Go Broncos!

Last Sunday, Nov. 8th we flew to Denver and met Dave and Jim at the airport. We rented a car and drove to the Arvada side of Denver. We had some extra time and were able to stop by the cemetery to see the graves for Margaret and Loyal. We drove by the 4 houses Carl lived in growing up and the 2 houses our family lived in Arvada. In the afternoon we went to Bob and Sandra's house and had a dinner fixed by Sandra and Sue. Nick and Shannon had driven down from school in Greeley. The cousin picture is Jim, Dave, Shannon, Nick and Chris. On Monday morning we stopped bu a local Walmart for Bronco items. All four of us wore Bronco shirts that day. We drove to Central City and had pizza for lunch at Bojoes in Idaho Springs and an early dinner at Casa Banita before the game. Our seats were at the fifty yard line and the next to the highest row in the stadium of about 76,000 people that night. Of course, I loved the spetacular opening ceremonies and the cheer leaders. Lots of beer! Not for us, but about everybody else it seemed. It wasn't Carl's favorite game, but great to be there!

Happy Halloween

"Happy Halloween" and "Happy October Birthdays" to Tanner, Alicia, and Bridger (Bridger for today.) When Dan, Jonna, and Brighton were here visiting we did the haunted gingerbread houses with Mike, Kristen, Creighton and Karac. Thanks to Kathryn for the idea. The other pictures were at the Hee Haw Halloween Farm. We also saw them drop huge pumpkins (400 pounds plus) from the top of a huge crane onto a car. Have you ever seen that before?

MInnesota Visit

Flowers in our front yard.

Reece with a pumpkin painted on his cheek. Dave at the finish line!

The Narrows

The water was fast and deep for hiking. Exciting!

Busy Friday

David and Alicia Walquist got married last Friday morning at 11:00am in the Salt Lake Temple and we hosted the wedding lunch at our house in the aftenoon. We had 60+ people. On Thursday Carl and I moved in 7 of the big tables and 60 chairs through the basement window. Brenda's sister helped with the tables decorations and KayLynn Simms organized the food. We had about 13 little kids besides. So nice to have the big downstairs! It was really nice. Thanks to Mike for helping to get all the tables and chairs returned!

Davis County Fair 5K

Carl, Kevin and I ran the Davis County Fair 5K in August and I wasn't going to say anything and then the picture came out in the Clipper (Davis County newspaper) that a lot of people in the ward take and they showed the picture in Relief Society! The nice part was a little prize. 1st prize people got $100 gift certificates from Target, $75 for second and $50 for 3rd.

David Walquist's wedding is next week and we are going to have the wedding lunch at our house as they are getting married in Salt Lake.

Hope you had a fun Labor Day weekend!

Little Utah hike

Last Friday, Aug. 28th, we took a little hike to Secret Lake with our neighbors, Alicia and Nels Tims. It is past Alta and in Albion Valley. Anyway, we saw these 3 moose bulls bigger than any we saw in Alaska! Last night was our local book group meeting. It is sponsored by the Relief Society, but includes local nighborhood ladies too. Last night Sylvia, Alicia and I did the meal and there were 18 people. I did the review. Some of the ladies asked me for the dressing recipe for the salad! Amazing.

Some favorite animals

These are favorites because I took the pictures from the car and they were so close to the car. The moose in the first picture was really right in the middle of the road on the way to Fairbanks. I had been looking at a map on something and Carl said, "Look up", and there it was. That same morning I saw the cow moose eating from the bottom of the little lake. The water was up to her eyes. Of course, the license plate was for real. Lots of fun!

Home again!

The first 2 pictures are the pipeline for the oil. Some people we met at Kennicott Mine told us that we could walk right up to the pipeline at a certain dirt road right off the main road. We could walk up and touch it! The lat picture is in Dawson and is a house where Jack London lived (Call of the Wild author).

Sharing Brighton with Grandma Tammey

Dan, Jonna, and Brighton arrived in Alaska on July 11th. It has been fun to share adventures with Brighton. These pictures are to share with Jonna's mom as she asked me to on a comment on my blog that I picked up yesterday.

Camping with the Bears

Today is July 9th and we are in Anchorage and met Mike, Kristen, Craighton and Karac for dinner at Chili's. Sat. morning we will pick up Dan, Jonna, and Brighton at the airport. I made a record of sleeping in a tent for 6 nights in a row and the bears were in the area! Grizzly bears! The picture of Carl and I is by Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau.

We made it!

Our Paria Canyon backpacking trip was last week. The first picture is the first day. I stepped in some "quick mud" and couldn't get one foot out and then I realized the other foot was stuck and then when Carl reached out his hand to help me I fell forward. We walked in the river or crossing the river the whole way. Quite an adventure.

Hie to Kolob

On Mon. we drove to Kolob Canyon and backpacked in to camp and then hike to Kolob Arch. It was really amazing! The second picture is "my dafodils" in the front rocks. So exciting to see something grow! On the way home from Kolob Canyon and Kanab on Wed. we stopped at Mike and Kristen's house. Mike made this birthday dessert.

Hole-in-the-Rock nose plugs

On Mon. we drove to Escalante and then camped off to the side of one of the little roads so we could drive the 4 wheel drive road to Hole-in-the-Rock the next day. I was trying to be brave as we slept in the tent in the middle of no where. I woke up in the night and took out my ear plugs. I listened to the sounds all around us and then took the ear plugs and started to put them in my nose. I quess I was pretty "up tight".
We did some pretty neat hiking, had fun, and survived.

Shoshone Falls

This is from our quick trip last week to California and Idaho. Fri., April 17 we drove to California and spent the night at Rick and Alicia's and got to see their new house on Sat. as we drove to Jim's house. The barbeque was delicious that afternoon! On Sun. we attended church with the 2 families. Bishop Loveridge and Kathryn were both asked to speak. On Mon. we drove to Idaho. Tues. we worked in the yard and then drove to the city of Twin Falls and also stopped to see Shoshone Falls. Back to Utah on Wed.

Easter Arch

We left Sunday after church and drove to Moab to camp and see Arches. The first picture is Delicate Arch, then Tower Arch and then Partition Arch. We are doing a 5 day backpack trip with Mike's family the first week in June so we are "starting to get ready". On the way home we stopped to see Dead Horse Point for the first time and then, of course, the stop in Price to check out all the favorite places. Lots of fun!

Peanut Reunion

Friday night we attended the Cambodia Mission reunion in Provo. There was a little meal with noodles, rice, donuts. Carl asked if it had any peanut in it and they said it was fine. I bit later he asked if I had any Benadryl. We had a great time at the reunion, but he was itching all the way home. His face and hands were all read, etc. First time in 1 1/2 years! (since Cambodia).

Latest relative news-Jessica had a little girl last week and Kristy had a little boy about a month ago.

Spring in Utah-week 2

Last week the snow was all gone and I could count the daffodils coming up in the front of the house and the tulips coming up in the back yard. They looked a bit thirsty so the snow and rain should make them very happy! Yesterday we went snowshoeing to make good use of the snow. Fun to get out in the snow. Carl is working on redoing his mission scrapbook and childhood/teenage years scrapbook as they were falling apart. He is doing "family history" work, but I won't tell him that! Love, Donna