother me. If I can get relief from it.

This year is ideal. It hasn't been really super hot yet. It is headed that way, but not yet.

But the hottest day we have had yet this year, I was gone. To Wyoming. Where it isn't so hot.

That was our trip this year. We went to Jackson and then to Martin's Cove. We stayed in Jackson and in Rawlins. It was our anniversary the day we left. I love that our anniversary always seems to hit on a trip we have planned. We always seem to be able to celebrate it well.

This weekend we are spending with family. Kate is getting baptized on Saturday and the 4th of July is on Monday. So we get a long weekend of fun being with family. We will be with all of our kids except Rowdy and his family and Shawn. But we feel very blessed to have Stina and the kids with us. I am so ready to see those two little kids. AND I am ready to see my newest granddaughter who I spent the first week of her life with her almost completely. In other words, I am gearing up for an awesome weekend and I can hardly wait!!!!

Electricity!!

I absolutely love where I live. And I am grateful for electricity. Everything we do takes it it seems. I have thought of all those who have lost their electricity and more because of storms and my heart goes out to them. That is why I am so grateful for where I live. We don't have a lot of violent weather, but we do get some pretty nasty winds. Last night it was blowing hard. All of a sudden our power went out. We thought maybe it was something that affected everyone so they would be right on it. But, NO, it was just us. We discovered this in the wee hours of the morning. This is why I love small towns. I called my neighbor down the highway who is our good friend and also the Manager at the Power Co. He came right over and had us back in business in no time. So, today I am grateful for electricity, small towns, good friends, and fairly good weather.

A Little Deja Vu.

Yesterday was a day that reminded me just a little bit of a day just over two years ago.

Two years ago Ryan packed his bags and left us with an empty room and empty hearts.

Yesterday he has done it again. He moved to Escalante to work. He got a job there working on Turnabout Ranch, a ranch for troubled kids. He plans on majoring in Psychology, so this job is a grand opportunity. So I can't tell if I was just reliving the feelings that I had two years ago or whether I sincerely am going through those feelings all over again.

But I do think it is mainly deja vu. But all I know is that already this morning I sure am missing that guy. We had him for two wonderful months and now we will get only visits now and then, but that is life!!

TALENTS

Today I have talents on my mind.

Why?

Because I have discovered some new talents in my son, Ryan. Well, I didn't just discover it barely, but I was blown away by a demonstration of a talent he has.

Now Ryan is talented in a lot of ways that I have known since his birth or childhood. But this is one I wasn't as aware of until recently.

His talent: Public Speaking

This guy can give an awesome speech without any written out talk or even notes. It is right off the cuff. Wow!! I am mostly amazed because there is NO WAY I could do that.

So where does he get this talent? As I've said, not from me.

His Dad has this talent somewhat. He can give a speech with notes. Me, I have to have it all written out.

But yesterday Pearl, my mother-in-law, told me that her father had this same talent.

How cool is that to find out!! I love it.

Call me a Thief or WhatEVER!!

I have been trying to think how to express my thoughts lately. I have been going through a time of growing and stretching. BUT I am not good at expressing what I feel.

Then I was reading a book last night written by one of my top favorite authors, Richard Paul Evans, and there before my eyes were my very feelings written so well. SOOO

I am borrowing them. I am telling you that they are his words, so it shouldn't be illegal, but I am also at the same time stealing them. Here it is:

"There are moments in all lives, great and small, that we must trudge alone our forlorn roads into infinite wilderness, to endure our midnight hours of pain and sorrow--the

Gethsemane moments, when we are on our knees or backs, crying out to a universe that seems to have abandoned us.

These are the greatest of moments, where we show our souls.

These are our 'finest hours'. That these moments are given to us is neither accidental nor cruel. Without great mountains we cannot reach great heights. And we were born to reach great heights.

Every one of us is faced with a task to chip away at the stone of our own spirits creating a monument to light the universe. Our task will not be completed in our lifetime. And in the end we will find that we were never sculpting alone."

What I have learned from these words is:

1. We all have trials.

2. Trials make us grow.

3. We are carried by our Savior through it all. Anything is possible with His help.

Denver or BUST - Chapter 3

I am starting to think that maybe this trip is not right for us. And blogging about it has become like writing a book. (A boring one)

I guess anyone reading this can tell that this trip has been postponed again. It just wasn't working out to go anytime in May and June is out of the question. SOOOO

it has been put in July. We have a Hatch Family reunion in Ogden on July 15 so we would still be combining two trips into one and saving some gas money there. Our plan is the week prior to the 15th OR the week after. Preferably the week prior. It will depend on Rocky's work. They have some chipping jobs this summer and he has to be here if they are doing one.

