Metamorphosis of the Balsam Fir

It's not just a Christmas tree it's a work of art, a labor of love,
a feat of patience.

This is how we do it:
--the weekend after Thanksgiving Hailey and Dave go to the
same place and pick out the same kind of tree as the year before.
--Hailey and Dave can't agree on the same tree but one is
finally purchased after much gnashing of teeth
--Dave gets buyer's remorse as soon as he drives off with the
new tree. "I think I liked that other one better".
--Dave drives around the block 3 times debating whether
or not he should take the tree back and exchange it.
--He finally drives home with the original tree but is
mentally exhausted.





Then I take over while Dave rests

--For four hours I wrap the newly acquired tree with 12 strands
of tiny white lights.
--Each branch has lights securely fastened with wire.
--I don't like doing this; it's painful and monotonous.
--But when the lights are finished I LOVE putting on the
ornaments!
BEHOLD THE TRANSFORMATION!

Super Wind 2011

Davis County Experiences Hurricane Force Winds

High wind advisories were issued at least 24 hrs in advance for
Davis and Weber counties. The radio warned us. The TV warned
us. The lighted highway signs warned us. The weather service
predicted winds to be the strongest seen in thirty years.
After a gusty night I went outside to check the damage:

My BROOM blew over!!!

AND the lawn chair was toppled!!!


It seems that we live in a "safe-bubble". It wasn't until I turned
on the news that I became aware of the 10 semi trucks blown over
on the highway, the billboards strewn about like cardboard and
the hundreds of fifty year old spruce trees toppled onto streets and
houses. Then I heard that schools were closed, power lines were
down and roads were blocked with debris and tree limbs. Bountiful
and Centerville had gone dark.
As Dave helped cut up the giant spruce that had fallen across the
road at his parents house, he said the only sounds to be heard were
the whines of chainsaws and the howl of the wind.

Colon-polooza 2011

This weekend Dave is going to have a lot of time to sit and think.
By Monday his outlook on life should be crystal clear.



Say hello to the white throne
Dave's quote of the week: "I just want to get this behind me"!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the wrong side of the tracks

"Every once in a while two jackasses turn out a thoroughbred"

Good Times In Sunny St. George

Fun With The Girls
St. George, Utah

Our future teenagers, our next generation, our pride and joy.



Just go up there Hailey



The benefit bike ride that brought us all to Southern Utah:
Make-a-Wish 100 mile. Never mind that we only did 30 miles.

Once again mom made arrangements for us girls to do another
big bike ride. This time our destination was a quick 6 hour car
ride away, and why not bring the kids and a couple of husbands
to take care of the kids. The drive time went by expeditiously:
giggling girls in the back, gossiping moms in the front. After
enjoying the St. George sand dunes and cliffs with the kids, us
moms took off to do the anticipated ride. The funny thing is that
we all felt content to do just 30 of the 100 miles, unheard of in
this family. So after a casual jaunt around town on the bikes we
rejoined the kids at the hotel pool and sat around for the rest of
the day, highly unusual for athletic women such as ourselves.
I think we're going soft!

There's Something In The Water!!!

NASSAU, BAHAMAS 2011

Do NOT look behind you!!!
(JAWS soundtrack is playing)


They're Everywhere!!!


It's going straight for Dave...less hair, more tasty


Jared and Nanette escaped only because they were paying tribute to
the "Occupy Wallstreet" protesters. Down with corporate greed, more
rights for sharks!
No treasure, what a rip

Dave survived the shark dive because he's so strong and manly


At least I think he survived, still waiting for him to come back

All fingers and toes accounted for


Right in the middle of hurricane season we went to the Bahamas.
We like adventure. The best case scenario was to dive with sharks,
absorb a little sun, relax on the beach and overeat for a few days
and then experience a good Category 4 hurricane. I would tie Dave
to a tree so that he could get some good pictures and the bragging
rights for a good story later on. Well it turns out that the weather
was pretty good. Good enough to see a hundred sharks close up.
Good enough to see several underwater shipwrecks. Good enough
to eat fresh conch salad. Good enough to spend time looking out
onto the turquoise sea, ankle deep in powdery sand.....

What?!?

Six months ago we hired Hailey as our sitter for Tanner. We felt that

she was ready for the responsibility of keeping the boy safe for a

couple of hours at a time. She kept a timecard and finally submitted

it to us for full payment of her services.

So we gave her the $700.00 that she earned. BUT.... we also had

to let her know about the deductions that would be taken out of

her pay.

Hailey's stack of cash diminished significantly as she handed over the

fees of life.

Ouch!

Stupid Laptop!

