Thanksgiving and NEW KITCHEN/DECK

We drove to Kentucky for Thanksgiving and had a great time with Lisa and John (and kids), Callie and Randon (and kid) and Rachel and Allen.  Oddly enough, the only pics I got were of our Ultimate Frisbee game.  Callie has the other pics...so go to her blog for them.   It was a lovely 2 days of eating and playing.

These are the sweet potatoes that I dug out of my garden...they are weird looking, but I am proud.

Emily babysits Aidan (the older boy in the stripes) 4 days a week, but we watched this little group during a funeral in our ward.   It was a busy day.  They are cute kids.  Piper is on the left, then Aidan, then Jayden.  Oh yeah, and Emily.

Some of you may have heard about our little addition project.  It has been going pretty slowly ( we started in May), but we can only work on Saturdays, so.....Our friend and neighbor, Tom, comes over to help every week.  This last week we got our deck underway and Emily and I got a chunk of the insulation done.  The kitchen will eventually be in the addition and the old kitchen will be our dining room.

Next is the actual decking and drywall....Yippee!

Pinterest

Dear Pinterest,

I have spent a lot of time with you in the last few

months…unlike some people…I believe none of

that time has been wasted.  Because of you, I have…

Tried 10 new recipes, 3 new makeup techniques,

4 new nail polishes, 5 new hair styles, 2 new exercises…Put together 12 new outfits, found my new favorite boots, ordered chandeliers for my kitchen, but the most important thing I have done because of you is…made dozens of craft items found on your boards to sell at a benefit boutique for a family of 5 who just lost their mother to cancer....So…from the bottom of my heart..... THANK YOU! 

*WARNING* Long Catch-up Post. (You know you love it)

 This...is where our stake has Girls Camp...Killens Pond Primitive Youth Campsite.  No facilities...just campsites.  It was hard for me to get used to.. but next year will be my fourth year as a camp leader and I am beginning to be o.k. with it.  Below is our "Sunrise Devotional"...that is Sarah''s group all asleep on the blanket.  Hahaha.

 All the girls canoe at camp and since I am an experienced canoer (?)...I get to go with all of them...that equals about 6-8 hours on the water during the week.  Phew...I was a little fried afterward.

This is Brian (my nieces husband) and his daughter Riley...they came for a week and we loved it.

Dallin got to come home for a week before ASU started and it just worked out that Emily was going through the Temple that week...We were so grateful.  Larry Hunt and Jeannie Thatcher (Emily's good friends from AZ) also came for a few days and to go to the Temple with her.  So glad she has good friends.  We went to Historic Philadelphia and had a great time.  Not sure what Dallin is doing here, but we teased him about it the rest of the day.

  

This is the only pic I could get of the Temple and my two oldest children...looks a little like our Soprano's picture from 2007.  The Washington D.C. Temple is very large.  Four of these spires broke and crashed to the ground during our earthquake in August.  Crazy!

 It was a lovely day at the Temple.  Our good friends the Bokinsky's and the Hoffman's also joined us to support Emily.  Emily said that she just felt peace while there.  It was amazing to be in the Temple with 2 of our children.


And...of course...our week couldn't end without a trip to the beach.  This was the perfect beach day...warm, but not too, and the dolphins made an appearance.  We stayed for hours.  So much fun.

 Last week, Sarah and Emily and I went to Lancaster County in Penn to visit Amish Country!  It was AWESOME!  We rode the Strasburg Railroad and toured around the area looking at the beautiful fall leaves, Amish buggies, farms and covered bridges.

 This is Jesse's Birthday Cheesecake.  He decided against the traditional cake.  This is...White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl!  Oh..it was good.

 This is Jesse's friend Ben.  His family is in our ward and they are good friends.  Can't believe this boy is 14!

And this cheesecake is for our good friend Alicia.  She joined the church in June and we love her dearly.  Turtle cheesecake for her....YUM.  Sorry it took so long to post our summer on here...hopefully it won't take so long to post other things....no promises though.

Emily's Call

     

Camp!

I have been at camp all week and have tons of stuff to post on here.....but....not until I have recovered; cleaned, rested, unloaded, debriefed, gotten Jesse off to Scout Camp tomorrow, etc.  I will be back to elaborate soon!

Chicken Doctor

Sorry...no pics...just an update on Rattie.  She is nearly healed and back to normal.  Who knew that I could be a chicken doctor.  I guess you just tackle what is thrown at you.  That sounds like some deep, philosophical advice.  No...just me taking care of my chicken.  Have a nice day.

Rattie

Most of you already know that we have chickens...right?   Well, I have to tell you a gripping story about one of them.  But, before I start, I need to give you a little background.....It all started about a month ago when a little raccoon peeked in our back sliding door.  It was so cute.  We went out side and watched it climb up a tree in our backyard.  It had been digging in our compost heap.  No big deal.  So we forgot about it.  Now...the good part...last Sunday night, something dug under our coop and attacked our chickens.  All of them had lost some feather, but poor Rattie lost a bit more than that.  She had a wound under her right wing that was about 4 inches in diameter.  Rattie is the runt of our flock and has a bent comb and feathers that don't lie flat.  Hence, the name.  I brought her in and cleaned her up (gross) and got online and figured out what to do.  She had to be isolated because apparently chickens are cannibals and will peck a wounded chicken to death.  GASP!  So, Rattie has been in a box in the garage.  When I let her out with the other hens, Big Red and Little Red both peck her on the head...they are so mean!  Beatrice is very docile and just lets Rattie do her thing.  Anyway.  A friend from the ward came and put out a live trap.  Nothing the first night, but we have caught 4 raccoons since.  Holy Cow...who knew? Saturday, I put Rattie in the feeding pen next to the coop to help reintegrate her with the other hens.  Chickens naturally go into their roost when is starts to get dark, so I went out to get Rattie and put her back in the garage.   She was gone.  I panicked thinking a raccoon had gotten her again.  We looked everywhere and found her in her box in the garage.  She had flown out of the feeding pen and walked to the garage and hopped into her box.  I was amazed!  Chickens are NOT smart, but she seems to be...and lucky.  So...we have decided that she needs a new name...Rattie does not do her justice.   Lela Tingey says we should rename her Elizabeth Smart cuz she got away from a predator....Sarah says Madame Curie...anyone else have an idea?   We will let you know who wins! 