So we'll see. Will it happen or not? Stay tuned for Chapter 4.

Denver or BUST - Chapter 2

Well, I think we have made some solid plans to get to Denver. Chapter 3 will be when we actually succeed in getting there.

Here is our plan:

May 20 - Go to St. George, go to my doctor's appointment (just a checkup), then leave from there and head to Colorado. Our hope is that we will get to Grand Junction that night and stay. The next morning we will head to Buena Vista.

May 21 - Arrive in Buena Vista and visit some very very good friends Ryan made on his mission.

May 21 - Stay another day in Buena Vista, possibly head for Denver.

May 23 - If we haven't already arrived in Denver then we will definitely go this day. We will let Ryan take us wherever he wants.

May 24 - This day we will head back in the direction of Utah, possibly go by way of Steamboat Springs. Maybe we will stay there for the night or maybe somewhere else.

May 25 - Drive to Roy, Utah and attend a very special High School graduation for a beautiful young lady.

After this it is kind of up in the air, but I may be going to Cedar City for the birth of my 13th grandchild, Whitlee Jane. Of course, that can't be planned, but it will all work out. I am sure of that. So I guess we will wait for Chapter 3 to see what actually comes about with these plans.

Denver or BUST = BUST

Our plan was to head to Denver today. Well, that is, we were going to go to Colorado and part of that trip was Denver. But it is not going to happen. Obviously since I am still here.

There wasn't enough planning done for us to go. Which, I might add, is not my fault. I tried. But trying to motivate two men who tend to be last-minute planners, well, that is almost impossible.

We have decided to go in two weeks. I kind of have my doubts as to whether that is going to happen either. Time is just flying by and the next thing you know they are saying, "What! This is the week we were going?"

I have a plan in my head to make it happen later in the summer. I'm working on it, but we will have to see if it takes place.

So, I guess there will be a sequel to this story.

BITTERSWEET

How many emotions can a person feel in a day?

Yesterday

started out as an almost perfect day.

Then

it ended with shock and tragedy.

The perfect day part:

Dustin was ordained an elder. This has been a goal and an achievement long coming.

It opens my heart for all the joy of seeing my daughter and her family become an eternal family.

I did say "almost" perfect day.

Well that is because Dustin's parents and siblings did not attend.

My guess is that they just don't "get it".

They don't get how important this day is to him and to his family.

But Luke and his family were there and Rocky, Ryan and I were there.

It was totally wonderful.

Dustin's uncle ordained him and gave him a beautiful blessing with it.

He told Dustin that he needed to be the example to his parents.

Okay, here is where the day ended so differently:

We came home. We unpacked. We sat down for a few moments of relaxation.

(It is about 9:30 by this time.)

The phone rings. It is Kristi.

Dustin's father had a heart attack and died suddenly.

Our hearts are hurting for Dustin.

This is not easy for him.

This is not easy for his brother and sisters.

This is especially not easy for his mother.

That is my day. My day of joy and pain.

My Family

Rocky and I and four out of five kids.

Rocky and I with Kristi and Dustin and Dalley. (Baby Whitlee, not born yet.) Luke and Kayce and family with us.

Shawn, Stina, Ira, Arvella, and us.

The whole clan at the reunion when Ryan came home.

Us with Rowdy's family.

Our whole entire family. This was taken the day Ryan spoke in church, just 4 days after he returned from his mission.

That is our beautiful family.

We are so blessed.

My Son's Guardian Angel

Well, I have decided that Ryan definitely has a guardian angel. AND he keeps that guardian angel very busy.

I was thinking back. Here is a list of times the kid could have/would have been killed or maimed.

1. When Ryan was a toddler he pulled a statue with sharp edges on to his head. It sliced his head open, missing any of the vital parts of his head.

2. When he was about 3 or 4 a kid was mad at one of my other kids and threw a rock so hard it embedded into our house. It missed Ryan's head by inches.

