ITS WORK!!!

This is hard work. . .and that's all I have to say about that!

I'll do the mop boards - sometime, sooner than later, as the kitchen is a little "tight" with all the furniture in there. And we still have the kitchen to do - but I can't think about that right now!

My house is a house of order. . . NOT!

Its been awhile since I updated the "construction zone!" I waited 5 weeks, yes 5 weeks to be able to rent the machine to texture the wall. So, I found my ghost buster clothes and finished sanding the rooms, put plastic EVERYWHERE and let the walls have it!

Then one morning at 3:00 a.m. I wake up with the thought - I have about 12 weeks to get two baby quilts finished - I don't even have a clean space in my house that I COULD quilt, if I wanted to. So I began to "focus." I painted the living room and painted some more.

We ripped out the carpet and the padding and oh, how disgusting! I put in a brand new vacuum bag and FILLED IT WITH DUST!!! AHHHHH! I cleaned up literally 10 lbs. of dirt from under the carpet - how sick!

So we cleaned, pulled out staples, scraped bumps and it is NOW ready for the flooring! (Tomorrow!)


The downstairs bedroom is a lovely "buttercup" yellow with white ceiling and cabinets.

I put some sticky tiles on the floor in the closet and "sometime" we will carpet the room and do the floor boards.

And if that isn't enough chaos in one household - we started the addition to the house!

It was rather daunting to see this big hole in my yard!

The footings are done, the foundation is poured - let the framing begin!

Someday - my house WILL be a house of order!

Arch Canyon - On a Spring Like Day

Yesterday couldn't have been a more perfect day. There are several things that are on the top of my favorite things to do list and now I have to say that 4 wheeling is right up there! I have been to Arch Canyon before - on the back of a 4 wheeler - but this time I drove myself!!!! I just loved every minute of it. There were a couple of "tricky" spots but I only had to have help on one spot. Just take a minute and look at all the beautiful scenery we got to enjoy. It was fabulous. I would recommend this ride to EVERYONE! At the end of the trail, we hiked about 1/4 of a mile to an arch. It was just so fun. How lucky we are to live just minutes from such beautiful places.

My Valentine

My Valentine came into my world with a smile and a song - well, lets say that it was "singing" that brought me my Valentine. A young man newly returned from his mission, joined the institute choir to "meet people." He decided that the choir just "wasn't for him," and went to tell the director he was quitting. Well - things happen for a purpose - isn't that what they say? The director was so glad to see the young man as he wanted to ask him a question - "Would you be the choir president?" Now how could the young man say no - Enter stage right - a young woman who loves the choir and ends up sitting next to the young man as they go on tour in Southern Utah to sing. And let's say, the rest is history.

I look at who I am today, and reflect upon how much I owe my Valentine for helping me be that person I am. Self esteem is an interesting part of the human psyche - my real sense of self esteem blossomed as my Valentine entered my world. Here was a person who loved me, adored me and cherished me - I was in awe - and remain in awe that someone loves me so. I have been loved, I have been cared for, my needs have been met, my life has been enriched, I have been encouraged to dream and allowed to reach out and touch those dreams. I have had ultimate joy and such security - all due to my Valentine.

He honors his Priesthood, loves the Lord, serves the Lord, has great faith, is a wonderful husband, a kind and dear father, and most of all, he is MY VALENTINE and will be FOREVER!

Come Fly With Me!

Saturday morning, a beautiful day the phone rings. . . .what does it bring? Dr. Jones is going flying and invites Mark and I along. Certainly an offer one can't refuse!

The beautiful Blues

We flew over Canyonlands - it was spectacular!

So many mesas and canyons and gorgeous rock formations.

My Pilot!

Do you want to fly it? Mark said, You bet!

He flew us for about 1/2 an hour.

He was a great pilot!

The Henry Mountains in the distance.

The confluence of the Green River and Colorado River.

Lake Powell via the air!

The Bears Ears - Up close and personal!

Come back down to Blanding - Can you find our house?

Safe back on the ground again - home sweet home!

We had a beautiful ride, thanks to Dr. Jones for such a gracious, thoughtful gesture!

IN MY WORLD!

So, when I have MY world - I vote for NO CAVITIES, NO DENTAL WORK - What do you think? Tuesday I went to the dentist for one filling and the placement of the post for a dental implant. Woke up Tuesday morning at 5:00 a.m. with a migraine - somehow a migraine and dental work don't fit together - so I took a pill - a great pill - by 9:30 am the headache was "almost" gone - note the "almost" Enter "HAPPY GAS" As the room was spinning and I couldn't tell you my name and I could not manage to keep my eyes open - the dentist says, "Let me tell you about this implant. As it is on the upper jaw, the bone is not thick enough to hold the entire implant, so it will need to go up into your sinus cavity. Now we don't want to perforate the sinus membrane - so we will just drill as far as we can and then take this little instrument (ice pick) and tap the bone with this (hammer) until it breaks through the sinus. Now - this isn't going to hurt!" Of course I was too zoned to say STOP! It was true that it didn't hurt - yet. But the sounds and the reverberation and the echo - imagine dynamite exploding in your sinus. Worst thing I can every remember. I then had a headache that I was not able to get rid of until Thursday afternoon. I finally had to get a shot at the clinic - come home and sleep for about 14 hours and then it finally went away. Two days past that, now my mouth feels like I had dental work done. And so if it won't upset the cosmos or change all of the eternities I plan on there being NO BAD TEETH on my worlds.

Up Up and Away!

The winds have welcomed

you with softness

The sun blessed you with his

warm hands

You have flown so high and so well

That God joins you in your laughter

And set you gently back into

the Loving arms of Mother Earth

- Balloonist Prayer

Who would have ever guessed that one beautiful, cold winter day - we would rise before the sun and enter the world of the balloonists? Each year Bluff celebrates the Bluff Balloon Festival. The past two years, they have brought tissue paper, glue and wire to the school and Mark has helped them teach his students about ballooning (which is actually a career choice!) and to make their own balloons. Next week they will get to launch their balloons at the school. Interestingly enough the heat source to launch the balloons is a turkey cooker! So Mark was given the opportunity to take me to Bluff and take a ride in a hot air balloon!

Those that are going to ride are considered part of the "crew" and they give you explicit directions in helping them unload and inflate the balloon.




It was a cold morning and a welcome time when they "lit" the burner to make sure it was functioning properly.




As the sun was rising, so were the balloons. Enormous fans are used to blow air into the balloons to inflate them.

Sense would tell you that the balloons are big - but until you stand next to one, you don't realize how big!



Mark helping to put the top of the balloon in place and getting all the ropes in proper alignment.

Looking into the inside of the balloon as it is filling with air.

This is our balloon for the day - the Skywalker - the owners of the balloon designed the balloon, the number of panels and the graduating color scheme.

Some of the fellow balloons in the morning sky at Bluff as we are just beginning to take off.

Looking "down" on a neighboring balloon.


Peeking through the basket at a ball-capped, happy faced balloon.



Way up there - above the mesas near Bluff.

Certification that we really did it!

It was spectacular - the entire process was beyond what I would have imagined. All "novice" riders once they have come safely back to earth take part in a "ritual" Balloonists Prayer and toast to give thanks for their safe return to earth. The toast is made with Champagne (orange juice for us) kneeling down and using no hands! After the toast was drunk, there was cheese, crackers, salami and fruit to enjoy. What can I say, it was just a beautiful experience. I'm so glad I got to take part in the day.