FHE in Mid-March

With this strange weather we're having, we decided to grill out last night.  Erin took care of the responsibilities at the grill. 

Pat set the table...outside where our food didn't get cold.  Good burgers Erin!

 I asked the family to help with the lower lawn.  Erin and I raked up sticks from the willow tree and Tom hauled them away.  Andrew trimmed the apple tree and Pat got the tractor out and plowed up some things I didn't want in a flower bed.  The roots needed pulling out and Erin got the nod to drive the tractor.  Something she's not done before.

 She did it!  Good job. 

I shouldn't have walked to the orchard when we were finished as I found a lot more work back there. I love a good family work project! 



Today at Our House

Today at our house a squirrel was busy so we got busy too. 

Andrew trimmed apples trees.

 Our garden got plowed.

 Another section of lawn got raked.

 Sheets were dried on the clothesline.

A bike ride was taken.

Sticks were collected. 

Wood was stacked.

 A nap was taken.

A motorcycle was ridden.

 Firewood was covered.

Tractor rides were given.

 A camper was pulled out of storage and set up.

And now it's time to get ready to go to Wausau for the stake Prom.

A very busy day.

My Sister Bonny

Going through my parents' slides, I found several photos of my sister.  I have great memories looking through these.  In 1975 we went on a family vacation through Canada to Niagara Falls, south to Palmyra, NY and finally to Washington D.C.  This photo was taken in Toronto. 

We had our shower in the basement and at some point it turned into a bathing shower.

 Niagara Falls

 I recall my little sister had very little hair during her first year of life.  I was at a rummage sale with my mom and some woman asked me about my little brother and I remember being very offended.  I already had 3 brothers and finally got a sister and then some stupid lady called her a boy!

 This must have been the Christmas my brother got snowmobile gloves.

 I remember that car.  That little pine tree is very big now and the apple tree on the right no longer exists.

 I love the retro look of the things on the wall.  I recall as a child looking at that rocking chair thing on the right side of the wall.  There are balls of yarn on the seat of the chair.  As a child, I couldn't figure out why there was poop on the seat of the chair.

 Look at the curls.  She is so cute!

 This was the one time in his life that my dad was growing a beard.  I remember it being a reddish color.

 In my parents' bedroom.  I wonder why they took the hardwood off of the floor? 

 I was 7 years old when these were taken.  She was just a newborn. Ma Hoffman woke us up that morning and told me that I had a new sister!  That was the most exciting day of my 7 year old life.

 She looks like a little princess.  Except for these photos I don't remember my mother being so young.  I suppose my children will think the same thing when they look back at photos of me.

I'm guessing this was on the couch. 

 In the back yard with Dan Cerveny.  Bonny must be about two.

I've had a good time looking through these pictures that I haven't seen in years.  I have so many fun memories of growing up with my sister.  Even though there are seven years between us, I am still so grateful that I finally got a sister.  I couldn't have asked for a greater blessing in my young life. 

I love you Bon!

This is March 10th?

What's a person to do on a Saturday afternoon in March when all morning was spent driving to and from the temple? 

Well, it's 60+ degrees outside so naturally a bike ride is in order.

Notice the snow in the background.

Special Olympics Basketball Skills

Our group prior to the beginning of competition.

The basketball skills has three parts.

 One part is the spot shot.  There are 6 spots on the floor where the athlete gets 2 shots each.  Tom didn't do so well in this part.  In practice he did great in this part.

 Dribbling was the 2nd part.  Each athlete had two chances to dribble from the first set of cones to the second set.  This is timed and each time the athlete used a two handed dribble a second was added.  Not a problem for this guy.

 Getting ready to shoot.  The 3rd part is passing.  He was perfect at that part.

He received a fourth place.  He was happy with it and so was I.  We have only two spots open to take athletes to state and there were three who qualified.  Two of them have never been before so it was only right that they go to state.

Way to go Tom!

Sunday Visitors

Alyssa came for a visit on Saturday night.  She and Jake and Emery spent the night with me while Belle and Cami had a sleepover at the Gourley house.  Those two little girls are such good friends and they always pick up their friendship just where they left it the last time they saw one another.  I'm so glad Lys is living close enough that we can see them more often.

Adam brings in specific bins of toys and immediately dumps them out before he can play.  Cami and Belle were finding things to play with as well.

Meanwhile, Jake and Brock were attempting to get into some trouble.

Best buddies.

Then we had the good fortune to have Joseph and Nicole come to church with us today and spend the afternoon visiting.  Nicole got some baby fix time in holding Emery. 

It was a very good day.

Slide Show

 Last week Pat (my husband) was going through his mission letters and memorabilia.  He came across some slides.  We looked at them and decided what we should keep.  My family kept slides for years and so we went through those as well.  Yesterday Walmart made them into a CD.  Here's a sample of what we found.

Pat (my brother) and I.  I was probably about 7 or 8.  I think Adam looks quite a bit like little Pat.



 My brothers and our dog "Puddles."  We called him "Pub."

 My dad.  No trees in the background.  Now there's a huge willow there.

 A Sunday morning sibling photo.  Check out my dress and Kurt's red pants.

 I waited so long to have a sister and here she is probably under a year old. About 1970

This was on a trip to the West in about 1976 or 1977.  We stopped somewhere for ice cream.  Pat dropped his.

Hope you enjoyed these.  More photos to come.