Happy Birthday Kyle

And Happy Deployment.

So as a birthday surprise the Army suddenly and quite randomly decided to deploy Kyle...though when compared to the other doctors at his base it really was his turn.

So for the next 8 months he will be putting fertility issues and egg retrieval on hold and be acting as a General Practitioner for an Army unit somewhere in Jordon.

We will miss you.  And we will be praying for your safe return.  Though statically you are probably safer there than driving on the freeways in Las Vegas.

See you in 8 months...by then Georgie will be potty trained and Margot won't be army crawling to get around.

We love you!
Happy 37th Birthday!

The Old Farm

Karl and I went to Idaho  in April to see my mom.  My brother, Brent, generously offered that we could stay at his house...even though he and Rosemary were gone on a trip to see their kids.

One of the best thing about staying at Brent's is it is on the Old Farm.  So every morning we would take a walk around the Old Farm.    Many things of changed...fences gone, big circle irrigation in place of old ditches...but many things are still the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 I love this old place.

 This old outhouse has a lot of family history.
It was originally out on my grandparent place in Jameston, Idaho when I was a child.   When that old place was sold my Dad moved it to our old Farm...not to use, but as a piece of history.  It was on the edge of our huge lawn  on the other side of the orchard, close to road where it could be seen by folks passing by.   A lawn ornament so to speak.   Years later fearing that some pranking teenagers might destroy it, they moved it to back behind the house on the other side of the "forest".    There dad actually made it usable. It was used during family reunions when all the boys cousins would bunk out in the shop/barn and this was the closest privy.

This old outhouse is so much a part of our family history that when mom and I designed Dad's headstone...we designed it with moutains, a barn, an old piece of farm equipment, a few pigs on the loose and the outhouse.

When my mom moved from the old home  and the place was rented out, my brother moved the old outhouse again.  this time behind his home in the midst of his "forest".   It looks good there.  And I'm so happy to see this piece of history preserved.

No farm is complete without it's own private junkyard.
That place you go to search for the piece of scrap metal the can be used to patch up that old piece of equipment so you can squeeze a few more year of use out it...before it also is retired to the junkyard.

 Needless to say, my brother lives the same principle

...in a much more organized fashion.

Dallas Fun

 I couldn't leave Texas without spending some time with these two little cuties.  And what a fun time we had.  Unfortunately, I didn't take my good camera this trip so my photos taking was really limited.

No good camera was especially challenging when we went to the Dallas Arboretum. It was so beautiful.  I've never seen so many tulips.

Amy was hoping to get some cute Easter  pictures of the girls.

 But Emerson had other ideas. 

Oh the things parents do to try to get a good photo.

So then we opted for a picnic. 

 When plan A fails.  Eating is always a good plan B.

 Wading is always fun too.

Running through water is good too.

Presley paddling along at swimming lessons.

In fact Presley loves water so much

...she might be part fish.

One our favorites things to do was to play with George and Peppa Pig.

There were so many things George and Peppa liked to do in this playroom..go down the slide, go for rides in the big truck or play house in the playhouse.

But George was always in trouble for "eating like a pig."   Poor George.

Then there was the one minute Family Home Evening.

I really do love short lessons.

It was a fun time in Texas.

Life's a Marathon

...and Kimberly just past another milestone.

In 2003 just a few weeks after we moved to Las Vegas Kimberly came to visit us...without Kyle.
We had such a fun time getting lost in this new city together.

It was during that visit that we went to St. George to cheer on Karl's brother Paul as he crossed the finish line at the St. George Marathon.  It was the first Marathon that either of us had been to.   The excitement in the air was so contagious
...and Kimberly caught the bug!

I remember her saying..."I want to ran a Marathon!"
I remember thinking...uh-huh,  that's a nice thought.

BUT SHE REALLY DID IT.
She's not only ran A marathon...she has run 6 marathons!

 

 Las Vegas Rock & Roll Marathon 2009

Four kids later and she is still running.

Yeah, she is pretty amazing.
And she makes us proud.

Happy Birthday Kimberly!
Go ahead and enjoy that birthday pie....you deserve it!
Besides you will probably be running a short 10 miles tomorrow.

We love you!
Mom and Dad T.

Houston...the last day.

 The last day at Chad and Janet's is always a bit sad.  Nine days went by so fast.  We had so much fun and also squeezed in several projects (Mending done. Closets and cupboards de-junked and organized.) But now it was time to say good bye and that is always sad.

 

The last night we decided to go for a bike ride to 

old downtown Seabrook.

 Love the pelicans.

 

 

 We finished up our bike tour at the park just before dark.

 

 

Careful Chad...don't hurt yourself.

The morning of my departure 

Chad ask if I wanted to see the lab at NASA where he works.

YES!!!!

 

 

 Finally meeting Valkyrie for the first time.

Chad office complete with the AT-AT from his childhood.

 I was a bit surprised to find out they had a sewing room
...but of course. Someone has to make Valkyrie's wardrobe.

Now that is the stuff dreams are made of.

 Good-bye Valkyrie

 

Still raining.

Next stop Costco in downtown Houston for a quick...very quick lunch before I catch the mega bus to Dallas.

Yes.. the Mega bus.  Airline prices for the short flight to Dallas were ridiculously expensive ...so I decide to take the Mega bus.  I've solo navigated the Boston Subway and bus system in a snow storm; Philadelphia's light rail and commuter train; Baltimore's light rail.  The mega bus and Dallas' light rail system was a piece of cake!   Beside I love the adventure. It will definitely be my way to travel between the Houston and Dallas in the future.

Thank you Chad and Janet for the wonderful time.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

 Wednesday was an exciting day.  Because Chad had worked most of the weekend he took Wednesday off to go the the big Houston Livestock show with us. 

Violet helped me cook a quick breakfast before we headed out for the day.  The weather forecast was for RAIN...all day.  So we went prepared...rubber boots, raincoats and umbrellas.
   It was beautiful all day.

.

 It seemed a bit strange to me that we were driving into the city

to go to a Livestock show.

 It had been years since I had been to a "Country Fair"

This took me back to my roots.  I loved it.  

It made me realize how much I miss country living.

 Watching the chicks at various stages of hatching was a favorite.

 Of course seeing the pigs really brought back a flood a childhood memories.

Oh the stories I could tell about pigs.

 As with all fairs there were plenty of vendors with goods to sell.

This photo needs a caption.

Chad trying out a machine the vibrates your whole body

 and cures anything that ails ya'. 

So much to see and do and climb on.

 

  Ben loved the tractors.

 There was a wonderful activity to help the city kids to understand where their food really comes from.

 We took the kids home...did a quick turn around and headed back for the rodeo and concert.

 But first we enjoyed dinner at Papasitos.

 So good!

 I didn't even realize it...I love rodeos! 

This was so fun to watch...even way up in the rafters.

Then came the Florida Georgia Line Concert.

 It was really fun and exciting

...but the acoustics were lacking.

It was jam-packed fun day.