The Joys of Jr. High

It's a new school year, shiny new building, fresh teachers and
a new concept: Let's give all the students laptops instead of
textbooks. BUT let's not tell anyone how to use the darn things.
THEN tell the 12 year old to find their e-mail address, set up
a dropbox, print and sign disclosure agreements for seven
classes, access an online textbook by invitation only. Better yet,
send the student on a mean scavenger hunt in search of
assignments and due dates. It was a great first day!

How cruel....

A Veritable Vegetable Kingdom

Behold The Beautiful Bounty of the Garden

Since it's harvest time and everyone is displaying their treasured
yield of vegetables, I thought I'd pick up the "harvest basket"
and reap the gleaning of Dave's cultivation. I toiled amongst the
handful of wee plants searching for my prized tomato.

Behold the perfection of the Roma! Yes, it is humble, maybe
even a bit runt-like but beautiful nonetheless.
Before I could make a lilliputian BLT, Tanner popped my
only gathering into his mouth.



The bell peppers are coming along nicely aren't they? This one
will go nicely in my thimble of salsa.


miniature jalapenos anyone?

A Little Elbow Room...Not!

CALIFORNIA 2011

Just a quick trip to Dana Point, California and I wonder: Does the
beauty of Southern CA outweigh the crowds? There are some nice
beaches and shiny cars and amazing houses and flowering plants
and superb weather and good food and gorgeous people .....

and toned lifeguards and prestigious schools and major league
baseball. But what if you have to fight to catch a wave, or fight
to merge into traffic or fight to park the car?


Who gets the pleasure of riding this next wave?


Dave had to fight off 14 tourist kids and 5 locals just to ride into
the sand with his daughter.


And then there is the Class Distinction. You are either a surfer
or a swimmer. You can't be in each others space. We swimmers
were surprised when Jared and Nanette (surfers) actually
associated with with us.


After visiting Grandma and Grandpa Holt we all realized that
even their couch is crowded!

Looking GOOD aren't they! These two are the most adventurous
couple I've ever known. Their stories are legendary, not to mention
their kindness and generosity. I was so glad that our whole family
of 21 were able to spend time with my lovely grandparents.

I've decided that if I had $25 million I could possibly live in one
of those beach mansions on Strand Beach and have my chauffeur
do the driving. Ya, I think I could.

Is It Worth It?

Every summer we load up and drive somewhere for a night in the
woods. We call it camping but it always ends up being so much more.
For instance, we like to stop at a McDonalds and fill the kids up with
chicken nuggets and double cheeseburgers and french fries before
driving around and around scouting for that perfect campsite.

This time I think we drove around to much because Tanner started
looking a bit green.... the sheer volume of vomit suggested that not
only was lunch involved, but also breakfast. Dave pulled the truck
over...too late. We cleaned him up and put outfit #2 on Tanner.

Once we settled on a campsite Dave and I set up the tents and the

camp stove while the kids played. It took Tanner exactly 5 minutes

to look like a coal miner.

Sparkling clean after a case of wipes and outfit #3


Of course no camping trip is complete without some good ol'
unsuccessful fishing.

Hyrum dam was completely full. We took lots of dam pictures and
asked some dam questions.

Tanner...outfit #4 became soaked with lake water so I had outfit #5
ready for the ride home.


After all the camp stuff is re-packed and the kids are cleaned up
and the bugs are brushed off, I remember that we actually had
some pretty funny moments. Yes, it's worth it.

The Unusual Teenager

My teenager never sasses me. He never wants to stay out
late. He never tells me that I embarrass him. He never rolls his
eyes at me. He still lets me hug him.


My teenager goes to a beautiful, new and modern junior high school.
He's going into the 8th grade.

My teenager rides the bus to school everyday but the cool thing
is that his bus picks him up right in our driveway.

My teenager has a classroom designed specifically for him. He has
his own space, his own pictures and his own bean bag for naps.

Tanner has a few genuine teenager characteristics though. He has a

tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants, he's sneaky and he's

always hungry. There is one more characteristic but I won't mention

it.....

Life Is Good

6th Grade Has Been The Best Year of My Life!

So says Hailey...

"I loved my sixth grade teacher. I had the best kids in my class.

The boys were hilarious, the girls were nice. I learned how to

dance, I did pretty good in math and I loved history. I'm

scared to go to Junior High because it will never be as good

as 6th grade."

BFF (best friends forever)

Hailey was very diligent with her homework. She knows that next

year ( Jr. High) will be "more harder".

First Love: Braydon (lucky for me he has moved to a different state)

First dance ( no pairing off....yet)

Leaving for her first "real" babysitting job next door : "I'm going to

buy a lime green Volkswagon Bug with all the money I make".

First Instrument: acoustic guitar. Some day Hailey and her dad can

play some Jimmy Buffet tunes together.

Favorite Sport: definitely soccer!

Still "imaginating" at twelve years old. I want her to stay like this

forever. Next year, Junior High, will be much harder on ME than

it will be on her.