DeLong Family

Time for an update...

2012-01-16T22:35:00.004-07:00

Here's our recent life.

Hope you are all well.
We LOVE you.

Women's Conference and other fun things...

2011-12-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

Hello Sisters O'Mine...

I missed BYU Women's Conference last year and I was sad. I don't want to miss it again. So I am registering for it soon. I am planning on staying on campus in dorms like I have done in the past. It is fun! I would love for someone to join me. The dates are April 26th and 27th. I realize that Jen, Lisa, and Mom will just be getting back from a trip down south of the Equator and Renee will have 2 month old twins (not fair), and Michelle works and hates WC...but maybe someone will want to come despite this; Melissa...or Angie even, since you are basically another sister! If none of you want to come, I understand. I will still go; after all I have gone alone a few times and I really don't mind. Just think about it and let me know...

Another thing. While up at Jen's for the Christmas Party (which was lots of fun, BTW, thanks for hosting it Jen) we decided that a sisters' trip to St. George would be awesome. I have always wanted to see a show at Tuachan. So I think that is going to be the plan. Michelle and Lisa, you two need to talk about what week would work for you two and then I can start getting the ball rolling. I think this will be super fun!

2011-12-03T17:02:00.002-07:00

A couple of years ago, as some of you read about last year, we started what has become a tradition in our family. My mom hosts a gingerbread house party. All moms and their daughters that are 8 or older can come. We all bring our own gingerbread houses, which we all make from scratch, and then decorate them at Mom's house. Each year we get better and better and each year we learn more and more. Dad insists that this year they are the best ever! They turned out pretty amazing!

This is Elisabeths (Sam and Melissa's daughter)

This one is Renee's

The above house is Emily's and her daughter Lily's (her first year attending)

The house above is Rebecca's (Jen and Roy's daughter)

We loved how Mom's house (above) turned out this year! So cute!!!

The above house is Katy's (Michelle's 14 year old)

This is Jen's house. The thatched roof is amazing!

This is Michelle's house.

And the last one shown is Jane's (Michelle's 11 year old)

This is really fun tradition. We all bring a snack and just eat, laugh, and make huge messes. At the end of it all, we all just stand back and admire our work.

2011-11-03T11:24:00.002-06:00

I have wanted to go to the Redwood Forest all my life. Visiting Muir Woods a few years ago confirmed that that is a dream I have and will not die without seeing them and loving every second of it. So, I'm going, with the kids of course. I'm going to start planning a trip right now for next summer and would love to have anyone join me that would like to for some or all of the trip. I know that you are all lucky enough to have husbands that work, and they can't take a lot of time off, but you are able to do things without your husband, and it's still fun. I'm planning on beign gone for at least two weeks. If you can join me for just a few days or a whole week, or the entire time, I would love it. I found a map called "the best of the Redwood Coast", 25 great things to see and do in Humboldt county and I'm doing them; ALL of them. Ok, most of them. Believe me, it's a long drive to get there and an even longer drive home. I hate driving and road trips, but seeing as this is one of my life long dreams, I'm doing it and going to suck it up and make the drive! So I'm going to start saving right now (maybe next month) so that I have a good chunk of change to spend and not have to eat off the 99 cent menu every meal of every day; blah. I am going to camp, at campgrounds with showers, but I'm planning on camping in the redwood forest, so it's a camping trip. If you are interseted in seeing what types of daily activities I'm going to do, here is a link to the map and list of things to do that I"m planning on doing: http://redwoods.info/redwood-coast-map-to-do.pdf It's going to be awsome. I don't know exactly when I am going to go. Probably in July. Let me know if you are interested in joining me for some or all of this adventure. And I would love to have anyone, even if you aren't family, technically speaking :)

I know who my best friends are :)

2011-10-24T08:25:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, I took the kids and we headed down to Moab this last weekend for fall break. I wanted one last vacation in the trailer with the kids, and there were some families in our ward that go every year and I was invited. I figured I would try to be more social and get out of my comfort zone, and I knew the kids would have fun. I was right, the kids did have fun, and I definetly got out of my comfort zone; way out. I learned a few thing on this trip; I love my trailer (which I already knew), I love camping (also already knew), and that I enjoy camping with my kids alone better than with a huge group of non family members. The girls were non-existant and I didn't like that. I like having them around. we play games and just have fun. Sammy hung on my like a little monkey, which drove me nuts. It was fun, but not somethign I will do again. I write this post however with a purpose in mind; I want to do more campign with all of you. The trip we had at fallen leaf was amazing and I loved it and so did my kids. I enjoy being with my family more than anyone else, and I want to do more campign trips with all of you when spring rolls around again. I plan on doign a lot of camping this next spring and summer and want you all to consider it more. So next time you plan a camping trip, please let me know so we can join you :)

Fun evening!

2011-10-12T13:37:00.002-06:00

We had a craft night at Emily's the other night. Melissa took some pictures of our crafts, so maybe I can get her to post them. Mine are shown on my blog. But I thought since I was the one railing on everyone to post on our family blog that rarely gets posted on, I should be doing that. We haven't gotten together and done a craft night before that I can remember, and it was so much fun to just sit around the table, visit, eat fattening food, and make things. I really enjoyed myself and so enjoyed the time with my sisters, and I don't even like crafts actually. Anyway, it was fun and I wanted to let everyone know how much I enjoyed it and hope that we can do things like that more often.

Just as a reminder, Gingerbread house making day needs to be set and you need to start thinking about it. I was hoping, that like last year, we could do it Thanksgiving weekend, like Saturday of that weekend. Let me know if that will work. We are still planning on doing it at Mom's house (although I haven't asked her about that). It's one of my favorite times of year. Remember, it's for mom's and daughters that are 8 or older (I have found that 10 works the best for attention span), so please leave your little ones at home if at all possible.

never such devoted sisters....

2011-10-03T12:42:00.002-06:00

Hi Sisters....

According to the schedule there is to be another Sisters' Trip next year and I get to plan it (this is Emily). I have to be honest with you; I don't just want to use Jen's beautiful vacation home as our default trip every time. Jen (and everyone), I love going up there and I know it saves us a lot of money, but I also think it would be fun to do another "trip" like our Tahoe one. It has been seven years (eight by the time of our next get together) since Tahoe and since then we have basically just gotten together for a glorified mate at Jen's house or Michelle's house (the West Jordan one). Although they were great times, I am ready for another trip. Do you follow? Agree?

So I have been putting a brainstorming list together. Let me run my ideas by you and then maybe get some feedback. Oh but before I run my ideas by you I wanted to also share my expectations for this and basically all Sisters' Trips. I expect that we spend time together first of all. I like to relax a little but I also like to use my body a little (more), so it would be great to have places to get out and walk, hike, bike, swim, canoe, kayak, or really anything. I would like to be somewhere pretty. If I am going to spend the money to go on vacation without my family then it needs to be a vacation worth going on. I think you all agree with me on that. Okay so here is my list of suggestions:

1. Camping in Tahoe: That was such a blast and I think it would be super fun to do it as sisters. We could have some awesome food. Plus it is really easy to find cheap airfare to Tahoe, so we could totally fly. I think it would be a lot of fun!