3. When he was about 5 or 6 he had an alergic reaction that stopped his breathing. Obviously he survived. (Guardian angel for sure)

4. Ryan was eating something when he was about 7 or 8 and it got lodged in his throat. He went all night and half a day not even being able to swallow his spit. Rocky was going in for a colonoscopy the night before so he could not eat. We thought Ryan was just copying him and saying he could not eat. His grandma took him to the doctor the next morning while we were gone. But somehow the lodge came loose on its own. A couple of years later it happened again. This time we waited and nothing was getting any better so we rushed him to St. George to the emergency room. We were filling out the papers to admit him when he coughed and brought it up.

5. When he was about 9 I caught him going in circles on the 4 wheeler so fast that his body was literally off the seat and soaring like an eagle. One wrong move and he would have been toast. Needless to say he was grounded from the 4 wheeler for a good long time.

6. When he was about 10 he was helping fix a fence and sliced his leg open on the barb wire.

7. We discovered he had asthma and rushed him in the middle of the night to the emergency. He has had some episodes since then but never as severe as that one.

8. When he was about 15, I think, he was jumping the ditch while he was irrigating and the shovel somehow came up and hit him in the head. He had a concussion. Another emergency room visit. After that I can count at least 2 more times he got a concussion. They say after receiving one it is very easy to get another.

9. Not long after this last incident Ryan was riding on the 4 wheeler with his dad. They ran over a branch which for some unknown reason flipped up and hit Ryan in the head and sliced it open and he had to have stitches.

10. Playing football, Ryan got a very severe injury to his leg that put him out for most of that season.

11. Playing baseball Ryan hurt his leg one time and he tore his rotator cuff while pitching which caused him to need surgery on it later.

12. On his mission he was riding his bike and hit an uneven spot in the sidewalk which threw him off and maimed his bike, but he came out not too bad.

13. Another time on his mission a car hit him while he was on his bike. He was thrown up on the hood of the car and rolled off and had nothing but bruises to show for it. Definitely a guardian angel there.

14. And then there is this past Saturday. Ryan was helping his Dad out on the range. They were trying to load a bull into a trailer. They had roped the bull and were pulling him in. The bull was being difficult. Somehow the rope got tangled in the horses legs. The horse went nuts and was bucking and kicking. Ryan was thrown from the horse and his foot caught in the rope. He was thrown around and the horse kicked him in the head and cut it open. I do not know why he survived this. I do not know why he didn't have at least a concussion or a broken bone. Actually I do know why. He was watched over and I am so grateful.

I think Ryan has a purpose here. And I think it is an imp0rtant mission he has to fulfill. The adversary is trying to prevent him from it, but the Lord is protecting him. He is being sent guardian angels to watch over him. That is what I think.,

My Favorite Week

This week has been one of the best days of my life.

One of those times that makes life worthwhile.

It all started with our baby boy coming home from his mission.

Two years is a long time to go without being with someone you love so much.

Here we are at the airport.

We spent a lot of quality time together from that time on.

One of those days there was some clay pigeon shooting.

Here is a sample of that.

I love how the cousins got along.

Here is L.E. giving Ira a kiss on the cheek.

We had a scavenger hunt.

This is a picture of my team.

AND we were the winners.

We went on a little family history tour of the graveyards in the valley.

We stopped at an old building which was a store in our grandparents day.

This was on the ranch that my grandfather owned at the time.

Stina had t-shirts made for everyone with the Hatch Family Reuion printed on them.

Here is a result of that. This is a favorite picture of mine. Rocky and two of his boys. I sure do love these guys.

Grandpa and all the grandsons. (Except one, who wasn't there yet.)

I thought I would throw this picture in too.

I think it is so precious.

Arvella is named for Pearl's mother.

It is so cute how she is looking right at Pearl and listening to her.

Arvella is almost 3 months old.

I LOVE being a Grandma.

Okay, Stina, I warned you that I was going to borrow your pictures.

My blog is like a piece of my history.

I really need to put in more pictures.

So here are two of my most precious grandchildren.

Arvella is my youngest grandchild until May or June when the next one comes.

Actually, Ira is the next to the youngest grandchild.

So these are my two youngest ones.

Don't you just want to hug them.

I know I do.

NINE!!!

We are officially in the single digits for days until Ryan is home.

I've never liked 9 so much as I do right now.

I got a letter today. He's scheduled to have a baptism 4 days before coming home. This is what he hoped and prayed for. I am so proud of this guy for working hard up to the last minute.

