Run Kimberly Run

Kimberly ran her first marathon in Seattle on Saturday.
She did amazing considering it was her first marathon and she had a baby 6 months ago.

Time: 3 hours 44 minutes and 59 seconds
Over-all she came in 711th , 185th out of the women
Pace average: approx. 8:15/mile

She missed qualifying for the Boston by 4 minutes and 59 seconds
Next marathon: The Las Vegas on Dec. 6th, 2009

Ahhh...Sumer Days

After a few Saturday chores which included yard work and tending the garden.

(Karl is promising to make fresh salsa tomorrow: )

We decided to hit the pool. We don't have a pool but we have the next best thing...pool sitting for some great friends. Of course Karl likes to get his practicing in no matter where he's at.

He finally gave in to the 102° heat and jumped in.

The only photo you get to see of me in the pool...
(The advantages of being the photographer!)Ahhh...I love summer.
Love, Mom T.

Somebody's having a birthday

Who's Birthday is it today?
Happy Birthday Jeff.
We hope you have a great day.
You are getting older so use extreme care...

Birthdays have been know to "tucker you plum out".

By the way, where did you get that big wad of blue chewing gum?

Have a great day...and enjoy your cake.

Happy 29th!

We love you...your birthday gift is in the mail...think green.

Love, Mom & Dad T.

More than popcorn in our apricot tree

Where's Waldo...I mean Karl.


He's trying to get to the apricots before the birds do. I think the birds won but we still got plenty of apricot.


Which means plenty of apricot jam. We really miss Pasco raspberry jam...compliments of Dart's raspberry patch. But apricot jam is a good substitute.



Yesterday I got a good start on jam making, with plenty still to do. I think I will need start distributing apricots to the neighbors...along with a few zucchini.

Love, Mom T.

Just too darn nice!

Yesterday one of my past Stake Relief Society counselors called me to see if I'd been home that afternoon ...she wanted to stop by.

At 4:00 pm I opened my door to Linda. She was looking so guilty. Around the corner came our Stake Humanitarian Leader JoAnn (and new Stake RS president!) and another of my past counselors, Lana, just grinning and carrying this beautiful quilt... For ME! I was totally surprised, overwhelmed and amazed. They said I deserved it after serving as the Stake Relief Society President for sooo long. I don't deserve anything...but I happily snatched it and hugged it before they could change their minds. The top had been pieced together (note all those 2 inch squares!!!) by one of my past ward RS presidents. JoAnn had bordered and bound it and Linda, Lana and JoAnn had spend the morning tying it with a invisible stitch so it looks quilted. Some people are so selfless and thoughtful...it makes me feel guilty.

Note to self...be more selfless and thoughtful so I can deserve such wonderful friends.
Love, Mom T.

How time flies...

Sunday morning we ran (in the car, not literally) up to St. George to say good bye/ farewell to Karl's brother Leo and his wife. It was their last address to their ward (it's not correct to call it a Farewell anymore) before they leave on Friday for Winnipeg, Canada. They are going on an 18 month mission. From sunny St. George to Winnipeg may be quite a climate shock...we wish them many warm wishes.

Of course all their children and their children were gathered to say good bye to their "Gramma and Grampa". Wow, how time flies...I thought we'd seen them all periodically in the last couple years. No! It's been 3 1/2 years! Scott was sporting a beard that he'd had for last three years. The oldest of the 8 grandkids were almost as tall as their parents... and there were 4 of Leo and Carla's grandkids that we had never meet before because they just weren't born yet!

I thought how we wouldn't see Leo & Carla for 18 months and that seems like a long time...but in reality it had been an year (Clark and Rachel's sealing) since we had seen them and they'd been right there in Washington, UT...2 hours away.

Life just goes by too fast...would someone please slow it down, not only so I can catch up on my to-do list but so I can slow down and "smell the roses".

Okay, if you read my blog it may seem like all we to is go from one fun event to another. It's true...But there are so many fun things to do and we are having trouble working them all in. And my "to-do" list is enormous and growing. I really could use a little more time! Or maybe I just need to work faster...But I don't want to admit that one.

Following Clare and Kaye to St. George.

Karl's brothers sitting around "discussing important issues (?)" after lunch. We were in Leo's new "tractor garage". You don't want to leave your tractor out in the weather when you leave for 18 months! It made a great dining hall for a crowd.

Clare and Karl's never miss an opportunity to play!

I was a terrible photographer this trip...I got a picture of the back of Clare and Kaye's car (?) but no pictures of Leo and Carla together, Scott with his beard or any of their family. I will try to do better next time.

Well I better go prune the roses...so I can smell them later!

Love, Mom Tobler

Clark & Rachel visit

We had fun-filled few days with Clark & Rachel. Lots of music, eating, swimming,eating, shopping and eating . Then we finished up with a hike on Mt. Charleston. Rachel discovered a new favorite dessert. Karl got to eat at Famous Dave's BBQ. I found some great bargins at DI and Clark slept in when Rachel went running at 7 am. So it was a great weekend for all.


