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!

Hauling Cows

Last Saturday Kenny enjoyed his first experience hauling a bull wagon load of cows with our semi truck. When I told him Stetson and I wanted to go with him, he was a little surprised and asked, "aren't you nervous to go with me on my first haul? What if I tip it over?" I just smiled, "if you tip it over, Stetson and I want to be right there with you!" After spending all morning getting hooked on and catching horses, then all afternoon trailing the cows in the heat, we finally got them loaded and headed toward Monticello. Kenny did great! I knew he would, I have never been scared of his driving. Once we got on the dirt road headed to our property he let Stetson sit on his lap. I guess he has done that too much, because Stetson is no longer content to sit - he wants to drive! He has also watched his dad enough to know that if you are going to drive, you have to use the stick shift. He is definately learning young! I sure hope he doesn't grow up to be a truck driver though! We got the cows delivered and us home safely, so I call that a success! It was a lot of fun too!

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.