A mini family reunion...

(It's another Tobler picture marathon...for the brave of heart or the truely bored.)

Originally, it was suppose to be a wedding...but when the wedding got postpone we decided to just make it a little reunion instead. Unfortunately some of the wives couldn't come or little Charlie & Greta. And the betrothed couple...since it wasn't their wedding they had to stay in Vegas and work. As always...we had a great time together!

Having too much fun to Blog?

It's been a while since I've posted a blog...but I've been busy have fun.

I just took my dear little mother to the airport... I will miss her. I always have so much fun with her. We brought her back with us from Utah. We had a great week thrift store shopping, sewing, walking, cutting her hair, walking, going to the temple and spending Sunday with my brother in Boulder City and more walking. She also brought a recipe for home made laundry detergent...we made it...I'm testing it...I think I like it... so inexpensive to make....I really like it....I'll test some more and then I'll share the recipe.

We had a super fun Easter weekend in Salt Lake City and Orem/Provo with 4/5 of boys ( and Janet & Violet) for the wedding that didn't happen (postpone until August). So much fun...I will post that event soon...I promise.

While mom was here our stake Relief Society had their Spring Enrichment Activity (Humanitarian projects this year) ...and since I'm the still the Stake RS president (five plus years...I need to stop counting) I had a bit of responsibility over the event...but I'm getting good at delegating and it was a wonderful success. And I'm glad to have that yearly event over for 2009 ... I'll post more about it later... But right now I'm just breathing in and breathing out and enjoying doing nothing...for a minute.

I've been sucked in!

I tried to fight it, to procratinate it or just plain delay it until I had more time...
But I let my guard down and watched the movie. Then Steph brought her books back with her from Canada and I wasn't strong enough to resist. Now, less than a week later, I'm halfway through a New Moon (book two of the series).

When I started reading Twilight Karl commented that "Life as we know it will cease until she finishes the book." He didn't realize there are 4 books!

I try to have control...I try to read in moderation...But I found myself reading again at 4am under the covers with a nifty little reading light Richard gave us. That was after I vaguely remember Karl taking the book out of my hands at I-don't-know-what-hour and turning off my light.

Now I'm fighting the urge...I must start the laundry first...I've got to study my scripture before I can give into frivolous reading...I've got so much to get done before we go to SLC on Thursday...It's a battle of will-power...Mundane to-do list against a heart thumping novel ...which will win?

More of "Spring in Vegas"

Sunday afternoon between General Conference sessions and we are just enjoying the beautiful weather and our mini- backyard.
Jake's cooking burgers for a quick lunch. We ate out on the patio...our condolences to all of you still in throes of winter.
Karl's surveying our new mini-kitchen-garden. (The veiw from my kitchen window)and checking out our little tomato plantsThe first rose of spring in our backyard.

Caught...

Sunday Morning we turned on the TV to find General Conference. Okay, we have a hard time changing or maybe we just can't bring ourselves to pay money to watch TV or maybe we are just ultimate procrastinators.... But we couldn't get conference because (we guess) the station had already gone digital and we hadn't!

So now we had the dilemma of how to watch conference and we really wanted the cozy livingroom environment...not the pews at the church. Then I remembered that our friends (and neighbors) were up in Richland (a new job at Hanford...hope you Pasco friends get to meet them, they're wonderful!) and they wouldn't mind(?) if we invaded their livingroom and TV for conference... besides it was time to check their house again for flooding, fire or break-ins.

But as Tobler luck goes...right at the beginning of Pres. Monson's talk we lost the satellite signal!

So we had to call Mike and Rosanne in Richland (and by the way, they love the Tri-cities) and I had to confess my sin (of home invasion) and find out how to get the satelite signal back on. We watched the second session without a hitch...a technology hitch anyway... some of us did struggled with staying awake...that cozy livingroom environment!

Choices...

I love General Conference Weekend. It always feels like a vacation from the world 's busyness ...a relaxing, enlightening and uplifting weekend retreat. But we missed our Saturday of burrowing in and soaking up the conference messages for a ...

Small town Bluegrass Festival in Pahrump, Nevada...

nestled on the backside of the mountains about 70 miles from Las Vegas.

Playing Bluegrass is Karl's 1st love....
His mistress's are Mandy-Lin and Martina
(his Mandolin and his Martin Guitar).
But that's okay. I don't mind playing 2nd fiddle when it makes him so happy.
And I admit, I never feel neglected.

We'll catch those sessions of General Conference later by way of the internet...
love this technology!

(Speaking of technology...I've got to figure out how to get Jake's camera off Black & White mode!
(it has a much better zoom than mine).

Do you see a resemblance?

Now that the thesis is done...

Jeff just finished his thesis and successfully defended it.

Now he has visions of doing more if this.

But...


