I love 'sick and wrong'

RFH on X96 posted this picture - I had wondered what David Archuletta had been up to. Won't they have cute kids? Erin - I'll need to order a BIG cape! (: Here's a post fire giggle. David had other IDOLS I guess eh?

Uh huh - I believe someone is watching out for us...

Need further testimony that he watches over his house? If the wind would have been blowing south - I still think our beautiful Draper LDS Temple would still be standing. Not even a shadow of a doubt.

This is the sun shining brightly through the smoke from the Corner Canyon Fire in Sandy - it's about 10 miles from our home. Still ZERO percent contained after 4 hours. This is only 1 hour into the fire - by 4:00 PM the valley is covered in an freaky covering. We live next to the driest gully in the valley - Dimple Dell Equestrian Park - scary because there is ash falling from the sky everywhere. The big tanker planes are non-stop flying over us. Right behind the smoke are some serious thunder clouds - a little help here please? Preferably lightening free perhaps?

So much for the SLC Air Quality Report.... I say get the tinfoil dinners ready and grab a marshmallow just for kicks! I can't even breath in our house it is so thick with smoke! I will be so sad to see the black mountain afterwards. The scars from the red fire retardant still stain the mountain from the last big fire. Weird - I passed about 2 dozen wildlife management service vehicles - the wildlife is starting to head into town. I will also miss the beautiful fall foliage that would have shown up in about a month. Basically we are probably thinking that the "No Fires Allowed" sign is gone.... Hope they catch the culprit and make them plant all of the trees again - with a spoon..... why a spoon Ashley? Right - it'll 'urt' more! I'm thinkin' that Smokey the Bear will not be available for interviews for a while....

4:00 PM .....just an update - they have started evacuations..... not pretty.....

10:00 PM .... people back in their houses but the mountaintop is still on fire. It's almost to the watershed hike we all go on - to the big rock. House is still full of smoke - car covered in ash - eeeewwww. The wind is blowing like crazy - our beautiful mountain is black except for the glow of the fire whipping up in several large areas. What would you grab first? (The chocolate for the smores.....)(Any child still at home) (The Macaws) (Legal Documents) (Years of scrapbooks) (Grandmas Quilt) (Wedding Pictures from kids) (Scriptures) (Load it all in the Viper and drive like - wait - the birds don't fit...) (Roasting Pan for birds) (Perhaps a nice Ceasar salad on the side) (Pepsi) (Clean Underwear).... or something along these lines.....

Be Independent

So after we had washed the car and unloaded the sleeping bags and tent - Ryan said that he wanted to go and see the Declaration of Independence which was on display at the Utah State Capitol. I wanted to go too so we headed off to wait in line for 3 hours with the other (not kidding) 25,000 people. An original document was found framed behind an old picture. The document was purchased by a gentleman that said - this is the nations copy - and will have it on display at every single state capitol so that everyone can look at it. That's a very kind deed I think. I enjoyed looking at the videos of the remodel job and earthquake proofing that happened to this massive building. The inside is so beautiful and the restoration was brilliant. It was a very respectful and reverent line of people - each filled with the excitement of the moment. I enjoyed every minute of the 3 hours - and I enjoyed being there with Ryan - and was grateful for a free and independent opportunity to see an important part of history. I did spend a lot of time looking for Nicholas Cage and another "National Treasure III" to start filming.....

Great Idea Ryan - Thanks for sharing it with your momma!

