it's easier than a comment the way cory has this set up

chels, private tours can be arranged for special people--you being one of those people--no problem.  when do you fly in?  and what day do you leave?  i forgot to mention--church sunday 11:30 followed by the all important sunday nap, dinner and again at ellie's request a trip to the portland rose garden. 

ColoradoBennett

There have been a slew of posts and comments, it's fun to look back through this last week in blogland. Aunt Jack, I'm sorry for my inappropriate comments about country music. Please forgive me. Julia, it was fun to read your post and comment. I'm so excited for you guys. Your invitation arrived yesterday and it is so cute.
So Ramsey Beecher and his girlfriend Lisa spent the night with us on Wednesday night. Just after spending a few hours with him, he quickly jumped up into my top 25 fun people to be with. (side note: When we were dating, Adam gave me a big hug and told me he thought I was fun to be with. I consider that to be one of the top five all time best compliments). Ramsey took the girls out on the trampoline, told them "me and your uncle Geof. used to do all kinds of crazy tricks on the trampoline." And then proceeded to do all kinds of crazy tricks. It was hilarious. Then he pulls out all his fire making tools and shows Adam how to start a fire, "Survivorman style". After Adam successfully starts the fire, Ramsay pulls out the blanket, makes Adam a beaded bracelet and performs a ceremony for him. It was great. The pictures say it all.

can this really be the end? wahoo

 

i really cannot complain brind and julia and julia's family have done almost everything for this wedding, which is a good thing because i still have not recovered from ellynn and jason's wedding.  didn't we just do this? everything is just kind of blurring together.  i'm thinking yeah the invitations are done with a lot of help from meagan.  i go to get my temple recommend signed last night and pres. erickson, darla's uncle, says        le anne where's our invitation?  i start to hyperventilate--does this mean you're not going to sign my recommend?  not really, but i go home and check--sure enough it's marked and i have no clue how we missed it--now i'm wondering who else we've missed.  whatever, consider yourselves invited!!! 

cannot tell you how excited we are to have you all come--what a party!!!

add to your list of things to do since we have this opportunity to be together.  my little brookie we will not go into how much you, mike and your sweet little girls will be missed.  i just console myself with octoberfest actually in germany.  anyway moving on before i bawl some more. 

friday morning as per ellynn's request there is a scheduled run aroung battle ground lake followed by a swim over and back. jack you are in on this. i'm hoping it is a morning where the fog is on the water. it is so awesome right out of horror movie.  then you all can say you have been swimming in the caldera of an ancient volcano. this will be followed by an incredible breakfast of cold cereal.  unless aj makes it up in which case i will make german pancakes.

friday afternoon we will go up to amboy to visit the hippy commune allennet at crooked creek est. (we hope by then) 2007.

3:30 we leave for the spaghetti factory for the "rehearsal dinner."  where we will be delighted to have performing ellynn willmore--"some days you gotta dance"  with all of you playing back up.  little kev don't let this scare you--you, ellery and i can be the cheer section.  dinner is actually at 4:30 but traffic can be bad.

that evening is free---picking up amy darla's sister at 9:30, right?  games and movies whatever.  finding a place to sleep.  jack you have a bed for sure. the rest have guaranteed floor space and i do have 5 full sized couches and 3 love seats unless meags is moved in which case i will be down to 4 and 2. 

sat. day the wedding and all the fun that goes with it.

sat. night as the party winds down--hopefully before brind and julia leave to go discuss global warming and joani the late night party animal fades and the ericksons have arrived.  we will have the blessing of our beautiful new little baby june bethanie bennett.  i'm so excited to have you all there to share these special and sacred events with our family.  we do have the best family!!!  thank you so much for your support.  you have no idea how much it means.  love you all, le anne

p.s. jess and tony indie is a beautiful little chunk. mindi, what can i say tristan has the same crazy cheezy grin his mom has every time you see a camera--right?  monica how is life?  looking forward to the happiest place on earth?  maybe next year when we have everyone more settled.

New addition!

Dear Family,

Jess said that I should post these pictures of the project that we did in the back yard. It was a big project, but we had some good help, other wise this would have killed us both! We are looking forward to the big event. It will be fun to see you all. Love ya Aunt Jack

from the horses mouth

sorry family that i have been so lax in my responsobility to keep you up to date and informed on my life. i know many of you have been holding your breaths waiting for me to post on the blog (could explain why so many beechers passed away this year) those of you with olympic swimmer lungs i post to tell you that the wait is finaly over. i am here.... what drew me out of my preemptive blogging retirement, you might ask? well the rumors are true i am getting married (it's for real this time) and many of you are risking the evils and in the case of the Rigbys the mythical traffic teeth that exist beyond the borders of utah, (or kayesville again in the case of the rigbys) to come see my wedding so as the title of my blog suggest i want you all to be up to date on what exactly is transpiring on the awesome date of september 15th that starts a brand new family. so i would go on to actualy tell you what i told you what i'd tell you but well i've tuckered myself out with this awesome intro that could be one of the finest works of literature typed thus far so without further to do i give you my beautiful amazing fabulous bride to be to give out the schedule of our special day as far as it's been planned. if you have questions we got answers so blog on. love brind

hi Beechers just real quick the wedding day schedule is thus:

11 am - Sealing at the Portland temple.

12 - 1:30+ - Photo session on the temple grounds with families

2-4 - Break for lunch and more pictures at church /Prep at Bliss Road building for Ring Ceremony/ reception (We still don't know if the ceremony will be indoors or out... we're aiming for out, but hey, its Washington)

4 - Families at Church, Guests start arriving at 4:30

5 - Ring Ceremony begins (If all is runnning on time... we pray)

5:30 - (Hopefully) Reception begins... eating begins!

6 ish.... (Ok this is where timing gets hazy) slide show... dinner should be slowing down by 6:30

7 ish - Cake cutting should be done by this point...Deserts, favors and toasts 7:30ish lets dance!

8ish the happy couple ditchs you all to go have..... long talks about the unfairness of how kfc treats chickens. (Oh my gosh... Brind wrote that... geeze. Moving on...) so you all have plenty of time for clean up (i swear it's julia leaving the cleaning for you if i had my way i'd be stackin chairs with the best of ya...). Family business would go here...

So, for those of you who plan on dancing... I would expect that things will start dying down around 9ish o'clock. We really hope you all stay and party... because... its gonna be so awesome!
We can't wait to see you all, and for those of you I have yet to meet - I'm really excited to get to know you!

thanks for reading love brind and julia....

VA, NJ, NY

Yo Team. So my last road trip had an overnight in Philly and the next night i was in Newark. Well I was able to walk downtown Philly and visit a lot of the sites. Independence hall where they held the continental congress and signed the declaration of independence was great. There is so much history in that city you could go back there a lot. the only thing i really didn't get to see was rocky's statue. that night the capt. and i scalped tickets to the mets phillies game and it was sweet. The capt. tells me he used to be a pro tennis player kinda thing and could probably get us into the us open while in new york. so we took a bus, bus, train, sub,sub, train and visited the big crowded apple. it was a blitz of the city. we raced from world trade center, to ny stock exchange, to times square, and broadway. Then went to the meadows lands by shea stadium which is right by where they host the US Open. Well his best friends dad who is stan smith got us one ticket. He went in to try and get more and I walked over to where they had the world's fair. by the way those are not space ships like the men in black said. the capt. couldn't find another ticket to get me into watch roddick but got me into the compound. as i was sitting there a nice european asked if i wanted to go watch the match. i said yes and he gave me his 180.00 dollar ticket. while running in another guy offered me his 180.00 dollar ticket. i took the better of the two and watched andy roddick play from eleven rows up center court. Then it was back to the hotel. train, sub, sub, train, bus, bus. got in way late and had to fly way early. of course i would have rather been home with the family but if you gotta be away that was the way to do it. life is good and we can't wait to see everyone at the wedding. mucho love.

