I am so blessed!

I think I mentioned this in my last post, but on August 8, three great men in our community were killed in a tragic plane accident. They all left behind wonderful wives and young children. When something like this happens, it is like a reality check for me. I really like the following quote by our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson: "How fragile life, how certain death. We do not know when we will be required to leave this mortal existence. And so I ask, 'What are we doing with today?' If we live only for tomorrow, we'll eventually have a lot of empty yesterdays." Since the accident I have done a lot of thinking and evaluating my life. I get so busy with life, that I forget to really live! Am I too busy doing the not-so-important things, that I don't have time for the really important things? Do I look back to a whole lot of empty yesterdays? If so, I need to make some changes! Also, I have realized that I take a lot for granted. I complain when Kenny leaves his boots in the middle of the floor, and I trip on them in the middle of the night on my way to get Stetson - but at least I still have a husband! I cringe when Kenny comes in, covered in grease, and picks Stetson up and hugs him, covering him in grease - but at least Stetson has a daddy! Kenny's parents are serving a mission in Africa, and they sent us some pictures of a family they met last week. A mother and two daughters live in a tiny, one room house with a dirt floor; they have no food, and only the clothes on their backs - and yet they greeted them with smiles and offered them the only food they had. Once again, I realize how ungrateful I am! I complain that my house is too small, or when my well goes out. And there a lot of people out there who live every day with no running water. I complain because it has been awhile since I got any new clothes, and there are so many people who are grateful for the one pair they wear every day! I am grateful for these reality checks, and pray that I will be more grateful and take advantage of EVERY day I have here on earth!

A Busy Summer

A lot has happened since I last posted, and that is why I haven't posted - we have been so busy! We went to St. George for our family vacation this year, and had a great time! We went to the Tuachan theater and watched The Sound of Music - my favorite musical, and Le Mes. Stetson wan't real impressed because it was so hot, and late at night; but he was a trooper, and Kenny and I were able to enjoy most of the plays. The highlight for Stetson was swimming in the pool at our hotel. It had a little waterfall coming off some rocks on the edge of the pool, and he loved it! Plus, it was an extra bonus that we got daddy to go swimming with us! We were able to go to the temple, do some shopping, and just spend time together. It was GREAT!

Kenny and Stetson at TuachanPlaying in the waterfall at the hotel poolStetson and the St. George Temple
The next big event was the annual mountain party at our cabin on the Bears Ears on August 1. Due to a lot of conflicts, we only had about 40 people there (usually there are around 80), but those that were there had a great time. It was a little different, since it was the first party since Ron Kartchner passed away and he has been the entertainment almost every year since Preston Nielson started having the party about 50 plus years ago. We also missed Kenny's parents, who usually put the whole thing together, but we made it without them. The next day we branded some really big calves. I think the highlight of the day was watching Tyson Kirk ride one - he was a real trooper! Stetson rode with me on the horse back to the cabin, and absolutely loved it! He was so relaxed, like he was born to ride or something. Our niece Katie Black was baptized that evening, and the service was beautiful.

As members of Farm Bureau, Kenny and I are the San Juan County Young Farmer and Rancher Representatives. One of our biggest responsibilities is putting on the annual Farm Bureau Talent Find in conjunction with the county fair. It is a lot of work, but very rewarding to watch the kids perform their talents and get rewarded. The talent find takes place outside on a portable stage in the rodeo arena, so when I woke up that morning to a cloudy sky and rain, I was a little stressed. I said a little prayer, arranged a backup plan, and forged ahead with my previous arrangements. My prayer was answered, and it was clear for the dress rehersal, sprinkled a little in between, was clear again for the Talent Find, and once it was over, it started to rain. It was a little cold, but we were all grateful that we didn't have to pack up and move to a less preferrable location.

Stetson and I watched most of the Livestock Shows since all of my siblings had animals. Kenny is the treasurer for the Jr. Livestock program, so I spent quite a bit of time helping him with his responsibilities. We went to the Daryl Worley concert on Thursday night, and had a great time! Stetson was even dancing to the music before he fell asleep. Friday morning three wonderful men from our community were killed in a tragic plane accident, so that put a damper on things. When something like that happens it really makes you stop and think about how fragile life really is. It made me realize how much I love my family, and how much I take them for granted. It was amazing to watch the people of our county open their hearts to the families of these men by donating money. The little hog club from Blanding did a raffle and earned about $500 to give to these families - these were just kids! It is so wonderful to live in a community where everyone cares so much about each other! Friday was also "Tough enough to wear Pink" day, and a portion of the proceeds for the rodeo, some booths, and some other events went to support breast cancer awareness. A lot of the people in the rodeo were wearing pink shirts - it was really neat! Kenny and Stetson enjoying the Daryl Worley Concert

Stetson is tough enough to wear pink
The Livestock sale was on Saturday, and that is the biggest day for Kenny and I , as treasurers of the organization. Thanks to Alicia for helping us ramrod the buyers, and to Candice for tending Stetson, we made it through and all went well. Two boys sold pigs, and donated all the earnings to the families of the three men that died the day before. Between the two of them, they earned about $8,000 for those families, and the people who bought the pigs donated the meat to the families as well. Once again, I was amazed at the generosity of the people of San Juan County! There may be a lot of bad people out there, but there are also a lot of really good people too! Saturday night Stetson went to his first rodeo, and I think he really enjoyed it! His favorite event was the synchronized riders, probably because there was so much going on. My brother Jade rode with them, and they did an excellent job! It was a great county fair, and I was very grateful to be a part of it.

