Orlando

The annual Health Food Expo that happens every December in Florida was held at the amazing resort The Gaylord, located about 5 minutes from all the Disney parks. Kent had a Best Ball tournament on Thursday where he was disappointed to take second place earning a $50.00 gift certificate at the pro shop.
Blake, Jordyn and I drove up Thursday night and stayed for a couple of days. The Gaylord was amazing inside, like a little village, our room was like a little apartment with a bedroom a sitting room and a dining room. We had two balcony's overlooking the atrium. All of this is inside.

View from balcony at night

View from balcony during day

Stage to the left had shows several times at night

Boat behind us is a restaurant in Key West area of hotel

Friday we went to Animal Kingdom. It was cold and rainy but it made all the lines really short.

Tree of Life

This is the male Gorilla, he has 3 girl friends

Video of Gorilla and one of his girlfriends

this is another girlfriend

The safari ride was really cool. We had to do it twice because Kent thought it was pretend for most of the first time through.

We are trying to look rain drenched

Friday night we visited the ICE display in the convention center of the resort.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, we shared it with family and friends. Those who came were of course Kent, Judi Blake and Jordyn in addition we had Brandon and Alison, the spanish speaking Elders, friend of Blake and Jordyn's - Jeff Midgley, And the Norton family including Rick and Judi, Justin and Shayla, Daniel and Judi's sister Debbie. If you are counting that adds up to 15. We set up the tables in the front room. Dinner was amazing and yummy too.
Activities after dinner included a game of chipping wiffle balls into the pool at targets with assigned points. Followed by a rousing game of scum with new rules.
I was disappointed we didn't take pictures of the dinner or scum game.

The Yates Come To Jupiter

Good friends are something we treasure highly. We are so grateful for the friendship of the Yate's family, and for their willingness to drive from their vacation in Orlando to our place in Jupiter and allow us to show them the beach.

Natalie and Mckenzie were a lot of fun with and for Jordyn

Thomas loved playing with Jordyn too but he was also my buddy and especially Blake's.

Thanks Mike and Kristen for a great day with your family.

Pictures from Mikes Visit

Pictures from Mikes camera taken while he was visiting us in Florida

Mike and Jamsey on the Pacific coast

Mike and Jamsey at Coral Cove
waves are are a gift from Ida

Great action picture of Blake

Sunset Saturday evening on Pacific coast

Mike has some awesome pictures, I hope he shares them all, this one should become a postcard for Florida.

LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN

Look what else we are feeding along with the cat!

Two Silly Stories

Finger Nails
I had a rough week with finger nails and several were broken and not looking well at all, Kent and I had a dinner with the executives and founder of the company this week, so a rash decision and I now have acrylic nails. I discovered too late that they are a hindrance when applying contact lenses to the eye and have had to resort to wearing glasses for several days. Saturday I returned to the nail place and (many women in the shop were entertained by my plight) had one finger trimmed down, I now can apply the lens but seem to have lost one trying to remove it. These nails may not make it through the holiday.

Story 2

Saga of the Flower Bed or Flower Bed vs Palm Tree
I planted flowers Friday, in front under the palm tree, not too long after the nieghbor's dog, Patches, chased Bean up the palm tree and proceeded to circle, dance, and jump around the tree, tearing several of the flowers out of the ground. Flowers replanted, watered, all is well.
Did I mention that it has been very windy this week? Well the wind blew all night and Saturday morning I discovered several new coconuts on the ground in my flower bed, poor flowers. More water and tender care, wind continues to blow. Saturday night I am headed out and what do I discover in...no on my flowers.....

The dog continues to chase the cat and the wind continues to blow, the tree has plenty more to drop so this story may have more to tell.

Halloween 2009

Halloween Weekend Extravaganza

Ward party Blake and Jordyn went as nerds

We worked real hard to try and give Blake an Albert Einstein hairdo.

We gave out a total of 6 candy bars.
This is the twins that live across the street

Jordyn and Blake carved pumpkins

Fall Life in Florida

What we have been doing this October.

After swimming and canoeing in the inter coastal Gypsy needed a bath.

She didn't want one though.
Jordyn has been known to steel flowers from the neighbors

We planted mums in the front yard

Learned farming from our children

This is Bean. She showed up one morning and has been living on our porch ever since. She tries (successfully) to get in the house every day.

Gypsy's new hair cut
Gypsy thinks Bean is admiring her new look

Grandad gave me this idea about growing a tomato upside down

Still swimming in the pool every day.

We are trying tomato's in the ground this year. (Usually I grow them in a pot by the pool)

TRIP TO COLORADO AND UTAH

WEEK 1: COLORADO
I few into Colorado on a Tuesday and spent most of the next week fixing up things around the house.
Tuesday: Arrived at airport and picked up rental car. Drove to Parker and shopped for groceries. Met Mike at Home Depot and picked out tile for bathroom floor.
Wednesday: Begin floor replacement, Kristen came by with lunch, cleaning, shopping, met new tenants. Etc.
Also got to pick Mikes brain about remodeling this bathroom so we can have the shower room we want and a tub and not knock out the office in the process. Mikes idea....expand the room out. build onto the house. maybe like adding a bay-window without the big windows. Great idea.
Thursday-Friday: More of the same, work, work, work. Carpet cleaners, pool table movers, trips to the library every day to work on the internet.
Saturday: located one lid to septic tank, Kent finds the other that night in the dark. Borrow truck, trailer and tractor from good neighbors, Paula and John. Pick Kent up at airport, home in time for Tashina's wedding reception.
Sunday: Church in Elizabeth ward. Still feels like home. Dinner with Christiansen's, caught a bit of the Bronco football game. Had to leave early Bishop Bart was having a youth fireside. We had a little fire in the fire pit, enjoyed the cool weather.
Monday: Kent is able to take truck and trailer full of junk to dump yard early back by 8:00. Septic pumped, fireplace set straight, broken basket ball stand dug up, wahser/dryer moved to basement storage. Kent to airport. Dinner at Kristen's with the kids and missionaries.
Tuesday: Clean up all my stuff, pack and load car. Leslie shows me her new home. Kristen meets me at my place and takes my leftover food.
Left a list of projects for friend Mike to do. Replace kitchen faucets, replace guts from hall toilet, fix leak on jacuzzi tub so water doesn't run on power box. Flashing on gutter to stop leak/ice on porch.

We almost got to see our favorite
tree at our favorite time of the year.

The color we painted the girls room.

Had to take a picture of my favorite thing...
the spice shelves Blake and I built in the pantry. :D