VA

So I wanted to be able to post some amazing pics of our trip to Alaska, but they're all on my brother's camera and I don't think it'll be anytime soon that we see them. Dang it! The trip was so so so great and Geof. and I have decided we'll have to do Alaska every summer. Even if it's just to escape the summer heat and humidity in Virginia. I love Alaska summers. You get to put on a nice snuggly sweatshirt at night and have a bonfire..it's great. Another reason I wanted to blog sooner than later was so I could tell you all about my meeting Heath Ledger in the Portland Airport. It was crazy. I had just leaving the Alaska Airlines ticket counter where I had FINALLY been able to catch a flight to ANchorage, when I walked past him. I got so close to him to find out if it really WAS him, that I finally just opened my mouth. "Hi, I'm sorry, I've really never done this before, but I just had to know...can I have your signature?" Yeah, I know it's "autograph", but this was a really nerve wracking surreal moment for me. He looked down at June in my front pack and said "is that a baby in there?" I introduced him to june and dayne and cole (who were halfway down the hall at this point). And then I said "hey, my husband really likes 10 THings I hate about you." He looked at me kind of weird and laughed, "is your husband a 16 year old girl?" ugh...I didn't really know what to say after that except that Geof. was from Seattle and that's why he appreciated the "setting" of the movie. So, it was kind of weird but left me with a little 'high' since i'd never met a movie star before. Moving on...Meags, please teach me how to can!! I need to learn. I know we canned growing up but i remember nothing about it. when i was staying at Renee's they had a huge bucket of blueberries that I completely gorged (um, I don't think that's the right word) on the whole time. It was wonderful. I don't know how you and your mom run sick by the way. You're crazy. I'll definately do Hood to Coast next summer..IF I'm feeling well. Jess, Indie is adorable! She is a little chubs! I'm jealous. My kids gain all their weight while IN the womb. June is all of 10 lbs....maybe. And she's 2 months old! We can't wait for the wedding. we just got the announcement today. Looks like Brind took that pic himself. way to go brinders! Anyway, i gotta run. dayne's potty training and i'm not quite ready to let her wipe herself. hope all is well. can't wait to see you all! ~Darla

bg limbo

so i'm trying to "preserve" this summer.  not the summer its self but food.  so far i have frozen blue berries, made raspberry and blue/back berry jam, frozen grated zucchini, and right now i am canning green beans.  not much but i am on my way.  i think we should have enough tomatoes to can a few and enough corn to freeze.  then if we get into our house on time there are tons of apple trees so i/we (mindi) can do some apple sauce.  i think cory was making fun of me a little bit this morning because i was just starting the second batch of seven beans and he asked how many we had and when i said 14 he asked how many his mom did.  80.  well he says your almost there.  hey i'm a beginner.  i'm just thankful i have done any. 

we went to the kid's ice cream social at their new school last night and i thought cory was going to pop he was so excited.  he was even singing the school song as we pulled into the parking lot.  who knew there elementary's school song and more importantly who remembers it 20 some odd years later?  he saw about 100 people he knew from when he went to that school and bennett even has clint's 1st grade teacher.  it did have a very nice down home feeling.  i hope we get into the house sooner than later because the drive out there every day could kill me.  jackson got car sick on the way home so if he ever has to ride the bus he might just have to carry puke bucket. 

hood to coast was great, kind of.  mom was so sick that when a runner went down on her last leg i was convinced that it was her.  it wasn't, she did great.  even being way sick she only went over her times on one of her legs.  on hood to coast you run 3 legs anywhere from 3 to 7 miles in 24 hours.  it is awesome.  i did not fair as well as mom did.  they put my projected times down off of what i ran last year.  well last year i ran the easiest legs and this year i ran the second hardest .  i think i only came close to my time once and then i dry heaved until my ribs were so soar i couldn't take a deep breath.  my running has got to start improving (i mean the fun aspect of it) or i am going to find a new, easier sport!  i really want to get a family team together for next year.  we need 12 members and geof. and darla said they are in.  i am also working on a sponsor so we wont have to pay for anything.  anyone interested?   it is always the last full weekend of august.  just remember don't swim in any utah county pools before you come and run, and you will have a great time.

jesse, indie is so chunkie and cute!!  i can not wait to see you guys!  chels, i didn't know that you were coming, that is so rad!  i wish joey were coming so i could meet him, but i guess i will have to wait until your wedding.  are any of your other sisters coming?   i can't believe we get the whole rigby family except dear uncle kev. 

i hope everyone has a spectacular day.  love..........me 

Help for HELP!

Hey Chels. I did some research fer ya and found out that the reception gets over at 7:00 pm Sat. night, and is immediately followed by the blessing of the new and wonderful Baby June. And for planning's sake, the airport is approx. 35 - 40 min. away from the BG Bennett's house. Hope that helps you. Talk to you soon, other c-dawg.
Cory

Rockin' the mullet...

Yes Brookie, you were right. We were watching her birth video the other night and I can't believe how much hair she has lost. I debate whether to cut off the small tuft in back but everyone has told me not to.

Indie is doing awesome. We had to reshedule her MRI for the 29th of September because she was getting over crupe last time. Thank you to everyone for fasting and praying for her. We were overwhelmed with the spirit that day. I cried everytime I heard who else had joined us. We are so blessed to have such an amazing family.

Life is great right now. Tony is back in school so things are about to be more hectic. We are not ready for summer to end but we are looking forward to one last trip in September. I am so excited I could die.
I love you all.
Love Jess

HELP!

Real quick, what time do all of Brind's wedding events take place? We are checking flights and leaving Saturday night may be much cheaper than leaving Sunday. Let me know please....

Chels

ColoradoBennett

Brooke, I'm sorry to have committed such a horrible offence against you. I would never purposely do, what you called "A crummy thing to do to an already emotional basket case." Truth be known, I've never heard that CD before and I avoid country music at all costs, but I thought you'd enjoy it. Aside from all the accusations, deep down I think its good for you and you like it.
Here are a few photos. Tristan does this cheese grin any time he sees a camera. I was trying to take a picture of his first black eye, but it didn't come out very well. Adam and his silly boyfriends, I put the cleanest of the pictures on here, their photo shot quickly digressed.

Thanks Jackie

Mom, Meags, Adam, Geof., Brind- Note that I didn't mention my other sibling that did not even call on my b-day (in all fairness she did call me the week before for the first time in like oh a million years). To my mother and siblings that care AND call, for some reason my phone isn't working. I will be trying to get it fixed through Vonage in the next few days. I'm just praying that it is something on their end and nothing on mine because then we'll be up a certain creek. Ellyn was playing with the phone the other day and she probably programed it with some weird way of denying or making all calls and I will have to go buy a new phone and then that won't be the problem, it will be the router and THEN you won't be able to talk to me on our Vonage phone until Mike gets back from Iraq and fixes it. This means that without any warning you could find me on your doorstep (any of your doorsteps because I have had no family contact and I've gone off the deep end. Actually, it could just be my children with a note pinned to Jane's chest saying "Please take care of my dear sweet children. I have gone on a cruise somewhere warm and tropical with a 24 hour all you can eat buffet."

What I am trying to say is that I'm relatively okay, heck, we even had family home evening tonight. AND...you may or may not hear my lovely alto voice for several days, weeks, months.