I got his bedroom all ready. Complete with fresh sheets on his bed, the closet all organized with only spotlights that work stored in there, and his Christmas presents sitting on the bed.

Yes, I said Christmas presents. This year we didn't want to send him anything he would just have to pack around with him and he didn't need anything at all that he could use on his mission. So we wrapped up notes telling him what he would be getting as soon as he got home. They are: a new fishing pole with accessories and a new cell phone. I also made some scrapbooks for him. His mission scrapbook, of course, and a scrapbook of the history of his life so far.

Okay, I need to quit thinking about this and move on because now 9 is starting to feel like an eternity.

CANCEL!!!

Cancel that last post.

I am now officially excited to see my son come home.

I don't know why it took so long.

I don't know why I ever felt anything but pure joy.

Whatever it was, it is gone.

I am so excited to see him.

I got a letter from him today.

He makes me laugh every. single. time.

In this one he was telling us of his plans for when he gets home.

He talked about a job, school, AND that he was going to find the hottest lds girl and marry her.

Now that is pretty specific.

He is on the right track.

I love this boy. (OOPS, I think he is a man now. Oh well, he will always be my baby.)

What is WRONG with me?

Wow. I really don't get it. My missionary son is coming home three weeks from today and I should be ecstatic, thrilled, joyous, (all the other words that apply). And actually there are moments when I do feel like that. But there is this underlying fear in me. It is similar to the way I felt when he left, but not as intense. So I am making a guess as to what is going on with me. And maybe, just maybe, it will help to write about it.
I think that the pain when he left was more about change than the absence of him. Not that I didn't miss him. I did. But the bigger pain was about change. I think. After a few months and after I knew he was okay and happy, I adjusted. In fact, I have loved my life this last year or so. I have loved the closeness that Rocky and I have developed. I love how my time is mainly my own. I love how my house usually stays pretty clean so I can focus on my hobbies more. AND most of all, I have loved the letters from this son. He has written to me every single week except a rare few. He has also emailed me almost every single week. I have seen inside of him I could not have seen in any other way. I have watched him grow and develop his great personality and talents. I HAVE LOVED IT.
So, I have come to the conclusion that I really don't want him to come home. I don't want CHANGE. I like it the way it is right now. I am afraid of the change that will come. But at the same time I miss him so much that it hurts and want to see him and want to be part of his life more on a daily basis. Okay. I get it. I am really not easy to please, am I?
But I guess what I am going to do is keep telling myself that I will adjust and that this will be a wonderful adjustment in my life. I know that in my head. Let's get the heart in on this too.

Cuteness!!

Okay, so I know that I am prejudice, but that doesn't make it any less true, but I have the cutest grandchildren in the world.

Why do I say that? Well here are a few examples:

Ira, who is only two, gets on the phone the other night with me and he listens and he answers questions. Amazing. Then he starts in to telling me a whole big story. Unfortunately, I can't repeat the story because not all the words were recognizable to someone who isn't around him all the time. But it was a really good story. I am pretty convinced about that from the few words I did understand.

Dalley, who is about to turn 3, was on the phone with me yesterday. He told me that he wanted to take me on a ride on his purple snow mobile. We would be going out to hunt bears and maybe a couple of coyotes. He made all the sounds of every animal imaginable. Even an elk. Now how many people know how to make an elk sound. And he did a pretty good job with it. And the sound a puppy makes is the cutest. It is just the panting sound puppies make. Now Dalley is pretty good at this one because a lot of the time he pretends to be a puppy. He is the cutest puppy ever. Last time he was visiting he told me that he was his mama's puppy but she had to share him with me. While I was talking to him I ventured to ask him a question amidst his talking, which is pretty much nonstop. Well when I asked the question, there is silence. I'm thinking what?? But then I hear Kristi say, "Dalley you have to answer her with your voice, she can't see you." Okay now that explanins it.

Britnee turned nine on February 9. I sent her a card with some money in it. She sent me a really cute little thank-you card. But it just tickled me that she wrote "Thanks for the money. I am going to use it to buy me something GREAT!!" That girl has more enthusiasm for life than most. That is why it is so fun to be around her. It rubs off. She is so full of life there is plenty to share. I got a kick out of a letter she wrote to me recently, too. She said that she missed us and that she thought it would be fun to live with us. Now I know that it wouldn't actually happen and if it did I am not so sure she would enjoy the time away from her parents. But just the idea that it was in her head made my heart just soar.