We Be Campers

Well, several of the Brave and the Free decided to go to the Willow Canyon 7th Ward Campout. Needless to say - the rest of the ward left from Sandy through Park City. Our family left from Sandy through Provo (had to pick up the camping students from BYU) then to the assigned destination. Which took 35 minutes for the first group and our family???? About 3 hours over 4-wheel drive unmarked by human territory - we arrived. Not without laughing so hard that we had to stop the car just to start breathing again! Ryan Merriman, my son in law will never ride with me again.... wait - he needs a ride to the airport on Monday.... HEEHA! Here are our stories of the rest of the adventure. We had a tent that would hold 400 people but Mandy and Ryan had to have their own tent.... Go figure...... We gathered for the campfire and sang some songs and played some crazy game that only our ward could do called, "Wha?" I lost right away - but Ashley was one of the finalists. She came away with her smile and the overall experience. That night we were camped by the Dastrups. Their son Jeremy asked if the Hillarys were going to be noisy all night - his mom said probably... he said good, it will keep the bears away! I didn't think they need to worry - we peed all around their tent to keep the bears away! In the morning the Hillary crew was hard at work making pankcakes, and eggs. Then the games began - we were the Yellow Team - the Gold medal team no doubt. First we had to blow bubbles, Kyra Morris won! (Full of Hot Air!) Then we had to run down the lane with water weenies between our legs - looked more like we were running to the outhouses! Next we had to find the Olympic colors (fruit loops) in a pile of sawdust - please don't eat the rings afterwards. Next in line was eating chocolate after rolling the dice Vegas Style (don't tell the Bishop!) Finally - we rubbed vaseline on our faces and then mashed our faces into cotton balls - the more the merrier! In the end the Yellow team was defeated but we also were fully fed with chocolate, fruitloops and bubble gum, and worked the extra calories off by running, and wrestling in sawdust. Needless to say - we cleaned up and left town - finding the road we were suppose to take on the way up. Using the extra time to head to Subway for $5.00 subs and Kyra's 'dark beverages'. Camping - a great sport to be followed by a hot shower.

THANKS ASHLEY, MANDY, RYAN AND RYAN - LET'S DO IT AGAIN.....NEXT YEAR!

My Grandson is 6 Months Old!

I swiped this picture from Drewy's mom from her blog because he was sleepin' when I called to visit him on his 6th month celebration.... gotta sleep.... still growin'! I love this little guy. He has defined 'priceless treasure' for me. I love that when I tend him he tightens his arm around my shoulder. When I make a tiny 'tweet' sound in his hear he knows it's from me. I love when he swings in the swing in the backyard he looks up at the windchimes and says, aaaahhhh. I love that he looks 1/2 like Matt and 1/2 like Bethany - best of both worlds. I love that he is loved so much by his Grandma & Grandpas on both sides and that we think he is the best thing to brag about at any given time. I love that I see heaven in his eyes when I sing to him - and that he doesn't cover his ears. I love that when he sleeps he looks like Matt did at that age and that it reminds me of how precious time is. I love that when I whisper to him, "Grow up and be a good boy and be kind to your parents" he listens. I love that he needs me, and then he needs green beans with rice cereal and then applesauce and his bottle, and then he needs me again. I love the soft part of the back of his neck - and I give him kisses there to tickle him. I love his cowlick at the top of his forehead and how all of his school pictures will make us giggle a little bit in the future. I love that he came first in his family - showing that he trusted his parents - and those that are still in heaven were wondering how he would do. Hopefully they come soon so we all can play with them too! I love that in spite of all of the challenges of parenting - Matt and Bethany said - this is what we want. I love that he exists - because of that the world is a better place. Love you Drew!

5000 Boners and still going...

FYI - I get up at 3:15 AM to go to work - and the only thing that keeps me sane and keeping me from killing people are the calming voices of Kerry, Bill and Gina from the 'Radio from Hell' show on X96. If you have a problem with that - tough- that's the way life is for me. (I mean the station I listen to - not that I have to get up early...) Extremists, Opinionated, and, yes, family to me. Today they celebrated their 5,000th show - and believe me - they had better have 5,000 more because I can't retire for many many years. I though that it was interesting listening to the 'celebration' today that they went totally talk radio after 9/11. They play one song in the morning, always interrupted with drops scattered throughout the song, and one song in the middle of the 6AM - 10AM program called the potty song. The daily 'Boner of the Day' (oh please - it means mistake) is always a great laugh about stupid people making stupid mistakes, and my favorite; "Things That Must Go" on Wednesday mornings are the spice of life for me. Ok - it's a rough group - but I love them just the same. Congrats X96 for having such a great start to every single morning that I wake up and wonder why I work retail.....

FYI - because I'm too busy to post remember?

Cornyness story on Gmas blog
check it out
Junes Journey