Jackie, thank you so much for the recipe. My friend was thrilled.

Mindi, we picked up our package from the post office on Friday. Thank you so much. I know you were all embarrassed because you thought Jane was turning 12 but I don't think there is anything I would rather her send her off to her first day of middle school with than a bracelet engraved with the young women's values. She loves it and so do I. Now, as to the "Trek" cd. I make it a strict policy not to listen to any "country" music while my husband is deployed. Just ask mom. Unfortunately, I let the girls listen in the car and Sadie loves it and wants to listen to it all the time and so now the security gaurds at the front gate are wondering if they should call the MPs about the crazy lady in the Honda Pilot that is always wiping tears from her eyes as she fumbles for her ID card. I'm hoping that I will become immune to the emotions but so far not so good. Has anyone listened to it? A few very heart rending songs and even the upbeat one that Sadie especially loves makes my cry because it talks about Brigham waving all the wagons on and straightening his hat and sisters walking next to brothers etc... A crummy thing to do to an already emotional basketcase. Oh, it also broke another rule of mine, no church cds. I just can't risk the cheesiness and losing the spirit as they sing about something sacred or wonderful and I'm about to upchuck my marshmellow, sugared cereal. Despite all of these problems you have caused in my life, all of the rules you have broken, I want to thank you for the cd. We have all enjoyed it and it is a daily reminder of those that really did do "hard things." It makes me so proud of our pioneer heritage and reminds me of the true sacrifices made by so many.

Well I'm off to bed. I'm really excited about it too. I love you. Love, me

chels i need your address for brind's invitation but i don't think you should put it on the blog.  so email it to me or call.  thanks!!  i can't wait until it's your turn!...............meags

Sorry

Just to let everyone that wants it to know it is 3 of everything. 3 teap. of acid, 3 teap. of lemon ex. and 3 cups of sugar. Sorry that I left out the amount on the acid last time. Love you all! Me!

Provo

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. mom and dad were here a couple weeks ago and brought jack, ben and wil with them. i have to say that i missed them like crazy and could hardly feel guilty that meagan hadn't seen them for more than 5 minutes in a whole week before they came to see me. we had so much fun! so much fun in fact that all 5 of us (including jason) got that cryptosporidium thing from the lehi pool. it was a freaking fun pool but i'm not so sure that it was worth the stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, lack of sleep and missed work and school. we're just now starting to get over it after a whole week although stomachs are still pretty touchy.
k i loved reading the blog! i brooke wins an award for most places lived. here goes mine.

Jobs i've held:
nanny to nine-year-old baby
converges (i called in sick every other day)
tony romas
van mall retirement
cracker barrel
miller paint
missionary
cannon wireless
dollar tree distribution center
target
extend your lashes

movies i can watch over and over
sweet home alabama
pirates of the carribean
pride and prejudice
river runs through it (only brooke and jason know why)

guilty pleasures
reading
taking naps
laying in the sun
eating out
people magazines
snuggling with jason
rain, rain, rain
chopping off someone's hair
bejeweled (i'm addicted!)

places i've lived
highlands ranch, CO
Issaquah, WA
Layton, UT
Battle Ground, WA
Provo, UT
Ft. Benning, GA (one magical month with my sister)
Espoo, Finland
Marjaniemi, Finland

shows i enjoy
CSI
House
Scrubs
American Idol

What were the first things you thought when you first saw your significant other for the first time
DAMN HE'S HOT! i know we're missionaries but i bet i could still seduce him! ha ha! no really i thought he was way too shy but quick to smile.

Places i've been on vacation
washington
oregon
california (disneyland is the happiest fat camp on earth!)
nevada
arizona
montana
idaho
utah
oklahoma
louisiana
georia
florida
colorado
d.c.
new york
nauvoo
kirtland
mexico
hawaii
canada
italy
spain
france (one day but i still count it)
finland (not sure if that one counts)
the Philippines

Favorite foods
food in general, i really like it. i'm like jack, i would list but i don't want to leave anything out.

Web sites i visit daily
gmail
beechtree (weekly)

Body parts i've injured
sprained back
broken both pinky toes
hurt my right knee during hood to coast

awards i've won
"cutest" in middle school
senior plaque award for choir
best soloist
best entertainer
lettered in track and choir
"spring fling" contest winner

nick names
elly
ella
boo
boo boo (dad)
boo bear
elly belly
smelly elly
smellin ellynn (the last two were mostly imployed by adam)
booger schnoppy (wilohm and jason)
elle berry (lowell)
bennett
the princess

Aunt Jackie

First of all-wow- I can't believe of all of Uncle Sharm's kids were there. That is amazing.

Secondly- thank you for sending me the recipe, that is exactly what I was looking for-one thing, it says teaspoons of citric acid but not how many.

Thank you for praying for us, we need it. Mostly so I stay a sane mother (okay, Mike and Ellyn might need them a little more). I told mom that I don't know why life has to be so drama. I would love stable and predictable for a while. Ellyn's little foot is in a cast for 10-14 days while they try to realign a little bone that eventually fuses with the other bones in her foot but got separated too far out to fuse- and enough to cause the pain and limping. Does that make sense? So she can't walk on it for that amount of time and now that it is stable that is all she wants to do. I must look entirely pathetic with my huge pregnant self carrying around a three year old in a cast but it actually hasn't been too bad.

How is Indie doing? It looks like, from the pictures, that she is doing Jane's hairstyle when she was little. Bald all around with a patch of red in the back. Is this accurate?

I have to go eat lunch. I love you all. love, me

Reunion

Stevenson family reunion. Can you name them all? Sorry I got the one in twice and don't know how to get it out! It was great fun. We missed all that weren't there! Love Aunt Jack

Your friend needs to find a new friend!

Dear Brooke,

People that don't share recipe are just afraid that someone else will make it and it will be better their way. Kind of like the recipe I got for this and improved on it! You take teaspoons of citric acid, full not level and then three sloppy teaspoons ( that means that you just keep pouring while you are dumping the teaspoon that you just filled up until there are 3 of them) of lemon extract and then 3 (I know, now no one will ever drink it again!) cups of sugar to one gallon of water. Tony says that is no good unless you can start a car with it, so good luck and I hope that it is what you are after. As for the book I'll keep it in mind except most everything I do I do with a palm of this and a palm of that, but if you need something I'll figure it out. I love you and pray for you every day. Take care and know that I'm always here for you with anything that you need!!!!! Love Aunt Jack

Attn. Aunt Jackie

Jackie,

My friend Jasmine asked if any of my relatives in Utah had the recipe for sweet lemon water. She knows it's popular and really likes it but her one "friend" wouldn't give her the recipe. I was not quite sure what it was but then I was remembering your yummy citric acid, sugar drink and I think that is it. Could you please blog the recipe- oh and any others that you are inspired to send to this generation that grew up with Aunt Jackie's yummy food but don't know how to cook it. Really, with all of that spare time I just know you have you should do a little cookbook. Okay, that last part is optional but if you have the drink recipe it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
I LOVE YOU.
Brooke

Mike's Blog via my e-mail

Week 2 in Iraq

Well it is interesting to be seeing first hand the subject of all the political talk in the states. Now that I have been into the streets of Baghdad, I can truly say this place is a very complex mess. Not only is it an apocaplyptic warzone, but a place where families like yours and mine are trying to live a life. When you see a little girl face to face here, and you see your own kids in their face, it really makes you aware of the tragedy of war and of evil people. The "human condition" is not so bright in my mind right now.