2. Sonoma/Napa: I have always wanted to visit this area. It seems like it would be a beautiful place and judging from the information I found online there would be plenty to do. Maybe we could use someone's timeshare, if available (and offered, of course), so that might help offset some costs in getting there.

3. Carmel: Look on this website http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/index.cfm/travel_itineraries.htm.This place looks like it would be wonderful (if not a bit expensive). I would love to vacation there. There are two downsides though; first it would be very expensive and second it is about a two hour drive from San Francisco. But if this looks like a place that we want to go then I might be able to find some deals that would help with the cost...I can't change the distance from San Fran though...

4. BYU Women's Conference: As you all know, this is one of my favorite events of the year. I think this would be fun, cheap, and uplifting. The biggest downside to this is that I know that it causes stress in some of you, and we may not be together the whole time because of different interests. (P.S. I am going regardless, so anyone that wants to come with me is welcome)

5. Time Out For Women in Toronto, Canada: This is a long shot, I know, but doesn't it sound like it would be fun to go somewhere we haven't all been before. And unlike Women's Conference we would all be together and there is no stress in not getting the class that you want. But there would be a major expense in getting there.

So those are my suggestions. I think any of them would be a blast. I think if I start planning now then I can get an idea of what this will cost and we can start saving now. Let me know what you all think.

P.S. I was going to try and put Michelle or Jen or Lisa's face over Angie's in that picture, but it was just going to be too much effort...

2011-09-24T15:38:00.002-06:00

This is the first time I have checked the blog since way before the Family Reunion. Michelle is right about using it more. I am the worst! (This is Jen.)

I am feeling super stressed lately b/c I have started taking an advanced art class. It is way more advanced than I am. The third class was Thursday and I have felt so incompetent that I haven't picked up my paint-brush since. I have been so down that I haven't even gone running which I usually like. I need to get back into it b/c I have lots of homework every week. I think everyone else in the whole class graduated from college in art. I think I will ditch next week. :)

On the lighter side, the elementary school had a walk-a-thon yesterday. A week ago, the boys came home from school so excited to get pledges for the walk-a-thon that they went straight to work. They were canvassing the neighborhood and basically bugging all of our friends and neighbors. I even put a $2/lap pledge for each boy. A lap is 1/8 of a mile. They would have 50 minutes to run as many laps as they could. Roy misunderstood and thought that they could run up to 8 laps and pledged another $3/lap/boy. There were lots of prizes for the most laps, the most money earned, earning over $100, etc... So they were super motivated. By the next night each boy had about $50 collected. Then Joey started getting nervous that one of his friends would get more money then he. So, he decided to "train" for the walk-a-thon. He was using the elliptical every day and running around the neighborhood. Well, yesterday was the event. The newspaper was there to cover it. I helped mark off laps for the kids. After it was over we owed Will $115, Joey $165, and Andrew $170. Will did 23 laps (almost 3 miles!), Joey did 33 (a little more than 4 miles!) and Andrew sprinted the last five minutes to beat Joey and got 34 laps. I am very proud of them. Next year we will not be pledging $5/lap. But on the bright side, every penny goes to the school for technology, school activities and classroom supplies. $450 eeeck!

2011-09-14T19:52:00.001-06:00

You want an update and a funny story...

okay then...here you go.

Gary: "Quinny, you have a rooster tail to take care of before school."
Quinn & I watered it down as we made rooster sounds.
Me: "Okay, I think we took care of it."
Quinn: "Does that mean I'm a chicken now?"

2011-09-14T19:18:00.003-06:00

And now to the update:

Going...

Gone!

All I can say, is of the three near deaths we've experienced this past month, I'm glad the van was the only real fatality. RIP old pal. It was a good ten years.

What's the Point of this Blog!

2011-09-13T13:20:00.002-06:00

So we have this blog, why aren't we using it? I LOVE hearing and seeing your lives and want us to use this more. Put funny things on that your kids say. Put fun pictures of things that you are doing. Post recipes that you find that are amazing and totally easy (for people like me). I am just as guilty as anyone of not posting on here enough. Let's have some fun and get more involved in knowing and sharing our lives! For example, yesterday I went to Renee's after work for mate, and she had some soup in her crock pot. It smelled SO good. I asked what it was and she gave me the recipe and I went home and made it and LOVED it. It was so good. It was a cream of zucchini soup and the kids liked it a lot too. She should post the recipe it was that good! I miss hearing from you guys and because I work, I don't usually know what's going on as much as the rest of you maybe. Although I will say, I LOVE my job and am so happy right now. I smile almost every day and love what I do. Weird! I never thought I would say that. So share your lives people, I want to know what is happening :)

2011-08-26T09:43:00.008-06:00

Getting ALL of the kids off to school.............priceless
Seeing Quinny enjoy his first sport...............priceless
Helping a friend out.....................................priceless
Keeping kids active in Church activities.......priceless

Doing all of this for 3 days.....$49.95 & 211.7 miles on the van

2011-07-28T20:43:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again...

maybe that's why Quinn's favorite song to sing as of late is
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas".

COUSIN SWAP 2012
Jenkins: Jane, Andrew, Joey, Adam, Sammy
Hammonds: Jack, Jessica, Clara, Grace
Rasmussens: Lucy, Davie, Jimmer
DeLongs: Davis, Ryan, Rebecca, Will
Hills: Katy, Elisabeth, Zach, Isabel
Rices: Lily, Quinn

As always, feel free to swap.

Come on already...it's June

2011-06-01T22:12:00.005-06:00

Start praying for warm, sunny days in Northern Cali or we are going to be camping in the snow and spending long days indoors. (I'm only sort of kidding...).
Time to rally.

Cupcake Wars

2011-05-26T09:32:00.002-06:00

I am so excited for the family reunion! It is going to be awesome! There are some really fun things planned. The last few nights Ryan and I have been experimenting with cupcakes and different flavors. This is turning out to be harder than I thought. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.
So, here are the rules and details on our Cupcake Wars:
1. Every family will receive 6 chocolate cupcakes and 6 vanilla cupcakes (I will be making a total of 48 chocolate and 48 vanilla, there will be tons).
2. I will have vanilla frosting available to everyone. You can use as much as you would like, or you can make your own frosting. I am making chocolate ganache for myself and Lisa, if anyone else needs some let me know so I can make enough.
3. You will need to supply your own flavors, toppings, mix-ins, etc. Other than cake and frosting there will not be anything else available, so plan accordingly.
4. To vote for your favorite in each category (chocolate and vanilla), your family will receive a card. On the card you will score every other families cupcake according to taste and presentation (so make it look good too). You will not be scoring your own cupcake. The highest score wins. There will be a prize for chocolate and vanilla.

Hopefully this is clear and we are all on the same page. I think this is going to be great! I can't wait to taste your creations!