We ended up meeting up with Luke and his family in Cedar City one day. It was pretty random. Neither us nor them had planned on being in Cedar City that day. Luke was there because orf an emergency with his eye. We just happened to be coming home from Kristi's, which was a trip that came about rather quickly. But we found out they were there so we met them at Walmart. I snuck up on Kayce, Kate, and L.E. Well Kayce knew I was coming but I think I surprised Kate and L.E. But the joy on their faces to see me was worth a million bucks. I mean it. I would gladly give a million bucks to those who find money more satisfying, just for the smile on one of those kids faces. Kate stuck pretty close to me the rest of the time we were together. She makes me feel like the best Grandma in the world. Later we were checking out and Kate and Lukie were admiring some little stuffed animals that were cuter than most I have seen. So I decided to get each of the kids one. Kate and Lukie picked theirs out. L.E. wasn't there so I picked out the cutest little fluffy white dog for her. Then I told Cody to pick one out. With the utmost politeness he told me he was okay, he didn't need one. This is one serious kid. He is so grown up and so mature for his age. He is 9. He is all boy. He used to love stuff like this, just like the others, but I guess he has grown past that stage. I sensed that it wasn't because he was just being polite, which he was, but that he didn't really go for stuffed animals anymore. So I told him to pick something else out. Well, he picked something very small, but very much like him and we got that one for him. It was a little vial with gold in it. What sweet, wonderful, kids they are.

You Did What?

My guy is so funny sometimes.

He keeps me guessing.

All - the -time.

But yesterday I came home and he told me that he had washed the dishes.

Now my first thought was that he had used some and washed them. Okaaayy.

But, no, he had put the soap in the dishwasher and run a load.

Okay, let's back up. I have a little history here to divulge.

We haven't always had a dishwasher. Rocky always said we had five of them and didn't need another one. True. But not always efficient. But, I never pushed the point because we had an older home and it wasn't equipped for one. Connie gave me one a few years ago that we made work in our older home.

Now in Rocky's defense, he works very hard and very long hours. Back then he worked for the LDS Church ranch. It was sun-up to sun-down. Very physical work. So I didn't expect him to come home and do dishes. I didn't work out of the home at that time. It worked for us that way.

Well, when we moved to Hiko into a new home we had a dishwasher!! Yeah for me.

Now Rocky works full time for the State Highway and tries to keep a ranch going too. He doesn't have many hours of down time. So I still do the dishes. But having a dishwasher is great.

WELL, when I went to stay with Luke and Kayce when they had their first baby, we had lived in our home only 2 years. He hadn't learned to use the dishwasher, but I was gone.

He can run machinery of every kind very efficiently. In fact he is downright talented at it. But, I was gone and he had to clean up the kitchen and he gave the dishwasher a try.

When I got home he said, "Hon, there is something wrong with the dishwasher."

My heart sunk. My dishwasher had become a necessity to me. But I bit the bullet and looked in it to see what the problem might be. It was FULL of SUDS. No water could fit with all the soap suds. He had used dishwashing liquid. Not just ordinary dishwashing liquid. I had some concentrated kind that you only needed a drop or two in a sink full of water. He had filled up both soap dispensers in the dishwasher with this.
Well you can only imagine.

From that day forward he had told me that he doesn't dare use that machine. He is afraid of it. But finally this last time I went to Washington to visit Shawn I walked him through it. I showed him the proper soap. I hid all other kinds. He did good.

So back to yesterday. I am not gone. I had loaded the dishwasher and it was only half full so I thought dinner dishes would fit also and I planned on washing them after dinner last night.

So what got into him. I really don't know.

But I think he is cute and funny and I love how he keeps me guessing.

I LOVE that guy.

Love is a Trade-Off

I remember the story that was always told at Christmas time about the young couple who had not been married very long and had no money for gifts for each other.

The girl had her long beautiful hair cut and sold so that she could buy her husband a new watch fob to go with his valuable watch that he loved so much.

Meanwhile he sold his watch to buy her some beautiful combs for her long beautiful hair.

Some advice I heard just the other day from a professional on the way to achieve a happy marriage was to wake up every morning with the thought in mind, "What can I do today to make him/her happy." I believe that.