I try to ignore all the political discussions, but in today's Army you come right off the streets, literally minutes later, into a giant dining facility behind huge concrete fortifications in which you eat cheeseburgers, sip Mountain Dew (or non-alcoholic beer if you choose), and watch ESPN or CNN. Your choice. Oh yeah, stir fry, Baskin Robbins, spaghetti, lasagna, spicy wings, lemon pepper wings, etcetera, etcetera. So while drying my sweat I end up cooling off with a cold Mountain Dew while crisp clean politicians argue over the fate of the child I just saw an hour ago. Not to mention, as a Commander, I get to sit in various venues where I meet leaders at all levels that have a varying sense of understanding of the true problem set. Anyway, I will leave the topic.

I am doing fair. I miss my wonderful family. I love you guys.

brooke

brookie we can hear you, but you apparently cannot hear us. this last time the phone disconnected when i picked up.

meags says she has everything for a boy you could want--sleepers, onesies how do you spell that? blankets etc

we'll keep trying to get a hold of you, but if we can't we love you and sweet dreams!!!    mom

so sweet to hear about the 3d ultrasound

you guys i almost forgot, when i stopped going to school my sophmore year of high school i took over mom's job delivering the issaquah press.  my goal in life was to have the route done before the kids got out for lunch so they couldn't see the drop out throwing papers. (i didn't really drop out my mom and dad "unenrolled" me.)  now how cool is that job. 

ColoradoBennett

We went to visit my grandparents on their ranch near Wyoming. They have horses, cows, chickens, and burros (identical to donkeys if you ask me but Grandma Judy doesn't let us call them donkeys). Kaia's favorite is the chickens. A few of them needed names so Kaia named one Beefy and one Noodle (we've decided to name all our future chickens with soup names, and our pig's name will be Dudly). The chickens wouldn't let Sierra hold them. In fact they scratched her like crazy but were calm when Kaia held them. Sweet Grandma Judy sits right down in the middle of the chicken coup and lets the chickens climb all over her. Kaia loved it but my stomach got a little queasy thinking about all that chicken poop.

ColoradoBennett

Here are the rest of my answers:

The first thing I thought when I saw Adam was "Wow he is cute and I wish I wasn't wearing a tie-die shirt and bandanna wearing no make-up and carrying a load of laundry at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning for the first time we meet." My roommate told me a lot about him and I was looking forward to meeting him, but was a little embarrassed when it finally happened.

Favorite Foods:
I really like Baklava, but only about once a year or else it is just too much. Right now I think my favorite is any kind of food made with the apples from my grandparent's apple tree. We've spent hours making yummy applesauce, apple pie, and our own version of cider (non-alcoholic, don't worry).

Websites I visit daily:
Beech Tree & Hotmail & Craigslist

Body parts I've injured:
Broken arm & ankle

Awards I've won:
Valedictorian (they would take this away from me if they could because I had to look up how to spell it)
Young Womens (twice)
National Honors Society
I was a book called "Who's Who of Colorado High School Students", probably only because my mom bought the book.

Nicknames I've been called:
Minnie Mouse
Minders
Mind
Schmoo

Places I've been on vacation:
Italy
Switzerland
England
France
Germany
Spain
Mexico
Canada
Hawaii
Bahamas
lots of U.S. states but not enough of the east coast

Favorite things to do--no guilt:
Yoga
Bouldering
Sleeping
Reading
Road trips with Adam (road trips with Le Anne are fun too if you're into misery and miracles)
Playing with my kids
Canning with Gram (anything with Gram)
Being in Boulder, CO

answers to questions

jess just for the record i must love you or i wouldn't do his at all.  and i am only going to do a few before i go back to addressing invitations.  so if yours, any of yours is late blame jess 0k!

awards i have won--not many

young women's medallion (jack and i both gave up swearing for that one, which thank heavens for repentance because i keep having to give it up--currently i'm doing well--however it could change any day now)

lst place free style 2nd place  over all women's intermural swim competition at weber state

blue ribbons at county fair in 4H for all three kinds of cookies

softball throw 1st place on field day in grade school

there you have it

 

nicknames

red

the general (mike smith, brandon's dad)

grannie annie

ganna danna

and hazel calls me danni

 

body parts injured

ruptured appendix 

sprained ankle learning how not to ski

broken nose

herniated navel

hiatal hernia (when i asked the dr. what this tearing sensation was when i was pregnant with meags he said it was just my ribs separating--well if that is all then i just won't worry at all about it

healthy as a horse except for this unexplained swelling of my left foot, ankle, calf

 

websites i visit daily

are you kidding, i just learned to turn this thing on and cory's so scared i'll mess something vital up that he pretty much volunteers to look up whatever i need

seriously, i can now look up my own flight information and get on lds.org for whatever i need for a lesson so i'm covered

 

favorite foods

chocolate

crab

shrimp

steak

fresh vegetables and fruit this time of year

bread

milk

yup, yup, that just about covers all the main food groups with chocolate heading the list.  i do love to eat.

 

places i've lived

kennewick, wa

kaysville, ut

ogden, ut

syracuse, ut

riverdale, ut

north salt lake

highlands ranch, co

issaquah, wa

layton, ut

battle ground, wa

 

jobs i've held

baby sat sisters when mom had to go back to work

cleaned house for the lady down the street

babysitting

north red hot at lagoon for 4 years

taught swimming at a private pool for 2 years part time the 1st year while working at lagoon. full time the next year after we were married 144 students

waitress at pizza hut before ellery worked for them

cleaned the rose park pizza hut every morning

delivered early morning newspapers 350 at 3 am for 14 months of -----

delivered the issaquah press once a week that was kind of nice

ces (church education system) doesn't pay, you are reimbursed for gas.  it is considered an appointment rather than a calling--my longest job 7 years

 

time's up back to the grind i'll finish later

how bout favorite things to do---no guilt?  le anne

mind, ok there are like 12 things and you only wrote three so get on it baby!

brooke mom says take the baby in because you don't want to take any chances!  and as excited as we are to have s-baby here you are going to have to wait until after the wedding. 

which by the way julia's shower was last night and it was great.  i got her like 5 cute "outfits" and mom got her a nice fluffy robe to cover them up.  (in case her mom shows up while she is cooking with the new pink frying pan and pink utensils mom bought her.) 

Bavaria

Things I forgot that I am stealing from others- Jobs-ski instructor Vacations- Nauvoo (absolutely awesome trip) Guilty Pleasures- being outdoors- camping and hiking (it's just been so stinking long I can't remember what it's like) TV shows- The Office

Okay, I just went in for an absolutely pointless appt. for Ellyn's leg. Just like I thought it would be. The doctor wouldn't even see her because he said there wasn't anything he could do. So now I will have to take her to the German ER tomorrow (she has a mysterious limp-have I mentioned this? She won't even walk around the house) and talk them into not keeping us overnight, which is their policy. It's either that or wait for her ortho. appt. next week and hope that we aren't doing permanent damage to something. So many choices- so frustrating.

Mom, Jane has been watching Parent Trap and Jane just keeps saying over and over that Maureen O'Hara is just like grandma. That they have the same elegantness (her word, not mine) as grandma and the same face. I thought you would love to hear that. I know I would since I think she is one of the most beautiful women ever.

I have to go now. Cory, the wallpaper is priceless. Darla, I love your hair. I'm hoping that at my dr.'s appt today they look at Sawyer and say "he's done. You can deliver next week."