Done

2011-05-25T11:26:00.001-06:00

Alrighty....I ordered all the shirts yesterday and they should arrive here early next week. I am pretty excited!!!

Thanks for getting me sizes and colors so quickly (like there was ever a doubt that you wouldn't).

REUNION SHIRT INFO!!!!

2011-05-18T18:33:00.002-06:00

Hello Family!

So it seems we are going with the pigment-dyed shirt. Sam suggested that we each pick our own shirt colors and then print the same logo on all of them. It is a great idea! The logo will be all black for simplicity in printing. Below are the links to the four different shirts; mens, womens, youth, and toddler. Go to those links, pick the color you want and then e-mail that info to me. DO NOT order it yourself; if we all order them together then we will get free shipping; plus then I will have all the shirts here to print on. You may notice that the women's shirt is a different brand than the other two...they are completely out of stock on the original one I looked at and plus this one is cheaper. I received the sample shirts in the mail today and I really like the feel of this women's shirt.

Here are the links:

Men's: http://www.jiffyshirts.com/authenticpigment-1969.html

Women's: http://www.jiffyshirts.com/comfortcolors-C4100.html

Youth: http://www.jiffyshirts.com/authenticpigment-1969Y.html

Toddler: http://www.jiffyshirts.com/bella-201.html

On sizing: I ordered a medium - it fits, but is a little snug through the shoulders and hips. I will probably order another one in large. I think a medium would fit Lisa, but anyone with any chest (Michelle and Jen), broad shoulders (all of us), or hips (me) would probably want a large. I would think the older girls like Katy and possibly Becca and Lizzy would fit into a women's small if they didn't want to go with the youth shirt. I will be up at Mom's on Friday evening if any of the locals want to come and see the shirts first hand to decide. (Lisa, let me know if you want a medium and if you want it in chili - don't feel obligated, I will still wear it, but if you want it, it is here)

I ordered Scott a medium in the men's shirt and although it looked big at first, once he tried it on it fit great.

I ordered Adam a youth small - it is way too big and fits Lily. In store sizes, Adam wears a 6/7, so my guess is that an XS would equal a 6/7 and a small would equal 8 or even a 10.

I didn't order a baby one, so those of us with babies will just have to guess. I will tell you though that the company that manufactures that shirt is a little higher end in the t-shirt printing world, so I am guessing that the sizing will be fairly accurate to the retail market.

Like I said; I will be at Mom's on Friday so feel free to come and look then to assess what sizes and colors you want. Also, Scott ordered a black one (it is kind of a faded black). We thought it might look cool because then the printing would be kind of subtle. We will try and make it soon and let you all know how it looks on a darker color. I think this will be fun.

Also, I wanted to let you know about pricing. Shirt pricing is based on market values and fluctuates a lot. So when you go to these links and see one price but then are charged a different price it is because the price of the shirt either went up or down at the time I placed the order (it will probably go up since the price of commodities in general are going up). But it won't be too much different than the price you see - it really only fluctuates by about 50 cents to a dollar.

One last thing; Lisa asked if for her older boys' shirts I not print the family names on the back. So I am not putting that part on the back of their shirts (which I can understand...they may not want to walk around with a shirt that says Lulu, Jimmer, and Gracie on it). If you or your child would also like to opt out of that feature then just let me know - it makes it no harder to not print that on the back of some shirts.

It would be great if everyone could let me as soon as possible which color shirts they want. That way I have time to see if it is in stock, get them ordered, shipped to us, and then printed. Let's say that everyone let me know no later than June 3rd. Let me know if you have any questions.

I am so excited for the reunion. I think it is going to be awesome!!!!

Thanks a million!

2011-04-14T12:39:00.003-06:00

So Saturday was a GREAT day! It was so fun to see everyone at Lily's baptism (Lisa we missed you guys) and it was especially fun to have everyone over for lunch.

Knowing the kids were eating everything down in the basement I had mentally prepared myself to find Hurricane Katrina down there. I figured I would find fruit salad and frosting smeared into the carpet and on the walls. Can I tell you how surprised I was when I went to down to the basement after everyone left and it almost looked like the little cleaning fairies had visited me! There was not a single stain!!! In fact the only trace of food I found were a couple of lingering paper plates and a few bread and cake crumbs! Not only that, but the majority of the toys had been put away and cushioned put back on the couches. It took me all of five minutes to get the place cleaned up, vacuuming and all. What GREAT nieces and nephews I have!!!!! And what great parents they have for training them to be so well-mannered in someone's home. THANK YOU!!!!! It made it all that much more fun to have you here in my little house!

2011-03-18T18:13:00.004-06:00

Just in case you'd all like to become educated on our life with Zachy, check out this site:

http://www.hspsupport.org/main/afterdiagnosis.html

Jennifer's party

2010-12-28T22:08:00.001-07:00

This was such a fun night. Thanks Roy! We love you Jen!

2010-11-30T16:46:00.006-07:00

Just want to get this all to you before I misplace it AGAIN.

YOSEMITE DATES:
Arrive June 20 (Mon) - Leave June 24 (Fri)

CAMPGROUND:
Upper Pines (it's big. . .our noise will dissipate in a crowd)

RESERVATIONS for CAMPGROUND:
MUST be made on Feb 14 at 7 am PST
** There will be more info on this procedure at a later date**

PROPOSED SCHEDULE:
MONDAY- arrive, dinner/campfire together
TUESDAY- Bridal Veil Falls, Lower Yosemite Falls, etc. . .
WED- Sentinel Dome, Half-Domers depart from Glacier Trails
THUR- Half-Domers ascent & descent through Happy Isle; others enjoy exploring
FRIDAY- break camp, leave through Mariposa Grove (?)

COST:
$20/car to enter park (good for 7 days)
$20/night/family for the campground
$5/person for Half-Domers
food/shirts/crafts. . . TBD

OTHER:

On January 5th I have to get a wilderness permit for our Half Dome group to stay at Little Yosemite Valley Campground. PLEASE let me know if you plan on doing this so that I can include the proper fee.
Half-Domers - we will be hiking from Glacier Trails to Little Yosemite Valley Campground on Wednesday, summitting early Thursday and returning to the Valley Floor via Happy Isle. IF you would rather hike up and back in one day, plan on Thursday - ALL DAY.
There is a $10 fee to cancel a campsite reservation (this is not per night - it is a flat fee).
For great info on Yosmite go to: http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/index.htm and just start clicking.
PLEASE let me know what I've missed. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

5th and 6th graders ski deal!

2010-11-03T07:39:00.002-06:00

I have a great idea. Mom and Dad are now retired and may sign on to my awesome plan. SkiUtah.com has a 5th grade and a 6th grade ski passport that allows the holder to ski every resort in Utah free. 5th Graders get to ski each 3 times, I think. 6th graders just once each. There is a $25 processing fee. That is amazing! So, if Rebecca, Elisabeth, and Jane all have free ski lift passes, Mom and Dad could have a fun granddaughter ski day or 2 or 14. Or Sam, Michelle and I could take the girls some day. It would be super fun. I don't think Ryan can b/c I think you have to be a resident. Darn. Anyway, what do you think? - Jen

deceptive, maybe...delicious, well that's up for debate!

