Rate this slide show

If you are troubled trying to get these pictures let me give you a clue - try the "View All" button. There is a place at the bottom to rate the slide show - I rate it a 0!! Not because the pictures are horrible but because I can't, for the life of me, figure out how in the world to get the thing to work right. (How's that for not swearing!) I don't get what I am doing wrong - at least you can see the pictures...if you wait long enough. I still plan to post pictures from my trip to Georgia but that will have to wait a couple of weeks as I am moving this week (yea!!) and will not have the internet or a while. I love technology but it always seems just beyond my grasp of comprehension. I just want the dang thing to work and I want to be able to figure out quickly why I am such an idiot. Well, if 33 years hasn't been enough time to figure it out I guess I can't expect to get it any time soon.

Pictures from the 24th!

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So the frustration keeps mounting!

I know that I promised some of you that I would have pictures of our 24th of July fireworks display on the 25th...and it is now the 27th. I have tried the website suggested to me to do slide shows and something went wrong. So, I am here to make my second attempt. If you don't see anything by the end of the day you may safely assume that I have rid myself of my frustration by chucking my computer as far out of my window as I possibly can. (Well, O.K., I won't throw my computer out - but I'll be REALLY mad! If I threw it out how would I play solitare?) Check here later today for some pictures of the 24th of July.

I GOT THE HOUSE!!

I am so excited! I found out yesterday that I got the house. I should close on July 28th and should start moving in on July 29th! I know that I have a lot to do between now and the 29th let alone all that I need to do after I finally get into the house. Anyway, Mom and I are off to the stores to start looking at furniture and other fun house things.

By the way, thanks to Rachel and Daina for the suggestions for my blog. I hope to be including a slideshow of Georgia real soon.

Frustration!

O.K. I know that I am not the best blogger - I tend to go months without any sign of life on my blog. However, I just did an entry on my blog and I couldn't get the pictures to go below the writing. That is so frustrating! I want to have my blog look nice and want it to go a certain way and I can't get it to do what I want. I know that it is probably an ID10T error - or that problem lies somewhere between the chair and the keyboard - but it is still frustrating. I would like to put on some pictures from my trip to Georgia and back but don't want to burden any of you with over 700 pictures and I can't figure out how to do a slide show at all let alone with just the pictures I want. Anyone who could help this crazy, mixed up, barely computer literate person with suggestions I would be glad to accept them.

I'm Alive!

The front of the house

The backyard

the living room

the kitchen

I have been somewhat absent from the blog-scene lately. The last month of school was crazy, I worked a lot at Lagoon (my cushy second job) and I've been looking for a home to buy. Then, two days after school let out, I went on a long cross-country road trip with my Mom and a few neices...pictures to come soon. But now I am back and enjoying my summer vacation to the best of my ability. In the week that I have been home I have found a home and put an offer in on it. I should find out by 8:00p.m. today, June 29th, if my offer was accepted. I can't wait to find out! This home has so much of what I wanted when I first began looking for a home about 3 months ago. I am anxious to find out if I got it and then move forward to get the deal closed. As you can see, I have included a couple of pictures of the house that are on the realty website.

Estes Park, Colorado

Part of our family went to Estes Park, Colorado last weekend to attend my cousin Christy's 40th birthday party. It was a really good get-away and really fast. We drove to Colorado on Friday, played on Saturday and came home on Sunday. We had a great time - I think it should happen mroe often.

Rebecca waiting for her lunch.

Phil Peg and Carson ready to party at Christy's party. The idea was to dress like you were from 1968 - Phil and Peg were the only ones who were good sports about it. The rest of us were a bunch of party-poopers.

One of Carson's favorite things to do while at the condo was to go to the "wa-yer" and throw rocks in. He ran around and played hard. I think he had a great time.

Phil and Carson throwing rocks in the water.

Carson outside the shops in Estes Park eating the popcorn that he said made him throw-up later. Just ask him, he makes the sign he has for popcorn and then makes a sound of throwing up. Even sick he is cute.

We had the top floor of these condos. We were right by the river - it was awesome. Thanks Rachel and Kelley.

Phil, Peg, and Carson waiting for their lunch.

Jennifer and Mike - it was fun to travel with their family.

Christina Jacobsen

Aubrie - she was sick too and yet still cute. She celebrated her birthday in the car on Friday. Happy 11th birthday, Aubrie!

What ever happened to "Out like a lamb"?

As I went to bed late last night I heard the sound of hail hitting the dried, left-over leaves from last fall. I didn't really think much of it until I went upstairs this morning and found 2-3 inches of snow on the deck. I was shocked. I stood for a moment trying to take in the scene before me; as blurry as it was without my glasses, I was sure of what I was seeing. I assured myself that it was O.K., we have had snow in the spring before, and that it would be gone before the afternoon grew into evening. WRONG!!

The temperature today reminded me of much more frigid January mornings and the snow on the grass was still clinging on solidly as the sun went down. Snow is usually fine, and with the "decades" of drought we have had it is welcome - but it is becoming as tiresome as company that stays too long. I am ready for it to take a trip to the North and make room for other warmer visitors to come...like leaves, butterflies and summer temperatures. Maybe tomorrow, on the day of fools, Mother Nature will fool us with a day of spring before dumping on us another blast of winter.

