Summer---Getting swept away

Summer seems to come upon us and move along like a fast-paced river. I really do not know where the time has gone. We have had weddings to attend, family visiting, Conner's done a couple of camps, I have been earnest about my yard, (it's getting there!), we took a wild hair vacation to Chicago during Conner's two week hiatus from football, and drove to Denver to visit with Tanner.
THE WEDDING: So fun getting to see people you haven't seen in nearly twenty years. The boy who got married had been Tanner's friend when we lived in Douglas. His father had been our Bishop and his wife and I had been good friends. Christmas card giving is a beautiful thing, it really has kept me connected to my past, gives to me in my present, and promises the future. I try hard to do it every year. If I miss a year, I have hardly missed the next. I'm grateful for that. Pictures are great, but getting to really see them was fun. And to be quite honest, we adults hardly ever send pictures of ourselves, only our kids. Anyway it was fab to see Lisa and Dave, and their grown children. Michael, their son was 4 and Tanner 5 when they moved away. Michael had no idea who we were, or Tanner for that matter. But Me, Bryan, Lisa, and Dave sat and visited at the end of the reception, so fun to catch up. They are living quite the adventure, currently they are living in Russia. Dave works for our church handling the temporal affairs of the church in that region. Before that it was Africa. They maintain a home here, but are only here a couple of months out of the year. Their children have been schooled in Africa and Russia.
FAMILY VISITS: Need I say more!
CAMPS: Morgan from Casper came and stayed with us for a week and the boys went to EFY. Especially For Youth, a Church program for our youth. They had a blast! After that Conner went to a Football Kicking Camp, we are set to go again at the end of this week.
Conner goofing off at the Scottish Highland Festival at Thanksgiving Point---a stop on our way to take Morgan to his Aunts House in Lehi.

OUR YARD: Oh my!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have planted and planted and planted some more. It's been a lot of work. Our grass is slowly but surely making it's way. I honestly think that next year will be the treasure trove. I love flowers and flowers in containers, so I have a lot of those. My favorite find was at Wal-mart, they had begun to mark down. I got beautiful flower containers for $3.oo, yes I said $3.00, you cannot believe how pretty they are, I took them all!!!!!!!!!No Surprise.
I have to tell you about the rocks! I wanted just 2---one for each burm. So I went looking, I wanted fairly flat nice looking rocks---here you have to buy them. Crazy, anyway, you have your local excavating companies, but they think your nuts if you don't want a truck load. However, there are those people here that are always industrious, usually local contractors, who happen upon rocks in their work and then turn around and try and sell them. So it was that me and Bryan, driving around looking for 4-wheelin spots happened upon a pile of rocks in front of someone's house with the proverbial rocks for sale sign. You guessed it 2 beautiful flat rocks loomed before me. Only kids at home, so they gave us their fathers cell phone #. If you can lift them, you can have them for $20 a piece, a bargain for sure. I told Bryan we for sure have to lift them. It about killed him and the young boy the father sent out to help. The second one the boy decided he needed the fork-lifter cat. But, he still sold it to us for $20. However, when we got home, we still had to get those darn rocks into the flower beds. Bryan sustained a large scrap on his shin and Conner totally smashed his finger, (it turned black, not much blue going on), so there I was trying to help Bryan, we did it, but 3 days later I'm still feeling it in my hips and back. Poor Bryan and Conner, it was truly one of the scariest, probably not the brightest ideas I've had, but boy do my 2 rocks look great in my burms.
CHICAGO: My sister Pam pleaded, practically begged me to come to Chicago for a visit. SO I told her I would if I could find cheap airline tickets---guess what they were only $130.00 each. Unbelievable, we had to go! So we went, it was nice. She and her husband just built a new home complete with swimming pool. It really looks like a resort, so we just hung out and relaxed. I think Bryan really needed it to. Conner got to hang out with his cousins, one of which is driving, so they were off. They went shopping, you know its the driving, because Conner hates shopping.
A Hiccup in our trip---we get to the Denver airport---that's where we flew out from, and Bryan has no drivers license. He had this green sick look on his face and one of the airport people asked what was wrong, so Bryan told them. Oh just go over there and they'll take care of you. So here Bryan is in the holding area, waiting to see his and our fate. The funniest part was when the guy comes over , he snaps on gloves. Conner's eyes get really wide and he goes, oh no, I think they give you a full body cavity search Dad!!! Actually just a background check and a lot of waiting, but they let us fly. Bryan remembered that he had left his license at the impact gun place when him and Conner had gone shooting. They overnighted it to us in Chicago, so it was much easier getting back. Ever wonder what would happen if you lost your license while on vacation?