2010-10-11T17:48:00.002-06:00

Hey Fam -

I have this cookbook that I am thinking of getting rid of. I asked for it for Christmas one year and Scott delivered on that wish (so nice of him). Unfortunately I haven't loved it. But I don't really want to give it to DI just yet. I am wondering if one of you want to borrow it and if you love it then you can have it...

Love, EM

Don't Eat Pinenuts from China!

2010-09-16T18:14:00.002-06:00

The minute I swallowed my first bite of Cheerios this morning, I knew something was up. All day long I have had a very bitter, metalic-type taste in my mouth, especially when I eat. After hating my delicious left-overs, I looked it up on WebMD. Pine Mouth came up. So I clicked on that. It has an article about people who have an allergic reaction or the like after eating pine nuts a day or so before. I was shocked; I had the same symptoms and I made pesto the day before yesterday, of-course snacking on the pinenuts too. (I froze the pesto for later use, which I don't know what to do with now.) Anyway, it looks like pinenuts from China are the culprit. I do love pinenuts, so I really hope that I can still eat them without this horrible consequence. They say the yucky taste will last about 2 weeks. Oh my. Don't eat Chinese Pinenuts!

CHRISTMAS COUSIN SWAP

2010-09-16T16:59:00.002-06:00

Okay, so that I don't lose this again. . .

JENKINS have: Isabel, Sammy, Grace, James, Will

HAMMONDS have: Clara, Elisabeth, Lucy, Adam

CLAYTONS and RASMUSSENS have: Joey, David, Ryan

DELONGS have: Andrew, Katy, Lulu, Davis

HILLS have: Jane, Quinn, Becca, Zachy

RICES have: Jack, Lily

Tom Cruise on Home Teaching

2010-08-20T16:53:00.001-06:00

Thought you would like a good laugh! I got one!

2010-08-18T10:59:00.004-06:00

Dinner was really good last night. When the kids and all of their friends keep coming back for more, I think it's a keeper.

Mexican Pizza:
Substitute one cup of flour for a cup of corn meal in your pizza dough recipe. Mine calls for 5 cups of flour normally.
1 1/2 cup mild salsa + 1 small can tomato sauce, blended until smooth
shredded jack or cheddar cheese (about 2 cups per pizza)
sliced olives
drained and rinsed pinto beans
left-over taco meat (any Mexican food meat would be good)
cilantro (opt.)
Any other mexican inspired ingredients would be good too.

Bake and serve. I topped mine with lettuce and tomatoes. The kids had it plain. The crust was the best part. Yummy

-Jen

2010-08-12T13:48:00.003-06:00

Famliy Night was fun. We did Cupcake Wars. Roy was at work, or we would not have done this. Each kid made a different flavor cupcake that represented a country. Our nice neighbors were our jugdes. With a basic cake recipe split into 4 parts, we ended up with a chocolate stuffed and topped "France" cupcake (Becca with Hannah as 'Su Chef'), a cinnamon churo "Mexican" cupcake (Joey), a maple vanilla creme "Canada" cupcake (Andrew) and a smores "American" cupcake (Will). I took pictures with my phone, but I don't know how to transfer photos to blogs. It was so fun. The smores cupcakes won. They were really good (William had a lot of help from yours truely).

JENKINS UPDATE

2010-06-04T22:59:00.031-06:00

Here's a little photo expose' of our life recently. Somehow there are no photos of all the hours we spend at the ball park. I'll have to be more diligent about capturing our real life on film!

2010-05-20T16:34:00.002-06:00

So, looks like we have a dog. The boys were out in our front yard on Sunday and a little dog came out of the bushes next door. No tags, no micro-chip, no one claiming him. Mysterious! Andrew's prayers finally paid off. He is the cutest little stinker. He actually does stink, but is an amazingly nice dog. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if someone claims him. As soon as I can, I will post a picture.

2010-05-20T16:04:00.003-06:00

I posted my pictures on my facebook page. I could post them here too, but then I would have to use Roy's computer b/c that is where the pictures are. If you want, I will do that.

The real reason I am writing today is I found the best way to keep my house clutter-free. We have been using the system for a week and a half. It is called "the clutter jail". The way it is set up is I go through the house every night and pick up everything that is out of place. I put a small colored sticker corrisponding to the day of the week on each item. They have one week to "post bail" on that item. In order to post bail they have to find something else out of place and swap that for their item OR they can do a chore to get it out. So pretty much after that first night, the kids were cleaning up all the clutter to get their stuff back. I also have let each of them have one thing out of jail freeeeee, if I don't have to pick up anything the night before. It has happened twice. :) I have those rules posted on a large clear container. Right now the clutter jail is way full of mostly Will's stuff. He hasn't quite caught the vision. But it has been a raving success! You wouldn't believe how clean my house is. Well, I guess you would if you've been here after Valeria has been here.

PS I think my awesome paper with all the rules and stuff has been erased. Bummer. It is really clever.

2010-05-10T10:59:00.002-06:00

I keep checking to see if Jen has posted pictures of her trip to Japan and Guam and I have to say JEN GET WITH IT AND POST SOME DANG PICTURES!!!! I want to see and hear about your trip. Remember, I have to live vicariously through all of my siblings. If you all don't post things, I can't very well be jealous of all of your fabulous lives!

Don't be jealous

2010-03-30T18:22:00.002-06:00

I recently purchased a new mate straw and it is the most amazing thing ever! It has this spring type thing at the bottom. It never gets clogged, I never suck up any yerba, and it's also cool to look at. So, don't be a hater.... I'm just super cool with my new straw!

2010-03-21T19:32:00.003-06:00

Aaaahhhhh, Maui
...what more can we say??

New Swear word

2010-03-06T13:41:00.002-07:00

The other day Andrew asked me what people in China do to flip someone off. Wierd question. I said, "the same thing they do here." Joey said, "What does that mean?" Andrew explained a little. Joey then asked,"What does it mean when someone does that?" Andrew said it means the same as the "F" word. Joey thought for a few seconds and said "Oh, f......upid." Fubid, yep.

HOUSEKEEPING CAMP

2010-02-24T20:36:00.003-07:00

Here is a map of the camp. I know that Michelle is interested in staying away from the river (and bears, if possible). I figured you'd all want to chime in on where we should stay...so here you go.

http://www.yosemite.ca.us/maps/housekeeping_camp.png

Can't wait!!!

Jenkins UPDATE February

2010-02-22T13:20:00.008-07:00

Oh Vegas...
everything a little bigger, bolder, and barer.
(This is the indoor waterfall inside the shops between the Venetian and Palazzo.)

100th Day of School Celebration!

This was a great day!!