Remembering Dad

Every year, around February 12th, my family gets together to celebrate. My Dad wasn't born on February 12th, he died that day. Some may wonder why we choose that day to celebrate on rather than his birthday in October. It may be hard for some to understand, but on that day we celebrate Dad's life, our life as a family, our relationships, our family members....and we do it all playing hard together. This year we "rented" Mike and Jen's church and it turned out to be so much better because Mike has access to all of the toys. We ate dinner, played basketball, soccer, volleyball, tossed the footballs around and timed the kids running around the court. It was very fun and something we look forward to. We missed our Georgia family, Lori, and Ben, who were not in attendance; but we celebrated them as well. I included A LOT of pictures from the evening - I hope you enjoy!

The kids playing

Darrin putting up a shot during a fast-paced game of Lightening

Look at the concentration on Phil's face as he tries to stay in the game.

Kyle brought some very cool helicopters that flew really well; he and Conner and Sammy had a great time playing with them.

Brent playing a rough game of football with Caleb while Carson and Sam look on.

Tia can make the most interesting faces. She was getting mad at me here for taking her picture.

The kids had a great time on the stage. Tate is getting ready to run across the stage as fast as he can.

Mom, Jennifer and Mike watching the scene and taking a break.

Caleb had a great time running around the court with me timing him to see how fast he could run. He is a quick little four-year old.

Conner had a lot of fun with this helicopter; they were way cool!

Mike getting ready to get his shot in for Lightening.

Becca and Aubrie were shotting against each other and neither one could make it. They began to get the giggles and then the shotting got even harder.

Christina made girls everywhere proud when she won a game of Lightening. All that practice with the school basketball team has paid off.

Sammy is showing me what a BIG bite of pizzia looks like.

Kennedy ran hard after the ball that she kept kicking around the gym. She was very proud of herself.

This was loads of fun. We will look forward to it next year as well.

A Weekend Away

I realized as I was getting ready to blog this tonight that it has been a few weeks since my last blog. Life has seemed very busy and I haven't taken the time to journal my life on this blog. This last weekend, for President's Day and a day off of school, my friend Michelle and I decided to have a weekend away. We decided to go all the way to Provo. We know, it is almost too exhotic for us but we thought we would be able to handle it. Saturday we went to the Provo temple. I took some pictures.

I have other pictures just like these I took 12 years ago. They are the same except I was wearing a name tag then.

It was fun to go there. Most of the people working in the temple were young - probably recently returned missionaries going to B.Y.U. It was different but really good to see. What a great opportunity.

Michelle and I spent most of our time in our hotel swimming, reading, watching movies, sewing, writing in journals, and playing games. It was a wonderful weekend of rest and relaxation. Thanks Debbie for inviting us over for dinner on Sunday! It was great!

A Request from Georgia

My Georgia brother, Mark, and his family requested that I include more pictures of the snow we have had this last week. Out of the seven days since my last entry I think it has snowed 4 or 5 of the days. The weather was perfect yesterday for the funeral of President Hinckley - but we have had two major storms in the last week.

Our house doesn't look much different - some of the snow melted yesterday when it was so warm. (It got up to 32 degrees.)

Just a shot of what has accumulated on the roof.

Mark particularly requested a picture of the snow plowed piles of snow. This is the pile in front of the Snow's house (how fitting) just two doors down in our cul-de-sac. I have great memories as a kid playing on these piles. They were fun to climb all over, sit on, play king of the mountain, and sled down when we didn't want to walk all the way to the hollow.

Here is our house with the snow pile in front of it. These are the types of winters I remember as a kid. Lots of snow, enough to build huge snowmen and large winter fortresses from which to have snow wars. Besides the memories, it is beautiful! But I can't help but think that it is going to take a long time for it all to go away.

Remembering Grandma - 1 year later

One year ago, on January 26, 2007, Grandma Larkins passed away. We took the time yesterday to get together and celebrate her life. I stopped at the Farmington cemetery to visit her grave and took some pictures.

I ran into a couple of other people who also had stopped to visit the cemetery - Granpa, Mom, and Debbie. It was a beautiful day.

More Snow!

We woke up this morning, Monday, January 21, 2008, to about 4 inches of new snow and the snow still coming down. It still hasn't stopped and it's noon! This is one of the best days for it to snow...NO SCHOOL for Martin Luther King, Jr. day. I love days like this! These pictures are from our yard. The ones of the dogs and the barn are my favorite.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinners, as most of you know, have a great deal of tradition in my family. There is usually roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, Yorkshire pudding and a veggie. Grandpa has been the official meet cutter for many years. Here he is doing his work.

Having never had a young sibling of his own to torment, Darrin takes this opportunity to harrass his nephew, Carson. Phil, Peg and Carson are temporarily living with Grandpa while they build their home in South Weber.

Carson was not really in the mood to be teased as he had just been awakened from his nap. He was a pretty good sport about it anyway. (Mean ol' Darrin)

After dinner, and feeling much more awake, Carson found some of Grandma's teddy bears from out patient surgeries she had and showed them all to us. He is hilarious. While Grandpa is in the back sitting room under a blanket watching T.V., Carson will run back and scream at him trying to scare him. Grandpa and Carson are great friends.

Carson loves to play with cars and Cars is his favorite movie. This little mischievous look comes after I tried to touch his Lightening McQueen car shown on the table.