Beatrice

Big Red

Little Red (the meanest)

Rattie (the blue tint is a wound coat)

The BEAST (#1)

The feeding pen

The garage is to the right behind Sarah.  The coop is back behind the pile of dirt.  EPIC journey for Rattie!

Rattie's box in the garage.

Darrin feeding our bolted lettuce to the hens...they love it...to us it is bitter and nasty.

 Unrelated shot of our addition in its beginning stages.  

SVU

Sarah and I drove to Southern Virginia this weekend to visit the campus of SVU (Southern Virginia Universtiy).  It is in Buena Vista (pronounced byoona), right next to Lexington.  It was GORGEOUS!  The campus is very old and full of character.  Sarah fell in love with it.  It is small, and rural, which she prefers.  But best of all, it is LDS!  Like an east coast BYU.  This is the main hall, perched on the top of this picturesque hill.  The boys dorms are in the top two floors.

 This is the view from our hotel overlooking the valley and hills and mist.  So beautiful.

 More views from our hotel.

We met with most of the administration and staff at the open house.  They have a fantastic Art department and everyone was so friendly and encouraging.  Now...we just have to earn the scholarships...cuz it is a private school with a BIG tuition.  They require all their students under the age of 21 to live on campus (more money), but everything is within walking distance, and it is only 5 hours away from us.  (So much closer than Dallin and Emily).  The classes are small (total enrollment is 1,500) and they strongly encourage travel study for their students and provide fairly inexpensive trips every year.   Needless to say, Sarah really wants to attend SVU...we will all have to work hard to make that dream come true.

What's Up!

We have had quite of few "happenings" that were photo-worthy this last week, so I am sharing a quick monologue....and pictures.  So, first, Darrin made this yummy creme brulee (he even bought a torch).

 In order to watch any television here, you have to have an antennae, and we seem to have to hold it in a certain spot for it to work.  Sarah is taking her turn.

 This is Sarah's syrup pitcher.  It is a pitcher plant...it turned out really well.  She loves art!

 We are starting a small construction project on Monday (24th) and had to cut down 4 trees before we get started.  So, since native Arizonans don't really know anything about trees, we had to ask around.  We found a father/son business that cuts the trees from the top down...while climbing.  It was crazy!

 Tree #1..about 100 feet tall.  Yikes

 That is the edge of my very high roof with the tree guy in the top of the big tree.

Here is the new empty space full of firewood.

Gordon is new BPW general manager - Cape Gazette Article

LEWES — The Lewes Board of Public Works has hired Darrin Gordon as general manager of the utility provider.

Gordon has been BPW assistant general manager for two years. He moves into the position previously filled by Ken Mecham, who retires July 31.

C. Wendell Alfred, BPW vice president, said Gordon was the panel’s unanimous choice.

“We’re excited about having Darrin as general manager. When he was hired, the board’s goal was that he would move up into the position when Ken retired. He did, and we’re pleased,” Alfred said.

Alfred said Gordon started in the position May 1.

He said Mecham, who has been general manager since August 2005, would remain with the BPW as special projects manager and to facilitate Gordon’s transition.

“I’ve worked in the municipal utility business for over 15 years, having worked my way from a laborer in the water, wastewater and natural gas utilities, into the management side of the business,” Gordon said.

Gordon earned a Bachelor of Science degree in natural resource management from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in administration from Northern Arizona University.

“The BPW is a wonderful organization, and I look forward to helping it go forward to be the best utility provider in Delaware,” he said.

Gordon, 46, came to Delaware two years ago with his wife of 23 years, Marcie.

The couple has four children. They lived in Arizona the majority of their lives, and Gordon said they enjoy Delaware’s diversity. The family lives in the Millsboro area.

Gordon is new BPW general manager - Henry J. Evans Jr. - CapeGazette.com - Covering Delaware's Cape Region - Inland Bays, Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Milton, Dewey Beach, USA

Buzzy Week...(Lots of pics and video)

It has been Spring Break here this week.  We started by driving to Williamsburg, Virginia on the 21st.  We all had the 22nd off.  We went to Busch Gardens and then to Colonial Williamsburg.  A Fast, Fun, Exhausting 3 days!

 This bird flew onto my shoulder.....

 ...and gave me a kiss!

We loved the "little kid" rides at Busch Gardens

 They also had a wolf show.

 ...and a barn owl.

 Sarah got creative waiting in line for the bumper cars.

 The Governor's Garden at Williamsburg.

 The Governor's Mansion

 The Blacksmith Shop

 This woman is laughing cuz the little girl used the "royal" wave.

 The Taylor Shop (they sew everything by hand)

Darrin got his bee hive!

 Jesse working the smoker.

 Releasing the bees.

 The Queen (she has a white dot on her)

So...you can see, it has been a very Buzzy Week!