2010-02-22T12:44:00.002-07:00

So, as most of you know I LOVED Yosemite when I went last year and have been dying to go back. Without question, it was better than any vacation I've been on with the kids. However, staying over an hour away was not fun and I decided that next time I go, I'm staying in the park. Here's the problem - I don't love to camp and appreciate a bed and electricity. You know, the little comforts that make life livable!

So, I did some research and there are a number of options inside the park. The Housekeeping camp is what I think to be the best option. They are 3 sided (concrete walls) little cabin-type things, with a covered porch and canvas wall for the fourth wall. They sleep up to 6 people, have the beds (you bring linens), table, chairs, and things like that. Yes, they are common bathrooms, but it's about $80/night and in the park and not a tent. I called Lisa and she said she was in for June 2011, and so I invited everyone, and everyone seems to be good with it. I haven't talked to Renee about it yet - doing that today. So, I think that it would make a good family reunion. Yes, it would be a little more expensive than some of you are comfortable with, but if you think of it like me, as your family vacation for the year (some of us only take one), then it's not too bad really. Emily is in charge of the reunion and thinks that the reunion part should just be 3 or 4 nights. I however, am going to stay from Monday to Friday cause I Love it. Here is a link to read about the lodging http://www.yosemitepark.com/Accommodations_HousekeepingCamp_LodgingDetails.aspx

Check it out and tell me what you think. I'm not going to force anyone to enjoy the most beautiful park in the world, but I do think you would have fun! I need a final count because I can book them for next June on June 1st of this year and they fill up very fast!

-Michelle

Becca is a star!

2010-02-04T12:46:00.003-07:00

Rebecca is in a musical theater class. They are putting on a musical that is a mix between Wicked and Wizard of Oz in May. Last night they get there casting assignments. I almost cried when she told me she gets to play Glinda (the good witch). She was thrilled and hung the little star on her door that had her assignment on it. I am so proud of her. There is no one as enthusiasic as she is, so I think she will be perfect.

Freezer Meal Party

2010-01-29T22:24:00.003-07:00

We did freezer meals tonight and it was so fun! As you can see from the pictures it was a ton of food. We did 14 meals total and it worked out to be about $5 a meal. Pretty cheap if you ask me. It was a lot of fun. Thanks everyone for your work and energy (I chopped 40 cups of onions).

2010-01-09T04:38:00.002-07:00

We found a restaurant with a long outdoor stairway full of life size wooden sculptures. They were amazing. Here Dad is ready to have afternoon tea with Corazon Aquino.
This was a cop getting after a wooden figure of a man urinating against a wall. Too funny!!
Here I am with a group of my new best friends. They didn't have much to say, but they were cute.

2010-01-09T04:28:00.002-07:00

Here is a jeepney in the Philippines. We rode in a few of these.
Ran into the missionaries on P day in Baguio, Philippines.
This is called a tricycle in the Philippines. This was in the Church parking lot the Sunday we went to church. Notice the Latter-Day Saints on the bumper.

2010-01-09T04:19:00.002-07:00

This is a huge gun at Corregidor in the Philippines.
This is a bombed out movie theater the troops used in Corregidor.
How's that for a bullet?

2010-01-09T02:00:00.002-07:00

The only problem with this is that you can't feel the heat of the day!!!
And you wouldn't believe how rough her skin was.

2010-01-09T01:58:00.001-07:00

Here are some temples we saw while in Thailand.

2010-01-09T01:50:00.003-07:00

Here we are riding an elephant in Thailand in the ancient capital city. There were tons of old ruins. The next two pictures are showing how tame this elephant and all of them were.

2010-01-06T15:04:00.012-07:00

SAVE THE DATE...

Jessica's Baptism
Saturday
February 13th
3:00 pm

intentionally planned for a long weekend
so you can ALL come if you'd like...
we'd LOVE it if you could...
but will, of course, love you just the same if you can't...
just know that there will be
lots of food and fun to be had
(sorry, I had to throw in one last enticement)

DECEMBER

2009-12-30T20:39:00.032-07:00

Christmas. . .with some new traditions

Christmas Eve. . .
family in the hot tub
Christmas Day. . .
dogs in the shower

progress

2009-12-21T08:50:00.001-07:00

I don't know why the picture is sideways, but here it is. I gained .6 lbs. I have to say that I am toally good with that. I pretty much took the entire weekend (Fri-Sun) off. I enjoyed my anniversary and weekend. Today is a new day though and I am re-committed.

my weight

2009-12-14T08:45:00.002-07:00

I'm still not under 200, but I am getting close. I lost 3 lbs this week and have a total weight loss of 11 lbs. I am proud of myself. This last week was much harder than the week before. I missed one workout and ate some chips one night. So, I could have lost more, but sometimes you need a break and sometimes you need chips. Right? This week I have to be really good because our anniversary is Friday and we will be going out and I want to enjoy it. Keep drinking your water, eating fruits and vegetables, and exercise at least 3 times this week. Good luck!

2009-12-09T16:02:00.007-07:00

Just thought you could all use a good laugh.

As I put the star on the tree the other night Quinny told me that he'd rather have a SPONGE on top.

Apparently he's not a fan of "PATRICK STAR".

it's working

2009-12-07T09:17:00.003-07:00

Last Monday I started the "28 Day Body Shaper". It has not been easy, but it's working. See for yourself. The top picture was taken last Monday and the bottom picture was taken today.

I've lost almost 6 lbs. in one week. Since the begining of this whole internet weight loss thing I have lost about 8 lbs.

2009-12-01T17:05:00.006-07:00

Since Emily is always so good about quoting Adam online, I thought I'd follow her lead. (Actually, I'm doing this because I don't want to forget Quinny's quips and I keep forgetting to write them down.) Mind you, my Q has his father's quick wit...maybe not quite up to "par Adam" - but still laughable. Here you go...

A morning last week:
Quinn: I don't feel good.
Davis: Are you as sick as a dog?
Quinn: No, I'm as sick as a person. And not a cat either.

Last week we hired a man (Henry) to help us clean up the yard a bit.
Quinn (after dropping the kids off at school): Where are we going now? (Standard question)
Me: Home.
Quinn: Why?
Me: Henry is going to be doing the burn piles in the yard.
Quinn (with a very quizzical look): But he doesn't have any hands.
Me (laughing super hard at the mental image Quinny must have come up with of our dog Henry throwing sticks in the fire with his mouth): Not Henry the dog. Henry the person.
Quinn: Oh.

Progress and winter

2009-11-16T09:05:00.002-07:00

We got a big storm on Saturday. Isabel loved it. It was fun to get some snow. In weight loss news..... here is my weight this morning. So, I've lost 1.5 lbs. It's not much, but it's a start. I've done pretty good on drinking enough water, but I only exercised two times last week. So here are my goals this week:
Nutrition goal: drink 8 glasses of water a day, again AND only one baked treat this week. That's cookies, cake, muffins, etc. I am only allowing myself one this week.
Exercise goal: same as last week, 3 times for 30 minutes.