Hiking in.

Resting.

Pondering.

Gazing.

Hiking out.

We survived the 6 mile loop.

Girls night out + Clare

A few months ago Kaye (SIL) and I decided to take advantage of of the Tuachan's dress-rehearsal nights and see both Annie and Footloose for half-price. Kaye invited any of the Washington, UT SILs that wanted to go too, but the men usually just murmur about seeing musicals and sitting out in the the heat...so we were just going to enjoy the plays and some girl shopping (for us that would be kitchen stuff, food storage and fabric) with out the murmuring.
But for some reason Clare decided to go?! So last Monday we headed to St. George and we had a great time.



Just Kaye and I went to the Monday night performance of Annie while Clare jammed with some friends. The play was great and the weather was perfect..maybe even a little on the cool side for us Vegas folks.

Tuesday morning Kaye and I decided go for a morning walk...to Walmart to get a battery in Kaye's watch. And then with a suggestion from Clare we just walked right on over to IHOP and met Ann and Clare there for breakfast...Good thinking! We'd never have done that without Clare.

Then due to Clare...we skipped the shopping and headed up towards Zions to find the now extinct settlement of Duncan's Retreat. Our Pratt ancestors were called to settle there by Bingham Young. The small town was abandoned after several years of flooding and the Virgin river changing it's course.

First we explored the ghost town of Grafton.This little town is currently being restored.

I love old cemeteries!

Clare stopped and ask every old-timer he saw if they knew the where abouts of Duncan's Retreat. No one had heard of it!
So then we decided to check Zion's visitor's center, maybe a Park Ranger or some worker there would know of it's location...or maybe there will be information in one of the books. Besides Clare's a senior citizen with "Golden Age Pass" which meant free admission into the park. YES!
No luck in finding information on Duncan's Retreat but we did hop on a shuttle and enjoyed the scenery...in spite of the rain. It made me want to go hiking!

Next stop was to see one of Clare's old friend, Don, that lives just outside of Zions in Springdale. I don't really know what info they got there. I raced off to take pictures of all the exotic animals that Don raises.

We searched a few more leads and found fun park
and then stopped at a Trading Post to see if anyone there was in the know.
Fun place, yummy cinnamon rolls and some jack-pot information. They didn't personally know where Duncan's Retreat was but they knew the Virgin City historian...if anyone knew..she would And she did! Not only the location but she had maps of the old town site and including where everyone lived.



Mission accomplish! We didn't actually get to go visit the actual Duncan Retreat Site, we were out of time, but now Clare's got the right directions for the next trip.

A yummy dinner at Ann and Phil's and then we all went to see preformance of "Footloose".

And once again the play was wonderful!

Sometimes I miss my brain.

Sunday we got the hankerin' to play Scrabble. Though I'm no real competition for Jake, it was fun to exercise that muscle call the brain.

That evening just as we were starting a second game of Scrabble our hometeachers (a.k.a. Bro. Waggoner and Nate) came by. Now our hometeachers love a little mental competition and Bro. Waggoner was a little more than stiff competition for Jake. It was great. Though we were not threat to the game...Steph and I didn't do too bad...not shamefully bad considering our "help" abandoned us. But the chance to do some jammin' was too strong and it didn't take long to lose Nate and Karl to the patio playing Bob Dillion style Bluegrass. They really sounded good.

But playing scrabble makes me realize I'm losin' it... I've lost brain cells big time. Where did they go...when did they go? I vaguely remember a time, long ago...before children, when I was sharp, quick, really quite smart. High School quiz-stuff (okay, I was just an alternate and never answered a question...but I was actually on the team per teacher selection.) Where did it go? Is my loss of mental capacity due to children, age or lack of use?

So maybe that why we have kids...so when they cause us to lose all our brain cell then they can think for us. They are good at that you know. Guess we better keep one close by...
Sorry Jake...you're obligated...being the last born and the only one left...to stay lose and take care of Karl and me.

That will be nice.

What do I do now?

After 5 years and 7 months of being the Stake Relief Society President...I've been released! It's the only calling I've had since moving to Vegas 5 years and 8 1/2 months ago.
I don't know what life in Vegas will be like with out having 2-3 or more meetings (not counting Sunday) a week. But I am looking forward to finding out! Right now I have no calling...Wow!

But I admit it's a bit scary...What will I be called to next?

I will miss working with the best sisters through out the whole stake. I might miss having people listen to me because of the position that I held. Now my opinion will be worth what it's really worth...not much! I think I will even miss being forced out of my obscure comfort zone into meeting with people and speaking up (which I really tried not to do.)

But the change will be good.

I guess it's time to figure out what I will focus on next.