So yesterday Rocky and I were returning home from a fabulous time we spent in Utah with two of our kids and their families. We had a few groceries and things we had bought. We had some luggage to be unpacked and put away. It wasn't late, but it wasn't early either. It has always been my job to put away the groceries so that I will be able to find them when I need them. I am totally okay with that plan. I am a little OCD and it keeps me sane.

It is always Rocky's job to unpack his own stuff and put it away.

WELL, without even checking with him, I decided to give him a break. I was busily unpacking his things and putting everything away. We had both brought in all the groceries and bags and things. He had gone out to check on his cows. I heard him come in and I knew he was putting away a few items that were his. But I finished my little act of love and went to finish my job only to find out that he had decided the same thing. He had put away all the groceries and had made sure that they were exactly where I would have put them so that I could find them.

This may not seem much to some people, but this meant the world to me. But I had to laugh. I was thinking of him and he was thinking of me. I guess that is what real love is.

Miracles.

Miracles happen every day. Whether or not you notice them, they are still happening. Some of them totally go unnoticed. Others are more obvious. I believe if you stop and analyze you will realize that you have had some in your life. More than you knew. I know that some people will attribute them to cooincidence or just plain normal. But I don't think so. I have had too many of them to believe that. Sometimes you may find that they aren't life changing or even all that important to your happiness. But they do make you happy because you realize that you matter. You matter to God. He cares about even the little things. I also believe that it is important to be grateful for them. Just think about it. If you do something nice for someone and they totally blow it off as no big deal and don't even appreciate it, how do you feel? So my goal for this week is to notice more miracles and be thankful for each and every one of them.

The More you Know, the Less you Know.

I am talking about technology.

I have been learning almost every day for several years more and more about computers, phones, faxes, printers, and the list goes on.

BUT

I think the biggest thing I learn each time is that there is way more to learn.

In FACT

I can't keep up. Just about the time you learn it, it has changed.

Usually for the better.

But I don't have time to keep up with it.

It is just happening too fast.

I do have a whole other life you know.

Oh well, it is what it is.

I'll just live with this fact.

Thankful!!

I am thankful for a lot of things in my life, but today I am especially thankful for my body.

I think that getting older is the hardest when it comes to the aches and pains that come with it, but I am overwhelmed at the blessing I have had of good health.

The reason I am thinking so much about this today is that I had one of those aches and pains skyrocket. I went to a funeral on Saturday, well actually two funerals. There wasn't enough time between the funerals to go anywhere, so I just waited for the second one and it turned out I sat for about five hours with very little getting up and down. When I finally got up to go home I felt a little twinge in my hip. My good hip of all things. I have always had twinges in the other one. That is just part of life. Later that evening, I had changed the sheets on my bed and was putting on fresh ones. As I lifted the mattress to put the fittted sheet on, I twisted a little. WOW. The pain was unbelievable. It felt like my nerve was being pinched off and was sending off alarms all over the place. Rocky massaged it and it seemed to be a little better. I took some ibuprofen and went to bed. The next morning seemed to be somewhat better. Sore but livable. I went to church, taught my class, and everything was okay. Then later in the evening it hit again. No known reason. I called my son the doctor, Shawn. He said to have Rocky pull on the leg and then to ice it. We did that. I took more ibuprofen and went to bed. Well, morning didn't look to promising. Still painful. Rocky took the day off and was prepared to take me somewhere to get some help. But whatever backup plan my body has built in kicked in as I took my shower. I felt like I can go ahead. It will heal. I need to watch what I do to not aggravate whatever it is, but I can heal. My body will heal. Bodies are wonderful things. I am THANKFUL for mine.

What am I Doing?

My question today for myself is what am I doing with my life? Am I being productive? Or am I just existing? And what determines whether I am being productive and useful?
And then I remembered a Primary lesson I gave last week which taught the kids that they are all CHOICE spirits. We are all important to our Heavenly Father. We all have something we are here on earth to do. I KNOW that I came here to be the mother of FIVE of the most fantastic kids in the whole world. I think I did a pretty good job with raising them and doing my job despite the fact that I certainly made some mistakes. So is my job done? I mean I still have to be there for Ryan for a few more years as he completes his growing years and becomes an adult with a purpose and a family of his own. But then what? Am I done? Do I have anything more to contribute? I guess I already know the answer to that. No, I can still do a lot of good with my family. Being a support to them, and being a grandmother to their children. I guess my problem with that is that it isn't something I can get up every morning and know I have a job to do. It is sporadic really. So now my thoughts turn to what else I may be expected to do with my life. And then I remember other lessons I have taught. I need to reach out to those in my community, my neighbors, anyone I come in contact with. This is something I can do on a daily basis. So, I guess I will get up every morning and look for something productive and useful to do for someone. And I also know that some days that may be just being the best wife I can be. I can do that.