2009-11-15T01:21:00.003-07:00

Here's what the kids do for fun! The young boys will challenge each other by the hour. Hey Davis and Ryan, try this one out. It's amazing how creative you get when there is no "high def". Hey, these people live like "cave men".

2009-11-15T01:17:00.003-07:00

Here's a photo of the seminary class in Mwan, Chuuk. They are great kids even though their english skills aren't up to much. The senior mission couple there has learned Chuukese well enough to teach them most of the time.

2009-11-15T01:09:00.005-07:00

I was in Chuuk last week with some of the Japanese guys from the Area office in Tokyo. We were invited to a Branch family home evening. The foods main attraction was a 250 lb. sea turtle that was cooked in a "UM" (underground with hot rocks). This was on big turtle! Since the shell is its bone structure, there weren't any bones inside. it was all meat. Boy did we eat turtle! I must have eaten a pound of it. The taste was not like "chicken". It was more like really nice lean beef. I also visited the island of Kosrae where my mechanic brings me Mangrove crab to eat. He brought me three crabs this time that had pincers the size of my hand. It was like a "crabby paddy" in each one. That is really good stuff.

virtual weight loss

2009-11-10T13:24:00.003-07:00

My weight might come as a shock to some of you, but I am not ashamed of myself or what I have become. I do, however, want to be healthier and lose my baby weight. My goal weight is 170 lbs. I know to some of you that is still huge, but that is less than what I weighted when I got married (I weighted 172 lbs). I have always had a hard time loosing weight, even though I know how to do it and have done it many times before. So, this time I have decided to do a virtual weight loss and the family can be my personal weight watchers, literally. I am going to be posting my weight every Monday (I know today is Tuesday, but I want to get started today) and letting everyone know my nutrition and exercise goals for the week. If you would like to join me, great! If not, that's fine too. What I don't want is anyone to judge me or comment on how fat I am. If I gain a little weight too, keep your comments to yourself. I need to be accoutable to someone and there is no better person than everyone (because the world can view this blog and it's somewhat embarrasing).
So, my starting weight is 217.0 (I just want to point out that when I got home from my mission and started weight watchers I weighted 231, I was chubby).
My nutrition goal this week: drink 8 glasses of water a day.
My exercise goal this week: 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time
I will be letting you know how my goals go and posting my weight again next Monday............

HALLOWEEN

2009-11-04T10:39:00.029-07:00

. . . . rEadY foR hALLoWEen. . . . . . . . . . . . . SiCK of HAllowEeN. . . .

thus far...

2009-10-17T09:11:00.001-06:00

DeLong Family Booklist

2009-10-14T13:00:00.002-06:00

Hey Fam,

Michelle had a great idea of compiling a list of all the chapter books we own. Then we can swap them back and forth rather than buy duplicates of the same book. I have set up the site; it is a work in progress, but I think it will work for now. Here is the link:

http://delongbooklist.blogspot.com/

Add any chapter books you have and in the genre section list whether it is a children, young adult (teen), or adult chapter book. Let me know if you have any questions.

EDH

YOSEMITE

2009-10-07T20:23:00.001-06:00

2009-09-11T13:18:00.002-06:00

Today I canned in a real boiling water bath for the first time. I made the yummiest salsa. I hope the cooked stuff is as good as the fresh. Thanks to Lisa for the tips and encouragement.

JENKINS FAMILY UPDATE - end of summer

2009-09-09T23:01:00.020-06:00

First Day of School for them...

...Meant first day ALONE in the park with Mom for Quinn.

After enjoying my amazing birthday surprise in Utah
I came home to this awesome surprise!
(Nice undies Quinny)

Finally using the Sacramento Rivercats tickets
we won at the scout auction. Little did I know that we were waiting for the Giants' farm league team
to be in town.
(Don't you wish you were sitting by Lu?
Not so much fun until the snow cones showed up.)

CALLI'S WEDDING

2009-09-09T22:05:00.040-06:00

Just call me Snow White.
I'm sure we saw a singing bluebird or two as well.
(This was heading down our driveway Friday morning
as we headed out for Twin Falls)

The little girlies loved following Calli around -
her train never touched the ground!

And no, that's not Michelle in the back right corner.
Just the older, shorter version - you inspired me Shell...bangs and all.

This is how the girls ate
**Salads, rolls, chicken, potatoes, etc...
(McKenzie, Kajsa, Jessica, Hailey, MaryAnna)

This is how the boys ate
**Salads, rolls, prime rib, potatoes, etc...
(Davis, Mitchel, Dallin, Matthew, Ryan)

And this is how these boys ate!
** Pigs in a blanket and macaroni on the wall and ready to run
(Trey, Quinn, Zach)

Dancing Isabel

2009-09-02T13:54:00.000-06:00

2009-08-29T23:14:00.002-06:00

Here is a sample of our sunsets. Mom keeps her camera right next to the rear window.

2009-08-29T23:13:00.001-06:00

2009-08-24T01:22:00.001-06:00

2009-08-24T00:51:00.001-06:00

Through the meat grinder.

2009-08-24T00:43:00.002-06:00

I had an experience last Saturday that was pretty exciting. My friend and I went down to the Coast line to find a couple of caves. The shore line is what is called "karst" which is limestone that is eroded away just enough to make it razor sharp. We basically walked along a coral shelf. The key is to do it when the surf is low and the tide is low. The tides weren't bad but the surf was deadly and unpredictable. About half way to our destination we got hit by two huge waves that just ripped us off the rocks and dragged me through the karst. We were lucky we weren't dragged off the shelf or it would have been "curtains, I tell you Curtains". It was like I had a motorcycle accident without the motorcycle. I really got torn up. Basically it was my left arm and shoulder and both legs. I was bleeding like a stuck pig. We went on and found the caves then headed out, being much more cautious. Needless to say, I am one sore guy today. My knees are especially sore. It makes another great story. The question is; when am I going to start acting my age. Here are some pictures.

DAD

Lisa's Birthday Weekend

2009-08-23T19:16:00.002-06:00

On August 20th it was Lisa's birthday. For her birthday she came here to hang out with her totally awesome sisters. It was such a fun weekend. We had a blast. Here are some photos from the weekend's events: Her birthday cake, made by Renee (I am so talented). I am actually very pleased with the way it turned out.

We rode the gondola at the Canyons Resort in Park City. It was an amazing view and so much fun. At the top we just hung out, ate popsicles, Emily, Lisa and Michelle went on a hike, and some people played horse shoes. It was fun.

Lisa blowing out the candle on her cake. I think she liked the cake too.

The sisters (minus Renee, who is big pregnant) have turned to bobsledding as a new sport. Look for them in the next Olympics.

This is us on the gondola. We had a good time.

labels

2009-08-17T13:43:00.002-06:00

Apparently I really like labelling my children...Gracie's shirt says, "Little Miss Perfect" and Davie's says "Hello, my name is Mr. Popular" (this was Sammy's outfit and always a favorite!).

I actually did not intentially dress them in these clothes at the same time. I noticed this after I downloaded the pictures. Funny...

