He pushed the Button....

Ok - so tonight Ryan pushed the button - the one that submitted his Mission Papers to the church. His availability date is December 17 - so anytime after that he could be sent - any where in the world. Last week he was set apart as an Elder in the Church - our whole family was there and it was a sweet spirit that accompanied the blessing. So..... why not start speculating? It seems as if most families hold a "where do you think he'll go?' contest - so why don't we! You can post your ideas here and we'll keep track of them. Ryan starts his freshman year at Brigham Young University - his major is Biology - and his minor - is keeping busy until he leaves for his mission! He has school and work and soon he'll add HOMEWORK - and HOURS OF BUS RIDING! Matt will also be commuting so it will be a great time for them to be together. I tell you - I'm really going to miss this kid - he's an amazing person. You won't find any finer than Ryan. When I can't find him - he's serving at the Bishop's Storehouse, signing up to clean the conference center, or getting his home teaching lesson ready (but he hates it if anyone knows that!)(that's what I love about him) I can't wait to see where his future will take him - he's prepared to go, and do, and serve the Lord in anyway he needs him. When he returns in 2 years - the sky is the limit. (Watch out for this one you BYU girls!) Let's see....passport, physicals, eye exams, missionary pictures, becoming an Elder, preparing for the temple and now pushing the button - I put him in the Lord's hands.

Happy 3rd Anniversary Matt and Bethany

I remember well the day - actually 4 days after my son stepped off of a plane returning him to the United States from a 2 year Mission from Taiwan. He told me he had asked Bethany to marry him! Now not only had we known this would happen and it would happen soon - 4 days did not give me much 'Mommy and Me' time with Matt! Needless to say - any moment that Bethany was not a part of our family was a moment too many. We loved her so much and prayed that someone else would not steal her away from us. Matt and Bethany were married in the Jordan River Temple on September 2nd. They celebrated the night before in the Duffin's backyard - a family friend to the Stimpsons. It was a beautiful setting for a special night. Then the next day they were married and we had a wonderful wedding luncheon and they headed off to Disneyland for a week!

We were always in love with the Stimpson family, Mark (King Mark), and Kathleen (Queen Mum) and their two daughters. We were always impressed with the amazing caliber of daughter they raised. Bethany and Matt met during their service in the Special Needs Mutual - Matt was smitten! Although she was an Alta Girl, and Matt was a Jordan Boy - their hearts were meant to be together. Bethany is currently on her 2nd internship for her Masters Degree in Communications with an emphasis on Speech disorders (I probably messed that description up - so Matt please fix that) and Matt just returned from Seattle Washington from his internship with Ernst and Young and will also graduate with his Masters from BYU in December. They have been diligent in their church callings - Primary, Primary, Primary - funny stories over the years have hit their blog pages. We are so proud of them in every way - there is a wonderful spirit about them when ever you are with them and you always want to be with them. One of the major reasons we LOVE to be around them now is our Grandson - Andrew Vincent Hillary - who is currently celebrating 2 new bottom teeth and 6 months of being absolutely the most important thing in the world to these old Grandparents. They will be moving to pursue their dreams in January to Washington - only 14 hours away - less than that if I drive. They take our support and love with them - just as long as they leave the grandchild here. Congratulations on your Anniversary! You always seem to spend each day more in love.

Happy First Anniversary Mandy and Ryan!

August 30 2007 was a very special day for our family. Mandy married her true love Ryan Merriman. She looked beautiful in every way, and Ryan as handsome as ever. We decided to celebrate with a reception in our back yard. It looked beautiful and we loved having everyone over to share in the day. It's been a year now and we have enjoyed watching them figure out this marriage thing.

They are both students at BYU. Ryan is double majoring in Political Science and Journalism, and Mandy is majoring in Music with an emphasis on Saxophone Performance. They have been active in their callings in the church - Ryan is the Elders Quorum 1st counselor and Mandy is the Young Womens Camp Director. Ryan is on the BYU Cross Country and Track team and Mandy is Lead Saxophone in the Wind Symphony. Both are blessed to have scholarships which they work very hard to keep. We were blessed to have a new family to love - the Merrimans. Ruth and Randy have been wonderful parents and it shows in Ryan. We have had so much fun breaking Ryan into our crazy family - he's been a good sport. The more you are around him - the more you see why Mandy loves him dearly. They have recently returned from their honeymoon? Yep - it's the first time since they've been married that they could take off and enjoy a week of relaxation - they headed off to Hawaii and were beach bums! Mandy didn't have to kiss a bunch of frogs to find her prince - he just came 'running' by at the right time.

So - it's been a year now and there are many memories to tuck away making room for new ones. Mandy and Ryan we are very proud of you two - hang in there and make it another year, and another year, and another year. You both bring joy to our family. Happy Anniversary! PS - Mandy said that the traditional 'eating the wedding cake a year later' was very tasty!

Still obsessed about this fire - I need to get away...

I went on a bicycle ride today past corner (crispy fried) canyon. I was still just frosted over about the damage caused by someone. Lucky me I found this picture of Smokey the Bear and Matt and Ashley from 1951. (You didn't know they were that old right?) (And that Ashley was blond when she was 8). There are still hot spots on the mountain and the choppers are still flying over it with water and it's been 3 days! I haven't heard if they have found the person responsible for starting it. I DO have a solution for the person that did start it - and how to punish them. After a public flogging - I think they should make them walk in every single parade dressed in the Smokey the Bear Costume in 105 degree temperatures without any water. For further punishment - they must do this walking behind the horses and right before the little clogging girls. Then afterwards - another flogging. I'm big into flogging. Well - I'll tuck this family treasure of a picture back into the archives and perhaps pull up the real Girl Scout and Boy Scout outfit pictures! (Children - checks can be written in my name for any amount you think it will take to NOT post those pictures! (Ooooohhhh Remember the gap in your teeth? Make it worth my while!) Elaine? I don't think you can carry smoke filled coolers over the California border..... Illegal Immigrants perhaps - but not smoke filled coolers....

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!