I love you all. Love, me

Jobs I’ve held…

King’s Drive-in, where I meet Kev!
Lagoon .75 an hour!
House keeping at HAFB
HAFB foods
Bon Marche
Albertson’s Foods
St. Mark’s Hospital PBX
Bowmen’s
Dick’s Market
Swim teacher
Pampered Chef
Tupperware
Home Interiors
Farmington City
Jacki’s Hair Care
I’m sure that is not all, but all I can think of right now!

Movies I can watch over and over…

Lake House
Sorry that is all I can think of.

My Guilty Pleasures…

Food
Food
Food

Shopping Places I’ve Lived…

Kennewick
Kaysville
Layton

Shows I enjoy…

I have about 40 Season Passes on my DVR, does that tell you anything?

What were the first things you thought of when you saw your significant other for the first time?…

That he was Kevin Rigby’s big brother!
He was and still is gorgeous!!!!!!

Places I have been on vacation…

Washington
Florida
Nevada
Idaho
California
Colorado
Oregon
Wyoming
Montana
Yost!!!
Utah

Favorite foods…

Any and all!!!!! I would list, but I’d hate to leave out anything!

Websites I visit daily…

Gmail
Winkflash
Barnes Bank
Blog
Steep and Cheap
Indexing
More but can’t think

Body Parts I have injured…

I would list them but it would take me all night! I just hope that you all never have as many!!!

Awards I have won…

My young women’s ones, (after when I was an adult)
1st place of Davis County swim team
Can’t think of any others but I’m sure there was biggest, most likely and a few other ones along the way!

Nicknames I’ve been called…

Jack
Aunt Jack
JR


I hate to say the ones that my kids had for me!OK I did this now lets hear from some of the other Sisters!!!

this took ALL day to do

Jobs I've held
Too many babysitting jobs to count
High School Pharmacy (in Battle Ground, Wa)
Back server and server on tour train in Alaska (3 summers)
Costco (Anchorage, AK)
Jamba Juice (SLC)
Zuka Juice (Ogden)
Galaxy Diner (Ogden)
The Garden Restaurant (SLC)
Nanny in SLC
Nanny and house cleaner for my aunt in Cali.
Vic’s Market (Ca.)
The Great Steak (they actually hired me when I was 6 months prego…Provo)
Mom of three beautiful, perfect, children (:

Movies I can watch over and over

Johnny English
The Count of Monte Cristo
Les Miserables
Willow

Guilty Pleasures

When I can’t stop laughing at Geof.’s humor
Time alone with Geof.
Being outdoors
Feeling in shape (is that a “guilty” pleasure?)
Eating out!!

Places I’ve lived

Pleasant Hill, CA
Springfield, VA
Folsom, CA
Vacaville, CA
Littleton, CO
Anchorage, AK
Ogden, UT
SLC, UT
Battle Ground, WA
Cordoba, Argentina
Provo, UT
Richmond, VA

Shows I enjoy

The Office
Sometimes I catch a blurb of something on TLC that’s enjoyable

What were the first things you thought of when you saw your significant other for the first time?

Wow, his sister Meagan is hot.

Places I’ve been on vacation

We only ever camped growing up
Cancun, Mexico
Mazatlan, Mexico
Palm Springs, CA (honeymoon)
Disneyland
Hm…driving across the country with my mom and seeing church sites (not really a vacation I guess)
Moab
Zion
The Oregon Coast

Favorite Foods

Fudgesicles
Thai Food
Healthy food cooked by either my gma or Aunt Renee
Yummy Argentine bread
Pies
Raspberries
Crab legs
Too many good foods to count!!

Websites I visit daily

Beechtree
Gmail
Craigslist (I’m a little obsessed)

Body Parts I’ve injured

Stitches in my thumb when I was eight
Twisted ankle from jumping off some box at a dance club
I’m sure many things from giving birth to June and Dayne

Awards I’ve won

….let’s not embarrass myself

Nicknames I have been called

d-la
dorka
d
dollar
darling darla (hey, it was my dad!)

ColoradoBennett-revised

Cory, I laughed until I cried about your new screen saver. Darla, even after 11 hours on a plane with 3 kids you are still dang cute.

Jobs I've had:

• Monarch Dry Cleaners (girl who stood behind the desk, terrified that someone would accually come in and I'd have to talk to them--I only lasted two weeks)
• Construction clean up (didn't last long, maybe half the summer between high school and college)
• Janitor (I cleaned the Marriot Center after basket ball games from about 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., and guess what? I wasn't cut out for that line of work either)
• House cleaner (A BYU student started his own house cleaning company and I did that for a few months until an elderly couple got really upset with me for throwing away their toilet bowl scrubbers--they kept them in the waste basket so I thought they were throwing them away because they now had a sweet little house cleaner.
• Nanny for a BYU professor
• Temp secratary (my aunt's company needed someone to be in the office for a week while everyone went to a conference, this was a perfect job because I didn't have to talk to anyone)
• I forgot my title, but my first "real" job after I graduated and got married was at Bell + Howell in SLC (I was there 7 months, a personal record)
• Mom (I guess this is the real record because I've been a mom for nearly 5 years, wow! it is the perfect job)

Movies I can watch over and over:

• Three Amigos
• The Jerk (edited tv version, the only one I've ever seen)
• To be honest, I don't think I could really watch them over and over. I used to think they were so funny, but I've watched them again in the last 5 years and they've lost their magic.
  

Places I've lived:

• Northglenn, CO
• Thornton, CO
• Brighton, CO
• Provo, UT
• Denver, CO
• shhhhhhh....Allennett (pronounced All-in-it)

Now work is tolerable...

thanks for the sweet computer background Darla. I was getting so sick of looking at this grassy field thing but now I am in total bliss. i have wondered if this widescreen monitor was worth it but now i know it is totally. thank you thank you thank you.

-cory

bg limbo

wow i have been up since 3:45 so cory and i could go to the early session at the temple.  i think i should get an award for that.  although if i was a better person i wouldn't have been over a month since i had been there and i wouldn't have had to go that early.  brooke and jesse i love reading your stuff, i can't wait to read everyone else's!

 

jobs i've held

• babysitter
• ski instructor
• some gym in layton
• applesomething retirement; server and dish washer 
• car dealership; receptionist and someone for the nasty salesmen to hit on
• van mall retirement; house keeping, server, dinning room supervisor
• chevy's; hostess and runner
• that phone place in orem with alicia (best job ever because i was with alicia!)
• peter pan seafood
• ymca; personal trainer
• mom (ok i guess this is really the best job ever)

movies i can watch over and over

• steal magnolias
• return to me
• bend it like beckom

guilty pleasures

• long runs
• eating
• shopping
• laying out
• playing extra soccer games
• alone time with cory!!

places i've lived

• north salt lake
• river dale 
• denver
• issaquah
• west layton
• battle ground
• bellingham, wa
• provo
• alaska
• and soon to be allennett at crooked creek

shows i enjoy

• lost
• american idol
• according to jim (when it's not nasty)
• anything on channel 10 (pbs) larence welk is one of the best

what were the first things you thought when you saw your significant other for the first time

• um i thought carly would have hot friends
• (the second time) oh i love the out doors look he has going the way his jeans fit (size 38 on his 30 inch butt) with his hiking boots and plaid shirt (of course) and puffy vest and back pack.  it was just a really good combination. 
• oh yes and the cute in chin strap.

places i've been on vacation

• utah
• mountains 
• washington all over
• oregon all over
• california all over (disney land!!!)
• vegas
• florida (disney world!!!)
• arizona
• colorado
• navoo
• oklahoma
• new orleans and other parts of louisiana
• new york city and other parts of new york (church history sites)
• places back east
• hawaii
• cancun
• alaska (was that a vacation?)
• vancouver and victoria bc, canada
• mt rushmore
• yellowstone
• jackson hole
• montana
• georgia
• france
• italy
• switzerland
• germany
• england
• scotland
• spain
• other places i am sure, but still not as many as i would like

favorite foods

• bread
• fruit
• garden veggies
• sugar

 

web sites i visit daily

• beech tree
• gmail
• weather.com
• running event calendar

body parts i've injured

• stitches in my chin
• knee (bike wreck and running)
• figures (i think adam slammed then all in different doors)
• fractured skull
• sprained ankles

awards i've won

• twister queen at 5th grade camp
• lettered in track for throwing a shot put
• a cow bell for second place in a 5k
• first place for my age group at the chelan marathon
• first place at a local 10k
• second place for my age group at s.o.b. 50k (out of two people)

nicknames

• meags
• meagy
• teags
• guz
• guzzy
• motto
• the warden (by brind and all of his friends)

Bavaria

I want my house to be the hang out. I want my house to be the hang out. I want my house to be the hang out. I want my house to be the hang out.