MY TWO BOYS___________________________________________



TANNER&DENVER: Got to see where Tanner works, quite a set-up. He really enjoys it. The people he works with and the variation of his duties. Got to see where his school is, Personal Training School, 3 months left. He's hoping to get hired by some sports club, he is loving that too! So all is good with him. He moved, so we checked that out. Made him go garage sale-ing with me, he thinks I have a problem! But we got a great shop-vac which he totally wanted and a barbecue grill, they were wonderful finds. As a family we went to Heritage Square, rode the Alpine Slide, go-carts, the boys got fake tatoos', Conner wanted it so bad, so Tanner did one with him. We had a really nice visit, saw Cynthia's new house. It was the year of new houses for everyone, got to see them all too, what's better than that?

Having a joyful time in Casper

Me and Conner went to Casper this past weekend so that Conner could go to the 9th grade formal with Stephanie. It was a fun time. They ate at Botticelli's, Conner ordered escargot. He didn't even know what it was! It was fun for Conner see some of his old friends and soccer buddies. They looked so cute and grownup, it's amazing how time has flown by. Then on Monday Patti, Larene, and I went shopping and out to lunch---Conner went to school with Stephanie. He loved to see all of his old Teachers and friends. On Tuesday--I had to stay till Tuesday--I could not miss Tuesday Breakfast. Those sweet ladies surprised me by celebrating my Birthday. I so miss you all, you have no idea. Having such great friends is one of the things I cherish most in my life. The picture above is of all of us around "our table".
Conner and Stephanie giving each other their flowers, they are so funny. Have to say Conner was slightly nervous through the whole thing. Who knows why, I think he didn't like everyone focusing in on him.
Are they not the cutest!!!! They both looked darling. This was the best smile we got from Conner all night. He hates to show those braces! I'm so glad that Stephanie wanted Conner to come and go to the dance with her. They have always been such good friends to each other.
Morgan and Kelsey came over to the Lee's house Friday Night to see Conner. I can't get over how much they can grow in just 8 short months. Morgan is tall!
John put Stephanie and Conner to work picking up sticks in the yard. It's amazing how much kids can grumble when they are asked to work, but they seemed to be having a good time, go figure.

Spring is in the air

I cannot wait for spring to come. After all that snow, most of which is melted. I think today should finish off the rest. It is suppose to be very nice outside. And not a lick of wind, YEAH! I try to focus on all the positives of our move. One of them is hardly no wind, and a longer growing season. I am so looking forward to planting. I talked to my friend Ruth yesterday, she is crazy for plants, she has all the best places to go. I can hardly wait! Anyone that knows me, knows I love plants and flowers. She says that there is a lady that comes down from Bear Lake that sells Geraniums, big beautiful ones, for $5. Who can beat that. In the fall I can re-plant some tulips for this yard. We live far enough away from the mountians that I think we should be ok with the deer not eating them.
Last year, a mother Robin decided to nest in my wreath on my front porch. Here she is perched, I caught her laying an egg. That is why she is staying in her nest, letting me take the picture. Otherwise, she would have flown away. Her eyes are so wide, she must have been scared out of her wits. But I just had to take the picture.
This is her nest full of eggs---she laid five altogether. Only four hatched. It is amazing to see what she did with her young. After they hatch they are little scrawny things, but then they get fat and fluffy really quick. It was hard to imagine them all fitting in the nest. But one by one she would take them from the nest. You at first saw them on the ground, almost as if they had fallen out. I guess birds need to get their land legs before they get their wings.

This baby robin was in the tree in our back yard. I had to stand on a chair to get the picture. Cute isn't he.