I can't believe that school is about to start, and summer is almost over! Also, I can't believe that my baby is now 10 months old! He now has four teeth - two on top and two on bottom. He likes to pull himself up on things and walk along them, so it probably won't be too long before he is walking - they grow too fast! I finally figured out why he is so cute - he looks just like his daddy!

Stetson trying out his new "walking" toy

(notice the cool cowboy pajamas)

Memory Lane

1. As a comment on our blog, leave one memory that you and I and/or Kenny had together. It doesn't matter if you knew either of us a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, (everyone) re-post these instructions on your blogs and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.Even all of you blog-hopper's need to leave a comment :)

My Wedding Ring

Well, Kenny and I have been married for 7 years and 7 months. On one hand it doesn't seem like we have been married that long, and on the other hand it seems that we have been together forever. Kenny and I picked out my wedding ring together, which I was very grateful for because I got exactly what I wanted - something small and beautiful. I wanted to be able to feel like I could wear my ring every day. The ring was made of two bands, the engagment band, and the wedding band; after we were married we had the two soldered together. A couple weeks ago I was moving some rather large rocks in my yard, and didn't even think to remove my ring first. The two bands got tweaked, and one of them broke in half. The nice thing was that I could still wear the ring because one band was still good. Just last week I was up at the Lund cabin - a very large beautiful house that my brother-in-law Steve Francom built for Allen Lund and his family out at Long Canyon. After a tour of the beautiful cabin and landscaping we sat down to dinner. For some reason I looked down at my left hand, and where my diamond used to be was a huge gaping hole - my diamond was gone! I was hit with a feeling of shock and horrer, and I let out a very audible gasp. Of course everyone wanted to know what was wrong. It was all I could do to keep from bursting into tears as I told my dear husband that I had lost the diamond out of my wedding ring. The Lund family immediately initiated a search party, and a reward was offered to the one who found the diamond, but no one did. When I got home I searched my house and my car and my yard, but still no diamond. I was so sick! The crazy thing is that Kenny actually apologized to me that I lost my diamond! He is such an awesome guy. For now I am wearing a silver band that he gave me for Christmas until we can get a new diamond and get my ring fixed. I'm just grateful that my lost diamond doesn't mean I am not married anymore!

Fourth of July

We had a great 4th of July weekend. It started on Thursday with a party for all the employees at Recapture Metals. Stetson even had a friend there! My cousin's son, Justin Hunt, and his wife Talia had a baby girl, Nya, just three weeks after Stetson. Justin works out a Recatpture Metals, so they were at the party. Stetson and Nya were so cute together, we just had to take a picture.President Redd, a co-worker, our Stake President, a dear friend, and Grandpa Lem to Stetson is a great photographer. He took this cute picture of me and Stetson at the party.

The drill team built two floats for the parade, they also did a mini drill camp with the participants marching in the parade, so we were very busy the morning of the Fourth trying to get everything ready. Kenny and Stetson were kind enough to drive the truck for the mini drill team participants, and Grandpa Lem got another cute photo.

After the parade we disassebled the floats and the drill team girls ran a dunking booth for the kids to cool off on a hot summer day. After that we went home and Stetson and I had a nap. Later on we watched several members of my family participate in the Horse Games. Then it was back to Centennial Park for dinner and the fireworks. When we sat down to eat, Stetson managed to grab my bowl of beans and spill it all over me, him, the diaper bag, his hat, and everything else in close vicinity. The fireworks were awesome! I really don't think there is better place to be on the 4th of July than in good old Blanding, Utah! Here is a picture of my two cowboys on the Fourth of July.The next day was the Grover family reunion. It was great to be able to spend a little time with family that we don't see very often. Thanks to Uncle Gordon and Aunt Elaine for a great reunion. During the talent show that evening, Stetson decided to wear his dad's cowboy hat, and I got a cute photo.

Tagged! 20 Years. . .

20 years ago...
1. I was 6 years old
2. I had just finished kindergarten
3. I had a new baby brother, who is now serving a mission
4. I was no longer the baby in the family
5. It was the 80's, and big hair was in - yup, I had big hair!