This is my mantra that I must repeat to myself a million times a day as I listen to a bunch of silly, loud 11 year old girls and clean up the rocks and balls and dead grasshopper collections from the boys next door. It is fun, I just don't think I will have a clean house again in the next 18 years and that's a little scary.

Okay Jess, I know if I delay this I won't ever do it so here goes:

Jobs I've held

1. babysitter
2. groom at a horse ranch
3. Bellewood Retirement Center-waitress, dining room supervisor, front desk, sub weekend manager, and sub housekeeper (the worst)
4.Rainy Day Bookstore (the best job ever)
5. Respite provider
6.Pizza Hut- Rexburg- waitress
7. Mitzels American Kitchen- waitress
8. Brick Oven- host, manager, waitress, personnel manager, Mike's boss :)
9.Chevy's-waitress
10. Lone Star Steak House
11. Outback Steak House
12. mom
13. Army FRG and husband's personal assistant

Movies I can watch over and over
1. Lion King, Little Mermaid, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Wallace and Gromitt, because they make my Ellyn happy
2. Princess Diaries, Devil Wears Prada, Bride and Prejudice, High School Musical, because they make Jane and Sadie happy.
3. Any Jane Austen movie
4. Steel Magnolias
5. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, South Pacific, Sound of Music, Oklahoma
6. River Runs Through It
7. It's a Wonderful Life
8. Princess Bride

Guilty Pleasures
1. snuggling with my husband
2. snuggling my kids
3. sleeping in
4. mom' s hot fudge sauce
5. a thick fashion magazine on a long flight
6. Shadow of the Moon
7. talking on the phone to family
8. spending a hot summer day at the pool or the lake

Places I've Lived
1. Syracuse, Utah
2. River Dale, Utah
3. North Salt Lake, Utah
4. Highlands Ranch, Colorado
5. Issaquah, Washington
6. Rexburg, Utah
7. Provo, Utah
8. Battleground, Washington
9. Lawton, Ok
10. Columbus, Ga
11. Ft. Benning, Ga
12. Watertown, NY
13. Copenhagen, NY
14. Vilseck, Germany
some of these places I've lived more than once.

Shows I Enjoy
1. Lost
2. 24
3. Battle Star Galactica
4. American Idol

What were the first things you thought of when you saw your significant other for the first time?
1. um...really cute (okay hot)
2. he just woke up from a nap (it was evening at ward prayer and part of his hair was sticking up in the back)
3. nice docs
4. P.M.- pre-missionary
5. why did I take his hand like that? (for the prayer we all held hands and I realized I had interlocked all of my fingers with his- and I was the one who did it)
6. outgoing- he was planning an activity for a bunch of people- (silly me)

Places I've been on vacation
1. Utah
2. California- all over
3. Yellow Stone
4. Washington
5. Idaho
6. Montana
7. Cancun
8. Hawaii
9. Oklahoma (eastern)
10. Las Vegas
11. New York City and Westpoint
12. Savannah, Georgia
13. Cleveland, Ohio
14. Dover, Delaware
15. Orlando, Florida
16. beach in Florida
17. England
18. France
19. Austria
20. Italy
21. Korea
22. Oregon
23. Arizona- Grand Canyon
24. Texas
25. New Orleans, La
26. Denver, Colorado
27. Germany

Favorite Foods

1. chocolate
2. fruit
3. steak
4. milk
5. cookies
6. bread

Websites I visit daily
1. Beech Tree
2. Sundry Seven- Mike's fam
3. CNN
4. gmail
5. weather.com

Body Parts I have injured

1. herniated naval- surgery
2. broken arm
3. tail bone (it seems like all the time when I was a kid)
4. back, back, back- surgery
5. jaw- surgery
6. I think I have arthritis in my left hand pointer finger- it has been hurting off and on for a couple of months and right now it is killing.
7. I recently discovered that I hardly get any air through my right nostril
8. every place you injure when you have a baby

Awards I have won

1. Young Author's Award in third and fourth grade
2. Young Women's medallion
3. manager of the year or quarter or something at Brick Oven
I'm really not an over- achiever, let alone an achiever- oh, I lettered in music in High School, does that count?

Nicknames I have been called

1. Brookie
2. Brooker the hooker (by Adam and Meagan when they were too young to know what it meant and they didn't understand why it made me so mad)
3. Brooke Shields
4. B2- babbling Brooke
5. B3- babbling Brooke Bennett
6. Brookers
7. Bennett

Okay, I have to go feed my little one. I know you are jealous. I'm listening to three 11 year olds, wearing make-up, singing, and dancing to High School Musical soundtrack.
Can't wait to read everyone's answers.

VA

Here's some pics of us on the airplane to Alaska...or was it to Portland? Who knows? I, and the beebs were so exhausted(as you can see in the pics), we were just happy to be in the air. Jess, I'll have to definately fill in the little questionaire...sometime, I promise! For now however, I have to go to bed. night night.

My friend Allie "tagged" me and I thought this would be fun for the blog.

Here goes...

Jobs I’ve held…

1. Appletree Retirement Center
2. Cracker Barrel
3. Tony Roma's (Provo and Layton)
4. McGrath's
5. Nanny to Connor
6. Alpine Dental
7. Veritude
8. Fusion
9. Mom to Indie

Movies I can watch over and over…

1. Sleeping with the Enemy
2. Overboard
3. Ocean's 11
4. Mean Girls

My Guilty Pleasures…

1. Chocolate
2. Warming my car up in the winter
3. Sleeping in (I have trained my 5 month old to sleep until noon, it is awesome)

Places I’ve Lived…

1. Kaysville
2. Provo
3. Layton

Shows I enjoy…

1. Lost
2. American Idol
3. Oprah
4. Felicity

What were the first things you thought of when you saw your significant other for the first time?…

1. He is so cute
2. He is so tall
3. Thank you Lowell and Mindy

Places I have been on vacation…

1. Europe
2. Washington
3. Oregon
4. Florida
5. Vegas
6. Moab
7. Mexico (if you can call Ensenada a vacation)
8. California
9. St. George
10. Yellowstone

Favorite foods…

1. Fettuccine Alfredo
2. Ice Cream
3. Steak
4. Chips and Salsa

Websites I visit daily…

1. Our blog
2. My friends blog
3. My friends friends blog
4. My friends friends friends blog (you get the idea, I am into linking)
5. The NieNie Dialogues (Check it out, I am obsessed)
6. Hotmail

Body Parts I have injured…

I have had stitches like 14 times including twice in my chin, twice in my lower lip, eyebrow, hernia operation, wisdom teeth, mole removal, deviated septum just to name a few.
I have been fortunate to never have broken any bones.