I really am looking forward to spring---flowers, dirt, grass, eating outside, seeing all the neighbors come out.

It Never Hurts to be Prepared

I went to a class on Saturday with an old friend from Casper. It was at Kitchen Kneads in Ogden and the couple who own the store talked about how they lived on their food storage for 11 months in Montana. So basically they talked about how you can actually live on just the foods stored. They claim that in that 11 month period they did not purchase one thing from a store---no dairy, no meat, no vegatables, nothing. They gave demonstrations on how to prepare foods with wheat, beans, and rice basically. Oh, also, the art of sprouting. They actually covered a-lot, it was a 3 1/2 hour class.
So I thought I would share one of my favorite things.

The first thing he told us about--- was a candle that will burn 3 hours made out of toilet paper.
Buy cheap toilet paper for this:
1 roll of toilet paper with the center roll and approximately a 1/2 inch thick of paper left on it pulled from the center.
1 empty new quart can with lid. (looks like a small paint can)
1 32 oz bottle of rubbing alcohol
take the roll of toilet paper and place inside the can, pour the entire contents of the alcohol over the toilet paper.
To store, place lid on top and always store upright. Will eventually evaporate--but will last for a fair amount of time. (If it's possible to store upright in a car, this is a great thing to carry along in-case of an emergency)
Another great use is that you can turn it into a makeshift stove. Place a #10 can (the ones we use to can with at the distribution center) after punching holes around the top of the can and the bottom of the can, and of course one end off, place over the small can. Presto stove, cook on the top of the #10 can.
You just basically light the alcohol in the can and the toilet paper serves as the wick. The best part: the toilet paper doesn't burn, you just replenish by adding more alcohol. Good one, don't you think!

So there you have it. Thought I was going to share a recipe or two did you not. I was considering it, but decided you probably have seen all those things before. It really was a fun class and I am now asking that Bryan buy me a wonder mill for my birthday. So I can make flour out of anything and everything I can.

How the weather affects our lives

I thought I better take a moment and just write a few things. It has definitely been winter here. Back in December I wasn't quite sure that it snowed in Utah anymore. We only had rain, and lots of it. So when it started to snow here I was so glad. I love the blanket of fresh new white stuff. However, it has not let up. We have had snow storm after snow storm here for about 4 weeks. Now I'm looking forward again to the rain.
I've somehow managed to keep myself busy. I wrote quite a bit last week for my class. A little embarrassing when parts of it were read aloud in critiquing class. Oh well that's what it's for. I certainly have a long way to go. But I am thoroughly enjoying it.
My little older friend who has been going with me, fell on the ice, and broke her arm. So I'm not sure if she'll continue. I've enjoyed getting to know her on our drive over. She and her husband are retired, and like me she longs to write. She has even finished a book on her ancestors from Sweden.
I went to a talk on Saturday with a couple of ladies from my neighborhood to listen to a lady named Sherri Dew. She's the President of Deseret Book and she was so wonderful. She was so funny and very inspirational. I felt blessed to have the opportunity to go. It was funny when we got there, they were frantically trying to remove snow from the parking lot. There were mounds and mounds of it everywhere.
I painted my kitchen, I like the color well enough, I think I'm going to paint the rest of my main living spaces with it. Anyway, that's really about the only exciting things I have to report on. Not much to watching paint dry. And what else is there to do when it's so cold and snowy outside.
Shopping, (bought new bra's, woohoo) cleaning, laundry, making dinner, a few crafts here and there, taking Conner to school, homework referring, writing for my class, yoga, and reading. That pretty much sums up the rest of my time.
I love this time, and cocooning inside. But I know spring is just around the corner and I can not wait to be outside in the yard.

Loving New Adventures

Just wanted to write a little about my 2 new adventures. Yoga-I just love it! The women that are in the class are all so very nice and supportive. I know I have a long way to go to be where some of them are at. However, I am keeping up pretty well. I had no idea how wonderful I would feel after doing the class, I am so relaxed and feel so good, I don't know if I could ever give it up.