The learn so quickly!

2009-08-16T20:48:00.003-06:00

Sammy's favorite word of lately is "NO", which I'm sure surprises everyone (almost 2). So when he says no, I tell him to use nice words, like "okay", "yes", etc. So here was the conversation today after church when Sammy was playing with Isabel's princess wand. This was all Isabel and Sammy. I just watched.

"Sammy, I want that"

"NO"

"Sammy, use nice words, like yes"

"NO"

"say yes Sammy"

"NO"

and that was pretty much the end of that conversation. She ended up with out the wand and Sammy keeps yelling NO at everyone unless you offer him some candy or a popsicle. I thought Isabel's skills in trying to effectively get what she wanted were very clever!

Ice Cream

2009-08-05T15:15:00.002-06:00

Today we had a mate while the kids had ice cream cones outside. Sammy was loving it! He was so funny while eating it, so we had to take a picture. Here it is:

Our Corn

2009-07-29T12:33:00.002-06:00

Ryan has been working so hard in the garden. We've never had a garden before, so this year has been our first and Ryan has loved it! He has done a lot of work, but his favorite thing by far in the garden is the corn. He has really babied that corn. Here is a picture of Isabel in the corn. It's so tall, it's actually taller than me. I am really hoping that we get a good crop from it. Ryan will be so dissapointed if we don't. I will let you all know. On a side note, our garden has been producing so good this year. So far we've gotten peas, beans, raspberries, yellow squash, zuchinni, and tomatoes. We have lots of pumpkins growing and the corn of course. Also, our chicken have started laying eggs. We get about 2 a day right now, but that will increase over time. It is so much fun having chickens and a garden. I love not having to buy the vegetables and eggs at the store anymore. It is so great! We are always going to have a garden, and chickens of course since they are ours.

Food At the Party (For Mom)

2009-07-21T10:24:00.003-06:00

Our party was last night and we had international food. It was so much fun and the food was so good. This is mostly for Mom. I thought you might like to see all the good food we ate. For appetizers we had Spanikopita and Pagsnit (Renee made them)We had a really yummy salad (made my Jennifer)

We had potstickers (Sam made them)

For our main dish we had sweet pork burritos (made by Michelle)

For Dessert we had a Berry Tiramsu (by Lisa) and Palmiers (by Emily)

We missed you Mom and Dad. We wish that you had been there with us. We had so much fun, but it would have been more fun with you there.

2009-07-09T03:12:00.002-06:00

By the way, the bread and jam look fantastic. It figures that the year we aren't there everything has a bumper crop. I haven't had a raspberry or a cherry in 3 years and you guys get it all in the same year. I really am "eating my heart out". What fun!

2009-07-09T03:08:00.002-06:00

We had an office party last Thursday afternoon at some local waterfalls. The water was so nice and cool. Some of the people started jumping off this cliff. It looked like the logical thing to join in on. I climbed up, walked to the edge, then without even looking much just turned around and did a back flip. I don't think I have done one in 35 years, but it worked perfectly. It just seemed like the thing to do at the moment.

2009-07-09T03:05:00.001-06:00

Mom just finished Lucy's quilt today. It came out super. She claims she is all caught up.

Bread and Jam Anyone?

2009-07-08T20:20:00.002-06:00

Michelle and I have been busy being domestic. We have been making raspberry jam for the past week and today I made bread. We took some to the ladies we visit teach and to Emily (oh, and the mechanic that worked on Michelle's car). It is really good jam and the bread was super yummy. I am making more bread tomorrow, since Ryan didn't get any and complained about it. So, I guess a big thanks to Mom for her bread recipe and for the raspberry plants that have produced great this year! Thanks Mom, we love you!
Isn't our jam so pretty? We thought so.

Happy 4th from the Rice's

2009-07-04T13:19:00.002-06:00

This is Isabel (very distracted) in her 4th of July outfit. She is my all-american girl with her blond hair. She's pretty dang cute, if I do say so myself.
The chickens were out today walking around the yard. Ryan and Isabel were giving them water. They are fun pets and should be laying eggs soon.

Eat your heart out Mom. This is what the cherry tree looks like. Can you say loaded? I have never seen so many cherries in my life. It is a beautiful site.

2009-07-03T21:29:00.002-06:00

This is why we have a waterproof camera. How else can you take a photo in a waterfall? And yes, I do have miles of wrinkles. We hiked out wet which offers some relief from the heat.

2009-07-03T21:26:00.001-06:00

Here we are at the trail head. The trails aren't marked all here, so many times it is guessing game hiking anywhere. It keeps the hikes interesting.

2009-07-03T21:20:00.002-06:00

Mom and I went to a waterfall this morning for a 4th of July hike. The hike was about 1.8 miles. It was nice to get out. The water was so cool and nice.

A Less International Party

2009-07-02T21:34:00.002-06:00

On July 11 (next Saturday) we are having a party sort of in honor of Joey's and Andrew's birthdays. Actually we were just missing the Delong family (not just the Sam DeLong family part of that family). We will meet at the Midway house around 1:30. We will swim and play until we are sick of playing. Then we will have a delicious BarBQ, all very casual. We will top the evening with chocolate cake. If you are willing to bring something to add to the meal, contact me. I realize that Emily is actually due to have her baby the day before that, but I still wanted to organize a get-together. We love you guys! Bring a swimsuit and an appetite. -Jen

2009-06-24T21:34:00.005-06:00

Here's a little teaser for all of you.
More to come when I can
keep my eyes open...

(The waterfall you see above Lulu's head
is the same one in the top photo.)

Party in July

2009-06-15T12:58:00.001-06:00

You’re Invited to an
Around The World Celebration
When: Monday, July 20th at 5pm

Where: the rockin’ house in South Weber (Mom and Dad’s)

Who: members of the DeLong family

What: each family is assigned a country to represent at the party. Please prepare a dish from your country, look below to find out what you have been assigned. Please dress like your countrymen. Also, please prepare a short talent representing your country.

Jenkins: Italy, dessert
Hammond: Argentina, side or salad
Rasmussen: Hawaii/USA, main dish
DeLong: China/Taiwan, side or salad
Hill: Mexico, dessert
Rice: Greece, appetizers

Also: we will be having some fun entertainment at our party. Please be prepared for a piñata, the limbo, swimming (for the kids), and bocce ball.

*If you cannot make it or have any concerns please call ASAP

2009-06-06T21:41:00.011-06:00

The many faces of Quinn...

"I not a girl!"

2009-06-05T12:26:00.002-06:00

I did it! I finished my first non-still-life original. I took the picture of a daughter of one of the other art students. Then, I painted it. Looks good, huh? I am very proud of myself.

Kate is GREAT!!!!

2009-06-01T15:06:00.002-06:00

For anyone who hasn't heard yet Katy was selected to be on student council next year. From what I understand the process to become a student council member isn't based on popular vote, but rather a rigorous process of filling out an application and going through an interview with a panel of teachers. That sounds pretty scary for a fifth grader. There were over forty applicants and only about ten were selected (I think). I am so proud of Katy; I know she will do a great job. CONGRATULATIONS KATY!

