"Pretend Vacation"

As I've been complaining about my "forced" bed rest....Rachel gave me a way to practice being more positive! She said "just pretend that you are on vacation....at home". So, on my "vacation" I am listening to audio books, while my house is being cleaned and laundry done, being served my meals in bed, my hot lavender baths drawn, and I am with my best friend, lover, and eternal companion 24-7!

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL A VACATION!

Thanks Rachel! I needed that!!!!!

Our Puppies!

Last month we helped Tristen move to Utah. She is living with Jamison and his family. They have given her a great bedroom in their basement, and she loves it! She has been really busy finding a job, and trying to catch up on time missed with family. While we were there we got to spend some time with Jedda's family too, Scout (seen in the pictures with the brown leather collar) is from the same litter as Jedda she's as beautiful as our Jedda so they are really hard to tell apart! It was so fun to watch them play together. Scout is the alpha in that (and most all) relationships ..but you could tell immediately that they remembered each other! It was so sweet to see them put their noses together, or rest their heads on each others backs! The girls are just 7 months old in these pictures. Ruger (his collar glows in the dark!) is Jamison's 3 year old male Golden. He is a BIG beautiful boy, weighing in at around 90lbs. Poor Ruger really wanted to play with the girls (they each weigh over 50lbs) but he just couldn't control his strength when confronted with 2 very playful and large puppies! He spent more time in his kennel that we would have liked!

With Tristen gone again, we are left with an empty nest! It's back to me and my best friend, eternal companion and lover. Jedda and Selena keep me company when he is traveling. They are loving and loyal companions....I am truly blessed!!!!

Winter in New Mexico

Just a few pictures of the beautiful winter we have had this year. We have been snowed in on 3 different occasions....so we could cuddle by the fire read books and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us here in the tops of the mountains!

More Fun Pictures!

Sorry it's taken me so long to put more pictures on the blog....We have so many great pictures, it is really hard to choose which ones to share! You might notice that in this second batch, you don't see any pictures of Mikki and Kristen? They are our photographers! We had a wonderful time and appreciate the time they spent here so much! David and I realize that it is a sacrifice for any of our family to come and visit us....we're not just "around the corner". But we LOVE having our family come to our little home in the mountains!

The UN-Birthday Party

David and I decided to have an UN-birthday party for Madison, Kennedy, Dakota and Bodee! We live too far away to celebrate with them each year, and we wanted to see them open presents and have some fun. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! It turned out even better than I had imagined. The kids were so excited, and to hear them laugh and giggle was music to our ears. Of course MY boys (David, Matt, Mark) seemed to have just as much fun with the helium. I haven't laughed so hard for so long....

Mikki and Kristen took several videos, in the interest of time and space, I just chose one. But the picture says it all!

A little piece heaven

I bought a bail of hay so the little girls could see the deer in our back yard....we woke up to 20-30 elk right off our deck! They were beautiful and majestic, we loved having them here. We only put a couple of flakes out, which of course wasn't enough for them, so they ate the rest of the hay out of the back of our truck. To say thanks for breakfast....they washed all the windows of our little truck by licking them!

Tristen and Jedda!

We are having so much fun with Tristen and Jedda. As you can see our "puppy" has grown so much she hardly feels like a puppy anymore....36 pounds and she's almost as tall as Selena. We are loving having Trist with us, for as long as she's here! She's still trying to get a plan in action. All we know is that this town is way too small for our city girl!

Miner Family at Three Rivers Petroglyphs

Our Rock Wall Project

Below you can see how much work Tanji, Scott and the girls did on their summer vacation to see us! This is the second year they have come to be rock haulers! We loved having them here, Shelby Kate hauled BIG rocks, while Rachel collected rocks from 2 acres of ground to make me a stream bed for the over flow of rain that comes from our rain gutter in front.

THANK YOU MINER FAMILY! WE LOVE YOU

Don't let this angelic face fool you!

This is Jedda, the newest member of our family. She is a 8 week old Golden Retriever. She is so much fun! She loves to chew, and I mean everything (cactus, sticks, toes). I just follow her around trying to stick things in her mouth that she is "supposed" to be chewing on. I totally forgot how much work a new puppy is. I think it's because Tristen was there to help me with Selena 11 years ago! Dad is stepping up to the plate and takes "the girls" for a long walk everyday to wear Jedda out. She is extremely smart, say "take a break" and she instanly goes potty (Jamison taught her that one); She sits on command (most of the time) and Dad has taught her "give me your paw" and she does it! We're still working on not jumping up on Selena, who sees her coming and high tails it for another room.

Best Trip Ever!

I have changed the picture on our blog! This is one of my favorite trips. It was taken in Hawaii about 4 years ago, when we went to visit Mark and Kristen. This is where I let my mind wander when things are a little tough.

David lost his largest account last week (through no fault of his own, it was all political)...which was 3/4 of our income. Before anyone panics, we will be fine. Retirement just got pushed back a few years. David is a great salesman, when one door closes another one opens, this just will free up his time to get accounts closer to home, which will take him less time.

Selena is recovering nicely from her cancer scare. They removed her stitches today, now we just have to keep an eye on her to make sure it doesn't grow back anytime soon.

My health is improving everyday. We are enjoying the beautiful weather on our deck, and LOVING having Mom and Dad here visiting with us. Even though we have been really busy with our church callings, they're troupers, and just go where ever we need to go. They are great guests, low maintenance and fun to be with!

We've been planting flowers and of course lavender. I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days.

Stairway to Heaven

This article was posted by Lacie, a good friend of mine on our Relief Society blog. Thought I would share it with you!



Some people look at life this way....up, down, up, down. On the other hand, there are people that strive for better times, and when they experience some, they get comfortable there and level out.

Eventually they become dissatisfied with their circumstances, and what was once wonderful becomes commonplace. They may feel low. But it isn't because they are low; it is because their divine nature beckons them to seek even better circumstances. They'll feel like they are on a low, and have come down from a "high." But from God's perspective, I believe it looks more like eternal progression, higher levels of awareness, continual learning, continual growth, and approaching their potential.


That horizontal wavy line can be rotated just forty-five degrees, and the ups and downs instead become...a stairway. True happiness comes from the feeling that our soul is expanding, that we are learning and applying something new that brings us closer to God. This is taken from "Hidden Treasures" by Leslie Householder...yep the same woman who wrote Jackrabbit Factor. I love that thought that our "divine nature" wants us to stretch ourselves!