Amy's vision is probably a little more like this.

Sometimes your kids can surprise you!

Kyle just thinking...
"Heart disease or breast cancer...Hmmm I wonder which one is the biggest concern for women?"

Jeff pondering...
"I wonder if periodontal destruction and inflammation will result if I fall asleep before brushing?"

Can you believe these guys just helped publish research articles in medical and dental journals.
Yep...never underestimate what your kids can achieve.

To see a synopsis of Kyle's or Jeff's research.

Family Secrets?

This is Jake trying to scrub super glue off his teeth!
Something about trying to get a broken oil dipstick out of his car's engine. He said he'll tell me how it happened when I tell him how I really cut my thumb the other month.
Guess I'll never know how he super glued his teeth.
Some stupid things aren't meant to be shared.

Has Karl been pruning again?

For those of you that know Karl,
you probably think this is just another one of his super pruning jobs.

Nope.

After five years of suggesting that the tree in the corner was more of a detriment than an asset. After the roots had killed the grass in part of the lawn (which was really a blessing because it helped me finally get the raised beds for my mini-kitchen garden.).
After realizing the tree was getting big enough that the block wall was at risk and the only shade it offered was to our little old neighbor lady who only complained about it...we had to keep one side of the poor tree sheared parallel to the fence line lest a branch might hang over her side of the fence...
He finally agreed it needed to go.And my man can work miracles!

He fit the whole tree in those two garbage cans!

Except for the trunk...which he sawed up in to logs for a future camping trip.

Spring in Vegas

This is the time of year we enjoy living in Las Vegas.



Our back yard is just buzzing with activity...

Karl has been buzzing about the yard also.

We are trying another approach to gardening in our mini-yard.
So we are hoping our little garden will grow.



Then we took a quick trip up to Mt. Charleston.

It's still winterland just 30 minutes away.

Happy Anniversary

Happy 1st Anniversary
Clark & RachelMarch 8, 2008

Congratulations!

Look again!

For the second time in the past few months I've been given the "courtesy" of a "Senior Discount"! What gives...Do I look like I deserve a senior discount!!! I like a bargain but I rather pay the extra buck than get something I don't deserve...especially if it is a senior discount! I pride myself on looking "okay" for my age...but maybe I need to look again :( I guess I need to be hitting the gym and the hair color.

I know this comes right after my post on missing my grandkids...but I have some pride issues here!

There's something extra special about Grandkids...

And we sure miss them!

Our Very Little Greta

Tinkerbell Violet
Charlie & his best friend Bear

Cousins.
(Being a Far-away Gramma is hard!)

A farewell dinner.

Last night was our last evening with Steph until we meet her in Canada for the reception there. Jake was working so we decided to surprise him...and show up at Claim Jumper for dinner in his section. It was great fun...of course we had to hide...or at least keep our backs to the dining room while we waited for a table for 3 to be available in his section.

Surprise!

What a grin when he saw us...or at least when he saw Steph. Of course he was a bit embarassed by the picture taking...we tried to be sneaky...but the flash kept giving us away.

Here's Jake in action.May I take your order?

Great Service.


He's trying to ignore us.

Of course one has to leave a note and phone# for the "Hot" Waiter!

Proud Parents.

Artistic Expression.

We Toblers are talented! Usually it's well hidden but sometimes it just comes out.
We are artistic and our medium of choice is GRAHAM CRACKERS!

Jake & Steph were feeling a bit left out when they missed the building of the the Graham Cracker houses at the Tobler Christmas in Dupont. A Total Artistic Experience!So for their last free night together they decided let their artistic talents bloom.
They made Graham Cracker Houses...but not just any Graham Cracker Houses...

But the Salt Lake Temple....I wonder what inspired that?!

A Scientific Study

It's a proven fact...

If I don't get the garbage out first thing in the morning on garbage day...
The garbage truck comes before 8 am
and I miss it!

If I get the garbage out by 8 am..
The garbage truck doesn't come until late afternoon.

A tried and tested fact!

Good bye to an old friend

We don't just own a car...we Toblers marry them...for eternity or so it seems. But that's okay, I loved my "Old Lady Luxury car", my 1990 Cadillac Deville. It was a good ride...at least for the first 7 or so years. The past few years the poor thing was getting feeble. I really didn't like to drive her any further away than I could walk in 45 minutes. She's gone now and I do miss her or at least I miss what she was in her earlier years.She's been replaced...probably another "marriage" for us...a 2008 Nissan Sentra. We haven't really bonded yet and this one doesn't have a name yet. But I admit I feel like I've got wings..finally. I can go anywhere not only here in Vegas...But I could drive cross country. I don't remember ever having a car that I would trust taking alone long distances. It's so nice and I still have pinch myself that it is real. So I think me and my new car will get along just fine.