Welcome to Whitlee Jane!!

I just found out the other day that my 13th grandchild will be a girl. Now coming from a family, (my kids) of only one out of five kids being a girl, it seems a little strange that 8 out of 13 grandchildren are girls. But Hey, I'm not complaining. I like girls. I Love girls. I'm just saying.... But this time I think the plan is just right. Since there are two grandchildren born this year it is only fitting that they are both girls. I think that helps them have a really good chance of having a pretty good friend their age. However, having said that, Dalley absolutely LOVEs L.E. who is his age. AND he loves Ira too. So it works out either way. BUT in this case, I think it is just right. So her name will be Whitlee Jane. So Whitlee and Arvella, get ready to be good friends!!

And Here She Is

Here she is.

A beautiful baby girl.

Arvella Jean

Named for her great-great grandmother (Arvella) and her grandmother (Jean).

I have spent about six days with her.

Wonderful days.

What a sweet, sweet spirit.

What a good baby.

Some unique things about her:

1. She gets the hiccups every single day, sometimes more than once.

2. She makes noises 24 hours a day, waking or sleeping, little tiny noises that are just so cute.

3. She hardly ever cries, for very long anyway.

4. She hates riding in the car and will break all of the above characteristics when she has to do it.

5. Her mad cry is unique. She cries so hard and uses all of her breath so that she is basically just gasping for air within the cries.

6. She already has all kinds of patience with her brother who is learning to be a brother and is quite awkward at it at times.

7. Her temperament reminds me of her father when he was a baby.

AND

8. She is my favorite newborn in the whole wide world.

I had an awesome time in Vancouver with Arvella and her brother Ira. Oh, and with their parents, too. Ira and I have become good friends. He loves to play baseball off and on throughout the whole day and I was ready any time he was. He loves books. He loves puzzles. All of those I did with him whenever there was a chance, over and over and over. What a fun kid. He is smart. He is very coordinated. He is beautiful in so many ways.

I can't wait until March when I get to see them again. Along with all of my other equally beautiful grandchildren AND a son I haven't seen for TWO years. March is my favorite month this year of 2011.

Well, I am On My Way

In the morning I am headed for Vancouver. I get to see my newest, precious granddaugher. I am so excited to see her. It is always a special treat to hold a newborn. They are so fresh from the presence of our Heavenly Father. I think they talk to angels.
We will leave Hiko at about noon tomorrow. We will get to the airport sometime around 2:00. My flight leaves at 4:25. And I arrive in Portland at 6:48. Shawn will be picking me up on his way home from work. Then we will drive over the river to Vancouver to see his new daughter.
I am going to take some pictures. Lots of pictures. I think I will post some on here and maybe on Facebook. We'll see.
By the way, I am also excited to see a little boy that just got a new sister. This little boy has my heart already. He is a precious kid, too. In fact, I plan on spending as much time with him as I can. These opportunites are far apart and you have to take advantage of them to the fullest. So, Ira, get ready. Grandma is coming!!!

A New Start

I took all of my old posts and put them in a book. I thought I would wait for the new year to begin again. So now here we are in 2011 and I am starting over. I am so excited for this year. There are so many blessings coming our way. They are:

1. Grandchild #12. She appeared today in fact. Shawn and Stina had a baby girl born this morning at about 7:00. She is 7 1b. 12 oz.

2. Ryan will come home from his mission. I have missed him so much but at the same time have throughly enjoyed sharing this time and experience with him.

3. Grandchild #13 should make an appearance in May or June.

4. We are planning a trip to Colorado to meet the good people Ryan grew to know and love and to see the areas that he served in. We will probably go in April or the first of May.

5. We are going on another trip in June to Wyoming to Martin's Cove, Jackson Hole, and we are going to stop and see the Tabernacle Choir perform live on the way back. During this trip we will celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary. (By the way, I am more in love with this man I married than I ever have been. He just gets better and better.)

Okay, that is the first half of the year and I am sure there are more things to come. It is going to be awesome!!!