It's Dad writing now. I scanned in three more photos that I really like.

The first is Karen playing soccer. She driving on the goal. If you look, there is no one between her and the goal. I bet she scored.

Next we have a picture of Kathy holding her first bird in the aviary. I strongly suspect that Owen is the one giving her the bunny ears.

Last is Mom. On the back of the photo it says: "6th Grade---I was in a bad mode and really didn't want my picture taken! Mom took it anyway".

Do you have a good head on YOUR shoulders?

Before you begin reading this blog, note that I was hoping to put these pictures in the opposite order and at the close of the blog...It would have been funnier. (maybe next time)

This week I am happy to report that we now have new shower heads in the bathrooms that will accommodate tall people!! So, for our tall males in the family, you no longer have to squat down, bend over, or turn the nozzle to shoot the water up at your face! Yea!
The weather has continued to be over 100 degrees, so the only walking we've done has been at the YMCA on the treadmills, which, actually has given me the chance to read the Ensign from cover to cover. The September issue has a great article about marriage that I would highly recommend. Several different people who have been married for a long time give what they consider their best advice for a happy marriage (pg.12). Oh, and by the way, did you all know that Daniel and Julie are quoted...not in that article...but in another article in which young couples give advice for Home Storage (pg. 66). Good job to you!
Dad has been keeping busy not only with shower heads and downloading info from an old computer to a portable hard drive, but he spent a day actually cleaning out his JUNK drawer! Does everyone have a junk drawer? If not, this is a drawer that odds and ends are put into that are considered treasures at the time, or just stuff you don't know what to do with. Among his "treasures" he found a bunch of pictures. We are posting a few here that we laughed over for quite awhile. Here's the story. You kids found this doll head and thought it would be funny to put it on your shoulder because we were telling you that it was of value to have a "good head on your shoulders". I'm not sure if Karen and Kathy quite got the idea of it, but wanted the "good head, too". Kathy may have been exhibiting the phrase, "two heads are better than one." Dad thinks that Julie and Owen will remember this story better, so if you do, leave it as a comment.
We love you and hope you have a good week.
Mom and Dad

Dad finally got around to putting some of his pictures on the computer from his big sailing trip, so I hope to post some here for you to view. He also spent quite a bit of time this week downloading pictures of you kids from years ago that were on our old computer to a portable hard drive. They were fun to look at.
On Saturday, Peter, Mary and I played up at Riley's Farm up in Oak Glen. It's a really great place to take small children to. There's apple picking, candle making, rope making and some game booths for kids. The food is good too. The Ceilihouse Band has been asked to play Saturdays and Sundays from now until the end of November... the apple season. I told my group that Sundays were out for me, but I would give Saturdays a try and see how it goes. It was a relaxing atmosphere where we just sat under a tree and played. It was 84 degrees which was 20 degrees cooler than at home. I enjoyed it, but we really missed Rory and Frank.
Dad and I also did some sealings in the temple one morning and I thought I had a Todd ancestor that needed to be sealed, but as it turns out, that person needs to be baptized first.
I went to a movie night at Relief Society on Wednesday and ate a lot of junk food. At the end, my name got picked for a door prize which was the most recent conference issue of the Liahona (all spanish). So, yesterday when we went to Long Beach to watch the BYU football game, I gave it to Grandmother's friend, Heloisa, from Argentina. At first she thought it was a political magazine and then I told her it was mi religione...de mi iglesia, and she was very happy to have it. She said she has some nieces and nephews that belong to our church. I don't know if she was just being gracious or not, but she was very happy about it. That made my day!
We love you all and look forward to your comments.
Mom

September 13, 2009

Today I am leaping into the world of technology by joining the rest of the bloggers and beginning one myself. I think this will be an excellent way for our friends and family to keep in touch and to know that we love you and want to be a part of your lives.
We have had so much fun this past summer getting together with each of you and we miss you when we go for too long without seeing you. The Labor Day weekend was great fun although we all missed Owen. In the coming months we look forward to mid October when Kathy will come home. We will get together with Owen and Megan and go see the BYU / San Diego football game!! I'm WAY excited for it!! Hopefully, Karen and Danny will be moving into their first home, or house I should say, and we will be able to come visit them and help them with anything. In November, I'm hoping to to go to Utah for the BYU / Utah game, but dad is sure it is sold out and so we may stay home. Then we look forward to having everyone here for Christmas. You'll be glad to know that we just bought another double bed. (I don't know who will be the lucky ones to stay in the beautiful futon though ;).
Yesterday, the Ceili House Band played for the Boys and Girl's Club of Redlands. We played in one of those portable aluminum stages that feels like an oven when your inside it. We had some Irish dancers join us and the noise and echo from the fast hard shoes was like drums in our ears. None of us could hear what the person next to them was playing. It was a real test to stay together. I had my eyes peeled on Rory's fingers and foot tapping. We got a good laugh out of that. I watched the most football in one day that I have ever seen!! It was exciting to see BYU win and we saw #58 a couple times, which had us screaming. Then we drove to Long Beach, visited Grandpa and Grandma Ann and then over to Grandmother's for the USC game. She is doing very well with Heloisa staying with her. We must pray for them both!
We had a great Stake Conference today. Dad said that in the morning priesthood session, the husbands were told to be nice to thier wives. That's always good to hear. That's just as Dr. Laura says, "choose wisely, (before marriage), then treat kindly (after marriage). Good advice for everyone.

Well, since this is my first post, I'll close. I know it's long and I'll have to get better about shortening my stories. Just know that we love you all and think you are the best people EVER!!