Awards I have won…

1. "Most talkative" at girls camp (I'm not sure if that is good or bad)
2. National Champs in Co-ed All-Star division for cheer
3. I have all my Young Women's medallions, does that count?

Nicknames I’ve been called…

1. Jess
2. Jessi
3. Jesse James
4. Tessi
5. big rig
6. riggo
7. j

Tag, you’re it!

1. Chelsea
2. Mindi
3. Meagan
4. Darla
5. Brooke
6. All other blogging family members

If you love me, you’ll do it!

the way cory has this set up for me it's easier to write than to post a comment.  mindi you are positively poetic and yes we will just keep moving forward. d and c 51:17  "and the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good." i've always loved that scripture ever since i found it.  when we were lst married it seemed i kept finding myself in a state of limbo, which i hate.  that just gave me licence to plant trees, wallpaper, paint etc.  consequently i have learned a lot.  

love you all, le anne

ColoradoBennett

Brooke,
I'm impressed with your double fruit intake at breakfast this morning and I'm sure you looked smashing in your brown shirt. We've been out of milk and hot cereal for a while now, so I'm getting pretty creative with breakfasts until I can get to Costco. I made some whole wheat bran cinnamon apple muffins this morning to feed to my family and the YW class. Sierra just came out of the kitchen, told me to open my mouth and close my eyes, and put a marshmallow topped with Peanut Butter topped with chocolate chips in my mouth. When Adam got home from church he did all the dishes in the sink and made lunch (lunch being marshmallows topped with Peanut Butter topped with chocolate chips). And soon we will be going to Gram and Pop's house for something healthful and delectable for dinner and a homemade apple pie made from Pop's apple tree for dessert.
We had an open house yesterday, worked our little tails off to get the house ready, and only one guy walked through. We spent a lot of time last week painting our kitchen cabinets and putting nice knobs. This whole house selling thing is getting mighty frustrating. I read something the other day about how we just have to keep doing the best we can to move forward in life, even when things don't seem to be falling into place. Then in the Lord's time we will see His hand in the sequence of events. The key being to keep moving forward and doing our best. I'm off for a Sunday nap with a wiggly 3 year-old who just got a bag of noise-makers in nursery and won't give up that bag for anything. Sounds restful, doesn't it?

Bavaria

Well it's Sunday afternoon and we are about to go over to my friend Jasmine's house for dinner. There are a few of us that have decided that we will get together every Sunday for dinner while the guys are gone. Not quite the Allen, Epperson, Lee, Ross, Bennett, Stinchfield group but how can you ever replicate that?

Actually it's kind of funny. Jasmine, probably one of my closest friends here, is an african american, non-mormon that grew up in Layton. It took me awhile to ask her what that was like but now we tease about it all the time. She grew up with lots of LDS friends and went to church and church activities with them quite a bit and so she is very familiar with just about anything I talk about. She has a son Jane's age and they are good friends, then she has a daughter Sadie's age and a daughter that's two. So our two families mesh pretty well- wives and children wise. Mike and her husband worked together for quite awhile and they get along well, they just don't really have too much in common. They are both guys that just want to hang out with their families when they're home.

Not much is happening here. We've gone to a couple of b-day parties this week, had one warm day where the girls voted to put the sprinkler under the tramp and play with their friends vs. go to the pool, we've run several errands that we had put off while Mike was home and that has been about it. This next week is pretty busy. Lots of back to school picnics and such, Jane's middle school orientation is tomorrow and I have a couple of dr. appts. One for a mole on my leg and one lengthy one where they monitor the baby's heartrate for about thirty minutes. I know you are all jealous.

I'm worried about Ellyn-when am I not? She is limping quite a bit. She had some bruising on her knee several weeks ago and while we were on our trip I didn't notice it- she was mostly in her backpack or stroller- but it is very noticeable now. The dr. kind of looked at it when she was in for her strep culture and referred her to an orthopedist but her orthopedist appt. isn't until Aug. 30th. Her P.T. looked at it and suggested ice for twenty minutes. Don't ask me how I'm supposed to do that. I think I am going to call her P.T. from school tomorrow and see if she will come look at her. She is way more familiar and more experienced than this young girl that is working with her now. Plus we don't have the language barrier.

Well that is another boring blog. Mindi, I am wearing a brown shirt and I ate Life cereal and a banana for breakfast, with a glass of grapefruit juice. That should do it. Love, me

bg limbo

ok i have been avoiding this far too long.  life has been soo crazy that i haven't even wanted to try and write.  well, now life has been crazy for two months and i haven't written, so there is no way that i could catch up.  i haven't even had the time to read all the blogs.  but slowly and surely i will get through them.  i love to read, i just haven't had the time. 

first, jessica and tony,  i was at camp during your family fast, but we did fast on the fast sunday before for you and indie.  you are in our prayers and we know that Heavenly Father will be with you.

ok in july after our awesome week with cameron and monica, we went down to ashland, or., just 10 miles north of the california border, so that i could try my hand or i should say feet at the siskiyou out and back.  it was amazing.  it took me 7 hours and 7 minutes which is about what i thought it would, but i ran with the stomach flu, so maybe i could have done better if i hadn't been dry heaving all the way through it.  but maybe not.  that night brind and dad babysat so that cory and i could go see romeo and juliet.  they have a shakespeare festival in ashland every summer.  it was a ton of fun.  the drive home was less than great, seven hours in the car with the stomach flu, thankfully cory was done throwing up and i only dry heave, (while driving, less than safe).  the next weekend cory turned 30.  yucky!  he is taking it much better than i am.  the weekend after that we started moving and did that through the end of july to the beginning of aug.  then it was off to girls camp, which went very well, we have such a good group of girls and fun leaders.  mom and i had a blast, but it wasn't quite the party that camp was as a girl.  responsibility has a way of doing that.  we took the girls on some beautiful hikes, none as intense as monica's, but fun none the less.  beacon rock was our first hike which is right on the columbia river and you can see for miles, the second one was to some water falls. 

mom and dad took the three oldest kids down to utah for dad's family reunion so i got to see them for about 10 mins. on friday after being at camp all week and then they were gone until tues night.  it was fun to spend one on one time with hazel, but we were both very bored.  it's just because she is use to having other kids around, but she just wondered through the house asking, "where guys?, where guys?".  

ok so mom told about the excitement surrounding hazel's broken finger but i wasn't totally freaking, my mind was still working trying to figure out how to get her to the hospital and accomplish everything else i needed to do before leaving for camp, but my body just gave up.  well now hazel has the cutest little purple cast you have ever seen.  it goes from the tips of her fingers to an inch below her elbow.  cory calls her hammer hand, because, well, she uses it as a hammer.  to hammer on door, floor, wall, brother, mother, etc.  i'm really afraid now that she is going to break her other arm.  only having one arm in use has not slowed her down, but it should. 

we are still in limbo, but it looks like we might be into our house the first week of school, which is after labor day.  not as soon as i was hoping for, but it could be worse.  to be completely honest it still seems too good to be true.   most of the kids feel right at home staying with mom again, but hazel keeps asking if we can "go home our house". 

i miss you all and hope that life will become a little more normal soon.  as of now we are scraping by and doing very well ...........me

I am alive and thinking of all of you just out of touch

there is no chance of me catching you up on life so i decided that i would write little excerpts of what i have been thinking about.

jessica and tony thank you for sharing about indie. we did fast for her last fast sunday. what can i say except that i have been visiting most of my kid's lately and it has been so sweet to hear them all pray for baby indie jess and tony in their family prayers--all of the big and little cousins!!! we know in a way what it is like for you because of our little ellyn.