The worm has turned

2009-05-30T15:47:00.003-06:00

We have sold my beloved Seinna and given away our beloved Shaggy. I loved the car more that the pig, but it stands to be mentioned. Goodbye to plenty of room to fit groceries and/or luggage. Goodbye to a place for stashing treats in the armrest. Goodbye to all the closing compartments clearly designed by a woman. Goodbye to having the car I really want. We now have a Pilot. It is beautiful. And, appearantly I look "hot" in it. That is what Roy told me. I had to put one of the seats down to fit the stuff we needed for an over-nighter in Midway. LAME. I am still coming to grips with my loss (& gain I guess). To help me get over this change, try not to mention it in the future. I am working on having a positive attitude. However, I would like to send a long letter to Honda and ask them what they have against convenience and closable storage areas. They would probably write back and tell me that I sound like the kind of person who would like a mini van. To end on a happy note, Shaggy doesn't have to have his ear bit and bleeding anymore by Scooby.

2009-05-16T03:21:00.002-06:00

wow what a cave thing

2009-05-16T03:14:00.000-06:00

We had a great adventure this afternoon. We went to a cave that had crystal clear water in it. It was the first cool water we have felt since we got here. It was heaven! We followed a narrow corridor into another chamber where the water was about 15' deep. I have never seen such clear water. It was so clear that it was hard to tell where the surface was when we first got in. It was a nice way to cool off after a hot day.

Grandma and Grandpa Boren

2009-05-15T13:03:00.000-06:00

My lesson in Gospel Doctrine this week is about the Kirtland Saints and the sacrifices they made to build the temple. I decided that I would talk also about modern day members and the sacrifices made to attend the temple. I asked Mom to send me Grandma and Grandpa's story, because although I knew the basic outline I was hazey on some details and I thought it would be a good story to have written down. It is really touching and I wanted to to share it with you all.

Mama and Daddy joined the Church when they were young adults and met at church. They eventually got married, even though Mama’s family was against it. They were very active in the Church and by the time they had three kids, they wanted to be sealed in the temple. There were no temples in South America at the time, so they sold some of their belongings, rented their house and booked a passage on a freightliner from Buenos Aires to New York City. I was three years old.

As a side note, Daddy was a CPA and doing very well in Argentina. They lived in a beautiful 2 story brick house, Mama had several fur coats, jewels, season tickets to the opera, a maid, etc. There was a least one maid—I remember Maruja, the maid that we had when we left.

Our trip was over Christmas, because my earliest memory is of receiving from the ship crew a Christmas present. They gave Hugo, Sylvia and me each a little model of a boat. I remember mine falling over board. I also remember seeing flying fish. We arrived in NYC sometime the first part of January 1952.

From NYC we took a train to Salt Lake City. We were sealed in the SL temple. There is an article with a picture of us in the Deseret News (or maybe the Church News) about the whole thing.

I’m not sure if Daddy bought a car or how we got to Mesa, Arizona—but that’s where we ended up. Mama and Daddy had a lot of good friends there that had been missionaries in Argentina, including the one that baptized Mama. The plan was to earn enough money to go back to family and friends in Argentina (that’s why they didn’t sell their house).

Daddy couldn’t speak English and so he couldn’t work as a CPA. In those days, there weren’t many people in the states that spoke Spanish, like there are today. We were definitely in the minority. He ended up driving a tractor in the cotton fields that were owned by one of his friends. A few months after we arrived, Nelson was born (April 30) and not long after that Mama got polio. It was a horrible time for my parents. Pretty much alone (without family—Mama was very close to her 5 sisters and her parents and that was a horrible sacrifice for her. In fact, I have often thought that it was so traumatic to her that it contributed to her depression) in a foreign country, they didn’t speak the language, they were dirt poor (something they were not used to), Mama deathly ill (in fact they pulled all her teeth, she was 32 and wearing false teeth-- and Daddy had to learn how to do therapy to help her walk again) and seemingly stuck in a hopeless situation. But I never heard them complain about their decision because being sealed was so important to them.

It didn’t end there. When Nelson was two years old, a neighboring teenager throwing dirt clods with friends threw one that hit Nelson in the eye. I was little, but I am sure it was a medical expense nightmare and worry (no Medicaid back then either). Nelson eventually lost all his sight in that eye. On another occasion that I remember, Daddy was given a job as a bookkeeper or something at a car dealership in Tempe (it was called Dana Bros.). Anyway, because his English was not yet good enough they fired him. He didn’t have the courage to tell Mama, because he thought it work break her heart and he didn’t know what he was going to do. So Mama would fix him lunch and he would take it like he was going to work and then sit in the park all day trying to figure out what to do next. (no welfare, food stamps or unemployment back then either—is that a clue as to why I get so frustrated with today’s generation always complaining).

I don’t know how in the world they saved enough money, but in 1954 or 1955 (I need to check on the date) we all went back to Argentina. Daddy got a good job in downtown Buenos Aires. One day however, civil war broke out—they ousted Juan Peron from the presidency and there was shooting and bombing in the capital. Well, Daddy was right in the middle of that mess and I remember Mama so worried. We went to grandma’s house (mama’s moms house) and listened on the radio. Daddy arrived there very late at night with horror stories of the killing and dead bodies he had seen. I think it was that horror that made then decide it was better to return to the states and raise their family there. We went back to Mesa after being in Argentina only 9 months. It wasn’t until 1957 or so until Daddy got a job as a CPA. All those years of struggle and suffering because they wanted the blessings of the temple for their family. The greatest thing I learned from Mama and Daddy is their love for the Lord no matter what is going on. They never complained about making the decision to sacrifice for temple blessings. It was an incredible sacrifice.

2009-05-15T12:45:00.000-06:00

Free Guinea Pig with cage available!

Story:

This is Shaggy. His "friend" Scooby is the alfa-male. Scooby must have missed me while I was in France, because he has started biting Shaggy. Last week, Shaggy had a big bloody bite on his ear. I seperated them for a day, but Scooby did it again when I put them back together. Shaggy makes a scared chattering teeth sound around Scooby. Poor poor Shaggy now has an ear deformity. Poor poor me that I have to clean 2 cages now. We need to get rid of one of them. We decided on Shaggy, because he never bites and "we already had a black one". Any of you chicken-lovers want a cute furry loveable black guinea pig?

2009-05-13T12:48:00.000-06:00

Sacre Ceur (sp?) with all the other tourist. However, we climbed over 300 steps to the bell tower, where there were only 6 people.

2009-05-13T12:46:00.000-06:00

Proof that we were in Paris. It was fun.

2009-05-13T12:44:00.000-06:00

Our cubscout troup picking up trash. What a motley crew! I love 'um though.

2009-05-13T12:41:00.000-06:00

Andrew is still at it. I am proud of him for sticking with it, even though I am making him stick with it.