The writing class on Thursday Night- oh my I hope I can do it. We have to write a 3 page something for one class, it can be anything, and a 6-page story for the critiquing class. I have so far, a whole paragraph. It's hard! I have ideas, but wow, I'm not sure I can write well enough. I know that I am going to learn a lot more than I know now. That's a really good thing.

Here's for coming out of our comfort zones and trying new and different things!!!!! Who knows we might really love something we didn't think we would. Or maybe we will be really good at something we had no idea we would even be able to do.

A Mid-Life Crisis or just being able to watch one.

Our Tuesday Mornings Breakfast group met in Denver to go to a dinner theatre and shop. Here we are all ready to go to the play "A Mid-Life Crisis". It was so much fun to get together. I miss you guys!!!
Here we are at the Dinner theatre- it was in Boulder and it was wonderful. Sara had seen it and thought that us girls would enjoy it. Christy joined us and she is the one taking the picture.
For the last few years we have had a Christmas gift exchange and we were all able to do that together at the hotel. It has become one of my favorite Christmas happenings. It's so much fun to see how clever everyone can be. We all stayed together in a hotel and had our gift exchange and stayed up and talked till about midnight or one can't remember, can any of you girls. Anyway it was so much fun- highlight note: getting ourselves to the hotel to get checked in and ready was highly adventurous, me and Cath kinda sorta knew how to get there, however, we did end up making a couple funny detours (my fault). Cath with her sticky notes and yahoo maps had us all lined out, and we got a little off track, pretty funny. But we got there and grateful Cathy always takes the time to make sure we actually do know where to go.
Here we all are posing for a picture with the gift Sheryl gave us, it's a trivet that folds up and is easy to store. She's taking the picture - but don't worry I'll make sure that we get her in her jammies for all to see. Cathy sat snuggled up in a comforter off the bed-can you see her off to the left.
Sheryl showing her treasures. This was so much fun and tomorrow we are all going shopping!

Out with the Old and In with the New

This little playhouse was in our back yard in Casper, it was built for Tanner when he was 4 years old by my brother Keith. We even moved the little house with us to Casper from Douglas when Tanner was 6. It will make a cute little playhouse for the two little girls who are now living in our old house.

Here is me and Conner in front of our old house in Casper, WY. Seems like forever ago that we were there, and we lived there for almost 20 years. It's funny how quickly we adapt to new surroundings

Here's a couple of picture's of our new house, it has a cute front porch, and we are at the furthest point in a cul-de-sac, I really like a lot both of those things. The yard is huge and kinda situated funny, it will be really interesting come spring, what we actually attempt to due with all of it. Tons of fencing is in our future.

The thing that Bryan loves the most about our new house is that it has tons of garage space. The door that is to the right runs the whole length of the house and he has made a spot in the back to put all of his tools and he can now park his 4-wheelers in the garage which makes him ever so happy. If Bryan goes missing from his office you generally can find him out in his garage.

New Years Resolutions

Here we are already into the new year, can hardly believe it. Last year sure was a year of change for the Livingston Family. Moving to Syracuse, Utah after living 20 plus years in Wyoming has certainly been interesting. I'm slowing but surely becoming more and more comfortable with my surroundings. I really did love my house in Casper, spent a lot of time and money making it exactly how I wanted it, and now here I am trying to hurry up and make all those things happen here. I realize I just need to slow down and relax, in due time all those things will happen. Besides it will give me something to do. My New Years resolution is going to be to play with my house and really catch up on those scrapbooks. I want to take a couple of community classes, I was so excited to find a couple about writing books for publication. Really want to do that, some of you know that it is my secret desire to write a book. I actually have wanted to do that since I was a teenager, never really knew how to get started. Also, I want to take a class on sign language, our new neighbors are both profoundly deaf. The other day Dan came to our door with a note to borrow vanilla. I just wish we could communicate, when he comes looking for his son Trent, who hangs out with Conner once in awhile, I never know how to tell him exactly where they are. However, we know exactly what he is after, for some reason, when he looks us in the eye and puts his hand even with his waist, we seem to know that he is referencing the height of his son, and wanting to know where Trent is. Then we attempt to hand spell people's names.