Called to Serve

My brother J.J. received his mission call last Thursday. He will be serving in the Guatemala, Quetzaltenango mission. You will find that city on the map in the lower left corner of the country. His mission covers the northwest corner of the country, bordering Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. I guessed that he would get called to Mexico, and since that was the closest guess - I won! J.J. is scheduled to enter the MTC on January 28, so he has some time to prepare and get a bunch of shots. I am so excited for him! I know he will be an awesome missionary. We will miss him terribly, but are grateful for his worthiness and willingness to serve the Lord. Congratulations J.J.!

My Gerber Baby

I have had several people tell me that Stetson looks just like the Gerber baby - - I'll take that as a compliment. I think it is partly because of his cute round face, and partly because he is always so happy. He has learned to scowl though, usually when he bonks his head or doesn't want to do something. He has gotten very good at shaking his head "no" whenever I tell him "no-no". He loves to talk and point his finger; I am sure he knows exactly what he is saying, but I have no idea! I just wanted to post a few cute pictures of my cute Gerber Baby - enjoy! Stetson has learned how to open the cupboard doors in the kitchen, and he loves to play with the pans. It looks like they have more than one use!
Kenny has been doing some farm work on his dad's land up at Devil's Canyon. Stetson and I took him some lunch up to him one day, and he let Stetson help him drive the tractor.
Okay, do you see that mischevious grin? This little man just opened the fireplace and was playing in the ashes when I found him. He knew he was in trouble, so he took off as fast as he could! Since he was covered in black ashes - he went straight to the tub.

We had a coodout down in Comb with some people from Recapture Metals. At first I tried to keep Stetson out of the dirt, but it was useless - he is definately a boy as he loves to get dirty!

I guess Stetson has been watching the animals eat, because he thinks this is how it is done. His new favorite food is banana bread!

Stetson and his horse, "Jack". My future Cowboy!

An Update

Well, we started September out on a bad note, but hopefully we will end it on a good note. We were all sick the first week of September, and it was the pits! I now have a lot more respect for all mothers - being a mom is not an easy job, especially when everyone, including yourself, is sick!
Football season is in full swing, and the San Juan Broncos are on a roll! They haven't lost a game yet this season. The drill team has performed twice now, and they have done a very good job. I am proud of them and the progress they have made this year - Go Royals!
Last week dance classes started for San Juan School of Dance, and I am happy to report that I am teaching this year! The first week went okay, but I feel like I am a little rusty after taking a year off. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things and be a good teacher.
Stetson got another tooth over the weekend, so that brings his total up to six! He almost has enough teeth to eat steak, don't you think? He is so busy, and gets into everything! He is starting to try to talk, and his favorite thing to say is "uh-oh". It is so cute when he says it! I can't believe that he is already 11 months old!

Labor Day Weekend

Kenny left last Thursday to go wild pig hunting in Northern California. Now, just so you know, Kenny is not a hunter - he doesn't even own any camo! But his best friend from his mission invited him to go, and he thought it sounded like fun - Kenny is always up for an adventure. They hunted Friday night, Saturday morning, and again Saturday night. Kenny volunteered to go with the guide Saturday night, and was lucky enough to spot a big bore. After a wild 4-wheeler ride to get to just the right location, and two shots, the big pig was dead. I don't know much about pigs, but this one had some pretty big teeth! Kenny was pretty excited, and brought the head home to mount. I told him we could hang it in the cabin - I sure don't want it in my living room!So, while he was gone, Andy and Alicia were kind enough to help me tear out by back porch and get ready to pour sidewalks! Yay! I told Kenny that I did not want to do another winter without sidewalks. If you think shoveling sidewalks is bad, you should try shoveling grass sometime! Thanks Andy and Alicia for all your help!

On Saturday we all went to Cortez and did some shopping, Andy and Alicia took us to lunch at a yummy chinese restaurant, and then we went to Dove Creek to pick up some beef from the Jr. Livestock sale. When we got home we sorted out the meat and got it delivered. Thanks again Andy and Alicia for your help with this! That night Stetson and I ate dinner with my sister Candice and her family. It is so great to have so much family around! Even when Kenny is gone, I don't feel alone. Sunday night Stetson and I both got sick, so it was a very long night! But we lived through it, and spent our Labor Day recuperating. We were very glad when Kenny got home about 5:00 pm. We were all so tired that we went to bed at about 7:00 that night. At least Stetson has something to show for his hours of suffering - his right front tooth broke through on Labor Day! Congratulations Stet-man!