10 years ago...
1. I was a 16 year old; finally able to drive and date!
2. I had just finished my sophmore year at San Juan High School
3. I was a member of the Royals; our high school dance team
4. I worked at the Patio, flipping burgers
5. I drove an old blue car, affectionately named "Old Blue"

5 years ago...
1. I had been married for 2 1/2 years
2. I didn't have any children
3. We had owned a ranch for three years
4. We had just bought an old house (built in 1924)
5. I was working as the secretary at Recapture Metals

3 years ago...
1. I was still married, still had no children
2. We were still working on that old house we bought
3. We still owned a ranch, and I still worked to support it
4. I was teaching clogging and coaching the high school drill team
5. We bought a new car - a Nissan Maxima with lots of power!

1 year ago...
1. I was pregnant with my first child - yay!
2. I got a scooter, and drove it everywhere
3. I was still working and teaching dance
4. We were still in the ranching business
5. I finally had carpet in my bedroom!

So far this year...
1. I had my first child, a baby boy named Stetson
2. We bought a semi truck and Kenny is driving 4 days a week
3. I am only working part-time at Recapture Metals
4. My brother Jordan left on a mission to Tulsa, Oklahoma
5. Kenny's parents left on a mission to Benin (Africa)

Yesterday...
1. I went to work
2. I did some laundry and mopped the floor while Stetson was napping
3. I ran a bunch of errands and burned a bunch of expensive fuel - ugh!
4. I went to clogging class - yay!
5. Kenny was gone all day, driving truck :(

Today...
1. I woke up at 5:45 to work on fundraiser floats with the drill team girls
2. I went to work
3. I am going to go visiting teaching
4. I am going to water my garden, flowers, lawn, etc.
5. Kenny will be home early - yay!

Tomorrow...
1. I will probably wake up early and work on floats again
2. I will go to work
3. I hope to clean my car
4. We are planning to go to the theater and watch the new Indiana Jones movie
5. Maybe Stetson and I will go for a walk - he loves that!

In the next year I plan to...
1. Get sidewalks poured at my house
2. Get started on building our carport
3. Start taking classes for medical coding
4. Start teaching clogging again
5. Spend quality time with Stetson - because he is growing up way too fast!

Now I tag Carrie Nae and Jeanna - - Have Fun!

Flowers!!!

So, yesterday I was at work trying to find my desk. I was gone last Thursday and Friday for BYU clog camp, which by the way, was tons of fun!!! Anyway, the stuff on my desk had just piled up, and I was trying to get caught up. At about 11:30 Bailey Herring from the flower shop comes in with a beautiful vase of flowers - for me! Wow! My first thought was, "what is today - did I forget something?" The card on the flowers was simple, "I love you! Kenny." I was so happy, I almost cried. How sweet of him to send me flowers on a random day like today! I felt like I was a teenager again, getting flowers from my crush. I'm pretty sure I have the best husband ever! Thanks Kenny - I love you too!

The Summer Roundup

One of the highlights of owning a ranch is when everyone comes to help with the roundup. This year all of Kenny's family came, except for his brother-in-law James, and his mom and dad who are serving a mission in Benin. Friday night we had a wonderful dinner and then we all camped at the cabin on the Elk Mountain. It is so beautiful up there! It is summers like this one that make winters worth living through. Saturday morning we all had breakfast together and then basically just hung out. Some people went on 4-wheeler and motorcycle rides, but mostly we just enjoyed nature and each other's company. My sister-in-law Suzie took some very cute pictures of Stetson, which I am very excited about! Despite what she thinks, she is an awesome photographer, and Stetson was a pretty good little model. He smiled a lot, and even posed for some of the photos. After church on Sunday we participated in my nephew Taylor's ordination - I can't believe he is already 16! Then we had a wonderful Father's Day dinner with my family. I am so lucky to have the best dads and the best husband in the world! It is so nice to have a day to celebrate the blessing that they are in our lives. We camped on the mountain that night, had a wonderful breakfast Monday morning, and then headed down to the winter range to round up the cows. Suzie was kind enough to tend Stetson so that I could go down and ride. It has actually been over a year since I have been on a horse. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed riding until I went for so long without doing it! The best part was that Kenny worked it out so that the two of us could ride together. We didn't find any cows, so it was just the two of us riding and talking on a beautiful summer day in God's beautiful country. I fell in love all over again! Luckily everyone else found some cows, and we were able to get them across the highway and up to the mountain. We had a great dinner that evening, and more time to visit. I have to say, it was really hard to think about going back to real life! But I really believe that the hard times make us appreciate the good times so much more. Thanks so much to all who helped us out this weekend!

I am 8 months old today!

My Little Guy is Growing up!

This is what I usually find when I hear my little guy awake in his crib. He is the happiest baby I know! He has started pushing himself up on his hands like this, but when he tries to get his knees under him he usually does a face plant into the ground. He doesn't cry, just gets up and tries again - I hope keeps this positive attitude all his life!He can sit by himself now, and loves to stand up holding onto something. He has two teeth on the bottom, and chews on everything he can get hold of. He is growing up way too fast! I think he is pretty handsome - what do you think?