chels, the wedding is still the 1st of dec. right? did you ever read the comment about fun books to read to the boys this summer? now that summer is over i remember the book your mom read to you "where the red fern grows" oh well next summer maybe. i'm excited about your running program. i went a long time hating running but now i'm back. i don't love it like meags but i do love it. i tell meagan i would rather work in my yard for 6-7 hours and see something for my effort than run for that long. i love listening to books on tape or conference talks. i know it sounds crazy, but listening to conference really motivates me and i love it. i have been listening to "the fire and the covenant" it's about the willey martin handcart company. it's the first time i've ever loaded my shuffle. cory had loaded a bunch of music on it for ellynn and when i loaded it with the book it went on random so i'm listening to this really intense part in the book--someone is dying and i'm starting to tear up and the people in the cars passing me are going--hey lady if it's that bad just stop. and then it will skip to bob marley or something. i am still technologically challenged but entertained.

dear lydia, who would have guessed you shared your dad's lust for adventure--the desire to visit foreign ports--the call of the unknown--the previously unexplored regions of the world beyond the borders of kaysville. we're glad you are home safe and are anxious to see pictures and hear all about it!!!

too bad you all live there and can't think of a good reason to have to spend the night at moni and cameron's. they are so cute and absolutely wonderful hosts. cameron we are so sorry we didn't get to see you at all. jackson asked if all our family in utah lived in mansions. you all do have beautiful homes and families. i am so glad to see you all doing so well. you are such good kids you deserve it we miss seeing you all, but these multi trips to utah are about to kill me. i think next year i'm just staying home.

you are all invited to the wedding on the 15th of september. it will be in the portland temple. we have a big house with plenty of floor space and meagan and cory should have their hippie commune open for company by then too. so please believe me the more the merrier we would love to have you come and stay!!!

to finish up the story with mindi the kids and me getting here after getting the alternator fixed on the truck. we were cruising right along until we got a mile short of dead man's pass in the blue mountains and the truck dies. keep in mind the truck is loaded to the guns and we are pulling a trailer that is also fully loaded with stuff for meags and corys. no power brakes and no power steering in and less than a mile a 6% decline with 2 runaway truck ramps because it is so long and steep. i told mindi we were flying dead stick. i got it off to the side of the road just fine thanks to the angels that mindi had prayed for us. we got a tow into penelton were we found out the clip on the alternator had broken and so the wire had come loose. i asked them if it were job for duck tape. the manager pretended some offence and told me they were a reputable auto repair shop they tried not to use duck tape to do their repairs. i said it all had to do with the age you are--if you were my husbands age everything was fixed with baling wire--now my boys use duck tape. the mechanic has me look at the cable connection--gives me a wink and shows me the zip tie. it was pretty funny. and so we made it home. only to go again last weekend for the bennett reunion. sorry i won't make it for the stevenson reunion--just can't do it again.

last story, i know this is long but too good to pass up. the sunday before girl's camp. meags is the camp director and i am the assistant. we are all standing around in the kitchen and hazel tips over in the chair. naturally everything is slow motion, but we still can't reach her in time. meags runs around the bar and picks her up. now m. is not the coolest calmest person in a crisis. i however appear to be so simply because i'm slow and so i appear to be calm when in actuality i'm just slowly processing the situation. meags starts to cry, "i think her finger's broken," and brings her around for me to take a look. sure enough it has started to swell already. then meags says i don't feel well. i tell cory to grab his baby and i'll get mine as meags faints and i lower her to the floor. she almost instantly comes to but is shaking and crying hysterically. she wants to go to the hospital with hazel. i convince her the last thing cory needs is 2 victims. cory and ellery take hazel to the hospital while i try to calm meags and benny who is just as good in an emergency situation as her mother. i have them get pillows for her feet and head to keep them distracted. jack is worried, but not vim. he leans over her putting his hand on her shoulder and his face right in hers and says in his deep little lisping voice "mom, just bweeve deep--just bweeve deep. like this." then he precedes to puff out his chubby little cheeks and blow into her face. it was so stinking funny. he is such a funny little kids and our future e.r. dr.

enough already, it's late, love to all le anne

How to Change

Cory, I'm sure you know this better than all the rest of us, but I think you have to use Darla's password and stuff because she is the administrator on the account now. So I think we can all agree that we trust Cory to do something cool and we put this in your hands!!!

Love, me

Time for a change...

I am all for it Cor. I tried doing it a few weeks ago but I couldn't figure it out. I've noticed other blogs have pictures at the top, could you figure that out too?!?

Happy late birthday to Brooke and Jane and happy late anniversary to Adam and Mindi. Right, wasn't it your anniversary?

I will write more later...sorry I haven't in a while.

Love Jess

Thanks!

Thank you everbody for yhe b-day blogs. I love you all! Tell Jackson and Bennett and any anbody like the Epersons or Grandma and pa I said hi. Thank you mindi and cory and Aunt Jack and anybody else. I love all!


Love,
Jane

A question...

Hey... is anyone else finding these earth-tone spots getting a little weary on the eyes... maybe we could find some stripes out there to fill the background-o-the-blog, eh?  What do you say?

Hope your b-day was fantastic Jane.

Another late night birthday post... Hope your day was super-great Jane.  If you were here, I'd have bought you a present; but since you're not, I spent the money on myself.  That's what you get for having a selfish uncle (besides, it was only a life-size Troy Bolton wall poster and I'm sure you wouldn't want one anyways...).  I can't believe you're getting so old.  1996 was just yesterday I thought.  I'm glad you we're born too... you've been one of the bestest cousins my kids could ever have, and an ever bester-friend to boot.

happy birthday and luvs and kisses and all,

uncle cory

Happy Birthday, Jane. I feel so foolish, I thought you turned 12 today. Maybe by the time you get the package I sent all the way to Germany, you'll be 11 1/2 and that much closer to being in Young Womens and the stuff I sent will almost be applicable. We love you a bushel and a speck and a hug on the neck.

Va in AK

Since we won't be able to post our pics until we come home, we'll keep it short. We just want to wish Brooke a late happy bday and Janie a wonderful 11th bday!! We can't believe it! You two are beautiful and we miss you soooo much. love, Geof., Darla, Cole, Dayne and June

Bavaria

Thank you to all of you. The phone calls and blogs were wonderful and much needed. Cory, you made me tear up. I love you all and miss you all so much. I'm not going to lie, every fiber in my being wants to be in Washington right now, but I guess I have to grow up some time. Actually I would probably still move stateside if I could have my own house for my four kids but that would mean not getting to be back here with Mike for the 9 mos he'll have on the backside of all this.

Ellie has been very sick for the past few days and she is not a good patient. She has discovered that her voice can reach decibles that you can only hear in night clubs. I've had to batten down the hatches every night in anticipation of those middle of the night wake ups. If she's trying to rattle my nerves and really question my ability to do this, it's working. I know we'll get through and these first few days of pain and sadness will subside and life will go on. I'm just ready for that to be now.

We've actually been very lucky. Mike is already in Iraq (vs. Kuwait) and he has had ready access to e-mail and he has also been able to call a few times. Unfortunately most of those conversations have involved helping me fix our internet connection that decided to go out on both computers a day apart from each other. No mushy conversations, which I guess is good.

I'm sure I will write more often now but tonight is Jane's b-day night (we had to postpone her party because of Ellyn) and the girls want me to come watch Princess Diaries with them. I know you are jealous. I love you all. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers and please keep them coming.

Love, Brooke