The Carpenter's Boy

Just received word that I was a winner in the Annual LDS Song Submission Contest. It's a song about how Joseph of Nazareth might have felt about being the father of the Savior of the world. John and I made a quick recording of it, and the lyrics are posted beneath the video. Hope you like it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKmCzCnxuc8

Miles' New Hobby

If you go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/thewandmaker14 , you will see what Miles' new hobby is. He loves to make movies with special effects, and then teach other people how to do it too! He learned everything he knows by himself by watching youtube. I am pretty amazed at this kid. You will also see several cameos by Ella, Char and Louis, as well, as the San Diego cousins! "Like" his videos, comment, and subscribe to his channel, and he will be so grateful!

HEY NANNA!

Rhianna aint got nothin on OUR NANNA!!!!

HALLOWEEN 2010

Miles Runs For Office

Wish him luck!

What To Do For My Birthday?

Miles had an idea about what to do for my birthday: "You and Dad could go to the gas station, buy some beef jerky, and go eat it in the bathroom. You could take turns sitting on the toilet and urinal." What is wrong with my son!??

Christmas Through Now

We had a wonderful holiday season up north at Papa's house, and then at Grammy's house. Since then, we have been on a small trip to Arizona to see my grandparents, and my mom came here to visit us! So....there are photos...one of the way that Ella painted Char's face...one of our house on Christmas eve...shooting clay pigeons in Weaverville...the feast that my sister Emma served us at my mom's house...opening presents with my brother Chris' kids in Red Bluff, and Miles and Ella's choir concert. Think that just about catches us up for the last 2 months or so!

Ella's Poem

Ella has decided to wax poetic as well. I'm so proud.


The Dream Cycle

One thousand lives
one thousand dreams
one thousand smashed
to smitherines

One thousand here
one thousand there
one thousand lost
and are nowhere

One thousand dreams
are smashed and gone
One thousand more
are going on

Miles Wrote a Poem

The speech is long spoken
his heart is long broken
his house went up smoking
in fire and flames

and under his skin
there isn't a grin
but a look of saddness
and woe.

He sits there are cries
for he'd rather die
than endure this pain called life.

But with pain and strife
though it hurts like a knife
he'll keep on living and he'll
keep on giving to
people other than him.

The speech is long spoken
his heart is long broken
his house went up smoking
but he's a good man.

The Tooth Fairy

Charlie said, "Mom, I know the Tooth Fairy's secret identity. She's Sophia's mom." ......Sophia is apparently some sophisticated 1st grader who didn't QUITE get her point across to my naive Charlie. :)

If you've ever wondered what John would look like with Brad's haircut (circa 1993), now you know...(and the rest of us have some new looks as well)

Trinity County Trip

The Trinity River was calling my name. It happens from time to time. I don't know what it is, exactly, and I can't explain it...the way I feel when I am in that water; so clean and clear and pushing and pulling me with it's current. Seeing the beams of sun shoot through the water when I'm laying at the bottom of it, swimming with the salmon...coming out of the water and into the fresh air, with walls of pine-covered canyons shooting into the sky on either side of me...Laying on the sun-baked rocks, and listening to absolutely nothing at all except nature...It called my name...and the names of my 4 children, I'm pretty sure. So we went. 5 days of water. Whiskeytown Lake, Canyon Creek, Trinity Lake, Trinity River North Fork, and the Sacramento River. 4 nights of so many stars and the milky way jumping out at us like a ghost...just heaven...all except for the fact that My John had to stay at home and work. Almost heaven...we sure missed him. If I'm lucky, the Trinity River will call my children's names next summer and I can blame them for the expense of the 10 hour drive! Maybe we should just blame the blasted river.





To the left is Charlie and Louis in Whiskeytown Lake.







Below, Ella and I in Miner's Camp, a swimming
hole in Canyon Creek, which feeds into the
Trinity River in Junction City.















Handstands!















Mama picked a hat for Louis!




















Miner's Camp, in all it's glory.





























Picking blackberries with Papa and Nicole















Ella and Louis on Trinity Lake















Miles and Char















Ella on the kneeboard















Miles on the kneeboard















Monument Peak in the background; part of
the Trinity Alps















My friend, Catilin's property, on Canyon Creek















How we got down to Caitlin's swimming hole:
in the back of her 4x4 while she drove down
a crazy dirt road. I had to TALK the kids into
getting in the bed of a pickup. They were very
concerned about safety. City kids. :)















Canyon Creek Swimming Hole #2















All 4 kids jumped off of this rock. I only got
videos of Miles and Ella though. Char and Lou
were wearing life jackets though!



Miles Turn!



Louis in his Spidey Suit
(jumping rock in background)














Charlie in the SCARY RAPIDS!!















Char looking for fish!















Miles Rock Climbing at the North Fork















The North Fork Swimming Hole, known as:
The Rope Swing















The Rope Swing, itself.















Unfortunately, you must turn your head to
the side to view this...it's me on the rope swing.

Our Cruise

It's been awhile since we got back, but these pictures will at least allow a brief documentation that we WENT. My mom and her husband paid for my siblings and I (and step siblings) and our spouses (and no kids) to go an a 4 day cruise to Catalina and Ensenada. It was great to get away and relax and most importantly, not have ANY responsibilities.

My mom, boarding the ship



John and I on the Lido Deck (waterslide in background)



Emma and Chris (my sister and her husband)
On the way to Catalina...we anchored offshore



John Having Breakfast with a Friend















We rented bikes and rode to the Wrigley Memorial
on Catalina Island















We also had a great time snorkeling!















John, giving me a lecture on goals and object-
ives in an empty conference room we happened
upon on the ship. Very silly. Very silly.














We bought masks and slingshots for the boys
in Ensenada...and when we spotted this abandoned
boat, I had to try them out!!















Luckily, our relationship is not one of "opposites
attract."














A beach we discovered in Ensenada...and
had all to ourselves!















John did some climbing...















My brother, Paul, winning one of the two
ping pong tournies he OWNED. Won em both.















Me, busy beating the pants off of 11 year old-
boys in the Knock Out competition!














My mom and KC, and step bro, Robby at
dinner...which was the best part of the whole
cruise experience...aside from dessert!